Recently a farmer reference group was formed in the Mid Coast region of NSW to provide information and guidance on an economic and risk analysis of rearing non-replacement calves. 

The project was led by Dan Armstrong, Senior Consultant with the RM Consulting Group. 

In the analysis, Dan and his team used two of the farms as case studies where the goal was to sell the non-replacement calves as dairy beef and investigate whether it would be economically practical to hold onto these calves and pursue this alternative pathway.

This was the second phase of a Dairy UP project looking at Sustainable Pathways for Surplus calves, led by Dairy Australia. The first phase involved a variety of consultation activities in the Nowra region with consumers, farmers, milk and meat processors and other supply chain stakeholders looking at alternative management pathways.

Useful resources related to this podcast:

DairyUP website - further information on this project and others www.dairyup.com.au 

Dairy Australia’s “Surplus Calves” and the Growing Beef from Dairy Project 

This podcast is an initiative of the NSW DPI Dairy Business Advisory Unit

It is brought to you in partnership the Hunter Local Land Services

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The information discussed in this podcast are for informative and educational purposes only and do not constitute advice.