Hard worker Jim struggles with dairy prices

He puts in long hours and allows himself few spare moments.

His determination was put to the test by the 122 hectare dairy property he and wife Pauline bought on the edge of Smithton, on Tasmania’s north-west coast four years ago.

Run-down and untidy, it lacked good fencing, a water system and decent shedding – a far cry from today’s set-up.

But, not one to waste time he saw it as something to sink his teeth into.

“We had it fenced and watered within six weeks,” Mr Hursey said.

Today, the lush and green property features about 60 two hectare paddocks, has been cut through the middle by a central lane, and boasts a complete water system reticulated through 70 troughs and irrigated land which now totals 75ha.

A new 31 swing-over dairy, cow yards and sheds have been installed and a 12,500 litre vat.

“We thought we’d pour everything we could into the dairy first up because when we bought it, milk prices skyrocketed.”

This was four years ago and today, despite putting everything into dairy, the Hurseys are only just breaking-even.

Falling milk prices are to blame Mr Hursey said and a state and Federal government who have looked the other way.

At one point, with milk returning less than 20c/L, Mr Hursey said it was costing them to do business.

To combat the situation and to pay debt and expenses, they sold last year’s entire calf crop, have put on-hold property improvements and sacrificed an industrial land site and the size of their Blue Lou Gravel Services business.

This latter, had grown for many years on the back of a stable dairy industry to include nine trucks, two graders and two excavators and several other pieces of equipment.

But as work commitments declined with the collapse of the local dairy industry, Mr Hursey began to sell off equipment; today Blue Lou comprises three trucks.

“To keep the farm afloat we’ve sold off every bit of gear we could get away with selling.”

The 200 head mostly Holstein-Friesian herd has remained in good shape Mr Hursey said, thanks to their focus on pasture renovation, nutrition and management.

A number of their full-time and casual staff have been laid off and now the Hurseys juggle the twice-daily milking process with Blue Lou commitments.

Despite the tough times, the Hurseys still reported gains in milk production during the past four years, with cows on path to produce about 450 kilograms per head of milk solids this year.

“This farm never used to produce much in the way of milk solids and every year we’re upping our target.”

Fonterra is currently offering just under 40c/L, a figure which enabled the Hurseys to break-even.

“For us to begin making money again, we need a minimum price of about 55c/L.”

He described it as a depressing situation, not just because of the millions of dollars tied up in their business, but also the hard work he and other farmers were putting in.

“Most people have a nine to five job and do their 38-hour week.

“It’s our choice to be dairy farmers … but we put the hours in so why aren’t we properly rewarded?

“I’d work anywhere from 4am to late at night and if the cows are calving, I’ll check on them throughout the night.

“You go into this for the love of it and you want to work hard and get somewhere in your life.

“You shouldn’t have to work hard and get nothing for it.”

Recently re-elected Braddon Labor representative Sid Sidebottom and the Federal Government have offered little help to troubled dairy farmers in the region and wider, Mr Hursey said.

“The government is more worried about propping up secondary and tertiary businesses.

“When are they going to realize that if they prop up primary industry, they’ll feed money right through the system?”

Mr Hursey suggested a tax be set on the price of milk, with money returning direct to the producer.

“This would help farmers produce the best product they can and allow them to put on some more staff.

“This property should be able to support three or four staff.

“There’s a lot of jobs that need doing, that we don’t do because we don’t have the time to do them.”