Dealing with salinity in Wheatbelt Valleys - Department of Water

Table 4: Relative cost of contractor vs farmeroperated
direct seeding
Activity Farmer cost Contract cost
Contract cost 0 150
Seed costs 4 Inc.
Vermiculite 14 Inc.
Machine hire 15 Inc.
Tractor value 6 6
Operator time 10 Inc.
Spray costs 15 15
TOTAL 64 171
While the cost per hectare is one thing, farmers
will need to know that they can achieve economic
returns from the saltland. Will there be enough
money from the stock to pay for it? Our
experience shows that these costs can be
recouped in a short time frame.
On “Bundilla”, we have been able to increase the
stocking rate from under 2 DSE/Ha to more than
8 DSE/Ha without additional clovers. With the
addition of balansa, this should increase further. If
we assume a cost of $6.00 per head to run the
8 sheep per Ha, cut 6 Kg of wool per head at
$3.00/Kg and the fertiliser cost is $20.00/ha, the
total cost will be $68.00/ha for a return of
$144.00/ha. A gross margin of $76.00/ha.
WHERE TO NOW?
So now we have seen that “Bundilla” has achieved
increased profitability and sustainability in the
productive use of saltland. Does it finish here?
Can we sit back and relax?
No! We need to push on to make this increasing
area of saltland more productive. We need to
look at other industries that are themselves both
profitable and sustainable.
What do we have?
– 7 –
THE FUTURE PASTURES AND THEIR
ANIMALS?
Lloyd
Animal production from saline land will always be
the “main show in town”. Most will see this as
sheep and cattle, with goats as perhaps another
option. However, we should not be constrained
by our current thinking. Are there other animals
we can use to graze saltland pastures? What about
our native animals? The kangaroos on “Bundilla”
certainly enjoy the pasture. Is it possible to farm
these and other native species?
In 1998, the Saltland Pastures Association (Inc.)
proposed to the State Salinity Council that there
are one million hectares of saltland in WA that
could be revegetated with current knowledge and
technology. This proposal was accepted by the
Council and now forms part of the State Salinity
Strategy released in April 2000. The proposal
looks at the revegetation of one million hectares of
salt-affected land with halophyte shrubs for fodder
production, carbon sequestration and
environmental improvement in the Wheatbelt of
WA (Malcolm & Lloyd 2001). The Association
received funds from the SSC under the 2000
Community Support Program to develop a
Business Plan for the implementation of the
project. The preparation of the Plan has been
contracted to the Department of Agriculture, and
is managed by a committee of the SPA.
Fodder production from saltland is well
documented in this paper and other places
(Barret-Lennard & Malcolm 1995). New plants,
both annual and perennial, need to be developed
to improve the profitability. There needs to be
research into grazing strategies and overall
management of the areas set aside for fodder
production.
Discussions are continuing with the Australian
Greenhouse Office to gain carbon credits for
halophyte plantings. While this may be some way
ahead, there are potentially significant financial
gains to be made in this area.
The environmental aspects of the proposal should
not be overlooked. While it is estimated that we
could lose a large number of native species of both
fauna and flora through the salinisation of the
landscape, the revegetation of large areas of
saltland will encourage the return of native plants
and animals. Farmers will be encouraged to plant
conservation areas within the One Million