Dairy Australia 2020 Milk Quality Awards: Australia’s top 100 dairies revealed

The Cavallaro family has gained one of the coveted spots on the list of Australia’s top 100 dairy producers. See who else made the list.

Winning spot: Alex Cavallaro with 11 month old son Lewis, and Alex’s parents Cosimo and Rosie after receiving news of the Milk Quality Awards top placing. Picture: Chloe Smith

OPERATING a relatively young herd has helped the Cavallaro family get a spot on the list of Australia’s top 100 dairy producers.

The Katunga trio of Alex and parents Cosimo and Rosie have gained one of the coveted spots on the league table released by Dairy Australia as part of its 2020 Milk Quality Awards.

The awards recognise farmers producing the country’s best milk based on bulk milk cell count

(BMCC).

Alex Cavallaro said the late-2000s drought led the family to sell off most of its milking herd, only retaining calves and heifers.

“Once we started milking again after the 2008 sell off, the cell count dropped a fair bit. I think that’s played a part in us having low cell counts for so long,” the Katunga farmer said.

“We kept that focus on having a younger herd.

“You can’t just pinpoint it to one reason though. I think being a family farm — no employees, just myself, Mum and Dad — has also played a part.”

Gold awards are given to the ‘Top 100’ dairy farmers nationally for milk quality and, together

with the silver award winners, represent the top five per cent across the Australian sector.

Dairy Australia managing director David Nation said a focus on low BMCC helped increase milk yields and can improve the income received by farmers.

Most processors pay a premium for milk with a BMCC below 250,000 cells/ml and Dairy Australia analysis estimated that a farmer milking 300 cows who lowers their BMCC from

250,000 to 100,000 would be financially better off to the tune of $39,000 per year.

“Getting to this level takes consistent focus across the year on all aspects of the milking process, including effective mastitis control and maintaining a high level of attention to detail,” Dr Nation said.

“This dedication underpins the high quality of Australian dairy products.”

Data for the Milk Quality Awards is supplied to Dairy Australia by dairy companies across the

country.

To be eligible, dairy farms must have data for a minimum of nine months in a calendar year. Monthly averages are then used to calculate the annual average BMCC for each farm.

MILK QUALITY AWARDS 2020 WINNERS

NC & V Joiner NSW Dairy NSW

RF & NP BOURK VIC West Vic Dairy

HARRISON HD & CO. WA Western Dairy

JIM & HEATHER HARVEY VIC Gipps Dairy

CARRAKOORTE NORTH PTY LTD VIC West Vic Dairy

WILLIE TA & SON VIC West Vic Dairy

CP & MJ NIJSKENS VIC West Vic Dairy

ROBERTSON AM & TJ VIC West Vic Dairy

P.A & K.M Finlayson VIC West Vic Dairy

CA & KL Spokes Family Trust VIC West Vic Dairy

CW & AM Smart VIC West Vic Dairy

RA & HJ DOOLAN PTY LTD VIC Murray Dairy

Seabrook Holdings (VIC) Pty Ltd VIC West Vic Dairy

S B & I F Derrick VIC Gipps Dairy

ML & KE Ryan VIC West Vic Dairy

HOWARD FARM TRUST VIC West Vic Dairy

DW & CG & FC & DL Armstrong VIC Gipps Dairy

BORHAM PF NSW SubTropical Dairy

BALLANGEICH RUN PTY LTD VIC West Vic Dairy

HEATHCOTE R.M. & L.M. TAS DairyTas

DG Hallyburton & RS Hallyburton VIC West Vic Dairy

DC Johnson Pty Ltd VIC West Vic Dairy

TJ & CJ BEASLEY VIC West Vic Dairy

Mount Patrick Estate TAS DairyTas

ZISCHKE DG AL GR & MD QLD SubTropical Dairy

GA & JL Crothers VIC West Vic Dairy

PF Crea VIC Gipps Dairy

DOUGLAS JW & VL TAS DairyTas

SHEFFIELD SCHOOL FARM TAS DairyTas

Stephens H. & S. VIC Murray Dairy

GLENMEAD PTY LTD – ATF SMITH

FARM TRUST VIC West Vic Dairy

GARDINER M & L VIC West Vic Dairy

JONES S.G & S.J VIC Murray Dairy

KENNAUGH IJ QLD SubTropical Dairy

WALTHAM G.V. & J.L. VIC Gipps Dairy

POWELL DAIRY FARMS PTY LTD

AFT WARRABOON FARM VIC West Vic Dairy

DUNBAR FAMILY TRUST TAS DairyTas

MOSS T.K. & S.P. VIC Gipps Dairy

ARALUEN PASTORAL HOLDINGS P/L VIC West Vic Dairy

KP CAMPBELL & THE CAMPBELL

FAMILY TRUST VIC West Vic Dairy

The Trustee for Scotts Creek

Dairies Family Trust VIC West Vic Dairy

M & A Brett WA Western Dairy

RJ Perkins & SF Evans VIC Murray Dairy

A N Buckley VIC West Vic Dairy

KANGERTONG FARMING PTY LTD VIC West Vic Dairy

CL FREEMANTLE PTY LTD VIC Murray Dairy

C & R CAVALLARO VIC Murray Dairy

Bidgemah Trust VIC West Vic Dairy

VDL DAIRIES LTD ISLAND VIEW VIC West Vic Dairy

S.J. & A.K. CHRISTOPHER VIC Murray Dairy

HU Vogel and S Vogel VIC West Vic Dairy

PUMP GJ TAS DairyTas

J- S & T BROWN PTY LTD VIC West Vic Dairy

COOWONGA FAMILY TRUST VIC Murray Dairy

FIELDING L VIC West Vic Dairy

NUNN I.G. & R.L. VIC West Vic Dairy

RJ & EH Swayn VIC West Vic Dairy

T.L. Geary (91-1) VIC Gipps Dairy

B & J WIECK QLD SubTropical Dairy

RJ & JR RIXON PTY LTD VIC Murray Dairy

R.M Morey VIC West Vic Dairy

Willie Hawker Pty Ltd VIC West Vic Dairy

THE TRUSTEE FOR EIRENCLARE

FARMS UNIT TRUST VIC West Vic Dairy

Ashley J Fiedler VIC Murray Dairy

THE TRUSTEE FOR POTTER

FAMILY TRUST VIC Gipps Dairy

LAANG FARM PARTNERSHIP VIC West Vic Dairy

S & J Bland VIC Gipps Dairy

Hibberson C. & N. VIC Murray Dairy

LOWE H.F.& F.A. VIC West Vic Dairy

GREEN D.G. & D.L. VIC Gipps Dairy

Guye Family Trust VIC West Vic Dairy

DO & KM HUNTER SA DairySA

WJ & VL Crole Family Trust VIC West Vic Dairy

Denbigh Pastoral Trust VIC West Vic Dairy

LUCAS AH VIC West Vic Dairy

CA & AL Duro VIC West Vic Dairy

Dixie Ridge Farm Pty Ltd VIC West Vic Dairy

GRIFFITHS MA & TM NSW SubTropical Dairy

MASSEY K.A. VIC West Vic Dairy

SC & VJ Winchester VIC Murray Dairy

WJ & A Stammers VIC Murray Dairy

HW & BE ELLIOTT VIC West Vic Dairy

D & M COLBERT VIC Murray Dairy

RC & SJ Methven VIC West Vic Dairy

J H Cuthbertson Pty Ltd VIC Gipps Dairy

L FITZPATRICK WA Western Dairy

Tarago River Farms Pty Ltd VIC Gipps Dairy

CL & JM DRAKE VIC West Vic Dairy

BD & KL Mitchell VIC Murray Dairy

CL & CL COSTIN VIC West Vic Dairy

WILD NJ VIC Murray Dairy

NOLANE INVESTMENTS P/L ATF

LESTIN INVEST DISCRETIONARY TRUST VIC West Vic Dairy

IAN & RUTH MCGREGOR WA Western Dairy

CRABBE HF VIC West Vic Dairy

RL & B Lade VIC Gipps Dairy

D.M Daffy & G.A Daffy SA DairySA

NG & NG & TJ Pearce T/A Warwick

Farm Enterprises NSW Dairy NSW

Blain Dairying Pty Ltd VIC West Vic Dairy

BOYS KJ VIC West Vic Dairy