The September 2024 edition of Farmanco Facts contains articles on Crop-Topping by Holly Mackie (Albany) and Turning our Crops into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by Mae Connelly (Esperance). Greg Easton (Perth) asks ‘Is there a Variable Cost Problem in Broadacre Farming’, while David Cameron (Moora) introduces The Aerenchyma Advantage.
Crop-Topping
Holly Mackie (Agronomist)
Crop-topping is an effective tool to reduce weed seed set.
Be aware of ALL the disadvantages of crop-topping specific crop types.
Weed and crop timing is critical in deciding when to crop-top.
Given the late start to the season in southern WA and the marginal moisture at seeding, late season seed set control will be an important tool. It is the last chance of the season to capture weeds that escaped pre and post-emergent.
Turning our Crops into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Mae Connelly (Grain Marketing Consultant)
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) can reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 80% compared to Conventional Jet Fuel (CJF).
Australia’s canola crop has the potential to produce around 2.11 billion litres of SAF annually, meeting 21% of current national jet fuel demand.
Developing an Australian SAF industry could result in a new domestic market for Australian canola, however, there are infrastructure and technology challenges to overcome.
The aviation sector, which contributes approximately 2.5% of global carbon emissions, is one of the most challenging to decarbonise due to limited alternatives. In Australia, domestic aviation emissions have more than tripled since 1990, with jet fuel demand projected to increase by 75% from 2023 to 2050. Given these challenges, SAF is emerging as a key strategy for reducing emissions.
Is there a Variable Cost Problem in Broadacre Farming?
Greg Easton (Farm Management Consultant)
The key component of cost that you can control is variable costs.
Cropping and sheep variable costs have increased over the last five years.
Although income has also been increasing, it has not kept up with cost increases.
Fertiliser and pesticide costs have seen the largest increases.
Variable cost control takes effort and skill by the farm manager, but it is worth it to ensure your business continues to grow.
We believe those who are onto cost control early will be in the best position to survive challenges to yields and/or prices.
You cannot rely on luck to manage variable costs. The combination of above average yields and prices is a rare phenomenon. You need to take a strategic approach to costs and income. Variable cost control takes effort.
Further:
Profit Series 2024 arrived at our new Rivervale office this week, and Mira was busy putting them through Australia Post to our clients.
If you’d like your production data to be tracked against other Australian farmers (based on five-year averages and rainfall zones) visit Aglytica.com to see how that can be achieved.
Contact your nearest Farmanco Consultant if you’re looking to engage a professional adviser for your business and your annual production data will be included in the annual benchmarking series.
Farmanco Facts can be subscribed to via our website store, by calling our Rivervale (WA) office (08) 9295 0940 or emailing subscribe@farmanco.com.au.
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