AgLife – September 2023 edition

Growing gold

A solid moisture profile and hopes of spring rain will set-up Wimmera crops for a promising finish. Drung farmer Ken Schilling, with his six-year-old kelpie Chloe, is cautiously optimistic about the quality and quantity of crop this year. More, page 27.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Farmers at heart of climate solution

BY ABBY WALTER

Developers of a biogas plant in Ararat say the project will give farmers a ‘proactive’ way to lower emissions.

Ararat Bioenergy, led by project developer Valorify, will transform cereal straw and stubble into renewable gas that will be injected into the mains network.

The company would source stubble from farms in the region, where it is burned-off each season.

Valorify managing director Scott Grierson said the company had built a ‘fantastic rapport’ with the district’s farmers.

“It takes a bit of faith to get something like this off the ground, because we’re trying to do something that has never been done in Australia before,” he said.

He said there appeared to be several drivers behind farmers’ involvement.

“One is they have a real commitment to community economic development and doing the right thing for the region,” he said.

“There’s a theme which comes through that there’s an altruistic motive for a lot of them. They want to see this for the community because it will deliver new investment and jobs.

“The second thing is, in a lot of other jurisdictions around the developing world, we see governments are moving to regulate against crop stubble burn-off.

“The change meant farmers had to be creative about what they were going to do with this mega-galactic pile of stuff they accumulate at the end of each harvest season.”

Dr Grierson said there was an expectation the same regulations would occur in Australia, although there was no timeline established for the change.

“This change is coming and when it comes, people need to have a solution for what they’re going to do with that material,” he said.

“This project provides them with a market for that and provides economic reward for putting it to work.

“The third point is that this has fantastic environmental and economic benefits. From a greenhouse gas emis-

sions reduction perspective, this puts substantial scale of renewable gas into the Australian domestic gas supply and that’s a great outcome.”

Dr Grierson said biogas provided an alternative for commercial and industrial consumers, which could not easily electrify.

“This solution gives them the ability to decarbonise their businesses, including in terms of transport, sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel and bioethanol and low carbon shipping,” he said.

“All of these things become possible when you make better use of these agricultural residues that have traditionally been discarded or combusted in the paddock and generally treated as a low-grade waste without much utility.”

Dr Grierson said there had been discussions about the chance of rolling blackouts in Victoria during summer.

He said retirement of aging coalfired generators, at a faster rate than expected, and a question mark about renewable capacity to cover the gap was part of the cause.

“Having renewable gas in volume in the market could provide firming capacity in the electricity market because one of the biggest potential customers for offtake of the gas is coming from gas-fired generators,” he said.

“Our view is if you have renewable gas, you can utilise the existing pipeline network and it’s underground, so a gas pipeline enables both transport of energy and storage of energy at a fraction of the cost of the electricity network and forms of large utilitystyle storage.

“This is the lowest cost pathway to keeping costs of electricity down while enabling the growth of more wind and solar without having to criss-cross the landscape with quite as much transmission infrastructure.”

Dr Grierson said farmers had been excluded from conversations and solutions regarding climate change for some time.

“Farmers are inherently predisposed to caring for the environment — that’s what they do and that’s how they get an income,” he said.

“This project provides a solution

that puts them right at the heart of that debate in actual solutions and I think that’s immensely exciting.

“It brings farmers back to a space they should rightly occupy and take a leading role in.”

Dr Grierson said he was often asked why Ararat was chosen as the location to establish the first of what the company hopes will eventuate to 20 bioenergy plants.

He said Ararat Rural City Council was a major supporter and partner in the project’s establishment.

“The Ararat catchment has some of the most reliable and fertile land in the country for cereal cropping,” he said.

“One of the challenges will be how to manage inter-seasonal variation due to climate change and usual cyclical variations we see in farming, but Ararat has the advantage of being a solid, productive, long-term, multi-seasonal yield region.

“Nothing is ever going to be 100 percent predictable but compared to a lot of other parts of the country, there is less volatility.”

Counselling available

Australian charity, Rural Aid is encouraging farmers to contact them for assistance as the Bureau of Meteorology officially declares an El Niño event.

Rural Aid chief executive John Warlters said the bureau’s announcement last week had confirmed many producers’ fears.

“The announcement of the El Niño weather pattern will bring a lot of unwelcome memories to the surface for our farmers, who have been anxiously watching land and waterways dry up,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

SILLY SEASON: Christmas is three months away and Dadswells Bridge turkey farmer Daryl Deutscher is preparing for his busiest time of year. He said while it was ‘always turkey season’ and he supplied turkeys year-round to people and businesses, he was ‘flat out’ when preparing for Christmas. “People have passions in life. Some collect stamps or fly planes and a few of us farm turkeys,” he said. Mr Deutscher has been farming turkeys for more than 40 years at his 80-acre property. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

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

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

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

People can register online at rural aid.org.au or phone 1300 327 624.

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

Oversupply plummets prices

BY ABBY WALTER

Sheep prices are plummeting after several consecutive good seasons resulted in an oversupply.

Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association president Peter Cabot said there were several reasons for low prices, which was affecting farmers nationally, including in the Wimmera.

“We have the highest sheep numbers we’ve had in Australia for 20 years and that would primarily be on the back of three to four really good seasons in the eastern states,” he said.

“With that, we had massive commodity prices, so everyone bred more sheep, they retained old ewes for an extra year, they joined young ewes and fertility genetics have ramped up over the years which means a massive oversupply.”

Mr Cabot said the oversupply had exacerbated issues at abattoirs which already weren’t processing at full capacity.

“During COVID, abattoirs shut down. Because many staff are from overseas, we’ve had a lot of trouble getting them back and none of the abattoirs are quite running at full capacity yet,” he siad.

“They’re getting close, but it has taken a lot longer than we thought.”

Mr Cabot said many export markets were recessional, which was leading to a lack of confidence in the market.

“The big issue, I believe, is the issue of the Federal Government electing to stop the live export of sheep,” he said.

“It had a massive effect in Western Australia. A lot of those sheep came across the border in the initial stages but now they’re not worth enough, so farmers can’t pay the freight to get across.

“That also had a big effect on our numbers in the east and their decision to phase-out live export is an incorrect decision.”

In the Wimmera, Graham Pymer’s market report for Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange on Wednesday last week demonstrated how prices had changed compared to last spring.

Medium and heavy trade-weight young lambs sold for up to $127 a head and heavy weights sold for up to $150 a head.

In comparison, medium and heavy trade-weight young lambs sold for up to $222, with heavier weights selling for up to $238 a head at the same time last year.

Restockers paid from $15 to $74 a head for young lambs last week, compared to between $109 and $139 a head at the same time last year.

Light trade weights sold from $89 to $97 a head, down from $147 to $171 a head 12 months ago.

Medium trade weights sold from $113 to $118 a head, down from $178 to $209 a head last year.

Heavy trade weights sold from $118

to $127 a head compared to $196 to $222 a head in 2022.

Heavy merino ewes sold from $21 to $48 a head while merino ewes sold to $166 at the same time last year.

Crossbred ewes were down by $140 on last year — from $165 a head to $25 a head.

Mr Cabot said sheep were selling for well below the cost of production.

“When the value of sheep becomes so low, all of a sudden people don’t elect to feed them because the exit price point isn’t enough,” he said.

Mr Cabot said during more than 30 years in the industry, he had seen

Inspection reminder

Agriculture Victoria has reminded livestock owners to inspect animals before loading them for transport, ensuring the animal is not suffering from conditions that could cause increased pain or distress.

Senior veterinary officer Jeff Cave said the person in charge of the animal was responsible for its welfare.

He said when in doubt about an animal’s suitability for transport, people could consult a private veterinarian or any Agriculture Victoria animal health officer or veterinary officer.

prices both worse, and better, than current prices.

“A lot of older people say nothing fixes high prices like high prices but what I would say is nothing fixes low prices like low prices either,” he said.

“There will come opportunities with where the prices are that will hopefully drag them back up.

“Australia has the premium brand in sheep and lamb meat across the world — it is much desired, considered green and free of antibiotics and hormones and while we are going through what we are at the moment, it won’t last and markets will open up.”

An animal is not fit to load if it is not able to walk normally or bear weight on its legs; is not strong enough to make the journey; is suffering from severe distress or injury; is in a condition that could cause it increased pain or distress during transport; is blind in both eyes; or is in late pregnancy.

Dr Cave said if an animal was unfit to load, owners had options.

“You could treat the animal and transport it when it has recovered and is fit to load,” he said.

“Alternatively, you could humanely destroy the animal. A knackery service is available in many areas to help with this option. Finally, you could consult a veterinarian and only transport the animal under advice.”

People wanting more information can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186.

When you scrap it, you BANK IT!

LOW PRICES: Mathew McDonald, Will Schilling, Pat Dunn and Wayne Driscoll of AWN Livestock at a Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange sheep sale. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Outlook is cautiously optimistic

BY ABBY WALTER

Wimmera

farmers are hopeful this season’s crops will remain in good condition leading into harvest.

Soil moisture from heavy rain last year, along with consistent rain in early winter, had crops off to a solid start — with canola, in particular, flourishing.

Meanwhile, the looming threat of an El Niño spring and summer has come to fruition after the Bureau of Meteorology declared the climate pattern would bring hot, dry conditions this season.

Drung farmer Ken Schilling said while it was predicted to be a dry season, he was cautiously feeling the crops were close to perfect at this stage.

“As always, rain about the time of the Horsham Show, which was on the weekend, would finish the job off,” he said.

A worker and friend

There wouldn’t be many stronger bonds than one between a farmer and their dog.

Six-year-old kelpie Chloe might be Drung farmer Ken Schilling’s dog, but he is also her human.

Mr Schilling said Chloe could find him no matter what. Whether he was spraying paddocks kilometres away or harvesting down the road, Chloe always knows where he is.

“It’s like she has a radar,” he said.

Chloe once tried to follow Mr Schilling on a trip to deliver hay up north, but only got as far as Green Lake before she was recognised and promptly returned to the farm.

Mr Schilling said Chloe was a smart dog who was good with sheep.

“I had a stock agent visit and showed him why I didn’t need yards when she was doing exactly as she was told. They said they’d never seen anything like it,” he said.

Mr Schilling said he was selling part of his property next month to downscale operations, but was yet to break the news to Chloe.

“As long as we don’t get a run of hot days, the crops should make it.”

Mr Schilling said he was fencing recently and noticed the soil had a full profile of moisture.

“The crops, particularly canola, forged ahead of schedule this season,” he said.

“The temperature, although it didn’t feel it, was milder than a normal year which meant the crops advanced more and, barring frost, that’s a good thing.”

Rupanyup farmer Andrew Weidemann, also Grain Producers Australia southern director and research spokesperson, said Wimmera and Mallee groups were holding up ‘pretty well’.

“We have stored water, which is good, but hot days can impact crops and everything will depend on daytime temperatures from now on,” he said.

“The availability of urea meant nitrogen reserves may not have been adequate for all crops and that could have an impact, too.

“With an El Niño announced, we will likely see more heat and potential for frost so we’re still cautious.”

Mr Weidemann said this year was a tale of two seasons.

“In the beginning, it was an unprecedented start and it was wet, so farmers were battling slugs in pretty much everything,” he said.

“Now we’re moving into El Niño conditions which, unfortunately, could impact the finish.

“Canola was off to a terrific start with great water reserves so, without frost, I believe it’s almost home and will be one of the better crops this year.

“We would love some more rain and any we get now is worth double because of the timing.”

Murra Warra farmer, David Jochinke, also National Farmers Federation vice-president, said the Wimmera was facing a ‘goldilocks scenario’.

“We had a reasonable season to start — it was wet, but not too wet,

and now with an El Niño it will get drier,” he said.

“Unless anything unforeseen happens, harvest could produce aboveaverage results.

“Farmers are optimistically cautious, and any rain we get in spring will equal profit.”

Mr Jochinke said while there were strong prices in the cropping sector, mixed and livestock farmers were experiencing pain.

“Low prices in the livestock portfolio show that agriculture is a game of diversifying for risk and capitalising on opportunities,” he said.

Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, ABARES, is predicting a solid agriculture season across the country despite an El Niño.

Executive director Jared Greenville said while the sector was not likely to break records, it remained strong.

“After a record $92-billion result in the 2022-23 financial year, the forecast 14 percent decrease will see value

fall to $80 billion in 2023-24 because of drier domestic conditions and an expected fall in global commodity prices,” he said.

“As we come out of a higher rainfall La Niña period and move into a drier El Niño climate, it is expected that below-average rain and warmer temperatures will reduce Australian crop yields and production from the previous year’s record highs.

“Total crop production value is set to fall 20 percent in 2023-24 to $46 billion.

“National winter crop production is expected to be around 45.2 million tonnes, slightly below the 10-year average.

“It is also expected that summer crop plantings will fall from last year but remain above average, due to lower rain forecast for spring and summer being buffered by high levels of water storages.”

Higher yield gained

LongReach Plant Breeders’ new wheat variety, Soaker, is opening opportunities for farmers.

Soaker, derived from Scepter, has one imidazolinone tolerance gene and is a new approach to IMI systems management in the wheat phase with APW Quality, SA and Victoria.

Grains Innovation Australia, GIA, bred Soaker, which is developed by LongReach as part of an ‘innovative wheat program’ to develop new IMI products for growers.

GIA derived Soaker from Scepter with 1xIMI tolerance gene being selected in field herbicide screens without crossing to existing varieties.

LongReach spokesman Colin Edmondson said the company had widely tested Soaker in Victoria and South Australia since 2019.

“Our long-term trials have shown that Soaker has slightly higher yield than Scepter with similar mid maturity, disease, and growth habit,” he said.

He said the addition of 1xIMI tolerance gene meant Soaker could shield the wheat crop from IMI residual carryover after crops such as lentils, beans and canola in the previous year while delivering the high yield of a ‘Scepter type’.

“This is especially important in years when conditions dry up after winter application of IMI products and we don’t get the required rainfall to break down IMI residues before planting wheat the following year,” he said.

“This is exactly the situation many lentil growers are in this season with the need for a ‘Soaker Wheat option’ widely discussed at spring field days. “The other exciting thing about Soaker is that it is available to be farmer to farmer traded, which allows ease of access in seasons with higher IMI carryover risk from the previous year.”

Mark Schilling of AG Schilling and Co, the exclusive distributor of Soaker, said ‘trading across the fence’ was a bonus. He said Soaker should be strategically targeted as a rotation product to reduce the risk of IMI residues in the wheat phase. With the rapid expansion of lentils in particular, a residual specialist helps preserve IMI chemistry for the pulse phase while protecting wheat yield. Mr Schilling said people wanting more information about 2024 seed availability could phone 08 8825 7224 or go to agschilling.com.au

BEST MATES: Drung farmer Ken Schilling and his six-year-old kelpie, Chloe, have an unbreakable bond. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Call to listen

Victoria Farmers Federation members and board directors will meet this week to discuss a pathway forward after two resolutions to call an extraordinary general meeting, EGM, were dismissed.

The VFF board denied a motion from members calling for an extraordinary general meeting to dissolve the board and spill elected positions.

Former grain group presidents Brett Hosking and Andrew Weidemann moved the motion in June after a meeting at St Arnaud found members felt disengaged from VFF leadership.

A motion to replace president Emma Germano and vice-president Danyel Cucinotta later followed.

But the VFF board, in a statement, said it had determined the request was defective.

“The request proposes that the members can remove the president and vice-president and install a new president and vice-president without holding an election,” the statement said.

“This is contrary to the Constitutionally enshrined democratic election process under the federation’s Constitution.”

The board said it noted it was the second defective call for an EGM.

“The previous request was invalid, unconstitutional and would have put the federation in immediate breach of

Philosophy strives for consistency

the Corporations Act 2001,” the statement said.

“The board believes that certain members disagree with the prudent and difficult decisions of the board, including among other things: To retire debt of the federation in part by selling the Credit Suisse-managed securities portfolio of the federation; to limit unnecessary organisational spending and insisting upon financial accountability; and to consult on potential constitutional reform.”

Mr Hosking said a meeting this week would enable members and the board to discuss steps towards a resolution.

“The next step for us is effectively going to court,” he said.

“The advice we have is the board made an incorrect decision, so it’s a simple process for us to take it to a judge to decide — which could have complicated consequences for the board.

“This meeting is a courtesy to see if they have an appetite to listen to their members and we’ll leave it in their hands.”

The board had recently announced its intentions to host an EGM on November 20 to amend the Constitution.

After feedback from members calling for more consultation, the EGM was cancelled and voting on proposed amendments will occur at an annual general meeting in February.

all POLY REPAIRS

Melrose Merino Stud at Nurrabiel is looking forward to its annual on-property auction as ram sale season begins across the region.

The stud will offer a line-up of 60 rams, 40 poll and 20 horn rams on property on Wednesday, October 11.

Its Merinoselect Australian Sheep Breeding Values and indexes showed its rams lift fleece weight, increase the number of lambs weaned and reduce micron.

Melrose Merino Stud’s Warren Russell said breeding sheep at Melrose revolved around utilising all tools available.

“This includes independent opinion and advice from renowned sheep classer Chris Bowman, using ASBVs and indexing in a considered approach to aid in classing ewes and selecting sires for breeding,” he said.

“The Melrose breeding philosophy is a balance of technology and tried and true methods of breeding sheep.

“This approach achieves measured improvements with animals that will breed predictably, profitably and true to type, every time.”

The Melrose on-property auction of 60 rams last year sold to a top price of $8000 for a 110-kilogram, 17.3-micron PP poll ram.

Range View Merino Stud, WA, purchased the ram — a reserve champion superfine poll ram at Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show 2022.

QUALITY: Melrose Merino Stud’s Warren Russell with a grand champion superfine ewe earlier this year.

WORKING HARD: The Horsham Show Yard Dog Trials were a feature of the weekend’s Horsham Show with open, novice and encourage categories for sheep dogs and their owners. Ash Carvana was among the entrants, working with his dog Go Getta and herding around the yards.

Shared value of ‘turf’

For a long time, agriculture has been the mainstay of many rural communities.

And it’s a fantastic industry — the only one I can think of that makes new wealth, year after year after year.

Increasingly, though, we’re seeing other industries looking to share the same ‘turf’ as farmers.

And if the new arrivals don’t engage in a constructive manner right from the beginning, it regularly leads to mistrust, delays and sometimes abandonment of a proposed investment.

The first example I recall of this was CRA’s discovery of large mineral sands deposits in the Wimmera in the 1980s.

To be fair, farmers and miners probably began from a position of mutual distrust in those days.

But this wasn’t aided by what the farmers viewed as a disrespectful attitude by a large corporate in the way they engaged with family farms.

It felt like the corporate strategy was, ‘we’ll listen politely for a while, have a couple of public meetings, then get on with the job’.

People who don’t understand the country way can often mistake polite listening for acceptance of the spiel.

They underestimate our ability to sense when engagement is disingenuous.

More recently, a wind farm devel-

From left field

with David Matthews

oper learned this the hard way as they rolled out plans to build turbines in south-west Victoria.

In their blueprint there was obviously a heading, ‘community engagement’.

The community liaison officer duly arranged the public meeting at the local hall. The company heavy weights arrived to give their pitch.

I suspect they thought it was going pretty well and were especially pleased with announcing the $4000 grant to repaint the hall; and didn’t sense the country folk would think $4000 in a $300-million investment would look a bit skinny.

But things deteriorated from there when, after 30 minutes or so of quite reasonable questions about land impact, access and ongoing farming operations, the head of the construction company became a bit impatient.

“Look” he said. “We’re really busy and have a tight schedule for this project. We’re happy to consult landowners but we just have to get on and build this wind farm.”

That went down well.

Pleasingly, though, some companies get it right.

The mineral sands deposit between Minyip and Donald is getting closer to full-scale development.

The company involved engages well with the community.

It provides regular detailed updates which incorporate commentary on everything from economic impact to radiological assessment, to impact on endangered plant species.

This open communication, even with the potentially controversial issues, builds trust.

You feel this company will be a good citizen and readily co-exist with the farming and broader community.

And it’s in our collective interest to embrace new, compatible industries.

We know continued consolidation in the farm sector is likely to threaten the viability of many rural towns.

We know climate volatility can create large fluctuations in revenues flowing into the rural economy.

Diversifying the economic base of rural Australia has so much upside.

So to the proponents of projects that may impact the existing land use, there’s a few things we could suggest. Engage early, openly and honestly. Don’t just think about shareholders; think about shared value.

And have a mindset to feed into the prosperity of our regions, not off it.

Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

CONNECTIONS: Chatsworth House Pastoral’s Tom and Sarah Whinney, with Upper Hopkins Land Management Group, will host a two-day event for the farming community to share knowledge and network.

Networking to enhance output

Upper Hopkins Land Management Group is partnering with members Sarah and Tom Whinney, of Chatsworth House Pastoral, to offer an opportunity for livestock and cropping farmers to connect and learn.

The theme of the Chatsworth House Field Days is ‘Bringing together farm business and natural capital’.

The two-day event is at Chatsworth House at Chatsworth, south-west of Lake Bolac, on October 4 and 5.

Attendees have the chance to expand their knowledge of natural capital in the context of the global economy, consumer trends, carbon and biodiversity markets and what it means for individual farm businesses.

There will be a focus on building natural capital, farm resilience and profitability.

Day one is a conference-style event, with speakers to encourage farmers to

think about natural capital and how to integrate it within their business to build resilience and profitability to meet consumer demands.

Speakers on day one include Rabobank agriculture and environment lead Lachlan Monsborough, Meat and Livestock Australia project manager Julia Waite, Rabobank’s Angus Gidley-Baird, Greenstock Woolworths’ Anna Speer, Soil Land Food’s David Hardwick, Resource Consulting Services’ Nic Kentish, and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank head of ESG and sustainability, Brooke Pettit.

Wilmot Cattle Co’s Stuart Austin, Down Under Covers’

Grant Sims, Rhynie Pastoral’s Jack Tucker and Mr and Mrs Whinney will host farmer sessions.

Shanna Wahn, co-founder of Sober in the Country, is guest speaker at a dinner to close the first day.

The morning of day two

will focus on how to account for natural capital and opportunities that exist around this, including soil carbon and biodiversity markets, carbon accounting and emissions reporting.

The session finishes with a panel discussion on soil carbon projects, with perspectives from both project developers and farmers.

Event speakers on day two include Atlas Carbon founder and chief executive Ashley Silver, Australian Soil Management’s Greg Bender, farmer and University of Melbourne PhD candidate Jonathon Jenkins, and an Accounting for Nature representative.

The afternoon session is a chance to join industry experts at Chatsworth House for a series of paddock walks with Mr Hardwick, Mr Kentish and agronomist Craig Drum.

Tickets are available via events.humanitix.com/2023field-day

Infrastructure upgrade support

Agricultural and pastoral societies can apply for a grants program, offering cash help of up to $10,000 to eligible projects.

The State Government program funds projects including new or upgraded facilities for the displays of arts and crafts,

upgraded fencing or areas used for shearing demonstrations, wool exhibits or judging of animals.

The program also offers funding to upgrade toilets, seating, disabled access, and electricity and water supply.

Variousagriculture commodity prices are fluctuating during spring, however, most have dropped since September 2022.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported that Australian export prices, as of September 21, remained similar to winter, but had dropped since September last year.

Grain prices have decreased between 10 and 20 percent compared to the same time last year.

Milling wheat exported at $488 a tonne, feed wheat sold for $466 a tonne and feed barley exported at $405 a tonne.

Canola was exported at $820 a tonne.

Prices for mutton, lamb and live sheep as of Wednesday last week are significantly lower than in September last year.

Mutton was exporting at 126 cents a kilogram and lamb was exporting at 437 cents a kilogram.

Beef export prices are sitting at 413 cents a kilogram.

ANZ agribusiness industry insights director Michael Whitehead said the country was emerging from three ‘fantastic’ years of crop production.

“This year, everybody’s eyes are still on the sky — even in September,” he said. “Will more rain come and bring things to above average; will things dry out below current levels?

“At the moment everybody, by and large, is forecasting a return to average crop.”

He said current international dynamics and markets put a ‘positive spin’ on prices.

“While prices would normally have gone down a lot further because of ample Northern Hemisphere supplies, the continuing uncertainty is putting a floor underneath prices,” he said.

Mr Whitehead said uncertainty about rain, as

well as input prices and availability at the start of the season, meant the national crop could look different this year.

Barley exports also changed in the past month as the first shipment was sent to China after 80 percent tariffs, implemented in 2020, lifted.

South Australian-based Australian Grain Exports, AGE, secured the deal and barley trader Tyson Hewett said the tariff lifting had increased barley prices.

“It’s also a good time for buyers. Canada and Europe, our competitors, are nearing the end of their harvest, so they’re slowing down on sales and buyers are keen for Australia to fill that gap,” he said. “My grandfather used to say it doesn’t hurt to have barley in the rotation because it keeps the soil sweet, and can handle dry years.”

Mr Whitehead said in other commodities, sheep prices were down but he was hopeful it could present more opportunities in the market.

“If we look for one silver lining, if the price of sheep is down and therefore the export price is down it does make Australian sheep attractive to some other new markets or to grow in some existing markets,” he said.

“If that demand is built, hopefully that will be sustained going forward.”

Mr Whitehead said the wool industry was always one impacted when economic times became tough in other parts of the world.

“Consumers are tightening what they spend money on and that flows through to the wool market,” he said. “If we look reasonably ahead all forecasters say the economic tides will get better going forward and we need to make sure we are ready for that when that gets better and wool exports pick up again.”

Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said agricultural shows were a vital part of rural and regional life, offering important social connections.

Applications are available via agriculture.vic.gov.au and close on October 13.

Picture: GEORGIE MANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Power to people

Advancements in spotlight

Perennial Pasture Systems’

Protests

about renewable energy projects that include huge powerline infrastructure to be built in Victoria to connect solar and wind farms to the grid are starting to gain traction.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King hit the front page of The Australian after she told the Australian Energy Market Operator, AEMO, to, “engage thoroughly and honestly with impacted communities … from project conception to construction and beyond.”

Why the outburst when renewable energy is being pursued with a vengeance from her Federal Government and other State Labor Governments?

Parts of Ms King’s electorate are in the path of the route of the Western Renewable Link — a 190-kilometre overhead high-voltage electricity transmission line that will carry renewable energy from solar and wind farms from Bulgana, north of Ararat, to Melbourne with towers more than 80 metres high.

“I have been shocked and disappointed by the lack of respect shown to communities and the lack of consideration

Country Today

with Libby Price

of their land uses, local government views and landscape,” Ms King said.

From the moment the plan was revealed, the bluntly named lobby group ‘Piss Off Ausnet’, based in the Ballarat and Daylesford region spoke against it.

Its Facebook page says: “We are concerned potato farmers, growers, landowners who object to AusNet’s above-ground substation, towers, transmissions lines proposed to destroy precious farm land and homes.

“We are fighting for food security against a battle for energy security. We advocate for the Western Victorian transmission line to go underground down the middle of the Western Highway. The land and easement is already there.”

The underground option is expensive. But Bruce Mountain, Victorian Energy Policy Centre director at Victoria University and an energy economist, has an alternative proposal.

“Our alternative plan might essentially be thought of as a brownfields plan. Upgrading the existing transmission lines means increasing the scope of the existing lines to carry more load or to add circuits to the lines, and we know this plan will mean much less new land to be occupied; it will host far more wind and solar capacity; and it will be much cheaper — less than half the price — and much quicker to achieve because it doesn’t impose greatly on the environment and on landholders,” Professor Mountain told Country Today

So why has the Andrews Government rejected plan B?

“I’ve agonised over this question. The government has said, essentially, they believe the information they are given by the Energy Market Operator,” Professor Mountain said.

“Yet they contradict each other on key points.

“For example, the market operator expects Victoria to become a very major energy importer, whereas the government says with this interconnection will be a major exporter.”

To quote Shakespeare, “Ill blows the wind that profits nobody.”

14th annual conference attracted 120 agriculture professionals to Ararat this month.

PPS farmers and non-member farmers, service providers and tertiary students participated in speaker sessions, a farm tour, annual meeting and dinner with a guest speaker.

The conference began with Lisa Warn of Warn Ag Consulting, who gave an updated financial analysis on a pasture investment project completed in 2018.

The ‘Greenfields Project’ was a full pasture and infrastructure analysis on land at Glenlofty, near Elmhurst, and Ms Warn presented results with 2023 prices and costs.

Cam Morris of Ag Diagnostics discussed management options to improve profitability on existing paddocks before a pasture renewal stage.

Professor Bill Malcolm of Melbourne University analysed farm expansion options.

Carlyn Sherriff of Pinion Advisory presented requirements for employing people including culture, professionalism, communications, workplace standards and compliance, and leadership.

Stuart Robinson, farm manager at Terrinallum Estate presented the practical onfarm aspect of how he became an employer of choice.

Think Agri’s Kate Burke proposed two strategies for building a shock-proof farming business in her presentation. Her proposals were embracing risk as essential to shockproofing a business, and qualitative and quantitative examination of farm performance.

Ballyrogan farmer Dan Jess joined Ms Burke to discuss how he has ‘bulletproofed’ his

farm Illoura Farms. The onfarm tour was to PPS member Tom Brady’s property ‘Jallukar Ridge’ at Rhymney.

The day ended with an annual conference dinner, including guest speaker Peter Jess, at Ararat RSL.

Two original committee members, Ben Greene and Simon Brady, stepped down and Emma Goodall and Marc Stevens were duly elected.

Outgoing president Matt Kindred stepped aside for vice-president Craig Altmann to take the reins.

NETWORKING: Perennial Pasture Systems members Paul Harrington of Mt Cole Creek, Ian Maconachie of Ballyrogan, and Ray Zippel of Laharum at Ararat.

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Trial insights

Birchip Cropping Group staff hosted about 500 farmers, agronomists, researchers and secondary school students at the organisation’s annual field day at Kinnabulla.

The BCG Main Field Day, earlier this month, was a chance to discuss the latest local agronomic research and information.

Chief executive Fiona Best said the event was a culmination of a year’s worth of planning and preparation, with the site showcasing more than 30 trials.

Board chair John Ferrier said he was pleased with the content delivered, along with the condition of the research site.

“We had some great trials on show with excellent messages for everyone in attendance,” he said.

More than 20 presenters shared their expertise, including BCG staff and industry experts.

Kenton Porker, CSIRO, and Kate Burke ThinkAgri, encouraged people to prepare for the upcoming warmer weather by knowing the critical stress periods of their respective crops in their presentation, ‘Frost and Heat Risk in 2023’.

They urged growers to be confident to inspect crops after a frost or heat stress, to manage expectations of harvest.

Hari Dadu, Josh Fanning and Chloe Findlay of Agriculture Victoria, with Foundation for Arable Research’s Nick Poole, generated discussion about disease management.

BCG’s Yolanda Plowman shared the objectives of a Farming Systems Trial, situated across the road from the 2023 main site, which will run until 2026.

“The research will go beyond shortterm productivity and consider profitability and sustainability over the longer term, including new systems that are currently uncommon in the southern Mallee,” Dr Plowman said.

BCG staff introduced attendees to on-site trials.

Brooke Bennett and Kelly Angel discussed wheat and barley varieties, Kate Finger and Angus Butterfield shared the results of a herbicide efficacy trial and Alison Frischke discussed oaten hay considerations.

About 130 secondary school students from the North Central LLEN region including Birchip, Donald, Wycheproof, Pyramid Hill, Tyrrell College and Bendigo bolstered the crowd.

The students participated in a specialised program featuring a careers panel, tour of the main site and treasure hunt designed to encourage interaction and exploration.

School tour finds futures focus

Goroke P-12 College agricultural and horticultural science students have received a hands-on experience at Agriculture Victoria’s Horsham SmartFarm, learning about climate action research and preserving important grains and plants for the future.

The students’ study delved into how new technology can assist in the production and conservation of plants, including acknowledging the effects of climate change.

Agriculture Victoria senior research scientist, Ashley Wallace gave students a tour of Horsham SmartFarm’s research and innovation facilities.

Students saw the Free Air Temperature Extreme facility, FATE — a set

of computerised, custom-engineered trolleys mounted with infrared heaters.

It aims to help scientists better understand the impact of heatwaves on crops.

Students also toured the Australian Grains Genebank.

“Students were presented with the differences in crop varieties grown in Australia compared with other parts of the world and were shown how seeds are carefully preserved in the Genebank for plant breeders and future generations,” Mr Wallace said.

The students participated in a demonstration, with guidance from Agriculture Victoria researchers, on how they use high-tech equipment to

measure quality traits in grains in the crop quality laboratory.

Mr Wallace said research studied the colour of lentil grain and quality of dough and bread made from the flour of different wheat varieties and breeding lines.

The students toured the Digital Centre for Agriculture, where they saw modern technology that seeks to increase grain growers’ productivity, profitability and sustainability. Students were keen to apply knowledge gained from the trip to their studies as they prepare to enter the final units of the subject in 2024.

Student Lucinda Smith said the tour was an exciting, educational and fun experience.

LEARNING: Lucinda Smith, Maisy Batson and Will Hausler of Goroke P-12 College tour the Australian Grains Genebank at Agriculture Victoria’s Horsham SmartFarm with researcher Dr Sally Norton, left.