International

Occasionally I come across a speech in parliament by one of our elected representatives that needs to be shared loud and wide.   The following was made by Western Australian Liberal Senator Slade Brockman, President of the Senate, ex farmer, lawyer, PGA staffer and tireless defender of the people who make their income from primary industries. All those who oppose the live export trade should take the time to read what he has to say.

Patrick Goldsmith. Point Turton’s Hugo Taheny has been named as one of 11 ambassadors from across the country for International Day of People with Disability ... An elite athlete with a haul of accolades to his name, including two gold medals at the Virtus Global Games in Vichy, France, earlier this year, Mr Taheny was invited to take on the role by the federal government, alongside lawyers, writers, artists and academics.

The decision by the European Union to extend approval for the use of glyphosate is welcome news for Australian farmers.  GrainGrowers CEO Shona Gawel said the decision followed an earlier assessment by the European Food Safety Authority that found no critical areas of concern.  

Remembrance Day 2023 was commemorated in Coolamon last Saturday when Cowabbie Street fell silent as the 11am observance was held. Veterans and the community stood in silence as people emerged from shops and even vehicles travelling along the street were seen to stop as the community reflected on those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

At the beginning of October, two ‘international’ cricketers arrived in Cohuna to spend the season playing for Nondies Cohuna Cricket Club. Archie Sussex and Karim Marcelle have both come from the UK and are settling into our little patch nicely.

National animal welfare standards consistent with those applying to imported Australian-bred cattle have been announced in Vietnam this week, as part of the Australia-Vietnam Beef Cattle Symposium ... Vietnam has become a significant partner for the live export industry in the past decade, importing almost two million head of cattle in that time.

The Grafton Cycle Club is celebrating after four of its members achieved outstanding results in the 2023 WEMBO (World Endurance Mountain Bike Organisation) World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships. Michelle Newstead, Benjamin Luxton, Grant Hodgins, and Brendan Howard returned to the Clarence Valley with two world championship titles...

We all know that the federal Labor government has set itself the impossible task of reducing carbon emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, plus setting itself a target of achieving 82 per cent renewables across the power grid ... Hence the recent announcement by federal anti-agriculture Minister, Murray Watt, offering up the livestock sector as one industry which could be made into an unwilling sacrificial lamb to the climate change gods by imposing rather than hoping for emissions cuts.

Labor failed to undertake modelling on the impact of banning live sheep exports, before announcing the shutdown of the live sheep export trade. The revelations came during Question Time in Parliament, when leader of The Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese if Labor had undertaken any economic modelling on the impact of closing the $85 million industry.

The Keep Farmers Farming campaign has landed in Perth this week, with advertising targeting marginal seats sharing farmers’ fears about a phase-out of live sheep exports ... “This policy is already hurting and frustrating farmers. We’re already hearing accounts of farmers getting out of sheep because they don’t know what the future holds": NFF President David Jochinke.

Rex Airlines has been recognised as having the South Pacific’s Best Cabin Service in the 2024 Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Awards. The award was presented in Singapore last night where Rex’s Executive Chairman, Lim Kim Hai, accepted it on behalf of the airline.

Scientists from Australia and the United States are teaming up to tackle one of animal science’s biggest challenges: a safe and effective vaccine against African swine fever, a viral pandemic devastating the world’s pig industries. CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is working with US biotech firm MBF Therapeutics to evaluate their novel DNA vaccine candidate for African swine fever.

For Remembrance Day 2023, In Flanders Fields, by John McCrae, recited by Michael Darby.

The best of Queensland beef has been showcased in Shanghai at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), the world’s largest import trade fair. Choice cuts were prepared for canapes, sirloin beef rolls and mini wagyu burgers by world class chefs for close to 80 guests...

The Legacy Centenary Torch Relay had a local touch when Cohuna’s Geoff Hall was chosen to be one of 1,500 torch bearers to participate in the 50,000km 6-month journey. The relay commemorates Legacy’s centenary and recognises the sacrifices of families and the efforts of volunteers who have provided support in that time.

This week, 14 premium Tasmanian food and beverage producers will be showcased at the annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai. China is the largest import market in the world and remains Tasmania’s top export destination, valued at $1.35 billion per year.

Imagine filling up the farm fuel tanks for harvest if the price hit, say, $3 or $4 a litre, or worse, you were rationed to half the fuel you brought last November/December as a result of a supply shock. It’s a real risk, something I wrote about three years ago when I suggested the solution was to increase the level of domestic reserve storage of refined diesel and petrol by encouraging farmers and miners to keep 12 months of storage on their properties.

Candece Jay. Donald’s Soldier’s Memorial Park was awash with colour as a gathering began to take shape last Saturday, October 28. Community came together to celebrate one of Australia’s most enduring narratives: migration and mateship, and Donald celebrated well; as multicultural locals came out in force to share food and dance and words.

How did the $600,000 18-carat-gold Lexus Melbourne Cup trophy land in Maldon at the Sandy Creek Clydesdales last Wednesday?  Since its inaugural journey in 2003, the Melbourne Cup trophy tour has travelled more than 900,000 kilometres and visited more than 590 regional, rural and metropolitan destinations.

The Maldon Folk Festival returns this weekend, with a sensational program that features performers from across Australia, the US and England ... Where to start?!  Let’s begin with Gina Jefferey, who must surely be one of the queens of country music.

Two black-and-white ruffed lemurs have been paired together at the Altina Wildlife Park near Darlington Point. The species is critically endangered due to poaching and deforestation and one is from England and will provide genetic diversity to the Australian lemur population.

Yagi & Co., Ltd. announces that we have made and started operating a proprietary system for consistent traceability management, from field to yarn, via a proprietary management system that links the international certifications for the organic cotton produced in India that we handle ... This system enables consistent traceability management from the cotton field to thread.