Rangeland: Everything Agricultural

QFF [10 Mar 2010]
NEWS
FLOOD ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO PRODUCERS QFF has been working with Agforce and the Primary Industries and Rural and Regional Queensland Minister, Tim Mulherin, to help inform and co-ordinate assistance to primary producers impacted by recent flooding in the states South West. QFF is particularly working with our member body Cotton Australia to assess the impact on the existing cotton crop and irrigation infrastructure in these areas as well as the Theodore district. The Government has triggered a number of mechanisms to assist farmers. Concessional Loans for Small Business and Primary Producers and Freight Subsidies for Primary Producers have been approved for the Local Government areas of Balonne Shire Council; Barcoo Shire Council; Blackall-Tambo Regional Council; Bulloo Shire Council; Diamantina Shire Council; Maranoa Regional Council; Murweh Shire Council; Paroo Shire Council; Quilpie Shire Council; and Western Downs Regional Council. The assistance includes: • Concessional loans of up to $250,000 at 4% from QRAA (for primary producers and small business) • Based on circumstances the loans could be interest only for the first two years, no fees and charges for the life of the loan and repayment terms of up to seven years • Freight subsidies from DEEDI of up to $5,000 being 50% of the freight cost for the movement of foodstuffs; building/fencing materials; restocking of livestock as a result of the event; fodder; machinery/equipment; and fuels (for primary producers only). QRAA is also able to consider the deferral of repayments on existing loans of primary producers and small business in the flood affected areas. Primary producers who believe they have been affected by this event but are outside of the above Shires can apply for an Individually Disaster Stricken Property declaration (IDSP) through the Department of Employment Economic Development and Innovation Business Information Centre on 13 25 23. QFF is also pleased to see that most banks with exposure in the area have announced a range of varying measures that they are willing to discuss with customers in order to assist them manage their financial exposure during this stressful time. QFF suggests that farmers should contact their banks to discuss specific options that may be available. QFF will continue to work with Cotton Australia to facilitate ongoing assessment of crop and infrastructure damage over the coming days and weeks. QFF is also liaising with the Department of Environment and Resource Management to monitor and track both the impact and extent of the flood as it travels across the flood plain and down into the wider northern regions of the Murray Darling Basin. MURRAY- DARLING BASIN PLAN – A TRAIN SMASH WAITING TO HAPPEN NFF President David Crombie has declared that ‘the new Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a train smash waiting to happen’ for agriculture in the Basin. NFF is close to the action in Canberra and is ringing the alarm bells that the new caps on water extraction to be set in the Basin Plan will not achieve a balance between economic, social and environmental outcomes. He is very concerned that the draft Plan will give priority to the environment leaving agriculture with the leftovers which will ‘decimate farm production across the Basin and the jobs and communities that rely on it’. There is also criticism from NFF that federal and state governments will not be held fully accountable for meeting environmental needs compared with requirements that farmers will have to face regarding their take of water for irrigation. Reaction of this nature over recent months is obviously sparking some response from the Authority at this late stage with only four months to go before the release of the draft plan. QFF is aware of a number of more specific investigations underway in parts of the Qld Murray Darling catchments to assess the potential socio-economic impact on regional communities, businesses, farms or families. There is no doubt the NFF President’s comments will increase concerns across irrigation communities and industries in the Basin given the dearth of information on Basin planning made available outside of Canberra. JUDGEMENT ON LOWER BALONNE CASE Judgement was handed down early this week on the long running Munya Lakes case in the Lower Balonne. The decision found in favour of the Department of Environment and Resource Management on the grounds that the entitlement holders ‘had not identified any failure to take into account any relevant material or information which might have caused’ the Department to make a different decision. The court also dismissed other procedural matters advanced by the applicants to challenge the decisions made by the Department. It is hoped that the State Government can now move expeditiously and release the resource operations plan for the Lower Balonne. BURNETT WATER RESOURCE PLAN REVIEW Submissions on the review of the Burnett water resource plan are due on 8th March. An information report on the review has been released which outlines important characteristics of the Basin, key implementation achievements, emerging issues to be addressed in the review and the process for the preparation of the plan including details of technical assessments and consultation arrangements for plan preparation. QFF’s submission will include the following issues: • Reduction in the reserves set aside each year to secure high priority water as each season progresses and for more flexible sharing arrangements for the increased variety of crops grown in the Basin. • Groundwater planning that allows for adequate analysis of the resource and how the resource is to be shared once environmental requirements have been assessed. • Regulation of overland flow only in areas of identified risk and regulation through works authorisations not volumetric allocations & meters. • The approach to managing environmental flows needs more flexibility to take account of flows achieved over successive seasons and the ability to adjust requirements as new events occur. QFF WORKING WITH STATE GOVERNMENT ON FOOD POLICY For some time many industry groups including QFF have been calling on the Government to take action on developing a food production policy for Queensland. In this ongoing debate around a difficult policy issue QFF was pleased to work with the Department of Employment and Economic Development and specifically the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tim Mulherin, to start the discussions at a policy workshop last week. There is a long way to go in influencing and developing an effective and pragmatic policy, but it is clear that all agree a plan is required for Queensland agriculture if the sector is to deliver on the productivity growth potential that will be demanded of it from an increasing population. REEF REGULATION FOCUS REMAINS ON SUGAR AND CATTLE The ABC has reported that Queensland Sustainability Minister, Kate Jones, says regulations to reduce farming impacts on the Great Barrier Reef will not be extended from the sugar and cattle industry to other primary industries. Last week, Minister Jones visited an inshore reef off Cairns in far north Queensland with a group of scientific advisers. She says other industries such as horticulture pose no threat to reef health. "The reason why we targeted cane and cattle is these very same scientists that I was out on the reef [with] could demonstrate that the chemicals they use in their production are the ones we see ending up on the reef," Ms Jones said. "For example, atrazene and diuron". Meanwhile, Ms Jones says talks will continue with the beef and sugar industries to ensure management plans to protect the Great Barrier Reef work. She says an industry group is working on a draft plan to ensure it is acceptable to sugar growers and beef producers. "The one I want to become law, when it comes in on the first of October, is the one that I want industry to support," she said. "That's why we are continuing to meet with industry on an ongoing basis to iron out these issues, so that we have something that everyone can comply with." WATER - KEY TO FOOD POTENTIAL OF NORTHERN AUSTRALIA Access to water resources is the key to realising the potential of northern Australia to sustainably increase its current area of crop and significantly increase beef production, delegates at the ABARE Outlook conference in Canberra were told last week. CSIRO Deputy Chief of Sustainable Ecosystems, Dr Peter Stone, presented his analysis of sustainable agricultural development in northern Australia. “Northern Australia is already a significant food producer on a global scale, yet it can produce more. Currently, it produces more than $1 billion worth of cattle and about $200 million worth of crops each year,” Dr Stone said. “Water, despite its large volume in the area, is limiting some agricultural development. However, water planning will be required to ensure that new water consumption is sustainable.” Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce Chair, Joe Ross, said the development of groundwater resources provides the best prospect to support new consumptive uses of water. Mr Ross said that smaller scale and more widely distributed irrigation systems offer significant potential and the taskforce supports these as an achievable and sustainable development option for northern agriculture. RURAL R&D - THE KEY TO A STRONG AGRICULTURE SECTOR A whole-of-system approach will be taken to rural research and development (R&D) investment, delegates at the ABARE Outlook conference heard last week. The chair of the Australian Government’s Rural Research and Development Council, Dr Kate Grenot, said Australia’s National Strategic Rural R&D Investment plan will enhance Australia’s focus on farm sector-driven research, development and extension. “The purpose of this plan is to improve the productivity, profitability, sustainability and global competitiveness of Australia’s agricultural, fisheries, forestry and food industries, with benefits for individual rural businesses, the environment and the wider community,” Dr Grenot said. Also addressing Australia’s agricultural R&D needs was Professor Beth Woods of the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. She said that although international food insecurity may increase rapidly over the next 20 years, real agricultural R&D investment has declined in a range of nations including Australia. Professor Woods also believes the number and quality of future researchers, and the need to refresh research infrastructure, are other shared concerns. “New funding from philanthropic sources for international R&D has been important in addressing research gaps and opportunities,” said Professor Woods. “Australian industry needs to purposefully plan how it will access international R&D. The national R&D framework provides a forum to encourage this, as well as to plan how to maintain internationally competitive research quality.” NFF LAUNCHES 2010 INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE AWARDS The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is calling for nominations under its second annual national Innovation in Agriculture Awards, recognising and encouraging excellence in modern farming. The NFF established the Awards in 2009 as part of its highly successful National Congress to celebrate the pioneering advances and outstanding contributions made by Australian farmers. The NFF Innovation in Agriculture Awards are designed to facilitate existing state and commodity-based Award programs, elevating their winners to the national level, but also enabling farmers undertaking relevant innovation activities to nominate for recognition. The Awards cover three categories, sustainability; value adding; and new technology. The Awards are open to all farmers who are full financial members of NFF member organisations – be they state farm groups, commodity councils or Associate Members. Farmers may nominate themselves or be nominated by their state farm, commodity or Associate Member group. The 2010 Innovation in Agriculture Awards Entry Guide providing details and examples on each Award, the criteria for entry, and guidance on application format is available from the NFF’s National Congress website. MEMBER NEWS QDO DAIRY DAYS CONFERENCE 2010 DATES ANNOUNCED The QDO will once again be teaming up with the Queensland Branch of the Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) to hold its annual conference on the 25th and 26th of August, 2010. The venue for the event will be the Caloundra RSL Club. The conference committee will be working hard over the next few weeks putting together another information packed event, further details will be provided in the registration brochure which will be sent out in the June/July edition of the Northern Dairyfarmer magazine. For further information please contact the QDO office on (07) 3236 2955. QUEENSLAND BATTLES A NEW SPECIES OF MEALYBUG Following the recent identification of an exotic species of Mealybug in Central Queensland and the Burdekin regions, the cotton industry has now moved into a management phase in an attempt to control its spread ahead of the imminent cotton harvest. An industry working group, including representatives from Cotton Australia, Qld Primary Industries and Fisheries, Biosecurity Queensland and the Cotton CRC met in Toowoomba recently to discuss management options and develop a Mealybug management protocol, particularly surrounding farm hygiene and machinery movements ahead of picking. Key points to come from this meeting included: • The protocols for managing Mealybugs will centre around the Come Clean Go Clean approach for managing other industry issues. • All machinery (including pickers, trucks and mulchers) will be required to be thoroughly washed down to remove all plant and soil matter. • All machinery leaving the Central Queensland district will be required to obtain an inspection certificate, issued by a certified inspector. The industry has asked that Biosecurity Queensland provide a full time inspector for such purposes. • Alternative cleansing treatments such as Canopy Oil and Pulse Penetrant are being evaluated by the Qld DPIF to assess their effectiveness in killing live insects. • Steam cleaning is also being assessed, including its effectiveness in other industries and OH&S implications. • The protocol will be finalised and distributed to all growers and contractors. • Trials into how long Mealybugs can survive without food (ie on clothes, in cotton lint etc) are being conducted. • Trials into insecticide options to control Mealybugs will be conducted in the Burdekin following cotton planting in March.