8 minute read
Borumba ..................................... 100
HEALTH AT FINGERTIPS................ page 11 FROM THE MLA ........................... page 12 PROTEIN CONFERENCE ............... page 15 FOOD FOR THOUGHT ................... page 16 FROM THE MINISTER................... page 17 ERLE LEVEY FEATURE ...........pages 22-24 DISTRICT SALEYARDS ROUND-UP ............................pages 25-26 ROMA RUGBY CARNIVAL ........pages 27-28
DAM LEVELS
Beardmore................................... 99.37% Bjelke Petersen............................ 99.51% Borumba ..................................... 100.2% Boondoomba ................................. 98.19 Cedar Pocket ............................... 100.6% Chinchilla Weir ................................ 100% Coolmunda .................................. 99.62% Cunnamulla (Alan Tannock Weir) ....... 100% Leslie ............................................ 99.8% Paradise ...................................... 100.1% Somerset ...................................... 79.9% Wivenhoe....................................... 56.4%
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Managing Director: Daniel Pelcl. All material is copyright to South Burnett Today Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible. For our terms and conditions please visit QueenslanFarmerToday.com.au/terms-and-conditions/ A new Australian beef industry App is set to improve communication and standards for both exporters and importers. 268888 Agricultural shows are an integral part of Australian culture.
They galvanise small communities and play a vital role in supporting onfarm innovation, productivity and profitability.
They also help bridge the divide between country and city, with many shows incorporating an educational element.
Among those elements is the junior judging competition, which is surging in interest through rural Queensland.
The competitions give aspiring judges the opportunity to showcase their talents and feature a variety of categories from beef cattle and alpacas to cake decorating and photography.
In what is being described as a Steven Bradbury-esqe moment, Proston has clinched the state final of the Queensland Ag Shows Cattle Young Judges’ and Paraders’ competition.
After the Ekka was cancelled and Stanthorpe’s show was postponed, Proston stood tall and offered to host the contest, giving winners time to qualify for “nationals” at the Sydney Royal Show.
According to Proston Show Society president Mortimer Duff, the entire town in the South Burnett region is buzzing with excitement.
And, good for them. Thank goodness there is one winner to emerge from this continuing Covid-induced chaos! - Fiona Gowers
Meat goes digital
Widely accepted as the international red meat industries technical manual for trade, the Handbook of Australian Meat (HAM) has gone digital.
In its eighth edition, AUS-MEAT has published the Handbook of Australian Meat, an international red meat manual which facilitates the use of accurate product descriptions in domestic and international trade both as a hard copy, and as an app available from today for smart phones and tablets.
AUS-MEAT has produced the app in conjunction with technical experts to ensure as many people as possible have access to the valuable information contained in the handbook including international and domestic customers of Australian red meat, exporters, processors, trainers and specialist users.
“Converting the hard copy handbook into an app offers significant benefits in its immediacy, portability, ease of use, interactivity, accessibility and enhanced functionality,” said Ben Robinson, AUS-MEAT general manager – meat standards and training services who has overseen the project.
The app also contains interactive 3D carcass models, 3D meat products and anatomical guides. It has a searchable meat product directory and the ability to save specific meat products for quick reference. More interactive features will be added in future.
It has undergone extensive user-testing over the last three months, and its launch is widely anticipated by stakeholders.
“The Handbook of Australian Meat (HAM) has always been a wonderful reference tool and now with the fantastic new HAM App we have it in the palm of our hands – just brilliant,” Nolan meats director said Terry Nolan said.
Australian Country Choice group manager of research development innovation Paul Gibson said that an app would help to improve efficiency and accuracy.
“The meat industry must embrace digital delivery of information across the supply chain to be more effective and economical.”
The HAM app enables exporters and importers of Australian products to communicate detailed specifications and descriptions of red meat items using a common language.
From today, the HAM app can be easily downloaded via the Apple app store and the Google Play store, available for free for download on both Android and Apple devices.
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QFF welcomes new CEO
Jo Sheppard has been appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF).
The former Paroo Shire council mayor most recently served as director of stakeholder engagement at the University of Southern Queensland.
Ms Sheppard’s previous roles also include CEO of the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce and director on the Sunwater board.
“Advocating on behalf of Queensland’s farmers is a significant responsibility and, given the importance of the agriculture sector to the state’s economy and regional communities, effective representation is critical,” she said.
“Despite facing ongoing challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, rising input prices, biosecurity incursions and climate change, Queensland farmers continue to produce world-class food, fibre and foliage.
“I look forward to supporting and striving for a better deal for Queensland’s farmers to strengthen their productivity and profitability into the future.”
QFF president Allan Dingle thanked outgoing CEO Dr Georgina Davis who has moved on to new challenges and welcomed Ms Sheppard to her new role.
“Jo has demonstrated clear leadership and advocacy skills throughout her career and her organisational and stakeholder engagement experience will be crucial assets for QFF our industry members and the state’s farmers.
“Under her direction, QFF will continue to progress a broad range of economic, social, environmental and regional issues of strategic importance to improve the operating environment for Queensland’s farmers.”
Ms Sheppard began working with QFF on 14 February.
Super sorghum outlook
By Fiona Gowers
With wide smiles, sorghum growers in southern Queensland are busy harvesting what may be their biggest crop in 10 years.
ABARES’ latest forecast has the national crop pegged at 1.97 million tonnes from 586,000 hectares sown.
AgForce grains president Brendan Taylor said above-average rainfall across southern Queensland in spring had helped establish early-sown sorghum.
“The crop planted across the Darling Downs in late August/ early September is mostly harvested and the results have been sensational, with yields between seven and 8.5 yields,” he said.
“In 2021, the seasonal conditions were near-perfect. Some flooding in November, yes, but it was largely beneficial for sorghum growers in southern Queensland.”
Mr Taylor said harvest would proceed at pace through February and March and he predicted “heaps of sorghum flowing into bins”.
“The later-sown crops look very good at the moment. Some just need a bit more rain to finish them off but then, of course, we need the rain to stop in time for harvest!
As an “educated guess”, Mr Taylor said growers this year had forward sold up to 30 per cent of their sorghum crop to exploit the premiums offered.
But, he said prices had remained relatively steady, with the market trading at about $290 per tonne due to strong local and international demand.
“It’s the first time in a long time that a bumper summer crop has followed a bumper winter crop, though central Queensland was a bit drier,” Mr Taylor said.
“We managed to string that together and now there is good soil moisture for the following winter crop.”
That is the good news. What is quelling growers’ joy, according to Mr Taylor, is soaring input costs, which is making the entire production sector nervous as it enters 2022.
Compound phosphorus fertilisers have more than doubled since last year and urea prices have trebled.
This, combined with uncertainty around grain prices and the seasonal forecast, means farmers have some tough decisions to make in their pre-season planning meetings.
“We’re getting great crops but it’s costing a lot of money to grow them,” Mr Taylor said. “Cost of production is through the roof. It’s definitely putting a squeeze on margins.
“And, you can’t not use pesticides and fertiliser because then you cut off your nose to spite your face. Crops need nutrients.
“It’s making growers question what crop to grow next.”
Mr Taylor said while certain crops such as chickpeas don’t require the up-front application of nitrogen, international demand for the legume is low.
“So, there is no point growing a crop no one wants.
“Despite last year’s bumper crop, there is still significant demand for wheat and barley through the feeder section. So, it’s certainly not straightforward for growers.”
Mr Taylor said while the cost of nutrition products remained high, soil preparation was “incredibly important”.
“Hopefully over the next six to 12 months, input costs will ease.”
Mr Taylor said while Covid was impacting prices, it was complicated by factors such as high energy costs, labour problems and international freight fees.
Sorghum crops are soaring, almost hiding a young James Elliott.
AgForce grains president Brendan Taylor said above-average rainfall across southern Queensland in spring had helped establish early-sown sorghum.
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