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31 May 2005 | Farm subsidies minor by standards of Europe and North America
By international standards, Australian farmers receive little government support. ...... FULL STORY
31 May 2005 | Half of all farms qualify for drought relief
About 10,000 additional farmers are expected to be eligible to benefit from additional drought relief measures announced by the federal government. ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2005 | One farmer in eight qualifies for drought aid
The federal government is likely to relax the assets and income test on off-farm activities, providing access to drought relief for hundreds of farmers that do not qualify now. ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2005 | Farm deposit scheme more of a tax shelter than drought relief
Treasury and the Australian Taxation Office believe some farmers are using Farm Management Deposits Scheme – designed to help them ride out the drought - as a tax shelter. ...... FULL STORY
30 May 2005 | Waste water dream revived by Darling Downs farmers
A group of Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley farmers and Brisbane financiers are lobbying to revive an old plan to pipe waste water from Brisbane to Toowoomba. ...... FULL STORY
27 May 2005 | Drought out deferred
The federal government will not announce additional drought relief measures until next week. ...... FULL STORY
26 May 2005 | Alpine grazing ban supported by Canberra
Victoria's mountain cattlemen may find little support in Canberra for a proposed heritage listing. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2005 | Government defends drought aid
The federal government rejected criticism that drought aid for farmers was business welfare. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2005 | Alpine grazing ban imposed
Victoria's government said it would not renew any licences for cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2005 | Grazing ban driven by science and politics
The scientific evidence on the damaging ways of cows on alpine pastures has been well documented for more than 50 years. ...... FULL STORY
25 May 2005 | Rice the worst water waster
A CSIRO study found that Australia's 2500 rice farms were found to be 200 times more water intensive than the average industry and to generate four times as much greenhouse gas. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2005 | More financial assistance on the way for farmers
Federal cabinet is set to announce new drought relief measures that will include increased assistance and more flexibility. ...... FULL STORY
24 May 2005 | Leave the land with dignity
Governments should stop "throwing money" at farmers and find a dignified way to get some to leave their properties, Professor Peter Cullen, a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists that’s advised Cabinet on water reform. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2005 | Cabinet may relax rules on drought assistance
The federal government is considering broader criteria for welfare payments and further interest rate subsidies for farmers. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2005 | Anderson frets over the decline in farm numbers
Australia was in danger of finding it had too few farmers in a decade because conditions on the land during the current drought were so difficult, the deputy prime minister and National Party leader, John Anderson said. ...... FULL STORY
23 May 2005 | Farmers draw down cash reserves in December quarter
Farmers drew down for a second quarter in a row in late 2004 on their tax-advantaged cash reserves held as farm management deposits. ...... FULL STORY
20 May 2005 | Farmers seeks cash grants rather than loans
Farmers are seeking individual cash grants of up to $100,000 for the worst hit farms, to stave off bankruptcy. ...... FULL STORY
19 May 2005 | Feds reconsider limits on drought assistance
The federal government said it would reconsider the cut-off point at which income from outside the farm would disqualify a farmer for drought assistance. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2005 | Feds impose conditions of water funding
The federal government plans to tie $2 billion in payments to states to facilitate reinvestment in water and irrigation systems to reform of industrial relations laws. ...... FULL STORY
18 May 2005 | Government leans on banks over farm debt
The deputy prime minister John Anderson held private talks with the National Australia Bank and the Australian Bankers Association to convince financiers to keep bankrolling farmers through the worsening dry. ...... FULL STORY
17 May 2005 | Some farmers face fourth year of drought
Farmers struggling with years of drought desperately need extra financial help from the government, the NSW Farmers' Association president says. ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2005 | Government forecasts return to normal conditions
The federal government has budgeted for a one third reduction in assistance for drought relief over the next four years, estimates the Cattle Council says either means the government expects wetter conditions soon, or... ...... FULL STORY
16 May 2005 | Maintenance funds agreed for Eyre Peninsula rail
The Australian Railroad Group, ABB Grain Limited and local government agreed with the state government to invest $20 million in maintenance on the ageing rail network on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2005 | Factory closures drive profit recovery for Dairy Farmers
The three plant closures and redundancies announced by the Dairy Farmers cooperative are expected to generate annual cost savings of $42 million, taking total cost savings announced by the co-op’s new managing director to more than $50 million a year... ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2005 | Land clearing rules under review in Victoria
Farmers who clear a single hectare of bushland in Victoria may have to plant or protect up to 20 hectares of native vegetation on their land, under regulations under consideration by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2005 | Roberts targets Ruralco
Tasmanian-based rural services group Roberts said it wanted to takeover NSW-based services provider Ruralco. ...... FULL STORY
12 May 2005 | Landmark severs ties with Rabobank
Wheat exporter AWB severed a nine-year relationship between its Landmark subsidiary and Dutch financier Rabobank. ...... FULL STORY
11 May 2005 | Cane growers slow to call it quits
A year after the federal government announced a $444 million compensation package for the sugar industry, cane growers are slow in answering the call to quit the sector, and even leave the land, in exchange for government help. ...... FULL STORY
10 May 2005 | Winter crops still feasible
There is still a window of opportunity to plan winter crops in western New South Wales, despite the lack of rain according to the Department of Agriculture. ...... FULL STORY
5 May 2005 | Mallee and northern Wimmera qualify for drought subsidies
About 2,300 farmers in Victoria's Mallee and northern Wimmera will be able to qualify for drought assistance, following a decision by the agriculture minister to include the two areas as eligible for an “exceptional circumstances” declaration. ...... FULL STORY
5 May 2005 | Five-post bull bars ruled illegal
The Western Australian government will introduce regulations that will make “five-post” bull bars illegal. ...... FULL STORY
4 May 2005 | Labelling laws may be relaxed on imported fresh food
Imported fresh food will no longer be subject to strict laws on country-of-origin labelling. ...... FULL STORY
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