FARMtalk Magazine - April 2021

APRIL 2021

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Magazine

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SEE PAGE 7 FOR ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL CONTACT DETAILS Information contained in this magazine is presented only after being carefully researched. However, there are differences in state and regional regulations and conditions. Farmers are asked to check with their own advisors. FARMtalk can assume no responsibility for the contents.

APRIL 2021

DENILIQUIN, NSW ECHUCA, VIC

FARMtalk • 3

Rose Nevinson’s family has been farming in the Wanganella and Booroorban region for more than 100 years, so a life and a career on the land was almost a foregone conclusion.

H

er passion for agriculture inspired her to attend the prestigious Yanco Agricultural High School, after which she honed her skills further by completing the Hay Inc Rural Education program, held in Hay, NSW each year.

Several years after graduating from the program Rose is now on the Hay Inc committee, and thanks to her feedback new generations of participants are getting more out of the program than she did.

“I joined the committee two years ago,” the 23 year-old said.

“Hay Inc always tries to improve the program each year, and I suggested we should include wool handling in to the program.

“When I went through Hay Inc we did the crutching school, and it’s still part of the program today, but it was not until I started working a Seig Sheep & Wool in Deniliquin that I realised just how important it is to know about wool handling too.

“It is important to know about clip preparation, because by doing so you are able to achieve higher premiums for your product.

“It’s about knowing how to skirt your fleece, and keep everything from bellies, pieces, crutchings etc. separate, and realising that vegetable matter and yield play a big part in affecting value.

“Most jack and jillaroos would be mustering or doing yard work, but learning how to prepare a clip will prepare the participants for anything and will enable them to help whoever they are working for to improve value.”

Rose and her Seig Sheep & Wool employer Amelia Seignior held Hay Inc’s first wool handling session in 2020, and Rose lead the class solo in March this year.

It is incorporated in to the two and a half day crutching program at the property ‘Steam Plains’.

Rose completed the Hay Inc program herself in 2017.

“In my first year out of school I was working on a couple of different stations around home (at Booroorban).

“I had also done a few courses at ag college, but the Hay Inc instructors are so knowledgeable — having been on the farm and in the industry so long themselves — and I knew I could learn even more from them.

“Hay Inc is great in that it’s not like going to school. It’s hands on learning.”

And if working in the wool industry and being a mentor to young jack and jillaroos was not enough work for Rose, who now lives in Deniliquin, she’s also still on the farm as often as she can be.

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“I have sheep of my own at the family farm — I started them at ‘Parkview’ and now ‘Ramsay’ at Booroorban,” she said.

“I started in 2014 with 31 Merino ewes, and now I have 100 Merino sheep.

“I am hoping this year to finally become a stud.

I’ve been breeding my own rams which I will be looking to sell in the future.

“It’s something I have been working up to for a number of years; it’s a passion project really.

“I like keeping busy, and if I could do sheep full time I would.

“My family has always been in Merinos.

“It’s in the blood really. The family has been farming at ‘Spring Plains’ for 125 years so far.”

Through the Hay Inc program, a volunteer committee provides a unique and sustainable ‘on farm set of skills’ in a ‘hands on’ practical method of training. Hay Inc offers an effective comprehensive and highly cost effective training program. Expressions of interest in the program are open year round on the Hay Inc website — www.hayinc.com.au. Official applications for the 2022 program will open in August or September this year.

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APRIL 2021

4 • FARMtalk

Egg-cellent

for education

Ruth Everingham, Brock Smith and Jed Miller with some of the brown leghorn hens.

APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 5

You know the saying.

From little things, big agricultural programs grow.

T

hat is the hope of Deniliquin Christian School, and it’s agricultural program coordinator, science, maths, and technology teacher Ryan Heffer.

The school’s agricultural plot was only established in 2020, next to the school’s playground and footy oval in the heart of suburbia with the school surrounded by residential areas.

The primary focus is on chickens, and some greenhouse vegetable production, but that’s enough to engage children of varying ages across a variety of subject areas. And Mr Heffer hopes to slowly build on the educational opportunities, hoping to one day introduce some of his own bee hives to the school community.

A local farmer helped the school start the program, donating some Ancona Bantams and fertilised Brown Leghorn eggs to the school. They now have a flock of 10 chickens.

“The four brown ones we hatched at the end of last year,” Mr Heffer points out.

“I had asked the farmer if he had any eggs that I could chuck under a broody chook.

“We did have some roosters, but we sent those back to the farm because they were making too much noise to be in town.

“The reason we started the ag plot is because we wanted to teach stage five (Year 9 and 10) agriculture.

“The agriculture syllabus talks about plant and animal production, so part of that was getting some chooks to start off with.

“They’ve been donated to the school quite generously, which has been great.

“We received them at the point of lay, so within a few weeks we had a few eggs showing up in nest boxes.’

“For the stage five students the benefit was that we could actually see their anatomy.

“We candled eggs to see the chicken embryo growing as we were hatching them.

“We also had stage five woodwork happening. In Applied Tech classes we constructed the chicken coop and eggshell blue coloured shelters.

“We got those three or four kids, and pooled our resources, and they actually built something.”

At the moment the school’s youngest students are the caretakers of the chickens. A few days a week the infants — Kindergarten to Year 3 — toddle down to the chooks’ huge enclosure to undertake their duties.

“As soon as the kids come in with their little scrap bucket, the chickens follow the kids all the way down to the gate — they know what it means,” Mr Heffer said.

While showing off the chooks, Mr Heffer demonstrates to the children how to hold the flighty animals to the youngsters with him.

Ryan Heffer shows Ruth, Jed and Brock the greenhouse.

“See how I snuggle it against my arm like a football?,” he says to Year 3 students Ruth Everingham, Brock Smith and Jed Miller.

Brock grabs one of the plump brown hens tightly, but carefully.

“The black and white ones are pretty, but they are not very friendly. The brown ones are nice and friendly,” Brock says, just as once of the chickens caught him with a wing to the face and ran away, squawking. All three children burst out in raucous laughter.

The school has also recently erected a small greenhouse and all produce from the ag plot, including the eggs, are used in cooking classes.

Because of the size of the school, the intensive agricultural program for stage five will only run once every two years. But students will continue to be involved in caring for the ag plot in the intervening years.

“Coming out of winter, we are going to start doing a few things in the greenhouse,” Mr Heffer said.

“I’m yet to put in some garden beds, but we will wait until semester two.

“The plan for the chickens is that they are high enough quality that we can enter them into Deni Show.

“That’s the plan starting next year.”

Introducing bees will be Mr Heffer’s next goal.

“Much of agriculture focuses on the big animals.

Bees are never at the forefront, yet they account for one third of the fruit and veggies that we eat.

“It’s something I think kids should be aware of, and I believe kids should have an appreciation for smaller animals.

“I have recently starting beekeeping myself and I have bee hives at home.

“I’d love to bring one or two hives in, but of course I need to make sure that I’ve got all the safety sorted out. We need to be mindful that there might be allergies for different students.

“It (beekeeping) is something you don’t normally get to do.

“The reason we started the ag plot is because we wanted to teach stage five (Year 9 and 10) agriculture.”

RYAN HEFFER

“You see bees in flowers and trees, but to actually get into a hive and see how it works is completely different.

“To go through and try and spot the Queen on the frame, and see the different types of bees and stages they go through. And at the end of it, you get honey.”

Mr Heffer said having the agricultural program has been calming for the students, and given them a real sense of ownership. He said it’s also an instrumental tool in helping students potentially find a future interest and career in agriculture.

“It’s particularly great for the infants; the joy of ‘we’ve got these things to feed the chickens’.

“A couple of the kids will hold bread in their hand and wait for the chicken to come up and peck it from their hand.

“So it calms them, and relaxes them, and gives them something to look forward to.

“It’s little bit of an extra routine.

“A lot of our students come from agricultural backgrounds — they’re already on the track of helping at harvest time and sowing, and we have got a couple that help out at a dairy towards Finley.

“I’m trying to supplement that and give them something so if they want to pursue this as a career, they might be able to start to build some foundational knowledge.”

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MARCH 2021

FARMtalk • 7

Loch it in A discussion paper on a possible, estimated $70 million Corowa Weir/Loch project is to be finalised

by Federation Council following an approach last November by Corowa Business Chamber.

C

BC president Stuart Whisson said the chamber initiated the subject in April last year, had discussions with various politicians and authorities, and formally raised the matter with Federation Council in November.

“We are pleased to have council support in pursuing a loch or weir,” he said.

“Our preference for the location is past the golf course where there’d be little impact of farmers or anything like that but a feasibility study would determine the location. There is money available from the New South Wales State Government for the feasibility study.”

Council’s general manager Adrian Butler said that with the strong support by staff from the office of Sussan Ley, Member for Farrer and Minister for the Environment, Federation Council and the CBC met with a number of stakeholders. It has included Murray Darling Basin Authority executive director River Management Andrew Reynolds and executive officer Emma Zouch.

“From this meeting, council and the CBC agreed that the discussion paper should be finalised and approaches then should be made to the New South Wales Government, who would ultimately be the asset owner, and would be the proponent of any such project,” Mr Butler said.

“The mayor has also raised this possible project in a recent face-to-face Riverina and Murray Joint

“It might have started as a pipeline dream but it may come to fruition.”

SHAUN WHITECHURCH, DEPUTY MAYOR, FEDERATION COUNCIL

Organisation Water Sub Committee meeting with the Federal Water Minister, Keith Pitt.

“Cr Bronwyn Thomas and I have also pursued this possible project through various other engagements including at Murray Darling Association meetings and a meeting with the MDBA local engagement officer.”

Member for Albury Justin Clancy has also been involved in talks.

Mr Butler recommended council develop a position paper in conjunction with the CBC, to allow further work to proceed and be guided, which received unanimous backing. Councillors unanimously backed his recommendation.

He said the paper should now be refined and updated as used as base for further work, including

assisting to lodge any grant applications for feasibility study funding.

“No broad community engagement on this possible project has been conducted at this stage but an extensive communication strategy by Federation Council, including direct and broader stakeholders will be required,” Mr Butler said.

Cr Thomas emphasised the significance of Murray Darling Basin involvement to ensure a strong advocacy role which was acknowledged by council.

“It might have started as a pipeline dream but it may come to fruition,” Deputy Mayor Shaun Whitechurch said at council’s March meeting.

“Yes there’s the tourism appeal, but there are other benefits. There are only two towns between the Hume Weir and Yarrawonga Weir which are hugely affected by the rise and fall of water, that’s Corowa and Howlong.”

Cr Whitechurch said tourism flourished when the river has a good, static level of water and Corowa doesn’t flourish when the level is not static.

“We should fully investigate and find out what really are the thoughts of government departments and how our landholders are affected,” he said.

The $70 million project cost is stated as a rough estimate, using the Euston Weir as a model.

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APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 9

The need for effective and widespread management of Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) has reached a critical level with growers across the region bracing for a challenging 2021-22 growing season, as a result of increased fruit fly pressure.

C

obram and District Fruit Growers Association president Tony Siciliano (pictured) said an alarming rise in fruit fly activity was triggered by the lingering effects of La Niña and COVID-19.

“There is no doubt that Qfly will be a major problem for Victorian growers and growers in southern New South Wales and South Australia in the upcoming season. We are very much aware and bracing for that,” Mr Siciliano said.

“The current situation has been exacerbated by weather conditions resulting from La Niña and the fact that COVID-19 has caused serious problems in the harvest of commercial fruit due to travel restrictions for itinerant workers.”

Cobram and District Fruit Growers Association general manager Karen Abberfield said the 2020-21 season saw a significant increase in Qfly pressure across the Goulburn Murray Valley as conditions were ideal for fruit fly survival and spread, and warned the full effects of this increased activity will be seen next growing season.

“We are currently faced with the situation where we have a large volume of ripe, unharvested fruit left hanging on trees and large volumes of fruit will have fallen to the ground or have been dumped after culling in the packing house,” she said.

“Much of this fruit will remain there, untreated and likely to be struck by the higher-than-normal Qfly population on-site at present due to favourable weather conditions.

“There is a very large and persistent Qfly population present all over Victoria and southern New South Wales and Qfly has also spread into some other regions causing severe concerns regarding exports.”

Action now is critical to minimising the impact on the upcoming season, according to Ms Abberfield.

“All host fruit, on the tree, on the ground or in exposed dumps, should be removed or treated so that adult Qfly cannot access egg-laying sites, and so eggs and larvae in fruit and pupae in the ground are eradicated,” Ms Abberfield said.

Higher than usual March and April rainfalls and minimum temperatures favour fruit set.

This encourages the ideal fruit for fruit flies to lay their eggs in addition to the initiation, spread and proliferation of microorganisms that fruit flies feed on, resulting in stronger and more long-lived fruit flies.

More warm autumn evenings allow more fruit flies to mate and produce eggs further into the autumn than usual. These conditions allow more fruit flies to survive from previous infestations

and mid-autumn infestations and move into winter refuges.

“As a result of these conditions we know more fruit flies than usual will survive the winter and more flies than usual will emerge from their winter refuges in late August, September and early October, which is cause for concern,” Ms Abberfield said.

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26/02/2021 2:34:28 PM

APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 11

Gross margin versus yield

Finley Discussion Group farmers were flabbergasted by the 2020 winter crop gross margin results, which often showed lower yielding crops having a higher gross margin than higher yields.

Group facilitator John Lacy (pictured) said it occurred at high, moderate and lower yields.

The gross margin was determined for all 120 winter crops benchmarked by the Finley Discussion Groups for the 2020 season.

All the dryland and irrigated crops are in a rotation project which means the paddocks used in 2020 will be the same until 2022.

Some of the farmer comments were: • “Higher yields may not make the most profit.”

• “Gross margin is more important than yield.”

• “Variable costs are higher than I thought.”

• “Rotations and yield are the drivers of GM.”

• “Higher yield has more costs.”

Although variable crop prices were a factor most of the gross margins were influenced by the range of the variable costs.

The variable costs for dryland wheat ranged from $330 to $730 per hectare.

The variable costs for dryland canola ranged from $437 to $802 per hectare.

Irrigated wheat varied from $432 to $1046 per hectare, and irrigated canola from $467 to $926 per hectare.

“We will be investigating the factors producing the variable cost differences over the three years of the rotation,” Mr Lacy said.

“Some farmers said their costs were up in 2020 but hoped they would be lower in 2021.

“Some of the factors raised by farmers were different past rotations, fertiliser rates, water costs, herbicide and fungicide chemical applications.

A number of paddocks had lime or gypsum applications.

“Graphs of yield versus gross margin were produced for the main crops. One observant farmer commented that in order to have an irrigated wheat gross margin of at least $900 per hectare, a yield of 5.5 tonnes per hectare or higher was needed.

John Lacy (pictured) is an independent agricultural consultant, based in Finley.

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APRIL 2021

12 • FARMtalk

Finding value in ‘waste’ Bobby calves have never been worth more. The beef industry has been overwhelmed with a fever for the feeder market, and even non-replacement dairy animals are in high demand.

P

rices for beef across the east have skyrocketed by more than 40 per cent in some cases, with prices smashing records from previous years out of the park. The explosion has taken some pundits by surprise. But not Calflink, which has been banking on the change since 2015 when the idea around Calflink was created.

The company has found a market in low value or excess calves that would normally be disposed of by farmers. They are brought to the Elmore facility and ethically raised until they meet the requirements for feedlotters.

The non-replacement dairy calf rearing company has the capacity for more than 5,500 animals, and supply to date comes from more than 50 farms throughout the country. Calflink co-owner and operator Cam Renshaw, originally from Benalla, said Calflink started as a solution to one of dairy’s oldest problems.

“I was running a dairy heifer agistment company called Heiferlink, and we also had to get heifers in calf.

“From that, we were seeing there was a whole lot of wastage.

“We’d use Jersey bulls, and we’d get Jersey cross calves that had no value.

“So we started, in 2015, to transition to using Angus bulls as backup bulls, so the calf had some kind of value to it.

“At the same time, I was approached by some guys dealing in agriculture, looking from an investment point of view, to understand how to get a constant supply of beef animals.

“They wanted to know if there was there any scope to do that out of the capacities of the female dairy herd.”

These investors became pivotal backers of the innovative Calflink business. Together they capitalised on a problem shared by both beef and dairy markets, and turned it into something inspirational.

“It was pretty clear back then that the US and the UK had already adopted beef semen into dairy herd non-replacement animals, instead of creating a black and white Holstein calf that has no value.

“We knew, because of the economics and the animal welfare pressure, the Australian industry would be forced to have some level of beef program in it.

“One of the fundamentals Australia doesn’t have the large capacity to do, is commercially rear calves.”

As well as being arguably the largest commercial calf rearer on the continent, Calflink boasts high

production standards and quality results. Calves will come to Calflink at one week old, from suppliers around the nation. Calves will stay at the Elmore facility until they have reached sufficient weights to be sold to feedlots, about 160kg.

“The whole supply chain from semen to feedlot is a true supply chain at the minute,” Mr Renshaw said.

“I work across a very large network from South Australia to northern New South Wales, and I’m yet to find anyone who’s running a full standalone commercial unit with the scope we have.”

The rearing methods have significantly improved mortality rates in the calves. The CSIRO estimates the overall calf mortality average in Australia is potentially as high as 41 per cent, but at Calflink it’s a meagre three per cent. Mr Renshaw credits this to their rigorous ethical standards, and investment in genetics. Calflink’s dedication to welfare is one of the qualities that truly sets them apart from other operations, Mr Renshaw says. Their team leader Louise Barnard boasts a Masters in Animal Welfare and they follow intense standard operating procedures (SOP). Each individual calf has its own SOP, which is regularly reviewed and individually tailored. Clear key performance indicators are used to measure mortality and growth rates, and ensure

ELMORE, VIC BLIGHTY, NSW

the comfort levels of the calves are as high as possible.

“Animal welfare for us is paramount,” Mr Renshaw said.

“It’s personally a really big driver of mine.

“I crossed paths with the guys from the RSPCA within this animal standards space, and I’ve been working with the RSPCA through all their review processes.

“As the RSPCA started to understand beef on dairy supply chains more with us, we started to help and work closely with these guys about what a beef on dairy standard would look like.

“We’ve established our operation pretty much in step with what those standards were going to look like.”

Calflink obtains a significant proportion of its calves through its alignment program with Semex, which Mr Renshaw says is a fundamental to operations remaining ethical. Semex works with farmers to join their dairy cattle, and ensures that quality beef stud genetics are used for nonreplacement dairy animals. Excess calves are signed over to Calflink through Semex. The superior genetic backgrounds of these calves means that animal welfare is achievable from the start, Mr Renshaw said.

“Nowhere else in Australia have we seen a global semen company align themselves with a calf rearing operation like ours, to be able to roll out commercially viable and sustainable beef on dairy programs.

“The animal welfare starts with the semen.

“It breeds calves with high immunity traits; calves that have calving ability. All of this stuff adds up to the animal welfare.”

Mr Renshaw believes increasing animal welfare standards will push most dairy farmers to beef on dairy programs eventually, placing their suppliers ahead of the national curve.

“We’re already starting to see a lot more dialogue and a lot more execution of these programs in dairy.

“If economics don’t drive dairy farmers to be thinking more about a beef on dairy program, animal welfare issues will.”

The Elmore facility employs 10 staff to keep up with these standards. As demand grows, the company intends to expand in to other dairy regions.

“One of the really positive stories of Calflink is our staff,” Mr Renshaw said.

“We are a business that started with an idea and now been operational for three and a half years which now employ ten people from the local community. It’s great.

“It sometimes a challenge running ten people in this type of operation, but it’s a good thing for agriculture.

“We’ve had staff come and go, but we’re still employing people today who have been with us from day one.

“I’ve been able to watch these people grow, and change, week after week, and consistently change as the business has been growing.

“It’s been really good to employ local people who start at the ground level, and they are an integral part of our decision making process day to day.

APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 13

“Once Elmore’s facility is at capacity, we will then look at building another facility in another area important to the dairy industry.

“Long term, we could see facilities in every major area within the southern dairy basin.

“It’s an ambitious target, but we’ve got a very good handle on what’s required.”

“Nowhere else in Australia have we seen a global semen company align themselves with a calf rearing operation like ours, to be able to roll out commercially viable and sustainable beef on dairy programs.”

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APRIL 2021 APRIL 2021 • 15 • 15 FARMtalk FARMtalk

Don’t ignore crown rot There were several wheat and barley growers who were disappointed with their crop yields last season. They were expecting excellent yields due to the good seasonal conditions but were disappointed. Some assumed the white heads in the crops were due to frost damage, but those who investigated further often concluded that it was a disease issue – usually crown rot.

Crown rot fungal spores built up in the district during the dry seasons prior to last year. They survived on wheat and barley stubbles, which hadn’t broken down due to the dry summers, and readily infected crops. The period from about midAugust until early October was relatively dry last season, which allowed the disease to significantly reduce yields.

Crown rot is often the main crown/root disease of wheat in the Deniliquin district. It usually requires a two-year break from cereals to adequately control it, but even longer breaks may be required in dry summers. Growers sowing wheat into country that has grown wheat or barley in the last three years need to be aware of the potential risk from crown rot (and if they have grown durum wheats, there is an even greater risk of disease carry over).

Steven Simpfendorfer, a plant pathologist with NSW DPI, has proposed four steps for growers to take to minimise the impact of crown rot.

Step #1: Know before you sow.

Growers need to be aware in advance, of the risk they face. This can be achieved by undertaking a Predicta B disease test. This will give an indication of whether the disease pressure is low, medium or high. It is important that the agronomist taking the test uses the recommended protocol and latest risk categories. Unfortunately, time is running out to get the test results back prior to sowing, so this

needs to be done as a matter of urgency to be of value this season Step #2: Pre-sowing options for paddocks.

There are pre-sowing options for paddocks where the disease pressure is shown to be either medium or high. They include: i) Sow more tolerant wheat or barley varieties.

The NSW DPI ‘Winter crop variety sowing guide’ (available on their web page) indicates relative varietal tolerances to crown rot. ii) Sow at the start of the recommended window.

This is always a good idea in areas west of Finley, as the hot dry finish we experience causes more yield loss in most seasons than frost. (Growers in more frost prone areas in the east need to avoid sowing earlier than the recommended window for their varieties.) iii) If possible, inter-row sow. This reduces proximity to the spores on previous stubble.

Steven Simpfendorfer indicated that cultivation is not recommended. iv) Be conservative with nitrogen (N) application at sowing. While a starter fertiliser with moderate amounts of N is okay, avoid higher application of nitrogen at sowing. Rely more on top dressing nitrogen later in the season. v) Remember, current seed treatments give suppression only, so do not rely on them alone to manage crown rot.

Step #3: Sow quality seed.

Seed not only needs to have good germination but also good vigour. Seed vigour is closely linked to seed size. If possible, seed should be heavily graded to remove all small grains. Larger seeds will have greater vigour, which is important to get the crop away before the onset of disease pressure.

Some fungicides will also reduce seed vigour, so be sure to talk with your agronomist about what is safe to use.

Step #4: Assess infection levels at head emergence.

Crown rot infections are more noticeable later in the season. Head emergence is a good time to walk through crops to determine the level of infection.

This step is encouraged so that informed decisions can be made for following seasons.

The first indication of crown rot will be white heads throughout the crop. Examine the base of these plants, if it is a dark honey brown in colour, it is crown rot. Often, but not always, there will also be a pink colouration caused by the fungal spores.

After last season’s harvest I spoke with several growers who lost considerable yield due to crown rot infestations. It is an issue that needs to be continually monitored and managed to minimise the financial loss it can cause.

John Fowler (pictured) is senior lands services officer – extension agronomist with Murray Local Land Services.

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APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 17

Be ready for tax season In the past 12-18 months we have been thrown a bit of everything. Drought, fires, mice plagues and now floods.

Whilst we may not be bearing the brunt of the latest disaster, it has been great to see some decent rainfalls across our NSW and Victorian farming communities.

It’s also a timely reminder to check in with our family and friends to see if they are okay in these challenging times.

As we approach the end of another quarterly business activity statement cycle, a few key changes will be seen over the next few months.

The final Jobkeeper payment will be processed in April 2021.

The continuation of the immediate asset writeoff underwent changes. From 7.30pm on October 6, 2020 until June 2022, temporary full expensing allows a deduction for: • the business portion of the cost of new eligible depreciating assets for businesses with an aggregated turnover under $5 billion or for corporate tax entities that satisfy the alternative test

Some newfound confidence in agriculture, taking advantages of the asset write-offs and low interest rates has seen some much-needed upgrades to plant and equipment, farming infrastructure and effective tax planning!

It could be a good time to review your farm management deposits with your accountant.

Now is a good time to check your pay as you go (PAYG) instalments still reflect your expected end of year tax liability. If your circumstances have changed and you think you may have paid too much (or too little), talk to your accountant to vary the instalment amount.

If you haven’t already started using the ATO online services for business, then there is no better time to sign up. Visit the ATO Business portal webpage for further instructions.

Some of the benefits of the online services allow you to manage your business reporting and transactions. Including: • View, prepare and lodge BAS •

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the business portion of the cost of eligible second-hand assets for businesses with an aggregated turnover under $50 million the balance of a small business pool at the end of each income year in this period for businesses with an aggregated turnover under $10 million.

Take care with all your online business presence.

Have some awareness around your cyber safety. If you don’t have security on your computer or smart device, it would be a good time to purchase one.

We’re seeing plenty of email intercept’s / MyGov hacking and other crafty ways of identity theft.

A couple little reminders as we lead into the last part of the financial year: • Pay employer or self-employed superannuation contributions before June 30, 2021. The fund must receive the money before this date, so it is recommended to be organised and have payment made by mid-June; •

Review your 2020 depreciation schedule and advise of obsolete assets;

•

Be organised to have livestock counted and trading stock valuations by June 30, 2021.

Tax planning is legal when you do it within the intent of the law. However, the ATO imposes harsh penalties for those businesses that undertake tax minimisation schemes outside the spirit of the law.

The ATO refers to these schemes as tax avoidance schemes or arrangements. The ATO broadly defines a tax avoidance scheme that involves the deliberate exploitation of our tax and superannuation systems.

If you would like some advice on the best tax planning strategy or for any other business advices, please feel free to reach out to us on (03) 5851 7999 or admin@brianmccleary.com.au May your businesses flourish, your pastures sprout, and your livestock reproduce.

Brooke Kearn is a senior accountant and financial planner with Brian McCleary & Co Accountants.

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APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 19

Skinny sheep?

If you have skinny sheep, it could be Ovine Johne’s Disease. It’s not unusual for there to be a few poor-doing sheep in a mob. They might be shy feeders that aren’t getting their fair share of grain, or they might have high worm burdens, coccidiosis or other underlying disease issues such as pneumonia.

M

ost farmers in this situation will try some different management techniques and see if this helps. This might include drafting off the tail of the mob and feeding them separately, doing a worm egg count, giving a drench or moving to a new paddock. But what do you do when nothing seems to work?

Ovine Johne’s Disease is an incurable wasting disease caused by infection with a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

Infection causes thickening of the intestinal walls and poor nutrient absorption. Over time infected sheep will progessively lose condition, may scour, and become emaciated before dying or being euthanased. Affected sheep do not recover.

Historically, OJD was mainly an issue in the higher rainfall, higher stocking rate areas such as the south east part of NSW and Victoria, apart from the Mallee region. However lately, we have been starting to diagnose a few cases in areas traditionally thought to be low risk, including in the western part of the Murray Local Lands district.

How do you recognise a problem?

OJD has a long incubation period, so the clinical disease is usually seen in adult sheep over two

years of age. Scouring may or may not be seen.

Often sheep will just appear to ‘waste away’.

Sometimes the problem is most obvious at shearing. All the sheep are close together and after they are shorn it can be more obvious that the tail of the mob is in very poor condition.

At this point the best thing to do is have the problem investigated by a vet. There are other things that can cause skinny sheep, and some can be treated, so finding out what the problem is will give you the best chance of sorting it out. OJD can be confirmed one of two ways. Manure can be tested; however, this can take about three months to get results. The other option is to collect tissue samples from a freshly dead or euthanased sheep showing the typical signs. These tissue samples can be examined under the microscope at the lab and results are usually available within 1-2 weeks.

What happens if OJD is diagnosed?

OJD is a notifiable disease in NSW, however there are no longer any movement restrictions into or within NSW on account of OJD infection in flocks. When OJD is diagnosed, most farmers choose to manage the disease with Gudair vaccination, grazing management and culling

clinically affected sheep. The way you manage OJD will likely depending on your enterprise type, and how you market your sheep. Your local vet will be able to talk to you about all your options, and there are some great online resources including www.ojd.com.au for more information.

I had a farmer tell me recently that we accept death too easily in sheep. The saying does go that ‘if you have live sheep, you will have dead sheep’, and I think we can all relate when I say that once a sheep makes up its mind to die it can be hard to convince it otherwise. That’s not to say that we should ignore issues. Recognising a problem is the first step in solving it. Know the normal patterns on your farm. If something is out of the ordinary, investigate what is going on.

For more information you can contact your District Vet by calling 1300 795 299, or drop into a nearby Local Land Services office.

Linda Searle (pictured) is a district veterinarian with Murray Local Land Services.

Happy pigs,

happy life

Sometimes, the farming world always seems to be demanding more. Occasionally it seems like farms are encouraged to expand regardless of the human, animal, or environmental cost.

L

auren Mathers — who owns and operates Bundarra Berkshires in Barham, and is the director of both Little Pork Deli and the Murray Plains Meat Cooperative — fights this mentality at every stage of production. And she takes pride in doing so.

The lifelong farmer believes the future of agriculture is not in large international corporations, but in small communities and businesses throughout Australia.

Bundarra Berkshires is run on a 230 acre plot over two blocks. The farm has 80 Berkshire sows, with a steady replacement rate keeping their team of pigs manageable. They also run farm tours, and have their own butchery on site.

Berkshires are known for their unique flavour palette. Their meat is juicy, flavourful and tender.

Bundarra Berkshires’ small goods and pork has snatched Australian Food Awards and the Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards, and was a state winner in the ‘delicious’ Produce Awards. For Mrs Mathers, every tiny step of their farming process contributes to the award winning pork. What now is a complex empire started as a simple need for quality food.

“I couldn’t get good pork. I just saw a niche in the market,” she said.

“In our area there were no free range pig farmers doing Berkshire pigs, nor doing paddock to plate.

“Charcuterie, small goods — we just couldn’t get it done anywhere, it was just about filling a market gap.

“Now we’ve been doing it since 2013.”

Bundarra Berkshires now runs a lot deeper than that. Mrs Mathers finds pig farming invigorating.

Her method is almost a return to pre-industrial agrarian society — she avoids chemicals and harsh medicines at all cost, and spends her days strenuously serving her animals’ needs.

Each day revolves around taking care of the sows, with help from husband Lachlan, and three children Frida, George, and Lucy. The family members are the only ‘staff members’ on the farm.

“The work ethics of mum and dad being on the farm, and being outdoors is something that’s always been in my blood.

“I worked it out and I’m a sixth generation farmer in the family.

“It was always going to be something I was going to do.

“Just seeing mum and dad work the land, and have animals growing up, I’ve always loved animals.

“Every day I get up, check the piglets, do a run over the farm. In the afternoon, you come back and feed them.

“You’re basically spending time with them in the morning and the afternoon.

“They’re free range so there’s a lot of checking wallows, food, making sure everyone’s got shade and straw, because if piglets get cold, they die.

“We don’t have heating lamps. It’s a pretty natural environment.

“Pigs will make a mess, so we keep everything they need to do that.

“There’s essentially a lot of moving them around.

We’re not cropping, we don’t have the space or water, so it’s just moving them around from pasture to pasture and letting the farm regenerate.”

Pigs was not the first options for the Mathers’, who did consider cattle. But Mrs Mathers said cattle was not “suitable for us”.

“Cattle are a bit harder to handle. Whereas smaller animals are easier to run.

“After we got our first pig, we quickly realised that we really loved the animal.

“We get such a kick out of them. They’ve all got their own little personalities.

“You never get tired of visiting piglets, they’re just so cute.

APRIL 2021

FARMtalk • 21

“Our environmental focus is actually to reduce our carbon footprint, we don’t crop, we don’t irrigate — the only water we use is for drinking.”

LAUREN MATHERS

“Seeing a pig happy in a paddock is definitely what keeps us going.

“But after ten years, we’re really still only setting up.”

Environmental ethics also play a large role in Bundarra Berkshires’ production process and output. Sustainability and collaboration are core motivators too.

“Our environmental focus is actually to reduce our carbon footprint, we don’t crop, we don’t irrigate — the only water we use is for drinking.

“Our butchery and farm are run on solar power.

“We buy feed from the most local company possible. So that means low food miles.

“We don’t have a lot of machinery.

“With our customers we want to create trust with them.

“We want them to know that the pork that they are buying was actually raised, and is environmentally friendly.”

As a founding member of the Murray Plains Meat Cooperative, Mrs Mathers is driving plans to establish a micro-abattoir in Barham, owned and run by a range of district farmers.

Her passion in celebrating small farming operations and doing what she can to help them thrive — including through the micro-abattoir project — has seen Mrs Mathers invited to speak on farming collaboration at the national Farm2Plate Exchange conference in South East Queensland’s Scenic Rim from May 18 to 19. Alongside agricultural experts like Indigenous author Bruce Pascoe, she will speak on ‘Changing The System Through Collaboration’.

“The broad spectrum of people going on that panel is going to be really interesting.

“For us, collaborating with other farmers makes sense. We are 300km from Melbourne and 900km from Sydney.

“We all need to work together to get our product on people’s plates.

“It’s about working together to reduce our carbon footprint, collaboratively sharing workspaces, and we can help each other with cross marketing.

“It’s about sharing knowledge and costs.

“Working collaboratively with other farmers, even just for freight, delivery and feed, we’re

working with grain farmers, and keeping food miles low, helps the environment.”

Mrs Mathers truly believes farming co-operation is the path to the future, and is in conversation with farmers around the country about the topic.

In some ways, it’s been a tough 12 months for Bundarra Berkshires. COVID-19 had an impact and recent droughts have put increasing strain on the farm.

“We’ve lost restaurants. We’ve lost customers,” Mrs Mathers said.

But help of family has made it easier, she said.

Mrs Mathers’ parents moved to Barham from Mudgee to get in on the swine game themselves, running 50 sows of their own on 80 acres in a collaborative process with them.

“They didn’t think they’d go back to farming, ever, but they saw an opportunity to come back, and help us out.

“They are right next door. It all makes perfect sense.

“Dad enjoys mucking pigs out.

“We’re doing this because we want a viable future for our kids.

“Both our daughters are really involved with the farm.

“For them, the collaborative approach is going to be the normal way they see farming.

“The kids wouldn’t even know what fertiliser looks like.

“They feed the pigs. George, who is four, also helps now.

“The kids always check troughs, check on the piglets, rear them if they are sick, which they do quite often.

“It’s definitely a whole family situation.”

While working with family has its challenges, Mrs Mathers said they are also the ultimate support network.

“We all sit at the table and work it out together.

“We all have the same common goal — to produce some of Australia’s best pork.

“With global trends, we are in a hot seat for success.”

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APRIL 2021

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FARMtalk • 23

Rural and Regional Scholarships

Applications are ow open for round five of the Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarships.

The scholarships were launched in 2016 to help Australians in regional and remote areas to access higher education.

It supports people studying from Certificate IV through to PhD level.

They support flexible study arrangements, and are available to eligible students: • commencing a new course of study in 2021 • studying on campus, online or via distance education • studying from six months full-time up to eight years part-time Eligible students may receive up to $18,000 each (e.g. for a full-time, four-year qualification). Shorter, part-time qualifications are paid on a pro rata basis. An extra $500 is also available to support an internship.

Go to www.qtac.edu.au/rres-program for more information.

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Photo of the Month The country rodeo! It’s the ultimate display of what it is to be a cowboy or cowgirl, and Deniliquin offered a marvellous showcase on Easter Saturday. Rodney Braithwaite, a McPherson Media photographer based in Shepparton, made the trip across to put his camera to the test and snapped this cracking shot of Tim Hammond being bucked from Gamblin Girl.

Submit your photo and caption for the FARMlife Photo of the Month via Facebook (@farmtalkmagazine), Instagram (@farm.talk) or email farmtalk@denipt.com.au.

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