Agriculture

[National Farmers' Federation] Australian farmers are applauding the ‘in-principle’ trade deal between Australia and the United Kingdom announced by prime ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson in London overnight. The proposed deal is the first trade agreement reached by the United Kingdom following its separation from the European Union last year, and will guarantee tariff-free, quota-free access to the UK market for all agricultural products, after phase in periods of up to 15 years.

Australian farmgate production is on track for a record-breaking $66.3 billion year. ABARES’ June quarter 2021 Agriculture Commodities report shows how the sector has navigated the uncertainties and challenges posed by COVID-19 and changes in the international trade landscape.

Australia's alpaca producers are well positioned to develop new export markets following the opening of trade in alpacas with Chile ... "Health certification requirements are the foundation for trade in animals and this agreement means we can continue to build on trade opportunities as we work to revitalise our primary industries."

Yamaha Motor Australia Director Tom Okamoto today announced the Yamaha Motor group has entered into a joint development agreement with Australian smart agriculture technology company The Yield. The development partnership will see Yamaha and The Yield working towards a goal of improved global agricultural productivity through the utilisation of digital technology and robotics.

Research led by the University of Technology Sydney and funded by AgriFutures Honey Bee & Pollination Program aims to provide evidence required by modern medicine to reposition honey from a staple in the pantry to a health food. The work seeks to use honey as a prebiotic to promote good digestive health and to help combat the onset and progression of gut related disease.

A record-breaking 2020-21 harvest across Australia has been reflected in NAB’s Agribusiness data showing business transactions from grain growers have surged following record production levels.

Groundbreaking research funded by the NSW Government has today revealed feral pig control programs can save landholders up to $100 per hectare, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW Adam Marshall has announced ... “Feral pigs are one of the most wide-spread pests which cause significant economic losses to primary production and other agricultural enterprises in many parts of the State and also damage environmental and cultural sites."

Agribusiness identity David Williams has added to his rural portfolio with the $3 million acquisition of Sorell Creek, spanning 718 hectares on the Derwent River north of Hobart. About 19 kilometres from the capital, the property reportedly may be used by Williams for sheep or salmon farming, and as a future land bank play. It previously held a permit for a 43 lot subdivision. About 241 hectares is zoned for rural living.

Northern Territory pastoralists Roy and Janet Chisholm have sold a central Australian farm for $6.1 million to Caason Group. The 1,047-hectare Oolloo Farm, which produces irrigated hay, sits 200kms north of Alice Springs and included a 1,000-megalitre per year water extraction licence, as well as six centre pivots.

Preliminary results from a Western Australian research project suggest some grain growers are under-estimating herbicide resistance levels in cropping system weeds present on their farms.

Global dairy prices continue to trade at elevated levels, despite being “stuck in neutral” for the past three months, as the market slowly returns to normal from the pandemic-led channel distortion, according to the latest Rabobank Global Dairy Quarterly report.

The 2020-21 brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season is wrapping up and Australia’s measures have again remained strong against this serious pest ... BMSB is a serious threat for Australia’s agriculture industries and environment, because of the damage it can do to vegetable crops and fruit and ornamental trees.

DNA testing Australian honey can reveal where it was produced and its main floral sources, according to research published today by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and partners at the University of Melbourne and Curtin University. The $100 million Australian honey industry exports 4,500 tonnes of honey every year, and could benefit from the findings, which could be used for a honey certification program to confirm the floral composition and provenance of commercial honey.

Favourable seasonal conditions for the first half of 2021 coupled with a positive outlook will result in a faster national flock rebuild, according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) 2021 sheep industry projections half year update.

The Murrumbidgee valley’s multi-million dollar winter cereal crop has dodged a bullet with minimal mouse damage and recent rain lifting grower’s spirits ... The promising cropping outlook and buoyant land values have resulted in three blue-ribbon corporate holdings in the region hitting the market in the same week.

Check the form of some of the winners at Beef Week at Casino.

A combination of global and localised factors is creating a “very tight” global beef cattle market – with strong demand and record high prices in many regions throughout the world – and this is coinciding with a fundamental shift in international market dynamics, Rabobank says in a newly-released report.

Australia is chairing the 25th anniversary meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), which started yesterday. “This meeting is important for Australia, in particular our agricultural sector, to help shape the science-based international standards underpinning food import and export,” says, Nicola Hinder, DAWE.

Australian Property Journal. Low cattle supply across the country is a major driving force in the current tight conditions in the global beef cattle market. According to the Rabobank Q2 Beef Quarterly report, the beef market is so tight, with growing demand, that localised disruptions, including conditions in Australia, are having a far greater impact on trade and prices than typically seen.