Prescribed burning: Call for full State inquiry
The Denmark Environment Centre is calling on the State Government for a full and independent inquiry into the impact of its current prescribed burning practices. This follows the release last week of a report, Icons to Ashes, on the practice as examined in the Walpole Wilderness Area. The report calls for an urgent rethink of burning practices, highlighting that regular burning is having a big impact on forests and wildlife and has been scientifically demonstrated to be increasing the risk of bushfire.
King’s Birthday Honours for Noel’s lifetime dedication
When we say Noel Graham has dedicated a lifetime to the rice and general agricultural industry, we mean it. He almost had no choice given his family history, but luckily, Noel is just as passionate about agriculture and rice as his forebears ... Concurrently, Noel also held roles within SunRice and Murray Irrigation.
Farmers come to Canberra to fight transmission lines: Littleproud, Webster
Dozens of concerned farmers have descended on Canberra, urging Federal Labor to rethink its plan to build hundreds of kilometres of poles and wires through regional Victoria. The farmers met with The Nationals leader David Littleproud and Federal Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster, who echoed the group’s concerns.
Fishing ban without a plan threatens prawn industry: Saunders, Williamson
Leader of the NSW Nationals Dugald Saunders and the Member for Clarence Richie Williamson have called on the NSW Government to be more transparent about the support being provided to the Northern Rivers prawn industry. Shadow Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said a last-minute ban has been dropped on the industry without any certainty about the future.
Canberra creates farmer confidence collapse in WA: NFF
Startling findings from two different surveys have highlighted the devastating impact the proposed live sheep export ban is having in Western Australia, according to the country’s peak farm body. Data released from Rabobank shows that while confidence edged higher nationally, WA bucked the trend recording a further dip into negative territory.
Denny’s Silos at Farmfest
Local Allora business Denny's Silos was on show at Farmfest last week. Denny's Salesman Caillum Coleman from Allora said it had been a busy two days with some good enquiries .. Farmfest enables customers to inspect the products with an opportunity to seek more information.
Getting to the root of the issue: John O’Donnell
John O'Donnell reviews eucalypt decline and dieback in relation to the lack of low intensity fire management across Australia. John considers that exclusion of frequent low intensity mild fire is the primary cause of eucalypt decline in Australian native forests and woodlands and this has been inadequately recognised ... This lack of recognition is in itself a major environmental issue and ignores up to 60,000 years of Aboriginal burning practices across the landscape.
Shining a light on Victorians’ biosecurity efforts: Tierney
Victorian hobby farmers are sharing how they are safeguarding the state against emergency animal diseases by implementing biosecurity measures in their backyards. Minister for Agriculture Gayle Tierney launched the Andrews Labor Government’s ‘Biosecurity - it’s up to all of us’ campaign, which features a series of videos from four small-scale landholders, demonstrating the critical role everyone has in protecting Victoria’s biodiversity from disease threats.
CSIRO roadmap charts Australia’s food and nutrition security by 2050
Australia’s food systems must change now to remain sustainable in the future according to a new roadmap released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency ... The roadmap, Reshaping Australian Food Systems, sets a path for how Australia can secure a more sustainable, productive, and resilient future for its food, environment, and people.
Is government failing Australians on fire ants?: Canegrowers
CANEGROWERS is calling on the federal, state and territory governments to redouble their efforts to halt the march of Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA), following the release of a damning report on the failure of the current eradication program. The report, which has been kept under wraps for two years, makes clear that the current strategy will not only fail to eradicate RIFA, but will be unable to stop the global super-pest from spreading beyond south-east Queensland.
Australian farmer confidence changes direction after last quarter’s low: Rabobank
Australian farmer confidence has improved marginally thanks to easing concerns about commodity prices and input costs, however it remains in negative territory overall. The latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, released on 13 June 2023, saw confidence lift nationally from -25 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 (the lowest level since late 2018) to now sit at -22 per cent.
Showing their steers teaches farm kids about money
Not every child gets a Christmas present of money to buy a steer. The Gould kids did. Harper, 12, Allora, 11, Slater, 9, and Ledger, 7, bought steers and named them Big Boy Steve, Fuzz, Parker and Max ... Adam said being on the farm is good for the kids because they have to take responsibility. They get out here at 3am to milk the cows and by 6am they’re ready to go, he said.
Conservation efforts lead to reopening of fishing for Torres Strait species: Furner, Watt, Lui
A fishing season for a high value sea cucumber in the Torres Strait has reopened for the first time in 20 years thanks to a concerted conservation and stock restoration effort ... Torres Strait Islanders will have exclusive access rights to black teatfish, which is estimated to be worth $380,000 to the local economy.
Neo barley variety ‘the one’ to elevate Australia grains production: Jarvis
A new barley variety launched by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis is being touted as 'the one' to take Australian barley production to the next level. The high-performance variety named Neo - the Greek word for new - is set to increase yields by 10 per cent, generating a potential $110 million per annum boost to the value of the national barley industry.
Webinar – Regional innovations, global connections, 12 July 2023
As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses.
Rookwood Weir water flows for Central Queensland farmers: Butcher
Economic opportunity has been unlocked in Central Queensland with the completion of the second tender for water from the soon-to-be-completed Rookwood Weir, as 21 successful bidders secured a total allocation of 6000 megalitres for productive irrigation use. Strong interest from across the region resulted in 21 successful bids, with 6082 megalitres sold from an available 7500 megalitres.
New transmission framework fails farmers: VFF
“For the last four years, the VFF has consistently called for a coordinated approach to transmission infrastructure planning. The government has heeded our call and taken some action in formulating the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework. Disappointingly however, the framework continues to neglect farmer concerns. It does not speak about agricultural land use and the impact on food and fibre production”: VFF President Emma Germano.
Paddock drainage trials show promising results: GRDC
Two consecutive wet seasons in southwest Western Australia have put a renewed focus on waterlogged crops ... Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investments, led by South Coast Natural Resource Management (South Coast NRM) and Stirlings to Coast Farmers, are exploring the potential return on investment of subsurface water management options for waterlogged areas at four sites in the Esperance and Albany port zones.
66th Dayboro Show, 8-9 July 2023
Dayboro – The Town of Yesteryear is set to come alive when town meets country at the best little country show. The annual Dayboro Show is celebrating 66 years with the 2023 event being held on July 8th and 9th. The show will bring together almost every aspect of rural living from cattle displays, sheep herding and poultry exhibits; to displays of the regions’ historic machinery and a 2-day filled wood-chopping program.
Offshoring of Australia’s food processing must be reversed: BCCM
The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals today said the offshoring of Australia’s food processing capability must be reversed ... “The last three decades have seen more and more of our food processing offshored and a steady decline in Australian owned agricultural supply chains,” said BCCM CEO Melina Morrison.
Dairy cattle on a downer
Kristin Murdock,. Recent analysis of ABS data by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has seen some interesting trends emerge within Australia’s cattle herd. Between 2016 and 2021, there was an increase in running cattle in general of two per cent. At the other end of the scale, dairy enterprises have dropped by 23 per cent.
New soil practitioner accreditation hits the ground running: DAFF
Farmers and land managers can have more confidence in soil practitioner knowledge thanks to a new $1 million accreditation funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Registered Soil Practitioner (RSP) accreditation, which was developed by Soil Science Australia in collaboration with soil scientists, industry, government and land and natural resource managers, opened for applications on 22 May.
