Country Today

Let’s take a look at the rain and if was a godsend or a curse. Dr Kathryn Burke is a farmer near Echuca, and she’s an ag consultant so talks to farmers across the State. Now then to the Mallee where it’s been one of the best seasons for years. So too at Baddaginnie in north east Victoria where livestock dominates. To a fascinating success story of dairy farmers who have revo...

Only two weeks ago, the Victorian Premier Ben Carroll said he would pause and review the Western Renewables Link, then this week his government pushed through planning amendments to fast track the controversial project. Katherine Myers is a farmer at Tourello north of Ballarat. The Western Renewables Link would run through her property. We've seen plenty of rainfall across much of the state overni...

What on earth is the Victorian Government up to? One minute Premier Ben Carroll says the controversial Western Renewables link is under review, the next minute the Government has rushes through planning amendments to proceed with the project You’ll hear what Nationals leader Danny O’Brien makes of it. Labor shortages in agriculture are only getting worse over the years, particularly wi...

With a lot of grain growers hoping for a bumper harvest, today we’re reminded how things can suddenly end in disaster. Just like it was in 2022 for Fleur Ferris and her family who farm near Moama on the Murray River. Then came the catastrophic floods of the Murray and Campaspe Rivers simultaneously. Fleur Ferris on her reflections on the floods. The Australian table grape industry is one of...

The National Farmers Federation has negotiated a special deal with the Albanese Government to prioritise visa processing of backpackers needed urgently for the harvest season in various agricultural sectors. NFF CEO Michael Geurin told Country Today, that farmers did not have to be a member of a farmer organization to get the assistance. But the VFF has decided to only offer the service to its mem...

With diesel prices inching closer to $3 a litre, thoughts are turning to why Australia doesn’t make use of biofuels. 60 per cent of countries are using it, why aren’t we? Yield forecasts for southern grain growers are looking better than expected, though a dry outlook still has farmers anxious heading into harvest. The climate Council is damning in its response the coalition’s en...

To renewable energy: The NSW government has sided with the Clean Energy Investor Group and doubled the amount objections need to trigger an investigation into projects by the Independent Planning Commission. Farmers say it makes it extremely difficult for small rural communities opposed to wind turbine developments. The Country Fire Authority has released its annual bushfire survey....

ANZ’s Food for Thought report takes a look at what farmers need to know to remain competitive. The Country Fire Authority has released its annual bushfire survey, which showed this is going to be another bad year for fires. We’ll ponder why the Angus beef cattle breed has become so dominant with a new record price for a bull of $420 k. Farm succession planning is often one of the most...

Global wheat prices have surged to mid-2023 highs due to escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict, driving a sharp market rally despite near-record regional harvests. As Victoria prepares for the planned 2028 closure of the Yallourn coal-fired power station, concerns are rising over potential electricity price hikes and state energy grid stability. The weekly wool report and the Eastern Market Indicator...

The Victorian Coalition's election vow to overturn wild dog protections faces a federal hurdle after Environment Minister Murray Watt approved a proposal to evaluate the Wilkerr Dingo population across northwest Victoria and South Australia as endangered. As Victorian cropping farmers prepare for harvest, the severe impact of recent changes to the working holiday visa process is becoming painfully...

We'll take a look at Australia's national food security with Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior fellow Andrew Henderson. Research says those working on the land face a significantly higher risk of developing devastating neurological conditions like Motor neurone disease (MND). Henry Mackinnon’s father is a farmer and was recently diagnosed with both MND and Frontotemporal Dementia...

We'll take a look at the latest figures published by the Australian Wool Production forecasting committee. The Victorian Farmers Federation has released their second annual State of the State Survey. It provides a snapshot of farmer sentiment, priorities and the issues that matter to them, just months out from the state election. A group of 28,000 irrigators has lost a $1.5-billion class action ag...

Country Today has been at the Farmers Fight Back event in the small Wimmera town of Marnoo.  One thousand people travelled from across Australia to attend, including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Mark Reading is one of many farmers impacted by the proposed VNI-West Transmission Line. He says it would cut directly through his land, 16km South...

To the 2026 National Bush Summit in Dubbo, NSW. Farmers on the frontline of the energy transition took center stage. Also, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor criticized rising energy costs under the Labor government. He says the way to lower electricity prices is to abandon net-zero targets. Yesterday's store cattle sale at Wodonga reinforced what a magnificent time it is to be in the industry, with l...

On Country Today at the 2026 National Bush Summit in Dubbo, NSW, the Hon Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, was heckled by the crowd as emotions ran hot over topics such as renewable energy. Housing dairy cows in sheds or barns used to be a practice more common to Europe and the US. But it’s gaining popularity in Australia where cows husbandry can be refined, reducing costs and i...

With carryover hay filling sheds across southern Australia, falling ex-farm prices and high freight costs leave growers with a tough decision: sell their stored hay now or hold out for dry weather ahead? We’ll head to Albury where livestock are thriving as we head into spring, after what has been one of the best seasons farmers can remember. Federal Shadow Minister for Small Business, and Sk...

Country Today is making its way around Victoria to speak with farmers about the latest rainfall. First we'll head to the north east of the State, where some farmers are saying there's been a bit too much rain, with parts of Wangaratta flooding.  Now let's head to the Wimmera. Horsham could do with a couple of weeks of dry conditions, as growers in the Wimmera are right in the heart of their b...

Supermarkets are trimming milk prices on major Bega brands, but the drop comes right as Bega pulled temporary support payments from farmers whose input costs remain sky-high. While we're taking a look at what's going on in the dairy industry, Rabobank's latest report looks at milk protein scarcity and how it's challenging the focus of traditional Australian dairy production, cheese. To the Western...

Dairy farmers are furious with the Federal Government over policy changes that have pushed skilled agricultural visa applications to the bottom of the priority list. You can rarely have it all working on the land. Just as growers finally had been dealt ideal seasonal conditions, with it brought the risk of disease in winter crops. This weekend the Victorian Malleefowl Recovery Group will be conduc...

Rural communities are bracing for severe agricultural labor shortages after the Federal Government froze working holiday visa applications from 24 countries. Canola prices are up $58 a tonne in the last two weeks, driven by global market shifts and rising crude oil strength. With El Niño driving a warmer, drier spring outlook, fire authorities are warning that lingering deep soil dryness an...

Victoria’s opposition leader Jess Wilson has announced the coalition will abandon the VNI-West Transmission Line, should it win government in the State Election this November. You’ll hear from Jess Wilson. Then we'll hear from Marnoo farmer Ben Duxson whose property is directly impacted by the proposed transmission line. He’s been protesting against it since day one. He says fina...

Wangaratta is preparing for a record-breaking yarding of nearly 6,000 head of cattle at its st  ore sale on Thursday this week. Increasingly, dairy farmers are choosing to put beef bulls over dairy cows to meet growing demand from fast-food giants seeking high-quality beef with a smaller environmental footprint. Low-stress stock handling, or 'stockmanship' as Victorian farmer Byron O'Keefe li...

The Bureau of Meteorology's CEO has commissioned an independent review of the organisation. But will it be enough to restore farmers' trust after a year of growing skepticism over forecast accuracy?  We’ll head to Southern NSW to speak with a sheep and cattle producer. He says recent rainfall and a mild winter has brought ideal lambing conditions and lush green feed. A  business st...

Is it time farmers had just one lobby group representing them? Two state farming groups have left GPA to go to GrainGrowers ... and now, GrainGrowers has announced its members will vote on changing its constitution to create a new category of membership to enable State Farming Organisations to apply to become members of GrainGrowers, changes are afoot. Woolworth has has dumped its home brand milk...

Today Victoria’s opposition leader Jess Wilson on her plans for the regions if the coalition wins the state election in just 15 weeks time. Australia’s largest rice processor SunRice cuts jobs. And the blame is very much on high water prices resulting in rice growers turning to different crops. There’s renewed tensions in Australia’s grains industry representation with two...