Horticulture growers step up solutions to ease labour shortages
Labour shortages in the horticulture sector have eased slightly, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences based on a survey of over 2,000 horticulture farms across Australia. The survey showed a fall in the number of farms struggling to find workers with almost 34% of horticulture farms […]
Next-generation plant and animal breeding boosted by $13M training fund
Efforts to address rising global food demand were under the spotlight at the launch of the ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding at The University of Queensland on Friday. The Centre will train the next wave of experts in plant and animal breeding in collaboration with industry due to a combined investment of $13 million […]
Emissions grants available through the Carbon Farming Outreach Program for farm businesses
Farmers will soon be able to access commodity-specific information to enable them to make decisions on reducing emissions for their businesses through an Australian Government grant initiative. As part of the Carbon Farming Outreach Program, more than $1.8 million in Gap Analysis grants will be available to Research and Development Corporations. The program aims to […]
RBA Governor shows true grit to keep rates on hold at a base rate of 4.35%
At this time in 2023 with the distraction of the general public watching the running of the 163rd Melbourne Cup the Reserve Bank of Australia Board (RBA) took a swipe at lingering inflation by raising the base cash rate by 0.25% to a 12 year high of 4.35%. It was the first meeting of the […]
Your smartphone can detect when milk has gone off and save thousands of litres from being discarded
Researchers at UNSW Computer Science and Engineering have developed a smartphone sensor that can detect if milk is fresh or spoiled. Named VibMilk, the technology uses a smartphone’s vibration motor and inertial measurement unit (IMU) to assess milk freshness without needing to open the package. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that 20% […]
Used Car Safety Ratings for 2024 that you need to know to avoid buying a lemon
The updated Used Car Safety Ratings for 2024 provide a comprehensive guide to the safest used vehicles to buy, and those to avoid. Based on data from the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), the 2024 ratings analyse 9.4 million vehicles involved in police-reported crashes and 2.6 million injured road users in Australia from 1987 […]
CANEGROWERS secures vital exemption over the holiday period amid harvest delays
CANEGROWERS has again secured a critical industry exemption from the Christmas transport curfew, ensuring the delayed sugarcane harvest can keep moving through the holiday period. Poor weather, industrial action, and the consistently unreliable milling performance in many districts will once again push the harvest into late December. CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens expressed frustration at […]
NHVR calls for feedback on draft Wine Industry Code of Practice
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has released the draft Wine Industry Code of Practice, to allow any stakeholder with an interest in the wine industry to review and comment on the Code before it is assessed for registration. The NHVR has developed the Wine Code in partnership with the South Australian Wine Industry Association […]
Bureau predictions for long-range Spring weather forecasts that could make or break some farmers
With the release of the Bureau of Meteorology Long-Range 2024 Spring forecast it is the start of nightmares for some farming districts with predictions they would prefer not to see. The long-range forecast provides guidance on the likelihood that different parts of the country will see conditions that are warmer or cooler, or wetter and […]
Syngenta Group reports H1 2024 sales and earnings are down compared to last year
Coming off record profits from the highest product input prices farmers have ever paid, Syngenta Group financial results for the first half and the second quarter of 2024 reveal the tide has turned with sales for the first half of 2024 at $14.5 billion, down $3.0 billion or 17% year-on-year, when compared to a strong […]