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Bendigo Bank Agribusiness: Turning point for croppers, lamb prices smash records, demand for Aussie beef skyrockets, almonds at decade high

Today’s release of the August Bendigo Bank Agribusiness Monthly Commodity Update finds that widespread rain in late July marked a turning point for Australia’s winter cropping season. Recent falls have further reinforced production confidence in NSW, Qld and large parts of WA and growers in Victoria and South Australia have also been given a renewed shot at achieving average yields or better...

Dispelling the ‘forever chemical’ fables: What’s really in Australia’s renewables?

In an era where climate action is a oft-discussed topic, and given Hay and Balranald's geographical location in the South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), fears over 'forever chemicals' persist. Among the more prevalent claims circulating is the fear that wind turbines and solar panels extensively use Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – the so-called "forever chemicals" – posing significant environmental and health risks.

New water testing breakthrough offers fast, affordable detection of dangerous parasite: CSU

A Charles Sturt University researcher has helped develop a groundbreaking new method to test water for a dangerous parasite ... The new testing method is faster, cheaper and more accessible in remote or resource-scarce locations

$20 million research partnerships see Australia pioneer world-first FMD vaccine: MLA

A world-first biodegradable vaccine to protect livestock from foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been developed through a $20 million, five-year research partnership between Meat & Livestock Australia, Tiba Biotech, and the NSW Government ... MLA Managing Director, Michael Crowley, said while it was hoped that an FMD vaccine would never be needed, the research represented a proactive approach to managing biosecurity risk.

A case study in folly #5: Firestorm of incompetence – what Yankees Gap says about modern fire management

It’s time to return to a model where prevention isn’t a seasonal checkbox or an afterthought, and land management isn’t a sideshow. Fires like Yankees Gap should be front-page scandals, not just for the damage they cause, but also for what they reveal about how badly we’ve lost our way.

Dalby hosting Grains Research update

Key grains research outcomes will be shared next Tuesday, 5 August at the Grains Research and Development Corporation's (GRDC) free Grains Research Updates event. Events are being held at multiple locations across Queensland and New South Wales this week and next week, with Dalby by far the closest to Clifton.

New ponds unveiled at Narrandera Fisheries Centre

The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has launched eight new purpose-built aquaculture ponds for endangered Macquarie Perch breeding at Narrandera Fisheries Centre, funded by Snowy Hydro under the Snowy 2.0 Threatened Fish Management Plan.

Rabobank commentary: Slower food price inflation, but key categories still heading up

Annual food price inflation slowed to 3 per cent in the June 2025 quarter, the latest quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, has shown. This is down from 3.2 per cent year-on-year food price inflation recorded in the March 2025 quarter.

Territory mangoes, Kakadu plums, NT Barramundi – The quest for Northern Territory premium brands: Charles Darwin University

Territory Mangoes, NT beef, local barramundi and Kakadu plums are among the Northern Territory’s major exports – but once they’re on the plate, how many people ponder the origin of these products? A new PhD project at Charles Darwin University (CDU) will help the Northern Territory become synonymous with its food produce, providing much needed marketing support for food NT producers and manufacturers. 

Australian horticulture’s $1 billion annual productivity opportunity: Hort Innovation

A new report from Hort Innovation and the Centre for International Economics has today revealed that high adoption of productivity enhancing innovation would benefit the Australian industry by about $1 billion annually in additional value added, reaching $22 billion in 2040.  

Robust science opens hay industry options: AgriFutures Australia

Leading agronomic researcher and consultant, Mick Faulkner from Agrilink Agricultural Consultants (South Australia), will present groundbreaking findings at the upcoming Australian Fodder Industry Association (AFIA) Annual Conference held on the Gold Coast from Tuesday 22 July to Thursday 24 July 24, 2025. Mick’s presentation, titled “Evaluation and positioning of dual-purpose cereals for the export hay market”...

Cutting the fat – Oat oil breakthrough paves way for industry growth: UniSA

New University of South Australia research is providing evidence of biological triggers of oil production in oats, a discovery that will help processing and potentially drive further demand for Australian-grown oats ... In this study, two contemporary varieties of oats were examined using spatial imaging techniques to track oil build-up during grain development.

Assessment of the impacts of large, severe and intense bushfires across South East Australia: John O’Donnell

John O'Donnell continues his research into bushfire impacts and preparation ... We are not passive victims of climate. We are active contributors to disaster. And we can change it. It is time for governments at all levels to acknowledge this reality and commit to genuine, large-scale fire mitigation, in policy, in funding and on the ground.

“Nothing in town other than us” – Rural pharmacists’ role in oral health

Pharmacists are stepping in as frontline providers of oral healthcare advice in rural Victorian towns without dental practitioners, offering oral hygiene advice, managing dental pain inquiries and promoting preventative care, according to a new study by La Trobe University. Eleven rural pharmacists shouldering health responsibilities far beyond traditional dispensing roles participated in the study...

Tony’s backing for Emerson recommendations

Hugh Schuitemaker. The Riverland's Federal MP says recommendations from an industry report examining dealings between wineries and grape growers should be implemented "as quickly as possible" ... "I welcome the recommendations of the Emerson Review and note that they echo the calls I and others have been making for many months," Barker MP Tony Pasin said.

Flood modelling now complete

The CSIRO has released its catchment-scale virtual model of the Richmond, Tweed and parts of the Brunswick Rivers, which offers an unprecedented understanding of how floodwaters move through our catchment, and will be used to test future flood mitigation scenarios.

Tackling a $1.2 billion problem for Australian farmers using dirt-cheap crushed volcanic rock: UniSA

Cheap volcanic rock that languishes in open cut mines and quarries could transform Australia’s farming sector as a natural fertiliser, boosting crop yields and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It turns out that crushed basalt – a common rock used to make roads, houses, schools and hospitals – may address two very critical issues of our time: climate change and acidic soils.

Supply Nation releases pioneering new research on Indigenous businesses

Supply Nation today releases new research and data on Indigenous businesses and their contribution to Closing the Gap targets. The Sleeping Giant Rises report confirms that Indigenous-owned businesses are generating significant economic and social value to the Australian economy.

UniSQ to turn dairy waste and duckweed into sustainable biofuels

A collaborative project led by the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is aiming to accelerate Australia's transition to net-zero by transforming dairy waste and duckweed into scalable, sustainable biofuels ... The project is being led by Dr Peter Harris and Professor Bernadette McCabe from UniSQ's Centre for Agricultural Engineering...

Australian avocado production ‘dips’ as global market ‘smashes’ past $30 billion mark: Rabobank

Australia is experiencing a dip in avocado production with the 2024/25 crop estimated to be down 15 per cent on last year, Rabobank says in a newly-released report ... And Australian production is forecast to rebound to record volumes – of around 170,000 metric tons – in 2025/26.

Geoscientific breakthrough could spark new gold rush in WA: Michael

Experts from the Geological Survey of Western Australia, part of the newly formed WA Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration, have identified a distinctive chemical fingerprint that signals where gold is most likely to be found ... a major step forward for mineral exploration on a global scale.

Understanding long-term reef health

Reef Life Survey (RLS) have released a new report outlining results from long-term monitoring of shallow reefs in the Lord Howe Island Park (LHIMP). RLS is a volunteer-based citizen science program which has been surveying reefs to 30m depth in the LHIMP for nearly two decades.

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