Welcome back to Getting the Upper Land, where senior journalist Denis Howard and livestock editor Rebecca Nadge give a rundown of some of the stories featured in the paper. Making news this week:
The 2023-24 state budget was delivered as responsible and providing "budget repair" while still prioritising essential services, but much of the funding for agriculture was either towards a commitment to pre-election promises made by the Minns Labor government, or initiatives already announced. There was $298.5 million allocated for biosecurity and agriculture industries - a drop in the ocean for an industry which is hoping to be valued at $30 billion by 2030.
To look across the paddocks at Les Robson's farm "Milroy" at Billimari, near Canowindra, the vista is a golden picture. His later sown canola crops appear on track to exceed two tonnes a hectare, maybe 2.5t/ha. But as Mr Robson said, when he walked into the crop, something didn't feel right. There was frost damage and that's not the only hurdle farmers are facing.
The Wyangala Dam Wall Raising Project came to a swift end after Minister for Water Rose Jackson announced the Labor Government would not progress with it. The project would have raised the dam wall and added 650gl in water storage. However, Ms Jackson said the project was not financially viable. The decision came as a surprise to many who were looking for flood mitigation and increased storage.
What do you do with 60,000 tonnes of manure from your feedlot? Simple. Just spread it about after having made it more user-friendly. Killara feedlot at Quirindi has invested about $2 million in machinery to screen the manure to remove stones and other objects. The product is sought after by coastal nurseries and is also used on Killara's own farming enterprises for its nutritional value.
The Woolworths Feedlot Trial has a record number of entries this year and the on the hoof component was judged over the weekend at Merriwa. The cattle spent 96 days on feed at Alexander Downs Feedlot before being judged and a range of breeds featured in the prizes.
A national record was obliterated last week with a Droughtmaster bull selling for $320,000 at a sale in Queensland. Glenlands Droughtmasters, Bouldercombe, broke its own record twice, first with the sale of Glenlands D Empire State for $240,000, before Glenlands D Everest reached the top price in the same sale. Everest was purchased by a syndicate of Considerata, South Africa, and Samari Droughtmasters, Hughenden, Qld.
