Country Today

We're just four days away from the federal election and the mood certainly is different to previous years. The rise of younger voters means that this year, millennials and Gen Z outnumber the baby boomers and other older Australians.  Then two major trade deals have been made between Australia and China and we’re going to hear about both of them.  First we’ll take a look at t...

The Victorian Farmers Federation is urging all parties to ensure a fair and balanced transition to renewable energy … this includes developers properly engaging with affected landholders. We’ll head to north east Victoria, where farmers are desperately waiting for any glimpse of rain. That autumn break couldn’t come soon enough.  You may have noticed both Prime Minister Ant...

Tight global urea supplies and minimal domestic production places Australian farmers in a particularly vulnerable situation. Then the most nutritious of berries, the increasingly popular blueberry. You might have noticed the price of a punnet is now far too expensive for many consumers. So why the price hike? And finally the first sign of that autumn break in South West Victoria after the weekend...

Despite one of the driest seasons since the mid 1960s in south west Victoria, there is plenty of optimism around the cattle industry heading into winter.  European wasps are at the point of critical mass in bushland areas in North East Victoria. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has vowed a Coalition Government would take on US President Donald Trump over tariffs. To the United States, and beef c...

It's claimed that the Opposition leader, Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan would spark an Australian water crisis, potentially taking 200 gigalitres away from farmers in dry years through water buybacks While the Victorian Farmers Federation has resolved its differences and returned to the fold of the National Farmers Federation, not so NSW Farmers. President Xavier Martin has informed the NFF, hi...

Time is running out for the Victorian Government to get its controversial legislation to massively increase the fire services levy through the State Parliament. You’ll hear from Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin.  New mildew-resistant and drought-resilient grapevines have been planted in South Australia’s Coonawarra wine region. Australia’s grass fed beef cattle indust...

Australian scientists are already trialling releasing sterile sheep blow flies on Kangaroo Island in South Australia to see if that can reduce fly strike. Could it work with fruit flies? A national campaign to ensure the future of small scale producers and mobile and mini abattoirs has been launched.  US President Donald Trump has cut $1 billion dollars worth of funding to federal government...

More than 9 million Australian families live in an area where there are insufficient childcare places. In many rural and regional areas, there is a total absence of childcare. More Australians are choosing to buy home grown olive oil Chinese investment in Australia is shifting away from agriculture and to what’s called Greenfield projects. A Victorian dairy farm has scored a rare double feat...

It’s been rather a long time coming this milk season, but dairy processors are starting to announce step-ups that is increases in the price dairy farmers are paid for their milk The Coalition has pledged it will invest $1 billion in local roads and community infrastructure if it wins government.  Senator  Bridget McKenzie Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport...

There's yet more criticism of the Victorian Government's proposed massive increase in the fire services levy. This time though, its from the usual friend of Labor, the United Firefighters Union, the very union that persuaded the Andrews government to reform fire fighting services to merge the CFA with the metropolitan fire services to create Fire Services Victoria.  Bendigo Bank Agribusiness&...

We have an update on the East Grampians Pipeline project which has been cut back in size due to cost overruns.  Farmers in the Ararat Rural City Shire were finally given answers by Wimmera Mallee Water over funding for the project's completion  Farmer groups have welcomed Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s election promise of establishing $20 billion Regional Australia Future Fu...

Farmers in South West Victoria must be looking over the border with envy, with the South Australian Government announcing a further $55 million in drought assistance that’s now $73 million, compared with $13 million in Victoria. You’ll get the latest analysis of the US China tariff wars and what the implications might be for agriculture if it pushes China into a recession. One thi...

You'll get an update on livestock sales, and there have been some healthy price increases for both sheep and cattle. To Country Today’s profile of marginal seats in this Federal election, you'll hear from member of Indi Helen Haines It's that time of year when farmers are anxiously awaiting the annual autumn break. Libby Price spoke to Ag Victoria Seasonal Risk Agronomist, Dale Grey.&nb...

A crisis is looming for family farms due to more than 80 per cent of families lacking a legally binding succession plan. . The RACV is calling on the Victorian Government for further funding to repair regional roads, as well as transparency around road safety rating. Farmers in the Ararat Rural City Shire are desperately in need of water and are demanding answers about cuts to the East Grampi...

Now that the dust has settled on the latest Trump tariffs, let's take a look at not only what it means for our largest agricultural export to the US, beef, but also what it means for the American consumer. Still talking tariffs, and the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's claim that he will will take on US President Donald Trump might make him sound tough, but it's unlikely to have any real impact if...

The deeply flawed Fire Services Levy Bill failed to pass in the Victorian Parliament yesterday. And the reprieve must be used to make fundamental changes to how farmers are charged Also councils say it’s not fair that they are givwn the burden or collecting the levy on behalf of the state government and they too say rural communities shouldn’t be footing the bill The western...

While the Prime Minister and our farming organisations are raging against the Trump 10 per cent tariffs for Australia, they could ironically work in our favour, according to analyst Simon Quilty. We’ll also head back to far west Queensland for a flood update from Quilpie Mayor Ben Hall And farmers sceptical about the ABARES inquiry into the chicken meat supply chain The Fire servic...

To the catastrophic floods in outback Queensland. Hundreds of thousands of sheep, cattle and goats are estimated to have been lost to the floods. And the floodwaters are likely to last for weeks in come areas. We’ll take you right into the think of it with Choppers being used to drop urgently needed livestock fodder. Farmers in the north east's Tallangatta valley fear attacks on livesto...

ABARES has released its latest Insights Paper on tariffs. It claims that cutting global farm subsidies at the World Trade Organization could prevent excess agricultural production and its harm to the environment. To the first in Country Today’s profile of marginal seats in this May 3 Federal election, and the focus is on the seat of Wannon. You’ll hear current Member for...

Australia’s ongoing egg shortage may not be a short-term blip, indeed it may never fully return to what it once was Victorian farmers are the most optimistic they've been in twelve months, with those in the beef and dairy sector feeling particularly positive about the season ahead. To the countdown of the latest round of Trump tariffs with the US President due to announce what We m...

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The NSW Farmers Association is warning the federal government that it needs to invest in agriculture to reap the financial rewards for the nation, following a disappointing budget The world’s first case of a sheep being infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed in Yorkshire, England. Dairy farmers are wondering how long it will take for processors to increase the price the...

We will of course take a look at the Federal Budget and what it offers agriculture. You’ll hear from NFF president David Jochinke, and weekly times editor James Wagstaff about what is a rather disappointing budget for the regions. To the attempts at negotiating a ceasefire for the war with Russia and Ukraine, and the latest news has agricultural exports at its centre. James Wagstaff from the...

Opposition to green energy projects on prime agricultural land is growing, with the formation of a coalition of nineteen regional Victorian groups is challenging the Victorian Government’s renewable energy approach And now that the dust has settled from the scathing ACCC report into supermarket dominance, what are the plans to strengthen the power of farmer suppliers. This year’s...

Farmers in Northeast Victoria are planning their crop sowing schedule after very welcome rain late last week. Many areas haven't had a good downpour since November last year  Irrigation farmers in the Loddon Valley in Victoria’s Northwest are having their water supplies rationed. And if there isn’t substantial rain soon, it could be a long dry season. Repairing Australia’s d...