March 2022
12536829-DL08-22
Help at fingertips
Life changing call
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Super crop
Parade comes to Proston
With wide smiles, sorghum growers in southern Queensland are busy harvesting what may be their biggest crop in 10 years. ABARES’ latest forecast has the national crop pegged at 1.97 million tonnes from 586,000 hectares sown. AgForce grains president Brendan Taylor said above-average rainfall across southern Queensland in spring had helped establish early-sown sorghum. “The crop planted across the Darling Downs in late August/ early September is mostly harvested and the results have been sensational, with yields between seven and 8.5 yields,” he said. “In 2021, the seasonal conditions were near-perfect. Some flooding in November, yes, but it was largely beneficial for sorghum growers in southern Queensland.” STORY PAGE 3
Paying price of Paradise Columnist Tom Marland says that, since September 2019, Bundaberg farmers have been battling drought conditions, worker shortages, Covid restrictions and also the fear that Paradise Dam would not be reinstated. There has been an enormous amount of heart break, angst and loss that has accumulated over the last two and a half years. Finally, it appears that common sense has prevailed, with news of Federal and State funding commitments for urgent repairs to Paradise Dam. “But all the announcements and funding commitments won’t return water security overnight,” he writes. “We are still several years away from having the dam rebuilt and back to full capacity. The challenge now is to have the dam restored and refilled in the shortest time possible.” COLUMN PAGE 16
Two young paraders compete at the Royal Queensland Show (the Ekka) in 2020. Due to the Ekka being cancelled last year, Proston will on 5 March host the state final of the Queensland Ag Shows Cattle Young Judges and Paraders’ competition. Queensland Shows general manager Trevor Beckingham said while it had been a juggling act, he was thrilled Queensland’s youth would now have the opportunity to qualify for the national equivalent at The Sydney Royal Show. STORY PAGE 5
Shows go on Floods, fire, drought and, of course, Covid, failed to sink the spirit of Queensland agricultural shows last year, with only 13 of 129 cancelled. For 10 months in 2020, Queensland Shows general manager, Trevor Beckingham, formulated an “industry plan” that Queensland Health approved, allowing the 2021 season to run unabated. It was the only State to produce such a document - NSW cancelled many shows last year - and not a single positive Covid case was con-
tracted through attendance at an agricultural show. “It’s a proud record and I’m very proud of the whole show movement,” Mr Beckingham said. “It humbled me that the people out there in those rural communities did such an amazing job last year, delivering shows despite the adversity being thrown at them. “And, that’s why I absolutely love working with them because of their resilience and their passion. The passion they have is just
second to none.” Mr Beckingham said he has worked “hammer and tong” over the past three years to ensure regional and remote communities received the economic and social bonus their show brought. “And this is what people don’t understand . . . $960 million is spent in these regional communities through the shows happening,” he said. STORY PAGE 4
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