SOUTHERN RIVERINA & MID MURRAY MONTHLY RURAL MAGAZINE
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019/2020
Sharing the load to grow some rice PAGES 14 & 15
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District record for dryland farm PUBLISHED BY DENILIQUIN PASTORAL TIMES 230 Cressy Street, Deniliquin NSW 2710 Phone (03) 5881 2322
Advertising Leesa Muir
Olivia van Zeyl Sarah Bain
Production Ged Munro
Editorial Jamie Lowe Daniel Hughes Olivia Duffey
Front Cover Stuart Gannon and Nathan Hehir inspecting the rice paddock before the next phase of the growing process.
February 2020 issue To be published February 3, 2020. Advertising booking deadline January 24, 2020. Contact your local advertising representative: Deniliquin Leesa Muir (03) 5881 2322 leesa.muir@denipt.com.au Finley Sarah Bain (03) 5883 1033 sarah.bain@ southernriverinanews.com.au
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 their own advisors. FARMtalk can assume no responsibility for the contents.
A Yalca mixed farming property, owned by the same family since 1946, has sold for a district record price for a dryland farm. It sold for $2.18 million at a sale on November 8. Owned by the Jackson family, the 456.4ha property is on Starrets Rd, Yalca. Elders real estate manager for the Southern Riverina and northern Victoria, Matt Horne, said the sale of ‘The Pines’ exceeded expectations. ‘‘We’re stoked with the outcome,’’ he said. ‘‘We were unsure where it would land, we had our thoughts but it definitely exceeded those.’’ With bidding starting at $1 million, Mr Horne said, despite the conditions, the sale showed there was still confidence in the industry. ‘‘I thought it would sell well but to sell that well shows the confidence of some of the locals and is a testament to how well the farm was presented and nurtured by the vendors,’’ he said.
■ ‘The Pines’ at Yalca earned a district record when it sold for $2.18 million in November. ‘‘It ticks many of the broad- 70-strong crowd that attended. scale farming boxes.’’ The property is now in the Mr Horne said there were hands of Leigh and Jane five active bidders and an- Waser, from Yalca, and Mr other four to five genuine Horne said he expected them buyers, who did not get a to use the property to grow chance to bid as the price rotational crops. increased. Vendor Ian Jackson is reThey were part of the 60 to tiring from farming and will relocate to Cobram.
Sheep monitoring made easier More sheep producers have access to carcass data to inform their animal health management strategy than ever before following another growth year for the National Sheep Health Monitoring Project (NSHMP). This data empowers producers to make decisions about how to manage sheep health conditions and boost their bottom line. Sheep health data is collected in abattoirs throughout Australia via the NSHMP, managed by Animal Health Australia (AHA) and supported by Sheep Producers Australia and WoolProducers Australia. Primary Industries and Regions South Australia also contributes data through the Enhanced Abattoir Surveillance Program (EASP). AHA’s senior manager
Page 2 — ’Farm Talk’, December 2019
biosecurity Dr Rob Barwell said NSHMP and EASP data helps form a broader picture of the prevalence of health conditions which impact profitability through decreased productivity and increased processing waste. ‘‘We’re on the lookout for 19 common health conditions which impact sheep production or cause carcasses to be trimmed or condemned,’’ Dr Barwell said. In the 2018-19 financial year, NSHMP monitored close to 40,000 lines totalling 8.7 million sheep. This is another new record for the project, representing a 30 per cent increase on the previous year. ‘‘This year there were more than 9,500 properties who now have a better understanding of the hidden health
conditions impacting their flock,’’ Dr Barwell explained. ‘‘That’s 9,500 businesses which are better able to manage animal health to increase their productivity and earn a better price for their animals.’’ Producers have access to NSHMP data through the Livestock Data Link (LDL) portal, run by the Integrity Systems Company. LDL is a free and convenient way for producers to access feedback on how their livestock are performing and any potential disease or health issues that might require management on-farm. More information about the NSHMP is available at www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/nshmp/ and for more about the LDL at www.mla.com.au/researchand-development/livestockdata-link/.
Improving soil health By LUKE HARRINGTON
our farms after ourselves. And it must be looked after. I know everyone thinks they look after their soil, but are we? Or are we just being reactive to the symptoms that arise from poor soil health? We need to start looking at our soils as a thriving living community, not just as a chemistry lab where we throw out lime if we have a PH issue and if our plants are not performing it will be fine we will throw out some nitrogen; that will get them going. And yes, it does, but what we are finding is every year we need to put out a little more fertiliser and a bit more fungicide and a bit more insecticide and heaven forbid if we get a plant in the wrong place we will thump it with a bit more herbicide. Do you get the idea here this type of farming is now been coined ‘‘the moron farming method’’ by some sectors. It is great for sales but is it good for your soil or your back pocket? There is a small group of farmers in the area, which is growing every year, that have seen how improving soil health can improve there resilience and profits. This is a mixed group - there are dairy farmers, croppers and mixed farming enterprises which are all vastly different operations but they all have one thing in common; that is they need healthy soil to keep making a profit. Isn’t that what we are in the game for?
Is it time that we changed our agricultural practices? In this time of high tech farming with variable rate control, controlled traffic, hi tech herbicides, fungicides and insecticides and so called smart fertilisers we don’t seem to be making any headway - if anything we are moving in the other direction. It seems that in just one generation we have been able to take farming from a fantastic way of life and making a living which we would be proud for our children, to now be saying to the kids ‘‘go off to university; don’t become a farmer, it’s just too hard. Anyway we need to sell the farm to pay out our debt so we can retire’’. Is this the legacy we want to leave our children? Our ag industry is on its knees, crippled by low rainfall, poor water policies and high input costs just to name a few of our hurdles. But are these our main issue or are there other factors at play? Don’t get me wrong, these are important issues but we unfortunately have little or no say in these things. We cannot make it rain and unfortunately we have policymakers who do not understand how the irrigation and ag industry work, nor do they understand the environment; but that is a whole other discussion. There are many things that There is one thing we do have control over and that is happen when you start down our soil health; the most the soil health path, but I will important asset we have on just mention four that we
commonly see in the first few years. Firstly you get to lower your fertiliser costs. One of our dairy farmers who has been on his soil health journey now for five years has removed granular synthetic fertilisers completely from his operation, saving thousands, not only in product use but also in time. This had freed him up to spend more time with his family. Many cropping farmers have halved their fertiliser on their crops over the last few years without loss of yield. Secondly there is less need for fungicides and pesticides as your soils become healthier and so do your plants, once again saving money and time. Healthy soil - healthy plant. Thirdly there is quality. Another common thing that we see is livestock feeding on healthier pastures feed for shorter periods before resting because the healthier the soil the more minerally dense the feed and that is what we should be aiming for. Animals are not like us, they don’t just eat for the sake of eating they eat to get their mineral needs and once these needs are met they rest to convert that into milk, meat and fibre, not wasting energy on roaming looking for more food. I had a farmer this week ring me up - he had just had his wheat tested and it came back at 16.3 per cent protein; he had never seen a reading like this before but this is a common thing when you improve your soil health. And lastly the healthier the
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soil and the higher the humus content the more water we can hold in the soil. If we can raise our humus by 3% we would be able to hold an extra 500,000 litres of water in our soils; that’s an extra two inches. How many times do we hear, ‘‘gee if only we got that inch of rain Bob got down the road we would have been able to get a crop’’. Maybe we need to change our thinking and say, ‘‘I am glad we improved our water holding capacity by 500,000 litres; we got a crop where others have not’’. One young farming family I worked with this year only got 21ml of rain in the growing season and they were able to harvest grain. It was not a record breaker by any means, but they got a harvest where their neighbours did not, and many others are achieving 2.5 to 3 tonne yields on around 70ml of rain in the growing seasons. Moving down the soil health path is not for everyone; it is only for those who are interested in lowering their costs, making more time to be with their families and want to have a more profitable enterprise. If you would like to know more about soil health don’t hesitate to give me a call. The one thing I will leave you with is this: “Is the decision I make today going to improve my soil for tomorrow?” ■ Luke Harrington is a soil health coach and is the owner and operator of soil expert company Re-Gen Farming.
Locals Supporting Each Other
We have moved to 162 Hardinge Street, Deniliquin NSW 2710
’Farm Talk’, December 2019 — Page 3
High nitrate in canola, cereals By LINDA SEARLE Twenty-five per cent of failed crops tested recently at the NSW Department of Primary Industries Feed Quality Service lab in Wagga Wagga contained nitrate levels capable of causing livestock health issues. Stock sensitivity to nitrate differs between individuals, but generally issues can occur when levels are more than 5,000 parts per million (ppm), with anything over 10,000 ppm thought to be potentially deadly to stock. Failed crops can make good livestock feed. In fact, the lab also reported most samples were highly nutritious, with good levels of energy and protein. The key is managing the nitrate risk. There are a number of ways to help lower the risk of nitrate poisoning in stock. Know the risk: â—? Testing for nitrate is the
only way to be sure of nitrate levels in feed. There is no relationship between the level of protein in feed and the level of nitrates. � The level of nitrate in hay doesn’t change over time. � The levels in silage may decrease due to the fermentation process but this doesn’t guarantee that it will be reduced to a safe level, especially in drier, baled silage. � Sheep can be less susceptible to nitrate poisoning than cattle, in part because they are more selective grazers. Reduce the risk: � Don’t put hungry stock straight onto feed with a high nitrate level. � Decrease the amount of nitrate in the diet by diluting it with other, low nitrate feeds. � The leaves of the plant have less nitrate than the stem. The less stalky the feed, the lower the risk. More information can be
found in the primefact on nitrite and nitrate poisoning, alternatively you can contact your nearest Local Land Services vet or livestock officer in Albury, Holbrook or Deniliquin. Visit one of our offices to collect a feed test kit. â– Linda Searle (pictured) is district veterinarian with Murray Local Land Services.
More drought help District farming families will receive a cash boost with the Federal Government’s Community Support Initiative to provide a one-off grant of up to $3000 to households affected by the drought. The grant can be used to cover day to day living costs such as groceries, vehicle maintenance, energy and utility bills, or health and medical expenses. Residents in the Edward River Council, Berrigan
Shire and Murrumbidgee Council areas can apply for the grant through the St Vincent de Paul Society. Go to www.vinnies.org.au/ droughthelp or phone 1300 846 643 for more information. Residents of Murray River Council can apply through the Salvation Army. Go to www.salvationarmy.org.au/drought or phone 1300 551 030.
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P 03 5881 7034 • E murray@parliment.nsw.gov.au • 228 Cressy Street, Deniliquin NSW 2710 Page 4 — ’Farm Talk’, December 2019
Records may stand at auction Since its beginnings 15 years ago, the Jerilderie Working Dog Auction has grown significantly. A capacity number of dogs are now demonstrated and sold each year, and on the money side we have seen Australian price records set at both the 2018 and 2019 events. Organisers say while they think the 2019 record — which still stands — will be hard to beat, they are still hoping for some competitive bidding next year. The Australian record set at the 2019 auction was $25,000, paid by Dwayne Evans from Wilcannia for Shane Maurer’s kelpie ‘Eveready Possum’. A year earlier Mr Maurer broke the Australian record when ‘Coopendale Charlie’ sold for $14,000, which was beaten at the Casterton Dog Auction which had a top price of $22,000. The second best selling dog at the 2019 Jerilderie Working Dog Auction was Michael Joss’s ‘Moe’ going under the hammer for $17,820 to a
■Record-breaker Eveready Possum in action at the 2019 Jerilderie Working Dog Auction. Photo: Cherie and Danny from RubenPics. buyer across the Nullarbor in Kojunup. ‘‘Nothing has come close to that 2019 record yet, and given the conditions I don’t think we’ll get anything higher in 2020,’’ event coorganiser Warwick Doolan said. ‘‘The only change we’re making to our 15th event this year is the day. ‘‘We normally hold the event on a Sunday, but we’ll
be having it on a Saturday for the first time in 2020.’’ The auction will be held Saturday, February 22 at the Jerilderie Racecourse. At least 50 of the best working canines will be offered for sale. If you can’t be at Jerilderie Racecourse in person to bid, an online option for potential buyers will be hosted by AuctionPlus again next year. Through AuctionPlus, live
streaming is available and as a result there have been inquiries from all states about the dogs, with particular interest from Queensland. On auction day, demonstrations will begin at 9am for potential buyers to see the dogs in action. Buyers can register on the day, before the bidding begins at 1pm. All commissions from the sale go directly to Jerilderie Apex Club, to be distributed back into the local community. Other big sellers in 2019 included ‘Clare’ going for $9900 to a buyer in York, Western Australia, and ‘Daisy’ selling for $10,500 to Barcaldine, Queensland. Some dogs were sold to local buyers from Jerilderie, Barooga, Tocumwal, Finley, Deniliquin and Urana with the best being ‘Kingsley Chevy’ to Finley at $12,500. For more information, go to www.workingdogauction.com.au, or contact Mr Rutherford on 0427 861 515 or Warwick Doolan on 0429 445 964.
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Huge poultry auction More than $1000 was raised for the annual Deniliquin Show’s poultry pavilion as a result a larger than expected Deniliquin And District All Things Feathered poultry auction in November. A large crowd flocked to the inaugural event, held at the poultry shed at Deniliquin’s Memorial Park. The fundraising auction was as initiative of the Donald family, and saw more than 230 pens of birds sold. A wonderful variety of poultry was on offer from local vendors as well as larger consignments from interstate breeders, who paid $3 per pen to the cause. There were more than 70 registered bidders on the day
■ All Things Feathered committee member David Donald, buyer Trevor Bruce and auctioneer Matt Nathan. with many local children getting in on the action. Helping to get the fundraising total to $1040 was a pair of Chinese geese which made $250, which was the top price of the day. Other top sales included guinea fowl keets for $110, a male peacock for $70 and multiple trios of Sussex and Silkies sold for $50 to $90. Auction assistant Anthony Michael said the auction was a success because of the many volunteers.
‘‘Christine and David Donald and their kids worked tirelessly to promote the auction and did the major share of receiving entries and preparing the recording system, which was a massive task,’’ he said. ‘‘A working bee was also held on November 2 to repair and clean up the shed in readiness for the auction. ‘‘Rodwells agent Matt Nathan donated his time as auctioneer and the local Volunteer Rescue Association
conducted a barbecue, which added to the social atmosphere of people networking about poultry. ‘‘There were many requests by those that attended about when the next sale would be, and many favourable comments posted on the Deniliquin and District: All Things Feathered Facebook site. ‘‘All in all it was quite a successful auction and an enjoyable day out.’’
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Raising chooks for a higher purpose Chickens have a far more important role to play in our community than supplying eggs for breakfast or manure for the garden. Matthew van Zeyl’s new chook house in Deniliquin will be used to accommodate a ‘sentinel chicken flock’, to test for potentially harmful mosquito borne diseases which could impact the community. Mr van Zeyl has recently taken delivery of 15 new pullets (hens under one year old) as part of the NSW Health Arbovirus Surveillance Program. He was appointed by Edward River Council as the region’s new ‘chicken sentinel’ this month — following a public expression of interest advertisement — to provide blood samples to NSW Health in association with the council. To qualify as the local sentinel, Mr van Zeyl had to demonstrate he would be able to satisfy animal welfare standards and provide a safe and healthy environment. Realising the complexities of separating the sentinel chickens from his other chooks, he has constructed a new ‘state of the art’ chook house and free-range area, all complying with best practice design. ‘‘Council officers inspected the property and were impressed with my set-up and predator deterrent safety features, so I was selected for the position,’’ Mr van Zeyl said. ‘‘Each week I need take blood from each bird, which is done with a small pin prick
under the wing. The blood is collected using a special piece of absorbent paper, which is numbered and dried before being sent to Sydney to be tested for any mosquito borne diseases. ‘‘It will be a learning process at first, but I have had some guidance from a previous chicken sentinel.’’ The chicken flock was delivered to Mr van Zeyl at his property, on the outskirts of Deniliquin, by the Edward River Council ranger in early November. Sampling is due to start this month and will continue until April or May next year. NSW Health said the presence of arboviruses in the environment is detected not only through surveillance of chicken flocks, but also trapping of mosquitoes for virus isolation and by human case surveillance. The emphasis of the chicken surveillance is on ■ Matthew van Zeyl is the Deniliquin region’s chicken detecting the presence of sentinel, testing their blood for harmful mosquito borne flaviviruses (Murray Valley diseases. Encephalitis and Kunjin viruses) across inland areas of NSW. The mosquito trapping program serves to identify species, density and virus infection rates which are critical for early predictive Soft Rock Phosphate data in addition to the Typical Analysis sentinel flock surveillance A truly exceptional fertiliser. It is a colloidal clay which does system. Total Phosphorus (as no lock up like other forms The aim is to use these two calcium phosphates) ... 10% of phosphorus. Biologically testing methods to reduce the friendly, full of trace elements Silicon ........................... 26% potential of Murray Valley and cost effective. Calcium......................... 24% Encephalitis virus and Kunjin in humans by providContact Luke Harrington, Soil Health Coach 0427 138 100 ing health alerts, should Email: luke@re-genfarming.com.au samples contain viruses.
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Page 8 — ’Farm Talk’, December, 2019
’Farm Talk’, December, 2019 — Page 9
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A-double improves efficiency It’s taken many years, but Purtills in Deniliquin now owns the first A-double road train to deliver fuel direct from the terminal at Victoria. Director Neville Purtill said it was three years in development before he knew he had the design of the tankers right. Put on the roads in November, the A-double was designed with the sole purpose of improving efficiency. Mr Purtill said that in turn has significant benefits for the company’s customers. ‘‘The A-double can carry up to 70,000 litres of fuel, compared to up to 55,000 litres in a conventional B-double,” Mr Purtill said. ‘‘That is 25 per cent more, and that is one trip a week we can take off the roads. ‘‘The set up is 30 metres long instead of 25 metres, and the new design is fitted with all the latest safety technology. ‘‘There’s on board weighing so we know exactly how much we are carrying, and that is specific to an axle group. It can be monitored as live data.
■ Purtills transport manager Ash Gray, Col Tieman from Tieman Trailers, Purtills director Neville Purtill and retail manager Matthew Purtill, and Ben Blasetti from Tieman Trailers with the new $1.5 million A-double. ‘‘There has been a significant amount of investment, including in the pumping equipment. ‘‘The biggest benefit is from the driver’s perspective. Because it is all done electronically, there is no longer a need for the driver to get on top of the truck to do the checks.’’ General manager – petroleum Glenn Carr said Purtills has worked in part-
nership with Volvo to ensure the new A-double has ‘‘all the safety options’’. ‘‘All this is so we can maintain and improve the service we provide to the customer,’’ he said. ‘‘This new set-up is designed to deliver both to our service stations and to our customers on farm or another site. ‘‘It means that if you need fuel tomorrow, 99 per cent of
the time we can get it to you regardless of the volume.’’ Mr Purtill said the new A-double represents a $1.5 million investment in improving fuel delivery efficiency across the Purtills network. ‘‘There are three trailers in the set, with one working locally and another two picking up at the terminal. ‘‘Long term, we hope to also have one of these set-ups based in Hay.’’ The Purtills Petroleum arm of the business took over the Caltex distributorship in 1974, and in almost 46 years has successfully catered to customer fuel needs via bulk on-farm tanker deliveries and service station fuel card accounts. The service is now located at the Cobb Highway Roadhouse in Hardinge St, Deniliquin, after a move from McCrabb Rd in early November. Purtills can deliver on farm within Deniliquin and the surrounding area. To place an order, contact Purtills on 1300 819 000.
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Phone - Jason Neutze: 0429 337 341 Operations: 02- 6954 6777 0499 220 981 Phone the Office (03) 5886 1228 Email: operations@masagwork.net.au www.masagwork.net.au ’Farm Talk’, December 2019 — Page 11
Support – what works for you? By ROB BROWN If you have an interest in farming, there are three important reasons to keep track of government financial programs — you might be able to use them, you might be able to let others know who can use them, and lastly, it’s useful to consider how the programs might impact stock and land prices and farm development. A few things first: don’t self-assess, keep an open mind in determining if the programs will be useful, and do get help if you are stuck (eg Tony Flett, Rural Counsellor at Deni on 0428 815 766). Keep in mind the following is not a complete list and I’ve tried to keep it light! Allowances The Farm Household Allowance (FHA) is the main program available, though family tax benefits, parenting payments, health cards, age pension and carers’ pension can often come into play. FHA eligibility criteria is more generous than it used to be and it’s possible to offset off-farm income and receive FHA. Go to www.business.gov.au/ Grants-and-Programs/FarmHousehold-AllowanceProgram. I’ve not explained the criteria for these as it is really important to check with someone who knows the rules. Loans The reasonable response for some is ‘who needs more debt which you can’t repay?’
However others are and will see these as once in a life time ways to get ahead by reducing their interest cost or fast track profitability by restocking, restoring or redeveloping their farms. If you are a shed or yard builder, landformer or any other business helping farmers improve their farms, two things to note; first there is a low interest loan “in development” for you and secondly it makes sense to tell your farmer clients about these loans that are available. The Federal Government funded Regional Investment Corporation now offers 10 year loans of up to $2 million for farm suppliers (in development) and for farm investment, recovery, improvement and drought relief. All are two years nil interest/no repayments, then three years interest only (3.11 per cent at the moment) and then five years principle and interest. It would be surprising if some farmers don’t see this as an opportunity to ramp up stock numbers faster than they would have under a bank stock loan. See https://www.ric.gov.au/ for more. The NSW Rural Assistance Authority Farm Innovation Fund has already allocated $480 million and has another $520 million to go, at up to $1 million per project — all at 2.5 per cent fixed for the duration of the loan (no interest rate risk). See https://www.raa.nsw.gov.au/
loans/farm-innovation-fund for details. Keep in mind that a lot of the money spent on farm development is spent regionally. NSW RAA also offers a $50,000 drought assistance fund, interest free, two year no repayments and principle over five years. Go to https:/ /www.raa.nsw.gov.au/loans/ drought-assistance-fund. And the RAA is also the access point for the emergency water infrastructure rebate (federally funded), transport support and the Farms Business Skills program which can reduce the cost of business planning and other sorts of professional development to $5,000. It all begs the question — how many farmers are in a position to survive or borrow? Part of the answer is astounding. The report on ag debt to the Royal Commission shows that overall farm debt has fallen relative to inflation in the last 10 years. Even more surprising, overall farm debt is only 11 per cent of farm assets.
However the report also explains that 12 per cent of farmers hold 70 per cent of debt. It’s also worth noting that in spite of the drought, 12,656 NSW farmers currently hold about $1.37 billion in farm management deposit, which is only $100 million less than September 2018 (https:/ /www.agriculture.gov.au/ sites/default/files/documents/ fmd-statisticsoctober2019.pdf). What this all suggests is that the ag sector is mostly haves, and some have nots. The haves are the ones with sufficient confidence, equity, scale and performance to take advantage of good commodity prices and record low interest rates. Fortunately they are a big chunk of ag. However in our region it’s more complex with enormous variations in business viability depending on age, confidence, debt, seasons, scale, off farm income, and of course the reliance on irrigation. For those who find the uncertainty difficult to deal with, it’s really important to take the step of ‘‘shopping’’ for the assistance that will help you — your doctor, friends, rural counselling service, or Aimee Makeham from the Rural Adversity Mental Health program (0428 249 719). ■ Rob Brown (pictured) is a director of the NSW Rural Assistance Authority. All opinions expressed are his own.
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HYDRAULIC IMMERSION SHEEP DIPPING Page 12 — ’Farm Talk’, December 2019
12
$ ⁄ m loss for MIL Murray Irrigation Limited’s annual general meeting on November 28 reflected on tough year for the company and its shareholders. About 60 shareholders gathered at the Deniliquin RSL Club to hear from chair Phil Snowden about the company’s performance for the 2018/19 financial year. Shareholders heard how the zero general security water allocation hit the company’s bottom line, with the business posting a $1⁄2 million loss for the 2018/19 financial year. ‘‘The ongoing dry conditions meant the company had limited income opportunities which obviously impacted on our financial performance,’’ Mr Snowden said. ‘‘While we can accommodate this for the short-term, we really need the drought to break if we are going to be viable for the long-term. ‘‘Despite this, we were able to return 100 gigalitres of water to our customers thanks to the increased efficiencies being realised under the Private Irrigators Infrastructure Operators Program — our recently completed major infrastructure and capital works investment. ‘‘This came at a significant time for customers who were basing their business decisions around water availability and costs.’’ The dry conditions allowed
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Murray Irrigation to complete important maintenance work on channels, bridges and culverts, delivering the company’s largest Winter Works program to date. ‘‘It’s obviously difficult to complete work on our infrastructure when the channels are full, so we used this opportunity to complete lifeextending works on 217 bridges and emergency bridge repairs/major structural works on another 33 bridges in readiness for when the drought breaks and water flows once more.’’ Mr Snowden said as the business moves into a new financial year, and the likelihood of another zero or low allocation, the focus needs be on reducing overheads and limiting further losses. ‘‘We’ve had to make significant business decisions to minimise further losses in the event we experience a third zero general security allocation year. This includes the pending sale of MILCast and a wholesale business review that will see at least six positions removed from the business. ‘‘It’s disheartening to have to make these decisions, but they are sadly necessary to limit the losses we will potentially see if conditions don’t improve. We must also be prepared to resume full service if, and when, it does rain.’’
Trespass laws pass through Parliament Family farms will soon have some vital safeguards from illegal trespassers with the passage of the Right to Farm Bill in the NSW Parliament in November. NSW Farmers’ chief executive Pete Arkle has marked the passage of the Bill as a win for farmers and local food and fibre production. ‘‘The debate around new laws has clouded their intent. They are simply about providing some protections for our family farms from invasions of animal activists and illegal trespassers. ‘‘Farms are a home and farms are a business, and just like residential homes and businesses, farmers want some laws imposed on people who enter their property without any notification. ‘‘That is why New South Wales Farmers has had a loud voice on this issue over many years. It was a key part of the state election campaign and it is fantastic to see this support for farming families delivered.’’ Mr Arkle said the release of the Aussie Farms map at
the start of 2019 had highlighted the desperate need for farmers to be afforded greater protections. ‘‘This highly misleading map encouraged people to trespass on family farms without any consideration of privacy or the impact on families, their employees and animals. ‘‘Ill-informed animal activists are not the only concern for farmers in terms of farm trespass. Farmers also have to deal with illegal hunters and other people entering their farms without any notification.’’ The Bill includes new laws that will protect agricultural practices from the vexatious nuisance claims that are causing conflict and increasing production costs for farmers. ‘‘This is an important first step toward enshrining a regional planning act framework that gives certainty to a right to farm.’’
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Page 14 — ’Farm Talk’, December 2019
CONSULTING
Some ricegrowers have turned to groundwater to maintain their record of producing food this rice season. Nathan Hehir and Stuart Gannon have entered into a share farming agreement and sown 60 hectares of Opus at the Hehir’s farm between Deniliquin and Finley. Mr Hehir looks after the crop, which is being sustained by Mr Gannon’s groundwater. While Mr Hehir is familiar with growing rice, he said this year is a challenge he’s never experienced. He’s never grown rice on bore water before, but said a second season of zero general security water allocations in the NSW Murray Valley forced him to look at other options. ‘‘I’ve been dual sowing rice for a few years now. I’ll be using quite a different technique than in the past but I think it will work out well,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a completely different system to when growing rice off bore water, ‘‘The main advantage is that the first flush is much easier. It will save us from potential mortality in having an early flush from flooding the paddock. ‘‘One of the main factors to having a successful bore water crop is having a good paddock and good quality water, and that has worked out to be the case in both remarks. ‘‘Stuart and I tested the water and there was little chance of the salinity levels
negatively affecting the crop, and after preparing the paddock we noticed the border check had one side that needed a tidy up so once that was done, we had the perfect paddock — nice and close to the bore.’’ Mr Gannon said a tremendous amount of planning and control is needed in order to minimise the impacts of water salinity. ‘‘A rice grower needs to have constant access to a calibrated salinity meter, a set up that will allow water to circulate evenly, a knowledge of the salinity limits for each phase of rice growth, a willingness to drain the water once thresholds between panicle initiation and microspore occur and to commit to knowing crop water use will increase throughout the process to combat the saline water that moves through soil faster than fresh water does,’’ he said. ‘‘After all that, there is also a toxicity effect that can be problematic for the rice if it exceeds its tolerance.’’ Mr Hehir said another impetus to trying bore water on rice this season was the record price offer from SunRice, increasing all paddy prices by $25 per tonne before the start of season. ‘‘I was pretty keen to grow rice, and SunRice is doing the best it can. I wanted to reward them for their efforts in trying to support our community,’’ Mr Hehir said. ~ to next page
load to grow some rice ~ from previous page ‘‘Unfortunately once the water prices kept driving up, the idea of doing a crop with water allocation being $650 per megalitre was just too unrealistic. ‘‘So I approached Stuart and he was interested.’’ Mr Gannon said the key opportunity of growing rice using bore water is the margin. ‘‘We are budgeting to use 13 megalitres per hectare (higher than average use has been allowed for due to drought conditions). If we had to purchase surface allocations to replace the zero allocation, the water input cost would be $8,450 per hectare. ‘‘With a budgeted yield of 10 tonnes per hectare worth $8000 a hectare, it simply does not make sense to make a loss of $450. And that does not even include other crop costs. ‘‘Bore water is priced at only around $300 per megalitre ($250/ML temporary water price plus $50/ML pumping price) which gives a
■ Stuart and Nathan play close attention to their rice crop at each stage of the growing process. margin of $4,100 per hectare after water to cover other crop expenses and hopefully make a profit. ‘‘Having the bore is the only way it has been possible to grow a rice crop this year, where the flow-on benefits to
the community are significant. ‘‘Nathan and I expect to spend money with dozens of local businesses to benefit the economy as a whole, as there are flow on benefits to these businesses also spend-
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ing this money in the community also and to support jobs.’’ The pair said a downside is that a bore water crop requires more attention than a traditional surface water crop. ‘‘The system Nathan and I have adopted is using a wheat ‘border check’ layout until Christmas, which has efficiencies on the water not being ponded — which is better for the soil and uses less water through evaporation savings — and there will be no pressure from duck and wind damage, which would have otherwise occurred,’’ Mr Gannon said. ‘‘We did the maths and when it comes to the stage of panicle initiation I’ll have about 20 days to get the 200ml to 250ml of depth needed to protect the PI from the cold and other elements,’’ Mr Hehir added. ‘‘I’ve had the help of my wife Emily, who has been a big help with the flushing process,’’ he said.
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Page 16 — ’Farm Talk’, December 2019