Stepping grassroots cattlemen through the many options for agricultural diversification is at the core of a forum and field day to be held in Georgetown after Easter.
According to Etheridge Shire Mayor Barry Hughes, the Gilbert River Agricultural Forum on April 7-8 is an invitation to take a fresh look at the region's potential in terms of value-adding to grazing, horticulture and cropping.
"It's well recognised that the Gilbert River catchment lends itself to agriculture in other ways - we have the potential there," he said, listing the various entry points being used, from people growing leucaena and value-adding for young cattle, or growing sorghum with an undercrop of desmanthus, to those downriver growing cotton, sorghum and hay, and others trialling table grapes and mangoes.
"A big part of what we're planning is to reconnect with landholders in the Gilbert precinct, to talk about their experiences and stepping across to agriculture," Cr Hughes added. "There's a fair bit happening but there's still a selection that are grassroots, or took the first step and failed but are willing to trial joint ventures."
Read more: Gilbert irrigators seek water
The two-day event is happening alongside the engagement of a project manager to step the council through an Environmental Impact Statement for the Gilbert River Irrigation Project, which includes plans for a new dam on the river.
Consulting firm Jacobs delivered a detailed business case to the council in May 2020 that identified promising opportunities for a large scale irrigation project, according to the Etheridge Shire website.
As envisaged in the report, the dam would have the capacity to deliver 130 gigalitres of water entitlements per annum, 90GL of high priority (agriculture) allocations at 95 per cent reliability and 40GL of medium priority allocations at 85 per cent reliability.
Cr Hughes said that while the previous council had pushed the irrigation project strongly, his council had taken a different approach, wanting to ensure it had landholder support to grow the precinct sustainably.
The forum program has a lineup of over 20 speakers to present industry data alongside real life stories from people who have skin in the game.
They include David Statham of St Ronans, Joe Eyre from the University of Queensland, Lance Pendergast from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Wendi Merrit from Australian National University, and Joe Moro from Far North Queensland Growers, as well as Senator Susan McDonald and Richmond Mayor John Wharton.
Under the microscope will be getting started with leucaena, diversifying to build resilience, introducing sesame and sunhemp, plus a sneak peek at the North Queensland cotton gin feasibility study.
The on-farm field day the following day will inspect cropping trials at Prestwood and Forest Home plus table grapes at Tonks Camp, and will talk water options with the CSIRO at the Gilbert River and have afternoon smoko at Charleston Dam as an optional extra.
The event is open to anyone with an interest and is free to attend but participants must register to comply with the COVID event strategy.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
