|
|
|
29 Nov 2002 | Regional Australia reasonably confident despite drought, says Westpac
Westpac's latest quarterly survey of consumer sentiment in regional Australia shows that confidence has fallen but is still quite positive despite the drought, with optimists outnumbering pessimists. ...... FULL STORY
29 Nov 2002 | Tender beef gene test a world first
A DNA test that identifies the "tenderness gene" in cattle was launched in Brisbane yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
29 Nov 2002 | Murrumbidgee in Pratt's water plan
Richard Pratt has provided details of how he would spend the $100 million he's offering to help solve the nation's water problems. ...... FULL STORY
29 Nov 2002 | Sunday to be day of prayer as farmers seek more earthly help
Fifteen religions have set aside next Sunday for a national day of prayer to break the drought and help families facing financial ruin. ...... FULL STORY
28 Nov 2002 | Deputy PM fears a 'hellish' summer
Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has warned farming communities to prepare themselves for a "summer from hell" and said he expects the severe drought to continue for some months, possibly till autumn. ...... FULL STORY
28 Nov 2002 | Farmhand asked for $69m
Farmhand Foundation has been asked for drought relief funds by more than 10,000 farmers, with the majority getting only a quarter of what they need. ...... FULL STORY
28 Nov 2002 | Philippines bans Aust beef
Philippines officials have banned the importation of all Australian beef following the discovery of anthrax on a Victorian farm. ...... FULL STORY
28 Nov 2002 | Bonlac turns to outside suppliers to boost milk flow
Bonlac Ltd has added 70 additional suppliers to its shareholder/supplier base of 1,800 to help boost milk supply past 2001/2002 levels, CEO Peter Myers said at the company's AGM yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
28 Nov 2002 | Boost for rural medical students
The Federal Government is seeking to encourage students living in rural Australia to study medicine, with an $800,000 injection of funds. ...... FULL STORY
27 Nov 2002 | Feed prices off the boil
Livestock producers may be given some relief with signs that the feed grain market may be cooling. ...... FULL STORY
27 Nov 2002 | Dorber goes from AWI
Col Dorber's current position as managing director of Australian Wool Innovation is set to end this Friday, but it's unclear whether he was asked to leave or he resigned. ...... FULL STORY
27 Nov 2002 | Vic farmers rally to hay donation cause
The Victorian Farmers' Federation has been flooded with donations of baled and uncut hay and is now in a position to start distributing about 100 semi-loads to affected areas on 14th December. ...... FULL STORY
27 Nov 2002 | Beehive pest impossible to stop
The spread of the small hive beetle, an imported pest from Africa, may be impossible to stop, a meeting of agriculture officials was told yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
27 Nov 2002 | Plan for new on-farm meat safety standards
A proposal currently before the Federal Government and industry organisations, and due to be signed off in January, would mean farmers will have to abide by on-farm safety standards or have their stock barred from major abattoirs and feedlots. ...... FULL STORY
26 Nov 2002 | Anthrax kills heifer in Vic
A Piangil cattle property 50 kilometres north-west of Swan Hill has been quarantined after the death of a 17-month-old heifer from anthrax. ...... FULL STORY
26 Nov 2002 | Quarantine measures on import grain must be tough, says NFF
The NSW Farmers' Federation president Mal Peters said today that quarantine standards for imported grain must be maintained at high levels to prevent diseases and pests entering Australia. ...... FULL STORY
26 Nov 2002 | Moreton sugar mill stays open
Bundaberg Sugar Limited has thrown a lifeline to the Sunshine Coast sugar industry by agreeing to keep the Moreton Mill open for next year's crush. ...... FULL STORY
26 Nov 2002 | Threat to Reef 'exaggerated'
Marine geophysicist Bob Carter says that claims the Great Barrier Reef is under serious threat from run-off are lacking in evidence and alarmist. ...... FULL STORY
26 Nov 2002 | Scattered rainfall teases farmers
Rain finally fell in central and south-east Australia yesterday - but it wasn't enough to give farmers real relief from the drought. ...... FULL STORY
25 Nov 2002 | GM sheep bred to grow at a clip
A CSIRO scientific team has bred genetically modified sheep that are bigger and leaner, grow faster and can grow more wool and produce twice the milk. ...... FULL STORY
25 Nov 2002 | Sugar debate sours as EU stands firm
Australia and Brazil have traded criticisms with sugar producers from the European Union, Africa, Pacific and Caribbean at WTO talks, which followed a formal lodgement of complaint. ...... FULL STORY
25 Nov 2002 | Markets see drought-induced panic subside a little
Australian commodity markets rallied a little last week, with wool, lamb and sheepmeat markets markedly stronger, the wheat market easing and the cattle market slide slowing. ...... FULL STORY
25 Nov 2002 | $5 Syd fireworks will go to help farmers
For the first time, New Year's Eve revellers watching the Sydney Harbour fireworks spectacular from the Cahill Expressway will be charged an admission fee - which will go towards assisting drought-stricken farmers. ...... FULL STORY
25 Nov 2002 | Fertiliser run-off threat to Reef
A panel of researchers headed by Queensland's Chief Scientist, Joe Baker, has recommended that farmers in the Great Barrier Reef catchment be banned from buying fertiliser unless they control run-off from their properties. ...... FULL STORY
22 Nov 2002 | 5,000 NSW farmers eligible for EC help
Up to 5,000 farmers in New South Wales are eligible for welfare payments under the Federal Government's Exceptional Circumstances system, the Agriculture Minister said yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
22 Nov 2002 | Dairy giants talk consolidation again
National Foods' CEO Max Ould confirmed yesterday that Australia's major dairy processors have entered a fresh round of discussions on rationalisation. ...... FULL STORY
22 Nov 2002 | Ram beau for the cows
A 65-kg ram called Hercules is one very confused merino sheep: despite being covered in fine wool and sporting two curly horns he thinks he's a bull. ...... FULL STORY
22 Nov 2002 | Depressed farmers seek help from flying doctors
The Flying Doctor Service is seeing an increased number of farmers for depression and stress-related disorders as the drought takes its toll. ...... FULL STORY
22 Nov 2002 | Grain imported, milk production slashed
Applications to import hundreds of thousands of tonnes of wheat, rye, sorghum and barley are being assessed by quarantine officials. ...... FULL STORY
21 Nov 2002 | CFA may use sewage for fires
The Country Fire Authority has been forced to look at alternative water sources to fight bushfires in Victoria this Summer, as the drought pushes storage levels to record lows. ...... FULL STORY
21 Nov 2002 | Vic town fights for freedom
Residents of the small Victorian country town of St Arnaud have started a war of independence. ...... FULL STORY
21 Nov 2002 | AWB earnings to be hit by drought
AWB Limited said yesterday its 2002-2003 earnings prospects will be hit by the drought, which will reduce Australia's wheat production for the year to less than half that of 2001-2002. ...... FULL STORY
21 Nov 2002 | Australians are eating more red meat
Australians are eating more beef and lamb despite the current drought, the marketing GM of Meat and Livestock Australia said yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
21 Nov 2002 | Dispute over AWI drought donation
A major dispute is brewing over a $500,000 donation made by woolgrower-owned and operated Australian Wool Innovation to the Farmhand Foundation for the Red Cross Society. ...... FULL STORY
21 Nov 2002 | Community banking helps save the Bush
With over 2,000 bank branches closing down in recent years, community banking is stepping in to fill the gap in rural and regional areas. ...... FULL STORY
20 Nov 2002 | ABB harvests big gain
Grain marketer ABB Limited recorded a 7.5 per cent lift in profit in the year to September 30th 2002, largely due to bumper 2001-2002 crops across Victoria and South Australia. ...... FULL STORY
20 Nov 2002 | AWB under challenge from CBH
AWB Limited's hold on wheat exports is being attacked by WA-based Co-operative Bulk Handling, which is offering to provide free-of-charge a number of key services for which AWB charges. ...... FULL STORY
20 Nov 2002 | Cattle, sheep numbers to fall due to drought
Australia's cattle herd will be reduced by 1 million to 1.5 million because of the drought, according to Meat & Livestock Australia. ...... FULL STORY
20 Nov 2002 | Farm tax scheme in deep water
The Federal Government's $2 billion Farm Management Deposit Scheme, a cornerstone of its drought assistance policy, has a potential legal flaw which has led the Government to seek a tax office ruling. ...... FULL STORY
20 Nov 2002 | UDV chief calls for Goulburn Valley relief
Peter Owen, president of United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, has called for urgent measures to help limit the number of northern Victorian farmers drying off their cows. ...... FULL STORY
19 Nov 2002 | Telstra's push in the bush: 9c calls
Telstra is offering regional councils and organisations local calls for as low as nine cents, in a drive to increase pressure on its competitors in country areas. ...... FULL STORY
19 Nov 2002 | Murray-Darling in 'strained condition'
Don Blackmore, head of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, says the river system is suffering its most strained condition for 100 years. ...... FULL STORY
19 Nov 2002 | Vic farmland 'doomed' unless practices change
Up to 40 per cent of the farmland in Victoria will be unusable by 2050 unless farm management practices change radically, the State Government was warned yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
19 Nov 2002 | Bush needs river of tourist dollars
The Federal Tourism Minister, Joe Hockey, has urged Australians to visit regional and rural Christmas-New Year holiday destinations despite the drought. ...... FULL STORY
19 Nov 2002 | Cow carers foster farmers' future
Cow lover Jo Meissner has set up a foster cow program at her property 30 kilometres south of Hamilton in Victoria. ...... FULL STORY
18 Nov 2002 | Govt rules out declaring drought 'national disaster'
The Federal Government has effectively ruled out declaring the nation's drought a "national disaster", despite calls to do so from local governments. ...... FULL STORY
18 Nov 2002 | Strawberry growers face up to the flavour test
Victoria is the major yield producer in the Australian strawberry market and produces one-third of the national crop, which is worth a total of $110 million a year. ...... FULL STORY
18 Nov 2002 | Call to cut rural crime
Crime Stoppers acknowledged last week that is has failed to win the support of rural Victorians. ...... FULL STORY
18 Nov 2002 | Sugar levy could be defeated in Senate
The Federal Government's proposed levy on sugar could be defeated in the Senate, as the Democrats express concern about its possible negative effect on Australian food manufacturers. ...... FULL STORY
18 Nov 2002 | Three NSW towns truck in water
Water supplies across regional New South Wales have deteriorated alarmingly as the drought tightens its grip. ...... FULL STORY
15 Nov 2002 | New CSIRO books on sheep nutrition, grassy woodlands
CSIRO has published a book that's destined to become the definitive guide to and standard text on sheep nutrition. ...... FULL STORY
15 Nov 2002 | Salinity impact of Qld dam ‘ignored’
The Federal Government does not intend to investigate the salinity impact of the proposed Nathan Dam despite the release this week of a salinity hazard map for the Fitzroy Basin near Rockhampton. ...... FULL STORY
15 Nov 2002 | Farmhand Foundation gets two helping hands
The Farmhand Foundation was praised by the Federal Government on Wednesday, as it announced it will donate $5 million to the appeal. ...... FULL STORY
15 Nov 2002 | Farm aid lost in hay price hikes
The NSW Government's $16 million freight subsidy to farmers, touted as a major drought measure, has been eaten up to a large extent by price hikes for hay. ...... FULL STORY
15 Nov 2002 | Weed curse on the move due to big dry
Weeds are emerging as yet another menace brought on by the drought, as grain and fodder is being moved about Australia to feed livestock. ...... FULL STORY
14 Nov 2002 | Cattle export firm has licence cancelled
Western Australia-based company Sampak Pty Ltd had its livestock export licence cancelled yesterday after it was found to have jeopardised trade relations with China. ...... FULL STORY
14 Nov 2002 | Drought-hit farmers get extra money
Circumstances applications for NSW's Bourke and Brewarrina regions was given, nine weeks after they were lodged, as well as early EC assistance for the Peak Downs areas in Queensland. ...... FULL STORY
14 Nov 2002 | Report on AWB goes against the grain
Board executive, and attacks monopoly wheat exporter AWB's control over the domestic supply chain. ...... FULL STORY
14 Nov 2002 | Egg producers going broke
The Victorian Farmers' Federation has asked the State Agriculture Minister to include egg producers in drought assistance considerations. ...... FULL STORY
14 Nov 2002 | Telstra to ring in rural changes
As a first response to the Estens inquiry, Telstra has promised to cut phone connection times by up to five months in remote areas from January 2003. ...... FULL STORY
13 Nov 2002 | Vic election promises
The major political parties' election promises for rural and regional Victorians include: ...... FULL STORY
13 Nov 2002 | Farmers need to vote on GM issue
The Victorian Farmers' Federation wants to end Victoria's GE-free status and has rejected a moratorium on GM canola. ...... FULL STORY
13 Nov 2002 | Citrus industry to retain export control powers
The Federal Agriculture Minister has announced that the citrus industry will keep its export control powers, but they will continue to be regularly reviewed. ...... FULL STORY
13 Nov 2002 | Cane 'leftovers' to become cattle fodder
Drought-stricken cattle farmers and battling canegrowers have come up with a plan to help both groups: sugar cane leftovers will be processed to be used as cattle fodder. ...... FULL STORY
13 Nov 2002 | NSW declared 99 per cent drought-affected
New figures from the NSW Government show that 99 per cent of the state has now been declared drought-affected. ...... FULL STORY
12 Nov 2002 | Drought bill may top $1bn a year
Australian taxpayers could face a bill of $35 million a fortnight in welfare payments to farming families, the Federal Agriculture Minister, Warren Truss, said yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
12 Nov 2002 | Decoding the rice genes
CSIRO Plant Industry is hosting an international workshop in Canberra this week, with the aim of facilitating efforts to decode the meaning of each rice gene. ...... FULL STORY
12 Nov 2002 | Nationals propose $450m Vic power aid
The National Party announced plans for a $450 million power scheme aimed to reduce the impact of electricity price increases on rural Victorians. ...... FULL STORY
12 Nov 2002 | Drought dries up milk output by 1.5pc
The Australian Dairy Corporation has predicted that the national milk output will decline by 1.5 per cent this financial year due to the dry weather conditions. ...... FULL STORY
12 Nov 2002 | 'Chop chop' seized in Qld
A combined operation of the Australian Taxation Office and Queensland Police has resulted in the seizure of more than nine tonnes of illegal tobacco in north Queensland. ...... FULL STORY
11 Nov 2002 | Rural health report released
A new report on health-care for country people, "Improving Rural Health", recommends that doctors in regional and rural areas get higher Medicare payments than city doctors, in a bid to lure more doctors to the bush. ...... FULL STORY
11 Nov 2002 | Grainco loss clouds ASX listing plans
Bulk commodity handler and storer Grainco Australia has reported an after-tax loss for the 2001-2002 year of $1.89 million. ...... FULL STORY
11 Nov 2002 | Pastoralists buy up SA grazing land
Interstate station owners suffering from the drought are buying up reliable grazing land in South Australia as a form of insurance and to save valuable breeding stock. ...... FULL STORY
11 Nov 2002 | Imported honey, beetle add to woes of bee industry
The drought and bushfires continue to devastate the Australian bee industry, leading to the importation of honey for the first time in over 100 years. ...... FULL STORY
11 Nov 2002 | Organic producers get go-ahead on feed
Organic livestock producers have been granted permission to use non-certified organic fodder to keep stock alive during the drought. ...... FULL STORY
8 Nov 2002 | Telstra sale tied to services to bush
A report to the Federal Government by Moree cotton farmer Dick Estens states that a privatised Telstra should be forced to maintain unprofitable services to rural areas through special licence conditions. ...... FULL STORY
8 Nov 2002 | Farms test new ways
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has just released its 2001-2002 Agricultural Survey, which contains information from approximately 35,000 farm businesses throughout Australia. ...... FULL STORY
8 Nov 2002 | Vic fruit growers offer jobs to drought-stricken farmers
Apple and pear growers in west Gippsland are offering a helping hand to farmers in the north of the state who have been hit by the drought. ...... FULL STORY
8 Nov 2002 | Beetle to weed out tree strangler
A tiny beetle from Venezuela could present a solution to controlling the cat's claw creeper, one of Queensland's worst weeds. ...... FULL STORY
8 Nov 2002 | Drought-hit areas in Qld continue to spread
The Queensland Premier and the Deputy Prime Minister say that one-third of the state is now officially drought-declared and there's more to come. ...... FULL STORY
7 Nov 2002 | Database aims to cut machine theft
The Tractor and Machinery Association has established a stolen equipment register. ...... FULL STORY
7 Nov 2002 | SA survey calls for GM ban
The South Australian Farmers' Federation has released the results of a survey, the first of its kind, which reveals that 80 per cent of the respondents want a moratorium on genetically-engineered crops. ...... FULL STORY
7 Nov 2002 | Pork industry may be next drought victim
Australia's pork industry may be the next casualty of the drought, as warnings sound that up to 8,000 people in New South Wales alone may be put out of work. ...... FULL STORY
7 Nov 2002 | Beef prices down due to drought and dollar
The National Farmers' Federation-Westpac commodity index was down 4.7 per cent in October, due to the drought and the strengthening dollar. ...... FULL STORY
7 Nov 2002 | SPC offers interest-free loans for water
Goulburn Valley cannery company SPC Ardmona is offering interest-free loans for water to growers who are affected by the drought. ...... FULL STORY
6 Nov 2002 | Skywest launches jet service
Western Australian regional airline Skywest has launched its first jet service, flying a 96-seat Fokker 100. ...... FULL STORY
6 Nov 2002 | Vic Labor pledge: $166m for rural health
Labor launched its first policy for the state election yesterday, reinforcing the importance of regional Victoria by pledging $166 million for country health services. ...... FULL STORY
6 Nov 2002 | Household rubbish becomes golden soil
A Hunter Valley plant which recycles garbage is helping to address the serious challenge of disappearing topsoil. ...... FULL STORY
6 Nov 2002 | Fed delays 'threatening' farmers
Mal Peters, president of the NSW Farmers' Federation, says that delays in Federal Government assistance to drought-stricken farmers is putting country towns' survival at risk. ...... FULL STORY
6 Nov 2002 | Cabinet backs saving rivers
Federal Cabinet has backed a plan to compensate farmers for the loss of water, which could give them a billion-dollar windfall. ...... FULL STORY
5 Nov 2002 | Drought prompts animal slaughter
New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that farmers are continuing to send their stock to slaughter as a result of the drought. ...... FULL STORY
5 Nov 2002 | North Qld tobacco-growing industry looks unhealthy
Major cigarette companies are now looking overseas for cheaper tobacco, leaving Australian growers to battle on in an already unfashionable industry and facing huge odds, such as large taxes and a ban on advertising. ...... FULL STORY
5 Nov 2002 | Corks popping for wine exports but industry faces supply hump
New Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that Australian wine exports reached $260 million for September, with international sales hitting 52,051 litres for the month. ...... FULL STORY
5 Nov 2002 | $20bn plan to fix waterways
Prominent scientists will present a $20 billion plan to save Australia's waterways to the Federal Government today, under which farmers would be paid to clean the air, take land out of production, change farm management practices and plant more trees. ...... FULL STORY
5 Nov 2002 | Wool growers sweep away government AWI appointees
Wool growers yesterday dumped five of the six government appointees to the board of Australian Wool Innovation Ltd. ...... FULL STORY
4 Nov 2002 | Brand-building key for wineries
A report by ACIL Consulting concludes that the nation's small to medium wine companies need to focus on building strong brands to offset their size and difficult conditions following a grape oversupply. ...... FULL STORY
4 Nov 2002 | Small hive beetle could devastate honey production
CSIRO has identified a new exotic beehive pest: the small hive beetle, or Aethina tumida. CSIRO Entomology identified the beetle last week in bee colonies at Richmond in New South Wales. ...... FULL STORY
4 Nov 2002 | Drought favours Nth Qld mangoes
Mango growers in Queensland's north are revelling in the drought, unlike the rest of the nation's farmers. ...... FULL STORY
4 Nov 2002 | Court bid to overturn farm dam laws
Benalla beef farmer Allen Ashworth planned to build a dam to irrigate a lucerne crop, but his plans were thwarted by Victoria's new Farm Dams laws. ...... FULL STORY
4 Nov 2002 | Duffers take what the drought hasn't
Drought-afflicted farmers in the north of New South Wales have been hit by a second problem: sheep duffers. ...... FULL STORY
1 Nov 2002 | Banks urged to go easy on farmers
The Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, is urging banks to be sympathetic to farmers who are in financial difficulties due to the drought. ...... FULL STORY
1 Nov 2002 | Plan paves way for live sheep exports
Yesterday the Federal Agriculture Minister, Warren Truss, unveiled a plan to reduce unacceptably high stock losses on live sheep shipments to the Middle East, paving the way for the trade from Portland in Victoria to resume. ...... FULL STORY
1 Nov 2002 | More doubts on fuel mix
More doubts have been thrown on the Government and industry's plans to blend petrol and ethanol. ...... FULL STORY
1 Nov 2002 | ACCC investigates hike in feed prices
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is investigating a 30 per cent surge in feed prices at Tamworth. An ACCC officer said a Gunnedah farmer had reported that the price of pelleted feed had soared to $624 a tonne overnight. ...... FULL STORY
1 Nov 2002 | Honey alert over beetles
Two apiaries in Queensland have been quarantined after Queensland Department of Primary Industries officers discovered an imported beetle. ...... FULL STORY
|
|
|
