Category: Blog

Just 1kg a day of Manildra Stockfeed DDGS Wheat Pellets delivers “phenomenal” results for early weaned calves and breeders at one of Australia’s most famous rural properties, Belltrees, in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW.

On 9,000 hectares along the Hunter River upstream of Lake Glenbawn – home to the pioneering White family since 1831 – Belltrees today grazes more than 5,000 head of prime Black Angus cattle alongside tourism and horse-training, since diversifying from the core business of sheep when wool prices floored in the 1950s.

Managing the cattle and horse side of the family business, Antony White can be found most days working the station on horseback, alongside his dogs and the stockmen mustering, drafting and branding cattle or training horses.

Mr White said the adoption of early weaning, due to the extended dry conditions, had been the biggest change to their cattle operation.

“Common practice was to wean calves at 200kg to 260kg depending on seasonal conditions,” he said. “That’s changed with the assistance we are able to wean calves at 60kg.

“During weaning, the calves were offered 1kg a day of DDGS Wheat Pellets, with the addition of straw and pasture.

“Weaning calves earlier at 60kg requires a feed that is well-balanced in energy and protein.”

From a live weight of 180kg, calves are provided open access to DDGS Wheat Pellets through self-feeders, with daily weight gains meeting Mr White’s expected 2kg average.

The benefits of DDGS Wheat Pellets extend beyond the calves to the breeding herd – providing an excellent source of fermentable carbohydrates, protein and energy, which can be fed with a high degree of safety and little risk of acidosis.

“Early weaning provides an opportunity for the breeders to improve their condition score and allows improvements in cow conception rates,” Mr White said.

“For breeders, DDGS Wheat Pellets provide energy and protein to help the herd maintain their health and wellbeing – reserving their strength and nutrition for their own metabolism.”

Manildra Group National Stockfeed Manager Tim Wirth described the results as “phenomenal – especially in dry conditions” and ensuring the breeding stock were in their prime.

“The breeding herd is under significant pressure with current seasonal conditions – early weaning and feed supplementation reduce the pressure on the herd, improving fertility rates and condition scores,” said Mr Wirth.

Black Angus Beef Up On DDGS Wheat Pellets

What are five points that summarise your story to now?

I feel privileged to have had a country upbringing on our family farm near Werris Creek, on the NSW Liverpool Plains. I’ve always been passionate about farming and known from a young age it was what I wanted to do. After school, I studied agriculture and business at the University of New England, which provided great insight into new and improved ways of farming, including grains and cotton crop management and protection. I returned home to begin work implementing new practices I learnt from university and working on other farms. I’m keen to see where my farming career takes me.

What are your favourite aspects of farming?

We run Hereford and Red Angus beef cattle, which is where my dad’s interests lay. I prefer the cropping (wheat and sorghum) side of production, watching the plant germinate and progress through different stages of development. Sorghum, a favourite of mine, is well-suited to our soil and climate, and I’m keen to test new varieties and practices to increase productivity.

Who do you look up to, on and off the farm?

My dad (Guy) has been a major role model in all areas of my life. He always encourages me to live an active lifestyle, and to work and participate in aspects of life that I most enjoy. Working alongside him is enjoyable because he is flexible and willing to try new farming practices that I’m eager to trial in our operation.

What’s the best piece of farming advice handed down from previous generations?

The advice that’s always stayed with me is about the importance of being prepared for unforgiving climatic conditions. This past year is a prime example – the drought has pushed many farmers to the limit, both mentally and physically, as it’s made agricultural production near-impossible. It’s made this advice more vivid than ever to me and directed my actions to be prepared in the form of hay for livestock, and in making conservative decisions to help get through the tough times.

What advice might you give to someone considering a life in agriculture?

Positivity and a healthy mindset are key to a happy life on the farm. In many situations, we are 100 per cent reliant on the climate and there’s not much you can do to change it. The main thing to remember is that usually everyone around you is in the same boat, so you have to try and stay positive and not let the tough times get to you.

What do you see as the biggest problems in agriculture and your area?

Australian farmers aren’t paid enough for the products they produce. The world market plays a major role in determining the prices we get, and quite often it’s not enough. This is pushing Australian agriculture to the limit, making farmers invest lots of money to boost efficiency and productivity. Though it’s different at the moment, because demand for commodities in drought has pushed up prices but not many people have any to sell.

If you were Prime Minister for a day, what would you do or change?

In a world of easily available money, time and resources, I’d want to support all Australian farmers (cropping, cattle, dairy) through subsidies, better natural disaster packages (including drought, flood and fire), and in trying to lower input costs or increase the prices we receive for our commodities. There’s a need for a nationwide awareness of the importance of farmers and the work they do in order for Australians and the world to have food on their plate.

Do you think there’s a divide between agriculturalists and non-agriculturists in Australia?

Only due to a lack of general knowledge and awareness of what happens on farms and what farmers must do in order to be profitable and feed the world’s growing population.

What has been your biggest challenge as a younger farmer taking over the reins of an enterprise?

So far, it’s been making decisions at crucial times that can come at a high cost. The results of these decisions are determined by fluctuations in the market and are dependent on the timing of rainfall.

Agriculture is perfectly imperfect but in a perfect world, what would the future look like for your business?

The direction of our business growth is expansion of cropping areas within the farm while integrating a wider variety of crops, such as chickpeas, into our rotation.

If you are facing a problem on farm, do you openly seek assistance from others or manage yourself?

Depending on the situation, I’d seek advice from others. I’m very lucky to have friends and family with wide-ranging farming experience and knowledge. As I’ve only just started my farming career, I understand I have a lot to learn and recognise advice from experienced farmers can be extremely helpful. In saying that, every farm is different, with different goals – so it’s important to make decisions based on your individual situation.

What are your hobbies and interests away from the farm?

Having other interests is important to a positive, healthy mindset. I’m an active person, playing cricket on Wednesday afternoons, tennis on Thursday nights, and golf on weekends. These local social competitions, where mates are able to catch up away from the farm, are great. In summer months, I enjoy water-skiing with mates at local dams. And I have three sisters that live around the state, so it’s nice to go and catch up with them whenever I get a chance and take a break from the farm.

Are you willing to try new things on the farm or prefer to stick with what has worked before?

I value past generations and practices that allowed the farm to be what it is today. I also want to implement new practices I’ve learnt. In the past, our farm has used a lot of cultivation. Due to below-average rainfall the past few years, I’m in the process of converting our farm into a zero tillage system to preserve moisture. I’m also looking to grow our first crop of chickpeas in 2019, in the hope to grow them regularly in our rotation.

If farming wasn’t an option, what would be your next dream job?

Having grown up on the farm, I couldn’t see myself moving to the city. If farming wasn’t an option, I would hopefully be working within the agricultural industry – preferably with crops as an agronomist, and in a hands-on approach, out in the field.

Ten Minutes With Young Farmer Knox Fisher Ten Minutes With Young Farmer Knox Fisher

In one of the world’s poorest countries – where a cow is worth more than double the average rural family home – a former pig farmer from South Australia has established a bovine bank as a pathway from poverty to prosperity.

Proudly supported by Manildra Group, Cows For Cambodia has grown to become the largest agricultural charity in the adopted home of Andrew Costello, following his first visit in 2011 on a break from his TV travel show, South Aussie with Cosi.

Using his agricultural degree and 16 hectares purchased in the South East Asian country, Mr Costello established the bovine breeding project to give the life-changing gift of a calf to impoverished rural families, who care for pregnant cows under a loan contract that supports them throughout the process.

“It instantly breaks the poverty cycle for that family,” said Mr Costello of the value of the cow – worth an income stream out of reach to most in rural Cambodia, still recovering from the murder and starvation of an estimated two million people under the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979.

Along with teaching techniques in animal husbandry, Mr Costello has further negotiated to grow a highly nutritious African grass under irrigation as an alternative feed for stock, and sources genetically superior quality cattle from Australia’s Top End, in working towards his vision of handing over the whole project to Cambodians to run as a profitable enterprise, to help educate local farmers about handling and breeding their own stock.

The charity has also branched out into infrastructure and free education for children, enlists the help of volunteers on holidays with Mr Costello – including handing out tonnes of rice to those struggling to buy food – and recently launched in Africa.

Manildra Group Managing Director John Honan said Mr Costello’s ‘hand-up not hand-out’ approach was helping to break the poverty cycle in one of the world’s poorest nations.

“Cosi and his team are bringing hope, freedom and life to rural Cambodian communities,” Mr Honan said.

“In addition to providing secure income and free education, Cows for Cambodia provides the experience of a lifetime on special days out for many people who have never been in a car, visited the movies or even seen clear water.”

Find out more or support Cows for Cambodia at cowsforcambodia.com. More information on Manildra Foundation’s support for Australian charitable and community initiatives is at manildra.com.au/manildra-foundation.

South East Asia’s biggest distillery of its kind is lighting up the night skyline on the South Coast of NSW, the dazzling result of ongoing innovation at the world-class Shoalhaven Starches manufacturing facility in Nowra.

The seven-column distillery creates 100 per cent pure Australian, grain-neutral spirits for craft and big brand beverages – including vodka, gin, blended whiskies and ready-to-drink packaged alcohol – from premium, GMO-free wheat.

It is the latest investment by Australian family-owned agribusiness Manildra Group into state-of-the-art technology at our flagship facility, and facilitates full-scale production of the premium product for domestic and export markets.

As industry leader for quality standards, we have mastered a truly neutral-tasting and odourless alcohol that is also ideal for use in food and flavouring, beauty and personal care, and medical and laboratory applications.

Our spirit’s smooth mouth feel make it a favourite among local distillers including Melbourne’s Starward Whisky, who work with our premium base to blend their distinctly Australian whiskies.

World Class Distillery Lights Up Night Sky

Manildra Group has launched a series of online video tutorials to provide our food service customers step-by-step tips on crafting top-quality sweet and savoury foods from premium Australian wheat flours, bakery mixes and other specialty products.

A major flour miller of high-quality bakery ingredients since 1952, we have focused on our core range of premixes in a 12-part series of video tutorials and recipes – making it even easier for bakeries, restaurants, cafes and wholesalers to perfect their products.

The premix tutorials – featuring Vanilla Slice, Chocolate Sponge, Yeast-Raised Donuts, Brioche, No-Bake Custard, Four Seed Bread, Scone, Utility Cake, Mud Cake, Sponge Deluxe, and Complete Muffin – can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/manildragroup.

Our state-of-the-art test bakery and innovation centres in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Manildra and Kansas are hubs for the creation of our core range of Gem of the West and The Healthy Baker flour premixes – including sweet, savoury and bread mixes.

Staffed by highly skilled scientists, food technologists, bakers and pastry chefs, our world-leading research and development facilities also create value-added ingredients, develop new and innovative products, new processes and ingredient applications.

With rigorous evaluation for robustness and consistency, our premium premixes, supplied in 12.5kg bags, exceed quality expectations each and every time.

Online Tutorials to Make Baking a Piece of Cake

World-class international technology to optimise water use at Manildra Group’s Shoalhaven Starches manufacturing facility in Nowra, NSW, is being installed by local company All Construction Engineering.

The state-of-the-art Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) evaporator will significantly boost the capacity of the advanced water treatment plant, which already recycles tens of millions of litres of water every year for re-use,  and produces methane for energy.

Designed and constructed in Italy, the MVR evaporator’s high-pressure centrifugal fan generates vapour from the product stream to be condensed as recycled water, which is further used in a fully integrated manufacturing process.

Set to substantially enhance water efficiencies when operational in November 2018,  the MVR evaporator is part of Manildra Group’s ongoing investment in innovation at the Nowra facility — which continues to set the global standard for sustainable manufacturing as part of  the all-Australian family company’s commitment to supporting the nation’s industries and  regional communities.

Water Works Help Make Every Drop Count

The completion of a world-class distillery at Shoalhaven Starches in Nowra, NSW,  has culminated in the largest facility of its kind in South East Asia, creating 100 per cent pure Australian spirits.

With the taste of quality in every drop, the seven-column distillery produces grain-neutral spirits for craft and big brand beverages – including vodka, gin, blended whiskies, liquors and ready-to-drink packaged alcohol – using premium 100 per cent Australian, GMO-free wheat hand-selected as feedstock.

The latest investment into the state-of-the-art technology at Shoalhaven Starches, by Australian family-owned international agribusiness Manildra Group, continues more than 25 years of value-adding innovation for what’s been a pivotal part of a fully integrated production processes since 1992.

The manufacturing plant’s elite new distillery facilitates full-scale production of beverage-grade, grain-neutral spirits for personal care, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries across the globe.

With methodical testing carried out by wheat fermentation experts, who ensure the grain-neutral spirits meet Manildra’s industry-leading quality standards. Manildra has mastered a truly neutral-tasting and odourless premium product – perfect for craft distillers to use as the blank canvas base to create 100 per cent pure Australian spirits. This includes world-class gins, vodka and whiskies made by Manly Spirits.

World Class Distillery Open for Business

It was a fish paste shortage in Japan that led to Manildra Group becoming a leading supplier of 100 per cent Australian products prized as safe and reliable in the world’s third-biggest economy.

In 1982, when the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea imposed a 200-mile fishing limit for the key ingredients in the popular Japanese delicacy kamaboko (cured fish paste), vital wheat gluten and starch emerged as integral binders to extend the lifespan of this seafood delicacy.

Manildra Group Chairman Dick Honan and General Manager Peter Simpson saw an opportunity for the family-owned company to introduce premium Australian-owned, grown and made vital wheat gluten and starch to the Japanese market.

“When our first container of vital wheat gluten landed in Japan in 1982, it was an extraordinary achievement becoming the first company in the world to export gluten into this market,” said Mr Simpson.

In the more than 40 years since, Manildra Group has grown to become one of Japan’s biggest suppliers of all-Australian food and industrial products – including ethanol, starch and gluten for use in noodles, protein drinks, baked goods, snacks, alcoholic drinks, sanitisers, paper and wallpaper paste.

“Our products are renowned in Japan because they come from high-quality Australian, non-GMO premium wheat,” said Mr Simpson.

He said Manildra Group had strong relationships with all the leading major Japanese trading companies “which we strengthened through continual visits to Japan and welcoming our customers to our world-class manufacturing sites in Australia.”

“The Manildra Group–Japan partnership is one of our closest and most mature in Asia – relationships that are underpinned by trust and friendship,” said Mr Simpson.

“For more than 40 years, Manildra Group has maintained extremely steady prices into the Japanese market, consistently providing a continuous supply of 100 per cent Australian-grown and made products despite droughts and difficult market conditions at times.”

As Chairman and President of Itochu Taiwan Corporation, one of Japan’s leading trading companies, Shuji Oe said Manildra Group had been exceptional in terms of stable supply, consistent quality and competitive pricing to the Japanese market regardless of variable global market situations or adverse weather conditions.

“I’ve been always impressed with the Manildra way, which envisions long-term relationships and win-win situations among the seller and buyer,” said Mr Oe.

“The principle has been nurtured between the top management and the employees in a small community through many years of experience. I hope the strong bond between Manildra and Itochu would continue for many decades from now.”

Mr Simpson said that Japanese customers relied on Manildra Group products as the benchmark for quality, consistency and innovation.

“Japanese consumers are extremely quality-conscious, and we have spent decades fine-tuning our quality regime to meet their strict requirements – which has ultimately made Manildra Group a better company,” Mr Simpson said.

“We also work with our Japanese customers in pioneering product development.”

As CEO of leading agricultural products specialist Vox Trading Co, Haruki Kawabe said that Manildra Group had since the 1970s been supplying 120 million Japanese consumers with Australian-grown and made vital wheat gluten and starch, which are essential ingredients in traditional Japanese foods such as ramen and noodles.

“Australia is blessed with rich natural assets and Manildra Group’s products exceed Japanese consumer associations of Australia as a ‘clean and green’ country,” said Mr Kawabe. “We value Manildra Group’s sincere sales style, continually supplying the Japanese market with ingredients produced at their state-of-the-art factories with some of the highest food safety standards in the world.

“We are very proud of our 40-year history with Manildra Group, strengthening our relationships with Chairman Dick Honan and Managing Director John Honan. Throughout Vox’s history, even as our people have moved on, we will not forget the friendship and partnership Manildra Group have provided and hope that our companies will work together for another 40 years.”

Japan is Australia’s second-largest export market. More than $40 billion worth of goods were exported to Japan in 2016–17, accounting for almost 15 per cent of Australia’s total goods exports.

Manildra Group’s specialist grain and stockfeed teams joined more than 150,000 visitors and 3000 exhibitors at the Henty Machinery Field Days and the 2018 Commonwealth Bank AgQuip in Gunnedah, NSW.

The annual showcases of Australian agriculture provided a relaxed setting for Manildra Group’s team to touch base with those doing it tough in ongoing drought conditions.

With the need for fodder pushing demand for supplementary pellet feeds, our stockfeed team was able to reassure customers that production facilities have been operating at full capacity to service the extra requirements.

Meanwhile, refreshments made by Watson’s Kitchen with Manildra Group’s flour, sugar and oil proved a hit with visitors to the Manildra stands at the Henty and Gunnedah field days.

And at AgQuip, the nation’s biggest annual field day, Manildra Group hosted Members of Parliament, industry bodies and customers to an evening event featuring 100 per cent Australian-made gin from the purest grain-neutral spirits being distilled at Shoalhaven Starches.

Field Days Showcase

The growing success of the world’s first  flours for avoiding digestive issues linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has led to the launch of Manildra Group’s first-ever international retail brand.

Certified low in FODMAP carbohydrates that  can cause abdominal bloating and other IBS-like symptoms, the Lo-Fo Pantry range of all-purpose plain flour and specialty bakery mixes has hit North American supermarket shelves.

It is the first time in Manildra Group’s 66-year history that the 100 per cent Australian  family-owned business has launched a retail brand overseas, with the Lo-Fo Pantry range stocked in Hy-Vee supermarkets across eight Midwestern states.

Boasting more than 245 stores focused on health and wellbeing – including in-store dieticians to support customers’ wellness needs and goals – Hy-Vee ranks among the top 25 supermarket chains in the United States.

Manildra Group Director Caroline Honan said the Lo-Fo Pantry range could play a significant role in the gut-health and wellbeing space.

Ms Honan said the move to establish the standalone brand followed the success of the breakthrough low-FODMAP range through The Healthy Baker in Australia.

“Hy-Vee’s focus on health and nutrition is a natural fit for our Lo-Fo Pantry range and the response from consumers abroad has been phenomenal, with our products re-opening the door to baking,” she said.

“We also provide online recipes for low-FODMAP certified American favourites including pumpkin pie, waffles and cinnamon donuts, which are proving a huge hit.”

The Lo-Fo Pantry range includes Plain Flour (All Purpose Flour), Baking Mix, Bread Flour and Bread Flour with Seeds – all tested by the government-registered Australian certifier FODMAP Friendly with NATA accredited food laboratories, and approved for millions of people who suffer IBS-like abdominal symptoms but get no relief from a gluten-free diet.

The FODMAPs are extracted from the grain of 100 per cent Australian, GMO-free wheat as part of an all-natural, chemical-free wet milling process pioneered at Australia’s biggest flour mill, the regional NSW flagship of Manildra Group.

“We’re so proud the Lo-Fo Pantry flours and bakery mixes are giving people the freedom of relief from those IBS-like symptoms,” said Ms Honan.

“People following low-FODMAP diets can simply substitute Lo-Fo Pantry flours and bakery mixes into any recipe to put a smorgasbord of healthy and delicious foods back on the menu – from pizza and pasta to breads, hot cross buns, cookies, crumbles, cakes, scones, slices, muffins and more.”

As part of the international brand launch, The Healthy Baker Low FODMAP Flour has also been re-branded as Lo-Fo Pantry Low-FODMAP Plain Flour, available in Australian Woolworths and Coles nationwide.

For optimum nutritional health, Lo-Fo Pantry flours and bakery mixes are stocked in the popular air-tight and durable PET containers, which are suitable for re-use and storage after keeping your flour at its freshest.