Burdekin Productivity Services 2017 AGM 22/8/2017

Transcription

1 Burdekin Productivity Services 2017 AGM 22/8/2017

2 Chairman s Report Reporting Period - 1 st April, st March, Other Directors Bryce Davies, Peter Larsen, Mark Vass, Lee Danello & Ian Davies. 6 Regular Board meetings, 2 special meetings 85% attendance

3 Chairman s Report Management team of Rob Milla (Manager) & Mark Rickards (Commercial Manager/Company Secretary) Committed group of Field Officers Ray Hildebrandt, Dave Paine, Brendan Arboit, Ashley Wheeler, Brad Austin and Madeline Molino. Plus Kristine Patti as casual. Extension Officers Marian Davis, Terry Granshaw, Cherrie Johnson and Jasmine Connolly (new position due to extra demand from Smartcane BMP program and enhanced efficiency fertilizer project) Thanks to Tiffany Hunt who resigned in early 2017 for her contribution.

4 Focus Groups Members invited to attend focus groups to discuss BPS strategic plan What we do well What we can improve What opportunities should we pursue Strengths One on one contact and grower relationships Politically neutral position Provision of world class seed cane distribution Communication, shed meetings and long term staff Strong financial position

5 Focus Groups Improvements Lack of self promotion Not all members aware of BPS services (eg: nutrient management plans, soil testing, pump flow assessments, disease surveys, assistance with trials etc) Future direction Support for inclusion of new technology strategic goal No clear identification for expenditure programs, so ensure that cash reserves remain around 1-2 years operating with no need to increase levy This information used to finalise strategic plan for the next 3 years

6 BPS Strategy Summary WHO WE ARE Our mission 1. To facilitate an increase in productivity, profitability & sustainability within the Burdekin sugar industry by providing highly skilled agronomic services & support to growers. 2. To propagate & trial new varieties & also control distribution of approved seed sugar cane plants throughout the district. 3. To employ, train & up-skill a professional workforce to deliver positive outcomes for the sugar industry. Our vision To be recognised throughout the Burdekin district as the primary independent resource for agronomic advice and support in regards to sugar cane production. Our Goal 19/9 19 tonnes sugar/ha 9 Million Tonnes Why we exist Where we want to be in the future What s important to us STRATEGIC GOALS (SG) Our desired achievements SG 1 Minimise pest and disease pressure through supply of approved seed cane and crop monitoring SG 2 Deliver a wide ranging extension service to growers utilising agronomists & field officers SG 3 Participate in industry & govt funded projects that deliver value to growers & millers SG 4 Admin practices based on sound corporate governance & secure fiscal planning SG 5 Develop IT systems to enhance the collection, storage & communication of data SG 6 Adoption of new technology to advance industry efficiencies ENABLING STRATEGIES (ES) Our essential business strategies ES 1 Increased supply & distribution of approved seed cane from Plots ES 2 Propagation of new varieties from SRA ES 3 Plant Source Inspections & RSD/Pachymetra surveys ES 4 On Farm & Aerial surveys ES 5 Animal pest eradication contracts & subsidies ES 6 Advice on control of pests, diseases and weeds ES 7 Support for improved irrigation practices ES 8 Nutrient & chemical recommendations ES 9 Farming systems to improve soil health ES 10 Variety strip trials ES 11 Develop & enhance agronomic expertise ES 12 Optimise nutrient and chemical use and minimise runoff ES 13 Improved harvesting practices ES 14 Irrigation & farming systems management ES 15 Management of pests, disease & syndromes ES 16 Industry BMP program ES 17 Assistance to R & D Bodies ES 18 Ensure financial viability and sustainability ES 19 Regular board & committee meetings ES 20 Maintain appropriate staffing levels & review performance ES 21 Optimise WH&S system ES 22 Auditing regime utilising external consultants ES 23 Provision of staff training and support ES 24 Mobile/portable data collection & storage ES 25 Support record keeping systems for growers ES 26 Grower Information Forums ES 27 Website &Newsletters ES 28 Media articles ES 29 Stakeholder communication ES 30 Maintain networks with technology providers ES 31 Consult with other agricultural industries ES 32 Trial & evaluate technology with potential benefits ES 33 Facilitate & support adoption

7 BPS SERVICES TO MEMBERS Farming System Service Included in levy Soil health Soil testing Sample collection, analysis and recommendation Soil test interpretation Fallow management advice Irrigation Pump flow testing Yes Water testing quick EC (salt) and nitrate tests Yes Yes Yes Additional cost Yes Subsidy available Water testing full analysis Yes Yes Scheduling advice Irrigation assessments G-Dots supply and install Yes Yes Stalk growth measurements to calibrate scheduling tools Yes Yes Yes Pests and Diseases Control / eradication Itch grass rogueing Pig shooting subsidy Weed identification and control recommendations Yes Yes Yes Pest inspections Yes Seed cane sales Yes Yes Plant source inspections Yes Machinery inspections Yes Machinery sterilisation Yes Hot water treatment of grower s cane Yes Productivity Variety advice Yes Planting advice Equipment calibrations fertiliser box and spray rigs BMP Smartcane Self-assessment Yes Accreditation Training Yes Yes Yes Yes

8 Value for Money Levy 7c/tonne Grower - 7c/tonne Miller Unchanged since 2011 Unlikely to be raised in the medium term Industry expectation of increased extension activities Funding adequate at this point in time Additional project funding being sourced

9 Final Comments Directors have focussed on creating a practical and measurable framework for the direction of BPS that will result in improved productivity outcomes for members. Thanks to fellow directors and all staff Special thanks to plot holders and all associated with seed cane distribution system BPS is your organisation, please contact directors or management with any concerns or suggestions.

10 Manager s Report Approved seed cane and variety update Pest and disease Project and extension activities

11 Approved Cane Sales Variety Tonnes Sold Approved Seed Cane Sales % 1% KQ Q Q % 26% Q240 KQ228 Q % Q183 Q Q208 Q Q232 Q % 23% Q253 Q252 Total 6433 Reasonably even spread of varieties Good for disease risk management for the region Significant increase from 2015 (4000T)

12 Tonnes sugar/ha Tonnes harvested Variety Performance Sugar Yield by Variety and Crop Class KQ228 Q183 Q208 Q232 Q240 Q247 Q252 Q253 SRA8 TSH Plant TSH Ratoon Tonnes Plant Tonnes Ratoon 0

13 Variety Management Q253 be careful with N rates, and better suited to poorer soils. Appears to be mid to late CCS variety. Reasonable T, low CCS. Four factors to improve Q253 CCS: N rates Moddus Time of harvest (later) Dry down (shorter) Q232 similar to above, better on poorer soils take care interpreting results from poor soils SRA8 slower germinating in cooler conditions, plant with Sinker (intermediate smut), observe orange rust

14 Pests Pest Tonnes Damage $ Damage at $40/T Wallabies $460,800 Pigs $328,800 Coots $224,640 Rats $152,720 Nematodes $115,200 Weevil Borer $52,840 Canegrubs 973 $38,920 Termites 702 $28,080 Soldier Fly 400 $16,000 Total $1,418,000 Overall, growers reported much lower numbers of all pests

15 Canegrubs Not widespread damage reported as in past years, however there are still areas with some pressure. This is a result of growers treating: appropriately only 1000T affected, compare this to 1994/ T HOWEVER, grub flights in May 2016 showed blocks with extremely high grub numbers. Have provided assistance to SRA in identifying trial sites for investigating Imidacloprid losses as well as alternative products

16 Canegrubs Have seen some failures of imidacloprid due to placement issues of liquid formulation (too far away from stool). Increasing pressure from environmental groups

17 Rats Significant rat problems have been reported in the last few weeks, particularly in the Pioneer area. Estimated T loss from 1000 Ha BPS are working with CANEGROWERS to obtain aerial baiting permit

18 Itch Grass/Wild Sorghum Regular checking of hotspots and herbicide control by field staff Casual staff employed to eradicate in known areas Training/communication with Lower Burdekin Water and Wilmar transport Extra monitoring area taken on this year by field staff along Sheepstation and Plantation Creeks Clean down of equipment These are two priority pest plants for BPS

19 RSD Every year BPS conducts RSD testing on all seed cane plots every row of cane is tested This year all samples returned negative (ie: No RSD) Over 3000 individual samples were collected this year There was an increase in number of blocks detected with RSD this year, however this will be partly a function of increased sampling

20 RSD Survey Results All mill areas have RSD affected farms Control is simple: Regular purchase of approved seed cane Ensure fallows are clean and free from volunteers Sterilise equipment that can carry juice or plant material

21 Orange Rust During inspection of variety strip trials, BPS staff noticed orange rust in SRA8 SRA pathologist inspected and advised levels of infection were quite low and restricted to small areas within a block Likely the expression was linked to the 200mm rainfall event in May 2017

22 Yellow Canopy Syndrome YCS has been observed in all varieties Still an issue of concern for the region, although levels have been lower in the last 2 years Delta blocks appear to be more affected than BRIA Researchers have ruled out many potential causal agents, however true cause is still unknown Research has shown YCS affected plants have a major disruption in the internal sugar transport system of the plant There are groups of varieties of parents that show more YCS symptoms than other groups of parents

23 Smut Varying levels of smut found in Q252, SRA8 and KQ (all intermediate) Spore loading increased due dry weather, and this has meant numerous blocks, including plot have been affected Q208 and Q183 Int/Resistant KQ will be held back for further observation 2 strip trials established QA also trialled due to its smut resistance SRA recommends that Tellus should be removed due to its high contribution to spore load

24 Smut and SRA8 Within the last week, significant levels of smut have been found in some distribution plots Rob Magarey (SRA Principle Pathologist) has inspected these sites and provided some recommendations including possible removal of SRA8 from the plots and ongoing and increased monitoring RVC will meet to discuss future direction next week BPS have suggested that trials be conducted locally to allow for local environmental conditions

25 Extension and funded projects BPS is continuing to fill the gap in extension to meet industry demand after the restructure of BSES/SRA The bulk of activities are funded outside of grower/miller levies

26 Smartcane BMP Funded by Qld CANEGROWERS Terry Granshaw is available to work with growers one on one to gain accreditation in Smartcane BMP To date, 25 growers have full accreditation, around 9400 Ha 244 growers have completed self assessment Demonstrating to government and community that the industry can self regulate is critical, as well as maintaining market access beyond 2020 (or earlier)

27 Rural Water Use Efficiency Funded by DNRM Over $ allocated to projects to improve irrigation efficiency and minimise deep drainage in this year 10 dewatering bores installed in areas of highest risk of rising groundwater tables 1875ML has been pumped Extension support for all growers through IrrigWeb, one on one and farm irrigation system assessments. Note: Full IrrigWeb access available to all BPS members at no cost LoRaWAN network funded through this project Opportunity for low cost automation and real time monitoring

28 LoRaWAN Network

29 Harvesting Grower Group Project Funded by SRA Response to requests from growers at shed meetings to quantify the effect of various harvester speeds on ratoon performance Commenced trials in 2014 season, and those results showed no effect on yield in relation to harvester speed, or 1 st or 2 nd ratoon emergence. Results suggest that many other aspects of the farming system may be a limiting factor to ratooning and yield

30 Nitrogen Efficiency (NEMO) Funded by Qld DNRM Series of soil amelioration trials Series of nitrogen rate x timing x ENTEC trials 2 real time water quality monitoring sites Any grower who would like their nitrate level tested, please contact Cherrie Increased focus on paddock scale monitoring with interested growers

31 Shed Meetings/Reef Alliance Project Partially funded by NQ Dry Tropics Reef Programme Over 30 shed meetings conducted in partnership with Farmacist, attendance around 35%, up to 53% Nutrient and irrigation plans developed for individual growers as part of Reef Alliance Project Nutrient Management Plan 2017

32 Other Activities Trialling varieties from SRA that have potential to be released in commercially managed blocks currently 12 sites, some with a focus on Smut tolerance in field conditions Nitrogen rate trials in Q253 Young growers group Grower one on one support

33 Trials and activities in x variety strip trials 2 x Q253 N rate trials 6 x harvesting speed trials 4 x N rate x timing x product 2 x sub catchment water quality monitoring sites 1 x compost trial 3 sites for irrigation scheduling and calibration of moisture probes 7 x soil amelioration 32 shed meetings

34 Staff and Directors Sincerely like to thank the staff and directors for their: Enthusiasm Commitment Passion for the region and industry Hard work Plot Managers and harvester contractors BPS is your organisation, please utilise all the services available to members to maximise the productivity, profitability and sustainability of our industry

35 $ (K) Income Trends Last 5 Years 3000 BPS Income - Last 5 Financial Years % % % % 2% 24% 33% 23% / / / / /17 Grower Wilmar Seedcane Projects Other

36 Summary The finances of Burdekin Productivity Services Ltd. continue to improve as the business expands into the extension services space. The 7c Levy remains unchanged yet delivery of core pest & disease services has expanded. Members continue to benefit from enhanced field services and additional agronomic support. We urge all members to take advantage of the services they are entitled to receive from BPS.

37 Motions Acceptance of AGM report including financials

38 Highest CCS Sponsored by SmartCane BMP & QSL Highest CCS Average - Farm over 25Ha R, A & S Micallef 16.2 CCS

39 Highest Tonnes Cane Sponsored by Incitec Pivot Fertilizer Highest tonnes per Ha plant crop over 7.5 Ha R J Lago 275 tc/ha

40 Sugar Producer of the Year Sponsored by Wilmar Bio-Ethanol Ag Services Highest farm average TS/Ha for farm over 25Ha and less than 28% plant cane Laidlow Farming Co ts/ha

41 GUEST SPEAKER Matt Ritchie Integration of Technology and Agriculture