What's that saying? Don't talk about politics, religion or the weather. Let's break the rules and talk about all three. Plus the mouse plague too.
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This week it's hard to escape politics because the Federal Budget was handed down. Farm groups have come out with a mostly positive response, yet we have to address the issue of a lack when it comes to securing communications in rural areas.
There was $153 million in funding to improve bush communications, yet $68 million of that came from existing funding for northern Australia. It is hard to see how this will go far enough to fix the blackspots throughout the region.
In the Riverina alone there are plenty of areas where mobile phone coverage is less than adequate. Landholder still use the UHF system and contend with phone zero service.
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Last week the rain, which we anticipated, all but escaped the region. Since then southern NSW farmers have been "praying for rain."
This week delivered some much needed steady rain to parts of southern NSW but most landholders will concede more is still needed.
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Have you tried to buy mouse traps lately? Or bait? We are just waiting to hear that there's a shortage of peanut butter, which is often the bait of choice for household traps.
Social media has proven to be a great platform to share innovative ways to catch and control mice this season.
We have seen the bucket method and a novel twist on this which involves a plastic bin with peanut butter smeared on the lid.
When it comes to controlling mice in the paddock it can be a costly exercise. And while many people wanted to opt to keep stubble to retain soil moisture there are stories of burning for no other reason than to destroy the habitat of mice.
We have also been told that mice are not necessarily eating the baits if the mice have access to other feed so the kill rates are not always as effective as hoped.