|
|
|
30 Jun 2004 | Fears over ear-tag IDs to beef up disease response
Many NSW stock agents, farmers and meat processors fear tomorrow's introduction of the National Livestock Identification System for cattle will cost them a lot of money and bring chaos. ...... FULL STORY
30 Jun 2004 | Grape growers see red over wine prices
Sunraysia wine grape growers are angry about a price cut of $300 a tonne for their grapes this vintage. ...... FULL STORY
30 Jun 2004 | Prime lamb producers gain ground
Lamb producers' incomes remained buoyant during the drought and are set to rise, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics. ...... FULL STORY
30 Jun 2004 | VCAT flattens plantation project
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has rejected Willmott Forests' bid to establish a 450-hectare pine plantation in a remote area of East Gippsland. ...... FULL STORY
30 Jun 2004 | Dairy Farmers in major restructure plan
New South Wales co-operative Dairy Farmers will undergo a major restructuring, following an 85 per cent shareholder vote of approval. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2004 | Ernst & Young Weekly Food & Agribusiness Report
- News Highlights
- Wool
- Livestock
- Crops
- Cotton and Sugar
- Rural & Agribusiness Stocks
...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2004 | Farms' worst drought in 100 years
Australia's worst drought in a century devastated crops and livestock in South Australia in 2002-2003. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2004 | Kyneton's meatworks cuts 150 jobs
The Victorian town of Kyneton has been stunned by the loss of more than 150 jobs at its largest employer, Frews Meatworks. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2004 | AWB and GrainCorp create JV
AWB and GrainCorp have formed a joint venture to manage the logistics of exports from Australia's east coast. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2004 | Extra $1.4m for Vic drought fund
Country Victorians affected by the long drought will receive extra funds from the State Government, Premier Bracks has announced. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2004 | Dairy farmers milk it for all it's worth
A survey of Australia's dairy farmers has found that although the drought forced many into debt or out of the industry, 59 per cent plan to increase production in the next year, providing there is timely rain. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2004 | NT weed whacker cut
A Northern Territory Government program to help landowners fight the spread of the noxious weed mimosa pigra has been scrapped, due to allegations of improper use of the funds. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2004 | Chicken's $3.5bn import fear
The chicken meat industry fears it may be the next farm commodity to face potential damage through relaxed quarantine barriers. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2004 | Bushfire risk high across dry Qld
Sixty per cent of Queensland is at high risk from bushfires and grassfires, including most of the south-east corner, mainly due to dry undergrowth and record low rainfall. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2004 | Farmers celebrate water victory
The Federal Government has succeeded in getting the states to sign up to a landmark national water agreement. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2004 | Russians to emerge as wheat rivals
Australia's wheat industry may soon face competition in key Middle Eastern markets from Russia, according to ABARE. ...... FULL STORY
25 Jun 2004 | Record Qld rural debt 'shows confidence'
Queensland primary producers have been encouraged to borrow record amounts from financiers due to high commodity prices, low interest rates and an easing of drought conditions, the 2004 Rural Debt in Queensland survey shows. ...... FULL STORY
25 Jun 2004 | Sweet deal to boost region's stocks
Cows with a sweet tooth may hand out a lifeline to cane farmers hit by the 2003 closure of Nambour's Moreton Central Sugar Mill. ...... FULL STORY
25 Jun 2004 | WA wheatbelt plans for more rainy days
Most grain farmers in Western Australia's wheatbelt areas have been sowing their winter crops into damp fields over the past month. ...... FULL STORY
25 Jun 2004 | Low milk prices drain producers
The average price of milk has risen only slightly in the four years since dairy industry deregulation as consumers have turned to home-brand products. ...... FULL STORY
25 Jun 2004 | High hope for new tomato
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries is trialling a new tomato which is not only redder that the average tomato but contains three times the normal levels of the antioxidant lycopene, a cancer-fighting agent. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2004 | Dissenting report slams banana import decision
A previously suppressed report, by a member of the panel which recommended allowing Filipino banana imports, seriously questions the scientific evidence the panel relied on. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2004 | CSIRO's winds of change
A CSIRO research team has developed a vaccine that cuts methane emission in sheep by 8 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2004 | Beef industry reaches grading consensus
A breakthrough in negotiations within the Red Meat Advisory Council last week means the path is now clear for the red meat industry to move towards the introduction of a consumer-friendly beef labelling and grading system. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2004 | Ethanol will increase grain prices: ALFA
Lotfeeders still believe that Federal Government subsidies on ethanol production will inflate feed grain prices. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2004 | Environmental issues 'dominate' NFF
Peter Corish, president of the National Farmers' Federation, told attendees at the NFF's 25th anniversary dinner this week that environmental issues have dominated the organisation's priorities in recent times. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2004 | Lamb records smashed
Records were smashed again this week, with a pen of export lambs going for $192.10 at Bendigo, surpassing the previous record set at Ballarat last week by $21. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2004 | Yes to $100m deal for irrigators
The Victorian Water Minister has agreed to a $100 million deal with irrigators which will deliver 20 per cent of the Goulburn Murray sales pool to the environment. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2004 | Fruit growers take to the streets over fire blight
Up to 8,000 fruit growers protested in Shepparton yesterday against the importation of New Zealand apples into Australia. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2004 | Call for quarantine overhaul
Australia's quarantine regulations should be overhauled to discover the real risk of importing foods, Labor agriculture spokesman Gavan O'Connor has told the National Farmers' Federation. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2004 | Quarter of dairy farmers may quit
One quarter of Australia's dairy farmers could be forced to leave the industry due to the lingering impact of the drought. ...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | Ernst & Young Weekly Food & Agribusiness Report
- News Highlights
- Wool
- Livestock
- Crops
- Cotton and Sugar
- Rural & Agribusiness Stocks
...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | Weekly Cotton Market Report
- Weekly Market Summary
- Australian Dollar / Economic News
- Northern Hemisphere Crop News
- Southern Hemisphere Crop News
...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | Ethanol blueprint to boost sugar industry
All government cars in Queensland will use ethanol-based fuel under a new plan to boost the sugar industry announced by Premier Beattie. ...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | Welcome changes to wine tax
The Federal Government has backed down on some planned changes to the wine equalisation tax which would have affected large wineries with high cellar-door sales. ...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | RSPCA live sheep trade conflict
The RSPCA's WA branch is in turmoil after allegations it faces a conflict of interest over the live animal trade, as two of its members are involved in the live sheep trade. ...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | Superfine survival
Managing the volatility in wool prices holds the key to improving the bottom-line performance of superfine Merino enterprises, producers have been told at a Goulburn seminar. ...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2004 | Farm pain to drag on: forecaster
Australian mining exports are set to rise 19 per cent to a record $63 billion in 2004-2005, while farmers continue to struggle to overcome the impact of the drought, according to ABARE's latest quarterly outlook. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2004 | New beef quality gene marker identified
A CSIRO Livestock Industries team has discovered a new beef quality gene marker for marbling. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2004 | Bid for olive oil exchange
Olive oil marketer Piquant Blue is seeking to establish an Australian olive oil exchange. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2004 | Cash is in the sugar bag
Over the next few days, Australia's 6,000 sugar-cane farmers will receive taxpayer-funded cheques totalling $70 million, with each farmer getting an average $12,000 this week and the same amount next January. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2004 | Signal from bush: maintain the rail
The NSW Treasurer is under pressure to put more money into the state's country rail services after NSW Country Labor's conference passed a motion yesterday calling for the reinstatement of the Casino-to-Murwillumbah line. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2004 | SPC eyes Golden Circle's call for help
Golden Circle would be a logical fit with SPC Ardmona, SPC MD Nigel Garrard said yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
18 Jun 2004 | Processors chase the Coles milch cow
National Foods and its suppliers may have sewn up their three-year Woolworths house-brand milk deal but for Dairy Farmers and Parmalat the competition has intensified. ...... FULL STORY
18 Jun 2004 | Stock theft rises with meat cost
The rising price of meat is believed to be behind a growing incidence of stock thefts in South Australia's South-East. ...... FULL STORY
18 Jun 2004 | US favours sugar rivals
The US is set to throw open its borders to cane growers in major competitor countries, after refusing to allow imports of Australian sugar in the free trade agreement. ...... FULL STORY
18 Jun 2004 | Purebred dingoes 'a better option'
A University of NSW researcher says that it's in farmers' best interests to conserve pure-bred dingoes. ...... FULL STORY
18 Jun 2004 | It's a fertiliser squeeze
A severe fertiliser shortage has slowed an all-out effort by NSW farmers to finish sowing "make-or-break" Winter crops. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2004 | Rural Queensland 'dudded'
Rural Queensland says it has lost its voice in the Beattie Labor Government, following Tuesday's Budget announcement of big spending on infrastructure in the state's south-east. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2004 | Farm work's image muddied, talks told
Agricultural industries are having a problem recruiting young workers because of an image problem, the chairwoman of the Tasmanian Industry Advisory Group told a forum in Launceston yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2004 | Ban Filipino bananas: growers
A total ban on banana imports from the Philippines is the only way to stop exotic diseases entering Australia and decimating the local industry, says the Australian Banana Growers' Council. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2004 | Students get the hop on creeper
Victorian citrus growers got a helping hand last week in their battle against bridal creeper when students from five schools released thousands of leaf hoppers into creeper infestations. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2004 | AWH announces selling charges
Australian Wool Handlers has released the schedule of charges for its new wool auction system. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2004 | Fuel rebates widened
Farmers will benefit from the Federal Government's new energy and environment plan. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2004 | Wineries in a bunch of trouble
Up to half of Australia's 1,500 small wineries are at risk of financial extinction, according to a report by Deloitte and the Winemakers' Federation. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2004 | Record price for Ballarat lambs
A record price $171 was set yesterday at Ballarat for a pen of 45 extra-heavy, five-score lambs, weighing about 35kg. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2004 | Wanted: farmers to spend $21,000
Entries for 13 Nuffield travel scholarships for farmers, worth $21,000 each, close on June 25. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2004 | Drought loan idea canned
The Federal Government has rejected any move to use education HECS-style loans as part of its drought policy. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | OECD farm subsidies continue to grow
Australia is losing the battle to get market-distorting agricultural subsidies cut in the world's richest countries, according to a new OECD report. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | Beef exports surge following US mad-cow scare
Australian beef exports to Asia are continuing to increase in the wake of the BSE scare in the US last year. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | How sweet it is - cane that lights up your life
The Condong mill near Murwillumbah will crush another crop of Tweed Valley sugar cane next week, just as it has for over 100 years. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | Job axe alert: cost of end to clearfell
An economist said yesterday that an end to clearfelling in Tasmania's old-growth forests by 2010 would cost the state 1,345 jobs. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | PM's $1.5bn fuel tax giveaway
The Federal Government is set to release its energy statement today, which will include $1.5 billion in fuel tax breaks for farmers, rural businesses and mining companies. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | Growers start inquiry into selling wool better
Growers have started their own investigation into ways to lift demand for wool. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | Subsidy move sours olive harvest success
South Australia's biggest-ever olive harvest is coming to a close, with an estimated production of three million litres of oil worth up to $20 million. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | Nat Foods gets cream with Woolies milk
National Foods has retained its position as the supplier of Woolworths' house-brand fresh milk, winning a three-year contract to supply about 600 million litres. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | NSW calls on Qld to stop diverting water to cotton farmers
The New South Wales Natural Resources Minister met with graziers over the weekend to discuss water rights. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2004 | Pigs at number two in the bad five
Feral pigs are rated at No. 2 on Western Australia's list of animal and bird pests. ...... FULL STORY
11 Jun 2004 | NFF digs in on farm share for river flows
The National Farmers' Federation has warned it will reject a national deal on water rights unless governments share some costs of finding extra flows for the environment. ...... FULL STORY
11 Jun 2004 | Plant diseases deal done
After three years of negotiation, Australia's plant industries and governments have agreed to a new deal to share the costs of fighting pest and disease outbreaks. ...... FULL STORY
11 Jun 2004 | Funds to wipe out feral pigs
The Federal Government announced last week it will allocate $500,000 from the Natural Heritage Trust to target the wild pig problem. ...... FULL STORY
11 Jun 2004 | Dump site decision hypocritical, say growers
Sunraysia growers say the Victorian Government's decision to site a toxic dump in the district is hypocritical, given that the state Department of Primary Industries has just recently helped the region introduce an environmental code of best practice. ...... FULL STORY
11 Jun 2004 | 'High-vigour' wheat puts weeds in the shade
CSIRO is breeding new "high-vigour" wheats which grow so fast they can out-compete weeds while maintaining high yields. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2004 | ACCC offers chicken farmers poultry deal
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given Victoria's chicken farmers the power - temporarily - to enter into collective negotiations with the state's five poultry processors. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2004 | Quiet heroes need friends
The 2004 Alcoa Regional Achievers' Awards are now open for nominations. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2004 | Wheat outlook unchanged: AWB
AWB Ltd's MD Andrew Lindberg says he's still comfortable with profit forecasts and Winter wheat harvest estimates of between 21 to 24 million tonnes. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2004 | AWB overcharged us, say grain buyers
The dairy industry has accused AWB of making unfair profits by overcharging for grain during the drought. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2004 | Merger prompts farm rights plea
The proposed merger between the Wimmera Mallee rural and Grampians urban water authorities is concerning farmers, who fear they will be overlooked. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2004 | Farm safety campaign pulls on boots
A new farm safety campaign will be launched tomorrow which features country-based Australian Rules football. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2004 | Funding blueprint makes loan repayments a HECS on farmers
The university Higher Education Contributions Scheme should be adapted for farmers to repay drought-relief funding, says the architect of HECS, Bruce Chapman. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2004 | Upturn steers beef towards brighter future
The drought, falling prices and the strong $AUD have made life tough for livestock farmers in recent years. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2004 | Lambs break the magic 500c/kg barrier
Lamb prices are continuing their strong rise, passing the 500c/kg mark for the first time in 2004. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2004 | Farming's future lies outside the gate
Part-time farmers who earn a large part of their incomes off their farms are set to outnumber their full-time counterparts, according to the Australian Farm Institute. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2004 | Rejected wheat cleared of fungus
British tests have proved that a shipment of Australian wheat rejected by Pakistan was free of the fungal disease karnal bunt, AWB says. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2004 | CSIRO project on acute bovine liver disease
CSIRO Livestock Industries is undertaking a research project to determine the cause of a liver disease affecting dairy cattle in southern Australia. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2004 | Fencing fund anger; $4m fire aid bypasses farmers
Gippsland and north-east Victorian farmers rebuilding fences destroyed in last year's bushfires are being denied financial assistance by strict State Government rules. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2004 | Board named for grain merger
The soon-to-be-merged companies ABB Grain Ltd, AusBulk Ltd and United Grower Holdings have announced a board of directors for the new entity. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2004 | Rail boost will ease road jams
Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson unveiled his plan yesterday for the nation's roads and rail networks. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2004 | Parmalat pours out $166m Australian loss
Parmalat Australia's holding company, Parmalat Pacific Holdings, made a $165.8 million loss in the year ending December 31, due largely to payments made to its bankrupt Italian parent. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2004 | Sheep to shop in eight hours
To shear, spin and knit in under eight hours is the challenge - the international Back to Back Wool Challenge to be precise, in which teams have to to shear a sheep, spin the wool and knit a jumper in the quickest possible time. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2004 | NSW woolly jumpers a leap ahead of Qld cousins
NSW farmers are cashing in on rabbits bred for their superfine wool and nutritional meat, while in Queensland they could be fined up to $30,000 for keeping the animals. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2004 | AQIS spells out sheep export rules
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service has moved to clarify its new identification requirements for live sheep export rules. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2004 | Payback fear over quarantine move
Recent protests by pork, banana and apple producers over proposed changes to Australia's food import rules are worrying the dairy industry. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2004 | NSW slips back into drought
Latest figures show that 80 per cent of New South Wales has slipped back into drought. ...... FULL STORY
4 Jun 2004 | Wheat trade collapses in bad year for regional areas
Rural and regional Australia is continuing to struggle in terms of exports, new figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade show. ...... FULL STORY
4 Jun 2004 | Wine rebate may breach NZ trade deal
Senior trade officials said yesterday that the Government's Budget rebate for small wine producers was designed without regard to possible breaches of Australia's treaty obligations. ...... FULL STORY
4 Jun 2004 | Wine sales trickle off
Sales of wine in Australia fell 4.9 per cent in April to 34.4 million litres, and were 5 per cent down on the same period last year. ...... FULL STORY
4 Jun 2004 | Citrus windfall mixed news
It's a windfall for consumers, but for Queensland's citrus growers a bumper season doesn't necessarily convert into a healthy bottom line. ...... FULL STORY
4 Jun 2004 | Redundancy law critical for farmers
Legislation introduced by the Federal Government on May 26 to exempt small businesses from redundancy payments will protect their viability, says the National Farmers' Federation. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2004 | Mice reports warn of possible pest threat
WA's Agriculture Department has received reports of higher-than-normal activity by house mice in paddocks, suggesting a possible population build-up in the state's Wheatbelt areas. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2004 | Tougher live export rules
The Federal Government has moved to tighten up regulations for Australia's live animal export industry by introducing legislation into Parliament yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2004 | Stick to facts, CSIRO warned
Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has warned CSIRO that it must deliver sound science for national water reforms and not be influenced or driven by partisan environmental ideology. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2004 | Australia writes off Iraq debt
The Australian Government and the grains industry have agreed to forgive most of Iraq's $US500 million ($A704 million) debt to Australia. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2004 | Rift over pig legal fight
A conflict is brewing amongst livestock industries over the pork industry's legal bid to overturn new quarantine rules for pigmeat imports. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2004 | CWA voices protest over Vic dump
The Country Women's Association has joined the opposition to Victoria's new toxic waste dump site. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2004 | NSW trial for GM canola despite Monsanto pullout
The NSW Government has approved the first farm trials of GM canola, less than a month after Monsanto withdrew from Australian research trials. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2004 | Australia awaits BSE-free status
Australia is not yet formally recognised as being free of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), deputy chief veterinary officer Dr Bob Biddle told a Senate estimates committee last week. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2004 | Growers push to ban Kiwi fruit
Apple and pear growers protesting in Sydney against the import of New Zealand apples said they've been encouraged by the positive reactions of consumers on the issue. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2004 | Bumper harvest boosts AusBulk
AusBulk has posted a net profit of $31.8 million after tax for the six months to March 31, up 63 per cent on the same period in 2003. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Growers protest quarantine changes
Apple and pear growers will protest today in Sydney against new proposals to allow the importation of New Zealand apples infected with fire blight. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Bananas generate electric idea
Cash-strapped north Queensland farmers have unveiled their latest attempt to generate dollars: making electricity from discarded bananas. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Evidence in, foxes are in Tas in force
Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment says there's ample evidence to show the state has plenty of foxes. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Family unravels wool empire
One of Australia's oldest family businesses will be split into two. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Excess wine leads to bargains for consumers
Consumers are buying cleanskin wines at savings of up to 50 per cent, due to vineyards getting rid of excess stock to make room for this year's production. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Pessimism worsens in agricultural sector: survey
Australia's farmers are more pessimistic than they have been for two years, according to Rabobank's latest survey. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2004 | Traditionalists have a cow at the 'health milk' mania
Australians have embraced the "lighter milk" fad, rejecting full-cream milk. ...... FULL STORY
|
|
|
