Members of the Yass Valley’s farming community met to discuss the issues affecting the region’s farmers.
Feed digestibility, footrot and worms were all expected to be prevalent issues for farmers this winter after a strong season of rain placed farming in a far better position than it was twelve months ago.
Guest speaker Phil Graham declared that if farmers were willing to be diligent in their processes and risk management strategies, they should expect a successful period over the next few months.
“Every season will give you challenges on a farm.”
“All we need is an inch of rain in early March, and I think things are locked in. It can do whatever it likes after that; we’re right,” Graham said.
Graham expected that farmers faced a busy period of work, but a better busy in comparison to the season prior.
President of Wool Producers Australia Edward Storey emphasised the importance of using pain relief when mulesing.
“Wool buyers say we’re too late to save mulesing in the long run.”
“No one has the ability to defend the lifetime welfare benefits of mulesing, if there are still people mulesing without pain relief,” he said.
Storey encouraged the farmers in the program to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to pain relief practices and declared that Europeans would continue to look away from Australian wool should farmers continue to ignore their mandatory obligations.
Other presenters included representatives from the Yass Local Land Service, Integrity Systems Australia, financial and mental health counsellors, the Yass Valley Weeds Team and NSW Farmers.
The day’s presentations were insightful and can be found on the NSW Young Farmers Facebook page.
Max O’Driscoll
