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The LAND NEW technology harnessing the power of natural steam could aid Tablelands farmers in the fight against navua sedge. Kuranda-based business Blue Hand Steam conducted a recent trial using their special equipment on navua sedge, with results showing the weed was killed off after three to four treatments. The technology uses water that is super-heated under pressure in a diesel fire boiler which is then pumped through a delivery hose. Blue Hand Steam executive director Kinan Lemberg said the benefits of steam weeding were demonstrated at Malanda’s recent Small Farms Field Day, attracting interest from several local farmers. "A few farmers will be hiring our steam unit over the next couple of months to help manage their extensive sedge problem,” he said. “One of the benefits with steam application is that it is not weather dependent.” Mareeba Shire Council has also purchased a steam weeding unit to reduce their use of herbicides in public spaces following good feedback from Douglas Shire Council and Cassowary Coast Regional Council. “With the increased attention on the health of the Great Barrier Reef it is important that councils play their part in enhancing their sustainability commitment,” Mr Lemberg said. “Saturated steam weeding works by raising the temperature inside the plant’s cell and rupturing the cell wall. The plant immediately wilts and changes colour. You can see it going brown in as little as an hour.” Mr Lemberg said some Tablelands farmers had already adopted steam technology as a way of keeping weeds under control. “There is no crop contamination, no withholding period and no accumulation of chemicals as with herbicide use,” he said.

Steam technology in sedge fight

EFFECTIVE: Blue Hand Steam executive director Kinan Lemberg with Mareeba Shire Council’s Sid Clayton.

Double win for local innovators A GROWING WALKAMIN company have scored two big wins for innovation with their banana-based products. Natural Evolution Foods (NEF) owners Rob and Krista Watkins won the Best Proven Product category at the Tropical North Queensland Innovation Awards (TNQIA) last Wednesday before taking out the Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award at the Premier’s Sustainability Awards (PSA) the following night. “I just can’t believe it, we just feel so blessed,” Mrs Watkins said. “Both organisations have seen the value we are adding to the local area. It’s a very humbling feeling.” The TNQIA highlighted NEF’s green banana resistant starch,

banana-based ointments and skin care products, while the PSA praised the company’s “nutro-lock” preservation process, which can turn fresh fruit into powder in under 25 minutes. Established last year, NEF grew out of the Watkins’ original business selling flour produced from excess Cavendish and Lady Finger Bananas for local, national and international markets. The couple now lead the world in selling banana-based products, establishing contracts with suppliers in Japan, the United Kingdom and South Korea. Mrs Watkins said the company was now in talks with suppliers in South America and Asia to license their nutro-lock process. “There’s very strong interest and commitment overseas to build

suGar rEPOrts MOssMaN MiLL CrushiNG statistiCs WEEk 23 Mossman Mill throughput for the week was 41,959 tonnes of cane at an average crushing rate of 318 tonnes/hour with the plant availability below budget. Another difficult week with process, electrical and mechanical issues that reduced the overall crushing rate and throughput for the week. No.1 Mill Turbine tacho failed, No.3 Bagasse belt split, No.1 Boiler ID fan damper control, and the weekly shredder inspection were some of the larger downtime events. The processing side of the factory continues to deal with the low purity of incoming material slowing pan stage throughput from incoming cane quality and low plant availability. Crush statistiCs: • Mossman tonnes crushed for the week: 41,959 tonnes • CCS for week: 11.65 • Total cane crushed to date: 828,659 tonnes • CCS average to date: 11.55 • 2016 crop estimate: 900,000 tonnes

taBLELaND MiLL CrushiNG statistiCs WEEk 25

nutro-lock facilities in 2018,” she said. “While bananas are our primary business, we’ve also been doing a lot of food preservation for other industries.” Mrs Watkins said the Tablelands was becoming a hub for local innovators, with the region’s strong agricultural industry lending itself to untold opportunities. “We’ve had 13 different innovations to get to where we are today. We didn’t get it right it the first time, we made mistakes but we’ve grown from that and we’ve kept going,” she said. “We’re in a phase right now where we are our upscaling our facility…We’ll be able to run a factory off our iPhone.”

MAREEBA LIVEWEIGHT CATTLE

MARKET REPORT Prime Quotes Butcher’s steers Butcher’s heifers WhOLesALe cOWs expOrt sLAughter BuLLOcks expOrt sLAughter cOWs expOrt sLAughter BuLLs

HiGHest LoWest NO QuOte 277.2 216.2 218.2 180.0 272.2 229.2 175.0 185.2 120.0

store Quotes stOre steers (250kg $740) stOre heifers (212kg) cOWs & cALVes uNit heAVY feeDer steers

HiGHest 296.2 289.2 NO QuOte 302.2

ALL VeNDOrs pLeAse NOte: tO AchieVe fuLL cOMpetitiON ON YOur cAttLe, MAke sure YOu Are fuLLY AccreDiteD With the MLA AND hAVe A curreNt NAtiONAL VeNDOr DecLArAtiON.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PREFERRED AGENT at least BEFORE 8AM MONDAY WHEN CONSIDERING YOUR CATTLE

• ELDERS 4086 3500 • • LANDMARK 4092 3711 • • QUEENSLAND RURAL 4092 3522 • NQ SALEYARDS COMPANY PTY LTD - PHONE 4092 1228 MARKET SALE EVERY TUESDAY 9AM @ MAREEBA SALEYARD PAGE 18 The Express, Wednesday, November 23, 2016