WHEN it comes to producing clean milk Phillip and Debbie Borham on the eastern edge of Comboyne Plateau do it better than most.
Their somatic cell count results are the lowest in the state among fellow suppliers of drinking milk to Murray Goulburn.
The reward comes once - when the cell count drops below 250,000 and yet the Borhams sit well below that - between 80-55,000 with their only impetus the ‘feel good’ factor of doing a job right.
“We do it for ourselves,” says Mr Borham, shrugging his shoulders. “There’s no real money in dairy. The industry’s basically finished and there’s not enough profit in beef to service our borrowings.”
Last week Murray Goulburn made a mockery of its suppliers offering an opening price for the financial year of 46.7 cents per litre. At that rate the Borhams will lose $7000 a month and now have to trim essential spending on fertiliser.
Trouble with that strategy is modern cows need feed or they ‘milk themselves skinny’.
“We’re looking at what other processors can offer but it’s clear that they will cut their price too in order to stay competitive,” said Mr Borham.
The couple carry a $1m debt on their 147ha of improved pasture and float the loan thanks to the burgeoning production of 220 Holstein Friesians - the maximum number they can feed on improved pasture and grain.
An unprecedented dry autumn has meant poor growth of rye and oats so more money is being spent on grain and silage.
On the western slopes of the plateau they run 140 replacement heifers on 90ha but are considering selling that parcel to stay in the industry. To do so would ruin the system that produces such clean product.
The high number of replacement heifers is a critical reason why their cell count is so low - half the milking herd are first calf heifers.
“We are also using sexed semen to get get a few more heifer calves for replacement,” said Mr Borham.
The on-going bumper market for cull cows is also something positive.
“We don’t hesitate as much when we’re deciding to replace a cow,” he says.
Using a 12 aside swing-over herringbone milking system the Borhams pride themselves on having ‘an eye for detail’.
“Milking is time consuming,” explains Mr Borham, whose father bought this dairy property in 1968 after moving the family to the fertile red soils of the Comboyne from Wards River via Gloucester.
They take extra effort stripping the milk from every teat prior to placing the cups and this extra care allows them time to visually assess for mastitis and clotting or water-coloured milk.
“It costs us in labour but we do it for the self-satisfaction,” Mr Borham said.
Mrs Borham has been dairying on the Comboyne for the last eight years and came With no experience, having grown up In Melbourne.
She raises calfs and has won awards, proving that a heart for cattle requires no letters behind the name.
Despite working in an industry where profit margin is minimal the couple genuinely enjoy their work and don’t winge about the lack of time off.
“If dairy farmers got 60 cents for their milk they would be sustainable,” he said.
“And farmers don’t hoard their money. They spend it on upgrades. It would be better for the whole community.”
