Sustainability on a dairy farm is not a single intervention or a distant environmental target. It is a set of connected decisions about the soil, the pasture, the herd and the way the business is managed. Hannes Cilliers, deputy chairperson of the Eastern Cape Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO), argues that soil health deserves special attention because it affects pasture quality and, in turn, the health of dairy cows. For farmers seeking to produce sustainably, the practical starting point is to understand and maintain the living balance beneath their pastures.
Begin by testing the foundation
Balanced soil contains the right amounts of fungi, bacteria, micronutrients and other micro-organisms to sustain fertility. That fertility is transferred to pasture, so problems in the soil can reach the feed and ultimately affect the animals that depend on it. Cilliers’ advice is direct: test soil regularly and respond to issues as they arise, rather than assuming that the ground will remain in balance without attention.
This soil-first approach matters in a production system where herds are continually bred to yield more milk. Higher-producing cows need good-quality feed to maintain that level of production. The question is not simply how to grow more pasture, but how to produce pasture that supports the herd over time. Cilliers raises the use of pesticides, weedkillers and other chemicals as a practice worth examining in the pursuit of good-quality pasture. He does not offer a blanket prescription; instead, he points to the need to consider what such inputs mean for the quality of the farm’s feed and the health of the system.
Use information to manage risk
That careful approach is especially relevant where pasture-related risks are still being investigated. Milk SA was examining sporidesmin-associated liver disease and levels of mycotoxins in pastures, Cilliers noted. The outcome was not yet known in the account, but the example reinforces the value of monitoring rather than relying on assumptions about feed. Soil testing, attention to pasture condition and awareness of emerging investigations all help farmers make decisions with a clearer picture of what their herd is consuming.
Technology, too, is part of practical sustainability. Cilliers describes modern technology as crucial to effective sustainable dairying and says its uptake matters on individual farms. Milk recording is one useful tool, while strategic breeding can help build an effective herd. These practices connect day-to-day production information with longer-term decisions: recording provides information on the herd, and breeding strategy shapes the herd a farm is building. Together with attention to soil and pasture, they can contribute to reducing a farm’s carbon footprint.
Measure, then improve
Cilliers expects measuring a farm’s carbon footprint to become increasingly important. Measurement gives sustainability a practical dimension: farmers can assess their position and use that information alongside other management tools. His broader point is that global warming and climate change are realities, and that responsibility for the response does not belong to someone else. Each person must accept responsibility for their actions.
The pressures facing producers make this kind of deliberate management more urgent. In 2022, higher energy prices were expected to add to inflation and push up a range of commodity and product prices. Supply-side disruption, including bottlenecks in the aftermath of COVID-19 and the Russia–Ukraine conflict, was affecting supply, while wage inflation was confronting consumers with steep increases in living costs. The outlook described included higher inflation and interest rates alongside slower economic growth.
On farms, mounting input costs were already squeezing margins. The May 2022 agriculture producer price index rose 19.3% year on year; cereals and other crops rose 30.8%, while fruit and vegetable categories rose 20.8%. Higher fuel costs and limited input availability added to the pressure, while debt-servicing costs could further erode producer margins. A separate report on the dairy sector said that input costs had risen without a sufficient improvement in the farm-gate milk price. At an average farm-gate price of R6.60 per litre, the milk-to-feed price ratio for that month was 1.16 to 1.00, described as low and likely to put further pressure on production.
These figures underline why sustainability cannot be detached from the farm’s economic footing. Monitoring soil, feed and herd performance, adopting useful technology and measuring a carbon footprint are not substitutes for viable milk prices. But they are practical ways to make decisions with better information and to build the business more deliberately amid pressures beyond a producer’s control. Cilliers also points to the MPO’s aim of sharing helpful information so producers can become more sustainable and protect the future of the industry.
Make time to work on the business
Good management also requires stepping back from routine work. Neels Neethling, MPO North chairperson, describes the dairy farmer’s year as an ongoing cycle: fertilising pastures and crops, spraying weeds, cutting and baling, making silage, keeping mud off cows, watching for mastitis, lameness and foot rot, and managing ticks, flies and other insect-spreading diseases. Amid those demands, he urges farmers to pause and reflect.
The exercise is balanced: identify what went well and use it as a foundation, but also examine mistakes and omissions that nearly cost the business. Neethling recommends spending quality time “on” the business, not only “in” it—getting out of daily operations to see the bigger picture, reassess, plan and strategise. Set SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound—and avoid repeating mistakes. Share accomplishments with the team, celebrate successes, and consider how difficult experiences could be better managed next time.
Taken together, the guidance is both practical and connected. Test soil and deal with imbalances; pay attention to the quality of pasture and the risks under investigation; use milk recording and strategic breeding; measure the footprint; and make time to review the business and set achievable goals. Sustainable dairying is not achieved by one tool, but by building an informed routine that links healthy ground, a capable herd and a resilient farm business.
Key points
- Test soil regularly and address imbalances that could affect pasture fertility and cow health.
- Use technology such as milk recording, and make breeding decisions strategically.
- Track sustainability, including carbon footprint measurement, while recognising the economic pressures on producers.
- Make time to review successes and mistakes, then set SMART goals for the year ahead.