Agriculture

The state’s peak agricultural body says the Varroa mite outbreak is a stark example of the failures in the national biosecurity system. NSW Farmers Biosecurity Chair Ian McColl said it was clear biosecurity screening protocols at our borders were clearly not at the standard required, and it was time for the federal government to urgently fix the system before it was too late.

Rodney Stevens. A tiny insect never before seen in Australia has Clarence Valley apiary businesses and owners lives on hold after Varroa mites that could decimate the industry were first detected in beehives at the Port of Newcastle last week. A state wide emergency biosecurity order has been issued by the Department of Primary Industries DPI to control the movement of bees and stop the spread of Varroa mite.

Farmers across the state are once again being hit by wild weather creating fresh concerns about food supply chains ... The impacts of the torrential rain are being felt out into the central west, and vegetable growers in the Hunter Valley have had paddocks drowned for a third time this year.

Identification and development of novel hard seeded pasture legumes teamed with cost reducing management practices and dedicated extension efforts are heralding a revolutionary change for growers in South Australia and Victoria’s low to medium rainfall regions.

A moving and hilarious fish-out-of-water memoir of a millennial leaving his inner-city life to take over the family farm. Sam Vincent is a twenty-something writer in the inner suburbs, scrabbling to make ends meet, when he gets a call from his mother: his father has stuck his hand in a woodchipper, but ‘not to worry – it wasn’t like that scene in Fargo or anything’.

The first training program has commenced at the new Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Biosecurity Training Centre (BTC), with 21 new students starting on 4 July. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Australia’s Director of Biosecurity, Mr Andrew Metcalfe AO, said the new training program, delivered by Charles Sturt University (CSU), will strengthen Australia’s biosecurity capability.

NSW Farmers President James Jackson says Australians looking for work should consider a career in agriculture. There were almost half a million job vacancies across the country, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which Mr Jackson said was holding back productivity.

Lowering methane emissions through the use of Asparagopsis seaweed as a feed supplement has become a reality, following its first commercial sale in early June, according to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and FutureFeed. The first commercial sale of Asparagopsis feed supplement in Australia by CH4 Global is a significant step forward for the industry.

We have an unbelievable line up of free entertainment at the Tully & District Show this year! The ELJAY Freestyle Entertainment show is an all-weather action-packed motorcycle and bicycle trials stunt show delivered with a comical twist.

The risk of an FMD outbreak in Australia has been given a probability of 9% (1%/19%). The advent of FMD in Indonesia increases the likelihood of an incursion into Australia. We should not have waited until FMD or any disease was close to bring attention to the risk of exotic diseases ... In the event of an outbreak of FMD, we would immediately lose a large number of our premium livestock markets. The longer an outbreak takes to be controlled, the longer we are shut out of premium markets.

When you’re the largest producer of Australia’s strawberries, grow more than a quarter of the state’s pineapples, and are recognised globally for seafood, it’s no surprise to find Moreton Bay is already home to a fast-evolving food and agribusiness industry.

Suzie Christensen. A major milestone was celebrated on Sunday 26 June with the return of cattle to two of Lord Howe Island’s patient special leaseholders ... Beef cattle have been grown and raised here almost as long as the island has been settled. The return of quality breeding animals will contribute to the island’s ability to produce its own food and ultimately community resilience.

Kate Foran. There is always great variety in the veterinary industry, you just never know what adventures the next phone call will bring! Recently, Valmai and Steve Jones, who breed Savannah Droughtmasters up at Renner Springs Station, requested a Vet come up to fertility test their bulls.

Narrandera is playing a huge part in the fresh water fish stocking season. NSW Department of Primary Industries is in the final stages of the 2021/2022 fish stocking season, which has so far seen more than 4.8 million fish, produced at NSW DPI hatcheries, released throughout the state.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has a team visiting Narrandera this week to conduct aspects of koala research in the Narrandera Reserve ... Dr Joanne Connolly from Charles Sturt University's proposed research will involve further steps in the research proposal to establish a koala research centre in Narrandera and will complement and build further on the data being collected by the team from the Koalas Biodiversity and Ecological Health Branch of NPWS.

It’s that time of year when irrigation channels are drawn down for maintenance works. Native fish such as Murray cod and yellas often find themselves stranded.

A large number of Murray Cod have been relocated from irrigation channels in the Wakool area, thanks to collaboration between numerous individuals and organisations ... At the end of the irrigation season, it is common for native fish to be left stranded in pools of water behind channel gates and irrigation syphons, and unfortunately, they perish.

Another biosecurity zone has been set up in NSW after varroa mite was discovered in bee hives at three more properties. Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders says the move accounts for an infested premises, which is located outside the existing zones.

Tegan George. Agents yarded a total of 1,641 head at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange regular prime sale on Wednesday, June 22 ... A fair number of cows were penned along with an increased numbers of bullocks and steers.

“Comparing soil health in sugarcane growing districts to soil health in pasture, horticulture and cropping regions shows just how unique those sugarcane soil systems are. Many cane growers may not have measured their soil health before but with commodity prices remaining strong in this regulated market, we’re seeing cane growers becoming increasingly interested in soil health" : Rob Dwyer, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers agronomist.

Moves by governments to restrict exports only exacerbate price rises and increase food insecurity, according to the latest Insights report from ABARES. Executive Director of ABARES Dr Jared Greenville said there were lessons to be learnt from the 2007-08 food crisis.