Our land of opportunity...

The chairman of prominent global banker Rabobank, Wiede Draiger, gave a promising update as to why Australia will be a significant player in the years to come in agriculture on the world stage. If the food patterns of the more industrialised world were applied to the rest of the world, four planets would be needed to feed a future population. He most likely reiterated what we all know - that our innovative food sector will be a major supply partner across a significant amount of produce, particularly red meat products. Mr Draiger also stated: "All that needs to take place in the coming 30 years and Australia has both the arable land ticket and the infrastructure ticket to be a key player in solving those equations. Much of the new growth will take place in Asia, for which Australia is well positioned. There is an increasing number of mouths to feed in the years to come and those that have a significant surplus in arable land are ideally positioned. So I would argue as an entrepreneur, as a banker and as a food and agriculture-oriented person, it is a huge opportunity."

When that arable land receives the rain it deserves we know what we can do to make the difference. The positive market response this week was expected and appreciated by vendors across Queensland where both the physical and weight at works prices more than recovered the dismal early March prices. Price improvements should continue as the season and demand improves.

Prominent producers provided an insight into the resilience and recovery attitude of the industry with special store sales across Queensland over the past few weeks with rain induced price improvements a bonus for the vendors and an opportunity for rain-blessed restockers.

Elders and the Australian Agricultural Co combined in Longreach a fortnight ago to present 5800 composite steers from the Barkly and were rewarded with pleasing results. The sale topped at 308c/kg live weight, which was a significant price improvement from previous week's results. The prices justified the decision to market the livestock in Longreach saleyards combined with the AuctionsPlus 'saleyard in the sky'. The pleasing aspect was that stock found their way to the paddocks of western Queensland producers with the spread of buyers converging from Winton, Richmond, Longreach, Stonehenge, Middleton and Julia Creek with Taroom and The Burnett districts securing suitable lines.

Landmark last Friday last had their special Longreach store sale and the rain preceding the sale gave prices received an addition lift. While Australian Green Properties provided the entire offering from their NT holdings Epenarra and Murray Downs, the AACo was unable to truck their consignment due to the rain. The Droughtmaster and their crosses found again western Queensland restockers out in force. Producers from Boulia, Winton, Longreach and Julia Creed competed with southern restockers to provide the vendors with a terrific result. Steers sold to a top of 314c/kg and their heifer equivalents sold to a top of 240c.

Peter Daniel and his Grant Daniel & Long Dalby team presented The Hughes family's Georgina Pastoral Company draft of 1600 heifers at the weekly Dalby cattle sale. Renewed vigour due to ex Cyclone Trevor delivering a rain depression across large parts of the state provided a lively market. The Ultra Black cross heifers were bred on the company's Lake Nash in the north and had been on the stock routes from last November. The heifers sold to a top of 278c with background operators eager to purchase for future feedlot supplies. Prices were a significant increase on previous week's results

Bill Little has been droving for as long as I can remember and is one of the best. Bill and his team were responsible for the special delivery of the Lake Nash heifers into the Dalby selling complex after five months on the road. The stock routes of western Queensland are his home and with the recent rains, he may have time for a break. We talk about bush legends of the past, Bill is a bush legend of today.