AUSTRALIAN vegetable growers might think they do it tough, but they don't.
The worse things someone growing carrots, potatoes and cabbages might encounter are snails, rabbits, kangaroos and the odd wombat.
True, you can strike trouble with the weather when it's either too hot or too cold.
And increasingly, there are concerns about adequate water supply.
But these problems pale into insignificance when you consider the trials faced by the growers we encountered on our recent visit to a co-operative farm about 120km south of St Petersburg, in Russia.
The rent to the government for the vegetable paddocks of only $50 a month seemed an absolute bargain because the soil is rich enough to grow anything and the rainfall is reliable.
But then we were told that we were there at the ideal time and the growing season lasted for only 100 days. The rest of the year, the region is covered in snow.
And while they were not evident while our party was there, the co-op workers told us they had to protect their crops from moose, bears, foxes, hares and rabbits.
The carrots and potatoes are harvested by machine and, as in many parts of Australia, backpackers are hired when it comes to to harvesting cabbages.
The most profitable crop is potatoes.
We were accompanied on the six-day Russian leg of our farming tour by the executive director of the St Petersburg Russian Farmers' Association, Leonid Mikhailovich, who kept a close eye on all proceedings.
He did not speak English and although we had a young, English-speaking guide, our lines of communications were stilted and it was hard to extract all the information we would have liked.
Our life was made easier by the farm managers who welcomed us warmly.
The 1500ha diversified co-op is divided into four separately run and managed properties, not adjoined, but within 30km of each other.
Enterprises include dairying, pigs, beef, abattoirs, vegetables and crops.
This huge co-operative has a resident vet and assistant, four farm managers and several marketing assistants.
Once off the well-maintained highway, we were shocked by the poor state of the roads.
When we were invited to inspect oats and wheat crops, our driver refused to tackle to "goat track" so we had to trudge several kilometres through potholes.
The beef and dairy enterprises comprise 3171 head of cattle, 1450 of them dairy cows and replacements.
Most of the buildings are ancient but clean.
The farms sell their produce in St Petersburg.
John and Carolyn Murphy, from Kerang, were impressed with our visit to
an abattoir where 200 pigs, lotfed to 100kg, are slaughtered for pork each month.
The pigs are fed a ration so as not to over-fatten them.
Not far from the abattoir, many 12 to 15-month Friesian bulls are tethered on loose chains and fed grass silage and grain supplements.
Most of these aree bought from neighbouring farms for about $3/kg liveweight, fed for a short time, then sold in St Petersburg for $6.20/kg at a dressed weight of about 180-200kg.
About 650 Friesian cows are housed in a huge barn. The dairy itself is new, and very clean with floor heating.
The shed is 20-a-side, double-up and rapid exit.
Cows have computer chips in their collars that are read twice a day when they are milked.
The average cow produces 6000 litres a lactation on a diet of green chop of grass, oats and hay, supplemented with minerals.
Milk is sold in St Petersburg at 55c/litre.
The cows are housed inside all the time except for two hours of exercise time.
Manure is pumped out from underneath weekly and spread over paddocks.
The co-operative employs 28 staff working eight hours a day and earning about $700 (15,000 roubles) a month.
I ATTENDED the associated agents' store cattle sale at Hamilton last week.
The two key lines on offer didn't let the side down.
Mark Wootton and Eve Cantor of Jigsaw Farms offered 1167 mixed-sex weaners, Angus, black baldy and Hereford, and AK Firmin, Emu Hill, 66 large-frame beef-bred cows and calves.
The Jigsaw Farms consignment was sold by LMB Linke and the Emu Hill draft by Lanyons.
The strong gallery of buyers were operating with orders for South East South Australia, several feedlots, Casterton, Warrnambool, Heywood, Horsham, Swan Hill. Local support also was strong.
Almost all the dry cattle were curfewed, weighed and auctioned in cents-per-kilogram rates.
Auctioneer, Bernie Grant, said that the result was better than expected.
The big lines were offered as a whole with the option of one pen or more, giving everyone a chance.
The whole consignment was vendor-bred, weaned in March, drenched Scanda and Paramax, vaccinated with 7-in-1 in March and May and 5-in-1 in July. All were September-2007 drop.
The large Angus consignment was a lovely draft of young cattle suiting many ventures.
I, and many others, believed they were best suited for growth and length.
The draft of black baldy steers and heifers stole the limelight.
Some big lines of 53 to 160 head in both sexes were bought in one hit.
The steer calves weighed 260kg-319kg and heifers 197kg-269kg.
The 785 steers averaged 295kg and sold for 209/kg ($615.50).
The 382 heifers averaged 238kg and achieved 183c/kg ($435).
Emu Hill cows and calves were Angus and Simmental-cross with April-May-drop Saler calves.
The big-framed cows that ranged from heifers to 2002-drops, had lovely sappy calves.
They made $985 down to $870 to average $924.
Other good sales were: Kerr and Co, account Glenassie, 44 Angus steers, 16 months, average 358kg, selling to 194c/kg ($689); Landmark, account Runnymeade, 77 Angus steers, 14-15 months, 294kg, selling to 215c/kg ($621); and account Chelma, Angus steers, 327kg, 206c/kg ($674); SGL, account Mills, black baldy steers, 361kg, 190c/kg ($686); Elders, account Kanangra, black baldy steers, 323kg, 191c/kg ($617); Kerr & Co, account Annandale, young Angus cows and calves $980.
ON THE MARKET
IF YOU were looking for the best buys at Hamilton last week, it was in the yearling-off heifers. All Angus, ready for joining for a spring calving next year, they were excellent value at 159-165c/kg for 321-325kg, or $510 to $536.
Also cows and calves made around split value.
I am sure there is more money to be made in these cattle than steers or younger heifers.
