Beefy Betty Sells for a Song
Image: Millah Murrah Prue M4, pictured with (L-R) vendor Ross Thompson (Millah Murrah), purchaser Rodger Pryce (Brooklana Angus), Andrew Bickford (Elders Bathurst) and auctioneer Paul Dooley. Image supplied. Social media feeds have been buzzing over the last week with the news that a heifer named Millah Murrah Prue M4 sold for a record $190,000 at […]
The perils of crop insurance: NSW government considers strategies to improve the uptake of multi-peril policies.
Image: While traditional hail and fire policies have been well adopted, multi-peril crop insurance policies are still overwhelmingly unsubscribed by Australian growers. Photo by Cecile Despierres, available from Pexel under a CCO license. A recent review by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal in New South Wales has called for temporary policy subsidisation policy, better […]
Bums on (Rural) Seats: Declining populations in Australian country towns
Image: Where have all the young women gone? Yap Yap (dog) pulled in a cart by Achong – Trundle, NSW, by an unknown photographer, from the State Library of New South Wales with no known copyright restrictions. While Australia’s population is estimated to increase from 23 million to 38 million by 2050, the population of […]
Juiced: Hurricane Irma devastates Florida’s Citrus Industry
Hurricane Irma has significantly damaged Florida’s Orange crop, which should lead to an increase the price of Oranges globally. Image: Vintage Postcard – Oranges In Florida, licensed under a CC BY-ND 2.0 license. Orange juice futures soared amid the devastation left by Hurricane Irma, with the biggest jump in price in 16 months. Orange juice for […]
Tattoo You: The Future of Labelling for the Fresh Produce Industry
Image: Could tattooed labels on fruit and veg be a sustainable answer for the fresh produce industry? Image reproduced with permission from Laser Foods. Tattooing labels on fruit and vegetable items could become a norm as the fresh produce industry seeks an alternative to traditional stickers. Spanish-based company Laser Foods has developed a technology that […]
Back from the Brink: Is the Tassie Tiger alive and kicking?
Image: Sightings and rumours that the Thylacine is still alive have fueled several volunteer groups to actively look for signs of the marsupial. Wombat and Thylacine Lithograph, by an unknown author from the Instructive Picture Book (1877) available through a public domain license. Recently released footage of what appears to be a Thylacine has renewed speculation that […]
Beef for Burgers and Chicken for Chow Mein: Foreign Investment in Australian Agriculture is on the Rise
Image: Interest in Australian farm land is increasing, with buyers from Europe, America and Asia keen to secure both land and established agricultural enterprises. Aerial Photo of an Australian Summer Landscape by Thennike from Wikimedia licensed under a Creative Common CC BY-SA 4.0 More than 10% of Australian agricultural land is owned by foreign investors, according to the […]