|
|
|
28 Feb 2003 | BJD found in South West WA sheep
The destructive cattle disease Bovine Johne's Disease has been detected in sheep on a property in the South West of Western Australia. ...... FULL STORY
28 Feb 2003 | Business migrants to revive regional areas
More business migrants will be encouraged to settle in rural and regional areas under new rules to come into effect from March 1. ...... FULL STORY
28 Feb 2003 | Plague rabbits controlled with triple onslaught
Scientists, the drought and satellite technology have combined to eradicate more than half a million rabbits in a two-year program in Queensland. ...... FULL STORY
28 Feb 2003 | Threat from yellow crazy ants
Yellow crazy ants discovered in Arnhem Land could spread across Australia, causing enormous damage to agriculture, forests and native wildlife, CSIRO has warned. ...... FULL STORY
28 Feb 2003 | VFF calls for more support for bushfire victims
The Victorian Farmers' Federation has called on the State Government to extend drought assistance to farmers affected by the recent bushfires. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2003 | AWB to improve relations
Wheat marketer AWB Ltd may appoint a grain ombudsman to deal with growers' complaints against its service. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2003 | Heat comes off grain feed prices
Livestock producers are getting some relief from rising grain feed prices, due to the recent rain, additional AWB sales and imports. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2003 | Anderson warns of potential crisis
The Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, said Australia could be facing a national emergency situation if rain to break the drought doesn't arrive, following the recent downpours. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2003 | Plea to dump fire levy
An alliance of banks, farmers, insurers, builders and school councils has banded together to demand that the Victorian Government abandon the fire services levy on household and business insurance premiums. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2003 | Getting post-drought crops right
CSIRO has published a new guide on soil nutrients which gives farmers practical advice on how to cut drought recovery times. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2003 | Meat prices rise as rain falls
A 350-kilogram yearling steer fetched $493 nine days ago at the Adelaide Plains livestock sales. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2003 | Click go the shears
The most prestigious sheep-shearing competition in Australia is in danger of collapsing, as the organisers can't get adequate public liability insurance. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2003 | Sustainable irrigation research gets big boost
The Co-operative Research Centre for Irrigation futures represents a milestone in irrigation research, says its incoming chairman Peter Hayes, and its initiatives will be welcomed by irrigators. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2003 | Free trade comes at a painful price
An independent report by ACIL Consulting has concluded that a free trade agreement with the US, one of the Howard Government's prime objectives, may damage farmers' interests and the broader Australian economy. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2003 | GM hysteria 'harmful'
The executive manager of Agrifood Awareness Australia, Paula Fitzgerald, has hit out at "hysteria" over genetically modified crops and foods. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2003 | Shearers to claim paid parental leave
The Australian Workers' Union has made paid paternity and maternity leave a key component of all future pay claims. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2003 | Grainco's Summer intake to halve
Grainco Australia says its forecast Summer intake for 2003 will be half that of 2002. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2003 | The big dry swept away in the wash
Farmers in parts of New South Wales are now facing flash flooding, after suffering the worst drought in 100 years. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2003 | Fresh look at pest eradication
The methods used by farmers to get rid of foxes, wild dogs, feral goats, pigs and cats, and rabbits are coming under scrutiny at a seminar in Canberra this week. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2003 | Regional businesses upbeat
About two-thirds of regional businesses expect their turnover to increase this year, according to a survey by Australian Industry Group. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2003 | Iraqi wheat order 'propaganda'
Iraq has issued a promise to buy an additional 800,000 tonnes of wheat on top of the order made in December 2002 for 1 million tonnes. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2003 | Farmers only getting 53c for raising a chook
Fifty-three cents is all NSW poultry farmers are getting from processors to raise a single chicken. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2003 | Rice row boils over as co-op refused relief
SunRice has criticised the New South Wales Government for refusing to allow the co-op most of the benefits of a NSW drought-relief scheme. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2003 | Tropical rain on the way
Victoria's worst drought in 100 years could break within a week if a tropical depression now moving over north-eastern Australia moves southwards. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2003 | Kingaroy peanut firm poised for expansion
The Peanut Company of Australia, one of the nation's largest primary industry firms, is aiming to grab a larger slice of the world market and will unveil its new $1.7 million research facility today. ...... FULL STORY
21 Feb 2003 | Helping hand for struggling farmers
The Federal Agriculture Minister says the number of farmers receiving drought assistance increased 53 per cent over the past two weeks. ...... FULL STORY
21 Feb 2003 | It's far too good a drop, say waterlogged grape growers
While most South Australians celebrated the state's recent heavy rainfall, grape growers are fearful that continuing downfalls could ruin their harvest, which is due to start now. ...... FULL STORY
21 Feb 2003 | Rural women awarded
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation has bestowed awards on several women. ...... FULL STORY
21 Feb 2003 | Exports dry up with drought
Victoria's exports declined by 10 per cent in the six months to December 31, 2002. ...... FULL STORY
21 Feb 2003 | Beef grading lobby reignites
Beef industry stakeholders are being encouraged to join in a renewed push for the development of a national mandatory beef grading scheme. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2003 | Vic water storages fall 50% in a year
Victoria's rural water storages have fallen by half within the past 12 months, leading to fears of an economic collapse within certain communities if rains don't arrive soon. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2003 | Demands grow for labelling on ethanol in fuel
The Federal Government is likely to consider mandatory labelling of petrol mixed with ethanol in the wake of a study which showed ethanol in higher ratios can damage engine parts. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2003 | Drought hits Qld farm values
Queensland farmers are facing land devaluations as the drought tightens its grip and primary producers are forced to sell their properties. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2003 | Open slather on flying foxes threatens numbers
The shooting of flying foxes on the NSW central coast by farmers and orchardists has caused a rapid decline in the animal's numbers, says The Entrance Greens candidate Gwen Parry-Jones. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2003 | Frugal bushies best placed to weather super shortfall
Although Sydney's urban residents have higher incomes and more lavish lifestyles than rural people, research shows that in retirement the country dweller is better off. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2003 | PM pledges Vic bushfire recovery funds
The Federal Government will give $1 million to the Victorian bushfire recovery appeal. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2003 | Drought forces rice producer to shed 200 rural staff
The crippling drought has forced SunRice, Australia's largest rice producer, to cut 200 jobs. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2003 | Finance firms 'failing farmers'
The Agriculture Minister, Warren Truss, has accused finance companies of repossessing vital farm equipment, such as harvesters and tractors. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2003 | Axing of ethanol trial hits farmers
BP Australia has decided to abandon its trial of ethanol-blended petrol at six service stations in Brisbane, citing loss of consumer confidence in the product. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2003 | Crop production at 20-year low
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics has warned that 2002-2003 will be one of the worst years on record for grain producers, with Australia's total crop production set to fall by more than 60 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2003 | AgForce deal to import molasses
AgForce has negotiated a special deal to import critically-needed molasses supplies to feed livestock. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2003 | Contamination raises fears about quarantine protocols
A bucket-load of genetically modified corn from the United States fell from a conveyor belt into a silo of Australian wheat at Australian Bulk Alliance's Appleton Dock grain terminal in Melbourne recently. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2003 | X marks the crop on farm map
A group of farmers north-west of Sydney have banded together to produce a map which directs city-dwellers to their fresh produce. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2003 | Rains bring farms hope
Record rainfalls have fallen in parts of Western Australia, dumping as much as 100mm in some of its driest areas. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2003 | War with Iraq to threaten wheat sales
A former Australian ambassador to the General Agreement of Tariffs & Trade said yesterday that Iraq is likely to stop buying wheat from Australia if it takes part in a United States-led military attack. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2003 | Forecasters may say adios to El Nino
The National Climate Centre says the eastern Pacific is cooling, which means Australia's drought could be coming to an end. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2003 | Fruits of their labours wither on the vine
Victoria's wine grape harvest will be down 10 per cent on average due to lack of water, says the Victorian Wine Industry Association, although an "average" year hasn't been experienced since 2000. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2003 | Food 'should cost more to cover water'
A CSIRO Scientist told a National Party forum on water and the drought that Australians should be paying up to three times more for food to cover the costs of water. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2003 | GE crops threaten exports, say Greens
A Greens MP says the release of genetically engineered organisms will threaten tens of millions of wheat and canola exports from New South Wales. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2003 | Japan unbowed by beef tariff appeals
Japan has failed to respond to appeals by Australia's Trade Minister over increased tariffs on imported beef, with Mr Vaile saying the prospects of the Japanese Government relenting are unlikely. ...... FULL STORY
14 Feb 2003 | AWB lifts stake in Futuris as drought hits Elders
Wheat marketer AWB Limited has lifted its stake in Futuris Corporation to 14.9 per cent, but will need the permission of the Federal Treasurer if it wants to buy more. ...... FULL STORY
14 Feb 2003 | Cane farms 'don't need sweeteners'
Dick Wells, executive director of the Australian Food & Grocery Council, says world sugar prices have nearly doubled over the past six months, thus the domestic levy on sugar is not needed. ...... FULL STORY
14 Feb 2003 | No relief in sight as historic drought tightens grip
Although weather forecasters say the El Nino event responsible for bringing drought to eastern Australia is breaking down, most of NSW is still suffering from searing temperatures and hot winds. ...... FULL STORY
14 Feb 2003 | WTO tariff plan compromise upsets both Aust and Japan
Australia's Trade Minister has expressed disappointment over a new World Trade Organisation proposal to reduce farm tariffs, saying the cuts don't go far enough. ...... FULL STORY
14 Feb 2003 | Long-stemmed roses come up a little short for Valentine's Day
The perennially popular gift for St Valentine's Day - a dozen long-stemmed red roses - has been hit by the drought and sweltering temperatures during January. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2003 | Farmers give hay till it hurts
Not all hay deliveries in the Goulburn Valley have been going in one direction: the region's dairy farmers have rallied around to donate hay they could ill afford to give, to assist farmers in Victoria's north-east affected by bushfires... ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2003 | Bushfire victims ponder class action over losses
Farmers in Victoria's high country are considering whether to pursue legal action over losses incurred due to the recent bushfires. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2003 | AWI axes Canberra office
Australian Wool Innovation has closed its Canberra trade policy office and retrenched the five staff, as part of the organisation's restructuring to achieve greater efficiencies. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2003 | NSW farmers to get green guardian role in Coalition's rural vision
The New South Wales Coalition has launched its native vegetation policy, which would give the state's farmers a paid role as "stewards" of vegetation on their land to reduce clearing. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2003 | Murray Darling water storages at critical level
The Murray Darling river system's water storages could fall to their lowest levels in 30 years if the drought doesn't break soon, according to the Murray Darling Basin Commission. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2003 | AACo punts on higher cattle prices
Cattle producer Australian Agricultural Company Ltd has reported an 87 per cent slump in net profit to $3.78 million for the six months to December 31, 2002. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2003 | E-aware farmers value satellite information
Farmers comprised about 70 per cent of the 3,000 users who logged onto web sites in 2002 looking for CSIRO estimates on pasture biomass and growth rates, says CSIRO Livestock Industries. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2003 | Cattlemen demand parks management inquiry
The Mountain Cattlemen's Association is demanding an inquiry into the management of public land, fire management and forest fuel loads, saying the common link in all major bushfires this year has been national parks. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2003 | Home-help out of reach on the land
The Queensland Council of Social Service says that some impoverished farmers are refusing government-funded child care because they can't afford to feed the babysitter. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2003 | Pratt Water gets $5m to test plan
Pratt Water, a division of Richard Pratt's Visy Industries, has received $5 million from the Federal and State Governments to test his plan to cover irrigation channels. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2003 | Bendigo SX to branch out into rural investment schemes
Bendigo Stock Exchange plans to create a listed market in rural investment schemes for the $4 billion agribusiness sector. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2003 | Big crop in 2003 if drought breaks
ABARE says there will be a bumper Winter crop this season if the drought breaks. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2003 | Discounts squeeze small wineries
Discounting is forcing many small winemakers to the wall due to profit margins being squeezed, says the Winemakers' Federation. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2003 | One-in-ten chance the drought will continue
A drought taskforce member from the Bureau of Rural Sciences has warned there's a one-in-ten chance that Australia's drought may continue, as mixed signals on the El Nino effect worry farmers and rural communities. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2003 | Tariffs on Aust beef set to climb
Australia's Trade Minister will move for changes to Japan's beef tariff scheme at the current round of world trade talks. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2003 | Dam cover helps farmers
A cover for dams has been developed by Queensland farmer Warwick Hill. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2003 | Farm stay plan to help bush
The Farmhand Foundation and Tourism New South Wales have joined forces to promote stays at farms in drought-affected areas as a holiday concept. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2003 | Farmers to meet over pig welfare
Pig farmers have bowed to community concern over animals being kept in inhumane conditions and will meet later in February to discuss the welfare of their pigs. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2003 | Sydney to tell bush: you need us
A report entitled "The Golden Thread" by the Committee for Sydney, to be released today, says the NSW bush should realise it needs Sydney as much as Sydney needs the bush. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2003 | Torrential rain in Qld to bring beef relief
Flooding rains in parts of central Queensland have brought with them the prospect of increased cattle prices. ...... FULL STORY
7 Feb 2003 | Farm aid exclusion puzzles WA Minister
Western Australia's Agriculture Minister says the exclusion of 21 WA shires from the Federal Government emergency drought assistance package is "bizarre". ...... FULL STORY
7 Feb 2003 | Fed Govt looking at more drought assistance
The Federal Agriculture Minister said the Government is looking at options to help drought-hit farmers on top of the $368 million package announced in December 2002. ...... FULL STORY
7 Feb 2003 | Wine exports up 34%
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says wine exports soared as domestic sales fell in the lead-up to Christmas 2002. ...... FULL STORY
7 Feb 2003 | Drought takes toll on biocontrol
Australia's drought is taking its toll on the moths, beetles and weevils which play a critical part in controlling weeds, CSIRO says. ...... FULL STORY
7 Feb 2003 | Export potential in Australian Holsteins
Holstein breeders and dairy farmers can benefit from the export market if they can breed enough high-quality registered heifers, says Agricultural Exports Pty Ltd. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2003 | $500,000 to feed starving livestock
The Victorian Government will help farmers in fire-affected parts of the state to feed livestock with a $500,000 assistance fund. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2003 | Farmers continue sending animals to slaughter
New figures show that farmers are continuing to offload stock in near-record numbers due to the drought. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2003 | Drought to cost $1bn in farmer welfare
Australia's drought will cost the Federal Government about $1 billion in welfare payments to farmers. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2003 | GrainCorp in merger talks with Grainco
Grain handling and storage companies GrainCorp Ltd and Grainco Australia Ltd say they are involved in talks for a possible merger. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2003 | Vets abandoning the bush
Remote communities are facing a chronic shortage of vets unless deficiencies in the industry are addressed, a new report says. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2003 | Forbes protest attacks new sheep quarantine
Angry farmers protested in Forbes yesterday at the NSW Government's new control zones for Ovine Johne's Disease. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2003 | Mice eating their way into crops
Mice are eating into crops on the Darling Downs in south-east Queensland, from Mt Tyson to Cecil Plains. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2003 | NSW Govt promises $28m for drought-affected farmers
The NSW Government is offering an extra $28 million in assistance to drought-affected farmers, with Premier Bob Carr saying the Federal Agriculture department is not acting quickly enough on Exceptional Circumstances funding. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2003 | Drought to slash 70,000 jobs: report
A report by Monash University's Centre of Policy Studies says the drought could wipe out up to 70,000 jobs and Australia's economic growth could be cut by 1.6 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2003 | VFF to sharpen up service
The Victorian Farmers' Federation has launched an internal restructure in an effort to rid the organisation of duplication and inefficiencies. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2003 | Two parthenium weed outbreaks in NSW
Two outbreaks of parthenium weed were found in northern New South Wales in early January. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2003 | Impact of drought to last five years
Meat and Livestock Australia says cattle and sheep farmers are likely to struggle for years to supply export markets after the drought, with production in the red meat sector falling 14 per cent and more falls to come. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2003 | New direction for rambutans
Rambutan growers in North Queensland's expanding industry have joined forces to step up export and domestic marketing. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2003 | Aust beef herd free of TB
After more than 32 years of perseverance and an $850 million investment, Australia's beef herd's free-from-tuberculosis status is continuing. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2003 | AWI back in business
The new board of Australian Wool Innovation has approved $21 million worth of research projects. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2003 | Keep single export desk, says ABB Grain
Disbanding the single-desk export system for wheat and barley would negatively affect growers, ABB Grain chairman Trevor Day says, with grower returns and export prices falling. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2003 | World's longest gum-leaf found
In the midst of all the bushfires in north-eastern Victoria over recent weeks a winner has been found in the competition to find the world's longest gum leaf. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2003 | The long drought spreads north
The drought has spread north, with Queensland's Summer monsoon failing to arrive and virtually no rain falling in January along much of the central and southern coast, with the El Nino effect preventing trade winds from bringing in rain. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2003 | Starvation fears for animals after Vic bushfires
The Victorian Opposition agriculture spokesman Phil Davis has written to Premier Steve Bracks calling for urgent action, as up to 50,000 head of livestock face starvation due to bushfires in the state's north-east and Gippsland. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2003 | Waste-water boom helps local industries stay afloat
South East Water, which supplies water to south-east Melbourne through to Mornington Peninsula and West Gippsland, has been a trendsetter in marketing water re-use. ...... FULL STORY
|
|
|
