Hoop Time win
St Paul’s students set to compete at state Hoop Time
Junior school students at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School recently qualified to compete at the hoop time senior all stars state grand final day.
The team won through after winning their game at the regional hoop time all stars grand final.
Leading up to the regionals, the St Paul’s Warragul junior school years 5/6 boys hoop time basketball team won all of their four preliminary games and then the semi-final.
The boys played against St Mary’s Maffra in the grand final at the regional championships in Traralgon and with the score drawn at fulltime, 16–16, they played into extra time and won by three points for a score of 19-16.
They will now play at the hoop time senior all stars state grand final day on Tuesday November 27 at Dandenong Stadium
While milk prices have continued to improve, Gippsland dairy farmers have been forced to utilise fodder reserves and purchase additional fodder, the latest Dairy Australia Situation and Outlook report has found.
The October report, released last week, indicated milk prices had increased 19 per cent to $5.74 per kilogram milk solids.
Return on total assets in Gippsland grew three per cent in 2017/18 compared to the previous year, which was the highest growth rate of all Victorian dairy regions.
The report indicated the immediate challenges for farmers were continued increases in feed prices and tough seasonal conditions, while growth in domestic and global markets indicates support for dairy remains strong.
For many dairy farm businesses, the 2018/19 season has shifted from an outlook of recovery and growth to one of drought, feed shortage and rising production costs, likely to result in a milk production fall of five to seven per cent compared to 2017/18.
While the feed shortage will have implications on milk flows, the report said the Australian market for dairy products had remained stable, with all key product categories showing growth, pointing to ongoing and strengthened support for dairy among the Australian public.
In Gippsland, very little rain fell until December and then a dry summer and autumn led to reduced amounts of pasture available for conservation.
The report for Gippsland in 2017/18 showed:
Milk income was up 19 per cent to $5.74/kg milk solids
Total farm working expenses increased from $3.74/kg milk solids in 2016/17 to $4.24
Total farm gross income increased from $5.50/kg milk solids in 2016/17 to $6.26
Cost of production increased from $4.85/kg milk solids in 2016/17 to $5.42
Return on total assets increased from 2.1 per cent in 2016/17 to three per cent
Dairy Australia senior industry analyst John Droppert said while farmers’ key priority was to navigate their way through the immediate challenges, on farm decisions made in the coming months will be fundamental to the industry’s ability to seize the opportunities when seasonal conditions improve.
“Domestic sales growth is robust, delivering increases in both volume and value across most key dairy categories.
“Australian milk, cheese and yoghurt sales continue to grow, with Australians purchasing 1.4 billion litres of milk in supermarkets, up 0.9 per cent on last year,” Mr Droppert said.
The report said as an industry, support for dairy products and rural communities had been felt throughout the challenging season, with the entire supply chain, government and the Australian public showing their support for farmers facing drought.
“Dairy demand has remained robust, with dairy exports from the six major exporters increasing 3.7 per cent over the past 12 months.
“While farmers continue to feel the impact of the feed shortage and increasing cost of production, domestic and global market trends provide a timely reminder that dairy has an important role in Australian diets and improving the nutrition of millions of people around the world,” Mr Droppert said.
The Situation and Outlook report is released three times a year, providing expert, unbiased analysis and insights into the latest national and international market trends in the dairy industry, as well as up-to-date statistics and facts.