Farming

Better than expected summer rain across key winter crop growing areas has set up a favourable window for 2024 winter crop planting ... Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) technical agronomist Clint Sheather explains while the last thing growers want to do when applying fertiliser at planting is delay or reduce plant emergence, there is potential for seed damage when fertiliser is placed with the seed.  

Norco, Australia’s largest and oldest dairy co-operative has announced the expansion of its ‘Farmer Army’ with new mental health recruit and dairy farmer veteran, Craig Waddell ... Michael Hampson, Norco Chief Executive Officer said the newly created position of Mental Health Support Officer will provide support exclusively to their farmer members who may need to talk to someone during challenging times or simply want to have a chat with another farmer.

The Victorian Farmers Federation United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (VFF UDV) is stepping up calls for increased transparency as the ACCC’s Dairy Code of Conduct review continues ... “The Dairy Industry Code review has had an overwhelmingly positive impact for Victorian dairy farmers, but strengthening the Code ... will assist farmers in ensuring long term profitability”: VFF UDV President Bernie Free.

Hugo Bombora. Dear Senator Varun Ghosh, Congratulations on your recent appointment to the Australian Senate. Nice to bump into you at a wedding last Saturday night. Thanks for the insightful questions. As acknowledged, it’s hard to put together one’s thoughts with Taylor Swift playing in the background. But as promised, here they are via email.

Sheep and cropping farmer Jack Armstrong knows that in agriculture it pays to be proactive with safety, particularly when it comes to managing the risks of fatigue during peak periods ... WorkSafe data shows March and November are peak months for workplace fatalities in agriculture, corresponding with the busy sowing and harvest seasons.

Labor’s legislation on a new fresh food tax has been introduced in Parliament ... Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Labor’s biosecurity protection levy will charge farmers for the biosecurity costs of importers bringing their product to Australia ... Labor will set the tax rate as a proportion of an industry’s average gross value of production over a three-year period.

Premier Roger Cook has deserted farmers and shown his true intentions after admitting in Parliament last week to talks with Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt to end the live sheep export industry. Deputy Nationals WA Leader and Member for Roe Peter Rundle MLA asked the Premier … to explain why the Minister for Agriculture had been in secret talks with Canberra around a transition package for farmers.

The National Farmers’ Federation is sending a message to politicians to do the right thing by Australian farmers as debate on the controversial Biosecurity Protection Levy kicks off in the House of Representatives ... NFF President David Jochinke said despite the mounting evidence the levy was poor policy and should be scrapped...

Just 16 km north of Wujal Wujal, the historic Mount Louis Station is one of the most fertile and picturesque cattle stations in Far North Queensland,  fattening some of the country's finest Brahman and Brangus steers. But the severe pounding it received from the flooding that followed Cyclone Jasper, has caused a damage bill, estimated by an agronomist recently, of more than $300,000...

The Bonalbo Show is fast approaching. This year the show will be held Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April at the Bonalbo Showgrounds. The Show Schedule is available online at the Bonalbo Show website – www.bonalboshow.com.au and copies are also at several locations in Bonalbo and around the district.

Effective from 14 March, the dingo unprotection order will conclude in north west Victoria - this decision follows new research, strong advice and the effectiveness of non-lethal dingo control methods to protect livestock. Farmers in this area will be supported by a $550,000 investment to adopt alternate non-lethal control methods via a pilot of measures ...

Tasmania’s peak industry body for farmers ... released its 'Election Policy Priority Report' after positive responses to its election package from across the political spectrum. Seeking feedback form the state’s political parties and candidates TasFarmers outlines in its election package six key priorities areas...

The VFF says the Victorian Government’s fast-tracking of renewable energy projects by accelerating planning approvals is a slap in the face after years of sham consultation with farming communities. VFF President Emma Germano said the green-lighting of major renewable projects adds to a poor-track record of consulting landholders set to be impacted and risks further alienating already frustrated farmers across Victoria.

Australia’s grain growers are looking to improved prospects in the season ahead, with 2024/25 gross margins set to increase on the back of a lower cost of production, Rabobank says in newly-released research report ... The report, Australia’s winter crop gross margins – which analyses winter crop performance from 2017/2018 – forecasts 2024/25 average gross margins for the three major Australian winter crops (wheat, barley and canola)...

The demo derby will return, along with the pie eating competition, camp oven cook up and billy boiling competition. Regular attractions include the animal nursery, fireworks and post splitting competitions, reptile display and sideshow alley.

Lithgow Show Society Inc

In a first for the Riverina and most probably in New South Wales, a close association has developed between agribusiness in the Riverina and secondary schools teaching agriculture ... The Riverina Compendium provided a vehicle to build on the past experiences, to attract a suitably qualified workforce, to provide a greater number and diversity of jobs within the Region...

Australia’s 1500 cotton growers, 90 per cent of them family farmers, are either starting to pick their 2024 crop or are planning to start in the coming weeks as they contemplate another above average season. This season, close to 480,000 green hectares of cotton has been planted predominantly in New South Wales and Queensland, with the Northern Territory and Western Australia also growing cotton crops.

The Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices continues its hearings in Melbourne ... having heard repeated incidences of poor - if not unconscionable - behaviour by supermarkets from consumers and growers alike in Hobart and yesterday in Orange. Chair of the NFF Horticulture Council Jolyon Burnett said evidence and testimony from growers and industry representatives had already painted a bleak picture of the unbalanced trading relationship between major supermarkets and fresh produce suppliers.

More than halfway into the current dairy season, Australian milk production is firing on all cylinders, Rabobank says, with widespread growth in milk supply across all dairying regions due to favourable seasonal conditions and good farmgate margins. In its recently-released Q1 Global Dairy Quarterly report … Australian milk production reached 5.35 billion litres from the period July 2023 to January 2024…