Rural

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Rural News

News

Tired of the bedtime stories

After reading the bedtime story by Hare and Pyle from Wakool and Berrigan, I feel some clarification is necessary (’Response mirrors water mismanagement’, Country News, January 21). NSW operates and owns NSW irrigation, so any talks of...

Country News
News

Factory workers become snake catchers

Stanhope’s Fonterra cheese factory staff were given a new job last week, as snake catchers. ‘Snakeman’ Raymond Hoser, from Melbourne, instructed nine staff members on how to catch, handle and relocate deadly eastern brown snakes safely, after...

Country News
News

Stanhope Show, Shine and Swap Meet is back bigger and better

Entries are now open for the bigger and better 2020 Stanhope Show, Shine and Swap Meet to be held on Sunday, March 8. Stanhope Show, Shine and Swap Meet secretary Lyn Emmett said the event would be held at the new location of Stanhope Recreation...

Country News
News

A moment in time

The Lost Shepparton Shop and Heritage Centre Museum is run by local historian and Lost Shepparton founder Geoff Allemand. A treasure trove of souvenirs and books filled with historic photographs, compiled by Mr Allemand, can be found at the museum...

Country News
News

Consider adopting a pet instead of buying one

Animal lovers looking to add a furry friend to the family have been invited to attend National Pet Adoption Day at PETstock Shepparton on Saturday, February 15. Animal rescue advocate and former Olympic gold-medal swimmer Giaan Rooney grew up...

Country News

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Dairy

Dairy

New year marks a new era for dairy industry

2020 will deliver a fairer go for the more than 5000 Australian dairy farmers who now have more sway with processors under the dairy industry’s Mandatory Code of Conduct.

Rodney Woods
Dairy

Kyabram the home of new milk processing factory

A new milk processing factory is coming to Kyabram, with the Kyabram Jam Company set to invest $40 million to $50 million to diversify the former SPC-owned IXL site.

Rodney Woods
Dairy

Coles reimburses milk suppliers

Supermarket giant Coles has been forced to pay $5 million to a group of farmers after accusations it short-changed them on a scheme to provide drought relief.

Geoff Adams
Dairy

Chinese company buys Lion dairy labels

The Chinese dairy heavyweight behind the $1.5 billion bid for organic infant formula maker Bellamy’s Australia has agreed to acquire another of Australia’s biggest dairy operations. China Mengniu Dairy will pay Japanese beverage giant Kirin...

Geoff Adams
Dairy

Farmer Power cools the pressure on Bridget McKenzie for now

Farmer lobby group Farmer Power is giving Federal Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie “the benefit of the doubt” over issues the group had with the mandatory dairy code of conduct, after meeting with the minister recently. The group’s chief...

Rodney Woods

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Horticulture

Horticulture

New podcast for horticultural growers

A new resource designed to arm horticultural growers with everything they need to grow their business has been released by Hort Innovation. The podcast series, titled Growing Matters, is now freely available to download or stream through Apple...

Rodney Woods
Horticulture

Automation the future of packhouses

A report written by 2018 Nuffield scholar Olabisi Oladele from Orrvale examined the business decision-making around automation in packhouses. Dr Oladele is a technical manager at Geoffrey Thompson Holdings in Shepparton, an apple and pear...

Country News
Horticulture

Cobram trials to stop Queensland fruit fly

Two million sterile Queensland fruit flies will be released near Cobram in an attempt to manage pest populations. Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly co-ordinator Ross Abberfield said the release of sterile flies over Cobram was an innovative...

Country News

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Cropping

Cropping

SunRice slashes jobs

The Federal Government must develop a “bail-out package” for SunRice. That’s the message from NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton, following the announcement last week another 100 jobs would be lost from the Deniliquin and Leeton rice mills...

Zoe McMaugh
Cropping

Understand the effects of carryover herbicides

To help growers better understand the issues involved, the Grains Research and Development Corporation has produced a fact sheet: Rotational constraints for pulse crops following the use of aminopyralid, clopyralid and picloram herbicides

Rodney Woods
Cropping

Winter crop shrinks

Australia is facing the prospect of a winter crop of just 27.7 million tonnes — the smallest since 2007-08 — as ongoing severe drought conditions continue to take their toll on many of the nation’s main cropping regions, according...

Geoff Adams

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Livestock

Livestock

Red meat industry set to benefit from new pasture grass research

Australia’s red meat industry is set to benefit from new pasture grass research focused on increasing its production and profitability and helping to safeguard it in a changing climate. Agriculture Victoria research scientists have generated...

Rodney Woods
Livestock

Pay-as-you-go rental system for farming equipment

Australian farmers have a new, affordable way to access farm equipment. Ag-tech pioneer Mark Peart, from Toowoomba in southern Queensland, has released a pay-as-you-go platform called AGFIN. AGFIN is a model for farmers nationally to rent devices...

Jamieson Salter
Livestock

Lupin allowed into NSW to feed livestock

In a win for farmers, new biosecurity permits have opened lupin supply lines to feed livestock in drought-affected NSW. NSW DPI plant product integrity and standards manager Janine O’Donnell said access to new sources of lupin would help ease the...

Rodney Woods
Livestock

Beware of nitrate poising, southern Riverina farmer says

A southern Riverina farmer is putting the warning out to other farmers about the risks of nitrate poisoning. The farmer, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he lost 130 of his breeding cattle herd overnight in late February after they had grazed on...

Rodney Woods

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Water

Water

Irrigated farming faces more threats

Victoria’s irrigation industries and related communities seem to be ending 2019 with a potential threat of even more water leaving our agriculture. I sense Canberra and city-centric sympathy to adjusting water sharing in the Murray-Darling...

Country News
Water

Trading rules and constraints measures top of agenda at MinCo

Basin states have acknowledged concerns around foreign ownership and monopoly behaviour in the water markets and agreed to ask the ACCC to look at whether changes to trading rules are required and consider registration of brokers across state...

Rodney Woods
Water

MinCo meeting on today

An independent report commissioned by the Victorian and New South Wales governments has found a key element of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has “a high chance of failure” if changes are not made.

Rodney Woods

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Management

Management

Herd a fan of breezy comfort

Temperatures can get hot and oppressing in Cowra during the peak of summer, unless you are one of the lucky cows housed in the free stall barn built by dairy farmers Colin and Erina Thompson. The building of the barn has been a gradual process over...

Dairy News
Management

‘Hillbillies moment’ hits jackpot at Gunbower

Uncertainty surrounding the future of irrigation was the catalyst for Gunbower dairy farmers Harry and Jodie Rowlands to look outside the square and do something no-one in the area had done before — install a bore. It was October 2018 when Harry...

Sophie Baldwin
Management

Farm evolves at steady pace

In the words of dairy farmer John Cockerell, the family has been ‘puttering away’ on its Baulkamaugh North farm, Warrain Jersey’s, for four decades. John, wife Margaret, and son Edan have expanded their land holding from one settlement block...

Sophie Baldwin
Management

Mixing milk and wine

Barry and Bernadette Wurlod’s farm south of Terang makes milk for breakfast and will soon make wine to have with dinner. The dairy part of the farm is leased but Barry and Bernadette have been tinkering with a vineyard for the past 12 years and...

Dairy News

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From The Experts

From the Experts

ABV release prompts sire review

The August release of Australian Breeding Values (ABVs) and the upcoming joining season will have dairy farmers around the country thinking about the next best sires to use over their herds. While breeding enthusiasts will delve into great detail...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Sires’ success is proven

THE DESIRE by ABS to make better cows faster has never been more evident than in the August ABV proofs, delivering top sires in both the Holstein genomic rankings and sires with Australian milking daughters. The success of the ABS genomic program is...

Dairy News
From the Experts

Scientists expand genetic horizons

Australia’s geneticists are leading the world in expanding the horizons of genetic selection of dairy cattle. WHAT DO you achieve if you take a team of clever geneticists, give them state-of-the-art research facilities and supply them with...

Dairy News

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Markets

Markets

Australian consumers and the value of premium products

With temperatures heating up, all eyes are on southern Australia’s harvest prospects. As northern parts of the country experience yet another failed harvest, the southern crop will be paramount for any potential impact on current feed costs. While...

Dairy News
Markets

Australian milk production continues to slide, while global markets present opportunities

THE 2018–19 season will most certainly be remembered as an exceptionally challenging season for the Australian dairy industry. Universally high feed costs, record high temporary irrigation water costs and widespread dry seasonal conditions have...

Sofia Omstedt
Markets

Rain will be key to cow value lift: agents

There’s opportunity in current cow values for those who have feed, according to a cow leasing and agricultural finance company boss. This comes as livestock agents continue to report tough selling conditions, as farmers in northern Victoria battle...

Dairy News

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Machinery & Products

Machinery & Products

New focus for New Holland

It’s a new year and a new focus for New Holland Agriculture with the announcement of a new brand leader for the company’s Australian and New Zealand operations. Former managing director of Iveco Australia/New Zealand Bruce Healy, will take the...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Ag machinery companies join forces

Agriquip Machinery has signed an agreement to become part of LandHQ, a leader for John Deere Agricultural Machinery in the Sydney area. The two companies are passionate about serving the community and will combine their expertise to bring new...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Quadtrac journeys full circle

After more than two decades plying its trade in Australian paddocks, a very special Case IH Steiger Quadtrac has returned to where it all began. The Quadtrac 9370 has gone on display at the iconic Case IH factory in North Dakota, United States...

Dairy News
Machinery & Products

Fast-tracking with JCB

The world speed record set by JCB with its 1016 hp Fastrac tractor was achieved with the ultimate BKT know-how. In addition to the revised chassis and powertrain developments carried out by the British tractor maker, this speed machine was also...

Dairy News

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Animal Health

Animal Health

Look out for cancer eye

The most common type of tumour or “cancer eye” in cattle is squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer eye is an invasive and rapidly spreading tumour and is economically important, representing 58 per cent of all cancers that result in condemnation of...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Heat strategies for summer

With the prospects of another long hot summer in front of us, what can you do to minimise the impacts on your cows? Heat stress can have a very significant impact on your dairy cows, and ultimately your farm income. Heat stress can: Reduce milk...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Nutrition counters stress

Every Australian dairy farmer knows the impact heat stress can have on their herd. New research has found feeding protected B vitamins can help improve reproduction and achieve higher milk production. Jefo Nutrition’s Hélène Leclerc said dairy...

Dairy News
Animal Health

Know your fodder: feed testing facts

THIS SEASON there is the potential for a fodder supply shortage across Australia’s dairy regions. In times of low pasture supply, it is essential to carefully plan what the likely feed requirements will be for your herd and actively manage the...

Dairy News