Research

The state government decision to close the native forest timber industry culminates eight years of mismanagement that turned VicForests from a profitable business into a loss maker, an analysis by a Traralgon consultant has found ... Mr Cameron said Australian hardwood sawn timber mill gate revenue sold for 3.5 times the price of Australian softwood sawn timber, and contributed to much greater value-adding and job creation than softwood.

The state government has been accused of using a landmark Victorian climate report, which was written without any input from forestry researchers or the forest industry, to prematurely close the native forestry industry. These forestry groups resent the lack of consultation and have attacked the intellectual content of the report ... The report was written without any contribution from leading forestry experts – Forestry Australia, which represents forest scientists, forest managers and timber growers; Forest & Wood Products Australia, the sector’s chief research and marketing arm; the Victorian Forest Products Association; and leading forestry academics.

Dust storms pose a significant threat to the environment, public health and the economy ... In this article, we will delve into research insights from our scientists, discussing the impact of dust storms, the importance of land management practices, and measures that can be taken to prepare for these natural phenomena.

Over 4,600 historic plans of 460 regional towns in NSW — from Bourke to Bega — have just been digitised and made available for the first time on the State Library of NSW’s website ... "Subdivision plans are an absolute goldmine for genealogists and local historians as they allow us to place ourselves in the past... ": State Library’s maps expert, Maggie Patton.

Global grain prices will continue to be volatile until the market is able to decipher the end impact of Russia withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, according to Rabobank senior grains analyst Dennis Voznesenski. The deal – which has allowed wartime Ukraine grain exports across the Black Sea – expired overnight Australia time after Russia confirmed it would not agree to its renewal.

Charles Sturt University is leading an important advancement in the Australian agriculture sector with an initiative that will enable a global on-farm emission calculator (Cool Farm Tool) to be customised for a region-specific focus ... The Cool Farm Tool is already used in 150 countries to estimate GHG emissions, soil carbon sequestration, water stewardship and biodiversity by tens of thousands of users, including farmers, crop advisors and agribusiness leaders.

Livestock prices continue to place downward pressure on the NAB Rural Commodities Index, which has fallen for the eighth consecutive month to now be 28.1 per cent below June 2022 levels ... NAB Senior Agribusiness Economist, Phin Ziebell, said cattle prices have been the single greatest driver of the lower Rural Commodities Index, constituting a quarter of the total Index and losing around half its value from the 2022 peak.

Forestry Australia has released a series of two-page Position Statements to better inform members and the community of its position on a range of issues. Designed to be short, sharp and easily understood, the first five in a series of position papers covers the areas of Ecologically Sustainable Forestry Management, Forest Fire Management, Forest Fire Recovery and Restoration, Sustainable Forest Harvesting and Forest Research, Development and Dissemination ... President of Forestry Australia, Dr Michelle Freeman said the organisation is seeking greater recognition by policy makers, media and the wider community of balanced science-based positions on important forest policy and forest management issues.

Climate change is having an impact on Australian agriculture, with farmers having to contend with higher temperatures and lower winter rainfall ... The latest ABARES figures show climate adjusted productivity in Australia’s broadacre industries grew by 0.6 per cent per year on average between 1988–89 and 2021–22.

This year, Australia’s sheep flock and its breeding ewe numbers reached their highest levels since 2007 at 78.75 million and 46.14 million head respectively, according to the latest Sheep Projections update from Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) ... Carcase weights in 2023 will remain 7% above the 10-year average.

Sheep and cattle farmers are planting hundreds of thousands of an elite variety of Oldman Saltbush across Australia’s southeast this winter to supplement feed during dryer conditions heralded by a potential El Nino. Anameka Saltbush is a specially selected variety of the drought-tolerant native shrub, developed over 15 years by CSIRO.

AgriFutures Australia is proud to announce the release of its latest report: "Listen up: Young people’s perspective on the future of Australian agriculture and rural industries" – a compilation of thought-provoking perspectives and provocations from the future leaders of the agriculture sector ... The report highlights the crucial role that young people play in shaping the future of Australian agriculture and emphasises the need for industry and government to invest in, listen to and collaborate with this vital demographic.

New analysis released by ABARES examines Australian Agriculture’s extensive sustainability credentials—and the importance of demonstrating them to consumers and investors in the future ... “Compared to other significant agricultural producers, Australian farmers use less fertiliser, have better nutrient balances on their land and use more sustainable cropping practices”: ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville.

Rural Bank’s Australian Agriculture Mid-Year Outlook 2023 report finds that favourable seasonal conditions and strong production over the first half of 2023 ensured strong winter crop establishment and pasture growth, particularly on the east coast, but despite a positive start to the year, softening commodity prices are now impacting Australian farmers following several seasons of strong prices.

Recent research reveals that school attendance in our First Nations communities is declining despite the continuation of the remote schools attendance strategy ... MCERA has reached out to First Nations education experts to invite  solutions towards a responsive education system that strengthens  First Nations culture and student engagement in remote Australia.

Information that is relevant, accessible and trusted is critical to those farmers seeking to adapt their agricultural businesses to changes in climate according to a study which examined the results of surveys taken by the North East Catchment Management Authority (CMA) while working with approximately 1800 land managers in the region during the past four years ... A significant majority of the land managers surveyed (88%) believed the local climate and weather patterns in north east Victoria had changed.

Kwoorabup Nature School students have discovered and named a new species of parasitoid wasp while taking part in the Insect Investigators Citizen Science project. The Adelaide University run project involved 51 schools across Australia, also including Denmark Primary School.

What makes our region’s ecosystems precious? The “big picture” answer has been revealed with the launch of a world-first mapping product for all to explore and understand the different services provided by our ecosystems.

Being at the cutting edge of horticultural technology has helped lead Granite Belt producer Ray Taylor to a top agricultural honour. The fourth-generation grower, who is the general manager of Taylor Family Produce, was honoured with the Award for Excellence in Technology at the 2023 Australian Farmer of the Year Awards.

Scientists have been out in the field surveying fish across the region’s floodplains. For the first time, scientists have been able to investigate the movement patterns of juvenile Golden Perch from spawning in the Darling River, through to dispersal and growth in Victorian floodplains.

Key researchers have been on the road to meet beekeepers and queen breeders across the country including Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia ... The purpose of the visit was to collect important colony trait data and genetic samples for Plan Bee’s national database and also to knowledge-share on how hygienic testing can be used in broader selection.

A new research report released by CSIRO and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) has shown that the Australian red meat and livestock industry has reduced its net greenhouse gas emissions by 65 per cent since 2005. Using information primarily from the 2020 Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributed to the red meat industry were 51.25 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent GHG in the year 2020.