Following on from a successful National Fodder Conference in Hobart and tour of rural Tasmania in 2012 Caitlin Scholfield AFIA Industry Development Manager will be attending Agfest on Thursday May 2nd. Caitlin will be catching up with members and sponsors at the Field Day, as well as speaking to local university students and “Tasmanian Women in Agriculture”.
Since AFIA was established in 1996 as the peak body for the Australian fodder industry covering all sectors of the supply chain, our network has worked to help the fodder industry grow through sharing information, assisting trade, and promoting research and development. We also work closely with government regulators to ensure our members have a favourable environment to do business in.
In 2007 the fodder industry had an estimated value of $1.5 billion, a figure that continues to grow assisted by AFIA’s work. Over the past 15 years the export industry alone has grown from 100,000mt to 600,000mt of fodder products exported.
At a more local level in the last twelve months the Tasmanian fodder industry has done a complete turnaround. In April 2012 there was a reported oversupply of pasture and fodder reserves after a productive hay and silage season in 2011. A lot of producers were topping paddocks in order to manage their pastures. In 2013, after a very poor hay and silage season, where production was estimated to be down 50% the state is experiencing a significant shortage of fodder. This year it is estimated that prices have lifted $52/t on average across all fodder types.
The fodder industry is one of the most important industries in Australian agriculture, underpinning production in dairy, livestock, horticulture and other intensive industries. AFIA recognises Tasmania as an important hub of Australian agriculture with some growth in these intensive industries that are supported by fodder. As such AFIA is keen to engage and support our members, fodder producers, transporters, contractors and service providers in this region.
Anyone looking to learn more about AFIA or catch up with Caitlin at Agfest can contact her on 039530 2199 or email [email protected]