Farming

Last year’s world-first discovery that smoke dose is directly linked to the level of smoke taint in wine was an ‘absolute gamechanger,’ according to Professor Ian Porter. ‘We discovered that provided the burn is not right next to the vineyard, it actually takes a lot more smoke to cause smoke taint than we originally thought’, Professor Porter from La Trobe University said.

The NFF say today’s release of the much-anticipated National Agriculture Workforce Strategy comes as farmers seek immediate and longer-term answers to crippling worker shortages. NFF CEO Tony Mahar said the strategy unfortunately did not provide a silver bullet but outlined wide-ranging practical measures that if implemented, could increase agriculture's labour pool for the future.

In yet another blow to the state’s intensifying harvest labour crisis, NSW has missed an opportunity to be part of a DFAT-run program that enables seasonal workers from Fiji and Vanuatu to work on local farms. National fruit and vegetable crop losses resulting from the workforce conundrum now exceed $50 million, and the outcomes of today’s National Cabinet meeting confirm NSW is lagging behind other states and territories in developing a short-term solution.

“In the past, land-owners needed vehicle registration details to apply for a pre-approved class 3 livestock permit. They usually don’t know vehicle registration details before engaging a carrier so it was always the carrier’s job to obtain the permit. It can take up to 28 days to obtain a permit that could only be used by one carrier on one job. We don’t have time to wait and it is pointless gathering dozens of single use permits,” Mr Beer said.

Insect protein is creating a global buzz, with demand for the fast-emerging ingredient in the animal feed and pet food sectors expected to reach half a million metric tonnes by 2030 – significantly up on today’s estimated market of 10,000 metric tonnes, according to agri banking specialist Rabobank.

Adam Marshall, Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Western NSW, Media Release, 5 March 2021 The NSW Government will lift the ban on the use...

Grain growers in Western Australia’s low rainfall zone (LRZ) have access to a new resource to assist them to maximise the potential of canola – an important break crop – in their unique environment. The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has released the publication Golden rules for canola in the low-rainfall zone.

Ali Bohn. Part of the appeal of raising kids in the country is the freedom and wide-open spaces they get to enjoy in what (we hope) is an adventurous but safe environment. For these Cohuna brothers, a regular weekend means heading out to the farm with their dad, Dave Toohey, to do cattle work. They have lived and breathed farming since before they could walk, so at 9 and 10 respectively, Charlie and Hunter are "pros" at farming.

NSW Farmers supports a decision to lift the moratorium on Genetically Modified (GM) crops, provided farmers have a choice and that any genetically modified organism has been approved by an independent, science-based Australian regulator. The NSW Government will lift the ban on the use of GM crops by allowing an 18-year moratorium to lapse when the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Act 2003 is due to expire on 1 July 2021.

When Leeville farmers Greg and Sheila Galea lost their contract to grow meat chickens for Inghams Chickens, they decided to switch enterprises and diversify ... There are two ways for farmers to grow their business, says consultant Rose Wright. "Get big or create layers of value."

The Executive Director of ABARES, Jared Greenville, outlined what he sees as the key concerns for Australian agriculture in the year ahead.

The ABARES Outlook 2021 Conference, the annual conference held by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Economics, being held virtually for the first time this year, is taking place between March 2nd and 4th.

NSW Farmers has developed a five-point-plan to tackle an acute seasonal labour shortage in the agricultural sector and avoid an impending shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables. The plan focuses on lowering quarantine costs, a workable visa approval process, state control of arrival caps, increased incentives for Australian workers and labour mobility across state borders.

Our title is not a children’s fable but a reference to two major forces that have caused tightness in many agri commodities and pushed prices to multi-year highs. La Niña upended weather in key producers like Brazil and Argentina and threatens to continue to cause havoc in 2021, as recent cooling of the Pacific seems to indicate it could continue for longer than expected. Meanwhile, unprecedented and long-lasting import demand is being generated from China, which is celebrating the year of Ox ...

A new ABARES report today confirms agriculture has been one of the Australian economy’s standout performers in recent decades. Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2021 has found that the gross value of agricultural, fisheries and forestry production has risen over the past 20 years and, despite recent droughts, reached $67 billion in 2019–20.

Kookaburra wonders how investment in the Victorian property, Minjah, by Michael Hintze's private company, MH Premium Farms, for about $36m, will sit in the minds of investors in the CQS fund which lost 33 percent of its value in March 2020 and a further 17 percent in April 2020, or the reportedly 50 staff who lost their jobs.

Farmbot, a leading provider of remote monitoring solutions for Australian agriculture, has released the Wireless Trough Sensor, a device which connects farmers to their water supply right up to the point of consumption.

Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming Fodder Festival 2021 with booths booked, new machinery at the ready and registrations rolling in for the big day on Wednesday 17 March at the Elmore Events Centre.