Farming

Rural residents in the Gannawarra Shire are reminded to secure all livestock on their properties following several recent collisions between roaming animals and vehicles. Council’s Local Laws officers have attended a higher number of incidents involving collisions between roaming animals and vehicles compared to previous years.

As the Fair Work Commission considers submissions for the annual Wage Review, farmers are calling for a cautious approach that considers the unrelenting economic challenges facing the industry. National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar said workers were entitled to the right to earn a fair and liveable wage, but a balance must be struck when considering farm businesses’ limited ability to pass on the cost of a wage increase.

Igniting Resilience, hosted by BCG at the Lower Mallee Inn at Swan Hill recently, lived up to its name.  Young farmers and agribusiness professionals heard from guest speakers The Unbreakable Farmer Warren Davies, farmers Simone Murdoch (Swan Hill), Jarrod Kemp (Nullawil) and Will Simpson (Berriwillock), who shared how they navigate the challenges of life and farming.  

Australia’s state-of-the-art avian quarantine facility is filling the role of midwife to nearly 3000 turkey poults in Victoria. The team at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility in Mickleham together with industry experts have nurtured 2900 turkey eggs from Canada during their minimum 13-week quarantine period.

The Linklater family ... of Trentham Farms, near Gol Gol, NSW, crop 9800 ha of sandy loam country and appreciate the value of older and cheaper herbicides that are still effective options against their major weeds. With a focus on maximising yield by cropping as often as possible, Daniel says it is necessary to take a medium to long-term view when making decisions rather than focusing on the lowest-cost options in a single season.

Growers and mouse bait retailers are being reminded about new reporting procedures that have been introduced and need to be followed, to enable access to double strength (ZP50) mouse bait products and support best practice application ... This permit allows continued access to the new ZP50 mouse bait products, supplied by the various manufacturers listed on the permit, enabling stronger control options to help safeguard crops.

The annual Sustainable Seafood Awards held by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council in partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council were held ... at Melbourne Zoo, showcasing the Aussie heroes of responsible seafood farming and sustainable fishing practices in Australia ... The winners were a fantastic mix of organisations and individuals who have made significant contributions to responsible aquaculture, from retailers to producers and even an inspiring young person in the industry.

The state’s peak farming body says Labor will need to make strategic investments in the agricultural sector to pay for election promises and secure the future food supply. NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said partnering with industry to bolster food and fibre production would be key to Labor’s next four years, which will help drive economic activity to deliver the programs and services the people of NSW need.

After steep falls in late 2022 and early 2023, many Australian agricultural commodity prices have stabilised, according to the NAB March Rural Commodities Wrap released on 27 March 2023. While the NAB Rural Commodities Index* was down 1.2% in February, almost all of the downside was driven by falling cattle prices as the industry faces parallel challenges of higher turnoff, processor constraints and tough global conditions.

What is a sacred site? According to the government, sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special meaning or significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills rocks, waterholes, trees, plains, lakes, billabongs and other natural features can be sacred sites ... When heritage moves from easily identifiable caves, rock art, convict buildings and federation houses to mythical spaces that are not registered on published maps, widely known and regularly visited, then we face endless abuse of process, as everything everywhere becomes sacred with a price attached to any disturbance.

The ‘Love Life’ wellbeing marquee will be buzzing with excitement as people from around the region gather for the second Upper Murray Agricultural Field days to be held in Corryong on April 12th and 13th, 2023. The event is being organised by Emergency Recovery Victoria (ERV) to promote wellbeing and encourage field days’ goers to "love their life."

Harvest Moon has arrived in Narrandera and is ready to commence operations. The company has settled at Glenfyne Farm after 18 months of looking for suitable land in the Riverina in order for their business to branch out into New South Wales ... "We are excited to finally be in the Riverina," Harvest Moon Compliance Manager Tundra Howe said. "It’s a great part of the country and we believe there is huge potential and scope for our future plans."

The Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) together with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) brought nine scientists from around the world together on Tuesday March 21 in Sydney for a day-long summit to discuss the scientific evidence in support of red meat and livestock production in today’s society. The Australian Good Meat Summit brought together industry leaders and producers from across the red meat and livestock sector...

What a fantastic effort shearing 503 xb lambs in a day by young lad Doltan Austin. Simply put, that’s one lamb every 57 seconds of a standard eight-hour shearing day. Jason “Chippa’ Gordon said, “I have been a student of shearing exploits for many years and I can’t recall a feat ever achieved like this in the area.”

The Paddock Run flood initiative, which was driven by the Buloke community, has been nominated for the Disaster Preparedness category in the 2023 National Awards for Local Government ... Council partnered with over 45 food businesses and grain receival sites across the shire to deliver flood support and assistance information to the paddock, truck, tractor, harvester, ute etc., using a less conventional, but more practical delivery method – via their stomachs.