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31 May 2006 | Foreign investment capped on Snowy Hydro
Foreign investment in Snowy Hydro will be capped at 35 per cent and no single foreign investor will be able to own a stake of more than 15 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
31 May 2006 | Tax time stimulates agribusiness investment
The approaching end of the financial year is generating strong investment flows into tax-advantaged agribusiness schemes. ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2006 | Warm winter delays winter crop
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics is delaying finalising its winter crop forecasts, due for publication on June 20, in the hope that sufficient rain will fall in the critical planting window over the next five weeks. ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2006 | ABB content with barley outlook
Australia's biggest exporter of barley, ABB Grain said grain receivals for the 2005/06 season were 6.6 million tonnes, compared to last year's receivals of 4.2 million tonnes. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2006 | Dry winter expected in southern Australia
The weather bureau's latest seasonal forecast predicts warmer than average winter days for all of Australia south of the Tropic of Capricorn. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2006 | 600 Riverland grape growers left without an income
Wine grape growers in South Australia's Riverland are pushing for payments to help growers through the grape glut, and the power to collectively bargain for reasonable prices from wine companies. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2006 | AWB may have paid kickback over Indian wheat sale
Federal Police may be asked to investigate the second emerging AWB kickback for wheat exports, involving a $3.3 million payment to an account in the Cayman Islands tax haven as part of a wheat sale to India. ...... FULL STORY
29 May 2006 | AACo buys two more NT cattle stations
Australian Agricultural Co agreed to buy two cattle stations from Heytesbury for $97 million. ...... FULL STORY
26 May 2006 | AWB lifts estimate of pool returns
AWB said it lifted the estimated pool price for major wheat types to a range of between US$210 to US$220 a tonne for Australian premium wheat, and retained the estimate of between US$220 and US$230 a tonne for durum wheat. ...... FULL STORY
26 May 2006 | Wheat Australia may buy grain offshore
Iraq’s grain board said it finalised contracts over the weekend for the purchase of wheat from Australia, even though the Australian government thought the contract was lost. ...... FULL STORY
26 May 2006 | Fewer farmers hold concessional deposits
Fewer farmers hold farm management deposits, and there is a continuing pattern of net withdrawals, according to data compiled by the Department of Agriculture. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2006 | Sugar tax collections exceed industry subsidies
The federal government collected almost $59 million from its controversial sugar tax and expects to pocket an extra $35 million before the impost ends next year. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2006 | Feds help fund Meander Dam
The Australian Government said it would contribute $2.1 million towards construction of the 43,000 megalitre Warner Creek Dam on Tasmania’s Meander River. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2006 | Australia free of BSE
The World Organisation for Animal Health named Australia as a country free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the so called 'mad cow' disease. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2006 | AWB will separate the single desk
Wheat exporter AWB said it would further separate the licence holder of the single desk - AWB International - from the manager, AWB Ltd, by accepting changes recommended after a review of the single desk system in 2004. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2006 | Don’t pull those vines
The Australian wine sector may face a shortage of grapes by 2010 even though it has a surplus now. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2006 | Rate reductions requires proof of farming
Benalla Rural City will require proof of Australian Tax Office primary producer status before granting landholders a reduced farm rate. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2006 | States compromise over interstate water trading
Interstate water trade may start later this year after New South Wales compromised on its internal exchange rate for converting "general security" water when an interstate buyer wants to turn it into "high security". ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2006 | Spuds go to waste in WA
Western Australia’s potato growers are feeding spuds to cows or ploughing them back into the ground. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2006 | NSW extends transport subsidies
The New South Wales Government said farmers in drought affected areas would receive a 50-per-cent subsidy on the cost of transporting food and water to stock, water for domestic use, stock to and from agistment, and stock to sale and slaughter. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2006 | CDMA network will be shut quickly
Telstra said it would maintain the CDMA telephone network used in regional Australia for only six months alongside the planned third generation system the company says will be operational in 2008. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2006 | Drought declarations growing when little else does
Dry conditions in parts of eastern Australia since summer are turning pastures to dust once again. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2006 | AWB embraces Fonterra brand for Landmark
Wheat exporter AWB and New Zealand dairy group Fonterra formed a partnership covering Australia and New Zealand. ...... FULL STORY
22 May 2006 | Reduced allocation sent outback fruit firm under water
A 67 per cent cut in water allocations explains the fall into receivership of Back O’Bourke Fruits. ...... FULL STORY
22 May 2006 | Iraq wheat sale falls through
The planned sale of $90 million in wheat to Iraq won’t go ahead. ...... FULL STORY
22 May 2006 | Roberts aims to be third force
The merger Roberts and Ruralco aim to become a third force to compete against Elders and Landmark in the rural supplies sector. ...... FULL STORY
19 May 2006 | Reduced access to irrigated water harmed northern Victorian dairy farms
Irrigated dairy farms in northern Victoria were well prepared for the recent drought, at least in terms of financial reserves and on-farm fodder stocks, according to a study by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics. ...... FULL STORY
19 May 2006 | Buying water from farmers the best way to revive river flows
The cheapest way to restore flow to the Murray River is to buy water from irrigators rather than investing in infrastructure, according to a report to the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council. ...... FULL STORY
19 May 2006 | Queensland broadacre farms most affected by last drought
A study by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics found that most broadacre and dairy farmers went into the recent drought with reasonable levels of financial reserves and on-farm stocks of fodder. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2006 | 30,000 extra farmers
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is expecting to find about 160,000 farm businesses in existence as a result of its five-yearly agricultural census next month, about 30,000 more than previous estimates. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2006 | Tasmania eases permit system for mainland cattle
Farmers in Tasmania importing cattle from the mainland will no longer require a special permit. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2006 | Tully growers advised to stagger banana planting
The Department of Primary Industries urged banana growers in the Tully region whose crops were devastated by Cyclone Larry to plan carefully their return to production to avoid gluts and subsequent low prices. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2006 | Wine crush lower but high quality
Wine producer Hardy Wine said the quality of this season’s vintage was excellent, even though the crush was down eight per cent on 2005. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2006 | Plantation hardwood growing strongly
Plantation eucalypts are progressively displacing native forest as a source of timber. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2006 | Water losses rife in Murray
Unregulated siphoning of water from the Murray River could be drawing off water equivalent to five times the proposed 500 billion litres governments and water users aim to restore to river flows by 2009. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2006 | Second review of plant seeds deemed weeds
Biosecurity Australia is undertaking a second review of the list of plant seeds permitted into Australia. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2006 | Dairy farmers free to resume collective bargaining
Dairy farmers will be able to bargain collectively once again with dairy processors. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2006 | Dumping duties reviewed on imported mushrooms
Dumping duties of 20 per cent on imported canned mushrooms may be reviewed, and removed, after an importer persuaded the federal government to order the Australian Customs Service to examine price dumping allegations again. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2006 | AWB diverts Indian wheat shipments
Wheat exporter AWB insisted that a 500,000-tonne contract with India was not on the verge of collapse despite it opting to divert two ships caught up in a new dispute over the contract to different buyers. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2006 | Growers change their mind over moving Melbourne Market
Growers say they will lobby alongside wholesalers and retailers in a last-ditch effort to fight the Melbourne wholesale market's planned move from Footscray to Epping.
...... FULL STORY
15 May 2006 | Trawler fishers face delayed rebate on fuel excise
Trawler fishers have threatened to quit the industry if the Australian Tax Office delays fuel tax refunds. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2006 | Oil companies free to own more service stations
The federal government introduced regulations that would lift controls on petrol retailing by oil companies. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2006 | High fertiliser prices limit winter crop plans
Growers are being very conservative in their purchase of fertiliser to support winter crop plantings. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2006 | Sawmills pay more for timber concessions
An auction by VicForests of native forest timber attracted bids at prices 43 per cent higher on average than the prices paid by timber mills under the prior licence system. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2006 | Sawmills pay more for timber concessions
An auction by VicForests of native forest timber attracted bids at prices 43 per cent higher on average than the prices paid by timber mills under the prior licence system. ...... FULL STORY
15 May 2006 | Murray in desperate need of extra flows
The Murray River is likely to need five times more water than promised under a national scheme just to maintain its current inadequate flows, according to a report to by the Murray Darling Basin Commission. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2006 | Wind farm projects dropped in Tasmania and SA
Wind farm developments in Tasmania and South Australia have been halted because the federal government will not increase incentives for energy retailers to invest in wind energy. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2006 | Wheat exports to India on hold
Wheat importers in India raised more quarantine concerns over a 400,000 tonne grain shipment from AWB. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2006 | Land-holders invited to protect old-growth forest
The minister for forestry, Eric Abetz, said the Forest Conservation Fund was seeking applications under which the government would provide funding and assistance to private land holders to conserve old growth forest in Tasmania. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2006 | More money for weeding
The minister for the environment, Eric Abetz said it would fund a further 40 projects under the "Defeating the Weed Menace" program. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2006 | Receiver appointed to Back O’Bourke Fruits
Back O'Bourke Fruits has been placed on the market by a receiver following severe drought in north-western NSW. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2006 | Reduction in wheat levy canned
Wheat growers will have to pay a higher levy to fund the Wheat Export Authority. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2006 | Rural price boom near peak
The surge in rural and regional property values may have peaked. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2006 | AACo sells FNQ property
Australian Agricultural Company will sell its Wrotham Park Station in far north Queensland. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2006 | More money for quarantine
Australia’s ability to respond to serious pest and disease emergencies has received a $16 million funding boost in the federal budget. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2006 | Key truck routes win safety upgrades
The federal government will provide additional funding of $2.3 billion to road and rail projects, increasing AusLink, the government's national land transport plan, to a $15 billion programme of investment by 2009. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2006 | WET rebate increased for wine prodcuers
The federal government said wine producers would be able to claim an increased maximum rebateable amount of $500,000 each financial year under the wine equalisation tax producer rebate scheme, with effect from 1 July 2006. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2006 | Funding for canker eradication
The federal government will provide an additional $4.3 million over four years (including $3.1 million in 2005/06) as a contribution to the cost of eradicating citrus canker in Queensland. ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2006 | More money to rehabilitate the Murray
The federal government will allocate an additional $500 million to accelerate projects intended to improve water flows and water quality in the Murray River, and help meet the target of increased flows of 500 gigalitres a year. ...... FULL STORY
9 May 2006 | PETA revives campaign against livestock exports
PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said it would resume a campaign today targeting Australia's livestock exports to the Middle East. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2006 | More water for Markaranka
The Murray River's Markaranka floodplain will receive one thousand million litres of water. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2006 | Revised marine parks spare scallop fishery
The final network of South East Region Marine Protected Areas reduces the impact on the fishing industry by more than 90 per
cent from the original proposal, while increasing the protected areas by over 20 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
8 May 2006 | Tomato virus not detected in Burdekin
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries said there had been no more detections of the virus in Bundaberg since surveillance was completed in the area two weeks ago. ...... FULL STORY
7 May 2006 | Dairy farmers outbid for Hunter Valley water
The cost of taking water from the Hunter River has more than doubled to more $2,500 a megalitre since deregulation of water trading in New South Wales two years ago. ...... FULL STORY
5 May 2006 | Dozens of depots close in Victoria’s wheat belt
GrainCorp will close 32 receival depots in Victoria. ...... FULL STORY
5 May 2006 | Lower cotton crop insufficient to meet export demand
Queensland Cotton said it would buy cotton from growers offshore in order to meet growing demand in international markets. ...... FULL STORY
5 May 2006 | Prices on the rise for dairy and juice
Food manufacturers are pushing price rises through to consumers in order to offset higher costs for distribution and packaging. ...... FULL STORY
5 May 2006 | Chardonnay prices fall below $150 a tonne
The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation has estimated this year's wine grape harvest will be about 1.9 million tonnes, just 1 per cent short of the record 2005 crop. ...... FULL STORY
4 May 2006 | Feds stick by single desk for wheat
The prime minister said the federal government would not drop the single desk system for managing wheat exports unless other countries open up their markets more. ...... FULL STORY
4 May 2006 | Wool marketers at odd over pension problem
Woolmark said its planned merger with industry research and development body Australian Wool Innovation would not go ahead if AWI had to take on Woolmark's British pension fund liability. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2006 | Agribusiness looking up
NAB’s latest quarterly survey highlights that agribusiness conditions rebounded strongly in the December quarter 2005, following a significant deterioration in conditions during the September 2005 quarter. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2006 | Outlook bright for beef
Rabobank said Australian beef export earnings were likely to rise this year and cattle prices remain at record levels. ...... FULL STORY
3 May 2006 | Murray Goulburn buys UHT producer
Murray Goulburn, Australia’s largest milk processor agreed to buy Tasmanian-based Classic Foods. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2006 | Demand for fertiliser falls
Fertiliser supplier Incitec Pivot said fertiliser sales over spring and summer were 10 per cent lower than the year before. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2006 | BHP and Orica seek buyers for fertiliser businesses
Farmers may be buying their fertiliser from different vendors, with two investors in the sector looking to sell. ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2006 | India says AWB wheat contaminated
Agricultural authorities at Chennai in India rejected a shipment of Australian wheat as "unfit for consumption". ...... FULL STORY
2 May 2006 | Farmers buying cheaper tractors
Tractor sales in the March 2006 quarter were just 1.3 per cent lower than for the same period in 2005. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2006 | Land under way in south-west WA
A minor rural land boom is underway in the south-west of Western Australia, with speculators buying land with proximity to residential areas in the hope of a rezoning. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2006 | More studies into GM crops
The federal government has announced funding for eight major studies to determine the future role of genetically modified crops in Australia. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2006 | Horticulture code considered by Cabinet
The draft code of conduct for suppliers and wholesalers in the horticulture industry is believed to be on the agenda of federal Cabinet this week. ...... FULL STORY
1 May 2006 | Most imported sawlogs classed as illegal
The amount of illegally logged timber products imported into Australia is the equivalent of the annual sawlog production of Victoria and Tasmania. ...... FULL STORY
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