STATEOFTHELIVESTOCKINDUSTRY
Spring2014
LivestockSAboardmembershavestartedanewquarterlyinitiative–Stateof
theLivestockIndustry–tokeepthebroadercommunityup‐to‐dateonthe
industry’sseasonaloutlook,activitiesandissuestoabroaderaudience.
NAME:PennySchulz
REGION:UpperSouthEast
LOCATION:SchulzLivestock,NarangaRd,Field
CONTACT:0417853094,[email protected]
AFTERadryautumnandwetwinter,it’slookinglikeanotherdry
springintheUpperSouthEastbutwe’restillhopefulforsomecatch‐up
raintosalvageourhaycropsandboostourpasturestogiveusfeedin
thepaddockgoingintosummer.
ByearlyOctober,allofourautumnlambswillbesold,withthemajor
exceptionofourfirstcrossewelambstobesoldasbreedersinlatespring.Lambpricingthisyearhas
beenfrustratingandchallenging,withourtwomainlambconsignments,bookedafewweeksapart,
differingbymorethan$1/kginprice.However,theoutlookandfeelinginourdistrictforthelambjob
ispositive.
Beefpriceshavealsobeeninterestingthisyearforanumberofseasonalandmarketdrivenreasons.
I’mstrugglingwiththeconceptofsomemanufacturingbeefpricesmakingasmuchasprimeyoung
cattle.It’spotentiallyachanceforproducerstoturnoverolderbullsfornewergeneticswithoutabig
changeinpricewiththebull‐sellingseasonnottoofaraway.Therecontinuestobetalkofstrongbeef
pricesgoingforwardandwearestartingtoseethesepromisescometofruition,withbetterprices
beingevenmorewelcomeifthespringcontinuestobedry.
NAME:JackEngland
REGION:LowerSouthEast
LOCATION:Shepherd’sHill,Kingston
CONTACT:0887675071,[email protected]
GIVENthetightspringfinishintheupperandlowerSouthEast,many
producersmaychoosetoweancattleandsheepearlierthanusual.
Ratherthanprogenycompetingwithmumtryingtosourcegoodfeed,
calves/lambscanbeputouttopreparedpasturesandmotherswill
recoverconditionscorereadyforrejoining.Youngcowsmightalsobe
pregnancytested,drenchedand‘empties’movedonwhilepricesremainaboveaverage.Farmerswill
alsobeweighingupfodderreserves.Manycropshavebeenfrostedandwithnosoakingrainsinsight,
farmersthatwon’tbeabletocutasmuchpasturehaywillbeseekingoutfrostedcereal
hay.Assessments/budgetsongrainreservesandfeedgrainpricesshouldalsobeattheforefrontof
producers’mindswiththefollowingoptions:
1. Confinementfeedingewesinearlyautumn.
2. Confinementfeedinglambsonamaintenancerationinautumn
3. Productionfeedinglambs.Manysucker/feederlambswillbecomingontothemarketwiththe
unseasonablydryconditions.Generallythisshoulddrivepricesdownsoproducerswillneedto
carefullyconsidersellingoptionsanddothemaths.
Oursavinggraceatthemomentisthatmutton,grindingbeefandfeedlotentrypricesarestillholding
upataboveaverageprices.Forfarmersshortonpaddockfeedandwhodonotwishtogambleon
whatpricesmightdonextyear,thentherearestillplentyofoptions.
NAME:AndrewClarke
REGION:FarNorthPastoral
LOCATION:AllandaleStation,Oodnadatta
CONTACT:0886707806,[email protected]
SEASONALconditionsarevariableatthemomentrangingfromdrybut
fairtoextremelydryandcompletedroughtinsomeareasforthepast
24‐36months.Thisisnotidealheadingintosummerwithoutany
indicationofrainonthehorizon.
Goodnews
AjointeffortbyagenerousYorkPeninsulafarmerand‘BuyaBale’enabledthedeliveryof30tonnes
ofdonatedroundbalesofhaywhichwasdistributedamongfivepropertiesintheOodnadattaareain
September.ThebalesweredeliveredbyaYPfreightcompanyandindoingso,hasenabledthese
pastoraliststoholdtheirstockduringmusteringwherefeedreservesintheirholdingareashavebeen
depletedoverthelasttwotothreeinconsistentseasons.
TherollingoutoftheWaterInfrastructureGrantshasstartedandthereisasteadytrickleofgrant
applications.Somepastoralisthavereceivedtheirdeedoftrustagreementsandwillbewellonthe
waywiththeirprojectsbeforesummerhits.Thiswillgivesuccessfulapplicantsachancetodomuch
neededmaintenancetowaterinfrastructure,increasewatersupplyefficiencythroughtransferfrom
dieseltosolarorspreadgrazingpressurebyextendingwateraccesstostockintheupcomingsummer
wherewehopethegripofdryconditionswillbebrokenwithseasonalsummerrainfallsoon.
PastoralBoard
DisbandingthePastoralBoardwillbeatopicforconversationoverthenextfewmonths.Somepoints
toponderare:
‐
Wheredopastoralistsgonowtoremediateissuesregardingpropertymanagementplanning?
‐
Pastoralismisasmallbusinessandcannotaffordtobeheldbackbyinefficientgovernment
decision‐making.Confidentialityisparamount.
‐
Pastoralleaseassessmentprocessareuptofouryearsbehind.Willthealternativebebetter
fundedorwillitbeexpectedtodomoreforless?
‐
WhatwillhappentothePastoralLandManagementAct?Willitstillberelevantorwillitbe
abolished?IftheActistobeabolishedwilltherebeevenmoreenvironmentalregulationfor
pastoralistsandthewayleasesaremonitored?Willthischangethewayrentisdetermined?
‐
Ifchangesareproposed,willthenewboardbemoreinfavourofproducersandproduction
ratherthanenvironmentallybiased?Pastoralistsandlocalnaturalresourcemanagementboardsmust
begiventhetrusttheydeserveinordertomanagetheirnaturalresourcesinsustainableand
profitablemanner.
Cattleproducersarebuoyedbytheprospectofexceptionalcattlepricesinthefuture‐ifonlywecan
allseesomegoodseasonalconditionstomakethemostofthesemarketpredictions.Wehopethat
‘bureaucraticprocess’doesnotgetinbetweenbusinessandsustainableprofitwhichwillaidinthe
futurerecoveryforbeefproducersinthepastoralindustry.
NAME:JoeKeynes
REGION:AdelaideHillsandLowerNorth
LOCATION:LorelmoKeynetonStation,StottHwy,Keyneton.
CONTACT:0428648235,[email protected]
IattendedtheBarossaImprovedGrazingGroup’s(BIGG)pasture
walkinSeptember,lookingatarangeofpasturesfromproperties
fromthenorthern,easternandsouthernBarossaValley.Therewas
animpressiverangeofpasturepaddocksvisitedfromclover
dominanttosomediverseperennialpasturesinthehigherrainfall
areas.Thehighdrymatter(DM)yieldsaretheresultoftheearly
break.Thereisabroadrangeofkilogramsofdrymatterperhectareper100millimetresofrainfall–
from1207kgto119kg.
Pasturesstillhaveplentyofpotentialwithplantavailablewaterstilladequatehoweverthecurrent
dryconditionsareheavilydrawingonthereserves.Withsuchgreatearlybreak,itwillbe
disappointingiftheseasondoesn’tfinishwithspringrains.Somepaddocksdidhaveagoodclover
germinationthatwasrecordedinMarch,butacombinationofdryautumn,insectandvirusattackhas
decimatedthecloverpercentageandpasturedominatedbygeranium(storksbill).
TheEdenValleyfireburntaconsiderableamountoftheeasternhillslopes.Therehasbeena
reasonablerecoveryofnativegrasspastures,thoughannualgrassesarealowerpercentageand
broadleafplantshavethrived.BIGGhasbeenfundedtosetupsomemonitoringsitestoassessthe
recoveryandmanagementofthenativegrasspasturesafterthefire.Thegrouphasaprojectwith
threeweatherstationsacrosstheregionincludingsoilmoistureprobes.Theseallowmonitoringof
availablemoistureand,intime,maybeabletoestimatethedrymatterpotentialandadjuststocking
ratestosuit.
NAME:GeoffPower
REGION:UpperNorthandRangelandPastoral
LOCATION:Orroroo
CONTACT:0428581067,[email protected]
ONEofthebiggestissuesintheUpperNorthandRangelandPastoral
areasisthewilddogs.LivestockSAandlandholdersareworkingwith
theNaturalResourcesSAAridLands,NaturalResourcesNorthernand
YorkeandNaturalResourcesMurray‐DarlingBasintocreatea
coordinatedapproachtowilddogcontrol.IchairtheSouthAustralian
WildDogManagementAdvisoryGroup,setupbyMinisterfor
Sustainability,EnvironmentandConservationIanHuntertoadvisehimonwilddogcontrol.Partof
thatadvicehasbeentodevelopaStateWildDogActionPlan.Thisplanhasbeenpresentedtothe
Ministerandweareawaitinghisreplybeforetheplangoestopublicconsultation.
Ifwedonotgetontopofthisproblem,wewillloseavibrant,sustainablesheepindustryinthe
pastoralareasandadjacentrangelands.Therehavebeenotherstatesbeforeuswherethishas
happened.ThepastoralareaofWesternAustraliapreviouslysupportedanindustryofaround6
millionsheep,inpresenttimeslessthan200,000sheepremain.Queenslandhadupto20million
sheep25yearsago,andnowisdownto2.5m,mainlyduetowilddogpredation.
Theissuewillmovefurthersouthwhichwillresultinaperi‐urbanproblemwithwilddogsmenacing
livestockandnativeanimalsaroundtheAdelaideHillsandencompassingparklands.Anexampleof
thistheMortonBayDistrictCouncilthatbuttsintotheCBDofBrisbanewhichdestroysupto90wild
dogspermonth.
NAME:RichardHalliday
REGION:SouthEast
LOCATION:Bordertown
CONTACT:0428581067,[email protected]
Ithasbeenaprettytoughrunseason‐wiseforlivestock
productioninthepastmonth.Likemanyotherareas,theupper
SouthEastisjustbeenhangingonandinsomeareas,frosthas
donealotofdamageonthelightersoils,reducingpasture
growth.
Despitethis,stockareinreasonableconditionandlambsare
gettingtomoresaleableweightsafteradryautumnandslow
pasturegrowth.Asweheadintosummerandautumn,feedingandplanninghowtomanage
ewesandcowswillbeofgreatimportance.
ThenewLivestockSAboardhelditsfirstmeetingonSeptember18.Iwasre‐electedas
president,JackEnglandre‐electedasvice‐presidentandAlexanderMacLachlantookoveras
treasurer.Issuesdiscussedincludedbiosecuritywithapresentationfromchiefveterinary
officerRogerPaskin,SouthAustralia’sinputintoanationalmeatindustrystrategicplan,the
naturalresourceswaterlevyintheWesternMountLoftyRanges,droughtinthepastoralregion,
andtransport.