International

Australia's largest irrigated cotton property, Cubbie Station, is back in local hands after Chinese textile giant Shandong Ruyi sold its remaining stake to co-owner Macquarie Asset Management. Cubbie Station is responsible for around 10% of the country’s cotton output and is now entirely held by the Sydney-based company.

The Territory Labor Government will introduce legislation this week to facilitate the $30 billion Sun Cable Australia-Asia PowerLink project ... The Solar Project (Australia-Asia Power Link) (Special Provisions) Bill 2022 will provide certainty that key commitments in the Territory’s Project Development Agreement with Sun Cable will be met. The legislation will clarify and streamline existing processes, increase project certainty, and support Sun Cable to secure project financing.

The high cost of fuel around the nation has put service station owners in the spotlight – sometimes for the wrong reasons. Richard Ireland is one of the directors of Weipa Servicentre and explains why the price in the Western Cape is different to other outlets.

Elvis: Direct from Graceland opening weekend was a huge success ... Due to your support this was our most successful opening weekend of all time.

Scientists are working with a Victorian almond grower to trial an orchard redevelopment practice that is reducing the industry’s carbon footprint in the United States. ‘Whole Orchard Recycling’ involves chipping trees and incorporating them into the orchard soil prior to planting new trees. It replaces the traditional practice of burning the trees once they have been removed from the orchard.

Serena Kirby. Extreme snowboarder Henry Edmondson has surprised everyone with his recent results on the international junior Freeride circuit. Henry, 16, is ranked among the top 40 junior freeriders in the world after competing in several events in France in January.

A farmer, a pre-school teacher and a secondary school teacher are sought to live and work for a year or two in the Meru District, Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania in East Africa. Father Andrew Mutubusi is visiting Griffith from Tanzania to learn about local irrigation methods in the hope of supporting the peasant farmers in his community back home.

International Day of Forests 2022 – “Forests and sustainable production and consumption” ... “Forests are one of Australia’s greatest natural assets, and Australia has the first-class forest management skills, experience and people needed to manage our forests. However, as a nation, we must do more. We need to manage this precious resource actively and adaptively across all land tenures including National Parks, State forests and private land to achieve best outcomes now, and into the future" : Bob Gordon Forestry Australia President.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is calling for urgent action from the Federal Government to strengthen Australia’s fuel security in response to global volatility and uncertainty.

New Agribusiness Australia analysis shows a rapidly evolving global trading environment, with profound, radical implications for grains production and markets. Major consumers of grains and oilseeds are in urgent need of supply and are being forced to compromise to maintain food security.

Mark Allison, Chair of Agribusiness Australia, analyses the state of play for Russian-Australian trade and what the Ukrainian conflict may mean for key global commodities.

The Clarence Valley will welcome Stuart Easton, one of the worlds leading exponents of the Great Highland Bagpipe and the finest New Zealand piper of his generation, to the 117th Maclean Highland Gathering on April 15 and 16 ... He has been a prolific prizewinner throughout his homeland, Australia, France and Scotland.

An online forum of 90 local government Mayors, Councillors, Chief Executive Officers, key staff, Co-Patrons The Hon Denis Napthine AO and The Hon John Brumby AO, as well as representatives from regional tourism bodies and Heritage Victoria have heard how the bid will serve as a catalyst to transform the region, delivering a crucial post-pandemic economic lifeline to the Central Victorian Goldfields region.

Tennant Creek was fortunate this year to have two events celebrating International Women’s Day, with the second one being held in the Peace Garden at the Women’s Refuge on Tuesday evening.

Australia wheat farmers can expect increased farmgate prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although the local impact is not expected to match that seen globally. Together, Russia and Ukraine make up nearly 30% of global wheat exports. Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its Black Sea ports, which is tipped to disrupt the supply chains of grain and oilseeds exporters.

Patricia Gill. Denmark equestrian Andy Forbes has his eyes on the 2024 paralympics in France with the palace of Louis XIV at Versailles the dramatic backdrop to the event. The para equestrian recently won Dressage WA leader board and is classified as a Federation Equestrian International Grade 5 para dressage rider.

Overgrown forests are one of the key contributing factors to the current wildfire crisis in the West. The new Forest Service strategy on Confronting the Wildfire Crisis outlines the agency’s plan for increasing fuels and forest health treatments to create healthier forests and reduce the risk to communities.

The Combined Churches of Narrandera with St John’s Uniting Church as the hosts will be holding the World Day of Prayer at the CRC Church in Bolton Street ... The World Day of Prayer is an annual global ecumenical event of informed prayer and action which began in the 19th century.

NSW Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres said a Memorandum of Understanding signed this week between the NSW Government and the United Arab Emirates Food and Beverage Manufacturers Group (UAE FBMG) provides NSW businesses with a strategic  advantage in the supply of ingredients, new innovations and agritech solutions as UAE takes steps to progress its food security agenda.

The Russia Ukraine conflict will have large ramifications for global and Australian grains and oilseeds markets, and particularly wheat, according to agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. The loss of access to all Black Sea wheat exports has not occurred in more than 100 years.

ThriveAgri, AgTrade’s livestock nutrition division, is expanding its operations through the acquisition of major fodder business, Hay Australia. The move will see ThriveAgri’s presence in animal nutrition boosted throughout the country, while also providing new opportunities to produces and buyers of hay products, with Hay Australia accounting for around 10% of Australia’s 1.35 million tonnes of hay exports in 2021.