The Big Dry continues to grip many parts of Australia in drought, despite some areas having received encouraging recent rains. October rains across northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland came mostly from thunderstorms, providing only patchy coverage. "To give one example, Dubbo, which has had a...
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has backflipped on his opinion of the 10c/litre milk levy imposed by Coles and Woolworths, claiming that the initiative had become an ‘empty media stunt’. Only last month, Minister Littleproud applauded Woolworths for instigating the levy on branded milk products, quoted in...
Meet Angus the farmer. Weighing in at 450kgs, he’s probably on the larger side of most farmers you know, but in actual fact Angus is one of the world’s first mobile robot farmers, working in an ultra high-tech warehouse in Silicon Valley. Iron Ox, the owner...
While the adoption of technology has been widely recognised in traditional livestock sectors, several newly developed applications are helping to improve the production and sustainability of the world’s large-scale salmon farms. In Norway, one company is testing the use of facial recognition software to identify and...
Australia’s drought continues to leave a toll on agriculture with irrigators the latest group to feel the effect. In a September report, valuers Herron Todd White warn that increasing water prices will affect growers of permanent crops and commodity prices. Water-intensive crops such as almonds, avocados, grapes...
A new project to connect indigenous enterprise owners with horticulture skills has been funded as part of a $4-million grant to create job opportunities in northern Australia. The project will connect two Aboriginal corporations with the knowledge, skills and capacity required to develop horticulture production businesses....
Consumer support for strawberry growers is helping the industry to bounce back after being thrown into crisis earlier this month. Since the story broke, more than 100 cases of strawberries containing needles have been reported, prompting widespread panic amongst consumers. Supermarket chains Coles and Aldi temporarily removed...
Australian supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths have announced a 10cents/litre levy on milk to help drought-affected dairy farmers. Woolworths was the first retailer to commit to the initiative, adding a new, drought-levy brand alongside its existing range. Two and three-litre cartons will be branded to reflect...