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31 Aug 2006 | Rabbit proof fence in decay
The Darling Downs Moreton Rabbit Board says it does not have the funds to rebuild the old parts of the 555km “rabbit proof fence”. ...... FULL STORY
31 Aug 2006 | Hume Dam dwindles following dry winter
Flows into the Murray River are at record lows, with its Hume Dam, which shares its water between Victoria and NSW, set to record its lowest-ever peak by a large margin. ...... FULL STORY
31 Aug 2006 | Goulburn Valley water destined for city use
The Victorian government proposes to construct a 110km pipeline across the Great Dividing Range to pump water from the Waranga Basin, in the Murray-Goulburn system near Shepparton, to serve urban demand in Ballarat. ...... FULL STORY
31 Aug 2006 | Banana prices in decline
The price of bananas have already dropped below $10 a kilogram in parts of Sydney and Melbourne. ...... FULL STORY
30 Aug 2006 | Abattoirs dress mutton as lamb
The three abattoirs, two in Victoria and one in NSW, were caught processing mutton as lamb. ...... FULL STORY
30 Aug 2006 | Wheat farmers face $400m compensation bill to AWB
The Wheat Export Authority said it was concerned about "undefined, uncapped and potentially significant" fees involved in a termination clause in an agreement between three related arms of the company, AWB (International), AWB (Services) and AWB Limited. ...... FULL STORY
30 Aug 2006 | Water prices up again
Water prices in northern Victoria hit $300 a megalitre last week on the back of Goulburn irrigators receiving an allocation of only seven per cent. ...... FULL STORY
30 Aug 2006 | Hobby farms displace dairy in Gippsland
Dairy country in South Gippsland may be carved up for hobby farms and rural lifestyle blocks. ...... FULL STORY
30 Aug 2006 | More farms in Queensland
Queensland recorded a slight increase in the number of farms in the 2004/05 financial year. ...... FULL STORY
29 Aug 2006 | Lack of rain makes farmers fret
Rabobank's rural confidence survey for the August quarter found 19 per cent of farmers expected the agricultural economy to improve over the next year, down from 20 per cent in the May quarter. ...... FULL STORY
29 Aug 2006 | Landmark buys rural loans from Adelaide Bank
AWB continues to grow its niche financial services business. ...... FULL STORY
29 Aug 2006 | Plans to sweeten lupins crop
Growers of albus lupins may be able to reduce the incidence of bitterness in the aggregate crop if all farmers embrace bitterness-free varieties that will be commercially available from next year. ...... FULL STORY
29 Aug 2006 | Think tank seeks subsidy to preserve native vegetation
The Southern Cross Group proposes that farmers and graziers would be paid by the taxpayer to manage native forests on their land. ...... FULL STORY
28 Aug 2006 | Grower loyalty to AWB on the wane
AWB says its polling shows about 80 per cent of growers still support the single desk system for exporting wheat. ...... FULL STORY
28 Aug 2006 | Warmer than usual spring expected
There is a moderate to strong shift in the odds towards above normal daytime temperatures for spring over large parts of northern, southwest and south-eastern Australia. ...... FULL STORY
28 Aug 2006 | Kiwi dairy farmers driving up land prices
New Zealand dairy farmers rather than promoters of managed investment schemes are the most pervasive factor driving up prices for prime rural land at present. ...... FULL STORY
25 Aug 2006 | Margins cut at Warrnambool Butter
The Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory said milk intake increased by six per cent in 2005/06 with the dairy now taking milk from more than 600 farmers. ...... FULL STORY
25 Aug 2006 | FNQ farms still seeking help cleaning up after cyclone
Operation Farm Clear, a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, the Department of Employment and Training and industry, said 250 far north Queensland farms affected by Cyclone Larry received assistance in clearing the mess. ...... FULL STORY
25 Aug 2006 | Upper Lockyer farmers may be paid not to farm
Queensland’s government has flagged that fruit and vegie farmers in the upper Lockyer Valley may also have to be paid to freeze production if the drought continues. ...... FULL STORY
25 Aug 2006 | Little point lining irrigation channels
The Productivity Commission said there was little merit in lining irrigation channels to save surface water, the technique offered little benefit since ground water supplies were reduced. ...... FULL STORY
24 Aug 2006 | Most weeds resistant to herbicides
Research cooperative Australian Weed Management said 18 of the country's 20 major agricultural weeds were now resistant to herbicides. ...... FULL STORY
24 Aug 2006 | Campaspe system almost dry
Water levels in the Campaspe and Loddon water system in northern Victoria have a five in 10 chance of falling from their current storage level of four per cent and a three in 10 chance of rising to 22 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
24 Aug 2006 | Riverina water prices spike
Water prices peaked at $180 a megalitre on the NSW Murray Irrigation water exchange last week. ...... FULL STORY
24 Aug 2006 | Wool and prime lamb production in decline
A survey by Meat and Livestock Australia found the rate of Merino ewes rejoined to Merino rams fell this year to 61 per cent, under the level of 65 per cent required to sustain both prime lamb and wool production. ...... FULL STORY
24 Aug 2006 | NSW Farmers wants $5m fighting fund
The NSW Farmers' Association wants farmers to fund a campaign to “inform NSW voters about the red tape and regulations stifling our business … " ...... FULL STORY
23 Aug 2006 | DAFF offers aid on market access
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said it would provide more advice on market access issues, with the advice focussing on negotiating quarantine restrictions. ...... FULL STORY
23 Aug 2006 | Brisbane Valley farmers stranded
Irrigation water will be cut off to scores of Brisbane Valley farmers in coming weeks. ...... FULL STORY
23 Aug 2006 | Demand for island harvesters doubted
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations said there was no evidence of a harvest labour shortage. ...... FULL STORY
22 Aug 2006 | Chance of El Nino pattern warms up
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting neutral conditions for the return of El Nino, but University of Newcastle research suggests the chances of the pattern re-emerging by the end of this year are much greater. ...... FULL STORY
22 Aug 2006 | Minor grants paid in dry WA
The Western Australian government said the 2006 Dry Season Assistance Scheme would enable farmers in drought declared areas to apply for a $7,500 grant. ...... FULL STORY
22 Aug 2006 | Plantings offset greenhouse gases from agriculture
The National Farmers Federation said net carbon emissions from the joint agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors have fallen by around 40 per cent since 1990. ...... FULL STORY
21 Aug 2006 | NSW farm values doubled over four years
Land values for most classes of rural property had at least doubled since 2002 in northern and western New South Wales, according to Meares & Associates. ...... FULL STORY
21 Aug 2006 | Yields decline for dairy farms
Dairy Australia estimates that milk production will grow by about one per cent this year to 10.2 billion litres. ...... FULL STORY
21 Aug 2006 | FNQ bananas ripening
Banana farmers in north Queensland fear a labour shortage as they prepare to harvest the first crop since Cyclone Larry devastated most farms in February. ...... FULL STORY
21 Aug 2006 | Mango harvest starts early
The Australian Mango Industry Association chairman Joe Moro said while most trees had not yet finished flowering, more than seven million trays were expected this summer. ...... FULL STORY
21 Aug 2006 | Gate closed on Mitchell River dam
The Victorian Parliament will vote on legislation this week to extend and strengthen a ban on new dams in the state's heritage river areas, including the Mitchell River in Gippsland. ...... FULL STORY
18 Aug 2006 | NZ stone fruit cleared to export to WA
New Zealand stone fruit farmers have been cleared to import their produce into Western Australia. ...... FULL STORY
18 Aug 2006 | Kiwi apple ban remains
Apple growers in New Zealand expect Biosecurity Australia will contiue to deny access to kiwi apples. ...... FULL STORY
18 Aug 2006 | Telstra line rentals may rise
Regional households and businesses would pay higher line rentals for fixed line home phones under recommendations to the federal government. ...... FULL STORY
17 Aug 2006 | Urban water demand will limit farm exports
The International Water Management Institute advocated that Australia scale back on food exports, and in particular export of beef and wheat, and reallocate water for urban use, where users would pay more for their water. ...... FULL STORY
17 Aug 2006 | BP doubles ethanol supply
BP said it expected supply of the e10 ethanol blend of petrol to double to 15 million litres in Queensland over the next year. ...... FULL STORY
16 Aug 2006 | Tight controls on common farm chemicals
Farmers will have to undergo police and ASIO checks to buy common chemicals under draft government plans. ...... FULL STORY
16 Aug 2006 | Councils now responsible for roadside weeds
Farmers in Victoria no longer have the responsibility for controlling roadside weeds. ...... FULL STORY
16 Aug 2006 | Lake Eildon catchment bone dry
Goulburn Murray Water authority said irrigators in the Goulburn system could gain access to only seven per cent of their water rights this season. ...... FULL STORY
16 Aug 2006 | Elders Rural Bank hires Hutchinson
Elders Rural Bank said it appointed Paul Hutchinson as chief executive. ...... FULL STORY
15 Aug 2006 | World Bank pushes for seasonal farm workers from Pacific islands
The World Bank proposed in a report that unskilled Pacific island guest workers to be allowed to come to Australia to do seasonal jobs. ...... FULL STORY
15 Aug 2006 | Horticulture crying out for labour
The National Farmers Federation said the most serious labour shortage was in horticulture, which includes fruit and vegetable growers. ...... FULL STORY
15 Aug 2006 | Cowra abattoir closes
The owners of Cowra abattoir shut the facility, laid off 200 staff and appointed voluntary administrators. ...... FULL STORY
15 Aug 2006 | Feds subsidise conversion to alternative fuels
The federal government said it would pay a subsidy of $1,000 toward the cost of a factory-fitted LPG powered vehicle. ...... FULL STORY
14 Aug 2006 | Irrigators face more water cuts in Murray Darling basin
The Murray-Darling Basin Commission said that just 130 gigalitres flowed into the Murray-Darling river system during last month, the lowest mark since records began in 1891, and less than 10 per cent of the long-term average for July of 1400GL. ...... FULL STORY
11 Aug 2006 | Beef oversupply hold backs AACo
Australian Agricultural Company said an oversupply of cattle contributed to a fall in profit in the first half of the year. ...... FULL STORY
11 Aug 2006 | Check into phantom cattle on NLIS
DAFF will oversight an independent audit of the National Livestock Identification System database. ...... FULL STORY
10 Aug 2006 | Food or fuel a farmer’s choice
Australia's wheat crop fed 80 million people a year, equivalent to the world's annual population growth, the Australian Agriculture conference in Sydney heard. ...... FULL STORY
10 Aug 2006 | European biodiesel plants buying more canola
Canola prices in Australia were well above world parity due to European biodiesel manufacturers seeking extra supplies. ...... FULL STORY
10 Aug 2006 | Apples crack Japanese market
All varieties of Tasmanian apples will head to Japan next year for the first time following the negotiation of a new trade agreement. ...... FULL STORY
10 Aug 2006 | Balancing water rights
Water trading between urban and regional areas was one goal of national water policy, parliamentary secretary Malcolm Turnbull said. ...... FULL STORY
9 Aug 2006 | Subsidies likely for LPG conversion
The federal government is considering subsidies of $1000 to convert motor cars to liquefied petroleum gas as a replacement to petrol. ...... FULL STORY
9 Aug 2006 | Sown to the centimetre
Farmers use the global positioning system to plough, seed and harvest their crops with breathtaking accuracy. ...... FULL STORY
9 Aug 2006 | Grain farmers prefer to manage price risk themselves
National Australia Bank agribusiness specialists told the Agriculture Australia conference that wheat growers were increasingly taking on price risk themselves, rather than leaving it to grain handlers and marketers who buy the wheat. ...... FULL STORY
8 Aug 2006 | WA wheat farmers sue AWB
The Pastoralists and Graziers Association in Western Australia is leading an action by 600 wheat farmers that alleges AWB inflated profits from wheat sales in order to pay executives higher bonuses. ...... FULL STORY
8 Aug 2006 | Values rise for urban fringe farmland
Farmers within Melbourne’s urban growth boundary are receiving prices for land from industrial developers as much as four times more than for agricultural land five kilometres away. ...... FULL STORY
8 Aug 2006 | Banana crop ripening
The north Queensland banana crop should start to ripen within weeks, only six months after Cyclone Larry devastated the bulk of the nation’s supply of the fruit. ...... FULL STORY
8 Aug 2006 | Incentives but no compulsion for biofuel
The federal government will not mandate the sale of ethanol-blended petrol, resisting lobbying to do so. ...... FULL STORY
8 Aug 2006 | Debilitating calf disease rising in southern NSW
Cattle producers in Southern NSW are reporting significant calving losses due to the debilitating and deadly acorn calf disease. ...... FULL STORY
7 Aug 2006 | Telstra plans fewer public phones
Telstra will remove 4000 pay phones in New South Wales and Queensland over the next six months. ...... FULL STORY
7 Aug 2006 | Woody weeds damaging western division
Government policies restricting land clearing by farmers in western New South Wales may be causing serious environmental damage. ...... FULL STORY
7 Aug 2006 | Most farmers less optimistic
The latest agribusiness survey by the National Australia Bank shows that farmers in the beef, dairy, wheat, sugar and cotton sectors are less positive about the future. ...... FULL STORY
7 Aug 2006 | Riverina citrus cleared for US market
Citrus producers in the Riverina region will be able to resume exports to the United States under conditions that recognise the absence of fruit fly. ...... FULL STORY
7 Aug 2006 | US farmers control Iraq grain imports
US farmers are now supplying 72 per cent of Iraq’s wheat imports, a trade formerly dominated by the Australian Wheat Board. ...... FULL STORY
4 Aug 2006 | Standover racket alleged in Goulburn Valley
Police in Victoria claim an extortion and standover ring is operating in the fruit industry in the Goulburn Valley. ...... FULL STORY
4 Aug 2006 | Wage subsidies extended in FNQ
Farmers and business in the Innisfail region in far north Queensland may qualify for wage subsidies for 26 weeks, up from 13 weeks. ...... FULL STORY
4 Aug 2006 | Tardy insurers strand Larry victims
Suncorp, and other insurance companies, have been surprisingly tardy in resolving claims from Cyclone Larry. ...... FULL STORY
4 Aug 2006 | Rate rise a lesser cost evil for farmers
The latest interest rate rise will ratchet up input costs another notch and lift overall rural debt by up to $80 million, according to the National Farmers Federation. ...... FULL STORY
4 Aug 2006 | Organics demand rising fast
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation said organics was one of the fastest growing sectors in the food industry overall, experiencing double digit growth in most developed markets... ...... FULL STORY
3 Aug 2006 | Goulburn dairy farmers set for bonus
Dairy cooperative Murray Goulburn said it would pay farmers an extra three cents a kilogram for butterfat and an extra eight cents a kilogram for protein. ...... FULL STORY
3 Aug 2006 | AWI and AWS agree on merger
Australian Wool Innovation and Australian Wool Services, which owns Woolmark, signed a memorandum of understanding to merge last week after 18 months of talks. ...... FULL STORY
3 Aug 2006 | Three secure licences for canola exports
The Grains Licensing Authority in Western Australia said it granted three canola licences totalling 75,000 tonnes for this season. ...... FULL STORY
3 Aug 2006 | Wheat growers fear AWB will cut returns
The Grains Council of Australia want AWB to guarantee the price paid for their wheat will not be cut to cover the company's huge expenses for the Iraq kickbacks scandal. ...... FULL STORY
2 Aug 2006 | Police investigate poisoned crops
Seven millions of dollars worth of fruit and vegetables in the Bowen region have been destroyed after being poisoned apparently by a contaminated water tanker which was used to water crops. ...... FULL STORY
2 Aug 2006 | Sugar debts down
Debt in the sugar industry is down 24 per cent since 2003 to $800 million collectively according to the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority. ...... FULL STORY
2 Aug 2006 | Elders adds new rural customers
Elders Rural Bank yesterday said that it believes it accounts for eight per cent of rural bank lending in Australia, with loans under management of $2.3 billion. ...... FULL STORY
1 Aug 2006 | Free range egg substitution racket exposed
The Australian Egg Corporation said that only 79 of its more than 400 members had been granted licences under the Egg Corp Assured auditing system, a system set up by the industry two years ago. ...... FULL STORY
1 Aug 2006 | Meat industry accused of visa abuse
Some employers in the meat industry are exploiting foreign workers brought into Australia on temporary visas, the immigration department says. ...... FULL STORY
1 Aug 2006 | Norco in production for Brisbane market
Norco, a Lismore-based co-operative owned by 200 dairy farmers, is already planning to launch into the Brisbane and Sunshine Coast markets after completing its acquisition of Parmalat Australia's half-share in the Norco Pauls Milk joint venture. ...... FULL STORY
1 Aug 2006 | Farmers freed to remove native vegetation
The South Australian government will now allow farmers to remove native vegetation that is more than five years old. ...... FULL STORY
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