About Us

Dairying for Tomorrow (DfT) is a national natural resource management (NRM) program that brings industry and community partners together to develop and implement sound environmental management practices for a sustainable dairy industry.

• 25% increase in dairy farmers adopting industry best practice from 2000-06.
• Strong link between dairy farm membership of NRM groups and NRM action on farms.
• Increase in planning to reduce fertiliser loss, change effluent systems, retain native bush and fence waterways, particularly by large-operation farmers in industry NRM groups and with heavier stocking rates and/or feeding high rates of supplements.
• 50% of farmers interviewed with improved effluent systems.
• Almost 20% more farmers using ponds to manage milking shed effluent and fewer farmers than in 2000 letting effluent drain directly into paddocks rather than recycle.
• Of 99% of farmers using fertiliser (99%)  - increased use of prescription fertilisers, 83% of farmers soil testing, with 39% soil testing every year (up 9% since 2000) to determine optimal fertilising.
• Nutrient budgets on a third of dairy farms, again more common for farmers with large herds, higher stocking rates and higher rates of supplementary feeding.
• Revegetation programs instigated on half of farms in the past 10 years for stock comfort and to maintain property values.
• Markedly improved water use efficiency - from 5.5l/ha to 4l/ha. Higher numbers of farmers laser grading and a higher percent of irrigated land graded.
• Half of farmers using automation, mainly timers, with spray irrigation. (Farmers with automated irrigation systems used 17%/ha less water than those using manual systems.)
• Farmers testing for soil moisture use less water per hectare than those using a regular schedule.

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