TOP PADDOCK Newsletter 29 June 2002 Editors: Karen Richardson & Gehan Jayawardhana Department of Business, Industry & Resource Development GPO Box 3000, Darwin NT 0801 Phone (08) 8999 2133 ISSN: 1320-727X Changes to Brands Regulations (g) the owner of a 3 letter brand may brand his cattle and horses with one numeral brand to denote Cross Branding Simplified the year of their birth. Stock owners can now crossbrand stock by placing (2) [Omitted] their brand in any of the positions specified in Schedule 3 of the Brands Regulations. (3) Owners shall notify the Registrar of the position in which they have decided to place the first 3 letter This replaces the previous regulations which brand or distinctive brand and shall not vary the required a crossbrand to be placed in the position position of the brand without the permission of the next following the existing brand. Registrar. (4) Brands on cattle and horses shall be made or impressed in a manner which, so far as is Cheek Branding no longer available practicable, is clear, legible and permanent. The cheek position has been removed from the schedule of available positions and there are no Position of Brands on Horses brands remaining registered in the cheek position in Embracing near neck the Northern Territory. Embracing near shoulder Embracing near quarter Embracing off neck Extract from Brands Regulations Embracing off shoulder Embracing off quarter 12. Positions for brands (1) Brands on cattle and horses shall be made or Position of Brands on Cattle impressed as follows: Embracing off neck (a) the first 3 letter or distinctive brand made or Embracing off shoulder impressed on cattle shall be made or impressed in Embracing off ribs one of the positions specified in Schedule 3; Embracing off rump, hip or thigh Embracing near neck (b) a subsequent 3 letter or distinctive brand made Embracing near shoulder or impressed in any position specified in Schedule Embracing near ribs 3; Embracing near rump, hip or thigh (c) - (d) [Omitted] For any further clarification of these changes, stock (e) the first brand made or impressed on a horse owners should consult with their local Stock Inspector. shall be made or impressed in one of the positions specified in Schedule 2; Kel Small (f) a 3 letter brand or distinctive brand made or Regional Veterinary Officer impressed on a horse shall be made or impressed by a subsequent owner of the horse in any position specified in Schedule 2; Control of Gamba Grass on Progress to Date, March 2002 Roadsides The combined efforts have virtually eliminated gamba grass on the Stuart Highway south of Hayes Introduction Creek Inn. It has been reduced to a small number of locations on the Arnhem Highway east of the The control of gamba grass along major roads in Adelaide River, on the Stuart Highway between the Top End shows that the consistent effort of a Livingstone Road and Coomalie Creek, on Cox small number of people can lead to a successful Peninsula Road and on Dorat Road. The amount of outcome. gamba grass and number of locations where it is found have been greatly reduced on the other As there were many reports from Department staff, roads. This has reduced the potential of the grass councils and industry that gamba grass was difficult to be spread by road maintenance operations. to control and kill, Pasture Development Section and John Pitt of Weeds Branch conducted research during the 1998/99 wet season on its control. The The Future research showed that gamba grass can be killed at any time during the wet season, November to May, It is expected that the amount of gamba grass and by spraying with glyphosate at 1%, plus a wetting the number of locations where it is found will agent such as LI-700 at 0.1%. The sticker is gradually decrease as locations are treated and essential to ensure that the glyphosate gets into the eliminated. The length of each road free of gamba plant. grass will increase until the distribution is reduced to the major infestations. Manual removal has also proven to be an effective method for control of isolated plants and small As more people take the time to control even small groups of plants. amounts of gamba grass, the task will become easier for everyone. Control demonstration on major roads Arthur Cameron Principal Agronomist Pasture Development Since April 1998, Pasture Development Section staff, Edmund Pickering, Barbara Ross, Greg Hore and myself, have conducted a survey and control demonstration on major roads in the Top End. Roads surveyed include the Stuart Highway south of Adelaide River and between Livingstone Road and Coomalie Creek, the Arnhem Highway east of the Adelaide River, Cox Peninsula Road, Dorat Road, Oolloo Road and Point Stuart Road. The process involves travelling along the roads, recording where the grass is present, removing single plants and small groups, and noting the location of larger groups which need to be sprayed later. Other Agricultural Development staff, Graham Schultz and Barry Lemcke, have contributed to the effort by treating with herbicides or manually removing isolated plants and small groups of plants each time they travel out of Darwin. Specialist Weed Control, the weed control contractors for the highways and the Coomalie and Litchfield Shire Council weed control contractors have treated substantial amounts of gamba grass around road furniture on highways and roads during recent wet Roadside gamba killed by spraying Glyphosate seasons. Page 2 Selection Criteria for Groups Groups must be willing to be responsible for their own strategic vision, set goals and achieve these goals with limited outside direction and facilitation. There should be a willingness to communicate with and share knowledge and learning BEEFPLAN: Are you interested activities, with other producers in their district. in starting a BeefPlan Group? What is BeefPlan MLA Support and Expectations Following a three-year experiment by MLA in Support cooperation with northern beef producers, the Northern Beef Program of Meat & Livestock Start-up Phase Australia (MLA) is to extend the success arising In the first six months, MLA will fund each group to from the BeefPlan project. use a professional facilitator, undertake strategic planning and training in personal development, BeefPlan is a non-traditional approach to learning group administration and group dynamics. where groups of like-minded beef producers, acting together as a management team, focus on property Project Phase management outside of a defined training curriculum. Following the start-up phase, the project will be supported for an initial three-year period. This will Since 1998, MLA has progressively supported five take the form of limited funding on an annual basis. beef producer groups in Queensland and the These funds will be available from MLA on a group Northern Territory to improve their business case-by-case basis for additional training and profitability and sustainability. The pilot BeefPlan planning. The groups will be assisted to actively groups have clearly demonstrated that producers seek funds from other recognised funding bodies to know their business needs better than anyone and it meet training and planning needs. is attitude and ownership of change that is important for continual improvement. Expectations Each group member will contribute their own time The approach is unique to northern Australia. The and normal travel expenses to attend group groups are genuinely producer driven and aim to meetings and property visits. In addition, after the look at the whole beef business and not single first six months, each business will contribute an issues of management. annual dollar amount per year to the group's operating expenses. The size of this contribution Do you believe: will be determined by the group and should be large That producers can influence the future of the enough to signal individual commitment to the industry? project. The producer’s contribution will add to MLA funds and funding grants from other fund sources. That producers know what is relevant and best for their businesses? Expressions of Interest That true learning results from the initiative of the learner? Please contact the BeefPlan project coordinator who can provide you with more information and put Do you like the concept of: you in touch with an existing Territory BeefPlan group member. A friendly support group to share information, ideas and learnings with? Steve Banney Closer contact and communication with MLA? Project Coordinator Opportunities to participate in workshops you PO Box 852 can initiate or choose? KURANDA QLD 4872 BeefPlan Vision Phone / Fax: (07) 4093 9284 To provide the opportunity for northern beef Email: [email protected] producers to gain a greater control of their future through personal development and improved business management. Page 3 Buffalo Update 50% females and this causes problems with close to term pregnancies at marketing weight. There have been some recent encouraging Pregnancy also eliminates their entry to the Brunei developments in the Buffalo Industry that are supermarket trade. In previous years it has always noteworthy. The first sales of purebred Riverine been easier to get the females up to TenderBuff fat bulls from Beatrice Hill Farm occurred in March specifications than entire males. Castration 2002. Both bulls were owned by Alan and Sherrie increases fat levels which allows more males Fisher of Swim Creek Station and bred at Beatrice available to go before age specifications are Hill Farm. The first went to Kempsey in NSW, exceeded. We have been using different methods which is where John Lloyd currently has his herd. It such as castration rings to castrate or to make will ultimately go to Queensland to be part of a dairy cryptorchids – the testes are pushed up high and project being set up by Mitch Humphries at Laurel the rubber applied as high as possible to exclude Park Dairying near Millaa Millaa in North the testes from the scrotum.