Any dairy farmer could talk about damage to pastures associated with insect pests, but a survey being conducted by Dairy Australia aims to gain greater understanding into the issue.
A spokeswoman from Dairy Australia said the variable nature across farms, regions, seasons, years and types of insects makes it “extremely hard for farmers” to determine the best approach to combat insects.
The survey has been developed in order to improve understanding of the type, distribution and frequency of insect pests, Dairy Australia program manager Richard Romano said.
Mr Romano said last year’s dry conditions caused issues with insects depleting pasture from underground.
“It looks to be another dry spell coming up, so we need to be more prepared to deal with them to minimise the costs,” Mr Romano said.