AgLife – August 30, 2023 edition

Growing a social, thriving network

BY ABBY WALTER

Gather, Grow and Thrive is returning to Rupanyup, bringing together rural women for connection and celebration.

Partners in Ag is hosting the event in association with Rupanyup Living, The Wimmera Grain Store and Seed ’n’ Sprout on September 8.

Partners in Ag business development officer Katherine Colbert said the event was for rural women from across the Wimmera, Mallee and beyond.

“We aim to balance the day between education, guest speakers, celebrating what we grow locally in the Wimmera and social connection,” she said.

“Last year was our first event, but the idea has been 10 years in the making.”

Rupanyup Living owner Claire Morgan, also a project working group member, said she had been speaking with Wimmera Grain Store’s Jenny Moore, nee Matthews, about the need for a rural gathering in the region for several years.

“We felt something was missing in the region for people to come together. I spoke to Katherine and Partners in Ag to see if they wanted to work with me to help bring it all together,” she said.

“It’s all about connection, conversation and support we can create, which we need.”

Ms Morgan said people travelled from across the state to attend last year’s event.

“The noise and chatter was amazing when everyone was gathering at the tables. It was beautiful; I had goosebumps,” she said.

“My favourite part was seeing everyone in the room and the buzz that comes from people coming together to celebrate living rurally and the connections we make.

“It’s also a chance to support local businesses and highlight what we do and provide in the region.”

Ms Morgan said Gather, Grow and Thrive was not just for women on farms.

“We have a lot of young professionals living in the region as well, so we’re catering for them to come along, too,” she said.

“We invite any woman to join in, be part of the community and network.”

Ms Colbert said Rachel Kelly of Proagtive was guest speaker at this year’s event.

“Last year the morning education piece was around building resilience, particularly with seasonal conditions,” she said.

“We focused on looking after ourselves and filling our cups before looking after our family, farm and business. This year, the education session will be on succession planning, which, from our perspective, is a topic that comes up at every workshop.

“The need for succession planning on farms is every farmer’s business and, potentially, is not being done as proactively as it should be.

“It’s also important to discuss succession for small or family-run businesses, as well as wills and estates.

“The session is to get people thinking about it, talking about it and if they have been through the process, reviewing it, because as agriculture is constantly changing, so is succession.

“It’s exciting to be bringing the session to the event and allowing women to ask questions and discuss the topic in a safe environment.”

Ms Colbert said the afternoon was deliberately unstructured to allow people to network.

“Last year we had people running into others they hadn’t seen for 20 years from across the region,” she said.

“It was also about getting back to socialising and connecting, so this year we have recognised the unstructured social part of the day is just as important as the educational aspects.”

The event also aligns with Women’s Health Week.

Ms Colbert said celebrity chef Simon Bryant would work with a local

dietician to demonstrate how people could use locally-sourced and grown products for nutritional value.

“They will show people how they can replace ingredients and food with locally-grown products and how to look at nutrition and diet-based improvements when thinking about their health.”

Ms Colbert said the size restriction of the Rupanyup hall kept attendance to 100 people, however, it also kept the event authentic.

“We’ve been very lucky that we’ve had wonderful support from local women and also people travelling from further afield,” she said.

“People are planning to take the trip to see family and friends in the Wimmera during the weekend.

“Last year we sold out and had a waiting list – we could have sold another 20 tickets at least. Getting 100 women in a room is pretty special.”

Ms Colbert said she loved being able to give back to the community she had grown up in.

“I also love the fact I have been able to work with Claire and Jenny, who are excelling in highlighting what we grow and value-adding to their family farms,” she said.

“What we are doing is special and authentic and something we can’t get elsewhere.”

Tickets can be purchased via partners inag.org.au/home/gather-grow-andthrive

“Turn that scrap laying

place into money! Take it

Manhari Metals,” she said.

Manhari Metals are one of the largest exporters in Victoria.

With locations in Horsham and Ararat, we are committed to giving you the best prices for all your scrap metals.

CONNECTION: Rupanyup Living owner Claire Morgan and Partners in Ag business development officer Katherine Colbert prepare for the second Gather, Grow and Thrive event. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Heat test for Wimmera crops

Agriculture Victoria research at Horsham SmartFarm is assessing the impact of heatwaves and rising temperatures on field crops.

The Free Air Temperature Extreme, FATE, facility involves computerised, custom-engineered trolleys mounted with infrared heaters which will provide information about heatwaves on cereal, pulse and oilseed crops.

Agriculture Victoria research leader of crop agronomy, Glenn Fitzgerald, said the FATE facility would study the impact of heat extremes on crops grown in the Wimmera.

“Heat extremes are expected to become more prevalent and more severe under climate change,” he said.

“As we know, we do see more prevalence of heatwaves, more variable rain, seasonality is changing and is expected to change more.

“FATE is set up to look at heatwaves, but we also have the ability to control irrigation so we can set up experiments to look at different amounts of water or drought.”

Dr Fitzgerald said the technology was unlike standard chamber-based studies on heatwaves.

“These trolleys sit in the ‘free air’ in paddocks and radiate heat directly onto the plants growing underneath, while still exposing them to wind, rain and other atmospheric conditions in a real-world setting,” he said.

“We can program the FATE computers to dial the heat up or down and change the frequency, severity and duration of our simulated heatwaves.”

Dr Fitzgerald said because Australia was a hot and dry country, it was important to look at heat and water simultaneously.

“We want to look at heatwaves under the influence of different levels of soil water as well, because we know crops respond differently to those climate change factors,” he said.

“However, we don’t have a good handle on how they change, and it varies by crop, so we’re trying to learn how to respond and adapt better.”

Dr Fitzgerald said the research would help guide farmers as the climate be-

came more uncertain and variable.

“If we can, for example, we work with the pre-breeders — the groups of scientists who look at developing new crops with new traits for heat tolerance or drought tolerance,” he said.

“What we can do is take those and test them in this facility to try to speed up the selection process to validate or invalidate genetics.

“Once we validate them, then they can provide them as new crops and varieties for farmers.”

Dr Fitzgerald said the research went beyond the obvious conclusion that a hotter climate and heatwaves would reduce crop yields and grain quality.

“This season we are doing heatwave research on wheat and lentils, which

‘Bee’ alert, says chief

Beekeepers are urged to remain vigilant in monitoring for Varroa mite, and keep up-to-date with permits, as Agriculture Victoria strengthens surveillance in response to detection across the border.

Victoria’s chief plant health officer Rosa Crnov said no Varroa mite had been found in Victoria to date.

SIMULATION: Researchers are using new infrared heaters on trolleys to mimic heatwaves and improve crop tolerance to heat.

will feed into other work at the SmartFarm on grain traits being studied by our teams who work in crop quality, plant genomics and breeding.

“We are aiming to simulate droughtlike conditions, which will allow us to understand the different impacts heatwaves and drought have on crops.”

The State Government funds the FATE facility as part of Agriculture

Victoria’s 10-year Agriculture Strategy and the Safer Smarter Farms Program, which highlights risk management and adaptation to climate change.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation provided a further $800,000 in funding to expand the FATE facility in 2023-24.

New South Wales’ Department of Primary Industries confirmed Varroa mite in beehives at Euroley in the Riverina and Euston in the Sunraysia region on Thursday, resulting in a new biosecurity emergency order.

Dr Crnov said Agriculture Victoria biosecurity officers were undertaking targeted surveillance in the Sunraysia.

“Victoria is committed to the national response plan and will be undertaking further surveillance in the region,” she said.

Under the nationally-agreed response plan, no hives can move within 25km of an infested beehive. This applies to beehives in Victoria located within NSW’s 25km zone at Euston.

A permit is required for anyone bringing bees, hives, queen bees, used beekeeping equipment, pollen for bee feeding, and bee products, including honeycomb, into any part of Victoria from another state or territory.

Any suspected detection should be reported to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

Industry prepares for positive spring

BY ABBY WALTER

Lamb and mutton producers

broke records across the board in the most recent quarter, after a record-breaking 2022.

Australia produced the most lamb on record during the 2022 calendar year. The past quarter recorded the most lamb meat ever produced in a quarter at 149,385 tonnes.

Sheep slaughter for the quarter was more than 2.5 million – the highest since December 2019.

Horsham Elders territory sales manager Cam Smith said lamb and sheep numbers looked good heading into a new season.

“We’re expecting a whole heap of new lambs to come into the market throughout spring,” he said.

“Locally, we’re seeing good finishing and as the days get longer and warmer, we’ll see well-bred lambs finish well.”

Mr Smith said prices, however, had reduced in recent weeks.

“The drop is due to the export market and a wet spring, and wet early winter affected growth potential of lambs, which also caused a price drop,” he said.

“Due to the weather, they haven’t finished as strongly as they could, going into this season, however, we are expecting that to improve.”

Mr Smith said he was also expecting prices to improve.

“In Wagga Wagga on Thursday we saw prices increase, on average, by $20 on the week before, so we hope to see that trend across a lot of markets,” he said.

“Producers can likely expect reasonable prices in spring and with secondary-type lambs going for better prices than in recent years, it’s an opportunity for restockers to purchase.

“All indications show, and based on trends around the country, there will

be a price rise in the next 18 months.”

Meat and Livestock Australia, MLA, reported lamb producers were tracking 7.7 percent above year-on-year levels, or 20,000 tonnes for the first six months of 2023.

MLA market information manager Stephen Bignell said it indicated another strong, potentially record-breaking year for Australian lamb producers.

“Following a significant flock re-

build during the past few years, we have seen significant lamb slaughter across the nation in the first half of this year,” he said.

“More than 11.5 million lambs were processed to June 2023, which is the second-highest start to a year since 2018 when more than 12 million lambs were slaughtered.

“This is an extra 1.24 million lambs slaughtered when compared to 2022 –an uplift of 12 percent year-on-year.”

The most recent quarter also saw lamb production records broken, with 149,385 tonnes produced in Australia – four percent more than the previous record set in June 2018.

Mutton production is also seeing higher levels than previously recorded.

Sheep slaughter for the quarter was 2,550,700 head – the highest in nearly four years.

Mr Bignell said nearly five million sheep had been processed so far this year.

“This is an extra two million compared to the same point in 2022, equating to an additional mutton throughput of 68 percent year-on-year,” he said.

“Victoria is contributing the most to the big jump in mutton slaughter, with Victorian processors working through one million sheep so far this year.” Lamb and sheep proceeds were above first-quarter 2023 levels and the same as in March 2021. The gross value of sheep and lambs slaughtered increased by 1.9 percent to $1.2 billion. In the 2022-23 financial year, lamb and sheep farmers made $4.8 billion for the sale of animals to processors.

GOOD SEASON: Andrew Taylor, of Elders, at Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange sheep sale last week.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

“Locally, we’re seeing good finishing and as the days get longer and warmer, we’ll see well-bred lambs finish well”

– Cam Smith

The day the farmers came to town

From left field

Thetractors rumbled into Spring Street last week.

Apart from anything else it was a great sight. A reminder to our metro cousins there is an industry beyond the city limits. An industry that feeds new money into the economy every year. An industry that continues to be a strong contributor to the economic health of this nation.

The tractors, or at least their drivers, were protesting government plans to build high-voltage transmission lines through western and central Victoria.

I don’t sense anyone disagrees with the need to find ways to supply reliable, affordable and sustainable energy to businesses and households.

In a resource rich and large nation such as ours, you’d think this would be pretty basic. But clearly it’s not. With any significant infrastructure project there will be individuals who are more heavily impacted. It seems reasonable they should be genuinely consulted and well compensated if they are being asked to make sacrifices for the greater good.

The tractor drivers are clearly saying proponents of the transmission lines

have not put enough focus on either of these issues.

Putting aside the specific circumstances that led to this protest, I was struck by how privileged we are as

Australians to have the right to protest. Apart from the guy in the black BMW, who was caught between a Case IH Maxxum and a John Deere 7210 travelling at a touch under 10

kilometres an hour, the Melbourne CBD crowd seemed quite accepting of the temporary disruption to their daily activities. They respected the rights of this group to be heard. And

the protesters and authorities worked co-operatively to ensure everything went smoothly.

It would be easy to take this for granted, but as the graph, left, shows, only about 2.3 billion of the world’s 7.9 billion people live in a fully functioning democracy. For the other 5.6 billion, protesting against government decisions is either banned completely or brings with it significant personal risk.

Another aspect of the recent protest to think about is the merits of making it party political. Many of the protesters wore t-shirts calling out ‘Labors’ transmission lines. Whilst I get the temptation to name the ruling party of the day, does a focus on the politics rather than the policy immediately turn off a large chunk of the audience?

It may be many Labor voters would actually support consideration of a different solution to the transmission option put forward by the energy market operator. But calling out the political party they support loses them right up front.

It’s a question those of us in ag need to think carefully about. As society becomes more urbanised we’ll need to refine our narrative. We’ll need traditional Labor and Greens voters to understand our point of view. And I think that will require a strong focus on articulating logical policy rather than being drawn into party politics.

with David Matthews

Global pursuit for genetics

Wimmera stud sheep breeder

Fiona Cameron welcomed a contingent of 18 sheep producers from South America to her Koonik Dohne stud at Nurcoung, near Goroke.

The group, including 17 farmers from Uruguay and one from Chile, were in Australia to look for potential sires to use in their Dohne breeding flocks.

“Two of the members spoke English, but for the rest, it was Spanish,” Mrs Cameron said.

“We quickly learned that ‘mucho lano’ meant they thought our sheep had a lot of wool.”

The group visited different studs in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

Mrs Cameron said most of the visitors were men and were keen to hear her story of starting the Dohne stud herself in 2008 — 10 years after the breed was introduced to Australia from South Africa.

“They had come to Australia to look at Dohne sheep and chose six different studs and we were privileged to be included on the list,” she said.

“They asked about my story and I showed them how I make my life easy with things such as the Shear Easy machine, which immobilises sheep for easy shearing.

“I also showed them the EID —

electronic identification device — technology used to record and keep all our data, which is then transferred to Sheep Genetics for individual animal analysis.”

While in the Wimmera, the visitors inspected stud sires and the Koonik 2022-drop ewes and ram hoggets.

Mrs Cameron said she and other breeders were now waiting to hear back from the visitors to see which studs they had chosen to source ge-

netics for future use in their flocks in Uruguay.

“This delegation’s visit illustrates how sheep breeding is such a global pursuit,” she said.

“Dohnes were developed in South Africa in the 1930s, they came to Australia in the 1990s and now, in the 2020s, Australians might be exporting some of our genetics to South America.”

Closer to home, the Camerons are

Streamline office tasks

Agriculture Victoria is offering free workshops, designed to streamline and simplify running a farm office.

Statewide agriculture recovery manager Tess McDougall said the workshops were part of a suite of programs to support farmers impacted by last year’s floods and storms.

Workshop facilitator Carmen Quade of Agrifocused said there was an abundance of options for storing records and analysing data.

“They range from carefully-kept historical diaries to notes on the back of an envelope right through to top-ofthe-line, app-based ag tech solutions,” she said.

“The requirement of running a farm office can be complex and time-consuming and the workshop aims to help farmers customise their record-keeping programs in a way that makes sense to them.”

preparing to market their Dohne genetics with two annual ram sales scheduled in Victoria and South Australia in the next six weeks.

Named the Ultimate Dohne Ram sales, the auctions begin with 40 rams being offered at Mt Pleasant in South Australia on September 18.

The action continues with the Victorian Ultimate Dohne Ram Sale offering 80 rams at the family’s Nurcoung property on October 6.

The half-day workshops are at Wodonga on September 12, Tatura on September 13 and Swan Hill on September 14.

Topics include legal requirements for farm businesses, record-keeping for tax and livestock purposes, cloud-based and paper-based systems, overcoming barriers to change, tips for book-keeping programs, data security and fraud.

More information is available online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/events or by phoning the Agriculture Recovery Team on 0427 694 185.

VISITORS: Nurcoung stud sheep breeder Fiona Cameron, third from right, with South American sheep producers who viewed her Dohne rams and ewes during a visit to various studs in Australia.

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Discreet action

Acatch cry often used to describe farming is that farmers are price takers, not price makers.

None more so than in Australia where just a few supermarket giants dominate the domestic food industry.

It is similar in other facets of agriculture, such as key inputs including fertiliser.

On Country Today we’ve taken several different perspectives on the current chronic shortage of urea.

Australia is a net importer of urea and therefore exposed to the vagaries of the international market.

During the past few years we’ve seen influential factors not part of the equation such as the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down much of the global shipping trade, and then the war in Ukraine. Most recently, the Northern Hemisphere drought has forced shipping restrictions through the Panama Canal to preserve water. Reuters has reported that, “Ship owners have the options of carrying less cargo, shifting to alternate routes that can add thousands of miles to the trip, or grappling with queues that earlier this month backed up 160 vessels and delayed some ships by as much as 21 days.”

Domestically, the shortage of fertiliser has seen large fertiliser suppliers renege on contracts with farmers who had pre-ordered, arguing it was necessary to ‘ration’ what supplies they could import.

Maybe you’re one of the farmers who have missed out? Well read on, as help might be at hand.

Enter stage left the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, ACCC, once

Country Today

with Libby Price

dubbed the toothless tiger of regulators unable to rein in the dominance of multinationals.

This month on Country Today, we broadcast two stories with a focus on the work of the ACCC.

The first was about complaints from farmers that three of the major fertiliser companies were not delivering on orders.

ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh told Country Today, “We’d had quite a few concerns expressed to us by farmers about how fertiliser contracts work and the sorts of changes and cancellations that had been experienced by farmers who thought they had a firm contract, so that triggered an investigation into fertiliser suppliers and farmers.

“We’ve been through, in detail, their contracts. The unfair contract law at the moment enables the court to make specific clauses of those contracts void if they’re deemed to be unfair.”

So, the fertiliser suppliers have changed their contracts as requested.

Without the ACCC, individual farmers would have to take the suppliers to court, which is an expensive and fraught process.

The ACCC is now a tiger that doesn’t so much roar but flexes its claws discreetly to make sure the big boys of town are behaving.

AUCTION SUCCESS:

From left, Tom Walker, Bella O’Brien, Ian Klowss, Roly Coutts, Peter Rogers and Daniel Rogers, front, with an equal top-price ram at Glenelg Regional Merino Field Day sold by Mount Yulong to Oakland Vectis.

Merinos attract strong support

The Glenelg Regional Merino Field Day attracted 74 registered buyers to Balmoral Recreation Reserve this month.

During the open-cry ram auction, 99 of 107 rams on offer were sold with a top of $7000, twice. The average price for the sale was $2439.

Stud Park South and Mount Yulong studs sold the two toppriced rams.

Valleyella sold five of eight rams at an average of $1700 and a top of $2000.

Wurrook sold five of five rams at an average of $3500 and a top of $6000; while Glen-

donald sold 17 of 17 rams at an average of $2602 and a top of $6000; and Melrose sold four of four rams for $2000 a head.

Glenera North Poll sold five of six rams for an average of $1450 and a top of $2750; Stud Park South sold four of four rams for an average of $4000 and a top of $7000; and Elmbank Poll sold seven of eight rams for an average of $1428 and a top of $2000.

Kurra Wirra sold three of three rams for an average of $4083 and a top of $6000; Kevlyn sold 12 of 12 rams for an average of $2125 and a top

of $3000; and Gringegalgona sold eight of eight rams for an average of $1781 and a top of $3000.

Gleneden sold 12 of 15 rams for an average of $2729 and a top of $5000.

Mount Yulong sold eight of eight rams for an average of $3937 and a top of $7000; and Thornlea sold six of nine rams for an average of $1083 and a top of $1500.

Last year 86 of 96 rams were sold for an average of $2230, however, the top sale was higher than 2023 at $7250.

Interaction a winner

An impressive Mallee Machinery Field Days crowd earlier this month proved to agriculture businesses that field days remain as relevant today as they did when the first Australian field days were hosted almost 60 years ago.

The event attracts an average of 8500 visitors and more than 350 exhibitors annually.

Morrow Motor Group’s Wade Morrow, an exhibitor at the field days, said the site was full and had a good representation of industry, businesses and products.

He said despite advances in technology and accessibility to information through the internet, ‘nothing’ could beat seeing products in-person – as well as catching up with clients face-to-face.

“There is only so much you can see through a computer screen,” he said. “For us, it’s about being able to sit in a vehicle, feel the leather and look at the intricacies of a car.

“Especially for larger ticket items such as cars or farm machinery, you can’t beat having a look and seeing it in person.

“I think field days are as relevant today as they have ever been.”

Goldacres’ Steve Lang said field days were about catching up with

current and potential customers and sharing ideas and information about machinery and the industry.

He said people visited the field days from a wide geographical area and with a good season to date, 2023 saw positive inquiries from customers.

“People deal with people – current and new clients can read and research as much as they want, and that’s a good thing, but they still need to come and see us and hear information straight from us,” he said.

“Field days in general are really good because everything is in one

Study insight

Birchip Cropping Group, BCG, is offering a tour, designed for high school students, at the organisation’s annual main field day at Kinnabulla.

The September 13 event, north-west of Birchip, will share the latest in local agronomic research including disease management, new varieties, new herbicide technology, nutrition and farming systems.

It will focus on how farmers can build resilience in times of drought.

The student tour will run concurrently with sessions designed for attendees, including farmers and advisors.

“BCG’s main field day is an excellent opportunity for students to gain knowledge and begin to form networks that will put them in good stead for their future careers,” she said.

Activities include a careers panel, engaging with farmers and researchers, as well as a treasure hunt.

State Government funding will assist students from Birchip, Boort, Charlton, Donald, East Loddon, Pyramid Hill, St Arnaud, Wedderburn and Wycheproof schools to attend.

Event organiser, BCG’s Louisa Ferrier, said renowned experts in their field would share their knowledge.

place. People can look at the same product across different brands, see their options and compare specifications to find exactly what suits them and their needs.

“They also have the opportunity to speak directly to the businesses who build or import products and who know the technical aspects.

“It’s a chance to compare everything in one place at one time.”

The event is a fundraiser for Speed Lions Club, which donates proceeds to community groups and charities — and has done so since the event’s inception in 1979.

North Central LLEN agriculture education project co-ordinator Susan Gould said a student tour was an ‘authentic’ way for students to immerse themselves in broadacre cropping and livestock research.

“The tours will leave a legacy on the students and, eventually, our region,” she said.

“For our students who aspire to be farmers, it is essential to show them the depth and range of quality information available in their local region.

“For those who are passionate about science and research, this opportunity also showcases high-level jobs that can be found in our region.”

Ms Gould said tours would open students’ eyes to the breadth of career opportunities.

“SARDI Principal Scientist’s Peter Hayman, FAR Australia’s Tom Price and Agriculture Victoria’s Hari Dadu, together with BCG researchers, are already locked in to present at the flagship event, with more announcements to be made shortly,” she said.

“We are fortunate to work with some of the best agricultural researchers from across Australia and beyond, and our field day is a great way to bring this work to our members, our farmers and the communities they live in.”

The field day is at BCG’s main research site, seven kilometres west of Kinnabulla, on Kinnabulla West Road.

People wanting more information about becoming a member, or about the field day, can phone 5492 2787.

FUN FOR ALL AGES: Charlie Oliver and his grandson Charlie Oliver check out equipment at the Mallee Machinery Field Days at Speed earlier this month. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Future-proof tactics

Southern Wimmera and central Victoria farmer-driven group

Perennial Pasture Systems is hosting its 14th annual conference on Tuesday.

Perennial Pasture Systems was formed in 2007 and 197 farm businesses across central Victoria and the southern Wimmera have since joined the group.

This year’s annual conference is at Ararat Town Hall.

It begins with a session about farm and pasture investment.

Lisa Warn of Warn Ag Consulting will discuss how she updated financial data from a pasture investment project that was completed in 2018.

The ‘Greenfields Project’ was a full pasture and infrastructure analysis on recently-purchased land at Glenlofty, near Elmhurst.

Ms Warn will present results using 2023 prices and costs.

Cam Morris of Ag Diagnostics will continue the pasture investment theme by looking at management options to improve profitability on existing paddocks before a pasture renewal stage.

Mr Morris will also present plans for his recently-purchased farm on his home territory of King Island.

Melbourne University Professor Bill Malcolm will complete the first session, when he analyses farm expansion options.

The second part of the conference is

a joint session with a focus on farm employment.

Carlyn Sherriff of Pinion Advisory and Terrinallum Estate farm manager Stuart Robinson will present information about finding quality staff and how to be a preferred employer.

Think Agri’s Kate Burke and Dan Jess of Illoura Farms at Ballyrogan will tackle the main theme of the conference, ‘Rolling with extremes — Are we ready or just going steady?’.

The session will look at on- and off-farm tactics to help ‘bullet-proof’ a business.

Participants can see many of the

Contract concerns

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, ACCC, has moved to rectify reports of farmers not being able to source fertiliser, particularly urea, despite pre-orders.

Deputy chair Mick Keogh said the commission had received ‘quite a few’ concerns from farmers regarding fertiliser contracts — including farmers believing they had a firm contract, but who were experiencing changes and cancellations.

“That triggered a look at the nature of the contracts between fertiliser distributors and farmers,” he said.

He said as well as three significant distributors, the ACCC looked into national body Fertiliser Industry Association’s templated contracts.

businesses — less than $10 million turnover, or less than 100 full-time employees.

“Most farm businesses engaging in negotiating a contract for fertiliser supply will fall into that category, so it was an added incentive on the distributors to make sure they address the terms of their contract.

“The risk is, as of November, if complaints were made and upheld, they could face significant penalties as a consequence.”

Mr Keogh said without the ACCC, farmers would have needed to take distributors to court.

day’s themes implemented during a tour of Tom Brady’s new property ‘Jallukar Ridge’ at Rhymney.

The group will welcome AFL personality Peter Jess to the conference dinner as a guest speaker.

He will share his story of playing football for Avoca, later becoming a player manager. He is now focused on the welfare of former players who have long-term effects of concussions received during their playing days. People wanting more information, or to attend the conference, can contact yadin061@tpg.com.au

“Our work included consideration of some of those templates and we would hope the association would make some changes to its template contracts that are used by a lot of distributors who are supplying farmers,” he said.

Mr Keogh said the unfair contract terms law currently enabled a court to make specific clauses of contracts void if they were deemed unfair.

“Unfair means unbalanced in terms of the rights and responsibilities of the purchaser and the seller,” he said.

“We pointed out that as of early November, a new law will come into place, which imposes a penalty for including unfair contract terms in contracts that are offered to small

“That’s very costly and all a court can do under current law is say a term is void in a contract and unenforceable, but the contract still stands,” he said.

Mr Keogh said the new law was incentive for suppliers to ensure they do not have any onerous clauses.

“It’s the sort of clauses that allow, for example, distributors to unilaterally, without consultation, vary the volume of fertiliser or the price supplied or the time it would be supplied, even though it’s specified in the contract,” he said.

He said there were limited international sources of many fertilisers that were subject to shipping and demand. “Distributors can’t over promise and make more certain shipments are arriving before they offer it to farmers,” he said.

Sentiment on the improve

Consumer sentiment research from Meat and Livestock Australia, MLA, shows Australians are eager to learn more about the beef and lamb industries.

The annual research measures and tracks consumer sentiment towards the red meat industry.

MLA managing director Jason Strong said this year’s insights indicated higher levels of industry knowledge were linked to more positive perceptions of the industry.

“The more consumers learn about the industry, the better their perceptions become,” he said.

“It goes to the heart of the very positive story our industry can tell around environmental sustainability, human nutrition, and animal welfare.

“Trust in the industry increased to 66 percent, from 60 percent last year, indicating that the more you know, the more you appreciate and understand the industry.”

Mr Strong said consumers appreciated opportunities to analyse nutritional aspects of red

meat and understand its production methods and sustainability efforts.

The research found 77 percent of Australians considered the industry an important part of the economy, while 72 percent of respondents considered red meat production as a key employer in regional areas. It showed 26 percent of consumers who feel knowledgeable about the beef and lamb industry were more likely to consume red meat compared to a year ago; while 15 percent of all other Australians said they were more likely to eat red meat compared to this time last year.

Mr Strong said while nearly one-in-three people believed they knew the industry, 53 percent wanted to learn more about red meat production.

“This is because red meat production is intertwined with various aspects of Australian life including the economy, culture, health and environment. There’s also a strong desire to see kids learn about the industry in schools, with 71 percent agreeing with this statement,” he said.

Kate Burke