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31 Oct 2003 | Wine producers need to uncork more savvy
KPMG has published a report on the wine industry entitled "Shelf Space . . . Is There Room for Me?". ...... FULL STORY
31 Oct 2003 | Farming exports on the rise
Australia's farm export receipts rose in September 2003 for the first time in six months. ...... FULL STORY
31 Oct 2003 | $3.5m for former abattoir workers
Workers at the former Mudgee Regional Abattoir should get $3.5 million in entitlements by the end of November 2003, the NSW Local Government Minister said on October 30. ...... FULL STORY
31 Oct 2003 | Cotton researcher top Aussie scientist
Dr Greg Constable, leader of CSIRO Plant Industry's cotton research in Narrabri, NSW, is Australia's smartest scientist, according to "The Bulletin" magazine. ...... FULL STORY
31 Oct 2003 | Satellites zoom in on pasture data
Farmers are trialling a satellite-based pasture monitoring system which dramatically improves their ability to make informed farm management decisions. ...... FULL STORY
30 Oct 2003 | Israel hitch to live animal trade
Australia's $60 million-a-year live animal trade to Israel is under threat, with Israel's Agriculture Minister given 60 days by the Israeli Supreme Court to show why Australian stock should not be banned. ...... FULL STORY
30 Oct 2003 | Alpine cattle ban hailed
A report commissioned by Parks Victoria has concluded that cattle grazing should be banned in burned areas of Victoria's high country for at least two years. ...... FULL STORY
30 Oct 2003 | We love lamb chops
Statistics in the Victorian Meat Authority's annual report show that lamb chops are still the meat lover's favourite. ...... FULL STORY
30 Oct 2003 | Mooted FTA delay irks farmers
The National Farmers' Federation wants a free trade agreement with the United States to include significant upfront improvements in market access. ...... FULL STORY
30 Oct 2003 | Every cent rise costs farmers $115m
Australian farmers are looking for improved commodity prices to offset the strengthening $AUD, which was trading above US 70 cents this week. ...... FULL STORY
29 Oct 2003 | VFF to decide on Grains Council
The Victorian Farmers' Federation is expected to tell the Grains Council of Australia today, at a GCA meeting in Canberra, whether it has decided to remain a member of the organisation or not. ...... FULL STORY
29 Oct 2003 | Qld Govt charges hit CWA
The Queensland Country Women's Association, the state's largest women's organisation, is facing a financial crisis and may be forced to sell some properties. ...... FULL STORY
29 Oct 2003 | Reform would 'devastate' farmers
The NSW Farmers' Association has called on the Federal Government to reject National Competition Council recommendations to remove policies protecting farmers' bargaining power and debt negotiations. ...... FULL STORY
29 Oct 2003 | 'Safe havens' proposed for live exports
The Australian Government will develop a group of "safe haven" markets to deal with any future rejections of live animal shipments. ...... FULL STORY
29 Oct 2003 | Vic dairy farmers shut up shop
About 345 Victorian dairy farmers have left the industry over the past 10 months. ...... FULL STORY
28 Oct 2003 | Bendigo banking on new telco
Bendigo Bank says it will extend its successful Community Bank model into the telecommunications area and establish a company called Community Telco Australia. ...... FULL STORY
28 Oct 2003 | Taxpayers will carry sheep cost for years
On October 26, 2003, the Federal Government announced an inquiry to examine all facets of the live animal export trade. ...... FULL STORY
28 Oct 2003 | Shearer's delight
Shannon Warnest, from Willalooka in the South-East of South Australia, has won Australia National Shearing Title at Esperance in Western Australia - for the second time. ...... FULL STORY
28 Oct 2003 | New vegetation laws are a real pest: VFF
Victorian farmers now need to ask the Department of Sustainability and Environment for permission to get rid of rabbit burrows or fox holes on their farms if they've got native vegetation growing over them, VFF president Paul Weller says. ...... FULL STORY
28 Oct 2003 | Free-range pork producers taste success
Jack and Miriam Neilson's free-range Berkshire pork has proved a hit with consumers. ...... FULL STORY
28 Oct 2003 | Wool farmer finds himself bigger fish to fry
Karara grazier Lyndon Batterham, a producer of fine wools on his Carbean property, decided to diversify into aquaculture due to uncertainty about the wool market. ...... FULL STORY
27 Oct 2003 | Sheep to shore ... finally
The MV Cormo Express saga ended on Friday October 24, 2003, when the 50,000-plus sheep began being unloaded at the Eritrean port of Massawa. ...... FULL STORY
27 Oct 2003 | Alpine cattle row revived
Conservationists are renewing their opposition to alpine grazing over Summer, arguing that the tradition of running cattle on alpine plains severely damages grasslands, peat bogs and other sensitive ecosystems. ...... FULL STORY
27 Oct 2003 | Queensland roo tannery 'bending it like Beckham'
Packer Leather, based at Narangba in Queensland, is helping global giants Nike and Adidas in their quest to find the perfect sports footwear. ...... FULL STORY
27 Oct 2003 | Four more Qld shires on drought list
While stormy weather is causing havoc in south-eastern Queensland, four more shires have been declared drought-hit, taking the state's total to 95 shires. ...... FULL STORY
27 Oct 2003 | Income takes off after farmers try squabs
Former pig farmers Sue and Frank Phelan turned to squabs - young meat pigeons - to supplement their income when they realised their pig farm was going backwards. ...... FULL STORY
24 Oct 2003 | Casella Estate Wines takes out Exporter of the Year award
Casella Estate Wines, based in southern New South Wales, has won NSW's 2003 State Exporter of the Year award. ...... FULL STORY
24 Oct 2003 | Sheep might yet land in Eritrea
The Federal Government is believed to be close to a deal with Eritrea to take the 50,000-plus sheep on board the MV Cormo Express. ...... FULL STORY
24 Oct 2003 | ABARE outlines plan to save reef
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics' report on saving the Great Barrier Reef says the cheapest option for reducing nutrient run-off from the Burdekin River would be to introduce buffer zones on sugar-cane farms. ...... FULL STORY
24 Oct 2003 | Futuris challenges monopoly on wheat exports
Futuris Corporation has applied to the Wheat Export Authority to export a bulk order of 400,000 tonnes of high-grade wheat to an unnamed overseas customer. ...... FULL STORY
24 Oct 2003 | $406m funds for NSW farmers
WA's Pastoralists' and Graziers' Association has called on the State Government to follow NSW in allowing farmers flexibility to manage native vegetation. ...... FULL STORY
23 Oct 2003 | Charity warns of rush from the bush
Toowoomba's Bush Connection service has warned of an exodus of farming families from rural industries when the drought ends and emergency relief dries up. ...... FULL STORY
23 Oct 2003 | Irrigation farms disappearing
Irrigation farms are disappearing fast in the region between Kerang and Swan Hill in Victoria. ...... FULL STORY
23 Oct 2003 | AACo eyes morsels of Stanbroke beef empire
Australian Agricultural Co is believed to have been offered several rural properties, including some Stanbroke properties, by AMP and the successful Stanbroke bidder, Nebo Holdings. ...... FULL STORY
23 Oct 2003 | Cotton mill crisis puts 200 jobs at risk
Rocklea Spinning Mills, one of the nation's largest cotton processors, has gone into receivership, putting 200 jobs at risk. ...... FULL STORY
23 Oct 2003 | Telstra in Tasmania, country areas 'falling to bits'
Federal Opposition communications spokesman Lindsay Tanner says the Telstra network is being held together with "bandaids and string, with plastic bags" in Tasmania and many other parts of regional Australia. ...... FULL STORY
21 Oct 2003 | Cormo Express sheep get the all-clear
Australia's chief veterinarian, Gardner Murray, has inspected the 52,000 sheep on board the MV Cormo Express, now on its way home, and says they are in better condition than sheep that survived the drought. ...... FULL STORY
21 Oct 2003 | Irrigators to get Murray allocation top-up
River Murray irrigators will get another 10 per cent of their water allocation this season. ...... FULL STORY
21 Oct 2003 | Farmers seek wage relief
The National Farmers' Federation has put forward a proposal that farmers who are relying on federal drought assistance to get by would not have to give their workers a pay increase. ...... FULL STORY
21 Oct 2003 | Ethanol subsidy bad policy: Labor
The ethanol subsidy, worth $195 million over four years, is very bad policy and the funding should be directed elsewhere, says Opposition finance spokesman Bob McMullan. ...... FULL STORY
21 Oct 2003 | Queensland against T3: Democrats
The Australian Democrats claim that 80 per cent of Queenslanders are opposed to any further sell-off of Telstra. ...... FULL STORY
20 Oct 2003 | Farmers battle with cost of compliance
The cost of compliance with Government legislation and community expectation is putting increased budgetary pressures on rural producers. ...... FULL STORY
20 Oct 2003 | Fire report fuels farmer outrage
The final 370-page report into last summer's bushfires has failed to address key issues raised by Victorian farmers. Instead, it just recommends more reviews. ...... FULL STORY
20 Oct 2003 | Tropical solution for farm irrigation
Calls for water to be piped from northern Australia to the intensively farmed south would be too expensive to meet, Agriculture Minister Warren Truss says, but taking irrigators to the water instead of the other way round could be viable. ...... FULL STORY
20 Oct 2003 | Phosphorus major threat to organic farms?
Phosphorus could be the single largest hurdle to the Australian organic industry's ambition of being a viable sustainable farming system. ...... FULL STORY
20 Oct 2003 | Wine, food markets win in Thai trade deal
Australia's wine and farm sectors, processed food and car makers will benefit from a free trade deal struck on October 19 between Australia and Thailand. ...... FULL STORY
17 Oct 2003 | Fox carcass found in Tasmania
A dead fox has been discovered in Tasmania's north-west, confirming fears that the pest has crossed Bass Strait. ...... FULL STORY
17 Oct 2003 | New low cost Qantas carrier to boost tourism in regions
Qantas's new low-cost domestic airline will open up more regional areas to tourism, TTF Australia's Chris Brown says. ...... FULL STORY
17 Oct 2003 | Long hot Summer ahead: Bureau
The Bureau of Meteorology says that northern New South Wales and Queensland are in for a long hot Summer. ...... FULL STORY
17 Oct 2003 | Second ship to supply sheep feed as costs mount
A second ship will be sent to the Middle East to meet up with the MV Cormo Express and supply feed for the sheep on board. ...... FULL STORY
17 Oct 2003 | Wild dogs given the beep
High-frequency beepers will be trialled along the 2,545 kilometres of Queensland's wild dog barrier fence to discourage the dogs from going near it. ...... FULL STORY
16 Oct 2003 | Farmers, greenies take an axe to land-clearing bureaucracy
NSW farmers and environmentalists have welcomed a $406 million deal to end broad-scale land clearing and rescue damaged land. ...... FULL STORY
16 Oct 2003 | Vaile steps in to sheep trade crisis
The Federal Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, will effectively take over the live animal export industry crisis by visiting the Middle East early in 2004 to restore trading relationships. ...... FULL STORY
16 Oct 2003 | Futuris logs on telco buy for rural network
Futuris Corporation, the parent of the Elders farm services network, has bought 19 per cent of Perth-based broadband services provider Amcom Telecommunications for $5.5 million. ...... FULL STORY
16 Oct 2003 | Try GMOs, organic farmers told
CSIRO Plant Industry's deputy chief Dr Nigel Scott told a recent conference of organic farmers that they should embrace genetically modified organisms as a way to grow better crops without chemicals. ...... FULL STORY
16 Oct 2003 | Dairy Farmers' increased pay rate 'helped farmers survive drought'
In the 2002-2003 financial year, Dairy Farmers paid an additional $30.1 million to its farmer/shareholders compared with its competitors "to help them survive the drought". ...... FULL STORY
15 Oct 2003 | Vic animal laws shock
The Victorian Agriculture Minister, Bob Cameron, will be granted sweeping new powers under animal welfare legislation to be introduced into parliament this week. ...... FULL STORY
15 Oct 2003 | Big chill slashes apricot, grape crops
A severe frost hit areas of south-east Australia on September 28, with a chill following the next day. Goulburn Valley orchardists have lost $10-$12 million, about 16 per cent of turnover. ...... FULL STORY
15 Oct 2003 | Vic dairies face new food safety audit
A new method of auditing Victorian dairy farms for food safety will come into force on December 1, 2003. ...... FULL STORY
15 Oct 2003 | Beef fund cut chews up exports
A review by the Cattle Council of Australia has found that Meat and Livestock Australia marketing funds are "under significant pressure", which could have long-term ramifications for market share in the domestic and export markets. ...... FULL STORY
15 Oct 2003 | Farmers' green role still attracts critics
The National Farmers' Federation conducted a survey of farmers' "green" credentials between April and June 2003. ...... FULL STORY
14 Oct 2003 | Wheat farmers hit by price cut
AWB Ltd has cut its estimated pool return for this year's harvest by $7.25 a tonne to $228.25 a tonne for Australian prime hard wheat. ...... FULL STORY
14 Oct 2003 | Wool growers may demand compo if Cormo comes home
Australian wool growers could sue the Federal Government if the sheep stranded on board the MV Cormo Express are brought back home. ...... FULL STORY
14 Oct 2003 | 'Make or break' month for drought in NSW
October is the "make or break" month for farmers, the New South Wales Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Ian Macdonald says. ...... FULL STORY
14 Oct 2003 | Plan to extend daylight saving in Vic
A plan to extend the hours of daylight saving in October has been put forward by a country Labor MP, Ballarat-based Geoff Howard, who has written to the Premier suggesting an extra month of evening daylight. ...... FULL STORY
14 Oct 2003 | Green thumbs down on imports
Exotic plants and weeds with the potential to devastate bushland are being imported due to a loophole that exempts up to 25,000 foreign plants from quarantine screening. ...... FULL STORY
13 Oct 2003 | Sheep stuck in Kuwait
The boatload of 50,000-plus sheep onboard MV Cormo Express is stuck in Kuwait, where it is experiencing problems in loading about 500 tonnes of fodder. ...... FULL STORY
13 Oct 2003 | Anderson backs full sale of Telstra
The Nationals' leader John Anderson expressed his support for the full privatisation of Telstra at the party's federal conference in Canberra yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
13 Oct 2003 | Woolies boss to meet dairy farmers
Woolworths' CEO Roger Corbett will meet with Queensland dairy farmers next month to listen to their concerns about milk prices. ...... FULL STORY
13 Oct 2003 | Speck's spot-on performance at Qld sheepdog trials
John Wightman and his border collie Toolangie Speck won the state title at the Queensland Sheep Dog Trial at Clifton on the Darling Downs yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
13 Oct 2003 | Forestry faces growing plantation problem
Australia's multi-billion-dollar native hardwood forestry industry is facing severe problems if it has to rely on plantation timber, according to a report by Finnish consultants Jaakko Poyry. ...... FULL STORY
10 Oct 2003 | Nuffield farming scholarship winners announced
The 2003 Nuffield farming scholarships were announced in early October, with a record 11 Australian recipients named - one more than in 2002. ...... FULL STORY
10 Oct 2003 | New food to be all Greek to consumers
Queensland olive producer Adam Moller believes his kalamata olives should bear the name of the region from which the variety originated. ...... FULL STORY
10 Oct 2003 | Rural phone services must match city: NFF
The National Farmers' Federation has reiterated its policy stance by stating that it won't consider supporting the full privatisation of Telstra until rural telecommunications services are on a par with those in metropolitan areas. ...... FULL STORY
10 Oct 2003 | Killing sheep at sea not in Howard's plan
The Prime Minister said on October 9 that the Government does not intend to slaughter the 50,000-plus sheep on board the MV Cormo Express at sea, but remains committed to bringing them back to Australia. ...... FULL STORY
10 Oct 2003 | Black point wheat alert in WA
Some wheat varieties grown in Western Australia may be at risk of black point due to rain during grain ripening. ...... FULL STORY
9 Oct 2003 | Report predicts organics boom
A new report says wine, dairy and fruit juice will be the boom sectors for organic agriculture. ...... FULL STORY
9 Oct 2003 | Croc farmers put bite on world markets
Crocodile farming is becoming a commercially viable venture, with Queensland providing almost half of Australia's annual export product. ...... FULL STORY
9 Oct 2003 | Frost bites into wine grape yields
Two severe frosts have cut yields by up to 30,000 tonnes in one of Australia's largest wine grape regions, costing Riverina grape growers tens of millions of dollars. ...... FULL STORY
9 Oct 2003 | Price rise fears as dairy heifer exports surge
The impact of the surging heifer export market on domestic dairy prices is likely to become clearer as farmers begin to restock. ...... FULL STORY
9 Oct 2003 | Farm crime hits $63m
A new study of farms' experience of crime, released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, found that more than 25 per cent of the respondents had been hit by property crime, with an estimated cost of $63 million in one year. ...... FULL STORY
8 Oct 2003 | Sheep may be slaughtered on island
The Federal Government has confirmed that MV Cormo Express's boatload of 52,000 sheep may be offloaded and slaughtered on the Cocos Islands or Christmas Island. ...... FULL STORY
8 Oct 2003 | Yes to new GM canola
Monsanto has gained initial approval for its Roundup Ready genetically modified canola variety. ...... FULL STORY
8 Oct 2003 | Vic farm deaths inquiry
Victoria's Rural and Regional Services and Development Committee will undertake an inquiry into the causes of farm deaths and injuries. ...... FULL STORY
8 Oct 2003 | MLA assurance program is ready to go
Meat and Livestock Australia hopes to begin its Livestock Production Assurance program in March 2004. ...... FULL STORY
8 Oct 2003 | South-west Vic set to be dairy export powerhouse
New research from the Southwest Victorian Dairy Industry Project indicates that the region is set to become a dairy powerhouse, with exports likely to exceed $1 billion in the 2003-2004 financial year. ...... FULL STORY
7 Oct 2003 | Taiwan to buy more beef, sugar
Australian beef producers will get significantly increased access to the Taiwanese market from 2004, following tariff concessions announced on October 6. ...... FULL STORY
7 Oct 2003 | Farmers face fall in sugar incomes
The current sugar cane harvest will lead to a further 15 per cent fall in Queensland farmers' incomes, according to research by the Department of Primary Industries. ...... FULL STORY
7 Oct 2003 | Rainfall eases growers' fears on Murray
It's likely that River Murray irrigators will win back more water for the summer irrigation season. ...... FULL STORY
7 Oct 2003 | Fares receivership threat
Futuris Corporation is on the point of putting livestock exporter Fares Group's Australian operations into receivership. ...... FULL STORY
7 Oct 2003 | Sheep ship fire delays supplies
A fire on board the MV Cormo Express has delayed plans for its 53,000 sheep. ...... FULL STORY
3 Oct 2003 | Invisible waterlogging steals yields
Subterranean waterlogging of high rainfall farmlands could be a major cause of crop yield losses, according to research being carried out by CSIRO and the Grains Research Development Corporation. ...... FULL STORY
3 Oct 2003 | FMD future: vaccines or funeral pyres?
An international science team is seeking funding to develop a more effective foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine and better diagnostic tests that would enable livestock disease control agencies to isolate and eventually eliminate the disease. ...... FULL STORY
3 Oct 2003 | Telstra offers vote on ADSL rollout to bush
Telstra says about 25 per cent of Australians in the bush still don't have access to its Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) broadband network, with some 4,000 exchanges not yet enabled. ...... FULL STORY
3 Oct 2003 | Milking lupins for profits
New lupin species have the potential to regenerate the lupin industry, and a number of alternative varieties are currently being researched. ...... FULL STORY
3 Oct 2003 | 'Brain drain' hitting bush
Regional Australia will suffer a shortage of leadership unless governments act to overcome barriers to business development, according to Dr John Keniry, chairman of a panel that produced an analysis for the Federal Government. ...... FULL STORY
2 Oct 2003 | Geelong wool plant closure ends lockout
German firm Bremer Woll-Kammerei, the world's second largest wool processing company, has ended the five-month lockout at Geelong Wool Combing in Lara, Victoria, by announcing the plant will close next week. ...... FULL STORY
2 Oct 2003 | Aussie wines boost trade figures
New figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade show that the EU is Australia's most important trading partner, with trade between the two countries up seven per cent to $44.2 billion. ...... FULL STORY
2 Oct 2003 | GrainCorp confirms winter crop forecast
GrainCorp Ltd today confirmed its most recent forecast for winter crops, saying it expects to receive 11.1 million tonnes of grain. ...... FULL STORY
2 Oct 2003 | Nationals push for Telstra funds for bush
National Party branches from NSW, Victoria, SA and WA say they won't support any further sale of Telstra until "a minimum" of $5 billion from the sale is set aside for infrastructure and environment projects in rural and regional areas. ...... FULL STORY
2 Oct 2003 | Vets urge slaughter of ship sheep to avoid disease
Former leading veterinary officers are urging the Federal Government to order the slaughter of the 50,000-plus sheep stranded on the Cormo Express in the Middle East. ...... FULL STORY
1 Oct 2003 | Prodigal sheep may return
The Federal Government has indicated for the first time that the 50,000-plus sheep stranded at sea in the Middle East may return to Australia. ...... FULL STORY
1 Oct 2003 | AACo loses court bid on Stanbroke sale
Australian Agricultural Co's bid to stop the sale of the Stanbroke Pastoral Company was quashed by the Federal Court on September 30. ...... FULL STORY
1 Oct 2003 | Machinery spree as confidence soars
Farmers and contractors bought millions of dollars of new machinery at last week's Henty Machinery Field Days. ...... FULL STORY
1 Oct 2003 | Cows on spy-cam
Stuart Burns and his wife Pauline have introduced "cow reality television" to their Gainsborough dairy farm in Victoria. ...... FULL STORY
1 Oct 2003 | GM canola concerns 'false'
Dr Chris Preston, a program leader at the Co-operative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, says the risks of genetically modified canola have been exaggerated and there's no need for expensive testing processes. ...... FULL STORY
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