Country Today

The general public are being asked to get involved in fruit fly control, simply by reporting any rogue fruit trees. The Nationals warn the federal government has been too slow in its response to a senate inquiry into the spread of fire ants. The National Rural Health Alliance has released a report today recommending governments make significant changes to health service delivery to address the ine...

Food inflation in Australia is well above the long term average, with the fresh produce industry being the most volatile.   An AI driven product developed in Australia called GreenView is giving grape and berry growers far more accurate yield forecasts.  Australia’s sheep flock suffers from a fertility problem. That’s the conclusion of a massive 14 year study of the reproductive performance of 7 m...

A Meat and Livestock Australian funded project has investigated the ideal ageing time for different cuts of lamb. At the moment. Most is aged for 5 days. But the study shows it should be two weeks Mitchell Taylor, of Taylors Wines is in Shanghai at the moment. He says it will take four to five years to rebuild relationships with the Chinese market. Farmers say the ACCC's interim report into Superm...

Country Today has been at the digital agrifood summit in Wagga Wagga  and from that conference, we’ll take a look at two different takes on renewable energy.  The first is a farmer from the Riverina who has built what she calls a solar garden.  A small solar farm that sells plots to city investors who can then claim back the renewable energy off their power bills.  And the other side of the debate...

The VNI West transmission line route has finally been released after months of uncertainty. you'll hear from one farmer who is refusing to share his land with the highly controversial high-voltage line. We’ll be discussing some practical ways to ensure you’re always prepared for a water shortage Has the updated food and grocery code of conduct draft - really addressed the concerns of the fresh pro...

Grain Producers Australia has made a submission to the Australian Pesticides and Medicines Authority arguing the cast to NOT ban the chemicals Paraquat and Diquat.  All the details of a webinar, ‘what makes a soil carbon project work. GrainGrowers has released a report on the significant implications of the United States presidential election. Be it Trump or Harris, farmers, fasten your seatbelts....

To the timber industry, it’s estimated between 15 and 30 percent of all wood traded globally is the product of illegal logging. So the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has trialled technologies to verify species and origins of timber.  The Gardiner Foundation is providing funding for three young farmers from South-west Victoria to attend the Australian Dairy Conference in...

All the details of a series of drought drop-in sessions are being held across south-west Victoria. Telstra is upgrading its financial hardship program to include customers dealing with natural disasters We’ll take a look at the lamb market with opportunities for farmers to buy and fatten some of the lower priced store lambs It's been a challenging year in Victoria's North-East and the Southern Riv...

Is Australia too reliant on China for our agricultural exports?  Predictions the record dry across Victoria’s south west will be followed by plentiful rain.  The Victorian Farmers Federation has released a map with areas in red being no go zones for renewable energy transmission lines. But members are furious the entirety of North West Victoria, including the planned route of the controversial VNI...

The latest wool market campaign, wear wool not waste,   Victoria's water register has collapsed, putting an abrupt hold on all Goulburn Valley water being traded into the Murray.  A “marginally larger” winter crop this season, though well down on the 5 year average.   If you're passionate about making a difference in agriculture, the Zanda McDonald Award applications for 2025 are now open. Plus th...

The crop damage from last week's hailstorms in Western Victoria is proving to be a lot worse than first thought. To Timber plantations, landholders are eligible for grants of $2,000 per hectare to plant a timber crop on their property.  Dairy Australia estimates within 20 years, forty per cent of our herd will be housed. The resumption of Australia's lucrative lobster export market to China should...

It’s turned out to be a disastrous spring for many grain growers with lack of rain, frosts and now hail.  Crop insurance assessors are busy looking at hail damage in Western Victoria, with estimates of damage in the tens of millions of dollars. Moving further north to the Mallee and parts of the Riverina, some farmers have had the double whammy of frost then hail with some facing 100 per cent loss...

Australian Wool Innovation has released its annual report and the numbers reflect the downturn in the industry and a reduction in the flock. AWI Chair Jock Laurie. wIll talk about  expenditure now exceeding revenue by $3 million and criticisms of the amount of the payout to former CEO Stuart McCullough of nearly $500 k.  Farmers in the Wimmera have been hit by hail storms, completely destroying so...

India this year has surpassed China with the world’s largest population. So is India the next frontier for Australia agriculture? The Federal Government has announced that under its Growing Regions Program, they have not signed any contracts for projects. Are you a sheep producer who’d like to stop mulesing but just don’t know where to start? You’ll hear about MLA funded project "Transitioning to...

We’ll take a look at the Worksafe campaign targeting farmers, it’s never you until it is. We also find out how the 20 minute calving rule works there are investigations in to the troubled PALM worker scheme, of the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility Scheme. Last week, President of Timor Leste, Jose Ramos-Horte told the National Press Club that the scheme has allowed exploitation of workers. So how w...

Australian farmland values have continued to grow this year albeit at a slower pace.  Farmers are having to make the tough decision on whether to feed lambs to finish them, or whether to cut their losses and sell as store lambs.  War and wheat. The title of a just published book. Did you know the Australian Wheat Board was created by Government due to the chaos of WW1 Workers at Graincorp sites in...

Dairy farmers are concerned a drop in the price of home brand milk could be the start of a new “milk war”.  An immersive virtual reality tool has been developed, to help streamline training for workers in the nation's $24 billion dollar forestry industry. Is it possible to measure pain in animals, and also to test if the pain relief they’re given is working? Scientists are trying to do just that b...

The Victorian Farmers Federation general election is next month and Mallee farmer and former VFF vice president Brett Hosking has thrown his hat in the ring. We’ll take a look at the highly virulent strain of bird flu, H5N1. It's thought it's only a matter of time before it makes it to Australia.  Chicken and dairy farmers need to carefully monitor their flocks and herds That’s following the exper...

Feedback on wool from the longest-running wool conference in China, Nanjing Wool Market. One of the Wimmera’s favourite events for women in agriculture is returning Chicks in the Sticks is back focussing on low emissions farming. In the rush to renewable energy, farmers are reporting what they think is harassment from companies eager to clinch deals to construct wind farms. A recent economic stimu...

You’ll hear about how 40 years of agricultural research shows the impact of different types of crop management on soil Carbon and Nitrogen Farmers urged to go to the Tatura SmartFarm to find out about the very hungry caterpillar, the fall army worm which could be munching its way through crops near you. Also Cattle Australia explains why the European Union has decided to delay the introduction of...

The Southern Victorian Merino Field days are on again. You'll hear from field day president, Pat Millear. A large water entitlement in Victoria's Goulburn Valley is expected to attract strong bidding interest from farmers. On Country Today we've recently reported on frost damage to crops in Victoria. In the Mallee entire crops have been wiped out. To add insult to injury, there was another frost o...

Cocoa prices have hit their highest levels in nearly 50 years. We take a look at beef exports with some strong demand from the U.S. and South Korea. Time is of the essence with the season still drier than average  you’ll hear from Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey The Victorian Government is abandoning the Fruit Fly Control Program much to the horror of fruit growers. . A Land Care Group in the S...

Scientists have found a new conservation approach to saving vulnerable species from the impacts of climate change. You’ll hear from a Conservation biologist, Victorian dairy farm profits were above the long-term average , that is according to the most recent Dairy Farm monitor annual survey… Will we be faced with hyper inflated water prices all because of the tender water buybacks? We’ll be discus...

It’s been a big week for David Jochinke as it marks one year as president of the National Farmers Federation. It’s also 12 months until the Victorian Farmers Federation plan on officially resigning from the NFF. Their notice has been submitted - so Country Today wanted to find out what David plans on doing with that time…or if it really is over? Is protected cropping a solution to food security? ...

Woolworths decided to shave 5c per litre off their homebrand milk, it comes after the ACCC’S investigation into pricing at coles and woolworths  Then the dairy industry welcomes Australia's new bilateral trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Large-scale wind and solar farms are coming to the Hay Plain in southern New South Wales and the community is making sure it benefits. While South We...