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30 Jun 2005 | Reviewers short-list regions eligible for more drought aid
The Government's independent drought aid adviser, the National Rural Advisory Council, is finalising recommendations after a month of site visits. ...... FULL STORY
30 Jun 2005 | Cheese bring a smile to dairy producers
In the nine months to March 2005, the value of dairy exports increased 14 per cent to $1.9 billion, according to Dairy Australia. ...... FULL STORY
30 Jun 2005 | El Nino weather threat recedes
The likelihood of an El Nino weather event developing in the Pacific Ocean this year has receded, the Bureau of Meteorology said. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2005 | Blueberry growers plan marketing levy
The blueberry industry wants to impose a levy on growers to fund research and development and promotion. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2005 | Fonterra eyes Dairy Farmers
New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra is rumoured to be planning an offer to buy some or all of the NSW cooperative Dairy Farmers, though Fonterra may wait until Dairy Farmers completes plant closures and cost cutting announced recently. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2005 | AWB seeks merger with Roberts
Speculation persists that AWB will seek to negotiate a merger with Tasmanian-based rural services provider Roberts. ...... FULL STORY
29 Jun 2005 | Plastic rather than electronic tags preferred for sheep ID
State governments and farming bodies are slowing a consensus over the national livestock identification system for sheep. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2005 | Beef exports enjoy quasi monopoly in Japanese market
Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries figures show that since Japan banned beef from Canada and the US in 2003 because of mad cow disease, Australia enjoyed a 91 per cent quasi-monopoly of the Japanese beef import market... ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2005 | Fleurieu farmers seek higher price for milk
Fleurieu Dairy Farmers Collective Bargaining Group met National Foods in Melbourne last week in the first step to gaining a higher price for its milk. ...... FULL STORY
28 Jun 2005 | Fodder in short supply
This demand for hay over the last two months has exposed a national lack of fodder supplies, according to the peak industry body, the Australian Fodder Industry Association. ...... FULL STORY
27 Jun 2005 | $25,000 charge to connect to Mallee pipeline
Farmers in north-western Victoria will pay one third of the cost of a $500 million Wimmera-Mallee pipeline. ...... FULL STORY
27 Jun 2005 | Drought breaking rain soaks most farming regions
For farmers across the agricultural belts of Australia, the recent rains - coming on the back of the driest autumn on record in Victoria and South Australia and the second driest in NSW - were the best break the eastern states had seen for a long time. ...... FULL STORY
27 Jun 2005 | ACID test on water reform
The Australian Council for Infrastructure Development chief Dennis O'Neill, said "there isn't a shortage of water in this country". ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2005 | Sugar price may lift as EU cuts subsidies
The European Union is expected to reduce subsidies on 5.2 million tonnes of sugar exports, equal to 12 per cent of all sugar traded globally. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2005 | Lettuce trade blown over by aphids
Lettuce growers in Victoria are unable to sell their produce interstate after an outbreak of aphids on crops. ...... FULL STORY
24 Jun 2005 | Funding found for Wimmera-Mallee pipeline
The federal and Victorian governments are set to announce a cost-sharing agreement for the Wimmera-Mallee pipeline, a project estimated to cost $501 million. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2005 | Fertiliser controls mandatory from next week
From July 1, fruit and vegetable growers face a mandatory licensing system when buying security sensitive ammonium nitrate fertilisers, as well as the responsibility of providing secure storage. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2005 | Help non-viable farmers leave the land
A study commissioned by the Queensland Government found the general community was more likely than farmers to support taxpayer assistance to farm businesses during droughts. ...... FULL STORY
23 Jun 2005 | Hay shortage sends price through $300/tonne
While the season has broken for many farmers, livestock producers fear it may be August before their stock will have enough pasture feed. ...... FULL STORY
22 Jun 2005 | White wine grape production surges
The Winemakers Federation of Australia said an increase in white wine grape production in this year's harvest may help wind back the wine industry's glut of red wine grapes. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2005 | Dampened Queensland shires remain drought declared
The recent rain in southern and central Queensland won’t cause the Queensland government to remove any shires from its drought-declared register. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2005 | Pear orchardists lead new fight over fire blight
Fruit growers are fighting a renewed push to drop an import ban on apples grown in New Zealand, claiming local pear orchards could be wiped out by fire blight disease prevalent in New Zealand. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2005 | Pigmeat import permits stand
The federal government said 83 permits to import pigmeat would stand, in spite of a Federal Court ruling that one other permit must be set aside. ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2005 | Rain messes with ABARE’s pessimism
Agribusiness analysts ProFarmer said the rain over the last two weeks was "the best break across the eastern seaboard this millennium". ...... FULL STORY
21 Jun 2005 | ABARE sticks to pessimistic crop forecasts
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics said it now forecast that farm incomes would fall from $35.9 billion this financial year to $34.3 billion in 2005/06. ...... FULL STORY
20 Jun 2005 | Bonlac dairy suppliers expect higher returns
The average dairy farmer supplying Bonlac could be about $9000 to $10,000 a year better off annually under the proposed take-over by Fonterra. ...... FULL STORY
20 Jun 2005 | Imported vegetables lower wholesale prices
Vegetables prices in Sydney fell by 16 per cent in the first quarter of this year despite the drought, with price pressure coming from imported vegetables. ...... FULL STORY
20 Jun 2005 | Widespread rain a surprise
Steady, soaking rain fell on western Queensland for the second time in less than a week, while good follow-up rains were also reported in several districts of western NSW. ...... FULL STORY
20 Jun 2005 | Cattle and lamb prices leap in line with the rain
Meat and Livestock Australia said last week’s rain had lifted cattle prices across the eastern states, with farmers no longer culling their herds and more buyers entering the market. ...... FULL STORY
20 Jun 2005 | Pork producers seek end to import permits
The pigmeat lobby, Australian Pork, said it would seek an injunction against the Department of Agriculture if the department fails to revoke all 84 permits for the import of pigmeat. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2005 | El Nino threat recedes
The chance of an El Nino warming of Pacific Ocean temperatures, and thus potentially a drought in Australia, have receded from a 60 per cent chance to a 25 per cent chance, according to the National Climate Centre. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2005 | Feds refuse to revoke pork import licences
The federal government said it would allow 83 two-year licences to import pork to operate until they expire next year. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2005 | Winter crop forecasts too grim
Australian Wheat Forecasters say the winter crop predictions of the government forecaster ABARE, are too glum. ...... FULL STORY
17 Jun 2005 | NFF takes stand against Telstra sale
The quality of telecommunications services in the bush remains sub-standard, and the federal government is dithering on recommendations from a key inquiry into service levels, a report by the National Farmers Federation claims. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2005 | Riverina rice co-op forced to buy foreign rice
Riverina rice miller SunRice will buy foreign grain to meet orders, most of which will be processed in Papua New Guinea, and in the Middle East. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2005 | Dairy Farmers lifts milk prices by more than five per cent
The Dairy Farmers Group will raise the price it pays to its milk suppliers by up to nine per cent for some farmers. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2005 | Wool prices take a tumble
The wool market benchmark indicator has hit a three-and-a-half year low, despite low production. ...... FULL STORY
16 Jun 2005 | Coke studies investment options for Shepparton cannery
Coca-Cola Amatil is considering a major upgrade for the SPC Ardmona fruit cannery in Shepparton. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2005 | Kiwis take apples ban to WTO
New Zealand’s government will take Australia to the World Trade Organisation over the ban on the import of Kiwi apples. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2005 | Riverland packing sheds declared free of fruit fly
Citrus growers delivering their product through 10 packing sheds in the Riverland district in South Australia have obtained easier access for exports to Japan. ...... FULL STORY
15 Jun 2005 | Cattle prices take off after Victorian rains
Rains in Victoria have pushed cattle prices higher and reined in the cost of hay. ...... FULL STORY
14 Jun 2005 | More Queensland shires deemed in drought
Queensland’s government added two more shires and one part shire in southern Queensland to the list of shires that are drought-declared. ...... FULL STORY
14 Jun 2005 | Fewer farms far more productive
National Australia Bank said Australia had lost 30,000 farms in the past 15 years, and that extrapolating this trend out to 2020 suggested there would be about 100,000 farms remaining in Australia. ...... FULL STORY
14 Jun 2005 | NFF finds Telstra failed to live up to promises in the bush
A National Farmers Federation taskforce report shows that rural phone repairs have not appreciably improved in the past five years. ...... FULL STORY
14 Jun 2005 | Weekend rains encouraging
The highest rainfall recorded in NSW over the weekend fell in the state's central, western and north-western areas, including the towns of Gunnedah, Gundagai, Narrabri and Tamworth. ...... FULL STORY
14 Jun 2005 | Milk processors close excess capacity
By addressing overcapacity and inefficiency that are the legacy of milk market regulation, dairy companies hope to create a leaner, more profitable industry with pricing power to stand up to the big retailers. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2005 | Farmers paid to use less water
Farmers may be paid to draw less water from six groundwater aquifers under the lower Murray, lower Gwydir, lower Macquarie, lower Lachlan, lower Murrumbidgee and upper and lower Namoi rivers. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2005 | Incomes rising for beef producers
The financial performance of Australia's beef farms has strengthened in the last year, thanks to strong demand from Japan and Korea... ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2005 | Potato growers spitting chips over fast food contract
McDonald's is looking to import half its potato supply from New Zealand. ...... FULL STORY
10 Jun 2005 | Automatic tariff increase likely for Aussie beef
Japan may impose a tariff on beef imports from Australia from August. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2005 | Cane growers resist long term contracts with Bundaberg Sugar
A dispute between farmers and mill operator Bundaberg Sugar may delay the sugar crush. Bundaberg Sugar wants growers around Innisfail, south of Cairns, to sign supply contracts for three years. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2005 | Processors squeezed by high price of milk
Dairy farmers may be receiving higher milk prices, but those costs will cut the profit of processor Warrnambool Cheese & Butter Factory by about 25 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2005 | Forced sales take the top off cattle prices
Livestock sales by drought-affected farmers have taken the top off cattle prices over the last month, offsetting the price support from supplying the demand from Japan. ...... FULL STORY
9 Jun 2005 | Roberts spurns offer from AWB
Tasmanian rural supplies company Roberts said it would not support an unsolicited takeover offer, worth $122 million, from AWB. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2005 | Fonterra buys rest of Bonlac
New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra will buy a Nestle dairy plant in Victoria and buy the 50 per cent of Bonlac Foods it does not already own. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2005 | Dairy farmers wary despite high prices
Research, development and marketing body Dairy Australia said producers were still in much better circumstances than during the 2002/03 drought and were experiencing the second highest milk prices on record. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2005 | Wetter West offset the dry in eastern Australia
The quarterly crop report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics estimates that winter crop production nationwide would fall by 17 per cent to 26.1 million tonnes. ...... FULL STORY
8 Jun 2005 | Victorian grain farmers more optimistic than ABARE
The Victorian Farmers Federation said it was premature for ABARE to talk about a 17 per cent drop in production in the state, with farmers hopeful rains would come this weekend. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2005 | Rising grain price a worry for dairy farmers
Most dairy farmers, unsurprisingly, are worried about profits and costs. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2005 | Western wheat belt offsets dry winter in eastern Australia
The Grains Council said the dry winter in eastern and southern Australia could cut the size of the region's winter crop by 85 per cent unless decent rains fall in the next two weeks. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2005 | No compensation for most Emerald orchardists
Agriculture authorities in Queensland will require growers to destroy all citrus orchards in the Emerald region in the state’s Central Highlands. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2005 | Long term cycle indicates many more dry seasons likely
Australia’s climate may be returning to the drier pattern that was dominant in the first half of the twentieth century. ...... FULL STORY
7 Jun 2005 | Sugar subsidies withheld
The federal government is withholding payments of subsidies on sugar cane production worth $1.20 a tonne, when cane costs more to produce than it is worth. ...... FULL STORY
6 Jun 2005 | Climate centre expects an even drier winter
The National Climate Centre's outlook says the winter is going to be drier and warmer over the next three months than earlier forecasts. ...... FULL STORY
6 Jun 2005 | Roberts walks away from Ruralco takeover
Tasmanian pastoral company Roberts Ltd walked away from merger talks with mainland country retailer Ruralco Holdings. ...... FULL STORY
6 Jun 2005 | Farm practices and not low rainfall will dictate survivors of the drought
Traditionally, rain has been the main barometer for judging farmers most at risk of going under during drought. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2005 | Industry infighting sours sugar reforms
Wrangling between the various sugar industry groups means the federal government is still to resolve how to allocate more than $300 million in assistance intended to force the departure of some cane farmers from the industry... ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2005 | One dairy farmer in seven wants to sell out
A survey by Dairy Australia's found that 15 per cent of farmers who produce about 10 per cent of the nation’s milk want to leave the industry, even though farm gate prices for milk are high. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2005 | Decision due on Kiwi apple entry
Biosecurity Australia said they expected a revised draft risk assessment of New Zealand apples to be completed in some months' time. ...... FULL STORY
3 Jun 2005 | Drought relief open to fraud
The federal government’s income support payments to farming families affected by the drought are open to fraud and abuse, a report by the Australian National Audit Office found. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2005 | May a hot and dry time in Victoria
The lowest rainfall recorded in Victoria in May was 1.2 millimetres at Ouyen, adjacent to the Mallee region in the state’s north-west. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2005 | Tax breaks drive agricultural investment boom
Managed agricultural projects expect to attract more than $1 billion in new investment this financial year. ...... FULL STORY
2 Jun 2005 | Berri pays more 10 per cent more for fruit
Fruit growers are reaping higher prices from the Berri fruit juice company. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2005 | Dry spell in Tasmania insufficient to qualify for drought aid
Farmers in Tasmania are unlikely to get any relief from a $250 million federal drought package. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2005 | Farming the most highly subsidised industry sector in Australia
Extended drought relief for farmers means the government is seeking to subsidise the more than 50 per cent of farms that produce less than 10 per cent of agricultural output. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2005 | Court rules in favour of pigmeat producers over imports
The Federal Court ruled that Biosecurity Australia failed to undertake adequate scientific research for its import risk analysis in relation to imported pig meat. ...... FULL STORY
1 Jun 2005 | Timber investment schemes close early
At least one timber investment scheme with tax advantages has already closed its prospectus one month before the end of the financial year. ...... FULL STORY
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