Country Journal, Week #55 - January 24, 2022 by SmallNewspaperCo

4000 COPIES DISTRIBUTED WEEKLY IN THE SOUTHERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL AREA + DAILY JOURNAL & STANTHORPE RECORD

CountryJournal Week commencing 24th January 2022

Bottling insights

An unwelcome ‘lodger’

“Allora has been my home for nearly 10 years now and I love it more every year,” writes our own Krista Bjorn. “My work as a food and travel writer and photographer has taken me all over the world, but it’s our 40-acre farm and beautiful southern Queensland that delights me every day.” In this and future editions of the Country Journal, Krista will be bottling insights of cottage and farm life for our readers on the Southern Downs,

Sorghum growers on the Southern Downs will be interested to know that the stubborn issue of sorghum lodging is getting a dose of scholarly limelight. Lodging, which happens when high grain yields leads to the failure of the stalks of grain to remain upright might sound like a nice problem to have, but according to GRDC, is an issue that is consistently rated as the most significant concern facing Australian sorghum growers and costing on average $12 million worth in yield loss annually. For more on this story, see page 3.

And just like that... Bruce McLeish’s wool report is back after a mid-summer holiday-time break, with insights into the bounce back in the wool market. See back page..

Out-pulling COVID-19

While many local events have been cancelled due to COVID-19, the Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival is going full steam ahead in March. Held at the Allora Showgrounds on 12-13 March, the event will feature heavy and light horses in harness, working horses, ploughing, saddle and led classes--a really unique event. This, and further COVID-flavoured updates inside this edition. Servicing Warwick, Stanthorpe and Beyond Made from Bluescope Australian Steel FULL SERVICE - SLAB, ERECTION & COUNCIL

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Country briefs

Heavy horses event stil on While many local events have been cancelled due to COVID-19, the Darling Downs Heavy Horse Festival is going full steam ahead in March.

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Helping children cope, communicate, and feel better is the goal of Counselling for Kids at the Granite Belt Neighbourhood Centre. Spaces are available for kids aged 5-12 and short term support and intervention will be provided by a qualified counsellor from CatholicCare. Through talking, playing, drawing, and a range of activities, children will receive help in practising new skills and solving problems. “Lots of kids have problems that affect how they feel, think, or act,” GBNC wrote on their Facebook page. “Counselling is a way to get help and support with these problems.” Some of the issues the counsellor will help with are family, school, and health problems, bullying, and anxiety. For more information, call Kate or Netty at 4681 3777 or email eyfamilies@communityds.org.au

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Sorghum: too much of a good thing

Elizabeth Voneiff, Editor Sorghum growers on the Southern Downs will be interested to know that the stubborn issue of sorghum lodging is getting a dose of scholarly limelight, including at our own local research facility... ‘Lodging’ sounds harmless, and in some ways is a side-effect of good news: it is what happens when high grain yields leads to the failure of the stalks of grain to remain upright: in a sense, a nice problem to have. According to GRDC, a new $11.6 million, five-and-a-half-year joint investment is aiming to address lodging in sorghum - an issue that is consistently rated as the most significant concern facing Australian sorghum growers and Professor David Jordan inspects expericosting on average $12 million mental sorghum at Hermitage Research worth in yield loss annually. Centre. Photo: Elizabeth Voneiff. This strategic investment aims to de-couMinister for Agricultural Industry ple the relationship between height, yield Development, Fisheries and Rural and lodging to increase the water-limited yield potential of sorghum, reducing grain- Communities Mark Furner said the co-investment was another way the State fill yield loss by 25 per cent. The knowlGovernment could support sorghum edge and techniques developed will allow growers, and agribreeders to chase yield harder without culture in greater lodging risk. The project is funded through the GDRC, Queensland. Professor David Advanta Seeds, UQ and the Queensland Jordan said the UQ DAF. team looked forDr David Jordan of the Hermitage ward to working research centre will lead the project with with the partners to grain grower investment through GRDC, with UQ and DAFQ's world-leading exper- continue to lead the way on global sortise in sorghum research combining with ghum research and Advanta's industry expertise and global development. scale. "In this project we Ultimately, this pre-breeding research are bringing togethseeks to provide commercial sorghum er Australia's leadbreeders with the tools and germplasm to ing sorghum rapidly deploy pre-breeding outputs to research expertise growers, fast-tracking the path to market.

with the capacity of global industry innovator, Advanta Seeds," Professor Jordan said. "As part of this project, we will investigate and introduce methodology that will establish consistent, robust and replicable methods that induce lodging, testing stem composition and structure - which has never been done anywhere in the world. "We'll assess diverse sorghum populations to identify the key genes and genetic locations associated with reduced propensity, to lodge and draw on this knowledge, so that we can create advanced genomic tools that enable breeders to develop high yielding hybrids quickly and efficiently to tackle the issue.

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Vaccinations in Warwick COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be available in Warwick from next week as local COVID cases head towards the 1,000 infections. Queensland has come a little late to the COVID/Omicron game, and so the peak of infections and pressure on the hospitals is not expected now until March, but authorities are not taking chances, with booster clinics now offering walk-in only options. The Pfizer-only clinics will provide first, second and booster doses as well as vaccinations for 5-11-year

Flu news 1919

Leyburn, Wednesday.

Up to the present time there have been 12 cases of influenza here - none to report dangerous, being the ordinary “flu” and where there is no medico to be had at the moment’s call the home treatment has to be resorted to, and so far good results have followed. Some that had it first are now getting about and able to do for others that have taken it. -Toowoomba Chronicle, Friday, 30 May 1919.

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old children. The clinics will be walk-ins only. The other good news is that treatments for COVID will start taking place locally--so there won’t be helicoptering to the Gold Coast for patients, as was the case formerly, in cases of COVID, as long as local facilities can handle the complexity. Darling Downs Health, acting Executive Lead, Health Emergency Operation Centre Michelle Forrest said that getting vaccinated, or your booster shot if you are due, is the best way to protect yourself, your family, friends and the community from COVID-19. “It’s a good time for children to be vaccinated before school returns. Being fully vaccinated is a good way to slow the spread of the virus in Queensland.” Clinic details: Warwick Town Hall • Thursday 27 January 2022 - 11am to 6pm • Friday 28 January 2022 - 8am to 6pm • Saturday 29 January 2022 - 8am to 6pm • Sunday 30 January 2022 - 8am to 4pm

Trains suspended; regional freight OK

Like the rest of Queensland, Queensland Rail is experiencing a rising number of employees who need to isolate for their health, and for the safety of others, but a QR spokesperson has confirmed that while it is cutting back or suspending services to cope (e.g. the Inlander to Mt Isa and the Westlander to Charleville), there would be no impacts to the regional freight network and at this stage no changes on the Brisbane to Cairns corridor.

• Editor: Elizabeth Voneiff editor@thedailyjournal.ink * Sales: Gordon Bratby 0437 417 736 * Sales: Peter Schmidt 0447 105 846 sales@thedailyjournal.ink

While every care is taken to compile this newspaper accurately, we cannot be held responsible for any errors that may occur with advertisements or articles. All submitted content does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Small Newspaper Company or The Country Journal All art and editorial content remains the property of the relevant copyright holder and may not be reproduced without permission. If we have got something wrong, get in touch, and we will print a correction in our next edition...and apologies in advance!

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A little bit of legals

COUNTRYJOURNAL

News not to grape about... In a difficult season marked by labour shortages, high shipping costs and uncertain markets, one American expert has good news for Australian table grape growers exporting to Asia. Mr Carlos Bonet, the Commercial Director for North America and Asia of the giant table grape and citrus agritech company AM FRESH, reports that table grape growers in South America, particularly Chile and Peru, are facing the same shipping/logistical challenges that Australian growers are facing - shortages of containers and much higher shipping costs. Carlos states that "a scarcity of shipping, a shortage of containers and extremely common delays have resulted in large increases in shipping costs as well as longer voyage times and increased unreliability for South American exporters sending to SE Asia." "Because the voyage to Asia is long, these risks are magnified and our suppliers in Chile and Peru have asked for their fruit to go into the US this year. This means that Australian growers are likely to have considerably less competition from Chilean fruit in SE Asia this season" according to Carlos. Carlos further notes "In Asia, Australian table grapes are very well regarded as high

Serious accident, Leyburn

end, premium fruit. While Australia exports some fruit from public varieties such as Menindee and Crimson, increasingly, Australian growers export the newer, A woman was assessed for signifihigher quality proprietary varieties. cant facial and leg injuries after a Increasingly, Asian supermarket chains are vehicle collided with a tree on Clifton requesting fruit from these varieties - not Leyburn Road at 5.25am on Friday just "white seedless" or "red seedless" but morning (21 January). According to specific varieties". QAS reports, the driver was initially "Overall, prospects for Australian table entrapped in the vehicle and a rescue grapes are very good in SE Asia this year. helicopter was called to the scene. Yes, labour shortages in Australia and high The incident was ongoing at the time shipping costs complicate the picture but of going to press. Australia's relatively short voyage distances, reduced supply from South America, the high quality reputation of Australian fruit and Australia's CHECK THESE OUT ability to provide • Home Brew Breweries • Fresh Craft Beer Wort • Kit Beer premium propri• Craft Beer Pouches • Grain Malt • Yeast and Hops etary varieties are PLUS HARDWARE all strong positives At Elders Insurance Warwick, we provide residentsSUCH acrossAS the• Kegging Equipment • Kegging Parts • CO2 Gas Refills for growers selling in community with personalised insurance. From business owners Asia," Carlos said. and trade workers to farmers and beyond, we can help find a cover We are the Southern Downsfor Specialty Brew Store! Looking anHome insurer

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Krista’s patch.... Allora has been my home for nearly 10 years now and I love it more every year. My work as a food and travel writer and photographer has taken me all over the world, but it's our 40-acre farm and beautiful southern Queensland that delights me every day. I look forward to capturing a glimpse of farm life for my friends on the Southern Downs and hope that you share your stories, tips and recipes with me as well. Kristadailyjournal@gmail.com The wind is howling through the gum trees on our farm this morning, bringing cool relief after days of heat and humidity. The recent rains have replenished the dried out patches and everything is lush and green again. In my 10.5 years of living on this land, I've never seen it look so healthy and verdant. The paddocks are covered with a thick mass of grasses now, not the patchy clumps we saw during the drought. In

some places, the fields are up to my waist and boast a wide variety of grasses, herbs, and grains. This never fails to delight me for I know that our sheep, goats, geese, and chooks will have plenty of good feed for the months to come. My gardens are flourishing too, providing us with steady harvests of asparagus, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, and berries from the strawberry beds, elderberry hedges, and black nightshade bushes that pop up everywhere. The strawberries I eat fresh, popping them in my mouth as I weed and water. The elderberries and black nightshade berries are either dried for winter or sim-

mered with spices and sweetened with honey for nourishing cordials. The herbs are doing great too and I'm excited to spend the weekend harvesting and drying them to turn into herbal remedies to keep us healthy through autumn and winter. There's burdock root (picture shows burdock growing in my carden) galangal, and horseradish to dig up, scrub clean, and dice into small pieces that will dry easily. I have four big elderflower hedges now, and the large, creamy elderflower heads are ready to cut. I pile them into baskets and then sit on the back veranda to steadily pull off the tiny flowers to dry for my favourite elderflower and yarrow tisane. I only take about a third of the heads, leaving the rest to turn into elderberries. continued page 8...

Wishing you a great

AUSTRALIA DAY

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Southern Downs

Let’s reflect, celebrate and recognise the outstanding contributions of those past, present and emerging that help make Southern Downs a great place to live, work, play and stay. - Mayor Vic Pennisi

Southern Downs online mail@sdrc.qld.gov.au

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

RATS threaten harvest If apple and pear farmers in the Granite Belt don't receive quick access to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), the 2022 harvest and year-round supply will be under serious threat. “Our industry needs assurance that the federal and state governments’ plans to distribute the tests recognises the critical and urgent needs of our industry,” Apple & Pear Australia Limited (APAL) CEO Phil Turnbull said. “Our trees don’t have an off button – we can’t just shut down operations while we wait for access to more tests. Our crops have one annual harvest that is already underway in some regions.” He explained that growers in all regions are reporting that their limited labour supply is being cut by as much as 40% because staff are unable to access RATs. "We are already experiencing a shadow lockdown as massive numbers of staff are forced to remain in isolation,” Mr Turnbull said. “We look forward to the federal and state governments confirming how they will prioritise and distribute the increased supply of tests to the ag sector to minimise

disruption to the harvest and alongside the needs of other critical industries.” APAL is encouraging farmers to have a

COVID Safe Plan in place as soon as possible, explaining that this will be the new normal for growers as Queensland figures out how to live with COVID-19. Apple and pear orchard owners can help their workers by tracking local exposure sites and texting daily updates to their workers, making sure to translate the information if their workforce is multicultural. They can also create work bubbles to minimise contact between workers. This could mean limiting specific groups of workers to specific areas such as packing sheds and orchards and ensuring they don't mix and mingle through the work day. Those groups will carpool together, work together, and take their breaks together so any outbreaks of the virus would be limited to small groups rather than the entire workforce. At the very least, farmers can increase workplace hygiene by scheduling additional cleaning of common areas throughout the day, providing hand washing and sanitising stations, ensuring everyone has and wears masks, and making sure physical distancing is practised.

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Awaiting bigger processors CONTRIBUTED BY: ROSS ELLIS MCDOUGALL AND SONS The sales continued this week with agents yarding 572 head of cattle for the weekly sale. At the Sheep and Lamb sale agents yarded 1414 head. The markets were firm to a shade easier: mainly price related on type and weight. The markets are seeing the dominant forces as re-stockers and feed on types as we await the re-emergence of the bigger processors after the holiday break. As with all business the threat of Covid is around to alter the landscape at any given time. Vealer steers averaged 667.7c/kg topping at 855.2c/kg or $1928.09 to $2445.55 Vealer heifers averaged 589.3c/kg topping at 818.2c/kg or $1497.91 to $2078.50 Feeder steers averaged 589.7c/kg topping at 705.2c/kg or $2348.56 to $2790 Feeder heifers averaged 542.5c/kg topping at 604.2c/kg or $1827.28 to $2208.63

Yearling steers averaged 563.9c/kg topping at 686.2c/kg or $1851.99 to $2722.96 Yearling heifers averaged 520.3c/kg topping at 604.2c/kg or $$1705.29 to $2414.58 Steers averaged 471.6c/kg topping at 500.0c/kg or $2091.39 to $2410.10 Heifers averaged 421.4c/kg topping at 484.2c/kg or $1754.85 to $3189.41 Manufacturing steers averaged 454c/kg topping at 474.2c/kg or $1378.98 to $1888.11 Cows averaged 341.5c/kg topping at 365c/kg or $1798.07 to $2664.00 Bulls averaged 407.6c/kg topping at 700c/kg or $2094.08 to $3361.28 Sheep and lambs were at the sale from the local vendors as well as Western Districts , New England and the South West. Lambs topped at $234 to average $180.25 a lift of $6/head Hoggets topped at $230 to average $159.04 a lift of $8/head

Ewes topped at $146 to average $91.13 a drop of $37/head Wethers topped at $190 to average $135 a drop of $8/head Lamb rams topped at $228 to average $185.97 par for the week The total sale yarding averaged $165.06/ head which was a fall of $3/head for the week-on-week sales. Pig numbers were down with the yarding mainly consisting of light stores. Sows sold to $420, Gilts sold to $108 Baconers sold to $248, Pork sold to $204, stores sold to $181 Poultry numbers were up with Roosters selling to $17.50, Hens to $10, Pullets to $42.50, Ducks to $12.50, Drakes to $25, Guinea Fowl to $47.50, Quails to $17.50

Krista’s patch

...continued from page 6 I'll be planting more dill this weekend so I have ample heads and seeds for pickling at the end of summer. I'm excited to make my favourite dilled carrots and beans that I loved as a child in Canada, as well as thinly sliced golden and candy-striped beetroots. We've been buying a lot of stone fruit recently, and soon they'll be washed, sliced, and layered into the dehydrator for drying. Then we'll use the dried fruit in all sorts of ways, scattering them over bowls of porridge, adding some to tagines, or simply eating them as snacks throughout the day. I'll also be using some to make old-fashioned dried fruit pies, and I'm really looking forward to that. There's a lot to do during this abundant season of rain and sunshine, but it is happy and pleasant work for me. I love the gentle cadence of this sort of work, the repetitive motions of picking and chopping that somehow calm and settle the mind, body, and spirit. And I really like seeing my kitchen shelves lined with glistening jars of goodness, glasshouses for pickles, preserves, and boozy concoctions. It's going to be a delicious winter.

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12 13

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Acts Aid Asia Ask Calm

24 25 26

DOWN 2 Which word is often

used to designate the first in a series (5) 3 What is an assembly of ecclesiastics or other church delegates (5) 4 Which communication is being overtaken by the email, or its like (8)

5 Name the units of

17 Which wading birds are allied

18 Which term is descriptive

7 12 14

E-QUATIONS 7 15

Elf Fat Fed Hole Jam

of stockings (6)

20 What are irreverent or

blasphemous words (5)

21 Name the Greek epic poem,

describing the siege of Troy, ascribed to Homer (5) 23 Ms Moncrieff was known as “Our” who (4)

CLUES: After (5) Born (3) Class (5) Finely-sieved food (5) Floor show (7) Girl (coll) (3) IOC code: Peru (3) Launched (7) Of the city (5) Unleaded fuel (3)

6 4

BIYWORD

DOWN 1 Riyadh native 2 Die 3 Loafing 4 Bucks

L A N T E D E E R

ACROSS 1 Battery fluid 5 Ill-mannered 6 Competent 7 ‘A cold one’

5 H

15 17 24 19

E E E F G L

A A B C D E

L N O P P R

R R T T U U

SOLUTIONS

032 C A B A R E T

QUICK THINK

Solve the crossword. Each answer has four letters.

032

Build it yourself using the clues and each of the twenty-four letters once only to form ten words: five across and five down. A key word (bold clue) builds on the letter set in the grid.

H:15, J:17, O:24, R:19, W:2, Y:6, Z:4

032

BIYWORD

are shown in the right-hand cells. Create remaining values using clues in centre cells.

Shoe Six Smart

In WWI, German U-boats starved Europe by attacking supply ships. The British sent out a blacksmith and a few gunners on a small raft on dark nights. Spotting a periscope, they’d sneak up and smash it! The blinded U-boat then had to surface. 16 U-boats were hammered!

E-QUATIONS

Some values are in the right hand042 cells. Create remaining values using Letters A to Z have a number value. Some clues in centre cells.

R-Z W+H Y×Z W+J Z÷W Z+W O÷Y

List Mud Off Sat Seed

CURIO

to the herons and storks (6)

Letters have a number value

H J O R W Y Z

A M U D X K

Find the following words in the grid. They may be read in any direction, even diagonally. Some letters are used more than once.

electrical resistance (4) What is a hospital for private patients (6) What is a very short period of time (6) Which morse components are smaller than dashes (4) Name another term for a horticulturist (8) What is an Old World wild goat (4)

D I L I S T

6 7

Greek epic poem, describing the oy, ascribed to Homer (5) ff was known as “Our” who (4)

SUDOKU

E E S A T R

CROSSWORD

E L F A C A

O T H M S S

S O F J A M

C S E L R E D I C E N D O N I N I C I D E B E I O X I N A L I T R I C H A E S I D E

E G A E R D U E N T E R

S H O E G S

032

B A S S E T L Y E S P I N A L H O E M A D D O G O R T A M I S N O M B Y D I A L O G S O L H E R N I A S S D

QUICK THINK ACROSS: 1 Acid, 5 Rude, 6 Able, 7 Beer. DOWN: 1 Arab, 2 Cube, 3 Idle, 4 Deer.

163-032

E-QUATIONS H:15, J:17, O:24, R:19, W:2, Y:6, Z:4

short-legged dog (6) Which English king was known as “the Unready” (8) Name a term that implies a relationship to the backbone (6) Which AFL team won the Grand Final in 2000 (8) The notorious Australian bushranger Daniel Morgan was known as what (3,3) Which term describes the killing of a monarch (8) What is an error in designating a person or thing (8) Which chemical compound is present as a contaminant in certain herbicides (6) What is a conversation between two or more persons (8) Name an extremely powerful acid (6) To protrude through an abnormal bodily opening is to do what (8) What does it mean to have as one’s abode for a time (6)

A M U D X K

MINI WORD FIND

MINI WORD FIND S S E E D H O L E I O F F S L E J A A I G A C T S S M A R T

ACROSS 1 Name a long-bodied,

731

Cherries in brandy - summertime treat

Just after Christmas, I decided to make something I've been wanting to for over a decade: cherries in brandy. Many moons ago, when my oldest brother lived in Paris, I went to stay with him. During the days while he worked, I would wander the streets of Paris by myself, exploring, taking pictures, feeling like the luckiest woman on the planet. At night, we would dress up and go to his favourite restaurant, a cosy, little place tucked down a side street. They greeted us like old friends, sat us at a tiny table covered with a starched, snowy white cloth, and served us thinly sliced prosciutto with tangy pickles and luscious bœuf bourguignon (beef stew with red wine) over the creamiest mashed potatoes I'd ever tasted. For dessert, we'd always get the same thing: cherries in brandy, a concoction that never failed to warm our bones even on the coldest, stormiest Autumn Parisian nights. Now I have my own bottle of plump

Australian cherries in French brandy, and one autumn night in the near future, I'll open it and bite into a boozy cherry and relive that beautiful Paris memory.

Cherries in Brandy

500 g whole, fresh cherries, stems and pits removed 500 ml French brandy 250 g light brown sugar 1/2 cinnamon stick 1 clove 1 cardamom pod, split Place cherries in a sterilised glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup brandy, light brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and cardamom pod. Set over medium-high heat and bring just to the

boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Boil for one minute then remove from heat. Add the rest of the brandy, stir well, then pour mixture over cherries, seal tightly, and store in the fridge for 6 weeks. To serve: eat by the spoonful or pour over vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche.

Peak back in history: the Pratten Cricket Club

The annual meeting of the Pratten Cricket Club was held in the Pratten Hall on Tuesday, 29 August. Mr A Hutton was elected to the chair. The principal business for the evening was the election of officers for the ensuing twelve months. Mr E H King (South Toolburra) was elected Patron, Mr RS Nobbs president, Messrs Garsden, A Hutton and W Reading vice presidents. Last year’s secretary and treasurer were re-elected, viz., Mr T Groom (secretary) and Mr A Nobbs (treasurer). Mesesrs G Marshall, R Stell, G Nicholls and H Reading together with the president, secretary and treasurer constitute the committee. The old captain, Mr H Reading was re-elected, and Mr W Reading was elected vice-captain. The club is in a good position now and some very good matches are expected this year. Warwick Examiner and Times, Saturday 2 September 1911

View of the main street in Pratten, Queensland, ca. 1927 Brisbane John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland ; 2011 The stores include: A. A. Halstead, baker and grocer (horses in front of the shop); Draydon's Garage; Economic Store (right corner). (Description supplied with photograph.)

Pencilhead solutions H A R D Y H R N G B B L

E I C E R E S O U R C E

A L L T G U O S E R M O

V K A I D D H D H O S P

Y L O R S M D A W A W E

L N I O R U R R A I U N

S N O U S E M I L C D L

K I S T A A I D N T O E

Bush Camels Wordfind: Hidden Phrase: “Camel milk is closer to human milk than any other milk.”

N E W B O R N K A Y I W

C W A A D I S E A S E K

A E T C T C A L V E S S

M E E K O N L T N B T O

E K R A C E S H U R E C

L S S H I P S L O H A I

T H R I V E L N Y E M A

M S D R O U G H T R S L

Spot the 5 Differences: 1. Part of harness missing 2. Shape of harness decoration changed 3. Missing leg 4. Tail moved 5. Colour of blanket changed

COUNTRYJOURNAL

And just like that....wool bounces up Contributed by: Bruce McLeish, Elders

And just like that (if you can pardon the Sex and the City reboot reference) the Australian Wool market bounced out of the blocks to greet the new year with enthusiasm – perhaps a little too much exuberance, but time will tell. It was not the 100 cent jump we have often seen in Pre Covid times during January, but almost exactly the same rise as we saw in January 2019 and 2020 – a harbinger of a return to some form of normality in 2022 perhaps. Chinese traders had been active in the week prior to sales commencing as combing mills in China decided to build a little stock in case the logistics issues got any worse. Not many Australian exporters were willing to sell what they didn’t already own, and so the pre-sale estimates of a 30 USC rise were notched up faster than a Travis Head century. The fact that the market continued to climb, steadily, until the close of play on Thursday means it has likely built a solid foundation with which to continue next week and start the year. Some in the trade, particularly in the early stage China segment are wondering if they will be able to pass on these new price levels in the short term, given the pending shutdown for Chinese New Year and the probability of a reduced labour force yet again following the resumption of activity in Mid-February. Already some processing mills have seen a further reduction in labour availability as workers begin to head home for the Spring Festival. New Year’s Day is not until the first of February, but given the travel restrictions in China, and the fact that they are likely to get even tighter in the lead up to the Winter Olympics, and that many did not make it home last year due to Covid travel bans, a lot of mills are struggling to find enough workers. Hard to imagine in a country of 1.4 billion that labour would be scarce, but the facts are that some textile jobs are

unappealing, especially night shift, to the younger generation. As usual there is plenty of conjecture about the different micron categories and whether they might go up or down compared to the rest of the clip. From a technical point of view, the 18-micron and finer are bumping up against resistance at their current US Dollar prices, so they should pull up now, or alternatively push through the resistance and casually add another dollar in price. This would bring them back up to the price level that they reached in June last year. Some buyers and processors will choke on their morning croissants if that happens, as they are already finding it tough to keep consuming at the current levels. Quite a few traders followed the market, and then added a bit more for their weekly offers just in case. They are now pruning them back as the buying trade – in China – is not prepared to accept this higher price level at the moment. Other players, with more connections in Europe are more bullish on the superfine segment purely based on the lack of supply compared to normal years they currently see in boxes on the showfloor. Those in control of the supply levers, growers and their brokers will no doubt try to form a view as well, and may withhold wool if the price doesn’t keep rising, but they do need to be aware that price resistance is a real and present danger, and whilst greed is good, the bubble can burst too. The medium merino segment beats to a different drum at present, as it has for the past 12 months or so. Supply is growing as the Australian sheep flock increases, cuts per head rebound further with good seasonal conditions and growers continue to

invest in the superior genetics of the dual-purpose merino. But, demand is also strong, if not growing. Chinese uniform orders make up a substantial volume of worsted fabric production in China currently, and with the Chinese Military due to place their annual order after the New Year another million or so uniforms will be needed. The government always has the ability to increase the frequency of uniform renewal as a means of stimulus for the textile trade, but at present they have not seen the need to do so. This may change in coming months as their economy slows and the real estate saga begins to bite – however with China’s exports notching up another new record trade surplus of $676bn in 2021 the need to act immediately is not really there. So, medium merino wools are likely to continue to range trade plus/minus 50 cents of current levels for the next 3 months. Crossbred wool price levels are unfortunately still struggling to keep their head above water. The New Zealand market had been showing signs of recovery Pre Christmas, but last week with a fairly large sale, a quiet recess, scouring, dumping and shipping congestion creating funding issues it was a pretty ugly report card from over there. One day, their traders will be able to travel again, but it is not looking likely in the short term much to their frustration. They have been able to sell quite a bit of wool at current levels however using the phones and telex machines, so the market should stabilise now and start to pick up. Some new and exciting products are in the pipeline but the development process does take quite a bit of time. There is also the veritable stockpile of this coarse wool lying around the world, so the creative bods at The Woolmark Company and their partners obviously need to keep coming up with more new developments to commercialise alongside those already in the pipeline. So, 2022 is shaping up to be a positive one – the Ashes have been retained, La Nina is still hovering around and the world is getting on top of Omicron – and the wool market looks solid.

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