Thinking about soil and pastures
Market report for 5th and 6th December Wednesday Fat Sale 302 head. Thursday Bull and Cow Sale, 49 bulls, 261 cows and 14 steers.
302 head this Wednesday for the fat sale, which is 5 more than last week. Top vealer making 318 cents per kg, up 7 cents on last week. There were 254 vealers, 57 more, which averaged 260.4, up 10 cents. There were 14 heifers offered, 7 less with the top 276, down 9 cents. There were 34 steers offered, 41 less than last week to top at 295, up 15 cents. The yard average was 257.8, which was up 11 cents on last week, with 34 steers averaging 265.3, up 18 cents.
The bull sale on Thursday had 49 bulls, 7 less than last week and sold to a top of 240 cents per kg, with a lot of younger beef bulls on offer. The bull average was 203.1 cents, down 8 cents. Also still a lot of lighter dairy bulls on offer.
Beef cows sold to good demand, for the better cows saw the top cow make 249.6 cents, up 2 cents. 13 steers were yarded to sell to 241.2. The good run of dairy cows sold with good demand with the tail end lighter in condition. The cow average was 165.2 cents, down 11 cents. The yard average was 173.4, down 6 cents. The average per head of 324 cattle yarded was $943.97.
Vealers 1 Lim 1 Lim 2 Lim 1 Lim 1 Lim 3 Lim 1 Lim 1 Lim 1 Lim 25 Char Steers 1 Char 4 Ang 3 Ang 3 Ang Heifers 1 Ang Molare P/L, Nar Nar Goon 3 B/B A Nikolajew, Newry Export Cows & Heifers 2 Ang Molare P/L, Nar Nar Goon 1 R/Ang B&E Armstrong, L/touche 1 Ang Molare P/L, Nar Nar Goon 2 Ang A Romanin, Warragul 1 Sim G&V Templeton, NNG 1 Ang B Drew, Mt View 1 Ang AR Hopkins, Yinnar Dairy Cows 1 Frn A&A Bayley, Yarragon 670 1 Frn L&L Allen, Hallora 600 2 Frn G&K Fankhauser, L/touche 765 1 Frn G&L Williams, Athlone 625 Steers
3 Frn Bulls 1 Char S Bentley, Garfield 1025 240.0 2460 1 R/Ang J McCarthy, Longwarry 890 235.6 2096 1 Lim S Failla, Willow Grove 835 235.6 1892 1 Ang NP Cliff, Willow Grove 1080 232.6 2512 1 Ang G Lace, Catani 970 226.6 2198 1 R/Ang JWG&NE Webb, G/B 950 226.6 2152 VLE Warragul last sale is combined Wednesday sale 19 December. First sale in new year calf sale Monday 7 January, then fat sale Wednesday 9 January.
JH Vicary, Drouin S Newnham, Dalmore CM Tumino, Mt Eccles RA&EB Evans, Bass S Cougle, Willow Grove RA&EB Evans, Bass K&L Young, Ellinbank GW Quigley, Trafalgar DR&MC McLeish, Drouin RP&GR Schuhkraft, C/ders
P Webb, Nyora Molare P/L, Nar Nar Goon Molare P/L, Nar Nar Goon PM Nerer, Warragul V Nativo, Ferndale
360 410 380 375 390 440 430 420 410 439
500 470 513 588
565 515
553 625 535 602 700 710 725 545
318.0 312.6 310.0 310.0 308.6 305.0 303.2 303.2 301.6 278.6
295.6 286.6 285.6 275.6
276.6 255.2
249.6 239.2 225.0 210.6 206.6 205.0 200.0
194.2 182.6 192.0 173.2
201.6
1144 1281 1178 1162 1203 1342 1303 1273 1236 1225
1478 1347 1466 1621
1562 1314
1379 1495 1203 1267 1446 1455 1450
1301 1095 1392 1082
1098 1. Scotts, 2.
Landmark, 3. SEJ, 4. Elders, 5. N Gibbon. We have a Facebook page. Like and follow us on VLE Warragul.
In many areas, the past six months of growing season rainfall has been less than 10 per cent of what is usually received, resulting in reduced pasture and hay yields.
With such dry conditions, feeding has become part of many producers’ routines and use of time, allowing little time to consider next year. Why think about 2019 soil and pastures now?
Planning ahead is an integral step in minimising the longer-term impacts of the dry winterspring season.
Being adequately prepared to make the most of an autumn break in 2019 is important to allow pastures to recover and provide a highquality feed-base for cattle production.
Planning should also include putting a risk management framework in place in case an autumn break in 2019 doesn’t occur.
For 2019, several factors can be planned for and managed now:
Soil fertility – pasture production reflects underlying fertility in soils. Soil fertility can be checked through a soil test. While nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are important, other nutrients such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sSulphur (S) can also be considered to achieve a balanced nutrient profile in the soil. The pH results allow for planning of lime application to lessen the impact of soil acidity. Soil testing and planning for effective fertiliser applications in 2019 can be put in place early.
Soil structure – pasture production can be adversely affected in areas of a paddock due to the impact on soils as cattle track to and from water, feed sources and shade/ shelter. The extent of impacts will depend on how heavily paddocks have been stocked and the amount of traffic to feed, water and shade/shelter sources. Looking forward to 2019, can pressure be taken off some paddocks now? Can sacrifice paddocks or stock containment areas be used to take pressure off higher quality paddocks?
Pasture management – in affected areas of the state (that is, from drought or dry seasons), there would have been reduced available pasture through spring leading to the risk of stock will be putting extra pressure on pastures. If hay has been made, consideration should be given to nutrient removal through the process which can be managed through the fertiliser program. Thinking ahead to 2019, are there paddocks that need to be managed or renovated to make them more productive into the future? Can paddocks be further sub-divided or, can water sources be better located to support improved grazing management?
Planning for and managing a number of pasture-production-limiting factors in 2018 can allow producers to be better positioned in 2019. Speak to an agronomist or farm advisor about planning to make the most of autumn 2019.
An infrastructure grant of up to $5000 is available to assist eligible farm businesses implement on-farm infrastructure improvements such as water and fence infrastructures or stock containment areas. Farm businesses provide at least dollar for dollar matching funding co-contribution.