No 439 - Tuesday's Club Notes

The “Club Notes” for Tuesday, the 18th of February, 2025.

By Dwain Duxson - An Ag Enthusiast

30 million tonne aim

Acres have been transferring from Sheep to Cropping in WA for 10-15 years now, maybe longer. But the rate of transfer has never been quicker than it is now. Report author Michael Lamond for The Grains Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) said this: "For every 1 million sheep that leave farms and are not replaced, an extra 300,000-500,000ha are available for Cropping, depending on the rainfall zone. The change in Crop area from 2023 to 2024 highlights this, with an increase of 7-10 per cent in Crop area being substituted from pasture due to the exodus of Sheep. The Crop area had been gradually increasing over the past five to 10 years; however, the contribution to the state's tonnage is proportionally higher than the area suggests, simply because the majority of the area switching from Sheep production to Cropping is in the higher and more consistent rainfall zones". Many traditional WA Farmers are what we would consider mixed Farmers in that most would have had a combination of Crop and Livestock in the past. This is changing, and many are going all Cropping for the first time. Someone suggested last week that WA will be aiming for 30 million tonnes of Grain in the not to distant future. The trouble with WA is it has a minimal self-supporting supply chain network with only a small number of processors, and the demise of the Live Export Sheep trade has left the industry exposed. It's a different kettle of fish over East, where the supply chain adequately supports the industry and its numbers. A nation that rode on the Sheep's back can now be declared a Cropping nation; it probably was years ago. That doesn't mean there won't be opportunities in Sheep; there will be plenty. Do you see the changes in the Sheep industry as a detriment or one of opportunity?  Reply to [email protected] or 0427 011 900

Next members draw

• We are giving away a $2500 Luxury Escape voucher plus $2500 in spending money to use how you like.

• To be drawn on the Friday the 28th of February at 3 pm EDST.

• Here’s the deal. Sign up before the 21st of Feb at 3 pm, and you will get 2 tickets in the draw. From then on until draw time, it will be 1 ticket.

• Note: All existing subscribers get 2 tickets in the draw.

• Remember: It’s 30 days free, so you can be in and out and still be in the draw

What’s in the paid section today:

Story 2 - Here’s an opportunity for Dairy Beef to be a new category of Beef……

Story 3 - Preparation and timing are Farming traits that can separate the good from the exceptional…..

Number of articles and images - 74 snippets of valuable Farming info and news, including 21 funnies and 7 just sayings.

Number of Farmer replies - 5 in total.

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