AgLife – December 20, 2023 edition by The Weekly Advertiser

December 20, 2023

Mixed bag Shannon Bros harvest staff Will Nagorcka, left, Jack Hicks and Tyler Filcock with delivered beans at the Horsham receival site. Following recent rain, grain quality is decreasing across the Wimmera as farmers work through a stop-start season. Story, page 45. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

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Rain dampens production values 95 Nelson Street, Nhill CALL 03 5391 2106

BY ABBY WALTER

ignificant rain across the Wimmera, Mallee and Grampians has put a damper on the final weeks of harvest as grain quality decreases.

Shannon Bros grain handler Briley Monahan said grain deliveries were a mixed bag this season. “We started with some good quality, but that changed following rain. It’s been stop-start across the past few weeks,” she said. “At the beginning, farmers thought it was teeing up to be an average year, so they were happy with quality and yield, but now things are looking grim and more disappointing.” Ms Monahan said the rain had started to degrade the grain being delivered. “Wheat can start to shoot and lentils can start to split on the outside,” she said. Ms Monahan said Shannon Bros was building four new bunkers at its Horsham site. “It’s a result of the past few bumper years, which this year looks to be, too, in terms of yield,” she said. “There’s heaps of grain around and plenty to be harvested. It will just be poorer quality from now until the end of the season.” Wimmera farmer Ross Johns owns property between Dimboola and Warracknabeal and said since a 40-mil-

HELPING HANDS: Will Nagorcka, Jack Hicks and Tyler Filcock with delivered beans at Shannon Bros in Horsham. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER limetre dumping in November, he had recorded another 25mm of rain at his farm. “It kept us out of the paddock for a week,” he said. “Balance is what we needed; it certainly gave workers quite a bit of a rest during the first rain, but now it’s becoming a little bit of a nuisance. “From a farmer’s perspective, rain is always good in Australia – just sometimes, it could be more convenient.” Mr Johns said harvest resumed at his farm last week. “There have been various qualities. We will have to wait and see how it pans out, but we’re back going again,” he said.

“I think the chance of finishing before Christmas has well and truly evaporated.” Mr Johns said no-one could change the weather, so it had to be accounted for when planning long-term on farms. “We have to take what comes and work with the situation that presents,” he said. “In one year in eight, or one year in 10, the grain that’s left on the straw gets weather damage, so we have to be realistic about that. “We’ve certainly had worse seasons to start. I can recall a year, I think it was 1992, where we did not start harvesting wheat until after Christmas, which was very unusual.

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“But what’s been unusual about this recent weather is the humidity. It’s been high with very muggy conditions, which is pretty unusual for the Wimmera. “Normally, at this time of year we get very hot, dry conditions – perfect for harvesting.” Despite the quantity of grain harvested this season, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, ABARES, predicts the value of production will decrease due to international supply and climate forecasts. ABARES acting executive director David Galeano said the forecast for total agricultural production values in

2023-24 was $78 billion. This is $16 billion lower than estimated production values for 2022-23, but would still be the third-highest result on record,” he said. “The gross value of production is forecast to fall in 2023-24 as drier conditions impact record-high crop production levels seen in 2022-23. “In total, Australian crop production values are expected to fall by $12 billion in 2023-24. “Falling production values and incomes are also linked to declining global prices that are reflective of higher global supply.” Mr Galeano said the past three years saw record-breaking crop production because of high rain totals. “As we enter the El Niño period, we expect to see the national crop production fall from these record highs,” he said. “Crop prospects for winter crops during spring have been mixed, and planting of summer crops in 2023-24 is expected to fall, reflecting belowaverage rain and low soil moisture levels during the early planting window. “Drier conditions and lower prices mean average broadacre farm cash incomes are forecast to fall strongly in 2023-24. However, the past three years of high incomes have allowed broadacre farms to build up liquid assets, which should help cushion the forecast downturn.”

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In The Paddock With Jack and Charlie Meet your local specialists Jack “I grew up on a small farm in the southern Wimmera around the Grampians before moving away to study a Bachelor of Science and then a Diploma Of Agronomy.” “I’ve worked in the Nutrien network for 3 years and cover a large area based out of Horsham and Stawell. I have a special interest is mixed farming agronomy incorporating both broadacre cropping and also perennial and annual pasture.”

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Charlie “My name is Charlie Gardner and I have been with Nutrien Horsham since February 2023 as an agronomist.” “I grew up on a family farm near Frances, South Australia, and yes I am from the ‘other side’ of the border, before moving over to Horsham to complete my studies at Longy College.” “I am passionate about all things farming and especially enjoy the benefits technology has to offer agriculture.” Page 46

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“Outside of work, I enjoy footy, heading home to help out on the farm or catching up with mates for a beer. I look forward to getting to know as many people as possible and am always up for a chat about anything, especially farming!” We would like to wish everyone a safe and successful harvest and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We have decided to leave you with one final thought to ponder over the break; Are you truly getting the best service from your agronomy team, and how do you know what the best service is until you actually experience it? Please do not hesitate to contact either Jack or Charlie over the break, and we look forward to our next article in the Ag Life segment. Contact Charlie: 0456 597 009 charlie.gardner@nutrien.com.au Contact Jack: 0458 486 456 jack.purcell@nutrien.com.au

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Cost or revenue?

here was an interesting article recently quoting a major bank’s head of business and private banking.

He says it’s inevitable banks will soon charge higher interest rates for businesses that don’t have credible plans to reduce emissions. And this is not just an expectation on big business, it applies to small and medium-sized businesses as well, including farms. When I think about the cropping industry, we’ve been on a journey of evolving farm practices to reduce emissions for years. We’ve seen the introduction of pulses to improve soil fertility and reduce the reliance on applied nitrogen. The move to minimum tillage resulting in vastly reduced use of diesel. Stubble retention techniques almost eliminating the need to burn crop residues. And on many farms, the planting of trees to form shelter belts or add to farm biodiversity. But have we measured any of this? Can we demonstrate to a bank, a regulator, a government or even the public, the very real steps we’ve taken to ensure we’re already on the journey of reducing emissions. On our farm we hadn’t previously turned our mind to quantifying the positive impact of these changes to

From left field with David Matthews

farm practices. But it’s pretty clear we’ll have to. The bit I’m finding difficult is where to start. There’s so much noise coming from so many organisations about climate change and the implications for farm businesses. Who do we listen to? Where are the credible sources of information and advice? It was pleasing to see in the bank article, they are working with a group of business customers to develop the tools to measure and monitor emissions. We need this type of leadership from key organisations who have the resources and capability to equip us with what is likely to become important tools of our trade. And as we develop the knowledge and skills to understand and manage our farm emissions, can we turn this from what feels like a regulatory burden, a cost to our business, to a financial benefit? Had a meeting a couple of weeks ago with a group called Partners In Performance. They are a global consulting firm

and one of their focus areas is advising industry on reducing emissions, but in a way that improves business efficiency and profitability. The technology is close where it will be viable to set up self sufficient farms. We generate and store all the power we need. We become part of a virtual power plant or micro grid where we supply power to other business and households. And over time, we use more battery powered heavy vehicles, re-charged by power we generate on farm and further reducing diesel use. And a concept I found really exciting, the capacity to set up mirco urea plants. Producing our own nitrogen fertiliser from renewable energy. So from a business perspective, there is some upside in this. The need to reduce emissions is driving innovation. And while we’re a long way from knowing all the answers, I think it’s time we climbed on board. • The Weekly Advertiser recognises and thanks David Matthews for his monthly contributions to AgLife, with this marking his final article after two years of service.

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While Longerenong College endeavours to break first-year enrolment records, new accommodation buildings will open in time for the 2024 school year. Longerenong College general manager Avril Hogan said three seven-bedroom units and three four-bedroom units would open next year. She said the seven-bedroom units would house second-year students, while visiting teachers, people attending conferences and other visitors would use the four-bedroom units.

“We also have a new 100-person conference centre which can be used as a classroom,” she said. “We’re beginning to shut down any end-of-life buildings we have.” Ms Hogan said the college would welcome its largest-ever first-year class in 2024. “We have 68 students already and will have to cap it at 80 or 90,” she said. “O-Week starts on February 7 for firstyear students and classes will start on February 12.”

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Agronomist: Prepare for everything 95 Nelson Street, Nhill CALL 03 5391 2106

BY ABBY WALTER

nother atypical start to summer across the Wimmera and southern Mallee has caused a slow and delayed harvest across the region.

Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey said recent rain was not what anybody had hoped for come December. “The season for crops was looking great in terms of yield, as the yields coming in have been pretty fantastic across the state,” he said. “I don’t know how much grain will be downgraded due to rain. What I can say is the amount potentially being downgraded is nowhere near the amount that was first thought. “There are some areas of the Mallee which had a large amount of rain and it’s hard to see that not being downgraded.” Mr Grey said some areas of the west Wimmera were still not trafficable last week due to heavy rain. “It’s hard to see some of that not being downgraded, too, but generally a lot of other areas that had 25 millimetres and 35mm the next week have so far managed to get out of that,” he said. “We’re all hoping we can get crop off before the next big rain, whenever that might be.” More than 70mm of rain was record-

UNUSUAL WEATHER: Karl Meyer captured lightning over the Grampians from Big Hill at Stawell during recent storm events in the region. ed at Horsham in November, followed by almost 30mm in December to date. Stawell recorded 39.8mm in November and 36.6mm in December to date, while Ararat recorded 28.3mm in November and almost 40mm so far this month. Despite a 96mm tally recorded at Nhill by the end of November, it has only seen 17mm since. Warracknabeal recorded some of the lower rain tallies of the region with 24.6mm in November and 18.8mm in December to date.

Edenhope recorded 57.4mm in November, 20mm above average, and 40.4mm in December to date, about nine millimetres above average. Hopetoun recorded 59.8mm for November, almost 30mm above average, but only 0.6mm in December to date, well below a 27.4mm average. Rain at Hopetoun, Edenhope, Ararat and Stawell is tracking below yearly average, while Warracknabeal is on track for an average year and at Nhill and Horsham rain tallies are above average.

Mr Grey said summer was an ‘interesting time’ for weather. Once the model ticked over for a drier November, we pretty much had a quick flip over to what was looking like a summer pattern with rain coming down the east coast,” he said. “The El Niño is still mucking around. It fired up in November for the first time for the year, but as of now, it backed off again in terms of its intensity.” Mr Grey said with the biggest positive Indian Ocean Dipole, IOD, he

has ever seen, and El Niño, it was hard to comprehend the weather and rain affecting eastern Australia was happening. “The reason for that is a bit uncertain, but what is different at the moment is the Timor Sea and the Coral Sea are way warmer than they would be normally,” he said. “We would normally expect with positive IOD and El Niño that area would be much cooler than normal with much less evaporation. “It would be situating a big high pressure over the top of us, and we would be getting heaps of clear skies and struggling to buy rain. “It simply has not been happening.” Mr Grey said a reason for that could be during summer, the two climate drivers have variable impacts on rain. “During El Niño, there’s not equal dry over time – it’s usually meant anything is possible,” he said. “When we look at the models, three are sniffing drier in the wind in the next three months, we have a majority of models not showing anything could happen and one model predicting the next three months look wetter. “If I was on the land, I would be preparing for anything during summer. “The one thing that is common is all models are predicting summer will be warmer and that’s not atypical when we have El Niño during summer.”

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Memories of Horsham

s I sit and write my last column of the year, I’m wondering what the heck I can write about that’s interesting.

So I thought I’d let you in on a few secrets of my connection with the Wimmera. A whimsical look at my fleeting but memorable visits. I grew up in Adelaide and with relatives in Melbourne. We would make a trip of driving over every couple years. It seemed like an incredible adventure, despite the back seat squabbling with my two older siblings. Every time we drove into Kaniva, all three kids would yell out, ‘Dad, Kaniva an icecream?’ To which he’d always reply, ‘Not until we’re in Horsham’. So, Horsham, to me, was icecream city. Fast-forward 30 years and I’m attending a rural conference in Horsham. I don’t remember what the conference was. All I can remember is my cheap hotel room being right on the Western Highway and being woken several times a night thinking a semi was going to make a most unwelcome visit. Then, let’s go a little more forward to the early 2000s. I received a handwritten letter asking if I’d like to visit Beulah and go horse riding with a few locals. It was strangely enticing. My marriage had ended, and I thought, why

Country Today with Libby Price

not? I’m big enough and ugly enough to look after myself. So off I went, horse and float in tow, for my first holiday with Squatter Coffey and his tribe. The following year I took my two children, aged seven and eight, who had never been on a horse before. Add to that, they couldn’t understand the local lingo, so I had to diligently explain to them that ‘Sheila’ wasn’t a person, it was a word that country people used to refer to women. That was just the beginning of understanding the bush code and drinking tea from a billy. Needless to say, he wasn’t impressed and ditched the horse riding to go and play pool with Squatter’s son, which was far more exciting. My daughter delighted in being given permission to laugh when she was asked to pull a bloke’s finger and they farted. Not an experience she’d encountered growing up in Melbourne. A few years on and we’re at another conference in Horsham, staying at a local hotel. Again, I have no recollection of what the conference was about, just that as we left the hotel, another

visitor said as passing, ‘Bon Jour!’ As soon as he was out of earshot we collapsed laughing. Not the place I expected to encounter a very amiable Frenchman. And now to my favourite Wimmera story. I was on the hunt for a retired race horse, so we rang a local trainer and asked what he had. He said there were a few I might like in Rupanyup, but he couldn’t show me, his parents would oblige. So on our journey back to Melbourne, we met up with his father who told us to follow him to where the horses were. He had a kelpie tied up on the tray of his ute and as we followed, it started dry retching. Eventually, it successfully produced an entire sheep foetus right before our very eyes. We arrived and I advised the chap that his dog wasn’t very well. I won’t say what he said, but the offensive result was shovelled off the ute and we carried on as if nothing had happened. I ended up buying the horse who is now retired after going on to become my most successful eventer who ended up coming fifth at Adelaide 5 star International Horse Trials. That’s Olympic level. Not with me as the jockey, but I’ll be forever grateful for the whimsy of the Wimmera.

95 Nelson Street, Nhill CALL 03 5391 2106

FOR A CAUSE: Edenhope shearer Nathanial ‘Chubb’ Gula shows off his chopped locks after he raised more than $1500 for the Hunter Boyle children’s swim program. Mr Gula’s in-laws, Ash and Matt’s son Hunter Boyle, 2, died in August 2020 when he drowned in a farm dam. Hunter’s parents established the swim program, launched in 2021 in Shepparton. The program provides swimming lessons and swimming equipment to children and their parents or carers, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to access them. Mr Gula’s hair, which he had been growing for four years, will be donated to make men’s wigs. People can continue to donate to the program at givenow.com. au/cr/hunterboyleswim Picture: DIANA LEE SAVILLE

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Spray drift focus N

ational grain producer groups are calling for increased vigilance on spray drift prevention to safeguard the industry’s productivity and performance.

With summer weed spraying coming into focus, Grain Producers Australia and GrainGrowers urge members to brush up on best practice and make use of available resources. GrainGrowers is planning to launch a grower-focused online hub, which seeks to provide growers with easy access to upto-date resources on spray drift management, including a new video training series. GrainGrowers chief executive Shona Gawel said the grains industry was committed to meeting the challenge and minimising issues by ensuring best practice was always followed. “The majority of growers take their land stewardship responsibilities very seriously and follow procedures that allow them to spray weeds effectively and efficiently and in a way that protects the surrounding environment,” she said. “Knowing what to do, checking your conditions, and considering your neighbours by notifying

them of your spray plan, are three simple steps to follow.” Both grain bodies have thrown their support behind a proactive, national approach to stop it from happening again. The groups committed to working co-operatively to drive positive and practical changes to help the industry remain productive and sustainable.

Vigilant application

Grain Producers Australia southern grower director Andrew Weidemann said it was critical to manage spray drift properly and be vigilant with application, to ensure growers maintained access to critical on-farm tools to help drive productivity and sustainability. Mr Weidemann is also the independent chair of the National Working Party on Pesticide Application. It was established in 2010 to conduct targeted research relating to spray drift and inform the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s policy on spray drift. Mr Weidemann said most growers did the right thing most of the time and followed product labels – but complacency on pesticide application was not an option,

in the modern Australian grains industry. “Spray drift is an ongoing challenge for the industry, and there have been substantive investments in practice improvement, training and education opportunities and technology to reduce off-target incidents from spray application and improve stewardship, but there are no excuses,” he said. Grain Producers Australia northern director Matthew Madden said growers and representative groups recognised a strong and effective regulatory system was needed to protect the majority of growers who were compliant by weeding out offenders with precise action and penalties. “At the end of the day we need to recognise effective enforcement activity is also a key ingredient of success, which supports and encourages best-practice, by ensuring there are real consequences for those who aren’t upholding the same high standards as others,” he said. “We need a system that protects those operating within the rules and penalises those putting other growers at risk, with non-compliant activities.”

95 Nelson Street, Nhill CALL 03 5391 2106

END OF AN ERA: Gurjit Sondhu, who featured in season one of ‘Farmer Wants a Healthy Life’ podcast, with producer and host Brigitte Muir, OAM.

Fourth and final podcast series West Wimmera Health Service has released its fourth and final ‘Farmer Wants a Healthy Life’ podcast season. The health service’s health promotion team created the collection of candid stories from farmers and rural residents across the Wimmera and southern Mallee following feedback from rural communities, as a way of sparking conversations about health and wellbeing. The podcast shares tell-all health and well-being truths from those living rural lifestyles, helping listeners relate to common health themes and concerns, to help them navigate their health journeys. Season four closes out the series with episodes covering topics including alcoholism; anxiety; a Swedish woman’s take on ‘paddock to plate’ on her Australian farm; farm safety for children; connection to land – working with it, not on it; dogs helping to minimise mental health impacts; family and

domestic violence; gambling effects on families; bio-dynamic farming; and farm fitness. West Wimmera Health Service health promotion manager Dorothy McLaren said people in the community, when asked how they wanted to receive health messages, indicated they wanted to hear from others in similar situations and lifestyles. “So the podcast was born, sharing relatable stories of people living the rural lifestyle and how it changes and impacts their health choices,” she said. “It has been wonderful to have so many inspiring locals on the podcast, speaking openly about how they’ve overcome adversities in ways that may surprise you. “We’re hopeful the podcast has inspired listeners to make choices to improve their own health, to live and thrive.” The podcast is available at wwhs.net.au/ Farmer-wants-a-healthy-life, Apple, Spotify and other podcast apps.

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Expanding enrolments

s Longerenong College prepares for the arrival of a new year, a notable surge in interest in agriculture is sparked by the strong seasons and sees students considering agricultural pathways.

This is evident in the dramatically increased enrolment numbers for our agricultural programs. In 2020, we welcomed 52 students. The momentum continues with 68 already signed up for 2024, prompting us to host two classes of first-year students for the first time. We are excited to introduce a biosecurity class and expand our agronomy program to include more precision agriculture and carbon farming. The success of our apprenticeship and traineeship programs continues to shine, allowing students to work on farms and attend Longerenong College for focused learning periods. This has been instrumental in fostering practical skills, and providing on-farm labour. Responding to the evolving needs of our students, we are restructur-

95 Nelson Street, Nhill CALL 03 5391 2106

Growing skills with Avril Hogan

Longerenong College general manager

ing our program delivery format for the upcoming year, offering flexibility for students pursuing diverse qualifications. Certificate IV in Agriculture and Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management will be taught on Mondays and Tuesdays, a Diploma of Applied Agronomy and Certificate IV in Wool Classing will be taught Wednesdays and Thursdays, and short courses including chainsaws, side by sides, chem courses as well as Certificate II in Farm Skills are taught on Thursdays and Fridays. During 2023 we hosted school camps and had more than 250 students visit the college. This provided a taste of the various areas of agriculture including livestock, agronomy, climate and soil, precision agriculture, ag tech and agribusiness.

TEAMWORK: Shearers, from left. Josh Bone, Roger Mifsud and Corey Mifsud with roustabouts Bec Webb, Fi Patison and Fluff Hodge at the 24-hour shear-a-thon. Picture: KRISTY CRAWLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

‘Shear-a-thon’ donations rolling in Donations continue to roll in weeks after the third iteration of a ‘24-hour Shear Madness’ event, which is raising money for mental health support. Roger Mifsud, with his sons Brody and Corey, of Stawell, Josh and Brandon Bone, of Nhill, and Phil Edwards, of south-west Victoria, were the shearing team. A team of about 50 people supported the shearers throughout the initiative. From 9am on Friday, December 8 to 5pm the following day, the six shearers shore sheep, non-stop, to fundraise for LET’S TALK.

Shear Madness committee member Brooke Siegle said the team was well on its way to raising $90,000 for the cause. She said donations had not stopped rolling in since the ‘Shear-a-thon’ and people could visit ‘24hr Shear Madness’ on Facebook to donate. The team shore more than 2500 sheep during the event. LET’S TALK advocates for the need to discuss mental health and break the stigma of seeking support. The first ever Shear Madness event was in 2018, when Roger and Corey

shore 1542 sheep to raise awareness and money for muscular dystrophy. A total of $45,000 was raised and shared between the Gillian Boys Foundation and Save Our Sons Duchenne Foundation. In 2021, Brody joined the shearers to shear 2822 sheep and raise $78,252 for Merri River School in Warrnambool, Skene Street School in Stawell and programs for carers of children with special needs. The fundraiser was in honour of Corey’s son Levi, who has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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The 2024 AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship, aimed at supporting the next generation of industry leaders, is open for applications. Created in collaboration with industry sponsors, the scholarship is designed to support full-time university students who are pursuing agriculture-related undergraduate and STEM degrees with majors aligned to the industry. The scholarship provides a $5000 annual bursary for the final two years of the recipient’s degree. AgriFutures Australia acting general manager of workforce, communications and adoption Jennifer Galloway said the program offered

an opportunity to engage in professional development workshops and equipped recipients with tools to elevate skills and expand their knowledge. “Recipients will have the opportunity to complete annual industry work placements. It also connects them to industry events, providing valuable insights into Australian agriculture. This helps recipients grow personally and professionally, making meaningful contributions to agriculture and rural communities possible.” More information and applications are available at agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/ horizon-scholarship

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ore trucks, tractors and heavy agricultural machinery are travelling on Wimmera roads as harvest continues across the region.

Department of Transport and Planning executive director Barwon South West and Grampians Michael Bailey said drivers should be cautious on the road as Victorian farmers prepared to transport millions of tonnes of crops and grain during the coming months. “Hundreds of trucks, tractors and heavy agricultural machinery are expected to hit our roads as a result of strong winter crops in many areas across the Grampians,” he said. “Farming and agriculture activities are a vital part of regional Victoria’s economy, playing a key role in the state’s recovery from the global pandemic and, more recently, the devastating 2022 floods.” Mr Bailey said drivers should slow down when they see machinery on the road, maintain a safe distance from the vehicle and only pass when they have a clear view of the road ahead. “Wider or slower vehicles may also have a pilot vehicle travelling ahead. It’s vital drivers obey directions and pay attention to signs,” he said. Mr Bailey said it was important drivers and operators of heavy machinery were well-rested. “Farmers often work longer hours during harvest and it’s important operators of heavy machinery are aware of how they’re feeling and ensure they’re alert and fit to drive,” he said. “Road users are also reminded to take extra care and observe temporary speed restrictions while crews work to maintain and improve key freight routes and to be vigilant around level crossings, with more freight trains operating on the regional network to move the grain.

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“We all have a role to play to keep our roads safe and ensure all Victorians get home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day.” The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, NHVR, launched a ‘We ALL Need Space’ campaign, to promote safely sharing the road with heavy vehicles this holiday season. A recent NHVR study surveyed 1000 drivers across Australia and found 51 percent of motorists experienced anxiety or nervousness when driving near heavy vehicles. The survey revealed while drivers believed they had some understanding of how to safely share the road with heavy vehicles, just 32 percent felt knowledgeable about the rules.

Etiquette

The campaign focuses on overtaking trucks, caravan etiquette and encouraging light vehicle drivers to remember trucks have much larger blind spots and need more space to stop. NHVR chief executive Sal Petroccitto said it was apparent there were gaps in motorists’ knowledge. He said the campaign aimed to encourage people to educate themselves, so both motorists and truck drivers reached their destination safely. “Our truck drivers are the real Santa Clauses of Australia, tirelessly working during the holidays to ensure our gifts are delivered and our supermarkets are stocked,” he said. “It’s important to remember that roads are their workplace and to treat them with respect. They play a crucial role in our festive spirit and economy, so we must ensure their safety, and ours.” More information about the campaign and driving safely near heavy vehicles is available at nhvr.gov.au/weallneedspace

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Declining trend

ell into the throes of harvest, the prices of grain look vastly different to those of last season.

While most export prices have slightly increased compared to two weeks ago, compared to 2022-23, it is a declining trend. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported Australian export grain prices, as of December 14, have declined between 10 and 27 percent compared to the same time last year. Milling wheat exported at $462 a tonne, feed wheat sold for $442 a tonne and feed barley exported at $4389 a tonne. Canola exported at $766 a tonne and experienced the largest annual change. In the Wimmera, Cargill’s Pricing Hub recorded bid prices for APW1 wheat last week were about $335; barley between $288 and $300; and canola at $555 to $580 a tonne. Rabobank’s fourth quarter Rural Confidence Survey indicated while Victoria reported lower farmer confidence levels, national confidence had increased marginally. Confidence dropped to the fourth lowest level in the survey’s history in the previous quarter. The survey found 55 percent of farmers anticipate economic conditions will worsen.

Sixty-four percent of farmers attributed their negative outlook to softer commodities and 45 percent were concerned about drought. Rabobank group executive for Country Banking Australia, Marcel van Doremaele, said this reflected the mixed seasonal conditions experienced across the nation. “Although commodity prices paired with seasonal concerns are the underlying drivers of sentiment this quarter, drilling down into individual commodities reveals the diversity of market conditions facing Australian farmers,” he said. “This is where global factors really hit home for Australian growers, as the supply-demand tussle for grains and oilseeds are better balanced than the previous two seasons, pushing prices relatively lower. In the livestock industry, lamb numbers at Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange are increasing into December. On November 22, 8450 sheep and lambs were yarded, followed by 9700 on November 29 and 10,400 on December 6. On December 13, 7150 lambs and 3200 sheep were yarded with quality ranging from plain to good. Graham Pymer’s market report on Wednesday last week showed

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the usual buying group plus extra trade competition operated with enthusiasm on suitable lambs to create a dearer market. Medium and heavy trade-weight lambs sold from $141 to $176, while heavier weights sold from $184 to $200 a head. Light-weight lambs sold from $109 to $135 a head. Light-weight sheep sold from $17 to $36 a head and medium-weight sheep from $24 to $53 a head. Heavy merino wethers sold for up to $78, merino ewes for up to $65 and crossbred ewes for up to $69. Rams sold for up to $20 a head. Mr van Doremaele said after a tough run for sheep producers, confidence was starting to improve in the sector. “We can thank rainfall events across the east coast for an improvement in markets as producers have more confidence to retain stock after a period of destocking,” he said. “Improved feed availability prospects have increased demand pressure, especially for lighter stock. “However, this price rise is expected to be tempered with the seasonal influx of stock into the market, through summer and into autumn.”

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EXPERIMENT: Agriculture Victoria is partnering with Wimmera Catchment Management Authority to establish the impact of agriculture practises on productivity at an experiment site at Longerenong.

Long-term soil research trial Agriculture Victoria is hoping to resolve soil carbon decline in cropping systems as a new round of soil research gets underway as part of a long-term experiment based at Longerenong. The Sustainable Cropping Rotations in Mediterranean Environments, SCRIME, experiment started 25 years ago to examine the impact of different crop and pasture rotations and tillage systems on agricultural productivity in medium rain climates in southern Australia. Agriculture Victoria senior soil scientist Roger Armstrong said data collected from the last soil monitoring campaign in 2018, before recent wet years, showed soil carbon was declining to varying degrees across all crop rotations. “The crop rotation that had the least decline in soil carbon was one that included a high frequency of legumes in its rotation,” he said.

“Crop rotations weren’t able to halt the slow decline of soil carbon, even when zero tillage residue retention systems were adopted.” Professor Armstrong said the Wimmera region had returned to a series of better seasonal conditions since 2018. “It will be interesting to see how the different rotation and tillage systems we are examining have impacted on soil carbon,” he said. “Soil is a precious resource that underpins the profitability and sustainability of farming and soil carbon is another challenge for farmers to manage.” SCRIME is part of Agriculture Victoria’s long-term trial network and the current round of soil carbon monitoring is a co-investment between Agriculture Victoria and the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority.

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