Josh Arnold out & about in Monto!

Have you spotted Josh Arnold out & about this week catching up with the kids from Monto, Mulgildie & Abercorn. If you haven't yet then you will be able to catch him this Friday, 17th November at the St Therese's Christmas Fair were he will be performing with all of the kids.

We have been lucky enough to be involved with the fundraising of bringing Josh to town. Some of this fundraising included our Monto Ladies Luncheon that was held in May and food stall at our 2023 Bull Sale.

Cattle prices show signs of a rally as EYCI lifts 50c/kg

CATTLE prices across the eastern states have lifted considerably in the past fortnight on the back of moderate, but widespread storm rain.

The benchmark Eastern Young Cattle Indicator has risen above 400c for the first time since September – after months of consistent downturn. It finished today at 408c/kg carcase weight, rising 40c/kg over the past seven days, and 48c higher than where it sat this time a month ago. The indicator slipped below 350c/kg for several days, from 18-20 October.

While encouraging, the recent EYCI rally remains 611c/kg behind where it sat this time last year (1016c/kg).

New South Wales has seen the biggest recent increases, with today’s Tamworth sale accounting for the highest price contribution to the EYCI, with an average of 467c and last week’s Armidale sale the next highest at 454c. Last week’s Roma and Dalby sales averaged 426c and 433c respectively.

National Livestock Reporting Service operations manager Ripley Atkinson said the biggest price increases were seen with light restocker-type cattle.

“Restockers are clearly lifting the market, they are back to paying a 28c premium over feeder cattle,” Mr Atkinson said.

“We have immediately seen supply tighten up with a bit of rain earlier this month, and a lot of producers are now confident enough to make a play with a bit of grass in front of them towards the end of the year.”

Large parts of NSW and Qld have sold big numbers of cattle this year with the weather drying out and forecasts of more dry weather with the formation of an El Nino.

Many say news coverage of the dry weather forecast has also spooked restocker activity this year – with many, including Beef Central Chris Howie, advising producers to have more of a focus on margins.

While most of the past fortnight’s rain fell in storms, between 20mm and 50mm, Mr Atkinson said it appeared to be enough to put some confidence back in the market.

“There has been some rain about in the past month to six weeks, but it has been localised and it hasn’t been in the widespread nature we have seen recently,” he said.

“Numbers are back significantly and I think we are seeing people extending those feed budgets out across a widespread area.”

ARTICLE CREDIT - BEEF CENTRAL - https://www.beefcentral.com/markets/cattle-prices-start-to-rally-as-eyci-lifts-almost-50c/

Drought preparedness workshops in Monto and Eidsvold attract huge turnout at dry weather bites hard

If numbers at a recent Drought Resilience Workshop in Monto are anything to go by, more and more producers are looking to access the relatively new drought preparedness funding.

The workshop funded by DAF and hosted by the Burnett Catchment Care Association (BCCA) on Thursday, November 9, saw a roll up of 43 producers keen to get as much information as possible on how to do their Drought Resilience Plans for their funding applications.

A similar workshop in Eidsvold on Wednesday, November 8, attracted about 20 people.

BCCA extension officer and facilitator Hayley Webster said it was huge rollup in Monto. "Having an online group and having a specific graziers group, I think, has created a little more proactivity and enthusiasm in the area in general," she said. But Ms Webster agreed the large turnout would also be because the dry conditions are biting and people want to learn more about how to access the drought funding which has only been out about 18 months. She said people were also seeing other people have got funding from QRIDA and had used that funding to build hay storage sheds, set up centre pivot irrigators and expand water infrastructure.

"Above and beyond this, producers who have completed their plans - who generally only did them under sufferance to access funding - report that the plans have given them greater clarity, direction and unity within their businesses, and they actually feel better prepared and positioned to ride out dry spells - a claim that is already being tested," she said

Ms Webster said the new drought funding scheme was designed to have farms and businesses set up so they were prepared for the inevitable droughts which were part of our climate.

"It takes over from the old 'feed and fodder' bandaid scheme which, while useful, was not addressing the key cause and did not seem to stop people getting themselves into desperate situations," she said.

Ms Webster said some of the key points regarding drought preparedness which came out of the workshop included:

Matching grass on the ground to mouths eating it
Having key decision dates
Acting on your decision dates and plans
And, having your pastures in a condition that can respond to rain at the end of the dry season.

She said possibly the most important strategy was the idea of doing pasture budgets and taking the time to assess how much grass was present at the end of the growing season. "Acknowledging that this is what we have to get us through to the start of the next wet season and looking at whether we need to adjust how many cattle we have and then doing it." Ms Webster said to determine the start of the next growing season DAF works on a 'green date'. "For Monto, statistically we are looking at January 6 to have 70 per cent chance (seven out of 10 years) of getting 50 mm or more in a rainfall event - that is, enough rain to stimulate a 'break' in the season, " she said. "Doing this enables us to make decisions early; sell cattle before they eat too much of our precious grass reserves; sell cattle before everyone else realises they need to sell; and stock up on dry season supplements again before everyone else floods the market. "And, most importantly, look after your pastures and remaining cattle so they are still healthy and productive and ready to go once rain eventually comes as it always does in it's own time."

If producers would like assistance with completing their Drought Resilience Plans to access the new drought funding, Rural Solutions Queensland is a free service set up to assist.

ARTICLE CREDIT - QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE AUTHOR JUDITH MAIZEY - https://www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/8421647/huge-turnout-at-drought-preparedness-workshops/?cs=4698

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What to do

A real estate agent's goal is to deliver results for the landlord as quickly as possible. Our number one tip is to ensure an application being submitted is complete with up-to-date contact information and any necessary supporting documents, including proof of income, rental history, and references. A surprisingly large number of applications are incomplete and will immediately be sent to the bottom of the pile.

The old saying, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression", is true, so be presentable and polite at property inspections. It is standard practice for agents and owners to search for you online, so make sure there is nothing on your social media profile that you don't want them to see.

Property managers and owners are ultimately looking for three things in a tenant: the capacity to pay rent, a track record of paying rent, and someone who will not damage the property. Be honest about your financial situation, employment status, and rental history. Ensure to fill out your application with as much detail as you can. Landlords are more likely to choose tenants who are transparent and truthful.

What you do for work is not as important as you may think. Agents say having a high-paying job is not the be-all and end-all.

An ability to provide strong references is vital to secure a property. If your previous property manager will give you reference, that will go a long way! But references don't carry a lot of weight unless they are directly related to your actual tenancy.

What not to do

Agents will avoid a bad rental history and poor references. They also have a keen eye for dishonest applications or people trying to pull wool over their eyes. If you are in rental arrears without a justifiable explanation, that's a problem. If your ex-property manager does not want to give you a reference and says, 'Good luck. They are your problem now', that's a big one.

If you attend the inspection with three people who are obviously going to be living with you and then only one person puts in an application, we normally will look for things like that.