Dairy Australia Forage Value Index expansion helps dairy farmers increase profits by $250 per hectare

Dairy Australia has expanded its popular Forage Value Index tables for this year’s ryegrass sowing season to help farmers “make better choices”, with the hope the perfect ryegrass cultivar could return up to $250 per hectare per year of increased net profit.

Australian dairy farmers invest significant amounts of money annually on renovation of ryegrass pastures to grow feed for their herds.

According to the Australian Seed Federation, in 2021 about 11 per cent (one billion litres) of Australia’s total milk production came directly from newly sown pastures.

Dairy Australia’s FVI lead Ruairi McDonnell said to ensure farmers were getting the best value for their money when choosing ryegrass cultivars, Dairy Australia annually produced its innovative FVI.

“It’s of utmost importance for farmers to select varieties which have the best chance of being profitable,” Mr McDonnell said.

“There are many ryegrass cultivars to choose from but Dairy Australia’s FVI tables provide farmers with independent assessments in an easy-to-use format to ensure they are making the right choices for their farm, in their region.”

The FVI is a tool for farmers and producers which independently ranks varieties of ryegrass according to their potential contribution to overall farm profit.

Initially released in 2017 by Dairy Australia for perennial ryegrass following similar initiatives in Ireland and New Zealand, the FVI has been updated each year since as new varietal trial results became available, as well as being expanded to include annual and Italian ryegrass.

The FVI uses the latest research to provide farmers and advisers with an easy, accurate and independent assessment of the potential economic value of perennial, annual and Italian ryegrass cultivars under Australian conditions.

The FVI rating system helps farmers and advisers make more informed decisions when selecting ryegrass cultivars to help farmers increase pasture productivity at key times of the year and ultimately improve farm profitability.

The data used to create the FVI is sourced from the Pasture Trial Network — a collaboration of seed companies, Meat and Livestock Australia and Dairy Australia, which conducts independent trials across the country.

The FVI ratings system is based on similar best practice and was developed in close consultation with farmers, the seed industry and internationally recognised experts.

Across all dairying regions of Australia, farmers and their advisers are currently making decisions about which ryegrass cultivars to plant.

The vast majority of Australian dairy farmers will sow either annual, perennial or Italian ryegrass on their farm this year, with a difference of more than $250 per hectare per year of net profit predicted in the FVI between the highest and lowest yielding cultivars.

Farmers can download the 2023 FVI tables now to plan their autumn pasture sowing at dairyaustralia.com.au/fvi.