Welcome to the March edition of ‘Around the Camp’, hopefully the recent rain has been of some benefit for people in the western parts of the state. For those who were lucky enough to receive some good falls, Leading Sheep encourages you to be mindful of worms and flystrike. Take a moment and have a read of this month’s newsletter.
- Federal Drought Assistance – income support for farmers
- Decisions for drought affected producers
- Field survey of blowfly resistance – samples from Qld wanted!
- Worm alert – Qld
- Australian sheep industry projections 2014
- Upcoming events
- e-Bulletins
1. Federal Drought Assistance – income support for farmers
You would have heard in the news that Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, recently toured drought affected areas of western Queensland. Shortly after, a new drought assistance package was released that aims to provide help and support for producers in drought declared areas.
Part of this package was income support for producers in drought declared areas, which you can apply for right now.
Find out more about the income support for producers.
2. Decisions for drought affected producers – webinar recording
Two–thirds of Queensland is drought declared and we are potentially facing a second failed wet season. The few patchy rainfall events have brought limited relief to areas desperately needing it. Even if it rains in the next few weeks, it may be too late for useful pasture growth, so it’s timely to review and critically reflect on drought action plans and develop a way forward. In this webinar recording, FutureBeef Senior Extension Officer Roger Sneath discusses:
- the current situation and the year ahead: developing forage budgets, adjusting cattle numbers and long term planning
- options and tools: sell, agist, feedlot, production or survival feeding, and spreadsheets available to help decide the best option for your situation
- feed supplies: availability, cost and how to cost nutrients
- producers’ reflections on drought.
To watch a recording of the webinar click here.
For your convenience, here are the presentation slides (PDF 2.19 MB) and a list of useful links (PDF 253 kB).
3. Field survey of blowfly resistance – samples from Qld wanted!
Australian Wool Innovation has funded the NSW Department of Primary Industries to conduct a 2 year survey of Australian sheep blowfly populations to measure their susceptibility to registered flystrike insecticides.To get a better picture of the national situation more samples are needed but drought conditions have severely curtailed the number of maggot samples being sent to the laboratory. To participate in the survey request a kit and return a maggot sample from a flystruck sheep before May. Kits contain instructions and a pre-paid Australia Post satchel.
To request a sample kit, click here.
4. Worm alert – Qld
After recent rain in some areas of Queensland, it would be a good time, for those that did get rain, to start monitoring the worm levels in your sheep. To get an idea of what’s happening, it would be worth doing worm egg counts on a couple of mobs in 4 – 6 weeks time. By then, any over-droughting Barbers Pole resident in the sheep will have emerged and started egg laying. You may find none or you may find quite a few. If there are worms present and the rain persists, they will rapidly multiply.
To find out more information about worm control visit www.wormboss.com.au
5. Australian sheep industry projections 2014
MLA’s Australian sheep industry projections 2014 provides a comprehensive outlook on the sheep industry including forecasts for the national flock, sheep and lamb supply and exports over a five year horizon.
Published in January 2014, the projections include forecasts for:
- Australian lamb slaughter forecast to decrease 4.3% in 2014, to 20.95 million head with sheep slaughter to contract 36%, to 6.1 million head. The Australian sheep flock to fall 3% in the year to 30 June, 2014, to an estimated 72 million head.
To read the full 2014 sheep industry projections, click here
6. Upcoming events
- Caravan of Collaboration
- Thursday 13 March, Bollon
- Friday 14 March, Cunnamulla
- Tuesday 18 March, Quilpie
- Wednesday 19 March, Charleville
- Thursday 20 March, Tambo
- Drought Information sessions
- Friday 21 March, Muttaburra
- Saturday 22 March, Windorah
- Drought Assistance Available – information sessions
- 1 April – Goondiwindi
- 2 April – Moonie
- 3 April – Tara
- 4 April – Chinchilla
- 8 April – Texas
- 9 April – Inglewood
- 10 April – Millmerran
- 15 April – Stanthorpe
- 16 April – Warwick
- 17 April – Dalby
- 23 April – Toowoomba
For more information on these session, contact Sue-Anne Topp (07) 4688 1605, sue-anne.topp@daff.qld.gov.au
- PsychAware Information sessions
7.eBulletins
AWI Woolgrowers’ eNewsletter – February 2014 – resources for dry times / wormboss
Beyond the Bale – March – online version – donkeys as guard animals / rotational grazing
Bestprac enews – Young pastoral leadership + Events, events, events!