NEWSLETTER - Australian Fodder Industry Association

District Reports
Queensland
As we write this newsletter it has been
officially announced that southeast
Queensland is experiencing the worst
drought on record – worse than the
federation drought that lasted from 1898 to
1903. This is apparently prompting the QLD
government to consider declaring a state of
emergency to take control of water
management out of the hands of local
councils (farmonline.com.au Mon Aug 7).
Growing season rainfall for winter crops is well below average in most areas
But the fodder industry doesn’t need
statistics to tell us how bad things are. We
spoke to Lindsay Evans and Mike Collins to
get first hand accounts of how things look on
the Darling Downs – and it’s not good.
Lindsay says things are very ordinary around
Jondaryn: “there’s no grass and no subsoil
moisture; some people have taken a risk and
dry sown, but this is unlikely to yield much
feed”.
There has been some recent rain, but this has
been very patchy and of little value. Lindsay
himself has received 20 millimetres for July,
but this from six falls so is virtually useless.
Others have received falls of up to 3 inches,
but these have been in such small areas that
full paddocks cannot be sown. In the 12
months to June, the area has received 10 of
its usual thirty-inch rainfall.
In response to the dry conditions sorghum
stubble, usually left in the paddock, is being
AFIA Newsletter September 2006 4