Resources
Links:
Forecast rainfall
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/rainfall/pme.jsp
Rainfall & river conditions
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/flood/index.shtml
Telemetry and communications
http://www.bhsystems.com.au/
Irrigation infastructure
http://irritek.com.au/
Grains GRDC
https://grdc.com.au/
Cotton CRDC
http://www.crdc.com.au/
Acknowledgement of Photo Credits
Northern Australian Agricultural Solutions (NAAS) acknowledges the inclusion of the following photographs used with permission from the owners and that the copyright is owned by the following photographers who took the photographs:
• Toni Williams
• Greg Kauter
• Roly Keely
• Craig Crossingham
• Colleen McLucas
Endorsements
"Having banked the Millar Farms Group for a period of 20 years, I can attest to the strategic, forward thinking and open minded approach that Dougall takes to all management decisions. He was instrumental in positioning the group to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves through insisting on continual improvement in operational, marketing and business management disciplines.
On an operational level, Dougall singlehandedly took control over one of the most diverse and unproductive farms in the Emerald Irrigation district and consistently outperformed his peers by adopting a successful and fastidious management regime."
Craig Slack Relationship Manager
Business & Agribusiness Customers
106 Egerton Street Emerald Qld 4720
PO Box 9, Emerald. QLD. 472
Ph.: +617 4987 9057 | Fax: +617 4982 3210 | Mobile: +61 429 198 950
Having worked in the cotton industry for several decades, I have watched with interest the growth and development of irrigated agriculture at Emerald in the Central Highlands of Queensland. The Millar family were at the forefront of development in the area, and Dougall Millar rose to the challenge of both a successful family enterprise leader and an industry leader over that time.
Dougall is an established agriculturalist, with considerable skills in aspects of agronomy, farm management, economic evaluation, input sourcing, and marketing of produce. A clear area of unsurpassed excellence is his attitude and abilities with the more practical and operational aspects of farming. He can “make it work”, within a framework of practicality and financial viability.
With a sound understanding of people management, financial analyses and focussed capital allocation methodology, Dougall is able to work with a wide range of associates in the agricultural industry, ranging from farm operation staff and agronomic technologists through banking and accountancy service providers to corporate senior executives at Board level.
Successful agricultural enterprises and innovative agricultural projects just “don’t happen” by chance. They are made to happen by experts in the field with the knowledge, experience and wisdom required for the task to hand. I am of the view that Dougall Millar can provide the guidance, expertise and commitment to ensure the highest probability of successful outcomes, especially in the field of irrigated agriculture.
Gavin O’Hanlon
Principal
The O’Hanlon Group Pty Ltd
Consultants to the Agricultural and Mining Industries
Having conducted research and industry development work for the Australian Cotton Industry in the Burdekin region of North Queensland during 2006-2012, I have first-hand experience of the difficulties that people sometimes face finding experienced consultants and contractors that can understand the challenges and opportunities of conducting successful broad-acre cropping in the tropics.
Dougall offers a wealth of experience that has been honed in Central Queensland – a region that, like the tropics, can have very difficult cropping conditions. He is an exceptional operator who has successfully managed broad acre and irrigated production of cotton, mungbeans, sorghum, chickpeas, wheat and maize. He understands farming systems, crop production tactics and farm infrastructure management, and knows how to run a profitable business balancing inputs with production risks.
My recent collaborative research project at Emerald examined pushing the boundaries of accepted cotton production tactics for the Central Highlands region. Dougall’s involvement in and hosting of this research gave our trial program immediate credibility within the local cotton farming community. Dougall’s attention to detail, ability to manage a complex set of field scale treatments and to keep things “real” have resulted in a data set that will enable a tangible reduction in weather related production risks for the Central Queensland cotton industry.
Dougall has been a strong innovator within his family’s cropping enterprises in Central Queensland. His recent relocation to Northern Australia offers the potential for similar innovators hoping to develop broad acre farming or irrigated land development in Australia’s north to tap into his wealth of experience.
Success in Northern Australia really depends on having well defined plans combined with enough experience to quickly decipher what works, what doesn’t, and how improvements can be made. Agronomic and business acumen and the agility to match this with local conditions and constraints is essential. Dougall Millar as the proprietor of NAAS is well placed to help your business navigate the challenges and opportunities of Northern Australia.
Paul Grundy
Principal Scientist – Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
(Author of NORpak Cotton production and management guidelines for the Burdekin and NQ dry tropics) - http://www.insidecotton.com/xmlui/handle/1/203