Farming

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.

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.

Arolla Pastoral Company’s James and Carla Pidgeon hope to fast-track the production of genetically superior sheep. Works are underway on a sheep reproductive facility at Allora designed to fast-track Queensland’s supply of genetically superior lambs while creating four direct jobs and 11 indirect jobs for Queenslanders as a result of the project.

Humble vegetables  ignited hot debate this week when icecream featuring pumpkin and cauliflower was served to more than 3000 people at the nation’s annual Hort Connections event in Adelaide. The two bespoke gelato flavours - cauliflower-vanilla bean and pumpkin-ginger bread - are harmonious savoury-meets-sweet flavour combinations.

The sustainable management of wildlife in Tasmania is a serious matter for Tasmanian landholders and farmers. Central to managing the issue are property protection permits, which are issued by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE).

“Having grown up on stations which I loved very much, stations and farms have and always will be close to my heart. Rural Aid is an organisation that ‘stands with our mates in the bush’ during their hard times, and it does get tough in the bush, with floods, fires and severe drought, in addition to the usual dangers of snakes, spiders and in some northern areas, crocodiles too,” Mrs Rinehart said.

Australian Winter crop production is forecast to fall from record highs due to below average rainfall for winter and spring. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the Australian Crop Report forecasts total Australian winter crop production to fall by 34% to 44.9 million tonnes in 2023–24 following three consecutive record production years.