Country Today

Ambitious, but achievable. That’s how Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describes the government’s revised emissions target. A range of 62% to 70% reduction on 2005 emissions, by 2035. You’ll hear today from Mark Howden is the former director of the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions and is a Vice Chair o...

We’ll take a look at what that is now the most economically costly animal disease outbreak in US history, the H5N1 strain of bird flu which didn’t just result in the death of hundreds of millions of birds, but also that spread to dairy herds in 17 states. The future of producing low carbon fuels from crops such as canola has received a huge boost, with the Federal Government commi...

State Agriculture Minister Ros Spence joins us to explain the Primary Producers Drought Support Package which include rates relief. North East farmers shocked to learn of approval for two lithium battery facilities. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has chosen to made the announcement during her current trip to Beijing after meeting with the Chinese company that will build one of the facilities. The...

We’ll take a look at the politics behind the release of Australia’s first ever National Climate Risk assessment and what it points to in the Albanese governments renewed emissions reduction target to be announced in coming days. We’ll also look at what it mean for our most precious asset - water. The National Irrigators Council believes the assessment falls short on the extent to...

How ready are we for what is considered to be inevitable - the outbreak of a major livestock disease in Australia. What's known as mRNA vaccines could protect us from disease outbreaks such as foot-and-mouth, within the next five years. The Murray River Group of Councils has asked the Federal Government to dump trading irrigation water buybacks in the open market. This time of year farmers and wor...

If you take a look at the Bureau it's suggesting we're in for a wetter than average three months, which could turn things around and allow farmers to hopefully pick up at least an average yield. But for now, in the Western District, they're still waiting for those fronts to come through.  The conversation around climate change in the agriculture sector isn't always either one extreme or the o...

Victorian farmers have left this week's National Drought Forum in Gawler, South Australia, feeling frustrated by the lack of immediate commitment by the Federal Government to support those impacted by the drought. Hopes for an immediate review on Regional Investment Corporation loans and water infrastructure were pushed back, with decisions delayed until later this year. Victorian dairy farmers ar...

The Latest ANZ Agri in focus report is out, we’ll take a look at what’s in store for spring, and the outlook is promising, particularly if you believe what the bureau says. As winter draws to an end and new lambs hit the market for the start of the season, all signs point to a late spring lamb flush.  And Australia is the final continent yet to get the H5N1 bird flu variant &helli...

Bendigo Bank has released its annual agricultural exports report, and it has been the second-highest year on record, as our total agricultural exports rose by $5 billion dollars. And Victoria has retained its position as the largest export state in the country. It's spring, which means the days are starting to heat up and those warm, North Westerly winds will be putting extra pressure on crops. No...

The greatest threat to honey-bee pollinated crops, Varroa mite, has been detected in South Australia for the first time. The deadly parasite is expected to completely wipe out wild honey bees, meaning sectors such as the almond industry will be completely reliant on commercial hives. We’ll go through the latest climate outlook, with Agriculture Victoria’s seasonal risk agronomist Dale...

Another wind farm proposal and another group of farmers opposed to the development. But this time, it's because of loss of native vegetation and the removal of more than 400 native trees. The wool industry is at odds again over the dreaded m word… that’s mulesing. AWI Chair Jock Laurie seems to have inadvertently offended wool exporters, brokers and WooProducers Australia, simply...

Australia's wine grape industry is still in crisis with a glut of wine grapes. The Federal Government has just offered  grants of up to $100 000 to individual growers under its Wine Tourism and Cellar Door program. But that's not very helpful if you a bulk wine grape grower selling to major wine companies as is the case across the Riverina. Victoria's water storage levels in coastal areas hav...

Police have been called in by VNI West surveyor contractors, who have been surrounded by Wimmera farmers protesting against the controversial transmission line. Landcare Australia has announced the latest round of  Grants. You'll hear about the Birds on Farms Program with the Beyond Bolac Catchment Action Group working to save the endangered bittern bird species. The Weekly Times report, edit...

To the debate over renewable energy, Former Chair of Farmers for Climate Action, Charlie Prell says the solution is to not resist the inevitable energy transition, instead, collectively negotiate for a better deal. You'll also hear about the The Murra Warra Wind Farm north of Horsham producing enough electricity to power more than 175,000 homes. But perhaps the most interesting part of this is tha...

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan were heckled by angry farmers at last Friday's Bush Summit in Ballarat. Emotions were running hot whenever renewable energy was mentioned. The bushfire outlook for spring is for an increased risk, particularly in the west of the Victoria.  Industry needs financial incentives to phase out diesel fuel, including mining and agri...

Country Today is at the Bush Summit in Ballarat. The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed all the Bush Summits around the country and emotions were running hot today when he took pre-recorded questions on renewable energy.  At Bush Summit in Ballarat, Premier Jacinta Allan was heckled by an unsettled audience, particularly when she was asked the question as premier, what would she ha...

If you’ve ever survived a natural disaster, I’d say you’d be well aware of how live radio broadcasts can save lives. But the prominence of radio is under threat from advances in technology. So much so that the organization Commercial Radio and Audio is lobbying for urgent government action to ensure radio content is easily accessible. The wool industry’s marketing and resea...

Wild dog attacks on sheep have increased to the point where a Wimmera farmer has totally destocked his farm. A Melbourne based agtech company that’s developed a carcasse camera that can grade red meat in just two seconds has received certification from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its technology to be used in processing plants. Australian farm lending reached a very...

Today you may have your view of conventional farming practices well and truly challenged. It's called no-kill farming, and no, I don't mean no-till, I do mean no Kill. Bruce Maynard has been experimenting with the concept for more than two decades. We'll head to the United States to see what impact Donald Trump's immigration and tariff policies are having on agriculture there.   Australian Wo...

Wool production in Australia continues to fall, with the latest figures published this morning showing both wool and sheep numbers have fallen nearly 12 per cent in just one year. A new rapid test method for measuring methane emissions in pastures. With recent outbreaks of both foot and mouth and lumpy skin disease in Indonesia, Australia has funded workshops in Indonesia are helping to protect th...

The big dairy news is that Fonterra's Australian operations have been sold to the world's largest fresh milk dairy processor, French owned Lactalis. The State Labor Government is cutting more than 40 jobs from Agriculture Victoria, including dissolving Agriculture Victoria’s Plant Production Sciences branch.  The weekly wool report. Cattle artificial insemination (AI) technicians c...

The genomic testing of dairy cattle has increased more than six-fold in the past decade.  With Australian Wool Innovations next board election only three months away, one of the candidates is calling for a rethink of the 60/40 marketing and research spending. Australia’s meat processing sector now employs nearly two hundred thousand people in 300 communities, most of them in region...

One of Australia’s fastest expanding large scale farming operations, Excel Farms officially opened its head office, the Ararat Ag Hub. You’ll hear from Excel Farms Managing Director Nick Paterson about the several arms of the business. Also catch up on how the farming season is progressing with Excel Farms south west Victorian manager Caroline McGrath. The Weekly Times report. Editor J...

You’ll hear from a free-range egg farmer used green asset finance to fund a mobile solar-power system. As if the lack of decent rain isn’t bad enough, farmers are also losing urea fertilizer due to a process called volatilization, where the urea literally vanishes into thin air. You’ll hear from one of the nominees for this year’s Weekly Times Shine Awards author and mother...

Do you have a fire plan? If the answer is, yes, it's all in my head, then you get a serious fail. You’re hear what you should be doing. Farmers, farm workers and agricultural business employees impacted by the ongoing drought conditions in the south west can now apply to be part of the Catchment Management Authority Drought Employment Program. Australia produces enough food to feed roughly t...