Farming

A diligent Minister who had applied himself to the detail would have recognised the risks of running with a system that was overly complex and open to abuse. A competent Minister would have delayed the start date when they recognised that neither his department, the IT system, the LACHS or the industry was ready. But Buti did neither.

This year's show will feature a Dinosaur Park, Duck and miniature pig races, petting farm, camel rides, Rocky River Mining and the Radical Reptile show. At night there will be a spectacular show in the main ring, ending with the fireworks.

Mudgeeraba Show Society

The farmers invited by Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, met with the Nationals leader David Littleproud, shadow ministers and senators, with Dr. Webster saying Mallee communities were being railroaded into accepting the $3.3 billion VNI West project. "I am deeply concerned for the region and fear Labor is railroading the community over thousands of kilometres of prime farmland and irrigation districts for a project that will have an enormous cost blow-out and detrimental consequences," Dr. Webster said.

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has approved special rate variations of up to 64.3 per cent for country councils in a move farmers say will smash local communities ... “Every time you turn around someone’s putting their hand in the farmer’s pocket, and these rate rises will just further squeeze businesses and households in these areas": NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin.

This year, the State Government - as part of its Kangaroo Harvesting Program (KHP) - has set the quota for commercial shooting of kangaroos in the central region of Victoria at 65,100 grey kangaroos. The total 2023 KHP quota for the entire state is 166,750. This means that a significant percentage (around 40 per cent) of kangaroos culled in Victoria will be coming from the central region.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Relationships, social support, physical fitness and a sense of belonging are key elements for positive mental health, and being part of a sporting community like the Birchip-Watchem Football, Netball and Hockey Club ticks all these boxes ... Following the headspace round, the National Centre for Farmer Mental Health also jumped on board and provided funding from its flood recovery program "Building Farm Spirit" ...

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.

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 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.

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.

Minister for Environment Ingrid Stitt launched the East and West Victoria Deer Control Plans, which are regional strategies aiming to reduce the threat deer pose to Victoria’s natural environment, Aboriginal cultural heritage and farming. The East and West Deer Control Plans are five-year plans that focus on preventing new populations from establishing, along with measures on how to effectively protect native species, waterways, national parks and reserves from deer.

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.

“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.

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.

Mountain and Moorland ponies may be native to the British Isles but there is a healthy population growing in Australia. New promotional group Mountain and Moorland (M&M) Australia has taken on the job of raising awareness of the breeds in this country and recently combined with two other breed societies to run the Victorian Winter Fair at Tatura.

The Campaspe Run H.V. McKay Rural Discovery Centre, a community-driven tourist attraction nestled in Elmore,   recently marked its 25-year anniversary. Established on April 26, 1998, following the closure of the Elmore & District   Hospital in 1994, the Centre honours H.V. McKay’s contributions to agricultural advancements and Elmore’s rich socio-historical heritage.

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.