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CountryJournal Week commencing 11th October 2021

Man of many talents

Last month, Nick Cooper was fatally injured in a truck accident at Greenmount, leaving a giant hole in the Southern Downs community. Nick packed a huge amount into his 40 short years, pitching into the community as president of his local school, helping out his mates, and working for a range of the familiar names in the trucking and farming industry around the region, and taking time to be the centre pin of a loving family. A full tribute to Nick by Gerard Walsh in this week’s Country Journal.

Decoding our future food

Mailbox madness

Some of the highest impact research into the future of feeding the world is taking place locally, with a group of researchers at the Hermitage Research station working with a dizzying array of sorghum varieties to perfect the breed for future generations, not just for Australia, but for the world. Dr David Jordan and Dr Yongfu Tao have spent years unravelling the genetic code of one of the world’s (07) 46 619 835 E warwick@rfsteelbuildings.com.au most important grain crops. See page 5.

Not in my mailbox, thank you. A retired nurse brought to our attention a little unorthodox mail delivery to her country home...with a burgundy SUV delivering a package of the ‘latest’ COVID conspiracies to her door--unasked for. The anonymous delivery sparked a strong reaction. See page 3. Servicing Warwick, Stanthorpe and Beyond Made from Bluescope Australian Steel FULL SERVICE - SLAB, ERECTION & COUNCIL

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Country briefs

turing. erovskite solar cells common method of modifying the new (PSCs) have attracted enormous cell’s nanomaterial to enhance its elecattention because of their high trical properties. efficiency and ease of fabricaThe researchers found that the effition. ciency and thermal stability of the A new generation of cheap, sustainable The technology has undergone doped cells significantly outperformed and efficient solar cells is a step closer, unprecedented rapid development in those that were not doped. thanks to scientists at The University of recent years. But the new generation of Queensland. solar cells still have some drawbacks such as poor long-term stability, lead Researchers at UQ’s Australian Australian vegetable exporters are toxicity and high material costs. Institute for Bioengineering and looking at new tech to double the shelf Nanotechnology (AIBN) modified a Professor Shapter said his team studlife of some of their produce. They are nanomaterial to make solar cells as effi- ied a nanomaterial that showed great also scrutinizing ways to increase their cient as silicon-based cells, but without promise in overcoming some of the new competitiveness amid rising freight their high cost and complex manufaccell’s drawbacks and used doping, a costs brought on by the pandemic.

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The volume of highly perishable vegetables exported by air freight declined in 2020 due to the pandemic. AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote said exploring the viability of sea freight was critical for the industry. “The value of national fresh vegetable exports dipped 6.3 per cent in 2020 to $263 million. Volumes were down 6.6 per cent over the year. This was due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19,” Coote said.

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‘I’m not a fool’ COUNTRYJOURNAL

Farm visit from conspiracy theorist in burgundy SUV leaves outrage in its wake

She was a nurse for almost half a century. She’s vaccinated. But she’s still worried. “I’m worried people will believe this rot,” she said, waving a sheaf of papers in the face of a Country Journal journalist after a mysterious evening drop off by a large burgundy SUV at her mail box. The former nurse, who has asked to remain anonymous, lives with her husband at a reasonably secluded rural location, far from the madding crowd and the Facebook frenzy...but still not out of reach of conspiracy theories about the ‘real’ nature of COVID-19 and cures.

have a foot in the science camp as well, with links to “scientists question the supporting evidence” and “spike proteins in COVID jabs cause organ damage, pathologist claims”. The papers promote the theory that COVID-19 does not “exist”... but at the same time promote cures to the disease that does not “exist”.

“Everyone has rights, but you also have responsibilities. What you do has an impact on others,” she said, handing the

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properly’ it does not mean you go for a spin on the internet.” She notes that “whoever did it went to a whole lot of trouble” and is worried that she wasn’t the only one targeted in the mystery mail drop.

As local as you. 03MH024Tue_CJ_Fon

The papers are a range of print outs from websites including a “natural health” website which despite its focus on unproven ‘gluten free’, ‘renewable and sustainable’ and ‘non-GMO’ cures, appears to be keen to

satchet over to the paper. “I have a huge problem with this.”

NG KI

A sheaf of papers printed on inkjet printer and then folded “I’m not a fool, I’m educatinto a plain white envelope was ed,” the former nurse told the dropped off anonymously in her letterbox in the “Whoever did it went to a late afternoon last week by an whole lot of trouble...everyone individual in a has rights but you also have large SUV. The responsibilities...” resident heard Local targeted by COVID mail drop her dog bark and went out to Journal, “and I have a huge check. She felt “targeted” by the problem with this. When anonymous ‘donor’. people say ‘do your homework

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Women’s clinic schedule

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Darling Downs Health mobile women’s health nurses are on the road, travelling to the Southern Downs to provide free and confidential health clinics.

Main phone number: 07-4641 7953

The mobile women’s health nurses, Barbara Milne, Kathy Anning and Marcia Hunt, offer a range of services include cervical screening tests, breast awareness, sexual health testing and advice for issues such as continence, menopause, family planning, contraception and general wellbeing. Ms Barbara Milne, who travels west from Dalby, to Taroom in the north, and to Texas in the south, said women are often prioritising the health of others resulting in their own health being sidelined. “It’s really important for the women in our communities to prioritise their health and wellbeing, and make time for regular check-ups and tests,” Ms Milne said. Ms Kathy Anning, who covers the south-east region, said the mobile women’s health clinics are an easy, fuss-free way to ensure health tests are up-to-date. 13 October, Warwick Hospital, phone 4660 3900 14 October, Killarney Medical Centre, phone 4664 1488 25 October, Millmerran Hospital, phone 4695 3111

Gates betting on farming robots Bill Gates’ owned Breakthrough Energy Systems has lead a public call for capital to a USD$50 million triumph...for a target that has relatively little to do with breakthrough energy...and more to do with saving water. The funding round was for a California start-up called Iron Ox, designed to tackle one of the problems that is more often than not on the mind of California farmers these days: drought. Iron Ox uses robots that are integrated with a hydroponic system and, it is claimed, use 90% less water than traditional farms to produce the ‘same’ result. As a pilot project, the company is putting together a big 930 square metre greenhouse, where a self-driving robot that checks pallets of the herb basil, checking for nitrogen, acidity, and other indicators of trouble or triumph. The robot asks, in effect, “what is missing, whot does the plant need that we’re not giving it,” CEO Brandon Alexander said. Apart from basil, Iron Ox is focusing on strawberries, tomatoes, and a range of herbs.

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• Editor: Elizabeth Voneiff editor@thedailyjournal.ink * Sales: Gordon Bratby 0437 417 736 * Sales: Peter Schmidt 0447 105 846 sales@thedailyjournal.ink A little bit of legals 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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Breakthrough for local sorghum scientists

BY: ELIZABETH VONEIFF AND KRISTA BJORN

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but clipping the buds and leaf samples from hundreds of individual plants grown in experimental allotments behind the research station was a test of scientific commitment. The results will be published in Nature and The Plant Journal.

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Research performed by University of Queensland scientists on the Southern Downs has led to breakthrough understanding of sorghum genetics. Dr David Jordan and Dr Yongfu Tao, both of whom work at the Hermitage Research Facility near Warwick, spent several years unravelling the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops. They have discovered the genes which could increase the grain size of sorghum. Dr Tao explained to The Country Journal that the team grew more than 900 varieties of sorghum from around the world and then performed another study with 1500 varieties in order to discover the genetic secrets of grain yield versus grain size. The two elements are genetically very closely connected and improvement in one will often reduce the capacity of the other. Use of the drought-resilient summer crop has been constrained by the small size of sorghum grains, but Dr Jordan said that could be about to change. The analyses included wild relatives of domesticated sorghum and Australian native sorghum. "Yield is driven by grain numbers, but grain size has largely been overlooked. As plant breeders we select on yield" Dr David Jordan said. Sorghum is the major summer grain crop in Australia and in the Southern Downs the grain is more common than wheat. The researchers' interest in increasing grain size has much to do with the digestibility for both humans and animals and for the efficient processing of the grain. Farmers are penalised for grain that is too small, so apart from yield, the research has serious bottom line implications. The research was carried out with funding through an ARC grant and the knowledge gained will saturate to other areas of cereal research and ultimately to seed production for commercial planting. Dr Tao, who has been working in the Southern Downs for seven years, says that

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Nick Cooper

Nick Cooper loved making life fun for his children and socialising with good friends. Most of all, he was a with gerard walsh thoughtful father and husband to wife Melissa and children Annika, Libby, Lincoln and Heidi. Last month, Nick was fatally injured in a truck accident at Greenmount after fitting in more than most in his 40 years. Nick was the son of Errol and Clare Cooper and went to Wheatvale State School and Assumption College before attended Warwick State High School for years 11-12. He then studied at Dalby Agricultural College for two and a half years and won the award for best practical student two years running. After graduating with a Diploma of Applied Science, Nick started working on the cotton farm Macintyre Downs at Goondiwindi and then spent six months at Kansas in the United States for the harvest. He returned home to Bony Mountain and worked in silage for the Balfour family before starting his own contract spraying business and later worked for the Priebbenow family at Greenmount in Nick, Lincoln, Annika, Heidi, Libby and Melissa Cooper. the silage industry. tee for Nick was working for the Priebbenow or cold day and loved hanging out with nine years and enjoyed instructing the chil- friends. Nick liked going to the beach for family when he met Melissa McAllister at dren to be better riders and making pony the Juandah Hotel Motel in Wandoan. He three to four days but was then keen to club fun. worked in the concrete business with return home to Bony Mountain,” Melissa Nick held positions of president and Wagner’s in Toowoomba, delivered fuel for said. Glenmar Fuels at Allora for three years and vice-president of the Wheatvale State “Nick was a handyman who could do anySchool P and C in recent years. worked for Millmerran-based trucking thing, he did most of the work himself on company Sizer and Cogill. Described as a doer, he knew the school our house renovations. continued next page mailbox needed repairing and earliHe then worked on Maydan Feedlot at er this year just went and fixed it. Bony Mountain before driving road trains for Stevens Trucking at Allora and then He played polocrosse as a junior contract fencing with his uncle Glen and for a short time in open comMoffatt. petition for the Cunningham club. MEMBER FOR SOUTHERN DOWNS In more recent years, he worked for Despite being a Cunningham GrainX in Allora, in cotton on the Eagle member, he played his first game Farm property at Goondiwindi and for for Warwick when he helped make David and Tanya Peters at Davanya Grains up the team of six at a carnival. Pty Ltd. As a young child, he played tennis For the past three years he drove trucks and was placed in campdrafting, a for Fontana Bros as well as working with sport he competed in off and on. the Worboys family in cotton and rural He won a cricket premiership operations. Nick loved the excitement of with Wheatvale where he was an harvest spending the past few seasons cot- all-rounder and exceptional fieldston picking with Adam Worboys in the man as well as playing hockey. Toobeah, Goondiwindi, Mungindi and Melissa said he liked the social Yetman areas. side of cricket, hockey, polocrosse, He and wife Melissa have been together campdrafting, fishing and playing for 15 years and married 10 years ago. golf. There would be a gathering Melissa said he was a great Dad and for a BBQ every time Nick was e: southern.downs@parliament.qld.gov.au involved in the children’s school and home, whether it be at the Cooper enjoyed taking them to sport. household, or one of their many • 9 Victoria St, Stanthorpe (Mon-Fri) friends. He was president of the Cunningham • 56 King St, Warwick (Mon-Tue) Pony Club for three years, on the commit“He didn’t mind a beer on a hot

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COUNTRYJOURNAL continued from previous page... “He did a lot of cooking at home and loved his tucker. Most of all he was a thoughtful husband and father and enjoyed making life fun for the children.” He and his sister Emma grew up on the family farm “Rynnene” at Bony Mountain. “Nick was a good kid and was always on the tractor. If it had a key in it, Nick would drive it,” Errol and Clare said. “He enjoyed helping on the family farm.” He was fortunate to have travelled all over Australia in his roles in silage and truck driving. After driving trucks off and on for 20 years, Nick was planning to work on the cotton harvest each year and spend more time working their own property where they run cattle. Nick was available to help anyone who needed a job done and wasn’t afraid of

hard work. “He would help out anyone who rang him if he could and cleaned out chook sheds for poultry farmers.”

Community tributes

Wheatvale State School acting principal Zita Hooke said no job at the school was too big or small for Nick Cooper. “He was always willing to help and was an active member of the school community,” Zita said. In 2017, Nick was Wheatvale State School P and C president and was also vice president for a year. “Nick always went to functions and helped at working bees,” she said. “ He was a past student of the Wheatvale school and his four children attended the school, the youngest two are still students.”

Nick Cooper and Neil Cantwell were in the same class at Wheatvale school and then attended the same secondary schools. “He would try to play whenever he was needed by the Wheatvale Cricket Club and I remember one day when he pulled off an impossible catch at Mayhew Oval,” Neil said. “Nick was always there and willing to give a helping hand. He played men’s hockey for a few seasons with Saints.” Cameron Stevens from Stevens Trucking said Nick was a top notch operator. “He did road train work for us and carted grain into Brisbane, he kept all the gear nice, clean and tidy. Nick changed jobs to GrainX so he could spend more time with his family.” Cameron remembers he and Nick being part of a group which attended an NRL game at Suncorp Stadium. Past employer David Peters said Nick was genuine and very honest. “Give him a task and it would be competently done,” David said. “I had an awful lot of time for Nick. My wife Tanya would see him at netball when his daughters were playing.”

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Around the halls: Maryvale

AGM, and November). The current management committee is president Michael Maryvale Community Hall has been Deeck, vice presiupgraded after hall committee members dent Frank Roche, put a lot of time researching avenues of secretary Shane funding during COVID-19. Kimber and treaSecretary Shane Kimber said funding surer Madonna had been received from the Southern Roche. Downs Regional Council, RACQ, Gaming The Maryvale Community Benefit Fund, Bendigo Bank Progress and Foundation for Rural and Regional Association meets Renewal. on the first Member for Southern Downs James Saturday each Lister helped with funding requests for month at the hall grants. at 9am. A craft Improvement to the hall in the past group meets each two years – Tuesday at *New fire retardant curtain for the 9.30am A trash stage The Maryvale Community Hall has received some tender and treasure *PA System market with loving care recently. *All fire/smoke alarms hard wired in Boot Sale outtions.” accordance with new safety regulations doors and The Maryvale School of Arts (hall) was Homemade Arcade indoors is planned for *Upgrade of the power board opened in 1913, the same year the Maryvale November 28. *Installation of Solar Power State School was opened. All are welcome to look at the hall website *Installation of air conditioning For the past 108 years, there have been which was developed with funding through *Installation of a light industrial dishcommittees elected to keep the building the SDRC business advice support program. washer maintained and events happening. Go to maryvalehall.com.au *Installation of a projector and screen The hall was changed from Maryvale The hall committee was offered two free *refurbishment of the floor School of Arts to Maryvale Community Hall workshops through RHealth for Rural five years ago. *upgrading of internal lighting Women, one was held in September and The honour board of ex-servicemen and *purchasing a defibrillator the second one is scheduled for October 22. women has recently been done up. * roof was badly hail damaged and has The Maryvale Halloween Disco for chilMany of the functions in the 1950s and been replaced dren is planned for 5-7pm on October 30 at 1960s were gift evenings and send offs. Mrs Kimber said the hall committee had the hall at 33 Taylor St. Benefit dances have been held in the hall been successful in gaining funding for Rotary has supplied a “Take a book Leave for the ambulance and Anglican Church. painting inside and outside the hall. a book” exchange outside the hall. Anyone “There are still a couple of major upgrades Catholic Mass was celebrated in the hall interested is welcome to attend hall meetmonthly before a church was built at I am working on and hopefully we can ings, membership is $5 annually. More Gladfield in 1957. obtain the funding in the next 12 to 18 information from Shane Kimber on 0438 Maryvale Community Hall meetings are months which will make the Maryvale 609 557. Hall bookings through Madonna held on the last Wednesday bi-monthly Community Hall a sought after venue for Roche on 4666 1119, maryvalecommunity(January, March, May, July, September workshops, meetings, and private funchall@gmail.com.

Local lapwing

Ben Boland sent in this photo of a Lapwing Plover and a clutch of Plover eggs. These large, ground-dwelling birds often nest in playing fields or grassy parks. The female will lay up to four eggs in a small depression and then both parents take turns incubating the eggs and keeping an eye out for threats. They have a very distinctive and loud cry often heard at night when they are disturbed. Right, plover eggs...

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Turner ready to ride Kerry Turner, the second female in history to win the Warwick Gold Cup (2019), threw her support behind the Warwick Rodeo and Show Society launch this week, patiently taking interview questions from local media. Ms Turner has been a mainstay of Queensland rodeo for many years and once she'd won everything she wanted to win, she moved on to campdraft events including cutting and roping. After 18 months of a whole lot of pandemic nothing, Kerry is ready to get back in the ring. "I'm so excited it's back on," she said, pointing out that it's been a while since campdraft competitors have been able to see each other in competitions. This year, the Warwick Rodeo will be a strictly Queensland affair, thanks to border closures. This is disappointing but is also a great chance for more Queenslanders to show their stuff. Without other states participating, the four-horse limit normally in place has been lifted, widening the scope for Queensland competitors to join in.

Kerry Turner, legendary campdraft horsewoman, throwing her support behind the Warwick Rodeo last week. Photo: Elizabeth Voneiff.

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Three generations of Eastwells

It's a family affair for the Eastwells and even baby Adelyn, aged three months, showed up at the Warwick Showgrounds to promote the upcoming Warwick Rodeo and Campdraft last week. Sarah, a native of Killarney, and her partner Wade are mad keen rodeo enthusiasts as are Wade's two brothers, sister, sister-in-law and Wade's mother who still competes in breakaway roping. Wade's successful rodeo career has included a number of championship titles over the past few years, as has his brothers Mitch and Brock. Sarah told The Country Journal that her older daughter, Ariyah, aged 4, is learning to ride a pony named Trixie at their property in Freestone. She's trying her hand at roping just like her dad who does calf roping and team roping.

Sarah Eastwell and her daughter, Adelyn, at the Warwick

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RESIDENCE 1 • 3 Bed, built-ins • 1 bath RESIDENCE 2 • 2 Bed + office • 2 bath Large carport between 2 homes

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•MARYVALE - 2023m², power nearby, school, bitumen road frontage, VIEW . . . . . . . - SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000 •MARYVALE - 3642m², power available, character with gully, VIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 •HENDON - 3819m², adjoining blocks, 2 deeds, power at road, new home area - Under Contract . . . . . .$80,000 •PRATTEN - 4047m² (2 available), bitumen road, water & power available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$90,000

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COUNTRYJOURNAL

Camp Over Weekend?

The Long Paddock

The weekend before last was a long I regularly listen to weekend but it just seemed like a normal the sport on a weekend on the Southern Downs. Saturday on the ABC and it is usualI have a suggestion for the Southern Downs Regional Council, tourist bodies, Warwick Chamber of Commerce, Stanthorpe and Granite Belt Chamber of Commerce and progress associations in smaller centres. What about this region dubbing the October long weekend as Camp Over Weekend and encouraging people from all over south east Queensland to Greg Holmes, a determined sportsman. ly the same camp here for the on Easter three days. Monday with plenty of sport. I realise there is a Camp Oven Festival There wasn’t much sport on the ABC on at Millmerran but that doesn’t mean we Monday a week ago so it didn’t seem like can’t have a long weekend promotion in a public holiday. this neck of the woods. Visitors could The major sporting events were a celespend one of the three days in bration for Penrith after an NRL grand Millmerran. final win and a washing away of the tears We have had three campers at our for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Greymare property in the past year, two Interesting to know that Penrith second with a caravan, one with a motor home rower Kurt Capewell had to choose and one was a camp over for our elder between rugby league and polocrosse a son Arnel and some friends. Some of our best friends from Brisbane decade ago and went with the one where have a camper trailer and I am sure they he could make a professional career out would be keen to head here for the week- of sport. He played for Queensland in junior end. Everyone with a farm or a big backyard polocrosse when he lived at Charleville and now has also played State of Origin could encourage campers, we could promote our caravan parks and accommoda- rugby league. Kurt is heading to the Broncos for the tion providers and organise functions for next three seasons and seems like he will the visitors.

with Gerard Walsh

bring a few more family members and friends to the footy now he is home in Queensland.

Fantastic volunteers

In recent weeks, this community has farewelled two great community volunteers, Graham Buchner OAM and John Madsen. I remember being on the committee of the Warwick Repeater Association with Graham 30 odd years ago. He was a master at mowing the approaches to Warwick so visitors could see we do care about the town. John Madsen has had a heavy involvement in community events during his lifetime and at age 86 was still instructing a group of women once a week in woodworking classes. He was the president of Warwick Woodcrafters and heavily involved in the Warwick Thistle Pipe Band and Warwick Caledonian Society.

Hats off to Greg

There are few more determined sportsmen than Allora forward Greg Holmes, a classy prop, who returned to the Australian continued next page...

COUNTRYJOURNAL continued from previous page.... Wallabies team just more than a week ago after a long absence. I first wrote stories on Greg when he made a Queensland merit squad in junior rugby league and when he was winning Darling Downs, state and national medals galore in athletics. His mother Maria Holmes was a state medallist in athletics and Greg looked like he may push hard for a spot as a thrower in open Australian teams before he chose rugby union. I remember sitting in the stand at the old Toowoomba Athletic Oval with then Allora State School principal Peter Doherty when a team from Allora and Killarney schools was playing one of the large Toowoomba schools in footy. Greg was the only player in the team with the size to match a team which my memory tells me was St Mary’s. He went to years 11-12 at Downlands and started to star in rugby. At one stage, he talked about working as a fire fighter after footy and also

returning to at I remember taking a photo of Greg on the four-wheeler on the farm of his parents, Keith and Maria, where they grow potatoes. Carrying a potato bag or two did not do any harm to a future Australian rugby union representative. This is his third coming as a Wallabies representative and he now has 27 Test caps. In his first stint in the national team, he scored a 70m try from over halfway against Ireland in Perth. When I was writing sport at the Daily News, I stopped looking for Greg’s name in Wallabies press releases after about 2010. He was selected in the national team again under coach Michael Cheika in 2015 eight years after playing his previous last Test in 2007. Now he is back in the 23-man team under new coach Dave Rennie. Rennie is a past representative player so good to see a New Zealander selecting the prop from an Allora potato farm.

I spoke to two fans last week who didn’t realise the game against Argentina at the Gold Coast was early in the night and missed seeing Greg come off the bench for his second Wallabies comeback. Now the Wallabies have a Test in Japan and then a tour to England, Scotland and Wales. At one time, Greg was named in a World XV, so great he is at scrummaging.

Sports short

Val Gray and his son Stephen are two mad Melbourne Demons supporters basking in the glory of an AFL premiership win after a gap of 57 years. When I was at the Daily News, I wrote in a column a few years ago stating that Val Gray promised me he would go to a Warwick Cowboys rugby league game when the Demons won the premiership. Sounds like I will be taking him to a Cowboys game next year.

Feeders and yearlings dominate CONTRIBUTED BY ROSS ELLIS MCDOUGALL AND SONS Agents yarded 844 head to the weekly cattle sale, the market was firm for most descriptions with the dearer portion being back to the paddock and re-stocker articles. Feeder and yearling steers made up the bulk of the offering with a larger offering of steers and manufacturing steers also available. Vealer steers averaged 578.8c to 716.2c/ kg or $$1425.94 to $1853.22 Vealer heifers averaged 487.9c to 562.2c/ kg or $1291.34 to $1685.53 Feeder steers averaged 498.7c to 542.2c/ kg or $2102.56 to $2600.00 Feeder heifers averaged 468.3c to 508.2c/ kg or $1713.66 to $2021.88 Yearling steers averaged 510.7c to

640.2c/kg or $1754.45 to $2306.73 Yearling heifers averaged 455.1c to 511.2c/kg or $1532.45 to $2011.88 Steers averaged 423.8c to 495.2c/kg or $2434.11 to $2962.12 Heifers averaged 392c to 428.2c/kg or $2066.16 to $3339.96 Manufacturing steers averaged 387.4c to 428.2c/kg or $2292.31 to $2740.48 Cows averaged 357.6c to 395c/kg or $2000.27 to $2973.36 Cows & calves sold for an average of $2125 to a top of $2425 Sheep and lamb numbers were back slightly to 875 with the market remarkably averaging a $1/head mark up on last sale. The yarding was more skewed to the light weight and replacement market. Lambs topped at $262 to average $198.44

a rise of $7/head Hoggets topped at $240 to average $182.17 a rise of $7/head Ewes topped at $265 to average $131.59 a drop of $2/head Wethers topped at $170 to average $148.57 a drop of $15/head Lamb rams topped at $240 to average $194.30 a rise of $35/head Total yarding averaged $185.06/head a rise of $1/head week on week. Pork and poultry numbers were back with limited orders in the markets. Boars sold from $106 to $125, Sows to $330, Baconers to $158, Pork to $128, Stores from $71 to $171. Drakes sold to $27.50, Ducks to $20, Hens to $27.50, Roosters to $17.50, Pullets to $25, hen and chicks sold to $50/ unit.

COUNTRYJOURNAL

The fruits of peace Water scarcity has a negative impact on agricultural and food production in the war-torn Syrian Arab Republic...but Syrians have been literally fighting for water as well. In addition to the burdens accumulated during years of crisis, farmers face challenging production circumstances because of drought and lack of water resources. This water scarcity has led to conflict between neighbours over the fair allocation of water for irrigation. The experience of Youssef Saliba, a farmer and a fruit producer in Durbul village in Rural Damascus, is typical: “I understand that my neighbour has the right to get his or her share of water for irrigation. However, we constantly argue over our shares of water so we can produce a sufficient quantity of fruits to provide enough income for our families.” He added that the farmers in Durbul had never reached an agreement on how to share the very limited water resources in the village, and there was no collective experience in managing the available resources. Fruit producers need water to increase the production of apples, cherries, apricots and other fruits, but the damaged irrigation infrastructure and scarce rainfall have limited their production. Some farmers had even abandoned their lands to pursue other livelihood opportunities because of the lack of water resources. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Syria, with the support of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has conducted light rehabilitation works in Durbul, which included the installation of irrigation pipelines, repair of water gates, installation of solar-powered pumping system and the rehabilitation of the irrigation system to ensure sustainable access to water. Moreover, FAO supported the creation and training of a water users association, a community-based entity, whose role is to schedule and operate water access for 510 farmers and fruit producers based on the size of their land and crops needs. As a result, the farmers in Durbul are now able to irrigate more than 115 ha of land and avoid conflict with one another. “The farmers are excited to restore their farming activities! Some of them have planted cherry saplings because they now have a

I PAINT ROOFS

guarantee of having enough water,” said Youssef. “In addition, the water user association’s members are operating the water fairly for the farmers, which resolved any arguments or conflicts over it,” he added. From 2014 to 2021, FAO, with the support of FCDO, successfully assisted more than 95 000 vulnerable farming families (approximately 570 000 people) through a variety of projects that have boosted vegetable and cereal producD E S I R E O U T B U tion, supported animal health and A O M A G A Z I N E S provided veterinary I F G F E E I A D E A services. The partnership between L R E S U I T L H S E FAO and FCDO has Y I S Q P U M P T K I also focused on A E I A D R A H R L O increasing water availability for P N G U E G G A I S O farmers by rehaU D N T V I E B S M L bilitating pumping equipment in Deir P S A H R T A E U A R Ez-Zor, Homs and I W R O T E L T R R E Rural Damascus L N O R Y O U N G T C Governorates, benefitting more T H I U N R U L Y N G than 5 000 farming Helen Keller Spot the 5 Differences: families who have Wordfind: 1. Missing level on pump restored their Hidden Phrase: “Life is stand farming activities either a daring adventure 2. Handle changed angle and improved or nothing.” 3. Drip lower their livelihoods. 4. Handle missing from Source: FAO.

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bucket 5. Shine missing from pump Copyright: Auspac Media.

COUNTRYJOURNAL

Yoyo market continues

CONTRIBUTED BY BRUCE MCLEISH ELDERS

The Risk on - Risk off - yoyo continued to reverberate around the globe last week with another Evergrande default, European energy concerns, uncertainty about who will replace Angela Merkel, Mr Putin’s election win, the US debt ceiling, China’s electricity crisis and the Aussie women’s cricket team losing a One Day International all contributing to some jitters across the globe. The wool market reacted as expected given the immediate restrictions placed on textile manufacturers across China, and eased by 30 cents. Not an Armageddon move by any stretch, and unlikely to continue as a trend for long, but it did give those in the trade a bit of a reality jolt, like the Melbourne wool buyers who were back out on the show floor instead of the nice cosy auction rooms last week. RWS wools, comprising a whole 2% of the offering in Australia obviously remain in incredibly short supply and so maintained their premiums, even if the specifications were less than perfect in some cases. Good style “normal” wools also sold quite well last week, as buyers sought to fill their limited Chinese orders, or plentiful European orders. Those operators with longer term vision continued to accumulate the better style wools, or the better value wools – whilst some of the opportunistic traders, or indent operators swung across into the other textile arena and studied lint fibres from the mid-section. Grower resistance to the price drop was understandable, and welcome, leading to an increased pass-in rate approaching 25% of the catalogue, but therefore reducing supply to a more manageable volume whereby 30,000 bales actually changed hands. The roster for this week currently stands at 42,000, as it did last week, so one could reasonably expect a similar result in terms of clearance. The price levels will obviously be dependent on currency movements, and demand from China, Italy, India and others. There has been a smattering of new busi-

ness from China since the initial price drop on Wednesday, and so despite the weeklong holiday in China this week we might see the market begin to firm up again. October is still a wobbly month for textile demand, hence the increased activity in the lint trade, but those with a glass-half-full approach will back the Chinese textile trade to assert themselves at the front of the pack when it comes to electricity allocations and keep things moving. Electricity rationing in China is not a new phenomenon, having been an issue several times in the last decade as consumption grew faster than generation capacity, which is again the case now. Due to the rest of the world leaning on China’s manufacturing ability during the various covid lockdowns, as well as China’s general evolution into more high-tech, energy intensive lifestyle, electricity consumption in 2021 has increased by 20% according to a Reuters report, whereas generation of electricity has only increased by 13% in the first 8 months of 2021. This shortfall is obviously leading to some issues right across the country as they try to decide which users should be given preference. Residential power during the coming winter period will be given greater priority, given that an ‘election year’ is approaching, and the government wants the populace to feel happy and content, and warm. Power hungry, low impact industries will likely see restrictions in place for a long time to come. Textile mills, some of which already have large solar systems installed on their factory roofs will need to leverage their local government relationships to keep the various parts of the

pipeline working in harmony. Scouring and carbonising are reasonably power hungry in terms of water heating and dryer consumption, but totally necessary if the combing and spinning mills are to operate. Dyeing mills are again extremely energy hungry operations using both temperature and pressure to function, but without them the textile pipeline grinds to a halt, as do the incomes of millions of workers. So, after the Golden Week national holidays Chinese mills will be back to work, some full time, some part time. People will have done their shopping, perhaps adding that extra sweater or woollen blanket to their shopping cart, just in case the heating goes off, and life in the textile trade will return to normal. Prices in October can fall by as much as 8%, and still be within the normal range, but given the growers ability to restrict supply, this October is unlikely to see anything like that magnitude of movement. Some pundits are already saying that there has been enough business done to elicit a recovery next week – time will tell. Other textile fibres are certainly not rushing for the windows. Cotton, the other big natural fibre, is rollicking up the price curve on the New York futures exchange, for example.

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