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29 Sep 2006 | WA wheat crop stabilised
Wheat exporter AWB reduced its production forecast for 2006/07 by up to a third as drought conditions in three grain-growing states threaten to cut the national harvest to about half of average levels. ...... FULL STORY
29 Sep 2006 | Some financial help for Goulburn Valley orchardists
The Victorian government said it would provide up to $4.9 million in financial assistance for frost-affected stone fruit crops in the state’s north. ...... FULL STORY
29 Sep 2006 | A warm end to 2007
The weather bureau said there was a moderate to strong shift in the odds towards above normal daytime temperatures for the December quarter over much of the country. ...... FULL STORY
29 Sep 2006 | Security clearances needed for some fertilisers
The Federal Government prepares to restrict use of many farm chemicals and nitrate fertilisers as part of measures to counter criminal use. ...... FULL STORY
28 Sep 2006 | Half NSW winter crop likely to fail
The Department of Primary Industries reduced its forecast for winter crop production in the state to 2.5 million hectares from 4.5 million hectares. ...... FULL STORY
28 Sep 2006 | Irrigation supports one quarter of farm production
Irrigated farms generate one-quarter of the gross value of Australia's agricultural production, according to a joint report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Productivity Commission. ...... FULL STORY
28 Sep 2006 | Minority of irrigators trade in water rights
Irrigated farms of all sizes engaged in the trade of irrigation water, although water trading was not a frequent event for most farms according to a joint report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Productivity Commission. ...... FULL STORY
28 Sep 2006 | Australia seeks easier entry for farm produce in China
Australia will leave open for negotiation all tariffs and other restrictions on the trade in agricultural products with China. ...... FULL STORY
27 Sep 2006 | Feds set up Office of Water Resources
The federal government is talking up the merits of taking responsibility for management of interstate river systems. ...... FULL STORY
27 Sep 2006 | Mango growers expect a warm summer
The Ord Mango Growers Association said this year's crop looks to be very good quality at this stage and probably slightly larger than the average crop, but didn’t amplify the estimate. ...... FULL STORY
27 Sep 2006 | EC declaration likely for stone-fruit producers
The Victorian government is likely to provide “exceptional circumstances” assistance with costs shared with the federal government. ...... FULL STORY
27 Sep 2006 | 300,000 tonnes of fruit lost to frost
Fruit Growers Victoria said the impact of this week’s severe frost in the Goulburn Valley region would not be as bad as Cyclone Larry's impact on the banana industry earlier this year, because apricots could be imported to make up the shortfall. ...... FULL STORY
26 Sep 2006 | Higher grain prices offset by lower livestock prices in 2007
ABARE said the index of unit export returns for farm commodities was forecast to rise by 0.4 per cent in 2006-07, after a marginal decline in 2005-06. ...... FULL STORY
26 Sep 2006 | Vaile favours western option for inland rail link
The federal government is once again talking up the merits of an inland rail link between Melbourne and Brisbane. ...... FULL STORY
26 Sep 2006 | Frost kills many stone fruits in Goulburn Valley
Stone fruit growers in northern Victoria's Goulburn Valley said severe frost caused farm-gate losses expected to exceed $75 million. ...... FULL STORY
25 Sep 2006 | Wine and grain production to slump in SA
Private industry forecasts for the next wine grape harvest show production will fall by 400,000 to 600,000 tonnes unless significant rain falls soon. ...... FULL STORY
25 Sep 2006 | Meat prices rise as stock supply declines
Meat and Livestock Australia said there had been a 70 per cent increase in cattle yardings in SA in the past five weeks, and said that as supplies tighten meat prices will rise by early next year. ...... FULL STORY
25 Sep 2006 | Bleak prospects in Murray basin this summer
Dam levels in the Murray Darling river basin are at their lowest levels ever for this time of year. ...... FULL STORY
25 Sep 2006 | Native vegetation constrains development
Up to 7.5 million hectares, or 14 per cent of farmland surveyed in south-west Queensland, was identified by farmers as likely to be affected by existing restrictions on the clearing of native vegetation. ...... FULL STORY
22 Sep 2006 | Many meat workers on short term visa
Employers are hiring six times as many meat workers from overseas on temporary visas as they did a year ago. ...... FULL STORY
22 Sep 2006 | Grain shortage looms
Rising prices for grain indicate that buyers of grain lack confidence in the already downgraded forecasts for the winter crop. ...... FULL STORY
22 Sep 2006 | WTO wants end to single desk grain sales
The director general of the World Trade Organisation said Australia would have to consider changes to AWB’s monopoly over wheat exports if Australia’s government and farmers want to foster reductions to subsidies by other nations. ...... FULL STORY
21 Sep 2006 | Herd improvement cooperatives negotiate merger
Talks over a merger between four major herd improvement co-operatives have stalled. ...... FULL STORY
21 Sep 2006 | Fruit and veg merchants slate horticulture code
The Australian Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries said the proposed mandatory code "will cost growers money and will likely put many small growers out of business". ...... FULL STORY
21 Sep 2006 | Feds seek to buy back 44,000ML from Victorian irrigators
The federal government said it would buy a maximum of 44,000 megalitres of water from Victorian irrigators. ...... FULL STORY
20 Sep 2006 | Queensland and WA grain growers fare worst from dry winter
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Research Economics is forecasting winter crop production will fall 36 per cent to 26 million tonnes in 2006/07. ...... FULL STORY
20 Sep 2006 | Steep decline in wheat and barley production expected
Production of wheat is forecast to decline around 35 per cent to 16.4 million tonnes, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Research Economics said. ...... FULL STORY
20 Sep 2006 | Sorghum and maize production least affected
Sorghum is the only crop where production is likely to exceed its five-year average this season, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Research Economics said. ...... FULL STORY
20 Sep 2006 | Sheep flocks reduced
Sale of sheep at saleyards in southern Australia is 80 per cent higher than a year ago, as producers have flooded markets with more than 200,000 head in the past week. ...... FULL STORY
20 Sep 2006 | Mandatory code for horticulture sector
Federal cabinet agreed to introduce a mandatory code of conduct for the horticulture industry, acceding to industry and National Party lobbying. ...... FULL STORY
19 Sep 2006 | Second stage of Ord scheme creaks into life
The WA Government is calling for expressions of interest from the private sector to participate in the expansion of the Ord River Irrigation Area in the East Kimberley. ...... FULL STORY
19 Sep 2006 | AWI board ousts chief
Australian Wool Innovation axed its chief executive officer, Len Stephens, as AWI negotiates a merger with Australian Wool Services. ...... FULL STORY
19 Sep 2006 | Weeds too costly to clean up
The cost of eradicating some common farm weeds, such as St John's wort, is more than the gross income of that property, according to statistics from the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics. ...... FULL STORY
19 Sep 2006 | Bass Strait fishers offered second chance at buy-out
The federal government will undertake a second round of tenders, open to fishers operating in south-eastern waters. ...... FULL STORY
18 Sep 2006 | Small holders in revolt over rural lands boards
Elections for the 47 rural lands protection boards NSW close on Wednesday. ...... FULL STORY
18 Sep 2006 | Little relief from drought in NSW
Drought estimates for New South Wales show that 92 per cent of the state is drought declared, one per cent lower than last month. ...... FULL STORY
18 Sep 2006 | East Gippsland farmers promised more water
Farmers and residents in east Gippsland can expect additional water allocations from the Blue Rock Dam. ...... FULL STORY
15 Sep 2006 | KR Castlemaine to close down in Toowoomba
KR Castlemaine will sell its abattoir and smallgoods processing factory in Toowoomba, and consolidate operations at Castlemaine in Victoria. ...... FULL STORY
15 Sep 2006 | Riverina farmers cut sheep stock
Farmers in south-western New South Wales are selling their stock as dry conditions reduce the level of feed. ...... FULL STORY
15 Sep 2006 | Forecast cut for WA grain harvest
Farmers in Western Australia may produce 40 per cent less grain this year because of dry weather. ...... FULL STORY
15 Sep 2006 | Grain trains on a slow track
Single Visions Grain Australia says slow trains and crumbling infrastructure means the grain industry is headed for serious efficiency problems. ...... FULL STORY
14 Sep 2006 | Growers in the dark over VegVision
Industry group AusVeg said it adopted a strategy dubbed ‘VegVision 2020’ that, according to the media release, aims to double the 2006 value of fresh, processed and packaged vegetables by 2020. ...... FULL STORY
14 Sep 2006 | Ombudsman to settle horticulture contract rows
An ombudsman would deal with disputes between wholesalers and growers in the fruit and vegetable industry. ...... FULL STORY
14 Sep 2006 | Wholesalers want to keep Melbourne Market
Wholesalers at Melbourne Market in Footscray Road say they would not move to Epping, where the state government plans to build a replacement facility. ...... FULL STORY
14 Sep 2006 | Feds won’t bail out AWS
The federal government says it cannot see a reason to bail out Australian Wool Services’ $18 million pension fund liability. ...... FULL STORY
14 Sep 2006 | Vote opens on wool levy
The three yearly ballot of wool growers over the level of the marketing levy they are willing to pay to fund Australian Wool Innovation opens this week. ...... FULL STORY
13 Sep 2006 | Farm revenue fell in 2005
The value of Australian agricultural production fell by $1.4 billion, or four per cent, to $35.6 billion in 2004/05 the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. ...... FULL STORY
13 Sep 2006 | Beef and milk offset sheep and wool
The most valuable agricultural commodities in 2004/05 were cattle and calf slaughterings and other disposals (up 18 per cent to $7.8 billion)... ...... FULL STORY
13 Sep 2006 | Wheat prices rising
AWB said estimated wheat pool returns for Australian growers for old and new season wheat deliveries increased by up to $6 per tonne. ...... FULL STORY
13 Sep 2006 | Elders offer equal payments on wheat deliveries
Elders said it provided a new wheat and barley pool option that gives growers greater certainty with their payments. ...... FULL STORY
13 Sep 2006 | Victoria bans 1080 for fox control
The Victorian government imposed a ban on 1080 liver baits, annoying farmers who prefer the bait to control foxes. ...... FULL STORY
12 Sep 2006 | Conditions dry for dairy
Dairy farmers in northern Victoria are culling herds and transferring stock to farms with greener pastures. ...... FULL STORY
12 Sep 2006 | AWB clinches sale to India
AWB said it is close to finalising a deal to sell $180 million worth of wheat to India, which has begun buying grain following a poor harvest, after years of self-sufficiency. ...... FULL STORY
12 Sep 2006 | CSIRO urges trial of GM crops
Science research organization CSIRO said growers in Queensland were missing out on opportunities to produce oilseed, chickpea and pasture using genetically modified seeds. ...... FULL STORY
12 Sep 2006 | Growers cranky over voluntary code
The federal government has dropped plans for a mandatory code of conduct to govern relations between horticulturists and buyers. The government now proposes a voluntary code. ...... FULL STORY
11 Sep 2006 | Cane growers optimistic despite lower prices
Queensland Canegrowers described 2006 as "a bloody awful year", but remained confident world sugar prices would even out and the weather would be kinder in the coming months. ...... FULL STORY
11 Sep 2006 | Forestry tax concessions under review
Federal cabinet will consider restrictions on tax deductions for investment in plantation forests undertaken through managed investment schemes. ...... FULL STORY
11 Sep 2006 | Detailed plans unveiled for Melbourne Market
The Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market will more than triple in size under plans for the proposed $300 million centre will be built on a 133-hectare piece of land next to the Hume Highway in Epping, 18 kilometres north of the city. ...... FULL STORY
11 Sep 2006 | CBH increases fees for wheat tests
CBH said that growers who did not deliver grain after receiving their test would be hit with a fee of $31 per truck, even if the grower rejoined the queue for another test. ...... FULL STORY
8 Sep 2006 | Sugar profits tumble
Falling sugar prices have cut into the profit of the sugar mills. ...... FULL STORY
8 Sep 2006 | A very dry end to winter
August was the driest end to winter on record since 1900, as well as the warmest since high-quality monthly temperature records began in 1950. ...... FULL STORY
8 Sep 2006 | More workers on temporary visa
The numbers of workers admitted under temporary visas last year increased to 72,000 from 50,000. ...... FULL STORY
7 Sep 2006 | Harvester contractor calls it a day
Grain contract harvesting firm SAS Grain Harvesters has closed and returned the fleet of 21 Case IH headers back to the Case finance company. ...... FULL STORY
7 Sep 2006 | Sheep meat production a record
ABARE forecast that the value of Australia’s sheep meat production (including live sheep exports) would exceed $2.2 billion in 2005/06, surpassing the previous record of $2.1 billion set in 2001/02. ...... FULL STORY
7 Sep 2006 | Lamp sales central to profits of sheep farms
High domestic sheep meat prices, buoyed by strong export demand, combined with falling wool prices have increased the emphasis within the Australian sheep industry on the production of sheep and lambs for slaughter. ...... FULL STORY
7 Sep 2006 | Exports displace domestic demand for lamb
Export markets are increasingly important for lamb producers, as offshore demand grows and domestic consumers turn to other meats in light of the escalating price of lamb. ...... FULL STORY
7 Sep 2006 | Beef farms take over from dairy
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest census results show that farm numbers fell 17,200, or 12 per cent, to less than 130,000, over 10 years. ...... FULL STORY
6 Sep 2006 | Cereal crops suffer from dry winter
The dry winter has caused the South Australian government to downgrade the estimated cereal crop by nearly a third from 6.6 billion tonnes to 4.7 billion tonnes. ...... FULL STORY
6 Sep 2006 | Horticulture code almost ready
The federal government will finally unveil a code of conduct next week for fruit and vegetable growers and their buyers. ...... FULL STORY
6 Sep 2006 | Farmers favoured in new super rules
Farmers and other business owners may transfer up to $1 million into superannuation savings before June 2007. ...... FULL STORY
5 Sep 2006 | Queensland Rail charges more for less
Queensland Rail and EGL, the logistics joint venture between AWB and GrainCorp, will lift rates for cartage of grain by 12 per cent. ...... FULL STORY
5 Sep 2006 | Steady growth in sheep meat prices
Meat & Livestock Australia said lamb and sheep prices were expected to remain relatively strong over the next few years. ...... FULL STORY
5 Sep 2006 | Cattle prices in decline
The amount of feed available for cattle on classic stock routes in western Queensland and western New South Wales is insufficient to support the usual cattle drives. ...... FULL STORY
5 Sep 2006 | Thai pineapples subject to tariffs
Tariffs on canned pineapple from Thailand will rise to five per cent from zero the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said. ...... FULL STORY
4 Sep 2006 | All clear for frozen banana imports
The federal government cleared the imports of bananas in frozen form from Vietnam. ...... FULL STORY
4 Sep 2006 | Many Larry claimants still waiting for insurance
One of the primary victims of Cyclone Larry may not be the banana and sugar cane farmers of the Innisfail and Tully regions of far north Queensland, nor the households and small businesses affected by the late summer storm. ...... FULL STORY
4 Sep 2006 | Murray rainfall minimal this year
Rainfall in the Murray-Darling basin in the nine months to August is in the lowest 10 per cent of all recorded rainfalls for the catchment. ...... FULL STORY
4 Sep 2006 | No farm water from the Loddon and Campaspe
Farmers in central Victoria fear they will have no water allocations at all this summer. ...... FULL STORY
1 Sep 2006 | Futuris markets broadband to the bush
Optus and Futuris subsidiary Elders established Broadband Connect which they plan to use to build infrastructure to deliver broadband, voice and data services to regional and rural Australia. ...... FULL STORY
1 Sep 2006 | Wool growers soften PETA claims
One hundred wool growers taking action against the activist group People for Ethical treatment of Animals have revised their claim. ...... FULL STORY
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