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2006 Greenham Dairy Scholarship helps Goulburn Valley vet take on the world

2006-04-04

Australian dairy farmers are set to benefit from the awarding of a scholarship, announced today, which will take its winner overseas to become a world leader in dairy cattle health, nutrition and herd management.

Robert Bonanno, a veterinarian and leading Guernsey cattle breeder from Marionvale in north-central Victoria, has won the 2006 Greenham Dairy Scholarship.

The owner and operator of "Lawarra Guernseys" and a practising vet at the Shepparton Veterinary Clinic, Robert will use the $10,000 in funding provided by the scholarship to help cover expenses incurred when he starts studies in the United States in July this year.

He will undertake a 12-month Large Herds Dairy Internship through Michigan State University, based at Green Meadow Farms (GMF). GMF carries a 3500-cow registered Holstein herd and is the home for the Training Centre for Dairy Professionals, which aims to "train the future world leaders in dairy medicine".

"The drought years taught me many lessons, not the least of which is that water is the Goulburn Valley’s, if not Australia’s, most limiting resource. Moving forward, the dairy industry is going to have to compete with horticulture, viticulture and other water efficient industries in a cost and resource competitive way," Robert said.

"As a consequence of this, I believe that dairy farms will continue to grow in size and will rely more on conserved summer forages fed as part of a mixed ration. These farms will require a whole new set of skills which few veterinarians in Australia possess on top of the ‘traditional’ veterinary skills which most have.

"I will be studying large herd issues and skills, learn new techniques in herd health protocols and programmes, forage and ration management, labour management issues and milk quality issues all of which I can bring back to the Goulburn Valley to assist the development of the Australian dairy industry."

HW Greenham & Sons Managing Director Peter Greenham said Robert was clearly a worthy recipient of the 2006 Greenham Dairy Scholarship.

"Robert’s area of study is potentially critical to the future success of dairy farms in this country. It is clear that, as herds continue to increase in size, farmers are turning more and more to professional advice to help them manage the diverse aspects of running a dairy farm," Mr Greenham said.

"None is more critical than herd health, and knowing how best to feed your cows to optimise production, particularly in years when water is scarce."

Robert, 38, is also the first "mature-age" applicant to be selected to receive the Greenham Dairy Scholarship since it started six years ago. The age criteria were broadened last year after consultation with the dairy industry.

"Many older people are keen to improve their skills, but while there are quite a few scholarship opportunities for secondary students keen to move on to university, there are far fewer options for the more mature among us," Mr Greenham said.

Originally from N.S.W, Robert moved to Victoria a little more than five years ago and has had a long involvement with the dairy industry as both a veterinarian for the past 14 years and a dairy farmer for the past five years. His enthusiasm for breeding dairy cattle recently earned him the title of premier exhibitor of Guernsey cattle at International Dairy Week.

"I arranged this particular internship to further my skills and broaden my horizons in both veterinary practices and dairy herd management. It is a masters level training program for veterinarians to sustain and advance the dairy industry by creating a cadre of highly-trained veterinarians who will become the next generation of leaders in dairy veterinary medicine," he said.

Robert expects to return to the Goulburn Valley after his studies.

"I hope I can bring home a new and unique parcel of skills that will not only benefit me professionally but, I believe, will help me contribute to the dairy industry in the Goulburn Valley, something that has been my lifelong professional aim.

"While the internship pays a basic wage," Robert explained, "I was planning to sell off assets to enable me to undertake the year’s study. I could barely cover my commitments. Winning the Greenham Dairy Scholarship will ease some of these costs and will also mean that my family will be able to spend part of the year with me during the course of the program."

The Greenham Dairy Scholarship was launched in 2000 by Victorian-based meat processor HW Greenham & Sons to promote education within the dairy industry, and to encourage people to undertake further studies and make a commitment to the industry. It is open each year to people aged 17 to 45 years, who are immediate family, employees or sharefarmers working with suppliers of cattle to the company’s Tongala meat processing plant. Winners receive financial assistance for study in a dairy-related field of their choice.

Applications were this year assessed by a panel of independent judges including Australian Dairy Farmers central councillor and board member Geoff Akers; Kyabram Secondary College assistant principal Helen Walsh; Campaspe Shire Council chief executive officer Wayne Harvey; and Dairy Australia Manager, Dairy Australia Manager, Industry Relations, John McKew.

Among criteria considered in awarding the scholarship were personal and academic achievements, the potential benefits and relevance to Australian dairy farmers and the industry of the chosen study area or career path and how important the scholarship might be in helping the applicant to undertake the study and potentially realise their ambitions.