News

What they said

The very people you trust (politicians) to keep you informed on matters like this have let you down by failing to acknowledge the seriousness of our plight and by pressing on with the plan despite the overwhelming evidence of its failure. -...

Jamieson Salter
News

Water sharing warning

Victorian irrigation stakeholders are uneasy over a plan to have a Murray-Darling Basin ‘policeman’ given extra powers to examine water sharing arrangements between the states. The proposal has created some friction between Victorian and...

Geoff Adams
Water

Protesters call to can the plan

Thousands of southern basin irrigators, business owners and community members descended on Canberra last week calling to #cantheplan

Sophie Baldwin
News

Can the plan protesters arrive in Canberra

The Convoy to Canberra saw thousands of farmers travel to Parliament House to oppose the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Fed-up farmers want a royal commission for the plan, or for it to be abolished altogether, as many are left with no water allocation...

Jamieson Salter

Most popular

Water

Water for Fodder program opens

Farmers in the southern Murray-Darling Basin can apply to purchase water at a discounted rate from 10am today. Eligible farmers can buy up to two 50Ml parcels at $100 per megalitre and Federal Water and Drought Minister David Littleproud said the...

Rodney Woods
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
News

Katamatite’s lion-hearted effort to support fire-affected NSW farmers

Five trucks stocked with donated hay bales left Katamatite recently, travelling more than 1000 km to deliver feed to farms razed by bushfires in Macksville, NSW. Having heard the devastating impact of blazes across the nation, Katamatite...

Liam Nash
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
News

Lower Lakes study announced by MDBA

The status of the South Australian Lower Lakes as fresh or saline bodies of water is expected to come under scrutiny in an independent scientific review announced by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. Victorian irrigators, the National Party, and...

Geoff Adams
News

Can the plan protesters arrive in Canberra

The Convoy to Canberra saw thousands of farmers travel to Parliament House to oppose the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Fed-up farmers want a royal commission for the plan, or for it to be abolished altogether, as many are left with no water allocation...

Jamieson Salter
Livestock

Research reveals no benefit in processing barley for lot-fed sheep

Charles Sturt University research has found there are no clear benefits in processing barley grain to increase the live-weight gain of feedlot lambs. CSU Bachelor of Animal Science honours student Sabrina Meurs examined the impact of grain...

Rodney Woods

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Opinion

Opinion

The death of agricultural research

I must agree with Barry Croke (my fellow student at University of Melbourne) in his letter about research staff numbers being cut when he pointed to Australians being world leaders in agricultural research. In particular this applies to tropical...

Geoff Adams
Opinion

Billion dollar flush

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that 100 Gl of water will be allocated to eligible irrigators for the purposes of fodder production. Details of how this $100/Ml water can be accessed and how the resulting fodder is administered is...

Geoff Adams
Opinion

It’s time to address the cause of our water problem

The Bishop of Riverina Donald Kirk has described water as “the essence of life” and argued that the water market is infringing on the spiritual needs of people in the Murray-Darling Basin. According to an ABC report, in his opening...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

Native timber decision will destroy lives

With one stroke of his magic pen, the Premier for Melbourne, Daniel Andrews, has decimated the timber industry. With very little thought he has destroyed the lives of thousands of rural timber workers, all for the sake of some inner city green...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

The death of agricultural research

I must agree with Barry Croke (my fellow student at University of Melbourne) in his letter about research staff numbers being cut when he pointed to Australians being world leaders in agricultural research. In particular this applies to tropical...

Geoff Adams
Opinion

Billion dollar flush

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that 100 Gl of water will be allocated to eligible irrigators for the purposes of fodder production. Details of how this $100/Ml water can be accessed and how the resulting fodder is administered is...

Geoff Adams
Opinion

It’s time to address the cause of our water problem

The Bishop of Riverina Donald Kirk has described water as “the essence of life” and argued that the water market is infringing on the spiritual needs of people in the Murray-Darling Basin. According to an ABC report, in his opening...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

The death of agricultural research

I must agree with Barry Croke (my fellow student at University of Melbourne) in his letter about research staff numbers being cut when he pointed to Australians being world leaders in agricultural research. In particular this applies to tropical...

Geoff Adams
Opinion

Billion dollar flush

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that 100 Gl of water will be allocated to eligible irrigators for the purposes of fodder production. Details of how this $100/Ml water can be accessed and how the resulting fodder is administered is...

Geoff Adams
Opinion

It’s time to address the cause of our water problem

The Bishop of Riverina Donald Kirk has described water as “the essence of life” and argued that the water market is infringing on the spiritual needs of people in the Murray-Darling Basin. According to an ABC report, in his opening...

Rodney Woods
Opinion

Native timber decision will destroy lives

With one stroke of his magic pen, the Premier for Melbourne, Daniel Andrews, has decimated the timber industry. With very little thought he has destroyed the lives of thousands of rural timber workers, all for the sake of some inner city green...

Rodney Woods

View All

Dairy

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

New research to help predict likelihood of dairy cow pregnancies

Agriculture Victoria research scientists have developed a model that can predict how likely a dairy cow is to conceive from first insemination, with up to 77 per cent accuracy. The world-first research combined mid-infrared spectroscopy &mdash...

Rodney Woods
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
Dairy

Odgers re-elected to DA board

Dairy Australia’s re-elected chairman of the board says the last financial year was a tough one and none tougher for the Murray Dairy region in northern Victoria and the southern Riverina. Jeff Odgers from Ardmona said persistent, very dry...

Geoff Adams
Dairy

Australian Dairy Conference registrations now open

Registrations are now open for the 2020 Australian Dairy Conference. The culture of the dairy industry will take centre stage at the Melbourne event, including the impacts of cultural aspects at a broader level and in relation to on-farm...

Rodney Woods

Bloggers

Your local news

Country News

Kill the cartoonist?

There’s been a bit of fuss about this Leunig cartoon lately – humans on social media have been saying nasty things, as they seem to do when they don’t have to sign their names. I thought it was pretty funny, myself. And spot on. When The Boss...

The General

The Boss's Dog

Who can you trust these days?

What’s this Labrador up to? Pretending to be a Eurasion Coot, he is, so he’s up to no good. Probably paddling along in the raft of Coots to sneak up on a Blackie, or a Teal, I’ll bet. Now I’ve never seen a dog indulging in the art of deception quite...

The General

View All

Water

News

What they said

The very people you trust (politicians) to keep you informed on matters like this have let you down by failing to acknowledge the seriousness of our plight and by pressing on with the plan despite the overwhelming evidence of its failure. -...

Jamieson Salter
News

Can the plan protesters arrive in Canberra

The Convoy to Canberra saw thousands of farmers travel to Parliament House to oppose the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. Fed-up farmers want a royal commission for the plan, or for it to be abolished altogether, as many are left with no water allocation...

Jamieson Salter
Water

Protesters call to can the plan

Thousands of southern basin irrigators, business owners and community members descended on Canberra last week calling to #cantheplan

Sophie Baldwin
Water

Inspector-general to review water policy

Federal Water Minister David Littleproud has called for the Murray-Darling Basin interim inspector-general position to be made a permanent role, following a rally against the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in Canberra last week. Former Australian Federal...

Country News

View All

Horticulture

Horticulture

Moira Shire Council wants fruit fly program funding extended

Moira Shire Council is calling on Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes to continue funding the Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly Program for the next three years. Mayor Libro Mustica said Queensland fruit fly was a constant threat to...

Rodney Woods
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

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Viticulture

Viticulture

Wine workshop at Wangaratta

Grape growers and winemakers will be able to tap into new research to improve vineyard health, limit wine spoilage and understand how the differences in shiraz wines from varying regions occur at a workshop in Wangaratta next month. The free...

Rodney Woods
Viticulture

Leaf strip timing can reduce sunburn in grapes

Research by the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre has discovered the ideal time to remove leaves from grapevines.

Country News
Viticulture

Taking local to the city

It doesn’t seem all that long ago the average family sat down to a simple meal of meat and three veg. If you were lucky, there was jelly and ice-cream for dessert.

Vanessa Wiltshire

View All

Livestock

Livestock

Research reveals no benefit in processing barley for lot-fed sheep

Charles Sturt University research has found there are no clear benefits in processing barley grain to increase the live-weight gain of feedlot lambs. CSU Bachelor of Animal Science honours student Sabrina Meurs examined the impact of grain...

Rodney Woods
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
View All

EVENTS
Events

Merrigum Carols in the Park

What: Live music, prizes, a festive costume competition and, of course, carols await on Friday evening in Merrigum. More delights will fill the evening, including a community barbecue and treasure hunts, even the appearance of Santa Claus arriving...

13

Ilias Bakalla
Events

Violet Town Community Market

What: Relax and enjoy live music, hot food and great coffee. You can find fresh produce, arts, crafts, jewellery, plants and more. Entry is free; however a gold coin donation would be welcomed. When: Saturday, 8.30 am to 1 pm. Where: Recreation...

14

Ilias Bakalla
Events

Munzee in the Park

What: Discover Munzee, a new generation of global scavenger hunt games. Track down QR codes hidden in the real world and capture them for points. When: 3 pm to 5 pm. Where: Riverbank Gardens, Stevenson St, Murchison. More information: Phone Rob...

14

Ilias Bakalla
Events

Carols in the Park Mooroopna

What: An evening of entertainment and activities with live music from a variety of local artists will be concluded with a fireworks and sound show. Everything is free, except food stalls and LED candles. Soccer Darts and Mobile Animal Farm will be...

14

Ilias Bakalla

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Cropping

Cropping

Russian wheat aphid not a major threat to winter cereals, research finds

The more Australian researchers learn about Russian wheat aphid, the more confident they are that the pest does not pose a major threat to winter cereal crops in this country — if growers and advisers understand how to manage it...

Rodney Woods
Cropping

Farmers surveyed about telehandler use

The VFF Grains Group is urging farmers to complete a survey on telehandler use in agriculture. The VFF Grains Group has worked with WorkSafe and the Telescopic Handlers Association of Australia to develop the survey to inform future licensing...

Rodney Woods
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