Queensland Farmer Today - October 2023

Bigger bucket

Santa boss bowing out

Chris Todd has resigned as general manager of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders (Australia) Association.

Appointed in May 2019, Mr Todd cites membership growth, consistent stud and commercial sales and the breed’s unique classification system that provides a “stamp of approval” on bulls bought as his biggest achievements over the past four years.

“(When I started) we were going backwards in membership so it was nice to turn that around and we’ve been in the black the past three years,” Mr Todd said.

“Classifications are up and that’s one of the things that I love is that people can buy (Santa Gertrudis bulls) knowing the animal will perform.”

STORY PAGE 3

STORY PAGE 7

Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland are helping to ensure Australia’s agricultural sector stays strong in the face of drought. The research team, led by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC), is investigating how different soil treatments can increase the water-holding capacity of soil where crops are grown, to enhance their drought resilience.

The heat’s on

By Fiona Gowers

The Bureau of Meteorology last week declared El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are underway.

Under the influence of these two climate drivers, warmer and drier conditions are more likely over spring and summer for parts of Australia.

Bureau of Meteorology climate manager Dr Karl Braganza said both El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may draw rain away from Australia.

“Over spring, their combined impact can increase the chance of below average rainfall over much of the continent and higher temperatures across the southern two-thirds of

Playing with fire

‘Acts of God’ as they are commonly known - including hailstorms, flooding, cyclones, earthquakes and lightningare considered by every grower in their seasonal planning.

‘Acts of men’ however should be equally considered as we enter a new season.

the country,“ Dr Braganza said. “The Bureau’s three-month forecast for Australian rainfall and temperature have been indicating warm and dry conditions for some time.

“Based on history, it is now also more likely that warm and dry conditions will persist over eastern Australia until autumn.”

COVERAGE PAGES 4-5

As we head into another summer, it’s been worrying that several horticulture growers have recently experienced and reported suspicious arson activity, an activity that records show is responsible for up to 50 per cent of all bushfires across Australia. The message from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services is clear - don’t let arsonists win!

COVERAGE PAGE 8

University of Southern Queensland Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems Associate Professor Keith Pembleton.

WOMEN IN AG .......................pages 18-19

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ...................page 20

BREAKING GROUND ....................page 21

FROM THE MLA ...........................page 22

BEEF BATTLE SOCIALS ...........pages 24-26

RECIPE .......................................page 30

MARKET ROUND-UP ....................page 31

SPORT .......................................page 36

DAM LEVELS

Beardmore:

Bjelke-Petersen:

CONTACT US

Mondamere to market

By Fiona Gowers

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Mondamere, a highly productive and versatile mixed-farming property in the inner Darling Downs region of Queensland, is offered today (28 September) via online auction through JLL.

The property encompasses roughly 149 hectares over three Freehold Certificates of Title. It is well located - about 18 kilometres north-west of the community of Pittsworthwith bitumen frontage.

“Underpinned by productive land and soil types, great proximity to end-markets, secure water sources and quality infrastructure, Mondamere represents an opportunity to acquire an inner Darling Downs mixed-farming enterprise suitable for a commercial background operation with additional dryland cropping production,” JLL executive – Agribusiness James Mitchell said.

The current owners have historically operated a commercial beef enterprise comprising breeders and associated progeny, supported by approximately 96ha of cash/fodder crops.

They sold their herd this year. Mondamere could also operate as a backgrounding enterprise, supporting a larger breeding property.

Supplementary feeding infrastructure, including grain silos, a roller mill and feed pins enhances productivity.

Cheap cuts

Domestic consumers are picking up where export markets for sheep meat and beef have left off, according to good news for producers and consumers from Meat and Livestock Australia.

“Shoppers are increasingly putting red meat in their trolley as retail prices push back against the inflation trend being seen more generally at the supermarket checkout, an MLA spokesperson said.

Historically high livestock prices were both good news and bad for producers, especially those needing to restock, but they had been universally bad news for consumers trying to cope with inflation, he said.

Now the MLA says retail prices, which historically lag livestock prices by about eight months, can be expected to come back, as a result of good supplies.

“Since being acquired by the vendors, Mondamere has progressively continued the development of arable areas, water reticulation and pasture improvement, resulting in greater efficiencies and productivity,” said JLL director –Agribusiness Clayton Smith.

“This is further supported by a secure 35 megalitre irrigation/stock intensive groundwater allocation and a roughly 60 megalitre surface dam.

“The property comprises mostly fertile alluvial self-mulching black soils commensurate to the eastern Darling Downs.

“Mondamere has all the characteristics of an efficient mixed-farming enterprise located in a picturesque setting.

“The property would satisfy the requirements of a discerning buyer seeking a quality asset with a good location.”

Mr Mitchell concurred, saying its combined attributes would suit buyers from western Queensland looking for an additional area with good proximity to either educate children or enhance lifestyle in retirement.

“The opportunity would equally satisfy a city-based investor seeking a rural lifestyle property.”

Mondamere is for sale today (28 September) at 11am via Auctions Plus.

Queensland Farmer Today was sorry to hear Chris Todd had resigned as general manager of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders Association.

Since our publication’s inception in 2021, Mr Todd has provided constant and consistent support.

Forever criss-crossing the country to promote his breed at stud sales, field days and commercial sales, he always had time to provide a lead, snap a photo or fact-check an article.

Mr Todd came to the association four years ago with a wealth of experience in the rural industry.

He worked as a stock agent in Queensland towns such as Roma, Blackall, St George, Injune, Dirranbandi and Charleville and held senior positions in the meat processing and feedlot sectors.

Previous roles have included Queensland and Northern Rivers livestock manager for Primac Elders Ltd, general manager of livestock procurement at Consolidated Meat Group, general manager of leading feedlotter, Mort and Co and director of rural sales for Colliers International and CSMDG Pty Ltd.

However, the one position Mr Todd always coveted was general manager of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders Association.

“It’s just been an absolute pleasure dealing with Santa members across Australia,“ he said. “The majority of whom are down-to-earth, good hard working people who are striving to maintain a position within the competitive stud and commercial cattle market within Australia.”

And, what’s next for Chris Todd?

“I’m going to have a couple of months off and get fit again,” he said.

“I’ll smell the roses, catch up with grandkids and then wait for things to unfold in the next couple of months.“

We wish you well, Mr Todd.

-Fiona Gowers

Mondamere, a highly productive and versatile mixed-farming property in the inner Darling Downs region of Queensland, is offered today via online auction through JLL.

Chris Todd leaves Santa Gertrudis Breeders Association with...

His head held high

By Fiona Gowers

Chris Todd has resigned as general manager of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders (Australia) Association.

Appointed in May 2019, Mr Todd cites membership growth, consistent stud and commercial sales and the breed’s unique classification system that provides a “stamp of approval” on bulls bought as his biggest achievements over the past four years.

“(When I started) we were going backwards in membership so it was nice to turn that around and we’ve been in the black the past three years,” Mr Todd said.

“Classifications are up and that’s one of the things that I love is that people can buy (Santa Gertrudis bulls) knowing the animal will perform.

“I think that allows us to maintain high standards in regards to what’s offered through the system to the domestic and export market.”

Mr Todd “fell in love” with the Santa Gertrudis breed when he first saw the cattle aged 18 in 1977 at a King Ranch sale at “Risdon” Warwick.

“I just fell in love with this magnificent large animal and it’s almost like royalty, I suppose.

“It just had such appeal - size, power and grunt - and presented beautifully.

“And the other thing when I got to know them a bit better, I realised in the processing game you get paid on weight for age and Santas deliver that.

“They’ve also got marbling, they’re an animal that survives well and one that produces quality meat.

“It’s the full package.”

Mr Todd came to the association four years ago with a wealth of experience in the rural industry.

He worked as a stock agent in Queensland towns such as Roma, Blackall, St George, Injune, Dirranbandi and Charleville and held senior roles in the meat processing and feedlot sectors.

He also has strong connections to the big Beef Australia event in Rockhampton, serving as treasurer in 2003 and vice-chairman in 2006.

Previous roles have included Queensland and Northern Rivers livestock manager for Primac Elders Ltd, general manager of livestock procurement at Consolidated Meat Group, general manager of leading feedlotter, Mort and Co and director of rural sales for Colliers International and CSMDG Pty Ltd.

The one role Mr Todd coveted, however, was general manager of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders (Australia) Association.

Mr Todd first applied for the position when Russell Reed resigned 15 years ago. He was unsuccessful then but later succeeded Stephen Ware.

“It’s just been an absolute pleasure dealing with Santa members across Australia, the majority of whom are down-to-earth, good hard

working people who are striving to maintain a position within the competitive stud and commercial cattle market within Australia.”

And, what’s next for Chris Todd?

“I’m going to have a couple of months off and get fit again,” he said. “I’ll smell the roses, catch up with grandkids and then wait for things to unfold in the next couple of months.

“No, I’m not going to retire at 64. I enjoy being busy and tackling new challenges.

“But, I leave with the Santa Gertrudis Association with my head high, absolutely, for what we’ve achieved over the past four years.

“It has been a team effort and yes, thankfully, I’ve had a good team.”

Santa Gertrudis president Michael Doering, Walmona, Coolah, NSW released a statement following Mr Todd’s resignation.

It said: “Chris has been a passionate supporter of Santa Gertrudis. His enthusiasm for the breed and its people has seen him travel the length and breadth of the country attending stud sales, field days and Santa-infused commercial sales. His personal visits to members have been warmly welcomed and received.

“Under his leadership, membership has increased, youth camp reinvigorated, promotion intensified and stud sales strong.

“He made it his mission to ensure the best beef was served at field days and took great delight in knowing the queues were always longest to buy a Santa Gertrudis steak burger.

“Special mention must also go to his wife Sandy who has been by his side and a great support to Chris and to the breed.

“We thank them for their contribution to the breed and members.“

Chris Todd (second from right) at FarmFest22 with (from left) Luke Hoare, Lilly Wingfield, Nicole Hutchison, Sandy Todd and Tanya Hoare with a Santa Gertrudis Rose Oak bull.

Primac Gurus Association president Chris Todd (back second from right) with former Primac Gurus Charlie Mort, Andrew Scott, Ross, Keane, Cyril Close and Terry Lanksey, (seated). Chris said that this year the Primac Guru’s would host its third reunion to be held at the Club Hotel, Roma, on 28 October.

Former general manager of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders (Australia) Association Chris Todd.

Rural Aid calls for farmer ‘dry region’ registrations

Australia’s most trusted rural charity is encouraging farmers to seek assistance as the Bureau of Meteorology officially declares an El Niño event.

The El Niño weather pattern means hot, dry seasons that trend towards drought.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said the Bureau’s announcement confirmed many producers’ fears.

“Today’s announcement of the El Niño weather pattern will bring a lot of unwelcome memories to the surface for our farmers who’ve been anxiously watching land and waterways dry up,” Mr Warlters said.

“Thousands of farmers are already managing their land with a view to drought, but today’s announcement makes that approach all the more important.

“The past drought was regarded as the worst in living memory for the majority of the country and it’s understandable that many farmers are scared of going through that again.

“We’re encouraging farmers to reach out and register with Rural Aid now.”

Rural Aid offers primary producers a range of help including financial, hay, drinking water, counselling and volunteer assistance.

“We’ve already seen a huge increase in requests for emergency hay and household drinking water from farmers right across the country,” Mr Warlters said.

“In the past four months, requests to Rural Aid for emergency drinking water have increased by 240 per cent and our free water tank offer was exhausted in just four hours with more than 95 applications.

“We’re aiming to deliver another 50 water tanks by the end of this year to meet demand.

“Rural Aid helps farmers (for free) thanks to the generosity of the Australian public and our corporate partners.

“This El Niño declaration is a particularly upsetting moment for our farmers. It means conditions are likely to get worse before they get better.

“I’m encouraging farmers who are finding themselves overwhelmed to give our rurally-based counselling team a call for a free chat, to make sure they’re in the best possible position they can be to take on the upcoming seasons.“

Primary producers are urged to register online at www.ruralaid.org.au or call 1300 327 624.

Rural Aid’s counsellors can be reached at 1300 175 594.

Australia in for El Niño

By Fiona Gowers

The Bureau of Meteorology last week declared El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are underway.

Under the influence of these two climate drivers, warmer and drier conditions are more likely over spring and summer for parts of Australia.

Bureau of Meteorology climate manager Dr Karl Braganza said both El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) may draw rain away from Australia.

“Over spring, their combined impact can increase the chance of below average rainfall over much of the continent and higher temperatures across the southern two-thirds of the country,“ Dr Braganza said.

“The Bureau’s three-month forecast for Australian rainfall and temperature have been indicating warm and dry conditions for some time.

“An established El Niño and positive IOD reinforces our confidence in those predictions.

“Based on history, it is now also more likely that warm and dry conditions will persist over eastern Australia until autumn.”

El Niño events increase the risk of extreme temperature shifts, such as heatwaves and hotter days.

A positive IOD will heighten fire risks over southeast Australia in spring, while El Niño will heighten fire risk there over both spring and summer.

The Bureau made the El Niño declaration after three of the four El Niño criteria were met, including a sustained response in the atmospheric circulation above the tropical Pacific.

The last time Australia encountered both El Niño and a positive IOD was in 2015.

“Around two-thirds of Australia’s driest years on record were during El Niño however no two El Niño or IOD events or their impacts are the same,“ Dr Braganza said.

“El Niño is part of a natural climate cycle that affects global weather and occurs on average every three to five years.“

Bureau senior climatologist Catherine Ganter said the Indian Ocean Dipole could have as large an influence on Australia’s rainfall and temperature as El Niño.

“A positive IOD often results in below average rainfall during spring for much of central and southern Australia and warmer than average maximum temperatures for the southern two-thirds of Australia,“ Ms Ganter said.

“Similar to El Niño, the IOD describes a natural climate cycle brought about by sustained changes in the difference between sea surface temperatures in the tropical western and eastern Indian Ocean.“

Since 1960, when reliable records began for the IOD, there have been about 16 positive IOD and 15 El Niño years.

Seven years have seen positive IOD and El Niño events happen at the same time. The outlook has shifted to El Niño, having met criteria 1, 3 and 4 – see below.

· Climate models suggest this El Niño is likely to continue until at least the end of the southern hemisphere summer 2023–24.

· The outlook will remain at El Niño until this event decays or signs of a possible La Niña appear.

An El Niño has been declared, with three of the following criteria satisfied:

1 Sea surface temperature: Temperatures in the NINO3 or NINO3.4 regions of the Pacific Ocean are 0.8 °C warmer than average.

3 SOI: The three-month average Southern Oscillation Index is –7 or lower.

4 Models: A majority of surveyed climate models show sustained warming to at least 0.8 °C above average in the NINO3 or NINO3.4 regions of the Pacific until the end of the year.

The El Niño weather pattern means hot, dry seasons that trend towards drought. This empty farm dam was pictured in September 2023.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters.

Australian winter-spring mean rainfall deciles for 14 strong El Niño events.

Bureau of Meteorology climate manager Dr Karl Braganza.

Weather weighs ag down

By Fiona Gowers

More than half (54 per cent) of Darling Downs-based producers expect conditions in the agricultural economy to worsen due to dry seasonal conditions, according to Rabobank.

In its latest Rural Confidence survey, the agribusiness specialist found sentiment in the state’s rural sector had decreased to -32pc (from -13pc last quarter), with significantly more producers now expecting the agricultural economy to worsen in the next 12 months.

In all, 40pc of Queensland farmers surveyed expect conditions to remain stable.

The state’s cotton sector is a “bright spot” though, with most cotton growers expecting business conditions to improve or remain unchanged in the year ahead.

Grain, beef and sugar producers all showed declining optimism.

Falling commodity prices remain the chief concern of those Queensland producers expecting the agricultural economy to worsen, nominated by 43pc surveyed.

Higher interest rates are continuing to weigh on producers’ minds, while concern about high input costs increased slightly.

For the Queensland primary producers expecting the agricultural economy to improve, 18pc said they thought business conditions could not get worse, while commodity prices caused optimism for 63pc this quarter.

Rabobank regional manager for North Queensland and the Northern Territory Trent McIndoe said while much of northern and western Queensland was experiencing typical seasonal conditions, producers expected an El Nino weather system.

“Much of the state has enjoyed a run of reasonable seasons in the past three years, meaning pastures are in good, to fair condi-

tion in most areas, with parts of the state’s north and west receiving useful unseasonal rain in recent months,” he said.

“But, the chance of a change in this seasonal outlook, coupled with the downward

shift in commodity prices, is a concern for producers.”

The state’s cotton growers maintain their positive outlook from the previous quarter, with the majority surveyed (92pc) reporting an expectation that agricultural economic conditions will improve in the next 12 months.

“Cotton, contrary to the majority of agricultural commodities, has welcomed price improvements in markets in recent months,“ Mr McIndoe said.

“Prices have been able to climb above the levels they had been trading at - relatively rangebound - throughout the first half of 2023.“

The number of Queensland beef producers expecting business conditions to decline in the year ahead has jumped from 33pc last quarter to 45pc this survey, with 15pc anticipating an improvement (albeit up from nine per cent with that view last quarter).

Mr McIndoe said the state’s beef producers’ chief concerns were softening commodity prices and dry seasonal conditions.

The survey revealed confidence had also fallen among the state’s grain growers, with 40pc now believing economic conditions would decline in the year ahead.

Mr McIndoe said the record harvests seen in the previous two years were not expected.

“Conditions in southern Queensland grain-producing areas are a mixed bag, with spring rain much needed right across the growing area,” he said.

“And, the condition of Western Downs crops is also mixed, depending on the fallow period, the cover crop used and amount of ground cover that has helped retain soil moisture in some paddocks, as opposed to double-cropped areas, which are drier.”

Mr McIndoe said wheat crop yields of up

to 2.5 tonnes per hectare may be achievable “in the good patches”, with the balance expected to yield 1.25 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare in southern grain growing areas.

“However, some crops are already being fed off or bailed with no prospect of harvesting grain due to minimal rainfall over the winter months,” he said.

“There is still time on the Darling Downs though – any rainfall received in the next few weeks will assist to bridge the moisture gap and fill grain, however, forecasts aren’t looking favourable in the short term.”

Fewer Queensland producers expect to use debt to buy property (15pc this quarter, down from 24pc previously).

“The number of Queensland agricultural properties on the market has eased back from the volumes seen in recent years,” Mr McIndoe said.

“And, interest rates are more of a consideration now when producers are looking at buying land. Interest rates, combined with the seasonal outlook and softer commodity prices, are being factored into expansion plans.”

The Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey questions some 1000 primary producers across a range of commodities and geographical areas throughout Australia each quarter.

It is the most robust study of its type in Australia and has been done since 2000 by an independent research organisation.

· Queensland rural sentiment has declined in the latest quarter.

· Cotton producers are the only commodity sector reporting an optimistic outlook on the year ahead.

· More of the state’s farmers are looking to decrease investment.

Rabobank regional manager for north Queensland and the Northern Territory Trent McIndoe.

Horse sale tradition

A mainstay in Warwick for 133 years, the longest serving stock and station agency in Queensland, McDougall and Sons has established a reputation of excellence and innovation.

The company’s current team comprises local livestock agent and chief auctioneer Dennis Bourke, sheep and lamb agent Ross Ellis, office manager Rebecca Leeson and accounts Eliza Johnstone, all of whom are fiercely committed to providing good and fair trading for their clients and buyers.

The team at McDougall and Sons is now planning for its 2023 annual horse sale to be held 27 October. This will be the agency’s 43rd annual Warwick Rodeo Horse Sale. It is a tradition not to be missed.

The 2022 October Warwick Horse Sale was a huge success alongside the Warwick Rodeo and Campdraft and members of the McDougall and Sons team said they could not be more excited.

“It’s seen as a break that rural people can get out and mix with people, relax and have a great time.

“The Rodeo Horse Sale is a great platform to buy and sell working and performance horses for the rural industry. It’s a happy time of year, whether you buy, sell or just spectate.”

The company has a history of breeding and racing success, and was founded by well-known thoroughbred and cattle breeder Charles McDougall, along with Messrs WR Robinson and Saville in 1889.

The business traded as McDougall, Robinson and Saville. The company was founded as part of the rich Darling Downs Selling and Trading venues based in Warwick.

Mr McDougall and Thoroughbred horses had a common theme in the early days with Lyndhurst Stud as a home base.

The McDougall name later rose to be well recognised, known for its outstanding breeding and race success with McDougall’s colours. The company, which had a humble beginnings (selling a kangaroo dog as an early sale) is what the current McDougall and Sons has been built on.

The passing of time saw the baton handed through retirement and death of the original members to the present years and has been evolved on the early tradition of open auction sales to the modern movements seen in the current livestock selling arenas.

Staff said the agency would certainly reflect the vision, values, and passion of its founders at its upcoming 2023 October horse sale. Offerings will include, but not be limited to, stock horses, broodmares, ponies and penned horses.

Nominations for the sale are open so give the team a call to book your horse or pony in.

* For more information got to www.mcdougallandsons.com.au. Visit the friendly team at 141 Palmerin Street, Warwick or call (07) 4661 1411. For livestock matters contact Dennis Bourke on 0427 031 442 or for sheep and wool Ross Ellis 0419 744 15.

McDougall and Sons auctioneer Dennis Bourke.

Pictures: CONTRIBUTED

Quality Horses.

Building a ‘bigger bucket’

By Fiona Gowers

Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland are helping to ensure Australia’s agricultural sector stays strong in the face of drought.

The research team, led by the Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soils (Soil CRC), is investigating how different soil treatments can increase the water-holding capacity of soil where crops are grown, to enhance their drought resilience.

The research project has just attained a research grant through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund: Long-Term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program.

University of Southern Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Environmental Science and Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems Associate Professor Keith Pembleton said it was exciting to receive this funding.

He said it would ensure the continued collaboration between the university and Soil CRC to work against the “wicked problem” of drought.

“We can’t just turn the tap on and make it rain, so we’ve got to look at finding other ways of building resilience in Australian agriculture,” Associate Professor Pembleton said.

“Challenging problems require multidisciplinary, highly collaborative teams, to solve,” he said.

“One of the cool things about this project is that we’ve got experts from around the country coming together to work out ways of building resilience in the soil.

“We’ve also got grower groups working with us, which gives us a direct conduit to getting our research out.”

Associate Professor Pembleton said the research project was looking at different soil treatments to increase resilience in broadacre crops such as wheat, peas and canola.

“Soil itself is the foundation for our agricultural production; if we don’t have soils that are productive and resilient to drought, we’re in a whole heap of trouble in terms of being able to feed ourselves, feed our country and feed the world,” he said.

“The whole idea of these field trials is we’re testing different amendments to increase the water and nutrient-holding capacity of the soil.

“If you think of the soil as a bucket - and the plant sucks water and nutrients out of the bucket - it just makes sense that the bigger the bucket, the more water and nutrients the plant can suck out and the bigger that plant can grow.”

University of Southern Queensland School

of Agriculture and Environmental Science and Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems Research Fellow Dr Chloe Lai said she was looking forward to capturing the knowledge, which would extend their field findings across space and time with confidence.

“This is important in Australia because we have very variable climate conditions which are exacerbated by climate change,” Dr Lai said.

“Our soils are relatively old, infertile and fragile to resist changing conditions. As a nonrenewable resource that provides enormous ecosystem functioning and acts as cultural heritage reserves, there is a strong incentive to invest in our soil’s resilience.”

Soil CRC CEO Dr Michael Crawford said the Future Drought Fund’s Long-Term Trials

of Drought Resilient Farming Practices grant would enable the Soil CRC to extend its longterm field trials beyond the current lifetime of June 2027.

“We will now be able to expand data collection for a further three years on a range of soil types and constraints with varying risk of drought,” Dr Crawford said

“I am really looking forward to the contribution to be made to the project by University of Southern Queensland researchers, especially in model development and analysis.

“This will build on the previous work undertaken by the University of Southern Queensland’s modelling team with the Soil CRC and help to increase the impact for farmers across Australia.”

University of Southern Queensland Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems Research Fellow Dr Chloe Lai.

Intent on playing with fire

By Growcom

‘Acts of God’ as they are commonly known - including hailstorms, flooding, cyclones, earthquakes and lightning - are considered by every grower in their seasonal planning.

‘Acts of men’ however should be equally considered as we enter a new season.

As we head into another summer, it’s been worrying that several horticulture growers have recently experienced and reported suspicious arson activity, an activity that records show is responsible for up to 50 per cent of all bushfires across Australia.

The message from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services is clear – don’t let arsonists win! It is up to all of us to be vigilant and to report any suspicious activity. It only takes one unlawful act to ruin many people’s lives and livelihoods. On the back of a wet couple of years and a hotter than average August in Queensland, this does not bode well for the upcoming bushfire season.

Only last week the Bureau of Meteorology released their bushfire outlook which has much of Queensland covered by a warning of an increased risk of fire.

A lot has happened since the 2019/20 catastrophic bushfire season that destroyed more than 9000 buildings, 5.3 million hectares and, sadly saw 34 people lose their lives as a direct result.

Although it may now seem like a lifetime ago, the key learnings from our conversations with fire impacted growers are still relevant today:

· Make bushfire preparedness an annual priority. The time is now.

· Consider investing in a small (1000-litre) firefighting trailer or “slip on” unit on-farm ready at all times.

· Join the local rural fire brigade and learn some basic firefighting skills.

· Talk to your neighbours about hazard reduction to protect life and livelihood.

· Equip orchards with an emergency power source that could operate when mains power may be down.

· This will be essential to operate irrigation during a bushfire emergency and potentially several days or weeks afterwards reducing potential for post-bushfire crop losses.

· QFVG has developed a glovebox guide to bushfire preparedness based on grower experiences, observations and lessons learnt. You can access this resource online here: bit.

ly/3qRixFm

Put some time aside this week and go through your Bushfire Survival Plan.

To use as a reference Queensland Fire and Emergency Services also has an online planning portal: www.qfes.qld.gov.au/bushfires Stay safe everyone!

MLA launches new bushfire preparation, recovery kit

Ahead of this year’s summer bushfire season, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has created a new resource to help livestock producers prepare and recover.

The new manual is called Bushfire Preparation and Recovery: A manual for livestock producers. It reinforces the fact that bushfire preparation needs to occur more than once a year or as summer is starting.

MLA Animal Wellbeing program manager Dr Michael Laurence said it was essential for producers to ensure they were “bushfire ready“ every summer.

“The best way to prepare for fire is to do a reasonable amount of work regularly, throughout the year, every year,” he said.

“This manual aims to help producers to achieve that by noting a step-by-step approach to planning for fire and handling an encroaching fire.”

The manual incorporates lessons from the

Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20, which deeply affected producers and had a significant impact on the agricultural community,

with thousands of farms affected by losses of livestock, land and property.

The manual includes a template to help

producers create a farm fire plan for their property. It also details practical, implementable steps producers can take for yearround fire preparation and planning.

Key information is provided for what to do when a bushfire is approaching a property, including organising emergency feed and evacuating livestock to a safe refuge area.

Dr Laurence noted that compared with producers who are unprepared “those who have a farm fire plan and appropriate equipment and training lose fewer livestock or suffer less infrastructure damage and can get back to business sooner after a fire“.

In addition to the Bushfire manual, a Bushfire hub has been created on the MLA website, which includes the manual, videos and support services to help producers prepare and recover from a bushfire.

The MLA developed the Bushfire manual alongside Ausvet, The University of Sydney and The University of Melbourne.

The Rural Fire Service had a busy schedule of hazard reduction burns during the cooler months to prepare for the upcoming bushfire season.

Fire services are becoming increasingly concerned at deliberate acts.

Beefing up the talent

The Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF) has appointed three new members to its Sustainability Steering Group (SSG), adding extensive experience in the implementation of sustainable practices.

Joining the SSG are Stockyard Beef marketing and community engagement manager Amy Brooks, Greenham Livestock supply chain manager Jess Loughland and Hewitt Foods livestock director Peter Gall.

ABSF SSG chair Mark Davie welcomed the trio and said their extensive networks and industry knowledge would ensure the development of the framework would continue and stakeholder consultation would be paramount.

“We are really fortunate to have Amy, Jess and Peter on the steering group as we drive the ABSF forward,” Mr Davie said.

“They each bring such a valuable and complementary set of skills in sustainable beef production.

“From Peter’s wisdom gained from a long and trailblazing career, to Jess’s insights from a broad engagement with producers and Amy’s extensive work across the corporate and government sector.”

Amy Brooks

In addition to her role at Stockyard Beef, Amy Brooks is also a member of Telstra’s Regional Advisory Council and a non-executive director of the Woorabinda Pastoral Company.

An agricultural enterprise wholly owned by the Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council, the company manages 5000 head of beef cattle and 5660 hectares of dryland crops in central Queensland.

Both connections have led to Stockyard Beef liaising for the past eight months with the Woorabinda Pastoral Company, to implement an innovative knowledge program and cultural exchange and work collaboratively in relationship building, sharing of culture, training and knowledge of best industry practices.

Ms Brooks is a passionate member of the global group Meat Business Women, which brings together women from across the supply chain including processors, wholesalers, retailers and smallgoods manufacturers to connect and provide pathways to future proof the industry.

She is enthusiastic about working with the SSG to achieve the framework’s goals of a resilient and prosperous community and a safe, healthy and diverse workplace that fosters an environment of capacity building and inclusivity.

“I’ve worked for Stockyard for 15 years and it’s easy because the company is passionate about sustainability and their people,” Ms Brooks said.

“As well as passion, diligence and empowered leadership – striving to be agents of positive change – our fourth value is respect and integrity, for our people, our animals, our customers and our community.

“Change and transformation just don’t happen without people so I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise.”

Respectful relationships were established early between Amy’s mother’s family, traditional owners the Wulli Wulli people of Eidsvold in central Queensland and the Joyce family of Eidsvold Station, proponents of the highly successful Santa Gertrudis breed.

“Barney Joyce and my grandfather formed a long-standing friendship that lasted until he passed away,” she said.

“My grandmother also worked in the kitchen for Barney and his family and cooked for visitors, including King Charles and numerous members of my family were raised at Eidsvold Station over 50 years.

“I think the history of my family and the Joyces embracing inclusiveness shows the potential the beef industry has for being the best stewards of conservation and the environment and shared heritage.”

Ms Brooks is a member of the Working Group developing and implementing OBE Organic’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), one of only half a dozen implemented so far by agribusinesses.

RAPs are practical action plans for organisations to create social change and economic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through relationships, respect and opportunities.

A key challenge for the Framework, she says, is in the communication and understanding that thriving communities and financial stability are a major aspect of sustainability, alongside the pillars of environment and animal wellbeing.

“People often hear the word sustainability and think of regulation and cost, as road blocks that are stopping them, but sustainable projects make good business sense.”

Jess Loughland

As Livestock Supply Chain manager for the branded beef business, Greenham, Jess Loughland is well aware that committing to animal welfare, environmental stewardship and sustainability standards demands a proactive and co-ordinated effort across the value-chain.

Jess has a big job ensuring abouut 4200 suppliers across four states understand and adhere to Greenham’s NEVER EVER accreditation program, which is in the process of introducing the Greenham Beef Sustainability Standard (GBSS).

It’s the first time a commercial supply chain has applied the themes of the ABSF at a farm level to deliver a new product to market.

“Change is led by the consumer and Greenham wants to produce high-quality beef that connects consumers to their desire to live sustainably,” Ms Loughland said.

“The GBSS standard was ABSF-inspired. We wanted it to be about more than environmental benefits alone because we saw productivity, profitability and training as the final pieces of the puzzle.”

As an agricultural science student at Charles Sturt University (CSU) at Wagga Wagga, Ms Loughland said she was guided by passionate professors in gaining experience in international dairy production and meat science.

In 2010 she won the Intercollegiate Meat Judging’s individual trophy and the following year travelled with the Australian team to compete in the US.

Early in her career, Jess spent eight years in various roles for Teys Australia, including livestock strategic operations, covering producer engagement, grassfed programs and on-farm initiatives, followed by a brief stint with MSA before joining Greenham.

Jess is a member of IFAMA, the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association.

“I see a real opportunity for the ABSF in translating great conversations with customers and consumers into clear actions for farmers, helping to inform meaningful data capture on the ground, but also in guiding industry solutions, resources and training tools,” she said.

Greenham started supplying GBSS-certified product to US customers in March and the standard will be incrementally rolled out to the company’s broader supply chain over the next two to three years.

“It’s no small feat to achieve when we’re working with more than 4000 accredited sup-

pliers, but there’s so much power when working together,” she said.

“We want consumers to have a lot of confidence in Australian beef and, if we pool our resources, we can achieve so much more.”

Peter Gall

Peter Gall has clear memories of handing out fliers in his home town of Blackall in western Queensland in the 1990s, in an attempt to encourage producers to supply organic beef to southern processors.

Following the crash of the reserve price scheme for wool, Mr Gall had convinced his somewhat sceptical father to have their family sheep property certified organic and start producing beef.

Soon after, he and a mate began bringing four head of cattle down in a trailer 840km to Pittsworth abattoir.

They met a buyer from Coles, who saw the organic beef carcases and asked how many could be supplied.

“Five a month,” Mr Gall said, to which the buyer replied, “You’re going to need way more than that.”

It was the first indication he was on the right track. Ten years later, in 2004, he and Alister Ferguson teamed up with Sanger Australia - run by Richard Raines - to launch The Organic Meat Company.

Their vision was an end-to-end organic supply chain that was as close as possible to the end consumer.

The Organic Meat Company eventually joined forces with Cleaver’s, another organic meat company, and was renamed Arcadian.

“The lesson from that was ‘Don’t sit and wait for things, just do something, start something and you never know what’ll happen’,” he said.

As livestock director for the multi-million dollar Hewitt Foods, which has a majority shareholding in Arcadian, Mr Gall is a dedicated supporter of the company’s mission to be the world’s most sustainable meat producer.

He said the industry was changing quickly but there was still more work to be done in the private sector.

“The biggest challenge I see is the public perception that the beef industry is the culprit for greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

“We need to make practical changes to reduce emissions, but will customers share the burden? Are they going to pay for it?

“I see people making all sorts of claims that they can’t prove but that’s going to change with the data being gathered and the work being done by the Framework.

“Those claims won’t stand up if the critics don’t have proof.”

Amy Brooks.

Jess Loughland.

Peter Gall.

Lettuce create more jobs

By Fiona Gowers

A quality harvesting and cooling machine will allow a Lockyer Valley vegetable operation to produce quality lettuce more efficiently and create up to 24 full-time jobs.

Barden Farms managing director Andrew Drummond said the new equipment would enable the enterprise to harvest, bag and cool lettuce in the morning for export that night.

The new harvesting and cooling system will be used at Barden Farms’ Gatton site during winter, the Nobby site during summer and the Inglewood site during the remainder of the year, creating up to 24 full-time jobs.

The machine is expected to operate from next year.

Barden Farms Pty Ltd is one of 24 businesses approved for the fifth round of the competitive RED grants program, with a total funding of $3.9 million.

Managing director Andrew Drummond said: “We envision the new equipment to be a onestop harvesting aid, enabling us to grow, cool and pack quality lettuce more efficiently to each customer’s specifications,“ he said.

“The project will create up to 24 full-time jobs including farm labourers and harvest supervisors and it is also expected to create a range of indirect jobs in agronomy, freight and horticultural suppliers.

“The new labourers won’t need to be experienced farm workers, because the modern harvesting machine makes it simple to operate, grade and pack produce.”

Overall, the fifth round of the RED grants program is expected to create up to 215 direct, long-term jobs.

Grants are available for up to $200,000 with a 50 per cent cash contribution required from applicants to fund projects that generate economic and employment opportunities related to primary production value chains across rural and remote Queensland.

The Palaszczuk Government’s RED grants program has provided a total of $13.3 million in funding to support 59 successful regional

agribusiness projects.

A sixth round of RED Grants, supporting Indigenous-owned agribusinesses and proj-

ects aimed at low-emissions agriculture, has been allocated for the 2023-24 financial year. Applications will open later this year.

Jackwitz Farms is one of 24 businesses approved for the fifth round of the competitive RED grants program.

Picture: JAYKE JACKWITZ, CHAISE JACKWITZ AND BILLY JACKWITZ

Banks pushing back

By Stephanie Gardiner, AAP

Australia’s banking giants are resisting mandates to keep regional branches open, warning of cyber security risks and a higher cost of living if they have to invest in declining services.

A Senate inquiry examining the effect of increasing rural branch closures has raised the possibility of changing banks’ licences, requiring them to maintain a presence in the bush.

Banks would have to divert money away from critical technology if they were obliged to operate a certain number of regional branches, Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh said.

“Trying to predict what banking will look like in Australia in five years’ time or 10 years’ time ... is an impossible task,” Ms Bligh told the inquiry at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 20 September.

“Seeking to enshrine one channel that is in rapid decline will have the effect of taking money out of innovation, security, cyber safety, where customers are actually banking.”

Banks needed to maintain profits to keep their credit ratings, which flowed on to consumers, Ms Bligh said.

“If we want to have an impact on banks’ credit ratings, then just say hello to more expensive products for every Australian - it’s a very delicate balance and it needs to be thought through in every single part of the system.”

Face-to-face banking is considered an essential service in country Australia and part of the social fabric.

Many witnesses have given evidence that local bank managers are critical for farming operations, while small businesses and community services rely on cash.

But all four major banks told the inquiry the majority of customers use digital platforms, with billions of dollars transacted online every week.

Introducing mandates would be unwise, NAB chief executive Ross McEwan said.

“You need to consider what are you trying to enshrine into Australia because it sounds like you’re enshrining a world that will never change, but it is changing dramatically.”

Branch networks were once a commercial advantage, but had faded into the past, ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott said.

“Tying a small group of banks to an old model ... I’m not sure that would have the sort of outcomes we would all imagine,” he said.

The inquiry has been examining whether banks have a social obligation to regional Australia, which makes a significant contribution to the economy through agriculture, mining and tourism.

Dry spells food trouble

Foods prices could be volatile in the coming months as Australia is hit by hotter and drier weather patterns.

The Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday 19 September formally declared an El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean, to Australia’s east, and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, to the west, which are expected to bring drier and hotter weather.

Rabobank senior analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said the weather pattern tended to create uncertainty in the agricultural sector and possibly volatility in food prices.

He stressed the impact on the agriculture sector was patchy across products, hard to predict and highly dependent on how severe and how long the dry, hot weather stuck around.

In the short term, crops in the ground already would be subject to seasonal conditions, though the availability of water to irrigate would allow many producers to have a successful harvest.

Meat prices might fall in the coming months as producers could start offloading stock in anticipation of a dry period.

He said uncertainty surrounding an El Nino weather pattern - whether it’s a couple of months of dry, or several years of drought - was triggering uncertainty in the sector.

“Which does tend to lead to a little bit of volatility in prices too.”

For central banks, volatile food prices could add to the complex task of bringing inflation down.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development flagged the risk of a resurgence of food prices and shortages, alongside higher energy prices, as possible risks to the global outlook in its updated forecasts, especially the role they play in determining household expectations of cost of living

Westpac chief executive Peter King denied suggestions the bank was ignoring those expectations by closing rural branches while it makes enormous profits. It was offering online services in the same way the government had digital platforms for Medicare and Centrelink, Mr King said. The Commonwealth Bank, which has paused rural closures until 2026, spends $1

billion a year to keep branches open and $400 million distributing cash.

Chief executive Matt Comyn said that cost was becoming unsustainable, but the company still wanted the highest market share of country branches.

“There’s no question that regional Australia is valuable to us,” Mr Comyn said.

AMP economist Diana Mousina still expects inflation to head lower through 2023 and into 2024 as higher interest rates continue to bite, but risks to the price outlook were being watched - particularly in the wake of stronger global inflation data in August.

She said the impact of an El Nino weather pattern on inflation was not clear-cut, but was generally linked to higher agricultural prices due to lower production.

CBA’s $1b spend on branches ‘unsustainable’, says CEO

The Commonwealth Bank spends $1 billion a year to keep branches open, an investment that may become unsustainable as more people move to digital services.

However, chief executive Matt Comyn has told a Senate inquiry into regional bank closures the company wants to have the highest market share of branches in country Australia.

“There’s no question that regional Australia is valuable to us,” Mr Comyn told the inquiry at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 20 September.

“Do we see value in supporting services? We absolutely do and we frankly support a broader customer base than others are prepared to.”

The Senate inquiry, which is examining the effects of more than 600 closures since 2017, has heard from farmers, small businesses and councils, who say face-to-face banking is an essential service in the regions.

They say banks should not abandon growing regional communities and their significant contribution to the economy across the agriculture, mining and tourism sectors.

Many witnesses have told the inquiry that local bank managers are crucial for successful farming operations, while access to cash helps vulnerable populations and keeps community organisations afloat.

While Commonwealth Bank was committed to continued cash transactions, the way customers used its services was changing rapidly, Mr Comyn said.

Five years ago, 43 per cent of point-of-sale transactions were cash, compared to 15 per cent now.

Its customers transact $18 billion online

every week, an increase of 64 per cent over two years.

The bank spends $1 billion per year to keep its branch network open, $400 million distributing cash to its branches and millions supporting postal bank services.

“As time goes on, it becomes unsustainable to invest substantial resources keeping expensive services that fewer and fewer customers use.”

The Commonwealth Bank was the first to halt closures during the inquiry and has since paused regional shut downs until 2026.

Mr Comyn said bankers would undertake extensive consultation with communities in the hopes of keeping regional banks open after that date. Westpac chief executive Peter King said while cash would continue to be part of the economy, its use was dropping dramatically. The bank was responding by offering more digital services, in the same way the federal government has online platforms for Medicare, Centrelink and tax, he said.

“If I look at government services, banking services and most services in the country, they’re all going to go digital, so we’re going to help people get on and then telecommunications is critical as well.”

The inquiry will hear from the chief executives of the other major banks throughout the day, along with union representatives.

CEO of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) Matt Comyn speaks during an inquiry into rural bank closures.

Picture: LUCAS COCH, AAP

Face-to-face banking is considered an essential service by people living in country Australia. Picture: KELLY BARNES, AAP

We’re a nation of wasters

Households across Australia are buckling under the pressure of a cost-of-living crisis but new research from Compare the Market has revealed more than two-thirds of Aussies bin food each week*.

Research found 64.2pc of Australians admit to throwing out unused groceries.

Compare the Market’s Natasha Innes said it was a worrying statistic given the average Australian spent $199.46 per week on groceries and more than a third of people say the supermarket shop is their biggest financial burden.

“More than 40pc of Australians say they’re spending less on their weekly grocery shop, but it’s quite shocking to see that so many people seem to be buying food items that end up in the trash,” Ms Innes said.

“While there’s no denying that prices are rising at our supermarkets, our data shows that people may be blowing money each week on food they don’t need.

“If you’re getting to the end of your week and finding that you’re throwing out food or have an abundance of fruit, salad or veggies that you’ll never use, it could be time to rethink your approach to the weekly grocery shop.”

Compare the Market’s research shows vegetables are the most likely to go unused, with 29.4pc of Aussies disposing produce each week.

Millennials are the generation most likely to waste their veggies, with 42pc of that cohort admitting to throwing out greens.

Meanwhile, nearly an equal percentage of people (29.1pc) are binning leftover meals, while bread (23.9pc), milk (21.1pc) and salad (19.9pc) are close behind.

The data showed Gen Z is most wasteful when it comes to bread and milk, while Millennials are again the most likely to toss their salad in the bin.

“People appear to be overestimating how much food they’ll eat in a week and, unfortunately, it’s those healthier items like vegetables and salads that are going to waste,” Ms Innes said.

“We know that items like lettuce and potatoes have seen massive price hikes in recent times and fresh produce doesn’t always come cheap.

“It’s also surprising to see so many people chucking out their leftover meals. If you overcook, you could consider taking the food to work the next day for your lunch or even freezing the meal to eat down the track.”

The data showed that the waste doesn’t stop there, with a high percentage of Australians regularly ditching fruit, cheese, yoghurt, butter, chicken, eggs, red meat and seafood.

“When it comes to meat, poultry or even seafood, it could be worth only purchasing these items as you need them to avoid waste,” Ms Innes said.

“If you’re purchasing these items fresh, you may also want to prep them into smaller portions to freeze so you can use them as needed.

“The cost-of-living crisis is likely going to get worse before it gets better and the last

thing we want to see is food going to waste unnecessarily and for Aussies to throw away their hard-earned cash.”

Food wastage aside, Compare the Market’s research also asked Australians how they were trying to combat skyrocketing prices at the grocery store.

Interestingly, two-thirds (62.2pc) of respondents said they were planning cheaper meals, more than half (55pc) said they were looking harder for discounts, while 42.2pc were switching to home brands.

Worryingly though, one in five claimed they were skipping meals, a third (28.1pc) said they were relying more on frozen foods, while 31.4pc said they were eating less meat.

“We don’t want to see anyone going without meals amid these rising costs, especially given that so many of us are throwing away food each week,” Ms Innes said.

“Whether it’s switching to a different brand, shopping for items that are on sale or spreading your shop across multiple stores, there are many little changes people can make that can

have a big impact on their budget.”

Ms Innes’ top ways to make your dollar stretch at the supermarket and avoid food wastage

· Research and plan. Before shopping, take note of the food items you threw away the week before and make cuts accordingly.

· Also, try shopping where the discounts are, as supermarkets run weekly specials. It may even pay to shop at multiple stores to maximise your savings.

· Switch brands rather than going without. There’s never been more competition in stores and chances are you’ll be able to find a similar product for cheaper if you switch to a different brand.

· Don’t let labels mislead you. Want to work out if you’re getting the most bang for your buck? Always look at the unit price rather than the bigger price or special that’s displayed. This will help you determine whether buying in bulk or at a smaller quantity is cheaper.

· Always flash your reward cards. You can earn points for every dollar you spend in store, which you can later redeem for discounts on

your shop, frequent flyer points and more. You may also be able to earn more points by boosting or taking advantage of specials that are available within the shopping apps.

· Maximise your savings. You may be entitled to discounts on groceries through your insurance policies, energy plans, mobile phone deals and more, so it’s worth checking what you’re entitled to.

· Survey of 1004 Australian adults, conducted July 2023.

· Research shows 64.2 per cent of Australians admit to often throwing out food.

· Vegetables are the most likely to go unused, with 29.4pc of Aussies disposing of produce each week.

· Nearly an equal percentage of people (29.1pc) are binning leftover meals.

· About one in five Aussies waste milk, bread and salad.

Son of Spartacus heralds NIOA’s next generation

The first bull calf by record sale-topping sire Yarrawonga Spartacus S316 (P) has arrived, heralding a new generation of champions for NIOA Santa Gertrudis.

The calf, out of Riverslea Holly (P), was born 30 August at NIOA’s Talgai Homesteadbased stud at Allora on Queensland’s Southern Downs.

Holly, purchased by NIOA from Riverslea Santa Gertrudis in 2014, is also the mother of NIOA Marksman, the 2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show Grand Champion.

Spartacus was introduced to the NIOA bull battery last November after NIOA paid a then-Australian record breed price of $250,000 at the Bassingthwaighte family’s Yarrawonga Santa Gertrudis annual sale.

He is the grandson of 2014 Brisbane Ekka Grand Champion Yarrawonga Corvette H730 (P), described by the Wallumbilla stud as “without doubt, the best bull that Yarrawonga has produced”.

NIOA Santa Gertrudis general manager

Shannon Gardner said the son of Spartacus had all the credentials of his champion bloodlines.

“He’s got quality written all over him,” he said. “We have been focussed on developing genetic depth in our herd and have been very excited about what the Yarrawonga bloodlines would add to our breeding program.

“We put Spartacus with Holly for natural joining as she is an elite cow being the daughter of the legendary sire Riverslea Digger.

“We are thrilled with the result. This little fella has all the traits you want – softness, structure, skin type and temperament – and we look forward to witnessing his growth.”

The Allora-Warwick area has deep historical links with the Santa Gertrudis breed in Australia.

It was where world-renowned King Ranch, Texas, USA set up its Australian headquarters at “Risdon” Warwick in 1952.

The first sale of imported American bulls was held on 14 November that year.

NIOA Santa Gertrudis has welcomed the first bull calf by Yarrawonga Spartacus, the high-class sire (inset) NIOA acquired this time last year for an Australian breed record $250,000.

Party time at Mount Perry

The tiny town of Mount Perry in the North Burnett region will come alive this November with two back-to-back weekends of fabulous events.

It may be a just a little town off the beaten track but Mount Perry holds a significant place in Queensland’s history and this November it’s time to celebrate!

An 1870s miners-themed Heritage Dinner on 11 November will feature a night under the stars at Fig Tree Camp, home to the Perseverance Gold Mine site where more than 1000

tonnes of gold was extracted in the early days of the gold rush.

Guests will enjoy traditional colonial era tucker and a variety of Australiana bush entertainment including Keith Gall and awardwinning bush poet Gary Fogarty.

Tickets are on sale now and camping is available at the event.

Then, on 12 November, it’s the 140-year anniversary of the Boolboonda Tunnel opening.

It’s the railway tunnel pioneers forged through 942 metres of pure granite, which still

today remains the longest unsupported structure in the southern hemisphere.

A free commemorative ceremony will be held at the tunnel at 1pm.

The following weekend kicks off on Friday night, with the 60th anniversary of the Mount Perry Golf Club, where there’s a family-friendly event from 5pm, including a gourmet sausage sizzle and a Longest Drive competition.

Joe Ace and Susie Jay, semi-finalists in The Australian Idol, will provide the live entertainment.

On 18 November, the annual Mount Perry Races celebrates its 151st race carnival, with a five-race program.

This year’s Fashions in the Field theme is Petals and Pearls.

There is a live bookie on-site and, after the last race, the traditional Jock’s Plate, Fillies Dash and Kids’ Scamper are always hotly contested.

Live entertainment with Mark Lavender will continue into the night.

Tickets for the races on sale from 1 October.

The traditional Jock’s Plate at the annual Mount Perry races on 18 November is always hotly contested.It is the 140-year anniversary of the Boolboonda Tunnel opening on 12 November.

Dams can go renewable

Tens of thousands of small-scale hydro energy storage sites could be built from Australia’s farm dams, supporting the uptake of reliable, low-carbon power systems in rural communities, UNSW Sydney-led research suggests.

The study found agricultural reservoirs, such as those used for solar-power irrigation, could be connected to form micro-pumped hydro energy storage systems – householdsize versions of the Snowy Hydro hydroelectric dam project.

It’s the first study in the world to assess the potential of these small-scale systems as an innovative renewable energy storage solution.

And, with the increasing shift towards variable energy sources such as wind and solar photovoltaics, storing surplus energy is essential for ensuring a stable and reliable power supply.

In other words, when the sun isn’t up or the wind isn’t blowing, stored energy can help balance energy supply and demand in real time and overcome the risk of shortages and overloads.

In a micro-pumped hydro energy storage system, excess solar energy from high-production periods is stored by pumping water to a high-lying reservoir, which is released back to a low-lying reservoir when more power is needed.

It then flows through a turbine-connected generator to create electricity. However, constructing new water reservoirs for micropumped hydro energy storage can be expensive.

“The transition to low-carbon power systems like wind and solar photovoltaics needs cost-effective energy storage solutions at all scales,” says Dr Nicholas Gilmore, lead author of the study and lecturer at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW Engineering.

“We thought – if you’re geographically fortunate to have two significant water volumes separated with sufficient elevation, you might have the potential to have your own hydro energy storage system.”

Unlocking the untapped potential of farm dams

For the study, the team, which also included researchers from Deakin University and the University of Technology Sydney, used satellite imagery to create unique agricultural reservoir pairings across Australia from a 2021 dataset of farm dams.

They then used graph theory algorithms –a branch of mathematics that models how nodes can be organised and interconnected –to filter commercially promising sites based on minimum capacity and slope.

“If you have a lot of dams in close proximity, it’s not viable to link them up in every com-

bination,” says Dr Thomas Britz, co-author of the study and senior lecturer at UNSW Science’s School of Mathematics and Statistics.

“So, we use these graph theory algorithms to connect the best dam configurations with a reasonable energy capacity.”

From nearly 1.7 million farm dams, the researchers identified more than 30,000 sites across Australia as promising for micropumped hydro energy storage.

The average site could provide up to 2kW of power and 30kWh of usable energy – enough to back up a South Australian home for 40 hours.

“We identified tens of thousands of these potential sites where micro-pumped hydro energy storage systems could be installed without undertaking costly reservoir construction,” Dr Gilmore says.

“That’s thousands of households that could potentially increase their solar usage, saving money on their energy bills, and reducing their carbon footprint.”

The research team also benchmarked a micro-pumped hydro site to a commercially

available lithium-ion battery in solar-powered irrigation systems.

Despite a low discharge efficiency, they found the pumped hydro storage was 30 per cent cheaper for a large single cycle load due to its high storage capacity.

“While the initial outlay for a micropumped hydro energy storage system is higher than a battery, the advantages are larger storage capacity and potential durability for decades,” Dr Gilmore says.

“But that cost is significantly reduced anyway by capitalising on existing reservoirs, which also has the added benefit of less environmental impact.”

Building micro-pumped hydro energy power systems from existing farm dams could also assist rural areas susceptible to power outages that need a secure and reliable backup power source.

Battery backup power is generally limited to less than half a day, while generators, though powerful, are dependent on affordable fuel supply and produce harmful emissions.

“People on the fringes of the electricity network can be more exposed to power outages, and the supply can be less reliable,” Dr Gilmore says.

“If there’s a power outage during a bushfire, for example, a pumped hydro system will give you enough energy to last a day, whereas a battery typically lasts around eight hours.”

Although encouraging, the researchers say some limitations of the study require further analysis, including fluctuations in water availability, pump scheduling and discharge efficiency.

“Our findings are encouraging for further development of this emerging technology and there is plenty of scope for future technological improvements that will make these systems increasingly cheaper over time,” Dr Gilmore says.

“The next step would be setting up a pilot site, testing the performance of a system in action and modelling it in detail to get real-world validation – we have 30,000 potential candidates!”

Australian farm fertiliser outlook: Recovery in demand

Improved affordability of agricultural fertiliser is set to prompt recovery in demand and application rates by farmers next season, Rabobank says in a recently-released report.

In its Australian Fertiliser Outlook 2024/25, the specialist agribusiness bank says Australian farm fertiliser consumption had declined 20 per cent in 2022, as the agricultural sector grappled with expensive farm inputs due to Covid-19 and the RussiaUkraine war.

However, with prices now average, farmers seeking to replenish soil nutrients amid another potentially good winter crop planting next year should see a strong recovery in fertiliser demand,

This is according to report author, Rabobank farm inputs analyst Vitor Pistoia.

“In the past few years, economic shocks, Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war and other factors caused fertiliser prices to hit historic highs,“ he said.

“This triggered farmers to change farm practices, with many trimming fertiliser application rates.

“In Australia, fertiliser consumption in 2022 declined by 20pc year-on-year, with different nutrients showing different magnitudes of reductions. For example, nitrogen

showed a smaller cut than phosphate, potash and sulphur.”

Mr Pistoia said farm input costs began to decline from mid-last year, allowing fertiliser affordability to bounce back close to historically-average levels, despite significant drops also being experienced in the prices of agricultural commodities such as grain, oilseeds,

beef and dairy.

Mr Pistoia said the “largest price relief” for fertiliser had come late in the buying period for the 2023/24 cropping season, so a recovery in demand and application rates was most likely to be seen in the coming 2024/25 season.

Further support for a recovery in demand

would also flow from farmers wanting to replenish depleted soil nutrients, after three years of good crop yields, he said.

While another large winter crop planting next year – above the 23-million-hectare mark, weather-permitting – would further support demand recovery.

Mr Pistoia said Rabobank’s expectations of a strengthening Australian dollar in the coming 12 months should also make purchase of imported goods, like fertilisers and ag chemicals, more affordable.

The report said anticipation of strong demand for fertiliser for next cropping season may drive Australian farmers to change their usual procurement strategies and purchase ahead to secure supply.

“Anticipatory procurement is a strong contender as a ‘budget saviour’,” Mr Pistoia said.

“By the end of the year, the majority of farmers are focused on harvest, which typically results in a period of low fertiliser demand.

“This could lead to buying opportunities for farmers in Q4 2023, with early buyers potentially avoiding a period of much stronger demand in Q1 2024, the usual procurement period.”

Rabobank farm inputs analyst Vitor Pistoia.

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Paal Camden at Hervey Bay.

Clearing fog on climate

By Fiona Gowers

Climate forecasts can play a crucial role in helping Australian producers make decisions on their properties.

From what to plant and when, whether to grow extra fodder or, even, whether to consider destocking cattle.

So, it’s crucial producers are equipped with the tools and knowledge to fully understand the information available.

That’s why the Northern Australia Climate Program (NACP) recently spent almost two weeks travelling the back roads of central Australia, arming producers with knowledge as part of a roadshow called BoM to the Bush.

NACP climate project officer Northern Territory (Central and Barkly Region) Zoe Groves said the goal of BoM to the Bush was to simplify the Bureau’s climate forecasts for cattle producers to ensure facts drive their decisions.

“Our main aim was to engage with producers on the ground to make sure they’re making management decisions based on the forecasts and making sure they know how to read and interpret all the data,” Ms Groves said.

“Before I would leave any of the places that we visited, I was ensuring the producers knew the difference between things like the average and the median and what else to look for in the forecasts.

“It’s about restoring that faith and trust in what the bureau produces and actually meeting someone with a face and a name.”

Ms Groves was joined on the BoM to the Bush Roadshow by NACP climate project officer Northern Territory (Top End and Victoria River regions) Emily Hinds and University of Southern Queensland and Bureau of Meteorology climate scientist Dr Andrew Marshall.

Ms Hinds said the face-to-face aspect of this roadshow was particularly important off the back of the 2019 drought, which crippled many properties and had lasting impacts.

“Our producers and the Bureau of Meteorology staff are poles apart as far as job roles and distance are concerned,” Ms Hinds said.

“Perception change is so important; when you can meet someone in person who can explain the process of forecasting, it goes a long way to developing a relationship and encouraging a respectful and positive appreciation of the Bureau of Meteorology’s work and the forecasts themselves.

“And it’s a two-way street – we also find the

Bureau of Meteorology staff develop an appreciation of the work that producers do, because they can see first hand the huge importance that a relevant and accurate forecast can provide in terms of decision-making on properties.”

Dr Marshall said one of the most important factors in correctly interpreting the Bureau’s forecasts was simply understanding how much those forecasts could change as producers approached a specific time period.

“When a producer is looking at the forecast for a few months ahead, it’s really important they keep coming back to that forecast as they get closer to that time, because it can change.

“There are several influences on climate and how those influences occur on different time scales and so being able to communicate that was one of the key objectives.“

The BoM to the Bush Roadshow to central Australia was the eighth of its kind conducted over the life of the NACP program.

Connecting: Rural women are Blossoming together

By Lucy Waldron

Country living can be quite isolating at times, with the vast areas of no one but cows in sight or the already made cliques that are hard to infiltrate and even the harsh conditions.

Michelle Holiday recognised this when she moved to the Southern Downs many years ago, so she decided to create an organisation called Blossom.

“Blossom aims to connect women from various backgrounds and churches, fostering friendships and support networks,” Michelle said.

The women plan to organise monthly catch-ups and social outings such as visiting the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers and the

Christmas tree farm in Stanthorpe.

“Now that I have stepped out of my comfort zone and am connecting everyone together I, myself feel connected.

“I feel like I am part of a family, part of a community and we hope to bring this feeling with Blossom to Warwick,” Michelle said.

Saturday 9 September saw women and children gather at Michelle’s farm to enjoy each other’s company, share the array of food on offer and support the small businesses that were selling little items.

With music and laughter, the day was filled with positivity. Positivity Michelle hopes to bring to all of the region and help the women blossom into their best selves.

Michelle Holiday gave a heartfelt speech about why she started Blossom. Pictures: LUCY WALDRON

Melissa Sarota and her stall Sweet Soul Co.

Leanne Frost proudly showcased her new book Hello Butterfly.

Lydia, Michelle and Salina were the powerhouses behind the event.

University of Southern Queensland and Bureau of Meteorology climate scientist Dr Andrew Marshall, NACP project officer Northern Territory (Central & Barkly Region) Zoe Groves and NACP climate project officer Northern Territory (Top End and Victoria River regions) Emily Hinds during their recent BoM to the Bush roadshow to central Australia.

Setting up for success

Welcome to the roaring (20)20s, where hustle culture reigns supreme and every day is a celebration of the #GirlBoss.

But, in this world where opportunities are endless and the expectations on entrepreneurs only continue to increase, it can be easy for founders to get lost in the chaos.

Enter The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) Institute for Resilient Regions’ WiRE (Women in Rural, Regional and Remote Enterprises) program.

A support network for regional, rural and remote women to excel in business, it helps women build connections and teaches them how to market themselves and their business to the world.

Darling Downs business owner Liz Couchman joined the WiRE Program in 2023 after buying her child sensory play business Clever Bugs.

“I decided to participate in the WiRE Program because I felt isolated and alone working from home on my rural property; I had no one to ‘talk shop’ with,” Mrs Couchman said.

“It was great to connect with other inspiring women.

“I not only learnt so much from the knowledge sessions and from the other members, but I also found skills and talents that I wanted to use for new business ideas.

“Connecting with other like-minded people on the same path gave me momentum and a sense of belonging that is sometimes lacking in the small business world – especially working rurally or remotely.”

Mrs Couchman will share her business success as part of the upcoming free Regional Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Play Workshops, which aim to help female founders stay ahead of the curve in business.

The Regional Innovation and AI Play Workshops will be held across regional Queensland in the coming months.

WiRE program founder and director Professor Retha Wiesner said the AI Play Workshops would teach entrepreneurial women how AI could be used to maximise their business potential; from honing their professional brand voice by creating and innovating their personal and professional bio to strategising for success in modern business and stretching their advertising dollar by marketing with AI.

“There are a lot of women out there who may not have engaged with AI before, or who may be a bit hesitant to get involved,” Professor Wiesner said.

“But now is the time for regional, rural and remote women to be on the forefront and learn what they can do with these tools to help fast-track their success,” she said.

Professor Wiesner said the purpose of the WiRE Program was to build capability and support all women in business, regardless of their age or experience and to build networks so the women could support each other.

“Ultimately our goal is to help rural, regional and remote women entrepreneurs create the ventures, businesses and initiatives of their dreams around the lives they crave to live,” she said.

“One thing I love about rural, regional and remote women is that they want to give back –give back to each other and to their communities.”

Mrs Couchman said it was crucial to support regional, rural and remote women in business.

“Women have always been innovative and entrepreneurial, but in a time and place where our village is small or non-existent, support and community is more important than ever.”

For more information or to register for a workshop, visit the WiRE Program website. Regional Innovation and AI Play Workshops:

· Kingaroy: 9am-12:30pm on Thursday 5 October 2023

· Chinchilla: 9am-12:30pm on Friday 6 October 2023

· Cairns: 9am-12:30pm on Thursday 12 October 2023

· Mareeba: 9am-12:30pm on Friday 13 October 2023

· Airlie Beach: 9am-12:30pm on Tuesday 17

October 2023

· Gladstone: 9am-12:30pm on Thursday 19

October 2023

Granite Belt girl from farm to the sea

When Courtney Taylor left the farmlands of the Granite Belt to head to the navy, she never thought a piece of home would follow her out to sea.

At just 18 years old, Courtney boarded the HMAS Canberra to begin 12 months as a Navy Officer Year One before she starts her degree in the Australian Defence Force Academy.

“I posted to HMAS Canberra in June this year, it’s been great so far, I find it fascinating

and I’m looking forward to studying a Bachelor of Arts at ADFA,” Courtney said.

As Courtney sets sail on her dreams, home is never far behind. When HMAS Canberra docked at Townsville for their August logistics visit, pallets of fresh produce were brought on board. Included in these pallets were boxes of lettuce from Taylor’s Family Produce – Courtney’s family farm.

“I just couldn’t believe it when we unwrapped the pallets and saw it. I told my Dad

who was so surprised and happy. I’ll look forward to eating this onboard,” she said.

Iceberg lettuce holds a special significance for the Taylor family. It was one of the first produce items they cultivated, dating back to 1933 when they started growing it for the American military.

Courtney is looking forward to travelling the world with the Navy and doing so with a little bit of her family on board. A leafy reminder of home.

· Biloela: 9am-12:30pm on Friday 20 October 2023

· Mount Tamborine: 9am-12:30pm on Tuesday 24 October 2023

· Longreach: 9am-12:30pm on Thursday 26 October 2023

· Sunshine Coast: 9am-12:30pm on Tuesday 31 October 2023

· Virtual Workshop: 9am-12:30pm on Friday 3 November 2023

Navy Officer Year One, Maritime Logistics Trainee Midshipman Courtney Taylor onboard HMAS Canberra unpacking her family’s farm produce while loading stores in Townsville, Queensland. Picture: CONTRIBUTED

WiRE program participant Liz Couchman runs her business Clever Bugs from her home at Kilbirnie on Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Its September and already the State has several large-scale bushfires raging in State Government owned National Parks and State Forests. It looks like it will be a long fire season and like most things today - it will be blamed on climate change rather than State Government incompetence.

It was only two short years ago when 32 million hectares of unmanaged state forest and national park were incinerated in the 2019-2020 bushfire season. Sadly, nothing has changed and no lessons have been learnt.

Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) which manages 93 per cent of the state has had 10,000 volunteers leave its ranks in just four years. With a budget of $100 million and increasing work load - who could blame them. Why would anyone want to risk their life fighting a fire in a state forest or national park that the State Government has done zero to reduce the risk and the destruction?

A 2021 independent review by KPMG into Queensland Fire and Emergency Services found the allocation of corporate services was skewed to support the fire and rescue service which received 86 per cent of support while volunteers received only six per cent - about one eighth the amount of support NSW volunteers receive.

In comparison, NSW has $800 million funding pool which is still vastly inadequate to manage the scale of the disaster which has been created by state owned and neglected land.

But if you listen to the Queensland State Government - everything is under control.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Greg Leach has stated that firefighters are “well prepared, well trained and well equipped”.

Deputy QFES Commissioner Joanne Greenfield has said that the State is well equipped after undertaking 170,000 hectares of fuel reduction burns in the last 12 months.

But anyone who actually lives in the bush and has actually fought a fire knows that 170,000 hectares of the hazard reduction burns that have been undertaken are cosmetic only and the huge volume of fuel loads that have built up in our national parks and state forests are now basically uncontrollable.

Sixty-six per cent of the state is owned and managed by the State Government and they

TOM MARLAND

do little to manage these areas applying an “out of sight, out of mind” methodology. There is 4.2 million

Politicians and bureaucrats like to develop bush fire mitigation schemes from airconditioned offices in cement building in Brisbane far away from the risk of any bushfires. The actual people on the ground, the farmers and indigenous land managers are too often ignored.

The Government prefer to buy big shiny water bombers because they are easier to get a photo opportunity next to instead of next to a big dusty D9 bulldozer putting in fire breaks.

They also don’t want to acknowledge the importance of our farmers and sustainable livestock grazing in our state forests and national parks for fear that inner city Greens will not give them their preferences. In fact, the Government likes to “lock up” as much native forests as they can and take active land management out of the hands of local communities who literally have their houses on the line each bushfire season.

The State needs a co-ordinated plan on how we not just fight bushfires but actually prevent them. The problem we have is when fires start in the conditions we are currently facing -its all most impossible to stop them. Water bombers are basically useless unless you can get ground access to suppress a fire and water bombers are only useful in directly protecting houses and assets not managing fire fronts 10s of kilometres long.

We also need to reject the concept that the environment is better with humans outside of it and get back to having people and communities engaged with our environment not locked out of it.

We also need to give the power back to the communities that are most at risk each bushfire season - not provided to people from inner city electorates surrounded by cement and fake shrubs.

Fires burn out of control at Emerald this month.

Celebrating Queensland’s red meat industry network

By Peter Hall*

There is much to celebrate in the great network that we have in the red meat industry.

Jostling around with some of the more than 400,000 people who streamed through the gates of this year’s 144th Ekka, was the perfect way to do that.

A highlight for me was the collegiality (and the great spread of food!) at the Ekka’s Agforce Red Meat Dinner.

However that wonderful display was bowing under the weight of terminology that is becoming increasingly combative, such as zero deforestation, deforestation free, and carbon neutral - or even guilt free if you adhere to the ABSF principles.

We are fast becoming apologists catering to the whim of NGO’s and governments around the world, and we need your support for a nature positive statement to our external stakeholders and the members of our industry.

Spreading the word is vital - by explaining how we have moved past the issue of trees and into the holistic management of our natural resources for a sustainable future.

We are on the back foot with other definitions too, such as forest, deforestation, land use change, reforest, afforestation, regrowth and human induced land clearing, as these terms pitch us against external forces that

can use these terms of trade and climate justification against us.

We are at risk of becoming an environmental sink for the rest of the world with regrowth building in popularity as a viable option to secure climate goals.

As a result, we need to showcase our ex-

pertise, and how we ensure our producers appropriately manage their natural resources according to their bioregion, to keep the doomsayers at bay.

Australia is unique and we have developed methods that best secure positive environmental outcomes. And we must become

better at communicating that.

We can and must deliver a powerful message about how red meat production and nature positive outcomes can live together harmoniously.

Cloncurry grazier and AgForce Cattle Board president Peter Hall.

Govts more of a risk

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Women’s growing

BREAKING GROUND WITH

NATALIE KING

From paddock to plate, women are stepping up in agriculture.

They’re challenging farming stereotypes, innovating and leading the way in a sector traditionally dominated by men.

This month is a great time to take a step back and recognise women in agriculture, with 15 October recognised as the International Day of Rural Women.

It’s a day dedicated not only to the millions of women living in remote, rural places but also showcases the achievements and contributions of women towards agriculture.

And, there’s plenty to celebrate.

For hundreds of years, women have been at the very core of Australian agriculture. This is because family life is at the heart of farming life.

Today, we’re seeing scores of women come through the sector who are being recognised as just as capable and business-savvy as their male counterparts. They’re running farms in a modern way, sustainably and in line with Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) principles. They’re leading agricultural organisations lobbying governments. And, they’re finding innovative solutions to industry problems, using technology to create cutting-edge products and services.

Currently, women make up about a third of Australia’s agricultural workforce, a figure only set to rise given women comprise about 55 per cent of students studying agricultural science.

The beauty of working as the program man-

ager at the Agtech and Logistics Hub is I get to see so many incredible women in action, including those on the land and the innovators we support in developing their tech. I get to work with females in government, research, corporate agribusiness, venture capital, startups and scaleups as the Hub works to solve challenges in the agricultural industry.

Drawing on this incredible exposure, I wanted to use this International Day of Rural Women to give a shoutout to some of the women doing amazing things in agriculture.

Jo Sheppard, chief executive officer of Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF): Jo

grew up on the land and is now the head of the state’s peak body for farmers, passionately representing more than 13000 primary producers across the state. The Hub is proud to be a corporate partner of QFF which, led by Jo, does an incredible job of advocating on behalf of its members.

Sarah Donovan, founder of Cirquitive: Sarah is a great example of a female farmer innovating in the agricultural sector. She has created a QR-based platform that allows the traceability of agricultural and agvet chemicals, fertilisers and other farm inputs throughout the supply chain.

Jocie Bate, co-founder of SwarmFarm Robotics: Jocie is another female farmer who has moved into the tech space, founding SwarmFarm Robotics, a leader in robotics in agriculture, with her husband Andrew. Their company is one of only a few worldwide with autonomous robots already working in farmers’ paddocks.

Reeanjou Ram, chief executive officer of iTrazo: Ree is a pioneer in traceability technology, with her platform providing real-time traceability and insights for products, services and assets in supply chain. Our team enjoys collaborating with Ree, and we’re currently working with her on a project to map the red meat supply chain.

Molly Sage, sustainability officer at Stockyard: Molly has worked her way through the feedlot ranks and is a terrific case study of a woman leading the way in sustainable agricultural practices. It’s great to see her passion in pushing for environmental and animal health changes within the industry.

Al Mabin, AgriShots: Al is the founder of AgriShots, an online platform offering tens of thousands of photos and videos of Australian agriculture for purchase which is incredibly useful for agribusinesses across the country. A passionate rural lifestyle photographer who grew up on the land, Al is a fantastic example of a woman who has created a role of their own in agriculture to inspire.

There are many more incredible women in agriculture I could mention, but I’ve run out of space.

So, on 15 October, I encourage you to give a shoutout to the amazing women you know in the sector. Get on your socials and use the hashtags #InternationalDayOfRuralWomen and #AmazingWomenInAg

*Natalie King is the program manager at the Agtech and Logistics Hub, Australia’s home of digital agriculture.

CQUniversity researchers Alison Jensen and Karli Groves are working with growers in the Bundaberg region to implement unique problem-solving tech in an effort to secure a sustainable future in farming. They are typical of the influence women are having in the agricultural industry.

Delving deeper into CN30

FROM THE MLA

JASON STRONG

There has been significant commentary in recent weeks about the difference between our industry pursuing a ‘climate neutral’ goal compared to a ‘carbon neutral’ goal.

The reality for Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) is that both goals work together, with climate neutral being a significant milestone on the road to being carbon neutral.

I will explain more about the difference between these two targets, but the carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30) goal has always been ambitious. It is also hard, which we always knew it was going to be. It is a target that showcases the environmental stewardship of our industry, while also playing to our strengths around land management and our enthusiasm for innovation and technology.

The original vision for CN30, when set in 2017, was established with guidance from CSIRO that it was an ambitious yet achievable goal with the right innovation, technology, and policy settings. That remains the case today.

Hitting additional milestones along the way is an excellent achievement and demonstration of great progress, but CN30 is about pushing even further.

Climate neutral versus CN30

The difference between climate neutral and carbon neutral is related to the difference between two different methods for measuring the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate neutrality uses the GWP* method (pronounced GWP-star, with the GWP standing for global warming potential). GWP* assesses the short-lived nature of methane as a gas in the atmosphere as it cycles through our production system and the atmosphere.

It’s important to remember that whichever measurement method is chosen it has no impact on the physical volume of emissions released to the atmosphere.

As part of the global community, all countries and industries are being challenged to

reduce net emissions. MLA is committed to identifying strategies that deliver win-win benefit for the environment and productivity for Australian red meat, at the same time as scientific understanding of greenhouse gas behaviour is evolving. MLA is well-aware of the limitations and advantages of different methods of emissions calculation. We are also highly conscious of promoting CN30 progress in a consistent manner that ensures maximum recognition of our industry’s contribution at a global scale.

This approach is aligned with the internationally-recognised and utilised GWP100 metric, which is considered most valid across regions and by scientific institutions and governments. Our use of this method contributes to the international positive acclaim that has been provided to the Australian red meat and livestock industry through CN30.

At the same time, we are continuing to report on the industry’s progress via the GWP* method, as well as radiative forcing, direct methane, and GWP100. We want as much data as possible to inform our progress and trajectory.

This is aligned with the UNFCCC recommendation that you can use multiple metrics to inform people about different impacts from different industries (but GWP100 will remain the way that reporting is done at a global/national/industry level).

The Australian Government has also signed up to the Global Methane pledge, which is a

Flynn constituents to have their say in ‘biggest’ survey

At the start of this year, I sent Flynn’s Biggest Survey to every household in the Flynn electorate and advertised it on social media platforms to give everyone the opportunity to have their say.

More than 3000 Flynn constituents completed the survey to guarantee that their views were heard loud and clear.

I would like to thank everyone who completed my survey to help me better understand your needs and priorities. I will continue to focus on the issues that matter to the Flynn electorate and be your voice in the Federal Parliament.

The survey revealed that cost of living pressures is certainly one of the biggest issues right now for my constituents. Ongoing measures must be provided to help ease cost of living pressures on residents. Further results of the 2023 Flynn Biggest Survey are:

· The top four issues most important to respondents is better hospitals and health outcomes, building better and safer roads, keeping our borders strong and secure and reducing cost-of-living pressures.

· 93 per cent of respondents indicated that it was most important to them to ensure a reliable energy supply and ensure electricity is affordable.

· 72 per cent of respondents supported extracting more gas for Australia and 68% indicated that they were very likely or somewhat likely to support nuclear energy in Australia’s future energy mix.

MY DESK

· 96 per cent of respondents supported pensioners and veterans being able to work more hours and keep their pension.

· When asked about the upcoming Voice to Parliament, 63 per cent of respondents indicated they would be voting no, 23 per cent indicated they would be voting yes and 14 per cent were undecided.

· 88 per cent of respondents supported Australia Day remaining on 26 January.

· 90 per cent of respondents indicated that health and hospital funding should significantly be increased over time by Governments.

Once again, thank you to everyone who completed Flynn’s Biggest Survey.

Congratulations to Robert from Gin Gin who won the random draw which is a Yeti Tundra Cooler for completing the survey.

· You can view the full results of the survey on my Facebook page or at https:// www.colinboyce.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2023/09/BoyceC_Flynn-BiggestSurvey-Report_Flynn.pdf

direct measure of methane emissions, so the leadership of CN30 has put us in a strong position to respond to this evolving policy space.

GWP* and GWP100

There has been much discussion on the metric chosen to calculate emissions. In some commentary, the GWP* measure has been preferred for the livestock industry, due to it having a more sensitive treatment of short-lived gases like methane.

GWP* clearly represents an advancement in our ability to assess the near-term warming effects of short-lived greenhouse gases over GWP100.

However, GWP* has its own limitations that hold back its application and have made it unsuitable for widespread application in science policy context.

GWP* values are highly skewed by the unique historical emissions of the country or industry being measured, emphasising any reduction or increase from the historic norm.

Applying GWP* would benefit countries with high historic emissions. Developing countries with historically lower emissions would be heavily penalised by a GWP* measure if their emissions increased in the course of their economic growth. For this reason, an Australian emissions reduction target based on GWP* is unlikely to hold weight for any international comparison.

Looking locally, a GWP* measure would

also be extremely unfavourable should Australian herd and flock numbers increase. The positive contribution of our sector Importantly, we don’t see this as a debate about climate neutral versus carbon neutral or GWP* versus GWP100 - in fact, climate neutrality is an important component of carbon neutrality.

It is important that the unique differences with livestock methane are widely acknowledged and that our industry receives due credit for our contribution to climate neutrality. At the same time, we also have the potential to make a greater contribution.

We welcome the industry discussion. The debate shows us that our industry is already passionate about improving our contribution to the climate - and about communicating the great things that we are doing already.

We are also having this discussion because CN30 has elevated climate sustainability on the agenda of our industry, placing us years ahead of almost all other industries.

Everything within CN30 is first and foremost focussed on productivity and profitability through a broad mix of solutions. MLA knows we don’t have all the answers - no one does - but we have also said we are committed to improving producer profitability while also lifting our environmental sustainability.

Every day we gather more information that informs our journey and next steps.

A big part of this is because of the light on the hill provided by CN30. By having this ambitious target, we have an aspiration to move toward. It is also a goal that offers strong engagement opportunities with our customers around the world and the broader community.

We have taken the approach of striving for a goal that is more difficult to achieve. This is something we can be proud of as an industry.

Leadership from our industry has the potential to create positive flow-on effects around the world in other agricultural systems and other industries.

No one is saying that our industry should shoulder an unfair or undue cost - but at the same time, if we can do a little more than we ‘have to’ in the climate space, while also improving productivity, then that is something we can hold our heads high about.

MP Colin Boyce holding Flynn’s Biggest Survey, which was sent to every household in his electorate.

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

COLIN BOYCE FLYNN MP

Hive killer gets foothold

By William Ton, AAP

The deadly varroa mite has spread undetected across NSW bee colonies for more than eight months, pushing the industry to swap its eradication strategy for suppression amid warnings of significant population losses.

The invasive mite was first detected near the Port of Newcastle in June 2022.

Despite a $100 million effort to eliminate the pest and more than 30,000 hives euthanised over the past 14 months, scientific data and advice suggests the strategy is no longer workable.

The National Management Group, which manages the spread of varroa mite, made a unanimous decision to transition its approach from eradication to managing the biosecurity issue.

It said the eradication strategy was made unviable by some keepers moving bees in containment zones, and a spike in detections across a wider area, pushing control teams to the limit.

A significant outbreak at Kempsey on the mid-north coast was the final straw after tracing failed to detect the pest in some hives for at least eight months, NSW Department of Primary Industries director-general Scott Hansen said on Wednesday 20 September.

“That has allowed the mite to spread faster and further than what tracing has been able to keep up with,” he said.

An emergency order will split NSW into two zones as the state begins its next phase in the fight against varroa.

Hives within the Kempsey and Hunter regions will be placed under the management zone while a suppression zone will be set up for the rest of NSW. Free movement will be allowed for hives within the management zone while those in the suppression zone will require a movement declaration.

Miticide strips, which contain chemicals

that suppress the mites within the hives, will be applied to affected colonies in the management zones to allow keepers to continue their work without having to cull.

“Without eradication, we will be doing our best to suppress the spread,” Mr Hansen said.

“We are expecting it to continue to spread, however, across the countryside.”

The department will engage with industry stakeholders to provide education and management tools to beekeepers with the intention of suppressing the spread into other jurisdictions and building resilience.

Australian Honey Bee Council chief executive Danny Le Feuvre said he was disappointed the mite couldn’t be eradicated despite the emotional and financial sacrifice made by the industry.

Keepers are facing the prospect of colony losses as the mite spreads.

The varroa mite mainly feeds and reproduces on larvae and pupae, causing malformation and weakening of honey bees and transmitting numerous viruses.

“In other countries where they are managing it, significant colony losses have become

the norm in their beekeeping operations,” Mr Le Feuvre said.

But he supported the shift in approach after 20 per cent of NSW hives in containment zones were in line to be euthanised before the change.

“If we were to continue down that path, it would have killed the industry,” he said.

Crop Pollination Association of Australia secretary Steve Fuller welcomed the call, telling AAP the decision to move to a management approach should have happened sooner.

Beekeepers will switch to managing rather than eradicating the deadly varroa mite.

Picture: LUIS ASCUI,AAP

Darling Downs Beef Battle 2023

The ‘steaks’ were high

The “steaks” were high at the 6th running of Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprises’ (TSBE) Darling Downs Beef Battle.

Nine of the region’s best beef brands - Australian Country Choice, Grove Shorthorns, JBS, John Dee, Mort & Co, NH Foods, Rangers Valley, Stanbroke and Stockyard - went headto-head, showcasing their brand and superb product to over 500 attendees.

For the first time, there were two categories awarded, where the Darling Downs Beef Battle was scrutinised by a judging panel of international chefs, and People’s Choice was decided by our biggest crowd yet – 500 beef fanatics!

Taking out the top gong, winner of the 2023 Darling Downs Beef Battle, Stockyard. The winner of 2023 Darling Downs Beef Battle People’s Choice, Stanbroke.

TSBE CEO Greg Bowden said this competition was a fantastic celebration of Darling Downs Beef and a wonderful opportunity for industry to gather and acknowledge our leading grain fed brands.

“This event propels our producer’s hard

work beyond their gates placing it on the map, and on the plates, of national and international buyers, acclaimed culinary authorities and red meat enthusiasts.”

With sustainability a key consideration, Equipoised have been employed to make this year’s event carbon neutral. Thomas Key said extensive rigour has been applied to the pre and post event model of the expected carbon emissions across the event.

The cooking was overseen by Meat and Livestock Australia Business Manager and Corporate Executive Chef Samuel Burke.

Darling Downs Beef Battle Facts:

· 540kg of premium sirloin served on the night

· With a worth of approximately $30,000

· The Darling Downs is home to Australia’s best steak and is responsible for 65% of grain-fed beef consumed in Australia

· Darling Downs cattle production and meat processing sector is worth more than $1 billion p.a to the local economy.

Dan Metcalf, Wayne Atkinson, Sam Rohlf and Thomas Monk. 360777

In no particular order we have Mark Harris, John Zische, Jim Friis, Roland Longmile, Chris Maclean, Tim Burgess ‘akka 007’. 360777

Colby and Deanna Ede, Johnathon Harrigan and Alex Kades. 360777

Chris Woolhouse, Paul Da Silva, Jimmy Barrett, Jess Lott, Greer Steele and Mark Harris. 360777

Chris Janetzki, Peter Boddington, Ryan McBurney, Jay Ebsworth from The Plate Restaurant. 360777

International Chefs who played an integral part in the event and were the judges of the Downs Battle of The Beef. 360777 Pictures: DANIEL PELCL

Darling Downs Beef Battle 2023

Mark Mason, Wayne and Rosemarie Bradshaw with John Stark. 360777

Leighton Saal, Andrew Crooke and Karen Penfold. 360777

Mal Porter and Tony Randall. 360777

Graham and Donna Cook. 360777

Danielle Cohen and John Carey from Stanwell. 360777

Picture: DANIEL PELCL

Kirsty Ostwald, Jedd Johnstone, Matthew and Howard Ostwald. 360777

Leanne Bowden, Dennis Conroy and Joanne Fricker. 360777

Darling Downs Battle Beef 2023 WINNER - Stockyard Beef.

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

Darling Downs Beef Battle 2023

The ‘steaks’ were high

Matthew Holding from Meteora Agronomy and Jamie Kennedy from Seaway. 360777

Picture: DANIEL PELCL Robert and Marnie Van Barneveld. 360777

Picture: DANIEL PELCL Nathan and Tiffany Story from Story Fresh.360777

Mark Mason, Wayne and Rosemarie Bradshaw with John Stark. 360777

Morgan Family from ‘The Grove’. 360777

Megan and Godfrey Morgan from G Morgan & Co. 360777

Darling Downs Beef Battle 2023 Peoples Choice Winner - Stanbroke.

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

Standing the test of time

Last year, Felton South growers Leon and Kerri Gillespie planted Pioneer® brand Seeds’ A14 hybrid sorghum on about 85 hectares of their dryland paddocks.

Over the years they’ve gravitated towards Pioneer’s A14 grain sorghum as a hybrid that performs reliably on their property.

“We have grown Pioneer’s G33 sorghum previously because it stood well, but now we grow A14 because it stands and yields more consistently,” Leon says.

“I like it even better than G33, because it just keeps going.”

Leon and Kerri both have deep connections to Queensland farming life, while the Gillespie sorghum paddocks at Felton cover a range of box country and black soil plains, a common profile for the region, about 40km south of Toowoomba, south-east Queensland.

Planted on 75cm row spacing towards the end of September 2022, A14 showed good early vigour.

“We had a good, fairly even strike; we aim for about five plants per metre.”

Their planting regime included a liquid starter fertiliser at sowing, followed up later with an application of Urea.

With very little rain from November to harvest at the end of February, the Gillespie’s A14 sorghum relied almost entirely on soil moisture. Known for its height uniformity, A14 didn’t disappoint.

“We had good uniformity and no trouble with screenings, which were about one or two per cent for much of the crop,” Leon says.

Their sorghum crops are generally grown on a short fallow from mungbeans or sorghum and they might grow three to four sorghum crops, dependant on weather and market outlook, before rotating back to winter crops.

With a dryland yield of 5.6 tonne/hectare that Leon concedes was “pretty good“, they’ll be planting A14 again this September.

KEEPING OUR LOVED ONES SAFE!

IN ONE YEAR

141 Coastal drowning deaths

23% OFFSHORE 16% ROCKS/CLIFFS

51% AT THE BEACH

49% AT LEAST 5KM FROM A LIFESAVING SERVICE

89% MALE

Felton South grower Leon Gillespie with his family’s 5.6 tonne per hectare

dryland

hybrid sorghum in south-east Queensland.

Historic $130m alliance

The largest and most ambitious trade initiative in Australian horticulture has been given the green light with a host of partners signing on to an historic $130 million program, the Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA).

Delivered through the federal horticulture Research and Development Corporation, Hort Innovation, and led by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the eight-year program will see key Aussie export stakeholders and officials joining forces to help protect and grow Australia’s horticultural exports.

As part of the program, FASTA will also boost biosecurity initiatives to solidify Australia’s strong reputation in pest-management and as a responsible trading partner for years to come.

Insect pests are a major challenge for Australia’s horticultural producers as they impact production and domestic and international trade. Australia’s trading partners require evidence that Australian horticulture exports are insect pest free.

FASTA’s research program is focused on two areas:

Delivering robust and timely datasets to underpin market access negotiations: State and Territory governments will work together to standardise their approach to collecting phytosanitary, or pest and disease management, data. This data demonstrates that Australia’s produce is pest-free while also ensuring the impact of phytosanitary treatments on fruit quality will be minimised. These datasets will be used to open new export markets for Australian produce and improve access to existing ones.

Increasing understanding about fruit fly and other key pests: A multi-discipline, multiorganisational research team of over 70 scientists from across Australia will test new technologies for tracking pests, trapping pests and reducing pest pressure. The eight-year

program will increase Australia’s research capabilities in pest management research and facilitate world-class research.

Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said export growth has never been more important for the $16B horticulture sector, with most industries identifying enhancing and diversifying export markets as a priority.

“The Australian horticulture sector is projected to surge by up to 22.5 per cent in value by 2030, primarily due to increased exports in trade-focused commodities,” he said.

“Through streamlined evidence-based data collection for the Australian Government’s trade negotiations and strengthened biosecurity measures, FASTA will support this growth.“

Queensland Minister for Agricultural In-

dustry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said FASTA will ensure Australia’s reputation for high-quality horticultural produce is protected and enhanced.

“The Australian horticulture sector is known for delivering high-quality and safe produce,” he said.

“Through the delivery of state-of-the-art research and development, FASTA will bolster the nation’s pest management capacity to safeguard the Australian horticulture industry now, and into the future.”

Horticulture export facts and figures from the latest Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook:

· The total value of horticulture exports grew

by 2.4 per cent from Dec 2021 to Dec 2022.

· In 2022, fruit accounted for $1.2B of export value, followed by nuts with $1.1B and vegetables at $262M.

· In 2022, Australia’s top three export commodities were almonds (30 per cent share), table grapes (18 per cent) and citrus (18 per cent).

· Australia’s top export destination is China (28.4 per cent) followed by Japan (7.4 per cent) and Vietnam (6.6 per cent).

· Australia’s top 10 export markets have changed over the past few years – in particular, over the past six years exports to Vietnam have increased by 266 per cent.

· Victoria accounts for the largest share of export value – 49 per cent of total export value.

Rookie crowned the damper champion in Goomeri

By Julian Lehnert

Goomeri has a new damper champion, with first-time cook Graeme Vicars taking out the 2023 trophy.

Cooks, judges and hungry bystanders gathered at the Goomeri Caravan and Bush Camp for the third Annual Damper Cook-Off, with 11 entrants competing to create the best loaf of freshly-baked bread.

The event’s winner, Graeme Vicars, surprised the judges by admitting he had never baked damper before.

“I wasn’t even going to enter,“ Mr Vicars told the crowd after being announced as the 2023 Cook-Off champion.

His creation included fresh herbs grown at the Bush Camp and was paired with a sticky and sweet chilli sauce.

“We just had a go and threw whatever we had in the fridge in it,“ Mr Vicars explained.

The first-time cook - and now champion -

said he was inspired to try his luck by watching a damper demonstration put on by the Bush Camp ahead of the competition.

Mr Vicars succeeds 2022 champions Robyn and Alex Savic.

“I can’t believe it!“ he said of his success.

Graeme Vicars (right) won the 2023 trophy with his first-ever damper. Pictures: CONTRIBUTED

Some cooked their damper over hot coals in the ‘traditional’ camp oven style.

The dampers in the competition covered all ends of the spectrum, incorporating seeds, sauces and more.

Others employed more modern means of achieving damper perfection.

In 2022, Australia’s top three export commodities were almonds (30 per cent share), table grapes (18 per cent) and citrus (18 per cent).

Stud tours Queensland

World-renowned Wattle Grove Speckle Park stud recently completed a Queensland tour to promote the benefits of Speckle Park and see first hand the impact of their bulls on cattle herds in southern and central Queensland.

Stud principals Dale and Bin Humphries have a long-held belief in finding better ways to do beef business.

“We really strive to find better ways to breed cattle that are fit-for-purpose, to then promote those cattle and support our buyers,“ Mrs Humphries said.

“This year we were able to find a few weeks off-farm to visit new and existing buyers and experience how our bulls work in different environments in Queensland.”

The tour covered an area from Coulson and Warwick in the south up to Clermont, Middlemount and Rockhampton in central Queensland.

“We visited both stud and commercial breeders,“ Mrs Humphries said. “Some with smaller numbers and right up to large operations running thousands.

“What we saw was just how consistently well Speckle Park adapted to the different environments. From ticky, coastal country right through to Brigalow, softwood country they were able to hold condition, handle the temperatures, walk and breed.

“The feedback we received - and what we saw on the ground - was how purebred Speckle Park bulls were able to put extra weight into calves, produce exceptional first-cross and second-cross females and improve the overall quality and consistency of a herd in a short amount of time.”

“We have used Wattle Grove Speckle Park bulls for the past five years and are amazed at how quickly they have been able to improve our mainly black Simmental-cross Angus/ Brahman herd,“ said Jody and Wayde Marks, Clermont.

“We are probably two years ahead of where

we thought we’d be and the only thing we changed was the bulls we used.”

The Humphries also visited Ben and Hayley Hutton who have bought bulls from them for the past few years, including the second toppriced bull at last year’s sale.

“We made the switch to purebred Speckle Park bulls a few years ago and couldn’t be more

impressed with their performance,“ said Ben Hutton, Rockhampton.

“The first-cross calves out of our predominantly Droughtmaster breeding herd consistently weighed 25 to 30 kilograms heavier than purebred Droughtmasters at six to seven months.

“That’s a massive difference.”

Bin Humphries said a “big reason“ to travel to these areas was to learn how to better serve buyers. What genetics are working and, of course, what aren’t.

“We are committed to win-win relationships and are developing some great initiatives to support our buyers through quoting to buy their progeny from our purebred Speckle Park bulls for a branded beef product and offering an outlet through our Triple Treat Sale to be held annually in September,” Dale Humphries said.

“We are also offering fantastic discounts and agent’s rebates in our upcoming annual bull sale,“ Bin Humphries said.

“It’s all about supporting each other to create a superior product that increases profits and is sought after by the end user.”

The Wattle Grove Speckle Park stud annual bull sale is on 14 October at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

First-cross Speckle Park cows, Middlemount.

First-cross Simmental-cross Speckle Park heifer with second-cross calf at foot, Clermont.

ONE PAN WINNER Eggs With Herbed Mushrooms

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

· 2 bunches broccolini, trimmed

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 300g button mushrooms, halved

Method

1. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add broccolini. Cook, adding a few tablespoons of water, for 5 minutes or until almost tender and water has evaporated.

2. Add oil and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mushrooms and broccolini

· 300g sliced Swiss brown mushrooms

· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

· 2 garlic cloves, crushed

· 8 eggs

· 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

· Pinch chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

are tender. Add thyme and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.

3. Make 8 indentations or spaces in the mushrooms and crack eggs into indentations. Cook for 3 minutes, sunny side up.

4. Divide eggs, mushrooms and broccolini among plates. Top with chives and chilli (if using).

Lychee Duck Curry

Prep time: Cook time:

Serves: Ingredients

4 duck breasts

1 cup of lychees, fresh with seeds removed or tinned

1 cup of pineapple cubes, fresh or tinned

1/2 punnet of cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved

1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

2 handfuls of fresh green beans, rinsed with ends removed

1 cup fresh rinsed basil

2 tbsp Durban Earth Curry Rub

1 x 400ml tin of coconut cream

Juice of one lime

1 cup jasmine rice

a simmer, stirring to combine the curry rub.

4. Add tomatoes, peas, beans and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the lychees and pineapple, simmer for a further 3 minutes and squeeze in lime juice.

5. Meanwhile, thinly slice the duck breasts.

6. Serve rice into each bowl, ladle the vegetable curry on top, place the sliced duck breast portion into each bowl and pour a little juice on top. Garnish generously with basil.

Recipe courtesy of Australian Eggs.

Killy kids’ Kilcoy success

By Teresa Day

The Kilkivan State School Cattle Team attended the Gympie District Beef Liaisons Group, Wide Bay Schools Hoof and Hook Competition held at the Kilcoy Showgrounds in September. There were 17 schools and more than 180 students in attendance.

Over three days the students participated in Young Paraders, Young Judges and Led Steer Competitions, along with attending education sessions on Reading Meatworks Price Grids and Kill Feedback Sheets, Animal Welfare and watching a demonstration of the

breakdown of a carcass.

The Kilkivan State School Cattle Team had an extremely successful week, with the team awarded many ribbons in the Paraders and Young Judges Classes.

After the students set a high standard, the Led Steers followed their lead, taking out ribbons in all three classes of Led Steers, placing second in the Lightweight and Mediumweight Classes and fifth in the Heavyweight Class.

“We are always very proud of how our students represent themselves and our school with pride and this week was no exception,“ said spokeswoman for the team, Teresa Day.

The Kilkivan State School Cattle Team went to Kilcoy recently, and impressed with their skills.

Picture: CONTRIBUTED

One of the Led Steer competitors.The team took home plenty of ribbons.

Horse racing and fun

By Breanna Lloyd

It was a fun day out in Morven with horse racing, fashions on the field, the second annual Morven Fish races, and live entertainment for its annual Morven Cup Races.

The Races kicked off on Saturday 9 September with Emma Scodellaro catching first place for the best-dressed female, with Kate Kirk as the runner-up and Pete Hilly as the bestdressed gentleman. Auctioneering the second annual Fish Races was Peter Elmes, and helped raise $1972 for Lifeflight Queensland.

The winning fish was Nemo who took home $2070 for his owners and Dash was the runnerup with $870.

Horse race results

· Race one was the 1000m run was knocked

out by Freddie Eddie, jockey Brooke Richardson and was trained by David Rewald.

· Race two was the Sheridn Delforce Transport Class B Handicap 1000m sprint and went to jockey Emma Bell and horse Rosettes.

· The Morgan Pastoral 1200m Maiden sprint went to winner Smiko and jockey Dylan Bennett, trained by Craig Smith.

· Lasco and his jockey Dylan Bennett took out race four, the Roma Sands 1400m sprint.

· Race five was the Curley Cattle Transport Morven Cup won by Unrestricted, trainer Wayne Baker and jockey Emily Pomfrett.

· Trainer William Pugsley, jockey Damien Bennett and horse Azoustic took home first place for race six, the Sheppard Family Memorial 1800m.

Ann-Maree Johnson and Lauren.Hayley Rolfe and Olivia JohnsonJane and Bree Thornton.Leanne McInnerney and Rebecca Harlow.

Back Row - Imogen Hunt Abbie Lewis Ash Swadling Joeli-Rae Andreson Jess Capewell Front RowHolly Price Izzy Graham Michelle Cameron Katherine Spalding.

Pictures: OLIVIA JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY Millinery fashion line up.

Fashion of the field winners and runner-ups.

Dolcie Neilson and Dot Sheppard.John Syme, Rick Van Zwieten, Ann-Maree Johnson, Jodie Harland and Don Busiko.

Physical cattle sales

Report Date: 29/9/2023

Saleyard: Dalby

Young cattle again dominated the larger yarding while the export steer market contained some good lines although overall quality started to slip. The cow market saw a large percentage of the stock penned being in good conditioned. Calves improved up to 14c while yearling steers that sold to restockers were around 4c dearer with yearling heifers only improving 1c to 2c/kg. Values for the steers and bullocks averaged mostly firm and while the top end of the market was a little dearer the lighter and medium weight steers were marginally cheaper. The cow market was dearer across the board with improvements from 2c to 5c/kg. Calves topped at 151.2c to average 131.7c while those that sold to restockers made to 170c and over 300 head averaged 146c/kg. Vealer steers that sold to restockers made to 157.2c and the heifers that sold to slaughter reached 135.6c/kg. Yearling steers that sold to the local butcher trade made to 145c while those that sold to restockers topped at 154 and a large number averaged 141c/kg. Yearling heifers made to 144c however a large number of drought effected stock sold to restockers and feedlots from 110c and 120c/kg. Medium weight steers reached 146.2c and a fair sample averaged 140c/kg. A large number of heavy steers made to 145.2c to average 140c/kg. Heavy bullocks made to 144.2c to average 141.2c/kg. Export heifers reached a top of 130.2c and they averaged from 115c to 126c/kg. There was a small amount of restocker activity on the medium weight cows and they were prepared around 87c/kg. There were a large number of better cows that sold to slaughter which reached 120.2c and the medium weight D4s averaged 114c/kg. Good heavy cows reached 124.2c to average 117c and heavy bulls sold to a top of 135c/kg. Light weight feeder steers made to 149.4c and the heifers topped at 133.2c/kg. The Queensland Cattle Market Index was on 139.1 points at the completion of the Dalby sale.

Report Date: 14/9/2023

Saleyard: Emerald

There was an increase in numbers yarded at Emerald today with 983 head penned - up 221 on last sale. Cattle were drawn from local areas along with a draft from Longreach area. Quality was mixed and prices reduced for many categories. The better - bred yearling steers showed some improvement on a poor result last sale.

Light weight yearling steers sold to 280c/kg to average 260c/kg to restockers for the best bred lines.Medium weight pens reached a top of 261c/kg to average 203c to 250c/kg. Light weight yearling heifers sold to 241c/kg to return averages from 169c to 208c/kg. Medium weights reached 200c/kg to average 167c to 185c/kg

Bullocks sold to processors to a top of 230c/ kg with grown steers, also to processors averaging 204c to 216c/kg. Feedlots purchased grown steers to a top of 255c/kg, averaging 209c to 224c/kg. Grown heifers to trade buyers

215c/kg for their grown heifers.

Heavy, four score cows sold to a top of 204c/ kg to average 194c/kg. Heavy bulls averaged 184c/kg to processors and 197c/kg to livex.

Report Date: 18/9/2023

Saleyard: Toowoomba

Numbers lifted by 24 head to 245 at Toowoomba. A fair panel of processor buyers attended along with local restockers and with the return of several feeder orders the market for domestic feeders yearlings lifted. The overall yarding contained a good mix of yearling steers and heifers plus light weight bulls and several pens of heavy cows.

Yearling steers 200-280kg to restockers made 238c to average 216c with those to feed at 258c to average 233c/kg. Yearling steers to feed for the domestic market sold to 284c and averaged 253c/kg. Heavy yearling steers to feed averaged 248c and sold to 252c with the occasional sale to 264c/kg. Yearling heifers in the 200-280 kg range to processors made 174c to average 170c/kg. Yearling heifers to feed for the domestic market averaged 196c and sold to 234c/kg. Heavy yearling heifers to feed sold to 230c/kg.

Grown steers to processors sold to 172c/kg. Light weight plain conditioned cows to processors sold from 90c to 126c/kg. Good heavy score 3 and 4 cows to processors sold from 197c to 206c/kg. Light weight bulls to restockers averaged 197c and sold to 210c/kg. Heavy

sold to $1430/unit.

Market Reporter Errol Luck.

Report Date: 05/9/2023

Saleyard: Warwick

Warwick agents penned 822 cattle down by 487 head. Two major processors were absent from the buying panel along with several feeder orders. The yarding was mixed with the cows lacking finish and sold to prices back from 10c to 13c/kg. The young cattle penned were mixed in quality with most classes selling to cheaper prices. Light weight yearling steers to restockers gained 4c and sold to 296c/kg. Yearling steers over 280kg made 286c to average 252c with those to feed at 300c/kg. Yearling steers over 330kg to feed eased by 6c and sold to 282c with the odd sale to restockers at 300c/ kg. Heavy yearling steers to feed lost 21c and sold to 268c with those to the wholesale meat trade at 264c/kg. Light weight yearling heifers back to the paddock lost 6c selling to 240c and averaging 192c with the plainer lines at 130c to 150c/kg. Yearling heifers to feed for the domestic market made 215c and averaged 207c with those to the wholesale meat trade at 310c/kg. Heavy yearling heifers to feed made 210c to average 202c/kg. Grown steers to processors lost 24c and sold to 248c/kg. Light weight plain conditioned cows to processors sold from 70c to 150c with the score 2 cows at 137c to 160c/ kg. Good heavy score 3 cows made 214c to average 200c/kg. Medium weight bulls to the wholesale meat trade made 324c to average

216c/kg. Heavy bulls reduced by 70c and sold to 218c/kg. Market Reporter Errol Luck. Report Date: 20/9/2023

Saleyard: CQLX Gracemere

Following a week without a sale due to stud sales, Gracemere vendors penned 207 less with an offering of 1935 head. Cattle came from local areas and as far north as Mt Coolon, and south to Miriamvale. As the season dries, the yarding shows less condition and comprised few big lines. The normal processor panel was short a couple as were feeder buyers and restockers are now also only present in small numbers. Changes in values were due, in part to the variation in quality offered. Light weight pens of yearling steers reached an occasional top of 289c/kg to average 221c to 257c/kg for well bred pens with plain descriptions averaging 138c to 195c/kg. Medium weight pens reached a top of 277c/kg, with the best bred pens averaging 217c to 273c/kg. Light weight yearling heifers averaged 129c to 173c/kg, whilst the medium weight pens averaged 160c to 196c/kg. Grown steers to feed averaged 234c to 239c/kg, with the few bullocks on offer making 233c/kg average. Grown steers went to feed to average 234c to 239c/kg A few trade heifers sold to average from 192c to 217c/kg. Heavy, 4 score cows sold to 204c/kg, averaging 198c/kg, to be a shade better than last sale. Heavy bulls were shared by processors at a 224c/kg average and livex with a 241c/kg average. A small offering of average quality cows and calves made from $575 to $930 per unit.

A whacking fun day

By Breanna Lloyd

It was a whacking fun day at the Valkyrie State School’s 10-year anniversary Mini Olympics fundraiser and raised $35,000 in funds for the school.

The event took place on Saturday 2 September at the Valkyrie State School in Nebo with a line of 12 teams eager to become the 2023 champions.

The Valkyrie State School P and C Vice President Monique Bethel said the school needed the funds.

“Firstly, being a small, rural school of currently only nine students, the funds raised from this event are very much needed to pour back into our beautiful, little school,” she said.

“The funds will help contribute to essential upgrades to educational resources and facilities and improvements and maintenance around the school and its grounds.

“The Valkyrie State School is the ‘hub’ of the community, and this event gives past families and members of the school an opportunity to reminisce and reconnect.”

Each team was selected to play four of the six sports, including Cricket, Tennis, volleyball, T-ball, Golf, Trivia and the Ironman challenge.

To keep the kids entertained, face painting, balloon twisting, a jumping castle and a merry-go-round were placed in the school’s designated play areas.

The highlight of the day for the children was the annual Lolly Drop where a local flies their helicopter and throws lollies out on the oval.

At the end of the day, there were presentations, numerous raffles, and the red hot auction.

Various companies, businesses and families donated all of the prizes and gifts from the raffle and auction from across the region.

“On behalf of the Valkyrie P and C, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for the extremely generous dona-

tions and financial assistance the school has received to help make the Mini Olympics such a resounding success,” Monique said.

“It has been truly humbling and we are all extremely grateful for the funds raised from the event.

“We are sincerely grateful for all the support we have received thus far from the Mini Olympics and would greatly appreciate the ongoing support for the 50-year celebrations.”

This year, the Valkyrie P and C brought in a new award on behalf of the Mini Olympics founder, Stewart Green, called the Stewart Green Sportsmanship Award.

“The new award is a token of our gratitude and appreciation for Stewart Green and his hard work and dedication in getting the Mini

Olympics up and running 10 years ago,” Monique said. The results

· Valkyrie Mini Olympics 2023 Champions: Isaac River Renegades.

· Ironman challenge winners: Isaac River Renegades.

· The best-dressed team: Croydon Critters.

· The Stewart Green Sportsmanship Award: Jess Lowe.

· The Female Encouragement Award: Tiahni Hewat.

· The Male Encouragement Award: Matt Saunders.

· The Wooden Spooners: The Rangers.

· The Gundy Award (funniest moment): Pam Davison.

Congratulations to all the teams and people who participated in the event and who continue to show their unwavering support for the school.

What’s next?

Next year, instead of holding the annual Mini Olympics fundraiser, the school has decided to celebrate its 50-year anniversary instead.

“We are still very much in the planning phase at the moment, so there’s still much to be decided on and confirmed,” Monique said.

“We are planning to have a nice formal lunch, with guest speakers, unveilings of commemorative tokens and a wide range of memorabilia on display.”

The 50-year accomplishment will be celebrated on Saturday 22 June 2024.

Having a score of 56 points, the Ducks Nuts team won third place overall.

Picture: SHARON ATKINSON PHOTOGRAPHY

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Next edition out on the 26 October 2023

The Valkyrie P and C.

Nash Beak hitting an epic shot in the Bee Creek Boar Busters V’s Westpoint Wanderers T-ball match.

The Bee Creek Boar Busters team.

The Croyden Critters won the best-dressed award.

The Valkyrie Mini Olympics 2023 champions, the Isaac River Renegades.

Off on Mongol charity trek

By Breanna Lloyd

A rural Queensland horse rider has been accepted into the longest and toughest ride in the world, known as the Mongol Derby, and is prepared to fundraise her way to victory.

Belinda Boshammer grew up on a property in Chinchilla with an Angus stud and a rock melon farm.

“The Mongol Derby is something you hear about for years and years and years and you think it’s cool to do but oh gosh 1000km is a long way to ride a horse,” she said.

“Basically last year I told myself to stop chickening out and just go and do it.

“I didn’t want to get later into life and think, damm I wish I had done that.”

While focusing on her training and development, Belinda is also aiming to raise $1500 for the Steppe and Hoof Charity in Mongolia, Zara’s Day, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Steve Waugh Foundation.

In August 2024, Belinda will be racing against 45 other participants in the Mongol Derby across 10 days.

During the race, participants will ride about 35 horses and will swap every 40km.

Having grown up riding horses, Belinda said horses have always been a part of her life.

“I don’t even know when I first sat on a horse, it was probably when I could sit upright or dad held me on a horse,” she said.

“It’s just been a part of my life wherever I go and I have done a couple of trips overseas and have done some riding over there.

“It’s a fantastic way to see another country.”

In August 2022, Belinda applied for the Mongol Derby Training Camp which is held before the current year’s race.

After a successful time at the camp, Belinda received an email for her acceptance into next year’s race.

“I was pretty ecstatic,” she said.

“I walked over and told my boss that I needed a month off next August.

“I was pretty happy about it because they had over 300 nominations, so to be part of this is an achievement.”

To prepare for the event, Belinda will be working with her personal trainer in the gym for four to five days a week.

“I change my program every two weeks and that’s a big part of it in building insurance in sort of specific muscles that I will need and building a toughness I will need also and time spent in the saddle,” she said.

“I am lucky being on a farm and coming from a horse family and line up five or six horses a day and just keep trotting all day.

“I will be doing a fair bit of that once it cools down after summer, I will be riding up a bunch of horses from daylight to dark.”

Sponsoring Belinda is Seducci equestrian underwear.

“They support a lot of derby racers and their equestrian underwear is a key piece of equipment to have,” she said.

Group training at the Mongol Derby Training Camp.

Picture: THE EQUESTRIANISTSBelinda Boshammer with another participant.

Picture: THE EQUESTRIANISTS

Belinda Boshammer training for the Mongol Derby 2024. Picture: THE EQUESTRIANISTS

Mongolia. Picture: BELINDA BOSHAMMER