News Grants provide infrastructure More than 2300 applicants have been assisted by the Victorian Government’s On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Support Grant program, including Creightons Creek sheep farmers Mark and Annette Radford. Rodney Woods 13 hours ago 13 hours ago
News Vitamin C helps with diabetes A Victorian study has found popping a vitamin C tablet twice a day could help more than one million Australians with type 2 diabetes reduce their blood sugar levels. Country News 17 hours ago 17 hours ago
News Disease found in goods Tougher penalties could be on the cards for international travellers failing to declare plant and animal matter they bring into Australia following the detection of foot and mouth disease in goods that were being brought into the country. Country News 21 hours ago 21 hours ago
News Cotton rebuke Politicians arguing for a ban on cotton exports from Australia have drawn swift rebuke from agricultural leaders. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Water Call to pause basin plan An immediate pause of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is required to restore confidence in the plan, which is failing the environment and regional communities, according to a coalition of 24 businesses and organisations across the region. Alana Christensen 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Dairy Dairy issues mirrored in US The challenges facing the Goulburn Valley dairy industry were similar to those in California, a visiting academic said last week at a Murray Dairy presentation in Tatura. Geoff Adams 19 hours ago 19 hours ago
News Temperatures up while rain tallies fall NSW HAS recorded its warmest year on record as Victoria and the country as a whole sweltered through their third-warmest year on record. The Bureau of Meteorology’s annual climate statement for 2018 said Australia’s 2018 annual mean temperature... Dairy News 19 hours ago 19 hours ago
Dairy Encouraged to stay by ACM A Kotupna organic dairy farmer nearly gave up dairying altogether after the milk price crash but a knock on the door from ACM changed all that. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Dairy Fonterra milk price steps up Fonterra Australia has increased its farm gate milk price by seven cents per kilogram of milk solids (kgMS) for the 2018-19 season, bringing its average farm gate milk price to $6.05/kgMS. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Dairy Call for a temporary milk levy Australian supermarket chains, dairy processors and dairy farmer groups should introduce a temporary levy for the next 12 months, according to Nationals MP David Gillespie. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Horticulture Weather contributes to tough start to 2019 Lower cattle and cotton prices, and a slight easing in the price of wheat, have seen the National Australia Bank Rural Commodities Index fall by 1.1 per cent in January, after a 0.5 per cent increase in December. Country News 14 hours ago 14 hours ago
Horticulture Cheery outlook Cherry growers from the Australian mainland are in high spirits after completing their first full season of trade via air freight with China since being granted market access. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Horticulture Dual processing capability The first A1 or conventional milk was processed at the Girgarre ACM factory last week with organic milk, milk powder, cream and butter set to follow in the coming months. Rodney Woods 14 Feb 2019 14 Feb 2019
Cropping Grain prices are forecast to stay high Grain prices are expected to remain high for the majority of 2019, with dry conditions continuing to have an effect on local prices. Country News 16 hours ago 16 hours ago
Cropping Video fights pest Home gardeners are being encouraged to learn more about how they can help keep Queensland fruit fly under control. Country News 14 Feb 2019 14 Feb 2019
Cropping Create pathways Farming is all about the management of five key elements — land, water, equipment, capital and people. Country News 13 Feb 2019 13 Feb 2019
Livestock Closing the feed gap Filling the pasture-based feed gap during winter can be a real inhibitor of profitability for many beef operations in the southern regions of Australia, according to a 2017 Nuffield scholar. Country News 20 hours ago 20 hours ago
Livestock Reform plans move forward An overhaul of Australia’s $18billion red meat and livestock industry has drawn one step closer, following the release of a Green Paper with options for the future of the sector including the role of live exports and manufacturing. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Livestock Poor conditions impact sheepmeat supply Australian lamb slaughter is forecast to reach its lowest level since 2012 as poor conditions that impacted 2018 are expected to continue to affect sheepmeat supply this year, according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s 2019 Sheep Industry Projections. Country News 18 Feb 2019 18 Feb 2019
Livestock Sale action subdued A polled cow out of a ‘‘very good imported cow family from overseas’’ topped the Fountaindale Farms Complete Dispersal Sale on Friday. Country News 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Water Premier wants water meeting South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has called for a meeting of Australia’s water ministers to consider recent reports into the Murray-Darling Basin, including SA’s royal commission. Country News 15 hours ago 15 hours ago
Water Fixed water costs bite Victorian Shadow Water Minister Steph Ryan has called on the Victorian Government to pay irrigators’ fixed water costs. Rodney Woods 18 hours ago 18 hours ago
Water Group says plan goals not met Environmental flow targets set under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan have not been achieved, according to a new report. Country News 19 Feb 2019 19 Feb 2019
Management The time of our lives GETTING THE timing right is a key to farming as Rachelle De Haas and her partner Mathew Donovan are finding out on a family farm near Heywood. Rachelle and Mathew are farming with her parents Renee and Judith De Haas, who have owned the property for... Rick Bayne 18 Feb 2019 18 Feb 2019
Management New generation farmers set for challenge AT 35 Katrina McRae is taking on the biggest challenge of her life but it’s one she’s been planning for as long as she can remember. Alongside partner Kerry Cowland and their daughter Sophie, 9, Katrina is taking over management of her family... Rick Bayne 18 Feb 2019 18 Feb 2019
Management Growing for success THE HOLLOWAY family farm at Mepunga has been built around growth, not only with an expanding parcel of land but with well-fed cows and booming production. “You’ve got to keep growing, the day you stop growing your business is the day you might... Rick Bayne 18 Feb 2019 18 Feb 2019
Management Boxes ticked for next generation of business PAT AND Michelle Quinn have ticked all the big-ticket infrastructure items to take their 650-cow dairy herd into the future. The couple built a new rotary dairy in 2016, a feed pad in 2017, and this year they are about a third of the way through... Dairy News 18 Feb 2019 18 Feb 2019
From the Experts Summer heat advice PROVIDING LIVESTOCK with shade and water during extreme heat is ‘‘paramount’’ according to an owner of a northern Victorian veterinary practice. Keith Fletcher, of Rochester Veterinary Practice, provided some tips on the best way to handle... Dairy News 18 Feb 2019 18 Feb 2019
From the Experts March reminders Hay and silage stocks Check your levels of hay and silage and do your sums on potential hay and silage use for the balance of the year. Allow for milking cows, dry cows and young stock. It’s often a challenge to feed the best feed you can and make... Dairy News 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
From the Experts New tech helps manage cows A NEW cow ‘fit bit’ is making it easier to diagnose sick cows and influence management decisions around fertility and performance. Cow Manager uses a small ear tag to monitor and record cow activity, temperature, eating, rumination and resting... Dairy News 14 Jan 2019 14 Jan 2019
Markets Indonesia — a growing market opportunity for Australian exporters? INDONESIA IS the fourth most populous country in the world and one of the fastest growing economies in southeast Asia. It is also a country of increasing importance and interest among South-East major dairy exporters. While some suggest Indonesi... Sofia Omstedt 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Markets Don’t forget global markets WITH MANY eyes focused on the current feed shortage in Australia and resultant surge in feed costs, global markets have taken something of a back seat. Apart from helpful depreciation of the Australian dollar, there hasn’t been much to jolt our... John Droppert 13 Dec 2018 13 Dec 2018
Markets That was the year that was IT’S THAT time of the year when we look back — sometimes in anger — at the journey of the past 12 months. This time last year we had a different prime minister, the Federal Government was still opposing the Banking Royal Commission, the... Jo Bills 13 Dec 2018 13 Dec 2018
Machinery & Products Technology and simple solutions hit the mark TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES to answer the increasingly complex questions posed by agriculture today, but for Tim Slater, who has been around the industry his whole life, it’s the simple solutions, often devised with the least resources, that still... Dairy News 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Machinery & Products I don’t need a compact tracked loader, do you? With the new year well and truly upon us, the festivities and possible excess of the Christmas period are a fast-receding memory. So too, are the bold ambitions associated with new year’s resolutions. Paying down debt, simplifying the operation... John Droppert 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Machinery & Products Drivers urged to be careful LOOK OUT. Slow down. Take care. These are the three messages farmers are asking all motorists to observe when travelling country roads as part of the ‘Common Roads, Common Sense’ campaign. This new road safety initiative was developed by the... Dairy News 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Machinery & Products Wrapping up a hypothetical silage venture I’D BE willing to wager that every machinery enthusiast has their share of ‘aspirational’ purchases. The machines that you don’t strictly need, but with whose hypothetical selection and applications you preoccupy your spare time. I have... John Droppert 13 Dec 2018 13 Dec 2018
Animal Health Managing the risk of mastitis in hot weather TWO RECENT discussions were a reminder of how hot weather can significantly influence the risk of mastitis in dairy herds. The first was a farm which uses a mechanical teat scrubber as part of the pre-milking routine to clean teats prior to cups on... Rod Dyson 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Animal Health Shining a spotlight on facial eczema FACIAL ECZEMA (FE) can significantly affect dairy cattle productivity, health and welfare through animal deaths, reduced weight gain, reduced milk yield and reproductive performance. While FE is mainly seen in east Gippsland, it has also been... Gemma Chuck 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Animal Health Fonterra to sell NZ livestock division FONTERRA NEW Zealand has announced it will sell the Farm Source livestock division to Carrfields Livestock — an established livestock agency provider. Fonterra Farm Source stores director Richard Allen, said the decision to sell was made in the... Dairy News 15 Feb 2019 15 Feb 2019
Animal Health Keep cows cool this summer CLIMATE CHANGE is leading to warmer Australian summers with an increased number of hot days and warmer nights. This increases the risk of heat stress, leading to adverse effects on herd health and farm profitability. Effects of heat stress Reduced... Gemma Chuck 13 Dec 2018 13 Dec 2018
