Image credit: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/

Australia’s new blueprint for humane, best practice wild dog management officially took effect from 1 July.

Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud praised the way government and industry stakeholders collaborated on the new National Wild Dog Action Plan.

“Wild dogs are terribly destructive pests, costing farmers conservatively upwards of $89 million a year in lost production and control costs,” David said. “They can decimate livestock, tearing down sheep and goats at will, and in doing so, can hurt rural and regional economies because of the destruction they wreak and anxiety they cause.”

Having a clear, coordinated and borderless national plan to guide farmers and other stakeholders on the best strategies and safest tools for livestock and biodiversity protection is critical for rural and regional communities as they recover from COVID-19, bushfires and drought.

David applauded the way producers, peak farming bodies, governments and research and development corporations came together to ensure control measures are evidence-based and best practice. “Wild dog management is an Australian Government priority, with over $54 million invested in wild dog management since 2014-15, including recent wild dog fencing commitments in South Australia and Western Australia,” he said.

“The National Wild Dog Action Plan has already proved an exemplar in the way we should be approaching Australian predator management.”

The National Biosecurity Committee endorsed the National Wild Dog Action Plan 2020-2030 as the national plan for the co-ordinated management of wild dogs on 11 March 2020.

Grain growers are reminded they should avoid spraying annual ryegrass with clethodim herbicide when frost is forecast.

Weed control experts are advising growers not to spray clethodim two to three days before or after a frost event due to the impact on efficiency. The poor performance of clethodim on annual ryegrass, a weed becoming increasingly resistant to clethodim, can be associated with cold and frosty conditions.

University of Adelaide Associate Professor in weed and crop ecology, Dr Gurjeet Gill, says frosty conditions make it even harder to control annual ryegrass when clethodim resistance is present in the population.

“Growers are advised to carefully review weather forecasts for their district and spray clethodim when cloud cover is present and the risk of frost occurrence is low,” Gurjeet says.

Clethodim resistance has been slowly increasing in the northern region with current testing indicating resistance through New South Wales is less than 10 per cent.

This message is particularly pertinent to Forbes, which is prone to frost at this time of year, when many canola and pulse crops are likely to be sprayed for ryegrass control.

The Central West Livestock Exchange (CWLE) is moving into Stage 2 of the recovery from COVID-19, with the allowance of agents, vendors, restockers and contractors on site while business is being conducted from 15 June.

“The Saleyards are not open to the general public, if you are not conducting direct business here please do not come,” says Forbes Shire Council’s General Manager, Steve Loane, who also advised that “we require all to follow some simple guidelines when attending the facility. Please fill out the attendance form before turning up at the yards. Failing to do so only results in long queues at the gate, which nobody appreciates. This form can be found on our website and the agents also have access to it.

“We know how important it is for our farming community to have a chance to catch up with fellow stock men and women and talk about their trials and tribulations. This place is a common meeting ground and everyone’s mental health needs considering,” Steve said.

For further information please contact Central West Livestock Exchange manager Cassi Walmsley on 6850 2300.