FARMER
Ruralweekly
DECEMBER 2016 EDITION NO.6
STRONG YEAR FOR DALBY SALEYARDS FULL WRAP UP TURN TO PAGE 3
2 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER
chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
welcome SUMMER has arrived in style, with forty degree plus temperatures for the first week of December across the Western Downs region. There has been plenty of storm activity, with some people receiving the odd, isolated shower but for most the dark clouds in the sky have not yet delivered. There has been a number of fires start around Taroom, Wandoan, Guluguba and Auburn as a result of lightning strikes. With plenty of dry matter around, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service is predicting a busy summer and urges everyone to be prepared. Planters are either moving into paddocks or have already started summer work, while the last of the headers are making their way back into sheds. It would be safe to say that all farmers have enjoyed a successful harvest with some tremendous yields achieved throughout the countryside. Congratulations to the Darling Downs Stockhorse branch for another very successful Dalby Stockhorse Sale this year. Make sure you check out the social pictures in this edition of Western Downs Farmer. Last but not least, we would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy prosperous 2017.
contact EDITOR Andrea Schulz, Phone 07 4672 9900, Email editorial@chinchillanews.com.au ADVERTISING (CHINCHILLA NEWS) Bobbie Gorring, Phone 07 4672 9930, Email bobbie.gorring@chinchillanews.com.au ADVERTISING (DALBY HERALD) Nicole McDougall, Phone 07 4672 5502, Email nicole.mcdougall@dalbyherald.com.au GENERAL MANAGER Erika Brayshaw, Phone 07 4672 9921, Email Erika.brayshaw@apn.com.au All material published in Western Downs Farmer is subject to copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission for the publisher.
Moving toward a bright digital future
New technology to fast-track National Vendor Declarations ELECTRONIC National Vendor Decelerations (eNVD) will now be available to producers and participants throughout the entire value chain, which many say will help to fast track the livestock industry to a digital future. Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has granted the first commercial license after extensive trialling to Australian software provider Aglive, which will allow the wider industry to use the system. An eNVD is an electronic version of the current paper NVD document which is required for all movements of cattle, sheep and goats in Australia. The eNVD system transfers electronic livestock integrity data from a livestock producer, through the value chain to the intended receivers. The eNVD information is verified against industry systems data including Property Identification Codes, Livestock Production Assurance accreditation, and National
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DISCLAIMER: The information contained within Western Downs Farmer is given in good faith and obtained from sources believed to be accurate. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. The Chinchilla News or Dalby Herald will not be liable for any opinion or advice contained herein.
SAVING TIME: The eNVD is set to save producers time and improve efficiency for businesses when it comes to moving or selling cattle. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
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The eNVD system will streamline the transfer of data, and offer benefits to producers and other participants in the value chain.
— Dr Jane Weatherley
Livestock Identification System status, to deliver improved data integrity. MLA’s Integrity and Information Systems Company CEO Dr Jane Weatherley said while the livestock industry’s move to a fully electronic system integrating livestock declarations with movement information is in its early stages, the technology is an exciting step forward for the industry.
“The eNVD system will streamline the transfer of data, and offer benefits to producers and other participants in the value chain who opt in to the eNVD system,” Dr Weatherley said. “For producers, it will reduce the time taken to complete an NVD and ensure the latest versions of the document are being used and meet market requirements. “It is expected that other commercial licenses will be granted to more Australian software companies over the coming months, who will release further eNVD apps once trials of the technology are completed.” Dr Weatherley said the technology aligns with MLA’s Value Chain Digital Strategy, which will drive the development of an integrated platform for capturing data and generating reliable and objective information tools that can be readily applied within businesses across the value chain.
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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 3
TOP RESULTS: It’s been a positive year for everyone involved with the Dalby Saleyards.
PHOTO: LEXI FITZGERALD
Successful year as Dalby Saleyards sets standard Outstanding results for all concerned as the region celebrates rewards for hard work IT’S been a year like no other for producers, buyers, saleyard operators and agents alike with quality cattle setting records on a near-weekly basis at the Dalby Saleyards. Landmark agent Brock Simpkins said from a market perspective, 2016 had been simply “overwhelming”. “The year has delivered some outstanding results for clients,” Mr Simpkins said. “Given the climatic conditions, Dalby has been a great centre to source quality cattle
for this year, across all categories. As a result, it has attractive strong buyer support from South Australia and New South Wales, to North Queensland and all areas in between. “The record cattle prices have in turn given rural producers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to increase their equity or expand their operations. “Producer optimism is at an all-time high given the prices we have seen over the past
12 months, and it’s great to see people being rewarded for their hard work.” Mr Simpkins said a lot of local cattle had been consigned to the Dalby Saleyards this year, but wider support has also been very strong. “Vendors have been keen to offer cattle from western regions, including South Australia, Birdsville and Winton. Overall the quality has been better than previous years, especially in young cattle.
“Producers have been comfortable to afford better genetics and this has been evident in the quality of young cattle offered,” Mr Simpkins said. At the time of print, numbers were still being finalised for the year however at the end of November a total of 181,954 head had passed through the Dalby Saleyards for 2016. Agents will start selling at the Dalby Saleyards in 2017 on January 11.
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chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
Hammer falls on US stint
Lincoln McKinlay graduates as auctioneer from World Wide College TAROOM’S Lincoln McKinlay returned home last week after graduating from the World Wide College of Auctioneering. Lincoln (pictured) has spent the past several weeks in Mason City, Iowa, to undertake a course at the renowned auctioneering college and he completed a course of instruction and training. The course covered all phases of auctioneering and was taught by 20 professional instructors. Students received specialised classes in real estate, charity and fundraising work, automobile, farm, antique and specialty auctions, as well as vocal training and auction law. Other subjects included business management, technology, marketing, networking, online auctions and the development of an auction chant and bid
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The pride in what they do and what they are selling is incredible. — Lincoln McKinlay
calling. During the training program, Lincoln also had the opportunity to put the new knowledge into practice by calling a public auction. He said the entire experience was second to none. “The college was amazing, and I got so much more out of the course than what I expected,” Lincoln said. “The auctioneering and learning the American chant was just a small part of it. “The professionalism and integrity in the way they run their businesses is flawless and that is what I hope to bring back to Australia. “The pride in what they do and what they are selling is incredible, and the calibre of instructors was tremendous. “I stayed with Matt Lowery, who is a world champion livestock auctioneer. “After the auction college had ended, I was very fortunate to attend sales for 10 days with Matt. It was one of the best things I have done,” Lincoln said. The World Wide College of Auctioneering was established in 1933 and has trained more than 40,000 auctioneers throughout the world. The college is well known for graduating more world champion and international champion auctioneers than any other school or facility. Lincoln, who works for TopX, will head to the 2017 Sydney Royal Easter Show to contest the Australian young auctioneer’s competition.
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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 5
Leucaena trial promises big things for producers
To fertilise or not to fertilise: Trial holds key to performance boost in Wandoan liveweight results LAURIE Peake is one of three producers in the Wandoan district who is participating in a leucaena trial, and he believes it will deliver some exceptional results. The trial is being run by the Leucaena Network with funding from MLA, and it is being technically assisted by Department of Agriculture and Fisheries staff. The trial aims to determine the impact on liveweight gain in livestock from fertilising leucaena-grass pastures. DAF senior pasture agronomist Stuart Buck said a lot of paddocks, like some of Mr Peake’s
within the Taroom and Wandoan areas, had been converted from old farming country to grass-only or leucaena-grass pastures. “We’ve had quite a few questions from producers asking why cattle performance isn’t as good as what it has been in the past in this district,” Mr Buck said. “This trial aims to demonstrate by soil sampling and determining nutrient levels, that an improvement in cattle liveweight gain can be achieved when fertiliser is applied to soils that are low in key nutrients. “Cattle stocking rate and liveweight gain
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comparisons in fertilised and unfertilised paddocks will be the key indicators of whether fertilising is beneficial,” Mr Buck said. “Biomass of leucaena and pasture will also be measured, together with faecal collections to assess the quality of the diet in animals.” Laurie Peake is looking forward to seeing the results of this trial, having been involved in another similar project that was carried out by the University of Queensland. Mr Peake has 620 acres (250.9ha) of leucaena on his property, Cherwondah, just outside of Wandoan.
He said in the University of Queensland trial, it was obvious that leucaena was highly responsive to fertiliser. “The fertilised paddock had twice the amount of dry matter yield than the unfertilised paddock,” Mr Peake said. “To this day, about eight years on, the fertilised leucaena is still producing a lot more growth than the unfertilised stuff, which to be honest is struggling to survive. “I know fertiliser makes a difference, but it’ll be interesting to see from this MLA funded trial what the difference in liveweight gain is.”
6 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER
chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
Summer puts focus on heat loads and cattle stress Heat stress management vital in feedlots SUMMER has arrived in dramatic style, with most areas enduring temperatures over 40 degrees in the first week of December. For feedlot producers, summer means an increased risk of heat stress in feedlot cattle. There are several ways heat stress can be reduced for cattle, including implementing a number of management strategies. Dr Simone Holt, a consulting nutritionist with Nutrition Service Associates in Toowoomba, has helped develop the current heat load model in the feedlot industry, and works with many feedlots on their heat stress management strategies. She said there were four main components to developing a strategy, that included undertaking a pre-summer review, daily monitoring, developing a stress response plan, and a death loss response plan. “In a pre-summer review feedlots need to assess what did or didn’t work last summer, and change response plans if needed. “All feedlot staff members should be briefed on heat load and undertake some training so they can correctly identify the signs and stages
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I’m a big advocate of making sure pen floors are as clean as possible.
— Dr Simone Holt
of stress in animals relative to heat load. “When it comes to preparing, I’m a big advocate of making sure pen floors are as clean as possible,” Dr Holt said. “Pen conditions play a very important role in helping to reduce heat load, so we need to make sure floors are clean. “Muddy hair coats can reduce the ability of the animal to dissipate heat, so it is important that pen floors are attended to as part of the pre-summer review and then regularly assessed during the summer,” Dr Holt said. Heat stress symptoms include excessive panting, progressing to open-mouthed panting, cattle with their tongues out and restlessness.
BE PREPARED: Managment plans for heat stress in feedlots are vital during our current heatwave. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
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Thursday, December 15, 2016 dalbyherald.com.au
WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 7
DRIVING FORCE: Graham Clapham was the first customer in Australia to purchase the US designed and made Maverick 54” Bad Boy Mower.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
Graham’s on cutting edge
Zero-turn mower technology keeping lawn and farming grassland under control this season THE Western Downs region has experienced a wet winter and, with the summer storm season ahead, one man has hitched on the idea of keeping his lawn and farmland grass under control with the latest zero-turn mower on the market. Graham Clapham is from Clapham Farming Co, a family farming organisation located at Norwin which is 45 minutes north-west of Toowoomba. The Clapham family have a 4600 acre (1861ha) property on which they grow irrigated
cotton, corn and sorghum during summer, and wheat and chickpeas during winter. Graham said when you had a large property used for farming to support a family, everything had to be in top working order. “From the crops to the road verges, even the house lawn – it all has to be kept in check,” Graham said. “We have lots of trees in the house yard to mow around. We’ve found a zero-turn mower is best for this, plus with greater mowing speeds and an even cutting deck, it saves time and
still gets the job done neatly.” Graham was the first customer in Australia to purchase the US designed and made Maverick 54” Bad Boy Mower. “We’ve got a lot of kikuya lawn and, with all the rain that we’ve had, I needed a robust, user-friendly mower to keep it in check during the growing months,” Graham said. “I also use it for the road verges and behind the machinery sheds. For our conditions with a bit of rough ground, it has been an essential value-for-money purchase.”
The Wideland Group of Toowoomba, who are the largest Case IH agricultural dealer in Queensland, is importing the United States designed and made Bad Boy Mowers. It has 31 dealers on-selling the Bad Boy Mower, from Cairns to Sydney. The Wideland Group is proudly Australian owned and operated. For more information about Bad Boy Mowers and a number of other products, visit the friendly staff at the Toowoomba branch located on Carrington Road, or phone (07) 4633 1150.
8 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER
chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
Wet winter doubles wheat yield Family impressed by dryland wheat after high-yielding crop averages 1.2 tonnes to the acre A REMARKABLE wet winter has helped many farmers to harvest some of their best wheat crops in decades. However at the start of the year it didn’t look like that would be the story. Most farmers across the Western Downs region usually try and plant wheat between May and June, but at that stage this year there had been little or no rain. The Speed family from Wandoan recorded an
Pat
inch and a half of rain mid-June and they took the gamble to plant 2500 acres (1011.7ha) of wheat. They started planting at the end of June and were finished by early July. Between July and October, the majority of their planted country had received around nine inches of in-crop rain. As a result, the two pivots that were planted were only run several times.
WEIR MP
Member for Condamine
Pat Weir MP Member for Condamine
The electorate of Condamine is located in the centre of some
Bob Speed said even though the pivots did a good job, it was the dryland wheat that impressed his family the most. “We regard most of our farming country as marginal – it’s undulating and contoured but the result of the dryland wheat this year was very pleasing,” Bob said. “We use wheat as a rotation for our oats country, so we don’t expect a high yielding crop because of the compaction and lack of organic
matter. A breakeven point for us is about 0.6 tonnes to the acre, so we were very happy with this year’s yield which was obviously higher because of the wet winter.” The dryland wheat averaged 1.2 tonnes to the acre; while one pivot which was planted to the Suntop variety as an experiment averaged 2.5 tonnes to the acre. The Speeds harvest their wheat themselves and use it within the family feedlot.
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WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 9
Thursday, December 15, 2016 dalbyherald.com.au
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QUALITY GUARANTEED: Finch Engineering is renowned Australia wide for their quality products. LOCATED in the tiny town of Kaimkillenbun on the Darling Downs is Finch Engineering, a unique family-owned business that is renowned Australia wide for their quality products. Established in 1983 by Des and Keran Finch, Finch Engineering has come a long way from its humble beginnings. It is now regarded as one of the leaders in its field when it comes to grain handling
equipment and agricultural products. Finch Engineering is 100% Australian owned and operated, and the friendly team can do everything to meet a client’s needs on site. They specialise in grain haulout bins and also manufacture mother bins, seed and fertiliser bins, livestock feeders and grain augers. Finch Engineering sales manager Brett Edwards said the company recently released a
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“One thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and support. “We have a service truck available that carries a supply of spare parts readily available for the farmers needs.” Finch Engineering’s premium products are distributed across the countryside, including Western Australia and Victoria. For more information, visit www.finchengineering.com.au.
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10 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER
chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
TOP CROP: It’s been a rewarding year for chickpea growers with record yields and high market prices.
PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
First time chickpea growers are very happy with results Wet winter provided a few anxious moments, but otherwise a decent year for these farmers IT’S been a rewarding year for chickpea growers with record yields and high market prices; however the exceptionally wet winter tested the nerves of most throughout the growing season. Lachlan Drury from Drury Farming Company at Condamine admits he didn’t know what to expect from their 220 hectare crop as it was the first time his family has planted chickpeas. “We decided to grow chickpeas because of the good market prices, but we didn’t know
what would happen given the wet winter we’ve had,” Lachlan said. “The crop wasn’t looking that special come harvest time but the results were good in the end. We averaged about 2.2 tonnes to the hectare and we were happy with that. “Chickpeas are one of those crops that need a higher return because of the high input costs, to keep up with disease and pest management. “At this stage I think we will plant chickpeas
again next year because for us, it’s a very good crop rotation.” Chickpeas are now one of Queensland’s top grain crops, according to Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne. “Over the last two decades, chickpeas have risen in prominence to become a highly profitable crop with a key position in the local farming systems,” the Minister said. “Last season, the gross value of our chickpea production soared to a record high of
$441 million. There is no sign of a slow-down in the popularity of chickpeas either with farmers or consumers. “Queensland producers have risen to the challenge of increased demand for chickpeas overseas, driving a 176% rise in export values in the year to September.” The Minister said the latest estimate was that Queensland chickpea exports would be worth $649 million – up from $235 million just a year ago.
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Thursday, December 15, 2016 dalbyherald.com.au
WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 11
Taroom cattle competition offers $20,000 in prizes
THE Taroom Show Society is encouraging producers to start selecting their led steers and heifers so they’re in with a chance to win a share of a prize pool worth over $5000. Committee members are starting to organise the 2017 Taroom Show led steer and heifer competition, which was revamped this year in an effort to attract more exhibitors. Rabobank were the major sponsor in 2016, and their generosity helped to offer $5000 in prizes, which is arguably one of the richest led
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We’ve tried to encourage the youth to be part of our show as they are the future.
— Ben Adams
steer and heifer competitions in Queensland. But it’s not only the led steers and heifers that have a chance of earning some cash. This year the entire cattle section at the Taroom Show offered just over $20,000 worth of money and prizes and 2017 looks to be even bigger and better. The commercial cattle section runs classes for both store and prime cattle, while there is a full program for stud cattle, including the prestigious Super Bull Challenge. The winners of this feature class are determined by both judges and the crowd through a voting system. The Super Bull Challenge winner walked away with $1000 this year. Chief steward of the stud cattle section Ben
CATTLE SHOW: The 2016 Taroom Show cattle section offered over $20,000 of cash and prizes and next year looks to be even bigger. Adams said they hope to see more schools bring their show teams in 2017. “We’ve tried to encourage the youth to be part of our show as they are the future,” Mr Adams said.
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“We live in some of the best cattle country there is in Queensland and we now lay claim to having one of the best cattle sections of any regional show in Queensland. “We have a great list of sponsors, many of
which are local and they are all keen to throw their support behind our industry.” For more information, visit the Taroom Show Society website or search for them on Facebook.
12 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER
chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
Dalby ambassador attends Singapore show conference Hayden Todd discusses sustainable farming, networking and the importance of education
AGRI-BUSINESS: Queensland representatives at the RASC conference in Singapore Michelle Mesner, Hayden Todd, and Kate Todd. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED children and adults,” Hayden said. “Some of the highlights for me were the networking opportunities, between the young and older generations, and between people from all different agricultural and shows societies throughout the commonwealth. “Meeting HRH Princess Royal Princess Anne, who is the president of RASC, was pretty well up there as well.” Conference delegates enjoyed a number of property tours, including one to Sky Green Vertical Farm. “At Sky Greens, they are literally growing hydroponics vertically to increase efficiency,” Hayden said.
“They can grow up to 10 times more yield per land space. “It was interesting to note a lot of the smaller farming enterprises are very integrated. “We visited an intensive goat dairy, where the business milks and markets their products. “They have about 800 productive goats and produce both natural and flavoured milk. “They import all their hay from America and the grain from Australia,” he said. “We also went to a vegetable and flower farm, and the Nanyang Technology University. “This was a great opportunity to interact and learn from the local university students that
are studying agriculture. “One of the biggest take home messages for me is to surround yourself with like-minded people, and travel to see the bigger picture. That’s where Queensland Agricultural shows play a big part,” Hayden said. Hayden is the Darling Downs delegate to the board of directors for Queensland Agricultural Shows, which allows him to support young people within the agricultural industry. Hayden grew up showing cattle and competing in the junior cattle competitions, and today enjoys breeding horses and cattle. He also works full time at the Dalby State High School as the livestock manager.
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AS ONE of the current Rural Ambassador representatives for Queensland Agricultural Shows, Dalby’s Hayden Todd recently attended the Royal Agricultural Societies of the Commonwealth conference in Singapore. And while the conference had an underlying theme of shows, the program focused heavily on agricultural and how to bridge to divide between urban and rural communities. Hayden said some of the other key themes were food security and sustainable farming. “The conference focused on how we need to dig deeper to achieve sustainable farming. It also emphasised how we can make it all workthe roll of shows and education, for both
Sky Green Vertical Farms in Singapore utilises space to grow crops hydroponically. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
WESTERN DOWNS FARMER 13
Thursday, December 15, 2016 dalbyherald.com.au
HOG WILD: Producers are being encouraged to register for a series of upcoming pest management workshops.
PHOTO: JOHN CARNEMOLLA
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landholders get ahead of the game and access the most up-to-date tools to deal with pest animals on their land, including PAPP baits and Canid Pest Ejectors.” Queensland Farmers’ Federation project manager Ross Henry said eligible producers would qualify for a chemical accreditation card for nationally recognised units of training as well as a certificate of participation for the pest animal management training. “The workshops held over the past few months have proven very popular with about 200 landholders from areas such as the Darling Downs, Central Queensland, South-East Queensland, South-West Queensland and North Queensland taking part," Mr Henry said. “We now want to hear from landholders and producers where they would like workshops in 2017." The workshops are tailored for producers in a range of sectors including beef, sheep, grain, cane, cotton, horticulture, poultry and pigs. For more information and to register your interest , visit www.agforceprojects.org.au or call (07) 3238 6048.
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PRODUCERS across the Western Downs region are being encouraged to register their interest for an upcoming series of pest management workshops, which will be delivered by AgForce. The workshops provide landholders and primary producers with the latest information regarding tools and techniques to tackle feral pests. AgForce Projects vertebrate pests officer Damien Ferguson said 20 free workshops had been held throughout Queensland since September to train landholders in chemical handling safety and pest management. Another 30 are being planned for the first half of 2017. “Feral animals cost the Queensland agriculture industry hundreds of millions of dollars each and every year,” Mr Ferguson said. “From cane and banana growers in the north, to cattle and sheep producers in the far west, and fruit and vegetable growers in the south-east, Queensland primary producers are all battling various pest animals which threaten the viability of their operations if not controlled. “These new workshops are aimed at helping
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14 WESTERN DOWNS FARMER
chinchillanews.com.au Thursday, December 15, 2016
42nd annual Dalby Stock Horse Sale
Sale brings out the crowd
WHILE some people spent the weekend cooling off in the pool or air-conditioning, stock horse enthusiasts from around the country flocked to the Dalby Showgrounds for the 42nd annual Dalby Australian Stock Horse Sale. The sale, run by Darling Downs Branch Australian Stock Horse Society and Grant Daniel & Long, resulted in 191 horses sold for a gross of a whopping $1,634,500. Of the 117 mares offered,
93 were sold, with Lot 25 taking out the top price at $50, 000. A total of 100 geldings were up for auction with 94 sold and a top of $15,000. Four out of five stallions were sold with a top of $15,000. “It’s the biggest stock horse sale in Australia; nothing beats it,” DDASHS president Jim Ryan said. “We’ve got a very good committee which makes it
Charles Wright from Hellidon and Brian O'Sullivan from Laidley at the 42nd annual Dalby Stockhorse Sale on Saturday.
wonderful; we’re very happy with the support the town has given us... we’re starting to get recognised as one of the biggest events on the books. “We could turn this into a big event for the whole town, we’d love to get more people involved to make it bigger and better...it puts a lot of money back into the community.” For more information and full results visit www. dalbystockhorsesale.com.au.
ALL DRESSED UP: Georgia McDonald and Lorraine Williams at the 42nd annual Dalby Stockhorse Sale on Saturday. PHOTOS: JESSICA BAHR
The highest selling mare at the Dalby Stockhorse Sale went for $50,000.
There were 93 mares sold out of 117 offered, with a top of $50,000 for Lot 25 at the Dalby Stockhorse Sale.
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