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Vermicast: Nature’s own fertiliser

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:36:14 GMT

Family owned company Australian Farm and Fencing, located in Wagga Wagga NSW, is on a mission to help more and more Australian farmers recognise what is widely considered the world's best soil restorative or premium organic fertiliser: vermicast.

With the introduction of a pelletised vermicast back in 2018, that can be sowed-down using conventional equipment, Australian Farm and Fencing has seen the farming community adopt the use of thousands of tonnes of its pelletised fertiliser product.

Initially, farmers were sceptical that the company’s products could provide similar yields to traditional use of synthetic fertilisers but the use over time has proved otherwise, even in dry years. Like most things, innovation catches up and transforms great products into even better more user-friendly products.

A team of ag-tech innovators set out to transform raw vermicast into a high-performance, granulated product that could be seamlessly used in existing fertilising systems traditionally used with Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP) and other synthetic fertilisers.

The result? A granulated vermicast product that looked, sowed and spread just like MAP—but worked with the soil, not against it.

So, what is vermicast?

Vermicast, also known as worm castings, is the nutrient-rich end-product of organic matter breakdown by earthworms, containing reduced contaminants and higher nutrient saturation than the original feedstock. It serves as a potent organic fertiliser and soil conditioner that delivers highly bioavailable nutrients, enhances soil biology with beneficial microbes, and improves water retention and soil structure.

Key characteristics and benefits include:

Nutrient Profile: It contains water-soluble nutrients, humic substances, and plant growth regulators that are readily absorbed by plants, often outperforming commercial fertilisers in yield and plant health.
Microbial Diversity: The process of digestion through the worm's gut creates a large microbial community of bacteria and fungi that suppress diseases and support plant immunity.
Soil Improvement: Vermicast lowers the Carbon-to-Nitrogen (C:N) ratio, stabilizes organic matter, and acts as a natural soil builder that can hold 2-3 times its weight in water.

Compared to synthetic fertilisers like MAP and Urea, vermicast provides nutrients in a fundamentally different, slower-release form and focuses on long-term soil health rather than an immediate nutrient boost.

Nutrient Release and Efficiency: Urea and MAP release their nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) rapidly, which can lead to leaching, volatilization (loss to the air), and inefficient uptake by plants. Studies show only 20-25% of applied urea nitrogen may be available to plants. Vermicast releases nutrients slowly and steadily over months, drastically reducing waste and pollution.
Nutrient Form and Availability: While MAP and Urea provide high concentrations of immediately available N, P, and K, vermicast offers a broad spectrum of nutrients (macro and micro) in a highly bioavailable, water-soluble form due to the worms' digestive process. It also contains plant growth hormones and enzymes that synthetic fertilisers lack.
Soil Health: This is the key difference. Urea and MAP do nothing to improve soil structure or biology and can degrade soil health over time. Vermicast is a powerful soil conditioner that dramatically improves water retention, aeration, and, most importantly, introduces a vast population of beneficial microbes that enhance nutrient cycling and plant disease resistance.
Synergy: Research shows the best results often come from combining them. Using vermicast with a reduced amount of urea or MAP creates a synergistic effect: the synthetic fertiliser provides an immediate nutrient kick, while the vermicast stabilizes the nutrients, improves root development, and ensures sustained release, leading to higher yields and better plant health than either used alone.

In short, vermicast is not a direct, high-volume replacement for MAP or Urea, but a superior long-term investment in soil fertility and plant resilience.

While vermicast is an excellent soil conditioner and source of slowly released, bioavailable nutrients, it does not contain the high concentration of nitrogen (N) that urea provides. Urea is a concentrated nitrogen source (46-0-0 NPK), whereas vermicast has a much lower and more balanced nutrient profile (often around 1-0.5-0.5 NPK).

Vermicast's primary value lies in improving soil health, structure, and microbial life, which enhances the plant's ability to absorb all nutrients, including those from other sources. For high-yield crop production, especially for nitrogen-demanding plants, relying solely on vermicast would likely result in nitrogen deficiency. The most effective approach is to use vermicast in combination with urea or other fertilisers, allowing the vermicast to stabilize the nitrogen, reduce leaching, and improve overall plant health and resilience.

To supplement vermicast with higher NPK, especially nitrogen, consider this non-synthetic fertiliser:

Seabird Guano: Offers high nitrogen and phosphorus (e.g., Seabird Guano ~10-10-0), providing a powerful, fast-acting organic boost.
Seabird Guano can be blended with vermicast to create a potent, natural fertiliser that delivers both immediate and long-term nutrients while improving soil health.

Company website: www.farmandfencing.com.au

Company email address: admin@farmandfencing.com.au

Vermicast Boosts Yields and Grazing

Doug and Michelle Brunskill have been using vermicast pellet fertiliser on their Wagga Wagga, NSW, farm since 2018. They had particularly impressive results during the drought years of 2018-19 by sowing the pellets with Moby forage barley that was grazed and cut for silage. In 2020, they used vermicast pellets across 700 ha sown in March at 50 kilograms/ha with their Graza 50 Oats, Moby barley and Grazing Canola 970. The Canola was grazed heavily with ewes and lambs for three months solid from June and still yielded 2.2t/ha when harvested. This produced a gross margin return of more than $1250/ha, plus the grazing. “It was the first time we had tried the Grazing Canola 970 and its growth and feed value for the sheep were awesome,” says Michele. “To graze the crop solid for three months and still get that yield is an absolute game changer. “We have pre-ordered another 40 tonnes of pellets for the coming season”.

Take control of woody weeds

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:12:15 GMT

Invasive woody weeds steal your pasture. Method helps you take it back.

Australian agriculture’s role as a sustainability leader in global trade systems

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:16:22 GMT

In a disrupted geopolitical trade system looking for trusted, consistent, values-aligned partners, Australian agriculture has a unique value proposition to offer.

Australia’s agricultural sector has never had the luxury of stability. Producers operate at the intersection of climatic extremes, volatile international markets, and shifting global expectations about the environmental credibility of food and fibre. Yet it is this exposure — to deregulated markets, demanding production conditions, and global competition — that has shaped Australia into one of the world’s most resilient and innovative agricultural exporters.

This gives Australia a distinct role in a world now grappling with food system uncertainty. Economic pressures, geopolitical tensions, and contested sustainability frameworks are unsettling long-held assumptions about what constitutes reliability in a trading partner. Global value chains are seeking suppliers who can demonstrate transparent, measurable sustainability outcomes without compromising productivity or affordability.

Across recent Australian Farm Institute (AFI) interactions with stakeholders, policy leaders, international counterparts, and private-sector market participants, a consistent theme has emerged: Australia’s experience offers a model for how to integrate sustainability, trade competitiveness, and innovation in a way that is grounded rather than ideological.

Our strengths have not been designed in boardrooms — they have been forged through decades of deregulation, exposure to global markets, and farmer-led adaptation. This is the foundation from which Australia can lead.

A trading nation shaped by deregulation

Few agricultural economies have deregulated as extensively or as boldly as Australia’s. Over several decades, the removal of commodity boards, price supports, and many forms of supply-side market intervention have forced producers and agribusinesses to compete on efficiency, quality, and innovation. While the process was difficult — and remains politically sensitive — the long-term effect is unmistakable: Australian agriculture is internationally competitive, because it has to be.

Australian producers face world prices, world costs, and world scrutiny. They operate without the insulation provided to many competitors in North America, Europe, and parts of Asia, where subsidies and market protections still buffer producers from volatility. Australian farmers receive among the lowest levels of government support in the OECD, and yet continue to deliver strong productivity gains and record-high output value. This experience matters now more than ever.

In a global environment marked by tariff oscillations, geopolitical leverage, and new forms of non-tariff sustainability-related measures, the countries that thrive will be those whose agricultural sectors are accustomed to adjusting quickly. Australia’s deregulated system has produced precisely that capability: businesses that can scale, pivot, remain profitable, and manage risk in ways that subsidised systems struggle to match.

Competitiveness in a world of non-tariff pressure

While traditional tariffs remain politically potent, the real trade pressures for agriculture are increasingly found elsewhere: in carbon accounting requirements, supply-chain emissions expectations, biodiversity safeguards, water-use reporting, deforestation rules, packaging mandates, and other emerging sustainability measures.

The AFI’s recent engagement in international policy forums and bilateral dialogues provides a window into the complexity and nuance of this shifting landscape.

Despite a shift in political sentiment away from sustainability efforts (in some but not all regions), global food brands are placing mounting emphasis on verifiable emissions profiles and demonstration of nature-positive land management. Traceability systems that link paddock-level action to global reporting, and transparent, outcomes-based sustainability metrics, are an advantage in meeting these supply chain expectations.

However, in some cases these well-intentioned efforts to address climate and biodiversity concerns risk morphing into de facto market barriers — particularly when measurement requirements outpace the ability of producers to comply or when policy frameworks rely on prescriptive practices rather than actual outcomes.

Australia has a strength to play here. Because our agricultural system has long operated with minimal public support, Australian producers tend to have leaner cost structures, higher input efficiency, and lower emissions intensity per dollar of output than many competitors.

Decades of precision in land use, water management, and input optimisation mean that Australian agriculture can often demonstrate sustainability outcomes with integrity rather than compliance-driven box-ticking. Our sustainability credentials are commercially authentic, not manufactured.

Innovation as adaptation

Much commentary on agricultural innovation focuses narrowly on new technologies, new partnerships or new research and development structures. Australia’s innovation advantage is not defined solely by institutional architecture. It stems from a deeper cultural and economic dynamic: innovation as survival.

Australian producers have been early adopters of precision technologies, data-informed decision tools, variable rate input systems, water- and nutrient-efficient practices, and soil stewardship approaches - not because they are fashionable, but because margins demand it. The constraints of the Australian environment — rainfall variability, soil fragility, labour shortages, distance to market — have consistently rewarded adaptive thinking.

The AFI’s interactions with global counterparts show that many countries are now confronting the types of systemic constraints we have lived with for decades. Climate-driven volatility is flattening productivity trends across several major exporters; policy swings are undermining long-term investment confidence; consumers are increasingly sceptical of opaque supply chains. Innovation systems that serve only researchers or only corporate supply chains are proving insufficient.

Australia’s experience instead illustrates how innovation becomes embedded when:

producers have ownership of problem-definition
public and private investment are aligned with practical needs
sustainability and productivity are treated as mutually reinforcing, not zero-sum
frameworks enable flexibility rather than lock producers into prescriptive pathways

This is the kind of innovation ecosystem that volatile global markets now reward — nimble, distributed, farm-led, and anchored in commercial reality.

One of the most significant themes from recent AFI discussions in North America was the expanding role of global brands in driving sustainability through their supply chains. Many companies now recognise that the majority of their emissions lie upstream in farming systems, and are funnelling investment, data-sharing, and partnership models toward the farmgate as a result.

Australian producers — already accustomed to precision tools, lean cost structures and sustainable input efficiencies — are well positioned to benefit from this shift.

This alignment of sustainability with profitability is Australia’s sweet spot. When environmental improvements also strengthen yields, reduce risk, or secure market premiums, adoption is rapid and durable. And when farmers can demonstrate outcomes without being boxed into prescriptive systems, trust grows on both sides of the farm-consumer divide.

Reliability and credibility

In the AFI’s engagement with government officials, industry representatives, and agrifood leaders around the world, a striking theme has begun to surface: sustainability is increasingly being interpreted through the lens of reliability.

Countries grappling with food inflation, disrupted global supply chains, and geopolitical risk are looking for trading partners who can deliver consistency as well as credibility. Australia’s ability to maintain production and export continuity through climate impacts, energy shocks, and shifting market access conditions has not gone unnoticed. Reliability is emerging as a form of geopolitical value.

For Australian producers, sustainability has never been solely ecological and has long encompassed economic resilience as well as social responsibility. Many of our trading partners are now asking questions related to these sustainability traits:

Can a country maintain supply during climate extremes?
Can it provide transparency without compromising competitiveness?
Can it demonstrate stewardship in ways that build, rather than erode, trust?

While Australia can answer “yes” credibly across all dimensions, global discussions are converging on a central question: how do we measure sustainability in ways that are scientifically robust, commercially feasible, and internationally interoperable?

From carbon accounting to biodiversity metrics to water stewardship indicators, the world is searching for consistency. Different economies are moving at different speeds, driven by diverse political, environmental, and economic motivations. Here, Australia’s advantage lies in two factors:

Evidence-based measurement traditions, shaped by a scientific community with deep agricultural expertise. Across soil carbon, water efficiency, livestock emissions, and land management, Australia brings decades of data-driven, science-based practice.
A farm sector culturally aligned with outcomes over prescriptions . Producers prefer frameworks that articulate “what good looks like” and allow flexibility in achieving it; global markets increasingly seek the same. This aligns Australia with future-oriented trade partners seeking credible, outcome-based sustainability demonstration rather than rule-heavy compliance regimes.

Many jurisdictions are struggling with measurement credibility, farmer trust, and administrative cost. Australia offers a pragmatic middle pathway: rigorous enough to be trusted; flexible enough to be adopted; grounded enough to avoid protectionist misuse.

Finding common ground in shared values

Australia has been an early mover in developing sustainability frameworks that align with international expectations while remaining practical for producers. While sustainability initiatives can create mistrust when they become proxies for disguised protectionism, Australia’s approach is the antidote to that risk: collaborative, transparent, farmer-centred, and grounded in evidence rather than ideology.

Initiatives such as the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework (AASF) and the APEC Sustainable Agri-Food Systems principles play an important role in anchoring conversations about agricultural sustainability. These help articulate the core values that sit beneath environmental, social, human, and economic wellbeing without forcing producers into rigid or overly prescriptive models.

Industry-specific sustainability frameworks have also been developed across a broad spectrum of Australian agricultural commodities, unified by the national framework of the AASF (which also reflects the sustainability expectations of global markets). These frameworks establish shared values and signals and guide voluntary alignment across government, industry, and community initiatives.

Australia has been a global leader in advocating for outcomes-based approaches and shared-value frameworks, and our willingness to share what we’ve learnt is strengthening regional connections – particularly across the Indo-Pacific and South East Asia.

How Australia can lead the next phase of sustainable trade

Leadership in global agricultural sustainability will not be defined by the loudest politics or the most complex standards. It will belong to those who prove reliability in supply, demonstrate verifiable sustainability outcomes, innovate at the pace of climate and market change, maintain trust with producers and consumers, and demonstrate positive links between environmental and economic performance. Australia has all the ingredients to do so.

Based on the AFI’s recent engagements and the insights shared across international dialogues, three strategic opportunities stand out:

Position sustainability as a value proposition, not a compliance cost Australia can show the world that sustainable production is compatible with — and often enhances — profitability and resilience. ‘Sustainability’ in an Australian farming system is embedded in best practice management of resources (biophysical, human, intellectual and financial).
Advocate for outcomes-based, non-protectionist sustainability standards Australia’s ‘shared values’ approach (exemplified in the AASF) offers a counter to prescriptive measures that risk distorting trade. By championing measurable sustainability outcomes in international fora, we can help shape global frameworks that are fair, credible and accessible to diverse production systems.
Strengthen trust infrastructure for global markets Australia’s public and private investment in traceability systems and reporting processes gets us closer to the goal of trusted information exchange. This includes providing transparent data pathways and consistent reporting signals, fostering cross-border collaboration, and supporting mechanisms that allow producers to demonstrate sustainability without excessive burden.

In all of this, Australia’s real comparative advantage is authenticity. Our sustainability story is grounded in what farmers already do, what markets already value, and what global systems increasingly require.

A moment to step forward

Global agriculture is moving into an era defined by climate volatility, contested policies, and a greater expectation of transparency across supply chains. At the same time, trading systems are being reshaped by geopolitical realignment and a proliferation of sustainability-linked requirements.

Across many of the AFI’s global discussions, food has emerged as both a point of connection and a source of tension. The trade of food should, in principle, help to bind markets across borders. However, it’s increasingly being dragged into the realm of strategic competition. Exporting nations that were once viewed as steady contributors to global food security now face a more complicated role, as tariffs, export restrictions and other trade measures turn food into leverage.

In this context, the ability to deliver stable, predictable supply is becoming just as important to global food security as the volume of production itself.

The world is looking not for utopian narratives, but for trusted partners who can consistently supply, quickly adapt, and collaboratively improve. Australia has something of unique value to offer: a real-world example of how a deregulated, climate-exposed agricultural sector can remain competitive, innovative and resilient while delivering meaningful sustainability outcomes.

Katie McRobert has been with the AFI team since 2017, becoming Executive Director in 2024, where she leads evidence-based policy research to support the sustainability of agricultural systems.

Cultivating Success - Why Australian Farmers Choose BioFlora

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:49:47 GMT

Australian farmers choose Bioflora for real results: sustainable roots, soil‑and‑plant biology that works, and a company genuinely committed to supporting growers’ season after season.

BioFlora® has partnered with Australian growers to nurture healthier crops from the ground up. We know farming is tough, and you’re looking for real solutions that work as hard as you do and deliver a better bottom line. We aren't just selling products, we’re committed to helping Australian farmers grow with confidence.

A History Rooted in Organic, Sustainable Farming

The BioFlora story begins with our founder, Roger Blotsky. Back in the mid-1960s, working in the harsh, testing conditions of North Dakota, Roger saw a critical gap between traditional chemistry and the natural biological needs of plants. Roger was a true pioneer, driven by a philosophy that defied the trends of his time. When he started in 1972, "going green" was far from popular. Yet, Roger remained steadfast, arguing that you cannot solve complex soil problems using synthetic chemicals alone. He dedicated his career to proving that long-term soil vitality is the key to sustainable, high-yield agriculture.

The "Upstairs and Downstairs" Approach

If you ask what makes BioFlora different, the answer is simple: We work both upstairs and downstairs. Most programs focus solely on one or the other, but we believe a healthy plant requires a two-pronged strategy:

Downstairs (The Soil): We focus on microbial diversification and soil fortification. We want to build the house before we invite the guests. By stimulating the soil, we ensure root systems are robust and ready to thrive.

Upstairs (The Plant): Once the foundation is set, we use our foliar solutions to enhance nutrient uptake, bolster disease resistance, and encourage vigorous bloom development.

Our Key Product Range

BioFlora GO Isolates®: A microbial blend designed to ensure steady, vigorous growth from planting to harvest.
BioFlora Fulvex®: A concentrated fulvic acid catalyst that helps plants unlock and absorb nutrients.
BioFlora SEA ISOLATES®: A liquid seaweed inoculant that acts as a natural stress-reliever.
BioFlora IsoGreen®: A blend of algae and microorganisms that revitalises depleted fields.
BioFlora® 5-17-4: A high-phosphorus blend that promotes early root development and improves fruit quality.

Committed to the Australian Grower

BioFlora products are utilised across Australia on over 30 different crops. Our solutions are accredited for results, simple to implement, and available via the Elders distribution network.and other independent re-sellers.

For more information, contact our Australia Country Manager and Director, Wes Abel today (M: 0413 839 878).

Company email address: www.bioflora.com/contact/

Company website: https://bioflora.com.au

Company blogs: https://bioflora.com.au/blog/

Smarter landforming for tighter times

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:47:35 GMT

Adding hectares isn’t the only business growth strategy for farmers. Smarter landforming can recover margin, improve efficiency, and deliver quicker returns — whether automation is on your agenda or not.

Buying more land used to be the default growth model.

If a paddock underperformed, expansion was often the answer.

But with land values high, capital tighter, and machinery costs climbing, simply adding hectares no longer guarantees better returns. Expansion brings longer payback periods, and greater pressure on machinery and labour utilisation.

Increasingly, growers are looking for growth within their existing boundaries.

Charles Reynolds, General Manager of landforming software specialist T3RRA, says the smarter play for many growers is unlocking more value from the country they already own.

“You’ve already made the big investment—the land and the machinery,” he says. “If parts of a paddock are underperforming because of terrain variability or drainage issues, that’s margin you’re losing every season.”

Rather than expanding sideways, Charles says farmers are looking downward — refining contours, improving surface consistency, and optimising water movement.

When terrain is optimised, the impact extends beyond drainage. Surface consistency improves trafficability. Machinery runs smoother and more efficiently. Operators maintain speed and accuracy. Inputs such as fertiliser and seed perform more evenly across the paddock.

The result is improved yield potential, stronger machine efficiency, lower wear, reduced operational stress, and improved timeliness of operations—gains that compound year after year.

T3RRA has spent more than a decade refining terrain-optimisation systems, supplying growers in over 30 countries.

The company’s newest system, Level COMMAND™, is its next-generation automatic grade control platform, now being rolled out more broadly with a bring-your-own-GPS model.

“It’s agnostic, so multi-fleet compatible,” Charles says. “Farmers aren’t locked into one brand. If you’ve already invested in GPS guidance hardware, you can build on that.”

The platform integrates with most major GNSS brands and hydraulic systems, allowing operators to be up and running quickly in the field.

While autonomy continues to attract attention across the sector, Charles is clear that terrain optimisation stands on its own economic merit.

“If autonomy is on your radar, getting the ground right is one of the first steps,” he says. “But even without that, improving terrain consistency makes economic sense straight away.”

“Our goal is to fully automate dirt moving,” Charles says. “Level COMMAND™ is a foundational step toward that. But right now, it’s about making what you already farm perform more consistently.”

If you are planning drainage upgrades, investing in automation, or looking to strengthen long-term farm performance, speak with your local T3RRA-supported dealer or visit t3rra.com.

The future of farming starts from the ground up.

Why Level COMMAND™?

Agnostic system that works across mixed fleets — build on the GPS and tractors you already own
Compatible with most major GNSS brands and hydraulic systems
Up and running quickly with straightforward installation
Intuitive in-cab interface that keeps jobs simple and clear
Handles single or tandem scraper setups
Controls cross slope using a single receiver on the implement
Supports a wide range of file types and digital designs
Built-in remote support backed by an experienced dealer network

email: info@t3rra.com

website: https://t3rra.com/

Farmers Speak Out

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:04:03 GMT

“For generations, Australian farmers have been presented new ideas on how we are going to feed the world into the future. Some of them are what you might call blue sky. This, to a degree, is fine but not at the cost of ideas that are practical for solving real problems for farmers today. Ultimately, like most professions, agriculture is a human activity.

No matter how sophisticated an agricultural technology is, much like the next generation submarines that will be based here on the coast of my home state of Western Australia, there will always be a need for a competent farmer to install, operate, and maintain it.

While these implementation issues generally seem to be recognised by most in the agricultural industry, the elephant in the room I feel is the related challenge of actually attracting young people to work on the farm to ensure its viability for decades to come.

With so many options available for our country’s youth, especially mining here on the west coast, we as a nation need to be thinking more about a sustainable workforce into the future. And this largely boils down to one simple universal idea: farmer incomes and their impact on farmer quality of life.

The reality is that farming is getting harder and returns are, given various economic forces, diminishing for many farmers year on year. Imagine if this was happening in the healthcare sector. Or aviation. Or finance. Or education. Or construction. Surgeons, pilots, teachers, builders, and bankers would leave their professions in droves. And these industries suffer and perhaps eventually collapse.

This idea is not about farmers whinging for more money. For the world’s oldest industry, however, this long term labour problem becomes an existential one for the entire human race. And farmers cannot solve it on their own.”

“I feel that the key challenges for growers into the future are in the following areas:

- Nutritional requirements of high yielding crops - with higher yielding crops trying to keep up with the nutritional requirements. Experimenting with inputs that are less NPK heavy and that have more micro nutrients and carbon.

- Disease constraints - with less forced fallows over the last few years and more back to back cropping, figuring out new ways of dealing with disease constraints, such as experimenting with different rotations (canola/mustard after cotton).

- Water allocations - with the slow decline of water allocations through policy or buybacks, we are challenged to make the most of our water allocations.

- Water use efficiency - in both irrigated and dryland crops, trying to benchmark our water use efficiency against cropping/yield coefficients and making sure we are maximising for our biggest constraint, water/rain.

- Consumer engagement and public relations of our industry - Australian cotton growers produce a premium product and premium markets need high levels of engagement to sustain that premium. We need to be writing our story and being proactive about how consumers see our industry. This challenge is being met by our industry associations working with consumers and growers to develop frameworks of such as Better Cotton Initiative and MyBMP as well current work being done on carbon benchmarking. This work means we can better manage the perception of our industry and show that we are being accountable for our actions.”

Peter Winter , member of Cotton Australia

“For us at Carnana Station Wagyu the main game changer is genomics: DNA testing now provides informed genetic predictions as to the potential of every animal we breed. Such DNA insights go far beyond basic proof of heritage (for example an animal’s parentage and proof of descent from original Japanese stock to qualify as “fullblood” Wagyu) and are an essential tool for us in herd planning and decision making. Genomics have also provided unexpected insights into herd management surprises such as evidence of bulls having jumped fences without detection or cows fostering each other’s calves, which are informing our cattle management practices more broadly and would have been undetectable (and sometimes rarely suspected!) previously. I am particularly looking forward to when we can directly compare individual animals’ full genomic profiles for example to determine accur ate inbreeding coefficients to maintain herd diversity (rather than based on pedigree or cohort information alone).”

Karen Bultitude , member of Redmont Red Association of Australia

“I believe that the best and most efficient method for the long-term preservation of rare livestock breeds in this country is a semen bank. Many countries around the world have extensive government-funded semen banks for future generations. Australia has none. This responsibility has been left to a NFP charity organisation. Future requirements are inherently unpredictable.

We might encounter the arrival of a lethal disease (such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease) and need to repopulate the breed. In the future, focus may shift toward the production of woollen carpets, which will demand high-quality carpet wool. In New Zealand, the use of wool carpets is now compulsory in all government-owned buildings. There is no carpet wool industry left in Australia. Financial support is needed to enable the storage of livestock semen. Donors are considerably more likely to provide financial contributions if they are permitted to deduct the amount from their taxable income. Without governmental endorsement or assistance, this work proves to be a formidable challenge.”

Anne Sim , Managing Director of Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

“The Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) 2012 has achieved its goal to reduce diversions to Sustainable Diversion Limits delivering a healthy working basin with optimised social, economic and environmental outcomes. Flow-based outcomes [REF: 2025 Basin Plan Evaluation] have been achieved and there’s no need for more water as 72 per cent of river flows are for environmental purposes. There are still many non-flow outcomes needing to be achieved. The focus must be on getting better outcomes from existing water, by addressing barriers to improve environmental outcomes, including carp management, riparian management, fish screens, and fish passage. It is in Australia’s best interest for water policy to focus on shared outcomes not politics into the future. The next MDBP must be a management plan not a volumetric plan.”

Lou Gall , Executive Officer of Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association.

“Australian farmers for the most part have always done the right thing when it comes to the myriad of community expectations in modern agriculture. The scale and intensity of government reporting on almost everything we do now, however, seems to have increased a lot in the last decade or so. With a mid-left federal government that could be in power for quite a while, meaning an even bigger public service, that’s a lot of jobs relating to monitoring everything from animal welfare to pesticide use to transportation on the farm. While I am all for transparency on risk management as I enter the twilight years of my 50+ years’ career in agriculture, I confess that the younger generation is being deterred from the profession due to government overreach on farm compliance. Like anything where there is inherent complexity and competing priorities, we need to adopt the mindset of balance and trade-off to ensure all stakeholders’ interests are accommodated.”

Australia’s agri-businesses at the frontline of global growth opportunities

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:59:39 GMT

Australia’s farmers are poised for global growth, but to stay competitive, they’ll need to attract long-term investment, embrace innovation, and turn world-class production into world-leading exports.

Australia's agricultural sector stands at a crossroads. For decades, we've punched well above our weight in global farm trade, exporting roughly 70 per cent of our production and contributing tens of billions in annual export value. Yet as global headwinds intensify, from shifting trade policies and supply chain volatility to climate uncertainty and rising input costs, we risk leaving vast potential on the table unless we act with urgency and strategic vision.

Australian agriculture has proven its resilience. Over the past 20 years, sector output has grown by more than 30 per cent, with exports remaining a critical backbone of that success. Current forecasts warn of a modest contraction, with agricultural exports expected to fall by about 3 per cent in 2025-26, but this decline is driven largely by lower production volumes, not demand collapse. Global appetite remains robust.

What’s needed is strengthened supply, productivity, and market strategy, not resignation to decline. One theme that emerged clearly from the latest CapTech Summit discussions is that capital is the critical enabler for this growth. The CapTech Summit is Australian business event that serves as a gateway to global capital markets for proven Australian businesses seeking capital, strategic partnerships, and international expansion While many Australian agribusinesses are built on tradition, tight margins and cyclical risk, to move beyond incremental growth they must attract patient, scale capital. There is no shortage of investors seeking to connect with Australian agribusinesses - from beef, cotton and lamb, to horticulture, ag-tech, and value-added processing - not just for returns, but for long-term partnerships and infrastructure investment.

The annual CapTech Summit sees more than 300 delegates, including over 100 international investors from sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private equity firms across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, sweep into Sydney each year looking to invest in Australian agribusiness. They have funds and access to global markets which can unlock new opportunities for Australian producers, accelerating export growth and boosting local enterprises to globally competitive leaders.

Consider red meat. Global demand remains strong, especially in the US, China, Japan, and the Middle East, with higher export prices expected to underpin resilience. But production constraints, drought pressures, and supply chain bottlenecks persist. Only through investment in logistics, cold chains, genetics, sustainability practices, and closer alignment with global buyers can Australian producers maintain and grow their foothold.

We’ve already seen what’s possible when producers and investors work together. In Queensland and northern New South Wales, regional cooperatives partnering with export-focused capital have lifted processing capacity, improved cold-chain logistics, and created hundreds of local jobs. Similar models could transform horticulture, cotton and value-added food manufacturing. With the right investment, regional hubs become not just production zones, but innovation centres that attract talent, technology and long-term growth.

Looking ahead, technology will play a defining role in keeping Australian agriculture competitive. Climate-smart farming, renewable energy on-farm, precision irrigation, and satellite-guided crop management are already helping farmers cut costs and lift productivity. These tools, paired with sustainability practices and data transparency, will be essential as global buyers increasingly demand verifiable, low-emission supply chains. Investors are drawn to markets where sustainability and profitability align, and few countries are better positioned than Australia to prove that model works.

The critical thing is that policy and infrastructure must keep pace. Domestically, water security, energy costs, rural connectivity, workforce planning, and biosecurity cannot become weak links in our global chain. Internationally, navigating evolving trade tensions, whether US protectionism, China’s shifting import rules, or EU regulatory frameworks, demands agility, diplomatic sophistication, and diversification.

The goal should be straightforward: bring solutions, not hype. It’s about identifying Australian agribusinesses with scale potential and pairing them with global capital that shares a long horizon. With the right backing, Australia can not only preserve its position in global agriculture but lead the next wave of premium, sustainable export growth.

Australia’s paddocks feed the world. Let’s commit to giving them the capital, strategy, and ambition they deserve.

Raman Bhalla is the Founder of #CapTech and President of the Sydney Investors, Professionals and Business Networking Group.

EID keeps your sheep moving in the yards

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:51:43 GMT

As sheep producers adopt electronic identification, many are focusing on systems that keep work flowing in the yards and deliver value beyond compliance. For producers, the real benefit of EID is simple: faster yard work, more reliable reads, and cleaner flock records — all without adding extra steps.

Dubbo district sheep grazier Will Martel has been tagging sheep for more than two decades. Five years ago, he switched to TagFaster electronic tags from Datamars Livestock — a decision driven by what works reliably in everyday yard conditions.

“When there are a lot of things that can go wrong on a sheep farm — too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry — it’s important to have a tag that stays in,” Martel says. “It’s one less thing to worry about.”

Retention was a key factor in his decision. He points to the hinge design as helping reduce breakage during busy handling periods.

“They’re less likely to break,” he says. “And the TagFaster applicator only takes a couple of seconds to load strips of 20 tags, so you’re straight back into tagging.”

That speed makes a difference when sheep are flowing through the yards. By allowing multiple tags to be applied without stopping to reload after each animal, the TagFaster system helps maintain momentum during marking and larger yard runs.

As electronic identification becomes part of routine sheep management, many producers are looking beyond the tag itself and considering how identification fits into day‑to‑day operations. Rather than treating EID as a standalone task, Datamars’ approach links tagging equipment with readers, weighing and drafting systems like Prattley, and flock management software so information moves with the animal.

Tagged and scanned in the yards, EID numbers are captured and transferred into the Datamars Pro app, where individual animal records can be viewed in one place. Treatment history, weight performance, and breeding outcomes — including which ewes consistently rear twins — become easier to track, helping turn identification into a practical management tool.

For producers who prefer a single‑shot application, Datamars offers an alternative tagging option — the FET tags and tagger — delivering the same retention and readability while allowing flexibility in yard workflows. For Martel, the calculation is straightforward.

“I’d recommend Z Tags,” he says. “They just work in the yards.”

Why a complete EID ecosystem matters

Sheep EID becomes far more manageable when the entire workflow is considered, not just the tag. A complete ecosystem allows producers to tag sheep, scan them, and view animal information in one place — eliminating manual double‑handling and workarounds. Yard work is faster, reads are more reliable, and records stay cleaner.

The practical payoffs are simple: faster yard work, more reliable reads, and cleaner records — turning EID into something that supports everyday management rather than slowing it down.

Website: https://au.livestock.datamars.com/

Banking that backs regional growth

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:40:00 GMT

Regional Australia Bank is helping innovative farmers unlock productivity, diversify income, and build stronger regional businesses.

Across Australian agriculture, forward-thinking farmers are increasingly looking beyond traditional production models to improve profitability, manage risk, and build long-term resilience. Diversification, value-adding, and regional tourism are becoming powerful tools in strengthening farm businesses.

In Batlow, NSW, third-generation apple grower Dave Purcell has turned that thinking into reality through Apple Thief Cider House, transforming orchard fruit into a thriving agribusiness destination.

After launching Apple Thief Cider in 2013 using fruit from his family farm, Dave had long envisioned building a home for the brand. That ambition accelerated following the Black Summer bushfires, when the Snowy Valleys community faced immense loss.

“Crisis was the catalyst,” Dave says. “We wanted to rebuild something that would give back to the region that raised us.”

Turning that vision into a viable business required more than determination. Like many regional operators, Dave and his partner Mel Dickson found traditional lending models struggled to understand seasonal income, diversified revenue streams, and the true economic value of regional investment.

“At the start, it was just a concept,” Dave explains. “Having the backing of Regional Australia Bank gave us the confidence to keep the dream alive. Without their financial support, the project simply wouldn’t have happened.”

Rather than applying metropolitan benchmarks, the Regional Australia Bank team took time to understand the business model, combining tailored agribusiness finance with government recovery funding and private investment.

“They understood what being regional meant,” Dave says. “Metro parameters don’t work in the regions. They spoke our language, shared the vision and backed the potential.”

Today, the cider house is driving tourism into Batlow, creating local jobs, strengthening supply chains, and delivering flow-on economic benefits across the region.

For Regional Australia Bank, it reflects a broader commitment to helping farmers improve operational effectiveness, support diversification, and invest for sustainable growth. Through relationship-based banking, flexible cash-flow solutions, and agribusiness lending designed for real farm conditions, Regional Australia Bank partners with farms to turn innovation into long-term business success.

Looking ahead, expansion plans are already underway, including on-site accommodation and increased production.

For farmers navigating a changing agricultural landscape, the message is clear: with a bank that truly understands regional business, growth opportunities become achievable.

Regional Australia Bank is a customer-owned financial institution serving more than 100,000 members across regional Australia. Built to support the needs of regional communities, the bank provides personal, business and agribusiness banking backed by local knowledge and relationship-based service. As a member-owned bank, profits are reinvested to improve services, strengthen communities and deliver long-term value to customers, ensuring the success of regional Australians remains at the centre of everything it does.

Website: www.regionalaustraliabank.com.au/?utm_source=Australia+Farmer&utm_medium=referral

Email: enquiries@regionalaustraliabank.com.au

The future of food starts here: paddock to plate

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:26:37 GMT

As consumer expectations evolve, the need for safe, fresh, and sustainably produced food will only intensify. BOC and Elgas are at the forefront of this transformation, providing the gases, energy, and expertise that make paddock-to-plate possible. From boosting productivity on farms to ensuring the highest standards in packaging and preservation, their solutions empower Australia’s food industry to thrive—today and into the future.

Boosting Farm Productivity with Maintenance Gases

Modern farming is no longer just about soil and seeds—it’s about precision, efficiency, and consistency. BOC’s maintenance gases play a critical role in supporting your operation. These gases are essential for welding and equipment maintenance, ensuring machinery runs smoothly and downtime is minimised. By enabling farmers to maintain their infrastructure effectively, BOC helps increase operational uptime and productivity.

Flexigas is a flexible, pay-as-you-use gas supply model developed by BOC to meet your variable gas demand—particularly agriculture. Unlike traditional gas supply systems that require fixed contracts, cylinder rental fees, and upfront deposits, Flexigas eliminates these barriers. Farmers only pay for the gas they use, with no long-term commitments or hidden costs. This makes it ideal for agricultural operations where gas usage fluctuates due to seasonal workloads, weather conditions, and changing production needs.

Heat and Energy Solutions with LPG

Energy is the lifeblood of farming operations, and Elgas LPG offers a clean, efficient, and versatile solution for heat and power needs. On farms, LPG is widely used for heating water, powering equipment, and even fueling vehicles forklifts. One of its most impactful applications is in large-scale greenhouse heating, where maintaining optimal temperatures is crucial for crop growth.

LPG provides a reliable and safe energy source, ensuring consistent performance. Whether it’s warming greenhouses during cold snaps or providing heat for livestock facilities, LPG delivers flexibility and cost-effectiveness. This energy solution is particularly valuable in regions where natural gas infrastructure is limited, making LPG a practical choice for rural and remote farming communities.

Elgas now offers Energy as Service where Elgas invests in a Turbines and other equipment to supply Electrons, Heat, Carbon Dioxide (critical to greenhouses) and even Cooling. This solution can be tailored to your needs reducing capital costs to large energy users.

Packaging Innovation: Preserving Freshness and Quality

Once produce leaves the paddock, the challenge shifts to maintaining its freshness and safety through processing and packaging. Here, BOC’s expertise in Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) comes into play. MAP involves adjusting the composition of gases inside packaging to slow down spoilage and extend shelf life. For beef products, this means reducing oxygen levels to prevent discolouration and bacterial growth, ensuring that meat reaches consumers in prime condition.

In addition to packaging, gases are integral to cooling and freezing processes during food manufacturing. Rapid cooling of meat during processing helps maintain texture and flavour, while freezing berries with liquid nitrogen locks in nutrients and taste in fruit and vegetables. These advanced techniques not only preserve quality but also support food safety standards, giving consumers confidence in the products they buy.

Driving Sustainability and Innovation

The paddock-to-plate journey is more than a supply chain—it’s a commitment to sustainability and innovation. Both BOC and Elgas are investing in technologies that reduce environmental impact while enhancing efficiency. From energy solutions that lower emissions to packaging methods that minimise waste, these initiatives align with Australia’s broader goals for a greener future.

Website BOC: boc.com.au ,

Website Elgas: elgas.com.au

email: https://service.elgas.com.au/commercial-request-a-quote-for-gas/

Why yield protection is moving up the priority list

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:17:18 GMT

When heat, rising input costs, and water scarcity collide, protecting yield becomes even more critical for growers. In that context, growers are prioritising proven products and technologies that reduce risk and perform under Australian conditions.

Hotter seasons are reshaping crop management decision-making in Australia, with heat and sun stress now part of routine planning rather than an occasional risk. For quiet innovator AgNova Technologies, that shift has sharpened its focus on helping growers manage extreme conditions without adding complexity.

With margins tight and seasonal variability increasing, protecting yield has become one of the few areas where growers can still exert control.

“We can’t help with water or commodity pricing,” says AgNova Business Manager and agronomist Andrew Glover. “But we can help growers protect yield and offset some of those pressures.”

Filling gaps others leave behind

AgNova is an Australian-based crop protection company focused on specialist products and technologies for agricultural markets.

Founded in 2003 by six industry specialists, AgNova set out to fill gaps left as larger multinationals stepped away from smaller horticultural markets.

It has since grown to a portfolio of more than 40 niche offerings across herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, nutrition, and non-chemical technologies.

“We’re not a generic company,” Andrew explains. “We prefer products that have their own niche — solutions to specific problems for growers.”

Products such as Surround® WP Crop Protectant are gaining traction across horticultural crops as growers see the impact extreme conditions can have on crop performance.

Rigour before release

AgNova reinvests a significant share of its revenue into research and development, operating in-house technical and registration teams while outsourcing trials to specialist third-party operators, including universities and independent trial companies. Before any new product reaches the market, it undergoes at least two years of efficacy and safety testing, with trials across multiple climates in line with Australian regulatory requirements.

That rigour extends beyond conventional chemistry. In partnership with Griffith University, a world leader in future-focused agriculture, AgNova developed a non-chemical fruit fly management tool targeting egg-laying females. Fruit flies are a major issue for many growers across numerous crops. In the field, Fruition® Nova® Fruit Fly traps can reduce crop losses from about 30% to about 5%. And as with all AgNova products, there is a strong focus on ongoing development to maximise the benefit for growers.

AgNova joined the US-based American Vanguard group in October 2020 and continues to operate independently in Australia, gaining access to a broader pipeline of biological and green technologies.

“Whether it’s chemistry or biologicals, we trial everything thoroughly,” Andrew says. “That’s how growers can have confidence it will perform under Australian conditions.”

John Deere introduces New 8R and 8RX Tractors for Greater Productivity and Performance

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:54:31 GMT

The next generation 8 Series Tractors deliver more power, improved manoeuvrability, and advanced technology to help farmers cover more hectares.

John Deere has announced the launch of six new 8R and 8RX tractor models featuring additional higher horsepower (HHP) options and improved performance, manoeuvrability, and versatility.

The company has manufactured 8 Series Tractors for more than 30 years, using customer input to continually improve the popular and versatile lineup.

The new options of 440 horsepower, 490hp and 540hp extend the available range to meet growing customer demand for higher horsepower.

“Whether you are seeding, tilling or planting, these tractors have the power, technology and functionality to increase productivity and efficiencies,” John Deere Marketing Manager, Production and Precision Agriculture, Royce Bell, said.

“Similar to the impact of the HHP 9RX, the HHP 8R and 8RX are expected to increase productivity and efficiency in customer operations while providing the versatility of a rigid chassis tractor. Horsepower, ballasting, lift capacity, size and functionality all increase with these models.”

The new 8 Series Tractors are autonomy-ready and come fitted with the G5 ^PLUS display for access to precision ag technologies such as AutoTrac™ Turn Automation, AutoTrac Implement Guidance and AutoPath™. They are also Machine Sync ready and feature optional JDLink™ Boost satellite connectivity to help ensure reliable capture of field and machine data. These features, in conjunction with John Deere Operations Center™ and Equipment Mobile, enable customers to manage their machine and field operations in the palm of their hand.

Designed for performance and efficiency

The new 8R and 8RX models are powered by the JD14 engine, which provide maximum power when operators need it the most by operating in conjunction with John Deere’s Intelligent Power Management system (IPM).

The optional peak power IPM setting delivers power from an additional 40hp at 1900rpm to max horsepower at 1700rpm, enabling up to 634hp for the most demanding applications of hydraulic, PTO, transport or electrical offboarding.

“We’ve responded to requests from our transport customers by incorporating an engine brake option, to provide additional stopping power,” Mr Bell said.

The hydraulic system on the new models also features increased pump capacity with separate steering and braking pumps.

Additional updates include an Independent Link Suspension (ILS) on the front axle that supports a fully loaded front hitch and incorporates roll control for improved road performance, capable of transport speeds of up to 60km/hr.

A front hitch and front PTO option is available, increasing the productivity of the tractor across all operations. The rear hitch has a 10,880kg capacity to lift heavier and wider implements, and hitch active downforce maintains a constant depth with hitch-mounted implements.

Manoeuvrability offers precision handling

Precision handling is a key benefit of the new 8Series Tractors, with a tight turn radius and Reactive Command Steering improving manoeuvrability.

Reactive Command Steering means the wheel automatically returns to centre. It includes three settings for customised steering preferences and, along with the narrow and nimble frame design, improves the turning radius and ease of operation in these high horsepower tractors.

“Drivability is important for operators, and with the new 8 Series Tractor models you no longer have to choose between power and manoeuvrability,” Mr Bell said.

Enhanced Operator Experience

The 8 Series Tractors offer the Electric Variable Transmission (EVT) now with a 60 km/hr option, allowing farmers to set a speed and manage engine performance, delivering productivity and efficiency in the field.

This transmission enables electric power offboarding, meaning operators don’t need to worry about PTO or hydraulic power generators for electric drive planters. A simple one-plug connection enables power to their planter from the tractor.

As part of the new updates, three options are available for transmission controls in the cab, including CommandX™, CommandX™ Plus and CommandX™ Pro. These represent a significant advancement in John Deere’s equipment portfolio, and put the power in the operator’s hands to seamlessly control and manage the tractor operations. Push button start gives operators the ability to control who can start the tractor by requiring a personalised PIN number.

Additional features that enhance the operator experience include:

New engine throttle controls
New convenience display for easy access to adjust radio, air conditioning, seat, and phone controls
Integrated wireless charging phone holder
Two-way independent electric armrest adjustment
Optional door cinch

Building on the Model Year 2025 enhancement of ground-up serviceability on the High Horsepower 9RX, the engine oil, coolant and hydraulic oil sight gauges are placed at eye level so fluids can be quickly checked, leading to a quicker start each day. In addition, the air filter and fuel fill from the ground.

The hydraulic oil interval increases from 1,500 hours to 2,000 hours, allowing longer periods of operation between service intervals, while a 330? windshield wiper provides a clearer view. The battery disconnect and jump start point are on the door side for improved accessibility.

“Farmers who have experienced the 8R know it’s synonymous with performance, versatility and efficiency and can now benefit from the addition of high horsepower alongside manoeuvrability with these new models.” Mr Bell said.

Why FB Drilling backs every bore

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:14:06 GMT

In a drying climate, many farmers are swapping the old-school water-finding methods for data, deep rigs, and specialists who understand groundwater from rig to rock.

FB Drilling has grown from a single water-bore rig in 2017 to a six-rig fleet, drilling from shallow stock bores through to 1,500-metre Great Artesian Basin (GAB) production bores across Queensland and New South Wales.

From one rig to a deep regional footprint

Founder and managing director Scott Ferrier spent more than 15 years drilling oil and gas wells before turning his skills to rural water. That background influences everything from bore design to equipment choice.

“You’ve got to know your pressures, your mud weights, and what’s happening downhole — you can’t see it, but you’ve got to understand it,” he says. “That experience means we can think ahead and avoid problems before they happen.”

The company employs roughly 20 people, plus contractors, to keep bores turning from Windorah to Moree and beyond.

Highest standards for farm bores

FB Drilling lifts the bar on rural water-sector drilling by using regulated, high-grade steel casing, lab-tested cement blends (to stop leaks from the bore casing), and well-maintained, high-end rigs.

Those practices, combined with detailed geological research and sampling from every metre down the hole, are designed to give clients a straight, stable bore that keeps doing its job.

“We’re using lab testing for cement reports, so we know the bore is going to last longer,” Scott says. The company guarantees a reliable, functional bore – not a specific lifespan – and prices per metre based on depth, hole size, and travel distance.

Securing water for herds, crops, and towns

Most of FB Drilling’s work is about water security for agriculture: stock and domestic bores for cattle and sheep producers, bores for mixed and grain farms, and deep production bores for broadacre farming.

What farmers care about, says Scott, is performance they can trust. “Every job we do, we’re trying to provide the best for the client,” he says. “We want them to have a bore that works, that’s reliable — that’s what really matters on the land.”

Benefits of choosing FB Drilling

Highest construction standards applied to farm bores
Regulated steel casing and lab-tested cement for durability
Local geology knowledge across Great Artesian Basin country
Tailored bore design for stock, spraying, and irrigation needs
Per-metre pricing that reflects depth, size, and travel
Reliable, functional bores backed by a quality guarantee

website: www.fbdrilling.com.au

email: admin@fbdrilling.com.au

Five Mins Q&A with Kelly Freeman, Managing Director of Nutrien Ag Solutions

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 05:05:07 GMT

Kelly Freeman, Managing Director of Nutrien Ag Solutions – Australia, since October 2022, shares some insights around his passion for ag, the importance of managing risk, and priorities for the future of Australian ag.

TAF: What do you love about your ag career?

KF: I have a huge passion for ag. I grew up with rural roots in middle Canadian prairie, a 4th generation ag family. I cannot imagine working elsewhere. Like my home country, Canada, ag is very grounded in the social fabric of rural Australia – it is more than just a profession; it’s a way of life.

The mental stimulation, as ag simply never gets boring, is another factor for me. With so many variables and constant change in ag, the complexity of the ag industry across the whole supply chain just fascinates me. Some farmers, for example, are slower to adopt change while others are doing it faster. Many are keen to scale up while others are preparing for a succession plan. And there are so many new clever tools and farming practices that growers have available to them now, which can improve their returns. More than in any other time historically, there’s so much coming at the farmer this decade and the next. Understanding and dealing with this complexity is what makes the job so interesting and fun for me personally.

TAF: What should Australian farmers be prioritising this decade?

KF: The economic equation farmers have historically been faced with has broken down to two simple things: increasing productivity and marketing well. This, with good reliability, has for centuries determined what happens with farmer prosperity. Growers today, however, have a third dynamic to contend with: addressing the range of threats to their farming operations. This means exposure to risk whether it’s drought, climate variability, biosecurity, global competition, or consumer preferences related.

A competency in managing risk is therefore a key factor in grower success in the 2020s and beyond. Finding quality agronomists to support the grower’s knowledge needs, a key input for managing risk, is important. There are, fortunately, more and more digital tools available to growers to help manage risk. A formal risk qualification, while not essential, is an option for some who want to stay ahead of the game.

I have visited many agricultural economies around the world and, when it comes to managing risk, I rate Australian farmers as some of the most adept globally. This was one of the first things I observed when arriving in this country in late 2022. And they should be emboldened by this quality, especially given the sheer diversity of the natural environment they operate in – which is virtually unparalleled.

TAF: What fills you with confidence with the future of Australian ag?

KF: Lots of things. Mostly, it’s Australian farmers’ fierce dedication to efficiency. They know how to make the best of situations and, when confronted with a problem, they will either find a way to solve it or seek another opinion; collaboration and sharing ideas are very strong in this country. And, like Canadian farmers, there is a sense of pride Australian farmers have in their operations; a good thing. The strong relationship between Australian agriculture and Canadian agriculture economies, including talent sharing, is also a positive. Further, with the convergence of forces at both the ag buyer and ag supplier, the economic opportunity presented to Australian farmers by the explosion of sustainability practices cannot be overstated.

TAF: What are you anxious about with the future of Australian ag?

KF: Workforce security, mostly. The right quality and quantity of people for the scores of different types of ag jobs is a nationally important priority. Australia absolutely does have a lot of great people, both depth and breadth. But we need to be always thinking about how to fill these jobs of the future, especially as ag is only going to get more and more sophisticated given the acceleration of advanced tools like agritech and robotics. By the end of this decade, there will be approximately one-quarter of a million ag jobs that need to be filled.

Another concern I have relates to the typically long investment cycles found in ag. The Australian ag industry is enjoying record economic growth and we should be doubling down to maximise its full potential. Farmers and their suppliers, whether they are in crop protection, machinery, fertiliser, or ICT, need to have stability over an extended period to have the confidence to invest in ag. Too much regulation is known to stifle investment.

A Fair Go for the farmer: break the duopoly

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:47:23 GMT

Australia produces enough food for millions, yet many households face food insecurity. Achieving true food security requires equitable access, innovative technology, and a national framework for resilience.

Every Australian knows, our farmers are not getting a fair go.

When you look at the price on the supermarket shelf and what makes it back to the farm gate, Australia is the opposite of fair. Our agriculture is squeezed by the immense market power of the duopoly that acts in unison, dictates terms, prices, and practices, leaving both farmers and consumers worse off.

But what if there was a way to break this stranglehold?

A proven model from, a place that had until recently the most impoverished and exploited farmers in the world shows us there is a better way, that country is China of all places, and Australia is primed for a similar transformation.

My journey from tracking fresh produce for major supermarkets to my current role at AgUnity, has given me a front-row seat to the inefficiencies and inequities of food supply chains all over the world. I’ve seen firsthand how executives at the giants display a perverse pride in the way they wield their power. The ACCC inquiries have confirmed what we all have known for decades: the power imbalance hurts every Australian from Farmer to Consumer and it is only getting worse.

I was honoured to be asked to address the G20 event in Bali alongside the CEO of Pinduoduo, and had a fascinating discussion where I learned about the revolution that a now $180B company little-known outside of China, brought to their agricultural sector.

Until recently, Chinese agriculture was trapped in a corrupt, exploitative legacy system of middlemen, a hold over from the days of collective farming. Farmers had no choice of who to sell to or what price they received, and no incentive to improve quality.

Pinduoduo’s solution was breathtakingly simple: similar to what Alibaba did for manufacturers it created an online marketplace to connect farmers directly with buyers. From supermarket chains to individual families, anyone could source produce directly from the farm. Within a few years, they, along with a few competitors, completely replaced the old structure.

Today, a vibrant ecosystem of efficient, competitive businesses handles logistics, packaging, and payments for a low, fixed margin. The results are staggering: food quality has soared, consumer prices have dropped, waste is almost non-existent, and farmers are finally earning what they deserve.

The quantifiable impact of this shift in China is staggering. The Pinduoduo platform now connects over 12 million farmers directly to consumers, bypassing the inefficient legacy systems that saw up to 30% of produce perish before it ever reached a customer. This direct connection has not only slashed waste but has also revitalised rural communities, attracting over 126,000 young "New Farmers" back to the land. By providing zero-commission sales channels, the platform has saved agricultural merchants an estimated 80 billion yuan in operational costs since 2020 alone.

Australia presents its own unique challenges. Our vast geography means logistics are more complex than in densely populated regions of China. However, these are not insurmountable obstacles and the key lesson from China is that once you clearly establish supply and demand a plethora of providers will materialize to fulfill every opportunity.

A farmer-owned platform could foster competition among regional logistics providers and invest in shared processing and packing facilities, turning these challenges into opportunities for new regional employment and innovation. Local delivery could evolve into local hubs and gig style home delivery creating flexible, meaningful employment for tens of thousands, exactly as it did in China.

This is the blueprint for Australia. But we must be cautious. The risk is that a new digital giant, an Amazon-style player, could enter our market and simply become a new, equally exploitive digital version of the current duopoly, slotting into the existing structure with a singular focus on profit.

The right solution is more radical and, ultimately, more Australian. Imagine an online marketplace, built on the Pinduoduo/Alibaba model, but established as a non-profit entity, collectively owned and operated by our own farmer organisations. Its motivation would be clear: to deliver the best results for farmers and consumers, with no shareholders and therefore no motive to exploit.

This isn't a far-fetched dream. The technology for such a platform is now widely commoditised. By applying AI to solve logistics, packaging, and finance challenges, building this system is more achievable and affordable than ever before. It’s the logical next step, empowering our farmers with the digital tools they need to take back control.

We have the opportunity to build a fairer, more efficient, and more prosperous agricultural future for our nation. By connecting the paddock directly to the plate, we could ensure that everyone, from the farmer to the family, truly reaps the rewards of their hard work.

Rethinking food security in Australia: from production to purchasing power

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 04:49:14 GMT

Australia produces enough food for millions, yet many households face food insecurity. Achieving true food security requires equitable access, innovative technology, and a national framework for resilience.Australia produces enough food for millions, yet many households face food insecurity. Achieving true food security requires equitable access, innovative technology, and a national framework for resilience.

Australia has long regarded itself as one of the world's most food-secure nations. Yet recent data from both the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (1) and Foodbank Australia (2) reveal that this confidence maybe misplaced - or, at least, incomplete. The ABS reports that around 13.2 per cent of households - approximately 1.3 million nationwide - experienced food insecurity in 2023, meaning they ran out of food and could not afford more. While this figure reflects the stricter international definition used by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), broader social-impact surveys by Foodbank show a much larger proportion - around one in three households (36 per cent) - experiencing some degree of food stress or compromise in diet quality and variety.

Together, these two perspectives suggest that while outright hunger affects a smaller share of the population, economic vulnerability and poor dietary access are much more widespread and persistent. Australia's food security challenge, therefore, is not primarily one of production - since the nation produces enough food to feed more than 75 million people - but one of purchasing power, affordability, and equity in access. The task ahead is to recognise these overlapping realities and ensure that policy frameworks address both the narrow and the broader dimensions of food insecurity.

Understanding the Food Security Gap

Among households reporting food stress, rising expenses for food, energy, and housing remain the dominant pressures - 82 per cent cite cost-of-living increases as the main cause (Foodbank Australia 2023). In the most affected households, 97 per cent worry about running out of food, and 93 per cent cannot afford balanced meals. Many skip meals weekly or reduce portion sizes regularly.

The risk of food insecurity is not evenly distributed. Households earning under $30,000 a year, single-parent families, renters, and people living in regional or remote areas are most affected. The ABS reports particularly high exposure among First Nations households and among those in regional economies dependent on casual or seasonal work. In regional Australia, Foodbank's 2023 data indicate that more than one-third of households (37 per cent) experience some form of food insecurity, while among single parents the rate rises to almost 70 per cent.

While the methodologies of ABS and Foodbank differ, both data sources converge on one point: food insecurity has become a structural issue rather than a temporary shock. Even modest economic fluctuations can push vulnerable households into crisis. Beyond its human toll, food insecurity undermines workforce productivity, education outcomes, and long-term public health. As the CSIRO notes, the cumulative social and economic cost of inadequate nutrition far exceeds the investments required to ensure equitable access to healthy food (3).

In this light, food insecurity is not a marginal welfare concern, but a national challenge linked to economic justice, health equity, and sovereignty. A country that exports billions of dollars of food each year while hundreds of thousands of its citizens cannot afford to eat well must rethink what it means to be truly food secure.

From Abundance to Sovereignty

Australia's challenge, then, is not to produce more food but to build sovereign capacity, to ensure that every citizen can access and afford nutritious food regardless of economic shocks or global disruptions.

True food sovereignty goes beyond self-sufficiency in production. It encompasses control over supply chains, fair distribution of economic benefits, and the ability to maintain domestic resilience when global trade or energy systems falter. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical tensions have shown how vulnerable Australia remains to external dependencies for key agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, fuel, and processed foods.

A forward-looking food policy must therefore begin with an "Australians First" mindset - not isolationist, but pragmatic. Domestic food security and purchasing power must take precedence over export volume. Ensuring secure access to affordable food for Australian households is as critical to national sovereignty as energy independence or defence capability.

At the same time, Australia can strengthen its sovereignty by harnessing under-used technological and ecological tools - chief among them regenerative agriculture. Regenerative practices restore soil health, improve biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate stress. Techniques like multi-species cover cropping, rotational grazing, and soil-carbon management not only boost yields and water retention but also reduce emissions and dependence on synthetic inputs.

Regenerative agriculture is more than an environmental solution; it is an economic one. It can stabilise farm income, create new markets for carbon and natural capital, and reduce vulnerability to global supply shocks (4).

Yet its full potential remains unrealised because policy and finance have not kept pace with innovation. Farmers need long-term incentives, research partnerships, and public investment to scale these practices nationally. A strong food system is not defined by output alone, but by its ability to sustain both ecosystems and livelihoods, to balance productivity with equitable prosperity.

A National Framework in Transition

The Australian Government has recognised the urgency of reform and is now developing a National Food Security Strategy - the first of its kind in decades. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has committed AUD $3.5 million to this initiative to consult widely across the food system and establish a National Food Council to guide its design and implementation. A discussion paper has been released, and the final strategy is expected by 2026-27.

This is a welcome step, signalling a long-overdue commitment to whole-of-system planning. The strategy

acknowledges that while Australia remains broadly food secure, climate change, biosecurity threats, and supply-chain disruptions present mounting risks.

However, the forthcoming strategy must go beyond productivity and export competitiveness. It must place household purchasing power, affordability, and equitable access at the centre of its framework. A nation cannot be food secure if its people cannot afford to eat well.

Knowledge, Innovation, and Local Empowerment

Food sovereignty also depends on knowledge and innovation that serve people where they live. Australia's universities and research institutions already lead globally in food science, biotechnology, and agricultural engineering, yet these capabilities are fragmented and under-deployed. Research must translate into tangible community outcomes - boosting local economies, improving household incomes, and reinforcing purchasing power.

A National Lighthouse Initiative for Deployable Food Research can serve this goal by connecting science to society.

Anchored in partnerships among major universities, the CSIRO and regional research centres, the initiative could demonstrate scalable solutions for regenerative farming, sustainable food manufacturing and packaging, alternative proteins, and circular economy models for food waste. This would make innovation visible and relatable, showing how scientific progress strengthens both environmental health and economic security.

Education and local empowerment are equally essential. Embedding food and nutrition education into the national curriculum, together with school meal programs and community food initiatives, not only reduces hunger but fosters food literacy and long-term resilience.

Universities play a vital role in strengthening local purchasing power. Research from the Regional Universities Network shows that regional universities raise local wages and drive employment through staff, students and construction spending. This stimulates household income, a key determinant of food security.

By increasing educational opportunities and retaining skilled graduates in rural areas, regional universities help stabilise communities economically. Improved income directly translates into better food affordability and access. University-led programs, such as those addressing nutrition in remote Indigenous communities, also show how research and outreach can directly enhance food security.

Finally, public engagement is indispensable. Australians must see the connection between soil biology, packaging innovation, nutrition science and the meals on their tables. By highlighting how innovation supports both sovereignty and social equity, universities and research institutions can make food security part of the national conversation.

References

1 Food insecurity, 2023 | Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/food-and-nutrition/food-insecurity/latest-release [Accessed October 22, 2025]

2 Foodbank Hunger Report 2024 - Foodbank Reports. https://reports.foodbank.org.au/foodbank-hunger-report-2024/ [Accessed October 22, 2025]

3 Alexanderson MS, Luke H, Lloyd DJ. Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming. Front Sustain Food Syst (2024) 8:1402849. doi: 10.3389/FSUFS.2024.1402849/BIBTEX

4 Feeding Australia: A National Food Security Strategy - DAFF. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/food/national-food-security-strategy [Accessed October 23, 2025]

Prodoz Smart Cropping Solutions

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:20:30 GMT

Prodoz, a Proudly Australian and family-owned agribusiness, based in Melbourne, is strengthening its positions as national/international leader in advanced crop – science solutions through a growing portfolio of global innovation partners and a distribution footprint supported by all major distributors - includes Nutrien Ag, Elders, Lindsay Rural and Independent Rural stores.

With operations spanning broadacre cropping, horticulture, viticulture, and protected cropping, Prodoz is focused on delivering science-driven technologies that improve plant performance, nutrient efficiency, and environmental resilience. As Australian growers face increasing pressure from climate variability, rising input costs and shifting sustainability expectations, Prodoz is bringing new tools and modern agronomy to help future-proof the sector.

“Our mission is simple,” says Zen Kynigos, Crop Science Technologist from Prodoz. “We bring the best science from around the world and make it accessible to Australian growers through trusted channels and strong technical support.”

National Reach Through Major Distribution networks

Prodoz’s product range is available to growers across the country through Australia’s largest agribusiness network, Nutrien Ag , Elders, Lindsay Rural, And Many Independent Rural Stores. These partnerships ensure broad access to cutting-edge technologies, supported by local agronomists and retail stores in every major growing region.

Commitment to Australia’s Agricultural Future

As a family-owned enterprise, Prodoz is committed to long-term investment in Australian agriculture. The company continues to expand its research and development footprint, including field trials, grower programmes and collaborative government funded projects aimed at improving nitrogen efficiency, crop resilience and sustainable intensification.

“ProdOz is shaping a future where Australian growers have the tools and science needed to stay competitive, profitable, and resilient,” Zen says. “This is about delivering practical innovation growers can trust.”

Email: info@prodoz.com.au

Web: www.prodoz.com.au

INDRA Keep your crops growing - Even when the weather doesn’t cooperate

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:58:29 GMT

Australia’s climate is tougher than ever. Heat spikes, dry periods, salinity, waterlogging and sudden frost events are becoming an everyday part of farmers lives.

HOW INDRA WORKS

Under stress (salt, drought, heat, UV, etc.), plants produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) - toxic molecules that damage cells.
Indra promotes the plant’s own antioxidant production, meaning it helps the plant synthesize internal antioxidants (e.g. anthocyanins) that neutralize ROS, reducing cellular damage.
This reduces oxidative stress on the plant, helping maintain cell integrity, photosynthesis, and overall metabolism despite adverse conditions.
In addition to antioxidants, Indra triggers polyamine stimulation, which helps reinforce and repair plant cell walls - acting like a structural buffer, improving cell-wall strength/integrity under stress.
Indra also supplies essential micronutrients needed for normal plant biochemical processes - especially those involved in stress defense, antioxidant systems, metabolic resilience.
This nutrient supplementation ensures that even under stress, the plant has building blocks to maintain normal biochemical and physiological functions.
Indra enables plants to tolerate - not avoid - stress.

HOW TO USE INDRA

Apply 1 L/ha monthly foliar as part of your preventative stress-management program
Use proactively before major stress periods or after for fast recovery
Compatible with standard nutrition and crop programs
Suitable across horticulture, tree crops, berries and broadacre

For crop-specific rates and timing, contact your agronomist or Levity representative.

SCIENCE YOU CAN TRUST

Indra is powered by Levity Crop Science’s advanced plant-physiology research, with patented technology proven to activate antioxidant pathways, strengthen cellular stability, and support crop function under extreme abiotic stress.

For more product information: Levity Crop Science Australia, Visit: levitycropscience.com.au/indra

Available through leading distributors.

For technical support and inquiries:

Zen Kynigos

See Prodoz website for more information: https://prodoz.com.au

The importance of trace mineral injections

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:40:29 GMT

Trace minerals are required for optimal growth, reproduction, and immunity. Optimising trace mineral status relying solely on oral supplements across a herd may fail because of variation in individual intake and reduced absorption due to antagonism of other ration components and minerals.

The use of injectable trace mineral supplements has been associated with positive reproductive outcomes including improved conception rate, increased odds of pregnancy and greater final in calf rate.

A study conducted on 2,168 dairy cows, administered injectable trace minerals, four weeks prior to calving and again four weeks prior to the start of mating showed treated animals had a 3.3 per cent greater final in-calf rate, and a reduced time from start of mating to conception, compared to control animals ¹ .

The Importance of B12

Dr Carl Eden, Technical Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim says “Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as a ‘super vitamin’ because it is only required in very small amounts but vital to many essential metabolic pathways.

However, demand for B12 can vary considerably during the year and we see serum levels of B12 fall at critical times, such as the first few months after calving.”

Vitamin B12 contains cobalt, so deficiency in cobalt can lead to deficiency in vitamin B12 because ruminants get most of their B12 as a byproduct of ruminal fermentation where the bacteria in their rumen assemble B12 from cobalt for use by the cow.

Sub-optimal trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at calving, mating, and drying off has been shown to negatively impact growth, reproduction, and immunity.

Using a trace mineral injectable containing vitamin B12 can improve trace mineral and vitamin B12 status at these critical times.

Marks-Min with Vitamin B12 – The Evidence

In the largest trace element study to date, Marks-Min Injectable Trace Mineral with Vitamin B12 demonstrated remarkable results when compared to a reference trace mineral injection.

“Given the differences between Marks-Min and other products on the market, we wanted to generate a compelling data set to demonstrate how effective it was compared to the pioneer product. We entrusted this work to a third-party research company” says Dr Eden.

“We chose farms that were at the top of their game from a reproductive perspective. We made sure that the farms had no evidence of trace element or vitamin B12 deficiencies or excess.”

Across all outcomes of interest, Marks-Min demonstrated clear non-inferiority when compared to the reference product. Outcomes measured included submission, pregnancy and conception rates, and six week in-calf rate. Marks-Min demonstrated it is highly suited as an alternative treatment to the reference product.

Reference:

1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16

Company website: livestockfirst.com.au

Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm

Reference:

1. Hawkins, D., and B. V. S. Franklin. New Zealand Dairy Veterinarians Newsletter 24 (2007): 12-16

Company website: livestockfirst.com.au

Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm

It’s time to start strategic summer drenching

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:28:39 GMT

Find out why the first summer drench can be so important in protecting your flock’s health, plus what to look for in your summer drench of choice.

It’s that time of year in most areas of Australia to do the first strategic summer drench. A strategic drench is a ‘drench given at a critical time to reduce worm larval contamination of a pasture for the benefit of the whole mob or herd rather than just for the treated animals, and/or a drench given to sheep, irrespective of worm egg count, at times when they are expected to be most susceptible to worm infection’. 1

Why summer drench?

The use of a first summer drench is still recommended best practice in the winter dominant and uniform rainfall regions of Australia. 1,2

The aim of summer drenching is to remove the worms in the sheep when the numbers of infective larvae on pasture are low or in decline (due to summer weather conditions). This reduces the number of infective larvae on pasture the following winter, thereby reducing the production cost of worms and number of drenches needed over this time.

The predominant worm species of these winter rainfall regions are the black scour worm (Trichostrongylus spp.) and the small brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia spp.). These typically cause problems over the autumn and winter period when favourable conditions and susceptible livestock allow for a significant buildup of infective larvae on the pasture.

When to summer drench?

The timing of the first summer drench and the need for a second summer drench varies between regions based on what is most appropriate for worm control and drench resistance management. Routine worm egg count monitoring after the first summer drench should be used to determine timing of subsequent drenches. WormBoss.com.au provides a number of recommendations for various regions regarding the timing of the first drench . 1

Which drench to use?

The summer drench of choice is one that:

Has an efficacy as close to 100% as possible – any worms that survive this treatment will result in pasture contamination. A combination of highly effective actives, such as TRIGUARD®, is recommended best practice. 2,3

Has a short duration of activity – that will apply less selection pressure for resistance at a time when there is less refugia on the pasture to dilute contamination from resistant adults. Persistent actives such as moxidectin are recognised for their potential to select more rapidly for resistance 1 , and this effect can be exacerbated during times when there is less refugia on pasture.

Summer drenching

Start your summer drenching program now to minimise the level of larval pasture contamination responsible for winter worm burdens. TRIGUARD® is an ideal choice for summer drenching due to its combination of three actives and short duration of activity.

References

1. https://tools.wormboss.com.au.

2. Love (2007) Sheep worm control: summer vs winter drenching in southern NSW. DPI Prime facts.

3. Love (2011) Drench resistance and sheep worm control. DII Primefact 478.

Company website: livestockfirst.com.au

Company email address: CustomerCare.Australia@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Company video: https://vimeo.com/1138807630?fl=pl&fe=cm

FRONTYS brings fire control to the front of the tractor

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:50:36 GMT

A NSW-based innovator has developed a patent-pending, front-mounted firefighting and utility system for tractors, giving farmers instant, in-cab-controlled fire suppression, water and fuel on hand, and safer solo operations.

When a fire takes hold on-farm, every minute matters. Speed of response and operator safety are paramount. That’s why FRONTYS is designed to protect you while staying on the move.

With rear-mounted water systems, the operator must stop, get off the tractor, fire up the pump, and then approach the fire. One farmer lost a new tractor and header from a spark, because the ute carrying the water was over a kilometre away. The result was catastrophic. A small spark becomes a $1 million loss in minutes.

This challenge sparked an invention from Hunter Valley manufacturer Kube Fabrications. FRONTYS has been designed, developed, and tested with farmers, water-spraying specialists, and industry leaders in firefighting skids, trailers, and water-transfer.

“It’s about tackling the fire at the point of ignition,” he says. “Staying mobile, staying in the cab, and hitting it before it gets away from you — that’s what saves machinery, costs, and keeps people safe.”

The global patent-pending FRONTYS system mounts to the front of a tractor or telehandler and gives the operator immediate, cabin-controlled fire suppression. It turns “wasted real estate”, as farmers call the tractor front, into a critical safety zone.

The FRONTYS carry-all offers true versatility, suitable for a slide-in water tank, water-plus-fuel modular tanks, or use as a front-mounted transport platform for hay, tools, or even small livestock. Farmers retain full use of their PTO implements at the rear.

With left-, right-, or dual-spray options and adjustable flow, the operator remains mobile and shielded while fighting the fire.

FRONTYS is a practical, on-board insurance package for farmers on both broadacre and hobby farms alike. If something goes wrong, water or fuel is immediately at hand, exactly when you need it.

Web: http://www.kubefabrications.com.au

Email: sales@kubefab.com.au

Australian water sovereignty: navigating the next chapter

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:25:07 GMT

Foreign ownership climbs while irrigation costs soar, but Australian farmers have tools to thrive. Technology and adaptive management offer a path through mounting pressure.

Australia's water assets stand at a critical juncture. As water security pressures from government intervention and climate variability intensifies, and as global interest in our water resources grows, the conversation around water sovereignty demands both nuance and attention. The question is not whether we protect our water, but how we do so whilst maintaining productive agricultural systems and environmental health.

Foreign ownership of Australian water entitlements has steadily climbed over the past decade. The ATO's Register of Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets (October 2025) shows the proportion with foreign ownership increased from 11.8 per cent at 30 June 2023 to 12.3 per cent at 30 June 2024, representing 4,932 gigalitres (GL) of our total water resources. This upward trajectory, though modest in percentage terms, represents a significant volume of water moving into foreign hands, with an increase of 157 gigalitres just over a year.

The transparency mechanisms established through the Register serve an important function. The Register shows Canadian interests hold the largest foreign share of Australian water entitlements at 2.6 cent (1,062 GL), followed by the US at 1.8 per cent (716 GL), UK at 1.0 per cent (382 GL), and China at 0.9 per cent (351 GL). Foreign persons from 46 countries hold interests, primarily for agriculture (66.3 per cent) and mining (19.0 per cent).

However, 755 GL held indirectly by Australian investors through entities classified as foreign persons represents 15.3 per cent of the foreign-held total. This complexity in ownership structures underscores the need for continued vigilance and transparent reporting.

Transparency alone does not constitute a strategy. We must ask ourselves: what level of foreign participation aligns with our national interest, and how do we ensure water remains fundamentally Australian in its management and purpose?

Such questions will become more relevant as water becomes scarcer. For example, the Commonwealth's water buyback programme represents a significant intervention in the availability of water in the productive pool. Since 2007, successive Australian Governments have committed over $13 billion for Murray-Darling Basin (Basin) reforms (REF: DCCEEW 2024). The programme's resumption has generated predictable controversy, yet buybacks serve a purpose – provided the water is actively managed. Active management means strategic releases, adaptive planning, and measurable ecological results. Anything less is a failure to steward public investment.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan targets 2,750 GL/year water recovery plus 450 GL for enhanced environmental outcomes, managed by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. This rebalancing from consumptive to environmental uses faces further pressure from climate uncertainty, with Bureau of Meteorology projections indicating increasing variability and more frequent droughts.

Individual irrigation companies throughout the Murray-Darling Basin face mounting challenges. Fixed infrastructure costs become increasingly burdensome as irrigator numbers decline, whilst ageing systems require substantial capital investment to modernise. The Australian Government's Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Programme provides $494 million for water-saving infrastructure projects. However, funding alone is insufficient.

Irrigation companies must evolve or face becoming inefficient relics. This means hard decisions about infrastructure rationalisation, adopting automated delivery systems, and potentially consolidation where economies of scale can be achieved. The alternative is gradual deterioration of service quality and escalating costs borne by remaining customers – a declining spiral no stakeholder desires.

It’s not all doom and gloom. These pressures create opportunities to offset declining supply through continued technological advancement. Australian irrigators increasingly deploy precision agriculture, smart irrigation systems, and on-farm automation that transform water use efficiency across the Basin. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority's monitoring demonstrates that whilst climate variability remains a challenge, adaptive water management practices and improved infrastructure are building resilience into the system.

These structural pressures – from the complexity of foreign ownership to the rising cost of ageing irrigation infrastructure and increasing climate variability – make it clear that Australia cannot rely on past approaches to govern its water resources. Australia's water sovereignty ultimately depends not on restrictive policies or protectionist rhetoric, but on intelligent stewardship that recognises the interconnected nature of our water systems, markets and communities. We must maintain robust transparency around foreign ownership whilst remaining open to investment that strengthens agricultural productivity and regional resilience. Likewise, government water recovery programmes must be coupled with active, adaptive management regimes that deliver measurable environmental outcomes, ensuring that public investment translates into tangible benefit.

The next chapter of Australian water management will be defined by how effectively we balance competing demands while safeguarding the resource itself. We have the tools, the knowledge, and the institutional frameworks to do this. What remains is the will to apply them without succumbing to the extremes of either unfettered marketisation or heavy-handed intervention. Our water sovereignty future depends on getting this balance right.

From innovation to impact: transforming crops for today and tomorrow

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:59:21 GMT

Australian agriculture must rethink crop choices and innovation strategies to ensure sustainability, climate resilience, and profitability amid market shifts, regulatory changes, and research system pressures.

Agriculture is one of the pillars upon which Australia is built. It is a productive, progressive, and profitable industry that has survived many challenges, and supported our nation through good times and bad. However, if you read financial forecasts, attend industry briefings, or spend time late at night trawling through statistics, agriculture is now at a crossroads. As climate variability intensifies, accountability for sustainable farming snowballs, and global markets shift, the crops we’ve traditionally relied upon are facing challenges and suddenly may no longer be the best fit for our future. I am often asked about the future of our staple crops such as wheat, barley, oilseeds and pulses, which collectively generated $23 billion1 for the Australian economy in FY2024/25. Should we focus more on how we grow, what we grow, or where we grow to improve productivity? And are current Australian research and translation systems equipped to support the innovation that will answer these questions, or must we look overseas?

Australian growers are remarkably quick to embrace change. For example, ABARES data shows recent shifts towards increased hectares of crops such as lentils and canola, whereas crops of barley and wheat have remained relatively static over time1. These decisions are often driven by commodity prices, not agronomic sustainability. In some cases, growers are pushing rotations to the limit, chasing short-term gains at the expense of long-term soil health and system resilience. Should market signals alone dictate our agricultural future? Perhaps in the short term, this is the only way to overcome exorbitant fertiliser, fuel, and logistics prices. The bottom line is critical, but we need to think strategically about the crops we grow — not just for profitability, but for sustainability, climate resilience, and food security.

Rethinking What We Grow

One strategy moving forward is to improve the crops currently in the Australian system. Traditional breeding remains a powerful tool and has delivered steady yield improvements over an extended period2. However, natural genetic diversity within species remains an underutilised resource to introduce new traits into breeding programs; the advent of cost-efficient genome sequencing is allowing researchers to uncover the genes underlying these traits. Breeding is also being supercharged by new technologies like gene editing and synthetic biology. Mutational breeding — using radiation or chemicals to induce genetic variation — has also delivered important gains, particularly in crops like barley and chickpeas. Researchers have recently developed smart techniques to quickly induce mutations and detect specific changes in the DNA, allowing new genetic stocks to be rapidly identified with traits such as altered architecture or non-GM herbicide tolerance3. Grower levy bodies such as the GRDC are paying close attention to these technologies4,5 as a way of supporting breeders and growers. Some of these methods are often overlooked in public discussions, but they remain a valuable part of the innovation toolkit.

I recently attended conferences on seed biology in the USA and France. It appears likely that apomixis (clonal seeds) and hybrid vigour (heterosis), which offer significant yield improvements6, have a real future in cereal breeding programs7. It’s been almost 30 years since I first read about the promise of fixing heterosis in cereal crops. Even with funding from generous benefactors such as the Gates Foundation, it’s taken a long time to get to this point. Is our research innovation ecosystem really set up to deliver new disruptive technologies on a national level? Who will take on the risk of testing these technologies and determining whether they stack up in the Australian environment?

Innovation Needs Support

Of course, developing and applying new technologies for new crops isn’t just a matter of science — it’s also about systems. Innovation requires investment, infrastructure, and a regulatory environment that supports timely translation from lab to paddock.

Right now, Australia’s research sector is under significant pressure. Budget cuts to research organisations such as CSIRO have resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in research capacity8. Universities are being asked to do more with less9: train the workforce of the future, deliver industry-relevant research, and maintain global competitiveness — all while navigating uncertain funding models.

The Australian Government is currently reviewing the research funding landscape, including the role of the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). These reviews are timely. We need a system that supports both fundamental discovery and applied outcomes — and that recognises the long lead times often required to develop new crops.

At the same time, regulatory frameworks are evolving. Recent changes to gene technology regulations have clarified that certain gene editing techniques (like SDN-1) are not considered genetically modified organisms (GMOs), reducing red tape for introduction into growers’ fields. Broader reforms to gene technology and biosecurity laws are still underway. It’s unclear whether the decision to consider the more powerful SDN-2 technique as GMO will be revisited, despite other countries adopting a less stringent approach. There’s a risk that increased regulatory requirements could slow the adoption of new technologies or restrict access to global genetic resources.

Building a Better Innovation Pipeline

Despite these challenges, Australia maintains some world-class infrastructure to support agricultural innovation. NCRIS facilities like the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility, Bioplatforms Australia, and the newly launched Plant Synthetic Biology Australia (PSBA) are helping bridge the gap between research and application.

PSBA, in particular, offers a promising model. PSBA is a recent $20 million investment with nodes across the country; it provides “research hotels” — shared lab spaces with specialist expertise — that allow researchers and startups to rapidly prototype and test new ideas. By supporting the full synthetic biology pipeline, from design to evaluation, PSBA is aimed at accelerating the delivery of climate-smart crops and bio-based agricultural solutions.

Australia needs more than just facilities. We need a national strategy that aligns research priorities with agricultural needs, reduces barriers to innovation, and ensures that a workforce is available in the lab and on the land to ensure delivery of new tech to the paddock.

A Bold Future Awaits

The future of Australian agriculture depends on our ability to adapt — not just to climate, but to markets, technologies, and global trends. That means rethinking what we grow, how we grow it, and how we support the science that underpins it. Two recent events have impacted my thoughts about this. First, Adelaide University will officially emerge on 1st January 2026 as a merger of two foundational Universities, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, becoming the fifth largest university in Australia overnight. As part of the merger process, a new research strategy for Food, Agriculture, and Wine was developed. This strategy prioritises local issues, but with a view of how their resolution can address broader challenges in Australia and the world. Partnership is prioritised; not only within disciplines, but across them, with industry groups, and with national and international colleagues. How we do science has changed; as an undergraduate student I could not possibly have imagined sitting in a room with a nutritional expert, a lawyer, a process engineer, and psychologist to discuss how plants might be redesigned for new environments, what the benefits might be, and how we can get to an answer in 3 months instead of 3 years.

Perspective suggests we can’t afford to let short-term market signals or regulatory inertia dictate our agricultural destiny. Instead, we need to invest in the systems, partnerships, and platforms that will help us grow the right crops — for the right reasons — in the right places. In the end, resilience isn’t just about surviving the next drought or price drop. It’s about building an agricultural system that thrives in the face of change.

Photos supplied by The University of Adelaide.

References:

1 ABARES, Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2025, www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/products/insights/snapshot-of-australian-agriculture

2 Egan, L. M., Hofmann, R. W., Stiller, W. N., & Hoyos-Villegas, V. (2024). Cultivating success: bridging the gaps in plant breeding training in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Crop Science, 64, 2081–2094. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.21286

3 https://www.traitomic.com/

4 https://grdc.com.au/grdc-investments/investments/investment?code=TRA2309-001SAX

5 https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2023/02/s12-jones-michael

6 Duvick,D. N. (2005) The contribution of breeding to yield advances in maize (Zea mays L.). Advances in Agronomy, (83–145), (2005) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(05)86002-X

7 Vernet, A., Meynard, D., Lian, Q. et al. High-frequency synthetic apomixis in hybrid rice. Nat Commun 13, 7963 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35679-3

8 https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/10/the-mood-is-ominous-at-csiro-as-jobs-disappear-by-stealth-and-staff-are-wondering-whos-next

9 https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/publication/critical-challenges-in-australias-university-sector-securing-a-sustainable-future/

Technology and teamwork drive a new era for dairy

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:36:48 GMT

Australia’s dairy heartland is under pressure. Rising costs, shrinking milk pools, and ageing farmers test resilience, but new technology and fair policy could revive the industry.

Agriculture is the backbone of rural Australia. I see it every day—our livelihoods depend on the land, the animals, and being able to feed folks.

Climate change and carbon reduction matter. But the truth is you can’t be green if you're in the red. If farms aren’t profitable, nothing else works.

Farmers here do more with less every year. Less land, fewer inputs, a smaller footprint. That’s something to be proud of. We're doing our bit for the nation’s carbon tally just by running more efficiently.

But we’re at a real crossroads now. Twenty years back, we had close to 8,000 dairy farms. These days, there’s only about 3,900 left and falling every season.

Most of the farms still standing are bigger, using new tech and smarter ways of working just to keep afloat.

Across Australia, we're producing just over eight billion litres of milk this season. That’s everything—milk, cheese, butter. But the milk pool keeps shrinking. Rabobank’s latest forecast says national output is set to drop another 1.7 percent this year.

Fewer cows, expensive feed, dry weather in western Victoria and beyond. Some farms can’t make it work and close their gates for good.

Feed shortages, rising hay prices, and stubborn dry spells hit us hard. When rain does come, it’s patchy. Most paddocks don’t bounce back. Technology and scale have helped, but with costs and climate the way they are, even good operators struggle.

Bigger, more productive farms are now the norm. Smaller ones are doing it tough, not for lack of grit, but because prices don’t meet costs. Feed, power, and fertiliser costs keep climbing, and payouts aren’t close to enough.

Most producers this past season averaged about $9.20 per kilogram of milk solids, but plenty fell short of earning even a fair wage after costs. We’re seeing tough times, especially with patchy rain in Victoria and market uncertainty from overseas.

Young people aren't flocking to dairying either. Older farmers are hanging on, but unless we make things more viable, towns will hollow out. Communities fade if the next generation can’t see a future.

So, what’s going to change it? Technology is crucial, and it’s only just getting started. Years ago, it was tractors and basic computers. Now we’ve got drones in the paddocks, sensors in the dairies, and software helping pick better cows, manage feed, and spot disease early.

Automation isn’t just for the big players. It’s making its way onto family and midsize farms too. The next decade should bring more useful tech: robotics, AI, digital tools.

It’s these tools that give me hope. Technology will help us handle tough seasons, lower risk, and look after our herds. But it has to be a fair go for everyone, or the gap gets wider.

Government needs to play its part. We need proper support. Right now, the market’s tilted towards the supermarkets and processors. They set the price, squeeze the farmer, and still charge top dollar at the shop. That’s not right. If things tip too far, only middlemen win.

Australia’s got a strong ag sector. But if we lose fairness and good prices, more farms will shut, and good local jobs will dry up. Policy should back fair trade, support exports, and help farmers deal with drought and high costs.

Profit has to be our main benchmark. Profit is what lets us invest in tech, creates jobs, and keeps towns going. Last year, farmers earned about $6 billion from milk sales at the farm gate. That’s money paid direct to farms for raw milk—before it gets processed or shipped out. Most of that cash gets spent right in country towns. It keeps local families afloat, pays workers, and helps out the businesses we rely on every day. About a third of our milk went to exports.

Input costs keep climbing. Water, feed, power—all up. Climate risk knocks us back each year. We need to get strategy sorted out quickly.

Here’s what’s needed. Push innovation from lab to paddock.

Support midsize and family farms to scale up, team up, or find their niche. Fix market rules so it’s fair for the farmer. Work to keep trade open and strong. Make policy that helps with water, infrastructure, and climate shocks.

The next 10 or 15 years will decide our future. Do we sharpen up and stay competitive? Or do we fade as towns and farms shut down?

The answer is clear. Productivity, profit, and fairness are what matter. Australia’s farmers feed our people and keep communities alive. Let’s back them with smart policy, fair markets, and new ideas, so country towns stay strong.

Re-engineering plant resilience for a harsher Australian climate

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:43:27 GMT

Australia’s agricultural future will be shaped by more than just better genetics, bigger tractors, and more efficient inputs: our ability to help plants stay functional under stress. And right now, we have a knowledge gap that needs closing.

A New Production Reality: Stress as the Primary Yield Limiter

Across every state, growers are now encountering a type of volatility that is no longer “abnormal”. Hotter heatwaves, longer moisture deficits, intensifying storm cells, creeping salinity, waterlogging events that linger for weeks instead of days, unseasonal frosts, UV spikes, and cyclone-driven rainfall outside traditional patterns.

These pressures are not episodic disruptions; they are becoming the operating environment of Australian agriculture.

What many don’t realise is that all these stresses converge at the same physiological choke point: the plant’s internal stress-response systems. Global plant scientists widely note that abiotic stress accounts for up to 80 per cent of yield losses worldwide. Not pests. Not disease.

What’s especially important and still under-recognised, is that the damage starts long before symptoms appear. At the cellular level, stress accelerates the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) toxins, damages chloroplasts, disrupts osmotic balance, interferes with nutrient uptake and, ultimately, shuts down growth. By the time crops look wilted or scorched, much of the yield loss has already occurred.

In other words, the most important battles for yield happen invisibly, days or weeks before we see a problem.

This is the knowledge gap I’m most passionate about addressing. We cannot meaningfully advance agricultural productivity or sustainability if we continue treating abiotic stress as an unavoidable external event rather than a biochemical process that can be influenced, strengthened, and managed.

The Coming Decade Requires a Physiology-First Mindset

Australia’s agricultural innovation agenda is strong - autonomy, decision-support AI, robotics/drones, genetics, water-use efficiency, and soil carbon. But there is a missing pillar: physiological resilience.

If plants cannot sustain basic function during environmental shocks, every other investment - fertilisers, crop protection, irrigation, genetics - has diminished ROI.

For the next decade, three realities will shape Australian farming:

Weather Extremes Will Intensify - Most climate models indicate this and it’s set to continue. This is not a problem for “future farmers”, it is today’s operating environment.
Yield Will Be Determined by Stress mitigation, Not Stress Avoidance - We cannot irrigate our way out of heat stress. We cannot spray our way out of salinity. We cannot fertilise our way out of waterlogging. And we cannot breed our way out of every climatic shock.
But we can strengthen the plant’s internal protective systems - antioxidant pathways, ionic balance, membrane integrity, hormonal signalling - so that crops maintain function through stress rather than collapsing under it.
ESG, Sustainability, and Profitability Are All Improved When Plants Stay Functional - When crops cope better with stress, multiple downstream benefits emerge:

Improved water-use efficiency
Lower nutrient wastage and leaching
Reduced need for reactive chemistry
Higher quality per unit of input
Lower losses and waste across the supply chain
Better consistency for processors and exporters
Building resilience is not just agronomy, it is climate adaptation, emissions reduction, and economic risk management.

A Practical Lesson from the Paddock: Resilience Is Measurable

One recent illustration of what is possible came from a potato crop in Bothwell, Tasmania.

After a major rainfall event delivered 60+ millimetres in a few hours - and left soils saturated for weeks, growers expected significant tuber rot. It never came.

Not because the weather was kind or disease pressure was magically low. But because the plants’ physiological resilience had been proactively strengthened during the season.

This raises an important point: Resilience is not a theory. It is observable, measurable, and economically meaningful.

And it is increasingly becoming a differentiator between crops that survive extreme events and crops that collapse.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap: What Growers Need to Know

Across Australia, farmers are experimenting with new tools - antioxidant triggers, osmoprotectants, ionic balancers, metabolic stabilisers, functional fertilisers, and biostimulants. But adoption is uneven, and understanding is still developing.

Here are three principles growers need to anchor to:

The most effective stress tools work by modulating plant physiology - not by adding “more nutrition” . Plants under stress do not lack NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium); they lack stability and energy. Products that activate internal protective systems matter more than those that simply feed the plant.
Prevention always outperforms reaction. Stress physiology is forward-driven. By the time damage is visible, the cascade has already occurred.
Resilience should be treated as a monthly investment (like insurance) not a once-a-year rescue. The future will favour growers who build resilience as a continuous layer of protection.

Where Science and Industry Must Go Next - The Call to Action

Weather extremes may be outside growers’ control, but resilience is not.

If we expect to maintain profitable yields, meet sustainability targets, decrease nutrient losses, reduce waste, and protect Australia’s agricultural competitiveness, we must treat plant resilience as a core innovation frontier - not an optional add-on.

Our sector has long excelled in soil science, irrigation, genetics, and crop protection.

The next leap will come from understanding the plant itself - its stress machinery, its energy systems, its ability to self-protect when supported correctly.

And that is where we must invest our collective attention if we want farming systems that withstand, adapt, and thrive in a climate we can no longer predict.

Zen Kynigos is a crop science technologist at Prodoz International. With an interdisciplinary professional background, his focus is on plant physiology, soil biology, and sustainability.

From cameras to drones: Barko’s next frontier

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 01:03:02 GMT

Barko Security is bringing drone technology to agriculture while building on a decade of security and a lifetime of agricultural know-how.

The Australian agricultural drone market, valued at $50 million (Ref: ABARES) in 2024, is expected to soar to $600 million by 2033 and is largely driven by innovative agricultural solutions. Drones are proving effective against persistent issues like vertebrate animal pests, such as pigs, foxes, rabbits, and birds, offering aerial perspectives once thought out of reach. A recent advance—drone-based pest mitigation—gives farmers new sophisticated tools to protect crops and livestock.

Barko Security, based in Grafton and known for rugged remote camera towers, is expanding into autonomous drones. Founder and CEO Tye M. Atkinson says the latest models, such as those from Chinse multi-national drone manufacturer DJI, can fly for an hour, autonomously recharge, and redeploy. Outfitted with green lasers to deter birds, acoustic speaker devices, and night-operation capability, these drones deliver powerful pest control.

Tye says Barko now provides a full suite of agri-drone services, from checking water, fences, and equipment to seeding remote areas and tracking missing livestock with thermal imaging and AI. The range highlights drones’ adaptability, advancing with every new innovation.

“Licensing requirements for aerial drones can be daunting, so that’s why we’ve partnered with a Registered Training Organisation to help our clients secure necessary certifications. Barko also offers support services such as financing, insurance, and technical support for smoother adoption,” he says.

Drones build on Barko’s core mission of farm security. Its fixed cameras already monitor distant paddocks and assets; integrating the latest in drone technology creates a unified platform with stronger aerial and ground coverage.

“The impact could be considerable: birds alone cause 20–30 per cent yield losses in some horticultural crops, costing Australia hundreds of millions of dollars annually [source: ABARES]. Even modest improvements in monitoring and deterrence, especially for berries, grapes, nuts, and grains, can quickly repay investment,” says Tye.

With personnel now trained on DJI Dock3 and DJI Matrice 4TD drones, Barko plans to roll out drone services first to horticulture before expanding into broader pest and weed management. This staged approach aims to equip farmers with versatile new tools, ultimately strengthening the security and sustainability of Australia’s agricultural sector.

Phone: 0455927360

Engineering the future of crop protection

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:52:01 GMT

As climate challenges intensify, G2 Netting Group is redefining crop protection through science-led innovation, combining design, engineering, and sustainability to help Australian growers conserve water and thrive.

Australian agriculture has always thrived on innovation, and G2 Netting Group is a prime example of how forward thinking and engineering precision are shaping the farms of tomorrow.

Established in 2013, G2 began as G2 Netting Systems, a company dedicated to designing and supplying protective horticultural structures. Working alongside its installation counterpart, Elite Netting founded in 2007, the two operated as separate brands under the same ownership for over a decade. This year, they united under one banner, G2 Netting Group, to reflect their shared expertise, streamlined operations, and end-to-end approach to crop protection.

This rebrand marks more than a visual change, it represents a major step forward in how G2 approaches agricultural innovation. By combining design, manufacturing, and installation into one seamless service, the business eliminates fragmentation and delivers a truly integrated experience for growers, from concept to completion.

At the heart of G2’s success lies its focus on science and engineering. The company’s flexible netting systems are not simply protective covers; they are microclimate management tools, regulate temperature and humidity, and dramatically improve water use efficiency.

Research from the University of Adelaide, PIRSA, and Natural Resources SA Murray-Darling Basin has shown that permanent netting systems can reduce evapotranspiration by up to 30 percent, easing water stress and helping trees thrive with less input. In some trials, netted crops not only used less water but produced higher yields and better-quality fruit.

By filtering sunlight and moderating heat and wind, G2’s engineered systems reduce the extreme conditions that cause water loss. The result: healthier, more consistent crops and extended growing seasons, all while conserving a critical natural resource.

For third generation family owned and operated citrus farmers, Sam and Matthew Lloyd of L.D. Lloyd and Sons, the decision to invest in netting systems was two-fold: improve pack outs and reduce water usage.

Looking to the future of farming practices, the brothers had netting installed before planting some 35 hectares of land in 2020. The results speak for themselves with an increase in overall plant growth, reduced water usage and better control over pollination.

“We're always looking at getting our best returns for our fruit, and with the least effort,” Sam said.

“Netting was a way of increasing the value of the fruit without actually doing any more work.”

As water scarcity and climate extremes continue to challenge Australian growers, G2 stands at the intersection of innovation, engineering, and sustainability, providing solutions that protect not just crops, but the future of farming itself.

www.g2ng.com

AI in agriculture: The smart revolution we should all be talking about

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:04:26 GMT

The article explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionising agriculture, driving automation, improving efficiency and sustainability, enhancing machinery and creating new high-tech career opportunities across agriculture.

Agriculture is undergoing a transformation unlike any in its long and storied history. For an industry that has fed civilisations for millennia, the next chapter is being written not just in the soil, but in silicon. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s here, embedded in the tractors, combines, and sprayers that traverse our fields. And it’s changing everything.

To empower farmers with the best tools and technologies available, agricultural machinery manufacturers must embrace AI—not as a buzzword, but as a practical, powerful force that’s helping farmers do more with less, make smarter decisions, and build more sustainable operations.

The Third Wave of AI: From Pilots to Productivity

We’re now in what our global Head of Technology Strategy and Product Innovation, Francesca Protano, calls the “third wave of AI.” This isn’t about prototypes or pilots—it’s about real tools delivering real results. AI is guiding vehicles, adjusting settings in real time, and improving yields. It’s embedded in our machines, often invisibly, making the farmer’s experience smoother and smarter.

Some of the new models of combine harvesters on the market are a great example. Many of them have had AI-driven features for years, quietly optimising performance without farmers even realising it; good technology works seamlessly. As processing power increases and datasets become more structured, these ‘next generation’ machines will move from precision farming to full autonomy and robotics.

Challenges We Must Overcome

Of course, this transformation isn’t without its challenges. Agriculture is one of the most diverse industries in the world. Farmers operate in vastly different environments, with varying levels of connectivity, infrastructure, and technical expertise. Scaling AI across such a diverse landscape is no small feat.

In order to match the rate of technology developments, organisations that grow through major acquisitions bring together different engineering cultures and data systems. That diversity is a strength, but it also means companies must work hard to unify their data and ensure its usable. Reliable AI demands high-quality data, high-performance computing, and seamless integration. It also requires trust, especially in rural areas where internet coverage can be patchy or non-existent.

Connectivity is the backbone of modern agriculture, and that’s why across the industry leading ag companies are partnering with other trusted providers, such as Starlink, to bring high-speed satellite connectivity to farmers in even the remotest regions. This ensures no farmer is left behind.

Smarter Machines, Simpler Decisions

The goal of AI in agriculture isn’t to replace the farmer, but to extend their capabilities. Making machines smarter is so that tasks become easier, operations more efficient, and outcomes more sustainable.

Innovations are being delivered to transform in-field operations. For example, a new sprayer application system is using machine vision to identify weeds, diagnose crop health and apply treatment only where needed. This reduces herbicide use, cuts costs, and improves yields and environmental outcomes.

In vineyards, vision-guided steering allows tractors to turn at the end of each row without human input—even in areas with poor GPS coverage.

Australian farmers are among the world’s most efficient, shaped by tough conditions and a drive to innovate. With AI, automation, and data-driven tools, they’re now turning technology into their next competitive edge — producing more with less and keeping Australia at the forefront of global agricultural efficiency.

Accelerating Innovation

AI isn’t just transforming what farming machinery can do, it’s changing how fast these machines can be built. Generative AI is now assisting in coding software modules, speeding up development and testing cycles. Field data collected from sensors is uploaded to cloud platforms and looped back into product design, helping manufacturers to understand how machines are used and what features farmers really need.

This feedback loop is invaluable. Sometimes, farmers use equipment in ways that aren’t anticipated. AI helps farm machinery manufacturers to learn from those experiences and adapt quickly, delivering more relevant tools to more varied customers across more geographies.

A Career in Agriculture: High-Tech, High-Impact

One of the most exciting aspects of this transformation is the opportunity it creates for careers in agriculture. Too often, when we talk about tech careers, we focus on software companies, fintech, or urban innovation hubs. But agriculture is one of the most dynamic, high-tech industries out there—and it’s time we said so.

Data scientists, AI engineers, robotics specialists, and cloud architects are being hired to help build systems that combine machine learning with mechanical engineering, agronomy with automation.

Young people looking for meaningful careers should know agriculture isn’t just about tractors and crops. It’s about solving global challenges like food security, climate resilience, and sustainable resource management. It’s about working with real-world data to make a tangible difference. And it’s about being part of an industry that touches every human life, every single day.

The Future Is Now

We often say that AI is like an adviser earning your trust. You don’t hand over the reins immediately—you test, you verify, you build confidence. That’s exactly what we’re doing in agriculture. We’re not rushing into full automation; we’re layering smarter tools onto existing capabilities, making sure they work, and making sure they’re trusted.

This isn’t a sudden pivot, but a cumulative shift. Whether it’s sprayers that detect weeds or tractors that navigate without GPS, AI is helping us rethink how machines work and how quickly they can evolve.

So let’s start talking about agriculture in our mainstream tech conversations. Let’s celebrate the farmers who are embracing innovation, and the engineers who are building the future of food. Let’s recognise that the next big thing in tech might just be growing in a field near you.

Brandon Stannett is Managing Director of CNH Australia and New Zealand.

Is geography a missing slice in the diversity pie?

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:53:06 GMT

Australia is a known world leader in diversity and inclusion after decades of effort to achieve balance in how we run this country. Geographical representation for our regional-rural population, however, is one of the big final omissions.

There’s a tendency in city circles to talk about “the regions” as if it’s one big, homogenous place - a single electorate with one shared set of values, one type of person, one predictable voting pattern. But anyone who’s spent more than five minutes west of the Great Dividing Range knows that couldn’t be further from the truth.

We see this reality in the city, where suburbs just a few kilometres apart can have completely different values, income brackets, and voting habits. Brisbane, for instance, has a very different culture and set of priorities compared to Logan, only a 30-minute drive away. So why should it be any different in the country?

As of 2024, nearly ten million people live outside our major cities - roughly 40 per cent of the nation. For such a vast and varied population, it’s risky - and frankly, lazy - to assume they all want the same thing, vote the same way, or live the same kind of life.

Earlier this year, I spoke about this on ABC’s radio program Life Matters, in relation to the coalition’s brief split. I emphasised that because not all country voters vote for the Nationals, there is a real need to better understand and value geographic diversity - not just in politics, but at every decision-making table. The regions are more than agriculture and mining.

We’ve become well-versed in the importance of cultural and diversity in workplaces. Yet, ironically, geographic diversity is often left off the map when governments design their strategies. This is a serious oversight. Rural Australians bring a depth of perspective that simply can’t be replicated in city offices – and they are far from a single voice. Cotton farmers along the Murray-Darling Basin have different priorities from cattle graziers in Central Queensland, and towns just 20 kilometres apart can face entirely different challenges.

Whether it’s on boards, in government, or in corporate strategy meetings, geographic diversity needs to be represented so that decisions reflect the full spectrum of experiences, needs, and opportunities across regional, rural, and remote communities.

If we are serious about building a vibrant and viable Australia - and about creating policies, decisions, and industries that work for all Australians – we must ensure rural perspectives are genuinely at the table. This “outback” demographic, like their metropolitan “cousins”, are mums, dads, business owners, entrepreneurs, innovators, educators, volunteers, and good citizens too with ideas, opinions and wisdom that should be heard. By including these voices from leaders across regional and rural Australia, organisations and governments can make smarter, more informed choices, and deliver outcomes that truly reflect the real experiences and opportunities across the country.

Geographic diversity isn’t just fair - it’s strategic.

Julia Spicer OAM is the co-founder of The Connection Table. Julia is past Queensland Chief Entrepreneur. In 2018, she was one of The Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence. In 2017, Julia won the Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote business owner of the year award.

Minerals and microbes: A new era for farming

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:49:18 GMT

Queensland-based Earthlife has spent nearly three decades helping farmers and gardeners unlock healthier soils. Their natural microbial–mineral blends support sustainable practices, improve yields, and build resilience against droughts, pests, and climate extremes.

When Colin Purnell, founder and CEO of Earthlife, began experimenting almost 30 years ago with rock minerals and beneficial microbes, he saw a gap: Australian soils lacked vital minerals.

Mineral-rich rock blends rebuild tired soils by restoring key nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. They boost water retention and root strength, helping plants thrive even in Australia’s harshest conditions.

“We identified what was necessary, and nobody would manufacture it, so we had to do it ourselves,” Colin recalls. “We proved in trials that our soil conditioner and fertiliser blends could double the water-holding capacity of soil and yields.”

Earthlife has set itself apart by focusing on both minerals and beneficial microbes, which most conventional and organic systems overlook. Supporting that journey was the late Dr Des Gleeson, a University of Queensland microbiologist, who consulted for 25 years, shaping Earthlife’s formulas.

Colin says: “Our blends aren’t patented, but they’re customisable, and they’ve stood the test of time.”

Still based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Earthlife manufactures contaminant-free soil conditioners and fertilisers for growers across Australia.

Supporting Farmers Towards Sustainability

While gardeners remain a loyal base, Colin is keen to re-engage farmers.

“We help farmers transition to more sustainable, economical practices, including carbon farming,” he says. “It’s about building healthier soil, improving yields, and cutting costs without high-nitrogen fertilisers.”

For backyard gardeners, Earthlife is applied whenever new plants go in. On farms, a single annual application is often enough to achieve lasting improvements.

A Queensland avocado grower, Robert Beer of Childers, saw soil carbon levels nearly triple within three years of using Earthlife products, adding the equivalent of 30,000 litres of water per hectare.

In Armidale, NSW, cattle producer Josh Billing reported healthier pastures and weight gains rising from 0.8 to 1.5 kilograms per day after adopting Earthlife.

Other Queensland testimonials echo the results. Ernie Martin of Upper Flagstone Creek noted his trees “outgrowing the toxicity problem” and producing uniform fruit. Meanwhile, Nick Adamson of Leyburn turned his “worst producing cotton block into the highest yielding block” using Earthlife’s soil system.

Colin explains: “Our approach strengthens root systems and plant cell structure so crops handle climate extremes and disease—while reducing reliance on synthetic inputs.”

Looking Ahead

As Earthlife approaches its 30th anniversary in 2026, the business remains true to its founding vision.

“We’re not chasing fads,” Colin insists. “Once you fix the base, everything else follows: productivity and resilience.”

Testimonials

Company Info Pop Up:

Key Benefits of Earthlife’s 12+ Customisable Products

· Doubles soil water-holding capacity and improves soil structure

· Boosts organic carbon levels, supporting carbon farming and resilience

· Strengthens roots and cell walls for climate extremes

· Reduces need for high-nitrogen fertilisers, saving water and costs

· Safe, natural, and contaminant-free; several products Certified Allowed Inputs

Company email: enquiries@earthlife.com.au

Company website: https://earthlife.com.au/

Company booklet: https://designrr.page/?id=348729&token=1728201606&type=FP&h=4482

Burdekin cane grower winning the war on weeds

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:15:28 GMT

With a family legacy of more than 100 years of growing sugarcane to draw on, fourth-generation producer Ben Nielson of JNL Farming Company Pty Ltd, in Far North Queensland’s Burdekin knows what it takes to get the best out of his crop.

When it comes to weed control, he can’t go past the herbicide Valor from the Sumitomo Chemical range, which he used in its original granular form (Valor 500WG) since its inception about 10 years ago until transitioning to the new liquid SC formulation (Valor EZE) when it was launched in 2024.

Mr Nielson, who grows sugarcane with his brother David over 273 hectares east of Ayr, said Valor was a fantastic product to control a multitude of weeds while being safe enough to use near commercial vegetable operations.

“I had been using the granular product since it came out and was keen to try the new liquid form. We did some trials and had the same good results that we were used to with the granular,” he said.

“What I like about the liquid form is there is an ease of use. It can just go straight in the sprayer without the need to dissolve granules first.

“We’ll put Valor EZE down in spring when the cane gets about a foot high. One application a year is enough to give residual protection,” he said.

Company info:

Established in 1998, Sumitomo Chemical Australia provides innovative solutions including a range of conventional and biological products for Australian agriculture. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Co, Japan which traces its origins back to the 1600s, and USA-based Valent Biosciences which produces a range of biologically derived, environmentally compatible pesticides and plant growth regulators. Based in Sydney, Sumitomo Chemical Australia has a team of sales and technical support personnel in key agricultural regions of Australia.

Company website : www.sumitomo-chem.com.au

Company email : orders@sumitomo-chem.com.au

New Holland celebrates a half-century of Twin Rotor combines

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:59:54 GMT

2025 marks 50 years since TR70 model launched in 1975. Since this time, New Holland has led industry innovation in combine technology with:

The first self-leveling cleaning system on a rotary combine in 2002
Breaking the 8-hour wheat harvest world record in 2014
The latest CR10 and CR11 twin rotor combines entering production in 2025

With harvest season beginning across Australia, New Holland is marking the 50 ^th year since introducing the first combine featuring the brand’s Twin Rotor threshing and separation technology.

New Holland’s twin rotor product line has grown from the launch of the TR70 combine in 1975 to a complete range today, led by the new CR10 and CR11.

CNH Product & Portfolio Manager – Crop Harvesting ANZ, Marc Smith said New Holland has refined the twin rotor concept for five decades.

“The twin rotor technology represents a significant innovation in combine harvester design, showing how a machine can harvest grain more efficiently,” he said.

“The twin rotor system can tackle any type of crop, producing large amounts of centrifugal force creating grain on grain threshing, superior grain quality and high performance in small grains.

“IntelliSense automation can alter the pitch of rotor vanes without completely changing the concave setup, so it can slow crop material down if needed, keeping it in there longer or speeding it up if over threshing the material.

“The twin rotor design continues to be the cornerstone of our product performance, helping farmers maximise their combines efficiency,” Marc said.

Over 70,000 TR and CR Twin Rotor combines have been produced globally to date. New Holland’s Centre of Harvesting Excellence in Zedelgem, Belgium, has recently undergone significant investment and upgrading for production of the latest CR10 and CR11 models.

New Holland enters the combine market

Well-known for its expertise in grassland farming products such as balers and forage harvesting equipment, New Holland, then primarily a US-based manufacturer, entered the combine market in 1964 when it acquired Belgian company Claeys, which had introduced its first self-propelled combine in 1952.

Over the decade that followed the acquisition, New Holland continued to develop the conventional straw-walker combine line it had acquired, but during the 1960s began to investigate new ways of threshing and separating grain to boost output, increase cleanliness and reduce losses.

The first Twin Rotor combine

To do this, New Holland engineers studied centrifugal force and its potential for separating grain from plant matter, an innovative concept distinctly different from the drum/concave and straw-walker traditional method of threshing and separation.

The first development machine, adapted from a 985 straw-walker model from the Claeys factory in Belgium, was trialled in corn in 1968, and wheat the following year.

The trials showed benefits from splitting the incoming crop flow from the elevator/feeder house into two streams, feeding it into two counter-rotating longitudinal rotors working against longitudinal concaves that consisted of threshing sections followed by separation sections. The high speed of the rotors meant centrifugal force ejected much of the grain through the concaves, minimising grain damage when compared to conventional drum and concave threshing, and minimising losses when set against straw-walker separation.

By 1969, a totally new combine design with these internal elements was under test, and in 1975 the first production model, the TR70 with a 145hp engine and 5,550-litre/158-bushel grain tank, was launched – the first New Holland combine built in the USA. In 1979 it was replaced by the upgraded TR75, and joined by a larger companion, the TR85. Over the next two decades the range evolved, with the 25,000th TR combine produced in 1997.

European high-capacity combine development had taken a separate path with the development of the Twin-Flow combines introduced in 1983. These used a conventional drum and concave followed by a large beater and rotary separator and then a lateral Twin Flow rotor that split the crop into two streams to separate the final grains.

However, by the late 1990s New Holland engineers in Europe and North America began work on a totally new Twin Rotor design that would meet the needs of farmers around the world in all types of combinable crop.

Introduced in 2002 and blending key features from the TR and TF machines with new developments and styling, the new 333hp CR960 and 428hp CR980 were initially built in the USA, before production was transferred in 2005 to the Zedelgem plant in Belgium.

The CR960 featured twin rotors of 432mm/17in diameter, with larger 560mm/22in diameter units on the CR980, which had a 12,500-litre/355-bushel grain tank. Operators benefited from a completely new cab design. The range was gradually expanded, and introduced features including IntelliSense combine automation, Dynamic Flow Control remotely adjustable rotor vanes, Dynamic Feed Roll technology and Opti-Spread Plus residue management.

Development of the Elevation models in 2007 introduced IntelliCruise feed rate control for maximum output, and Opti-Clean cleaning technology to further enhance grain cleanliness. These and other innovations have earned the TR and CR combines multiple industry awards throughout the world.

The next development was the CR7.90, CR8.90, CR9.90 and CR10.90 models, with the latter machine in 2014 taking the Guinness World Record for the most wheat harvested in eight hours, at 797.656 tonnes (29,308 bushels). The record still stands today.

The New Holland CR combine range is now topped by the recently introduced CR11 (775hp, 20,000-litre/567-bushel tank capacity) and CR10 (634hp, 16,000-litre/454-bushel grain tank) models.

Like their forebears, they continue to incorporate proven Twin Rotor technology, but have more capacity than ever, with greater power and tank volume matched by rotors with a diameter of 600mm/24in and a length of 3,600mm/142in, to maximise crop handling capacity, ensure thorough threshing and separation, and protect grain quality.

Global events and initiatives are planned during 2025 to celebrate #TwinRotor50, while owners and operators are encouraged to share their memories of working with these machines at https://wkf.ms/41evGY8 .

Grazing Futures: Science, Stock and Stories

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:45:24 GMT

The 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) is an opportunity for Australia’s pastoralists to share how innovation is reshaping the bush.

Satellite tags on rangeland cattle

The idea of IYRP came from Jim O’Rourke, a rancher from Nebraska, who recognised that many governments around the world failed to value or understand their rangelands. His vision was to dedicate a year to highlight pastoralists, ranchers, herders, graziers and producers’ stories to city folk, governments.

The IYRP comes at a pivotal time. Around the world pastoralists are dealing with growing pressures, from shifting markets to climate extremes and more. For Australia’s producers, it’s a chance to show how innovation, research and stewardship are integral to sustainable production. IYRP is connecting Australian producers with global peers. IYRP 2026 is an opportunity to highlight rangeland management, as well as the science, innovation and culture that make outback communities vital to Australia’s future.

Rangelands provide many benefits. In Australia, rangelands are an economic powerhouse, with red meat contributing $22 billion in export income (Meat & Livestock Australia 2024). Livestock industries support the social fabric of rural communities, employing almost 500,000 people – including ringers, contractors, processors and other businesses servicing the red meat industry. Best practice management also protects the natural environment and biodiversity. Cultural traditions, of both pastoralists and Indigenous peoples, are found in the rangelands, and help define Australia’s character and values.

Science on the ground

IYRP will raise awareness that rangelands are not wastelands, but productive systems. Across Australia, pastoralists or livestock producers and scientists are working together to improve rangelands management, such as better

- knowledge about when to move cattle, based on availability of pasture

- information about the links between management, soil carbon and biodiversity

- education about how herd genetics influences cattle’s ability to manage heat stress.

Today’s rangeland management blends science with other knowledge and experience, giving producers new insights into how animals and landscapes interact. This science is practical. It helps producers refine decisions while highlighting the broad benefits of rangelands.

Science and lived knowledge from people who live on the land, provide the evidence that the IYRP will spotlight.

Technology in Rangelands Management

One of the strongest messages for the International Year is that livestock management is quite sophisticated, using high-tech innovations. Australian producers are among the most adaptive innovators in the world.

Cell grazing and holistic management are recognised as practical technologies for managing stock. Virtual fencing, GPS ear tags, digital collars and grazing Apps help producer spread grazing pressure evenly, allow pastures to recover, and match stock movements with rainfall and forage availability.

Other technology is becoming part of daily operations, such as drones, satellites and soil spectroscopy provide large-scale data on biomass and land condition. Remote and smart monitoring systems make water use more efficient. These innovations show where science and technology are used is firmly in the hands of people on the ground.

Innovation through People and Partnerships

Behind every new technology or management system are the people who test, adapt, and improve it. Across the rangelands, innovation is often collaborative — producers working with researchers and tech developers, to share what works.

Peer networks, producer groups, and local field days are vital platforms for learning, trialling ideas, and building confidence in practical innovation. IYRP will highlight successful partnerships to illustrate how knowledge flows from paddock to policy, keeping pastoral communities vibrant.

Sharing Australia’s Stories

In Australia, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists is a grass roots movement, run predominantly by producers/pastoralists. Sharing stories will highlight the diversity and importance of the rangelands – to raise awareness. Stories will be told through social media, in classrooms, and at community events to celebrate the good things happening in the bush.

Australian pastoralists /producers/graziers are invited to tell their stories. IYRP is an opportunity to connect with people beyond the bush, including city folk and decision-makers.

If you know a story that could help city folk and decision-makers better understand the rangelands, please contact your local IYRP representative:

· WA – Debbie Dowden debandash@bigpond.com

· NSW – Gus Whyte wyndham3@bigpond.com or

· NSW – Danielle Connolly danielle@westernlandcarensw.com.au

· QLD – Maree Tulley maree.tulley@gmail.com

· NT – Stacey Holzapfel Stacey.Holzapfel@nt.gov.au

· Other states – Dana Kelly iyrp.australianchair@gmail.com

A New Narrative for the Rangelands

Australia’s rangelands cover more than 75 per cent of the continent. As home to vast cattle, sheep and goat enterprises, rangelands provide some of the greatest opportunities for maintaining healthy landscapes.

The IYRP 2026 is about telling this story. It is about showing that pastoralism is not just about running stock, but about people applying science and innovation to work with animals, soils and plants as a whole system. Australian producers are leading the way.

Pastoralists are not only food producers. They are innovators and custodians - masters at working with uncertainty and managing the land while feeding the world.

Please follow IYRP Australia, and share our posts on your social media.

Bringing autonomous agricultural machines to the field: What is required?

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:12:45 GMT

In the world of autonomy, we always refer to the last mile. This article proposes ways to confront the challenges of the last mile.

There is ample evidence from around the world demonstrating that autonomous agricultural vehicles are gradually making their way into farming operations. Although widespread deployment has yet to occur globally and major commercial players have not fully entered the large-scale autonomous equipment market, startups and small machinery developers have been actively conducting field trials of their inventions and innovations.

It is also well known that the development of autonomous vehicle technology has progressed beyond the research stage and is now focused on creating practical, field-ready units for agricultural use. At the same time, there is clear evidence that established commercial enterprises are acquiring technologies developed by startups. This underscores the crucial role that startups play in advancing autonomous agricultural machinery.

As researchers and developers of autonomous agricultural machines at the University of New South Wales and Thornfield Robotics Pty. Ltd., we have identified and understood the needs and aspirations of the farming community—the end users of these technologies.

Opposing Factors

First, many farmers perceive autonomous machines as prohibitively expensive to purchase and maintain. Second, they often view the process of deploying these machines as complex, time-consuming, and demanding entirely new skills. Third, there remains a lingering doubt among many in the farming community about whether a truly hands-free operation is realistically achievable, although the modern autonomous machines are capable of carrying out the core task better than human operated machines.

However, these perceptions stand in stark contrast to the very principles on which agricultural autonomy is promoted. Autonomy is championed as a path to reducing operational costs, yet high upfront capital costs obscure the long-term financial benefits that come through improved efficiency, reduced labour expenses, and higher precision. Similarly, autonomous agricultural vehicles are positioned as a solution to the skilled labour shortage. However, the use of autonomous technology does require new skills, although these skills can be learned—and once mastered, they enable farmers to manage operations more efficiently, with less dependence on manual labour.

Challenges

Bringing harmony between these opposing forces requires overcoming a number of significant challenges. The capital investment needed to deploy autonomous machines is expected to remain high for the foreseeable future. Generally, the overhead costs of startups are substantially lower than those of major manufacturers, allowing them to offer more affordable machines in the short term. Nevertheless, farmers must identify practical ways to offset these upfront costs to make adoption economically viable.

To justify investment, autonomous machines must deliver clear productivity advantages over conventional, human-operated equipment. This includes not only easier and more efficient deployment but also a substantial reduction in labour requirements. However, achieving this vision demands considerable development work. If these systems continue to require highly skilled and specialized personnel to operate and maintain them, their appeal will diminish rapidly as personnel costs escalate.

Finally, the absence of a human operator’s supervisory role presents a critical gap that must be addressed. Effective solutions will require the development and integration of advanced condition monitoring systems, real-time fault and breakdown detection, and intelligent oversight of critical machine components. Only by filling this supervisory void can autonomous machines operate with the same reliability and adaptability currently provided by human operators.

Solutions

As highlighted earlier, most machinery developers have already achieved a high degree of success in executing the core task of an automated agricultural operation. For instance, consider a spot-spraying machine designed to control weeds. To be truly autonomous, the machine must not only perform the spraying itself but also leave its shed, navigate farm roads to the target field, initiate and complete the spraying operation, and return to its parked position—all without human intervention.

When this entire operational sequence is examined, several practical challenges emerge. Many machines can now successfully navigate from the shed to the field, avoid obstacles such as animals and vehicles, and return once the task is complete. Yet, they are not designed to handle seemingly simple but critical interactions—such as opening gates or traversing trenches dug for new irrigation lines. These gaps highlight an important insight: autonomy is not achieved by the machine alone, but through a symbiosis between technology and the environment. By reshaping the physical farm environment—removing clutter, standardizing layouts, and introducing structured pathways—farmers can dramatically increase the reliability, efficiency, and uptime of autonomous systems.

Every autonomous agricultural machine is built on three essential pillars: software, electrical/electronic systems, and mechanical hardware. In conventional machinery, a human operator acts as the intelligent interface—monitoring performance, detecting faults, and responding in real time. Autonomous machines, however, must embed this intelligence through advanced sensing and monitoring systems capable of detecting, for example, changes in tire pressure, system malfunctions, or structural failures. This shift from operator-dependent reliability to system-embedded intelligence represents a profound transformation in agricultural practice.

To unlock the full promise of autonomy, the launch process itself must be reimagined. Autonomous operations should not require extensive preparation or specialized skill. Instead, next-generation software must offer farm-specific, adaptive solutions that make initiating complex operations as simple as pressing a button. This ease of use will be critical to building confidence and driving adoption among farmers.

Beyond their core functions, autonomous machines provide an unparalleled platform for creating additional value. Their integrated sensors and actuators can host specialized payloads to perform multiple tasks simultaneously—including those outside traditional agriculture—thereby amplifying their eco nomic impact. For example, in agri-voltaic systems where farmland is shared with solar infrastructure, an autonomous platform can mow vegetation while monitoring solar panel performance. Similarly, by coupling AI technologies with data streams from advanced sensors, these systems can support yield forecasting, harvest date prediction, and continuous data collection—fueling a new era of data-driven, intelligent agriculture.

Ultimately, these added capabilities redefine the value proposition of autonomous machinery. They are not simply tools for automating single tasks; they are strategic platforms for transformation—integrating operations, intelligence, and adaptability. When viewed through this lens, their initial cost is not an obstacle but an investment in a smarter, more resilient, and more sustainable agricultural future.

Affordable RTK modules transforming smart agriculture

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:51:40 GMT

High-precision GNSS was too costly and complex but RTK GNSS innovations have made centimetre accuracy sustainable in Ag-Tech.

For most farms, centimetre-level positioning accuracy enabled by global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology was out of reach, making applications from automated crop planting to cattle tracking unavailable to all but the largest organisations. Now, thanks to innovative approaches to GNSS, Ag-Tech organisations can access the benefits, regardless of scale.

Vendor innovations have been a critical enabler of democratised access to high-precision GNSS. By mass-producing GNSS receivers that feature real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and offering affordable global RTK correction services, vendors, such as Quectel, are making precision positioning available to everyone.

RTK is no longer just for high-value machines, every device from seeders and sprayers to harvesters and livestock trackers can be precisely positioned. Tractors and sprayers can be guided accurately for reduced waste and higher yields. Livestock collars can utilize low-power modules like the Quectel LC76G, which features power draw of < 27 mW, to allow farmers to track animals for better herd management using virtual fencing. In addition, autonomous machinery can use features, such as the Quectel LG290P’s 20Hz RTK updates, to keep equipment running smoothly across large fields.

Precision at scale

Quectel’s comprehensive range of modules has been designed to support precision agriculture applications. The Quectel LC29H series offers compact, low-power dual-band modules with RTK and dead reckoning (DR). The series supports constellations including GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS, QZSS and NavIC using modern L1 and L5 frequency bands to deliver centimetre-level accuracy even in tough conditions.

The Quectel LG290P, which has recently won the IoT Think Tank 2025 IoT Smart City Solution Award 2025 , is a triple-band, high-speed receiver with excellent urban and orchard performance. The award recognizes innovations that deliver accuracy and reliability and Quectel’s success was for the LG290P’s adoption in projects that bring high-precision positioning into mainstream applications.

The Quectel LG580P offers an advanced RTK and heading capability for reliable machine control. The LG290P and LG580P support all constellations on L1, L2 and L5 bands, providing better accuracy and resiliency in difficult forested areas with extended baseline distances.

Global reach

Unlike old continuously operating reference station (CORS) networks, Quectel’s RTK Correction Solution uses the most advanced base stations, providing triple-band coverage with open RTCM protocols and simple cloud delivery. Developers can design their solutions in one country and scale globally with confidence.

Key Quectel GNSS features include:

· Accuracy: < 1 cm with RTK

· Bands : Dual Band L1 = L5 or Quad Band L1 + L2 + L5 + E6

· Coverage: USA, EU, APAC, LATAM and ANZ

Click here to view the RTK Network coverage map.

Quectel simplifies precision agriculture by being a single partner, providing RTK GNSS modules, correction services, SIM connectivity, cellular modules and antenna support under one roof.

More information:

GNSS modules: Overview | Quectel

GNSS RTK Correction Solution | Quectel ]

Company website: https://www.quectel.com

Company email address: info@quectel.com

New Aussie website makes finding agistment easier than ever

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:55:10 GMT

Created by a Queensland couple, Farmshare Agistment is a new Aussie-made website making it easier than ever for horse and cattle owners nationwide to find agistment.

Anyone that’s ever tried searching for agistment knows how much of a struggle it can be to find a paddock for their livestock. And this struggle is seemingly getting harder in recent years. That is until one Aussie couple from South-East Queensland set out to make a change and created, Farmshare Agistment a new Aussie-made website that is cattle farmers and horse-owners find and offer Agistment nation-wide.

Created by Georgia, and David from Warwick, QLD, Farmshare Agistment was first created after the couple realised that a better solution was needed when a bushfire threatened David’s family farm.

“Around the start of last year, we had a bushfire tear through our region and come right up to our fence line. But our neighbours weren’t so lucky” David said.

“We were seeing huge demand for people looking for a safe place to keep their horses and livestock. Local Facebook groups were overflowing with people desperately trying to find agistment and a safe place to keep their animals, we thought there has to be a better way” David stated.

Inspired to help the community, Georgia and David set out to solve the agistment problem and make agistment more readily available and accessible across Australia.

The Farmshare Agistment website is very simple to use and allows anyone with a spare paddock to list it for agistment online. For users looking for agistment Farmshare Agistment has become the largest online marketplace for agistment, making it the best place to search. Users can search for what they’re looking for and find all the current availabilities from one website.

After creating the website, the pair posted it to a few local Facebook groups. Since then, they’ve seen huge demand, with the website has been growing exponentially. Now thousands of users every week use Farmshare Agistment to find agistment across Australia. With some users even referring the website as “The Airbnb of Agistment.”

“We were only expecting a handful of locals to use it, but it’s really taken off. We now have over 130+ properties already listed for agistment, and around 2,500 people using the site ever week to help find agistment.” Georgia said.

The website allows users to search by location and filter listings by the type of agistment services they need. For property owners, listing a paddock or facility takes just a few minutes.

“We’ve had everyone from small acreage owners to large agistment centers listing paddocks. And agistees across the country are using it for long-term agistment, short stays, and emergency relocations.” David exclaimed.

Perhaps the best part, Farmshare Agistment is completely free-to-use. Property owners can post or advertise their place at no cost, while agistees can search and find the perfect place without paying a cent. Georgia and David plan to keep the platform free into the future, describing it as a free community service.

You can explore the Farmshare Agistment platform at www.TheFarmshare.com it’s a great way to find agistment anywhere in Australia. Property owners can also list their place on the site quickly and easily and completely free of charge. It’s a great way to post to thousands of users every week looking for agistment.

The farm or the family - for some a difficult choice

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:14:31 GMT

The price of land forces some family farmers to sell land to be able to treat all their children fairly.

In most farming families there are three main aims: The owning generation, Generation A wants to: hand on a viable farm to Generation B; accumulate funds for retirement; and provide a satisfactory outcome for the non-farmers in Generation B. In many farm families the three main aims are not achievable.

There are four important rules in farm succession:

Rule one is to understand the needs, wants, aspirations, and expectations of each family member of each generation.
Rule two is to start planning now because it takes a long time to build a viable business ( 1) where succession is financially possible. The business must grow to stand still financially.
Rule three is to avoid passing on an indivisible asset to more than one person.
Rule four is to ensure family harmony is built and maintained.
Farm succession has become more difficult because of the increase in land values. The Bendigo Bank’s “Australian Farmland Values Report-2025” quotes compound growth of farmland, nationally of 8.6% from 2005 to 2025. That means a farm valued at $1,000,000 20 years ago is valued at $6,000,000 today. The earning capacity (return to capital) has reduced at about the same rate as the capital value has increased. A farm returning 5 return to capital 20 years ago might return 1% today.

The harsh reality is that data sourced from ABARES reports indicate the majority of the 49,000 of broadacre farms (sheep, beef cattle and crop) cannot achieve these three main aims.

Sixty per cent (29,400) have a value of sales (total cash receipts or VoS) of less than $400,000 and are likely to have a net cash flow of minus $10,000 before paying interest, principal, tax and drawings. There is no realistic prospect of business viability, and the family will rely on off-farm income. Selling the farm may be the best option if division of assets is required.

Twenty-two per cent (10,780 farm businesses) have a VoS of between $400,000 and $1,300,000. Many of these businesses will achieve the three main aims if the older generation (Generation A) is prepared to let go, a member of the younger generation (Generation B) is prepared to step up, and non-farming members of Generation B are happy with the deal.

As an example, a farm with asset value of $2,200,000 , turnover (VoS) of $1,000,000 will have about $300,000 to pay interest, principal, tax and drawings. Assuming no other debt and the capacity to borrow 20% of total asset value, then borrowings of $4,400,000 at 6% interest is manageable, but leaves minimal capacity for drawings, re-investment, or increases in interest rate. These borrowings can be used to fund retirement in Generation A and fund a distribution to the non-farmers in Generation B – let’s assume two people. Because the interest only commitment is $264,000, in this scenario, the farmer is almost treading water financially and the non-farmers will receive whatever their parents can hand on from the $4,400,000. At best $2,000,000 each.

What are the other options for the 10,990 farm businesses in the $400,000 to $1,300,000 VoS range?

To answer this question, individual family members must declare where they stand on a continuum. At one end the farmer secures what the farmer wants (non-farmers have to put up with it) and at the other end the eventual distribution of assets is equal and the farmer either accrues huge debt or secures a smaller farm – or the farm is sold.

The options are:

Farm/farmer above all – farmer retains all the assets to ensure business continuity; non-farmers lose out completely.
In favour of the farm/farmer – they retain 80% as described in the example above and the non-farmers put up with a split of the residual.
Compromise and divide - Part of the farm is sold so more can be distributed to the non-farmers and the farmer has a smaller farm and/or more manageable debt.
Pursue equality above all – farmer has to borrow more or hand over more assets to ensure an equal split – places business at risk/reduces scale.
Restructure - One, or multiple trusts are established to own the land, and one member of Generation B leases the land and owns and operates the farm business.
Partial handover and leaseback - Some discrete parcels of land, not including vital infrastructure, are handed over to the non-farmers, but the business retains the use of the land via leasing.
Liquidate - The whole farm is sold and the proceeds distributed.

The 8,580 farm businesses which have a VoS above $1,300,000 are likely to have a capital value of over $26,000,000. If their equity within the business is strong, they have sufficient scale to develop more options. If their debt level is high, they face similar choices to the smaller businesses.

Universal agreement for one option is unlikely. Most families benefit from a team of advisors to assist with the process. Open, honest discussions between family members is vital and these are more likely to be fruitful if facilitated by a person who does not have a stake in the outcome.

Finally, when a farm is sold, many outsiders judge the sale to be a failure of succession planning. The reverse may be the case. The sale may be a triumph of good communication and planning.

(1) A viable business is one which can meet the living and educational expenses of the family, maintain the farm assets and grow the business to combat inflation and declining terms of trade.

Engineered for Australia: JSG’s Auto Lube Delivers Robust Farm Savings

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 00:35:08 GMT

North Queensland cane grower John Muscat, by minimising manual chores and keeping expensive farm machines working longer, has boosted uptime and cut maintenance using JSG Industrial’s Australian-assembled auto-lube.

“After a big harvest, it’s easy to skip the grease work,” John says. “Now, the lube kit does it while the machine’s running. At the end of the day, I just clean down and refuel.”

This upgrade isn’t just about convenience. At season’s end, John has reported no bearing, pin, or bushing replacements and expects his machine’s life to extend by a decade or more. The system is specifically tailored to tackle Australian farm challenges—bigger gear, more dust, less downtime—by sealing out grit at moving points and coping with local conditions.

JSG’s National Sales Manager Brendon O’Loughlin explains: “We customise every lubrication kit for Aussie farms. That means extra output, better filling, and modifications for tough local conditions. Local assembly in Australia means faster service and support when it counts.”

Progressive lubrication is one of several automated options offered by JSG, alongside single-line, dual-line, multi-line and oil circulation systems. These solutions are designed for large-scale machinery; often equipment worth $1 million+, where maintenance delays quickly become costly.

JSG’s automatic lubrication options suit a range of broadacre and contractor equipment, including sprayers, harvesters, even balers and skid steers. Its lube technology has served Australia for decades and is now trusted worldwide across major farming regions from the United States and Canada to Brazil and Europe.

For farmers still weighing up automation, Brendon notes that most see a return on investment within two years, as over-greasing and breakdowns become things of the past. “Our kits don’t just cut the hassle of climbing over hot or wet machinery to manually grease; they reduce wasted lubricant and help farmers avoid expensive repairs. As well, most major agricultural OEMs specify auto-lube from day one.”

Now part of the global SKF Group, JSG Industrial has a strong local dealer network and warehouse support, ensuring 24-to-48-hour access to kits and parts during the business week. It’s making reliable, hands-off maintenance the new standard for tough Australian ag conditions.

Explore farm equipment solutions and real case studies.

Key Benefits:

Australian designed; partly manufactured and assembled
Adds up to 10–15 years to part lifespan
Applies small amounts of lube more regularly while machines work
Saves daily maintenance hours – farmers only need to visually check reservoirs and lines
Blocks out dust and water
Reduces grease use and waste
Works with 99 percent of lubricants on the market
Delivers ROI in 1–2 years

New Foreword by HON Barnaby Joyce MP

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 07:22:59 GMT

The importance of publications in disseminating the latest information on advanced agricultural principles and practices to our farmers cannot be underestimated.

Congratulations to all involved with the production of the multi-format publication The Australian Farmer (TAF) since 2017. The importance of publications such as TAF in disseminating the latest information on advanced agricultural principles and practices to our farmers cannot be underestimated. I wish all involved in TAF the very best for the future as you continue to unlock secrets on agricultural science, technology and innovation.

As the population of the planet marches towards 8 billion people, the capacity to feed it slides. The canary in the coal mine is not at the top of the food stack but is seen rather at the bottom. The poorest in the poorest countries eat less or not at all and we are seeing a dramatic increase in food stress and, unfortunately, those who cannot find the required calories a day.

The price effect does, however, ripple upwards. The protein deficit is most apparent in the current price for meat proteins and although this will fluctuate its trend is quite apparent.

Australia's advantage with our world renowned clean and green reputation, is at the premium end of the market with genuine quality product. We pride ourselves as a major agricultural nation but, in reality, we are a very small part of total global production for which most is domestically consumed in the country of origin. This is why quality will win over quantity as the standard quantity has a huge supply source in most of our target markets.

As the mechanisation and standardisation of agricultural methods continues to progress, trading to lock out price and supply risk will continue to grow. Hopefully, this will assist in anticipation of finance and cash flow planning.

On the small scale we must continue as a nation to welcome and nurture the small agricultural producers and also new entrants. This is our culture, to give everyone a fair go. A market of only big players is the loss of the Australian dream in the cultural heart of who we are.

The Hon Barnaby Joyce MP

Member for New England

Barnaby was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, and raised as one of six children on a sheep and cattle property 60 km NE of Tamworth at Danglemah near Woolbrook. He is the son of Marie and James Joyce, who were farmers. Barnaby served as the leader of the National Party from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2021 to 2022. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2021 to 2022. He has been the Member of the Australian Parliament for the Division of New England, which is bigger in land area than Denmark and Austria combined, since 2013. The New England region of NSW is an agricultural powerhouse and a globally significant economy for premium wool, beef, wheat, sorghum, and cotton production, accounting for a fifth of NSW's agricultural output.

Merlo innovation driving farm efficiency

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:23:18 GMT

Merlo Australia empowers modern agriculture with versatile telehandlers that boost efficiency, cut costs, and deliver long-term value, helping farmers streamline workflows and adapt to industry demands.

For progressive Australian farmers, choosing the right machinery goes far beyond horsepower. It’s about efficiency, flexibility, and maximising return on investment — all while meeting the demands of modern farming. Merlo Australia understands this evolving landscape and has built its reputation on delivering machines that help producers do more with less, while staying competitive in an increasingly cost-sensitive environment.

At the forefront of Merlo’s lineup is the Multifarmer series — a hybrid that combines the functionality of a telehandler with the capabilities of a tractor. With high lifting capacity, a rear PTO, and a three-point linkage system, the Multifarmer runs a wide range of implements while handling heavy loads, all with one versatile machine. This dual-purpose design boosts efficiency and reduces the need for multiple machines, lowering both capital investment and ongoing maintenance costs.

Merlo telehandlers are also renowned for advanced safety and fuel-saving technologies. The patented Merlo Dynamic Load Control (M-CDC) system provides intelligent load management, giving operators confidence when working with varying materials and terrains. The Electronic Power Drive (EPD) optimises engine performance to cut fuel consumption without sacrificing power or productivity.

Forward-thinking producers like Hay Australia are already reaping the benefits. By integrating a Merlo into their operations, tasks such as lifting, loading, towing, and material handling are consolidated into a single high-performance machine. This streamlines workflows, saves time, and reduces reliance on labour — a major advantage in an industry grappling with workforce shortages.

Chris Wilson, National Sales Manager at Merlo Australia, highlights the growing importance of flexibility on today’s farms:

“Farmers are under pressure to do more with fewer resources — whether that’s people, time, or fuel. Versatile machinery that can perform multiple roles reliably and efficiently is one of the smartest investments a farmer can make.”

The broader trend in agriculture is clear: Innovation and versatility are reshaping the way farms operate. From unpredictable weather patterns and rising input costs to growing demand for sustainable practices, farmers are seeking solutions that build resilience and profitability.

Merlo is responding to these challenges with continuous innovation — from cab comfort and intuitive controls to market-leading safety systems and fuel efficiency. Every machine is built with the future in mind, helping producers stay ahead in a changing industry.

Merlo Australia is proud to support farmers with machinery that’s robust and smarter by design — reducing costs, saving time, and improving safety while unlocking tomorrow’s opportunities.

Customer Quotes on the Merlo Multifarmer

David Reinhardt , Carstairs, Alberta, Canada, replacing a 200-hp loader tractor and skid steer with the Merlo 40.9 Multifarmer:

“Once we got it here and put it through its paces, I don’t think I’d ever be without one now.”
“It replaced my loader tractor and skid steer… Anything you can do with a front-wheel assist tractor you can do with one of these, pretty much.”
Grainews

Kevin and Michael Guinan , Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Ireland (100 hours in the Multifarmer 34.7 in just six weeks):

They’re “finding the Multifarmer a great addition to the farm, making tasks around the yard quicker and easier.”

“They are particularly enthused about the manoeuvrability… with the four-wheel steering enabling it to spin around the yard more quickly than the tractor and loader it is replacing.”
Agriland

Tony Ruane , Warborough Farm, Oxfordshire, UK:

“The Multifarmer stood out as the perfect solution—versatile, reliable, and efficient.”
“The ride quality is pretty good … you’ve got a great view all around the machine thanks to the low boom pivot.”
Merlo

Email address – info@merloaustralia.com.au

Website - www.merlo.com

Women of the outback - the unsung heroes of rural and regional Australia

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:14:52 GMT

Australian women in rural and regional Australia are supported by many advocacy Not For Profit organisations committed to recognising and advancing their various contributions to the economy and social fabric of outback Australia.

In 2025, Australia ranked 13th globally in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, marking its highest ever position since the index began in 2006. With around 30 per cent of Australians living in rural and regional areas, one might reasonably ask the question “what is being done to ensure women living in non-metropolitan centres are accounted for in this positive trend towards gender equality?”.

Australia is fortunate to have many advocacy Not For Profit organisations serving as pillars of support for women living in rural and regional areas of the country. The members of these Not For Profits, which include Country Women’s Association of Australia, Australian Women in Agriculture, and The National Rural Women's Coalition, are everyday women who are the backbone of rural and regional communities – managing farms, raising families, supporting local businesses, and working tirelessly to ensure that Australians living in the outback continue to thrive.

Through these Not For Profits, a platform is provided where rural and regional women can connect, learn, and most importantly, share their unique challenges and triumphs. The connection between these organisations and rural and regional women runs deep. The unique challenges faced by those living in rural and regional areas are well understood – from the isolation that can come with living far from services and family, to the mental and emotional toll of farming and rural and regional life.

Yet, despite these challenges, rural and regional women have always found ways to rise above them. They are innovators, leaders, and changemakers who have continually demonstrated extraordinary strength and perseverance.

This very spirit should be celebrated on a daily basis by every Australian, acknowledging the contributions that rural and regional women make to their communities and across industries, from agriculture to education, healthcare, and everything in between.

The Not For Profits provide an opportunity to showcase the incredible leadership and entrepreneurial spirit of these women who often work quietly behind the scenes, yet whose impact is immeasurable. The importance of offering these women a platform to gain recognition, receive support for their projects and in advocating for their communities, and connect with other like-minded individuals, cannot be over-stated.

But beyond that, it’s about women living in rural and regional Australia inspiring future generations of women who will continue the work of transforming our rural and regional communities. The power of rural and regional women is real.

Recent studies by nationally recognised organisations, such as NSW DPIRD, DAFF, and the Soil CRC, have put the spotlight on trends in women working in the agricultural industry in a series of recent major studies.

They found that women represent about 32 per cent of the Australian agricultural workforce but they remain under-represented in leadership roles. Despite the potential positive on-farm impact of women farmer’s knowledges, the research identified barriers to women’s participation in agriculture.

Women were found to be excluded from agriculture in a range of ways, including stereotyped gender roles, and the societal assumption that on family farms a man is the farmer and a woman is the farmer’s wife.

Swapping the cities and coastlines for paddocks and stockyards, a new generation of women is forging careers in agriculture, bringing fresh perspectives and innovation to the industry and proving that you don’t need to be born into farming to make an impact.

From 2016 to 2021, the number of women employed in agriculture grew by 7,105 workers, representing almost two-thirds (66 per cent) of the overall expansion in the agricultural industry. Sheep, beef cattle and grain farming accounted for 42 per cent of women working in the agricultural sector.

I believe that when rural and regional women succeed, we all succeed as a nation. It’s not enough to just celebrate the individual achievements of rural and regional women; the Not For Profits are investing in the future of our communities and ensuring that the voices of rural and regional women continue to be heard and valued.

As we move forward, let us all continue to stand together in support of rural and regional women, for they are the driving force behind the future of agriculture, innovation, and community growth in outback Australia.

Let us take pride in their contributions, celebrate their successes, and continue to empower them to reach new heights.

CEAT Specialty – a world leader in ag radial tyres

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 07:53:30 GMT

Founded in 1924, CEAT has grown into a prominent name in the global tyre industry. Its journey in India began in 1958 through a partnership with the RPG Group, evolving over the decades into a multinational leader. CEAT Specialty, a division focused exclusively on off-highway tyres, serves diverse sectors including agriculture, construction, and mining with a robust and innovative product lineup.

A key strength of CEAT Specialty lies in its state-of-the-art Ambernath plant in India, dedicated to manufacturing agricultural radial tyres. This modern facility, with a minimum order quantity of just one tire, showcases flexibility and responsiveness to market needs. The plant spans over 198,000 square meters and is expanding its production capacity by 18–20% annually. Renowned for its high standards, the plant holds a 5-Star Rating and the Sword of Honour from the British Safety Council, as well as ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications. These accolades reflect CEAT’s strong commitment to safety, quality, and environmental stewardship.

Globally, CEAT Specialty has significantly expanded its footprint. The establishment of CEAT Specialty Tires Inc. in the U.S. in 2018 and CEAT Specialty Tyres B.V. in the Netherlands in 2019 enabled it to better serve customers in North America and Europe. Today, CEAT Specialty operates in over 120 countries, demonstrating its global reach and industry influence.

CEAT’s product portfolio is both broad and advanced. Innovations like the Torquemax VF tyres, which offer high load capacity at lower inflation pressures, and the Yieldmax and Spraymax ranges for agricultural applications, underscore its engineering excellence. Its recent entry into the forestry sector, with tyres for log skidders and harvesters, marks a significant milestone in diversification.

Quality and customer satisfaction remain the bedrock of CEAT’s success. The company’s commitment is evidenced by its receipt of the prestigious Deming Grand Prize for total quality management, a recognition earned by only a few companies globally.

Looking ahead, CEAT Specialty is focused on sustainability and digital innovation. The Sustainmax tyre, made from over 80% sustainable materials, and the Energymax tyre equipped with sensor technology for EC tractors, reflect its green agenda. Its cutting-edge i-tire, with cloud connectivity and real-time analytics, offers proactive tyre management and enhanced operational efficiency.

Future expansion plans include entering the rubber tracks and OTR radial tyres segments, reinforcing CEAT Specialty’s commitment to redefining mobility through technological innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric solutions.

Website: https://treadcare.com.au/

Email: sales@treadcare.com.au

A century of seed services

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 02:27:29 GMT

Hannaford marks 100 years in 2025 of helping growers improve seed quality, reduce crop risks, and boost farm productivity with trusted local services.

A century ago, Alf Hannaford set out to tackle the age-old problem of fungal smut, a cereal disease that slashed grain quality and yield. His invention—a combined grader and pickler—sparked a business that still shapes Australian cropping.

In 2025, the company that bears his name marked 100 years, gathering franchisees from across Australia to celebrate a legacy of resilience and reinvention. A new centenary book, Since 1925 – Here Comes the Hannaford Man, traces stories from the field and shows how closely the business has grown with farmers.

For CEO Brett Heath, who grew up on a cereal and sheep farm on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, the milestone is personal.

“I remember the first time a Hannaford M20B machine rolled up on our farm,” Brett says. “All those moving parts fascinated me. Later, as I developed my engineering skills, that curiosity steered me into a career with Hannaford that evolved into leadership.” Brett points to the company’s ability to innovate: shifting from equipment sales during the Great Depression to a mobile grading service, then pioneering one of Australia’s first agricultural franchise models in 1987.

Today, locally based franchisees continue to deliver Hannaford’s service on-farm using the latest technology. Franchisees cover defined territories, working flat out from harvest to sowing before stepping back into their communities. Many franchisees stay more than a decade; some for a generation.

For Loddon Valley franchisee Byron Bird, who joined in 2021, the attraction is simple: “Hannaford is a proven brand with 100 years of history, and you’re your own boss,” he says. “But you’re never on your own. Support from other franchisees is just a phone call away.”

For farmers, the appeal is straightforward: grading delivers a cleaner seed sample, reduces weed seed carryover and ensures stronger crops. Victorian grower Marshall Rodda says he briefly tried doing it himself but returned to Hannaford. “It’s easier to get them to clean the grain properly and put the right treatments on. The franchise operators have always been good local people you know and trust.”

While grading still rests on separating grain by length, width, and weight, the technology has advanced. Modern machines—worth $1.5 million plus—run safer, faster, and integrate new seed treatments from Hannaford’s parent company, UPL Corporation.

“It’s the blend of global research and local know-how that sets us apart,” says Brett. “That’s why farmers trust Hannaford to give their seed, and their season, the best possible start.”

For franchise recruitment opportunities, click here .

Website: https://hannafords.com/

Email:. info@hannafords.com

UPL website: www.uplcorp.com/au/

From Orchard to Fridge: Helping Mangoes Stay Sweet For Longer

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 05:25:03 GMT

In good news for mango lovers, new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has identified a way to extend the storage life of the popular tropical fruit.

The study, led by ECU School of Science Lecturer Dr Mekhala Vithana, found that dipping mangoes in ozonated water (aqueous ozonation) for 10 minutes before cold storage extended the cold storage life by up to two weeks, with significantly lowered occurrence of chilling injury.

“Increasing storage life of mangoes is incredibly important for both growers and traders, as it reduces food loss during storage and offers a longer market window,” Dr Vithana said.

Rise in popularity and consequential waste

With a global rise in the consumption of fruit and vegetables in recent years, there has been a subsequent increase in the production of mangoes.

However, a significant proportion is lost along the supply chain due to rapid ripening and excessive perishability.

“It is estimated that about 20 per cent of the total Australian mango production is lost or wasted, and horticultural produce is responsible for about 50 per cent of the total food waste in Australia,” Dr Vithana said.

“Therefore, it is important to explore eco-friendly and cost-effective technologies to minimise post-harvest losses of mangoes.”

Growers to traders

Typically, mangoes are picked at the mature green stage and stored at 13 degrees Celsius for up to 14 days, however this is not cold enough for extended storage.

“Being a tropical fruit, unripe mangoes should not be stored below 12.5 degrees due to their high sensitivity to cold temperatures,” Dr Vithana said. “Prolonged storage of mango below this temperature causes a physiological disorder known as chilling injury, which damages the fruit skin and leads to decreased marketability and significant food waste.

“Therefore, susceptibility to chilling injury is the key limitation for exploiting cold storage technology to its maximum capacity for lengthening the storage life of mangoes.”

Ripe for research

The study - carried out on Australia’s most widely produced variety of mango Kensington Pride - tested aqueous ozonation technology to improve chilling tolerance during cold storage.

By dipping the mango in the ozonated water for 10 minutes prior to cold storage at 5 degrees Celsius, researchers found that they could keep the mangoes for longer with much less chilling injury.

“Generally, Kensington Pride mango can only be stored for about two weeks without ripening at 13 degrees. However, aqueous ozonation extends the storage and shelf life of these mangoes up to 28 days, with 40 per cent less chilling injury than untreated mangoes,” Dr Vithana said.

“The aqueous ozonation seems to be highly feasible technology for improving chilling tolerance and quality of Kensington Pride mango fruit.”

Dr Vithana said ozonation can be controlled on-site, is cost-effective and considered safe for workers at a threshold level due to its faster break down into oxygen.

“Aqueous ozonation is bubbling ozone into water through an ozone generator,” she said. “Ozone is a compound widely used to sanitise fruits and vegetables on a commercial scale.

“The ozonation can be combined with the hydrocooling step after quarantine heat treatment in export mangoes or separately as a sanitisation step just after harvesting, depending upon the convenience of the grower, but this needs further optimisation under commercial settings.”

Dr Vithana said ECU researchers are hoping to do further research on other varieties of mangoes to test their responsiveness and to achieve further reduction in chilling injury for extended cold storage.

The Great Aussie Ute – still the farmer’s best mate

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 04:41:05 GMT

From humble beginnings to high-tech workhorses, the Aussie ute has been central to farm life. Here's how it started – and where it’s headed.

“Could I manage without the ute? Maybe. But it’d be far less efficient; I’d be forever hooking up a trailer, and that’s just not practical,” says Russell Meadley, a small-acreage farmer and business advisor based in the Bathurst region.

On his 47-acre property, Meadley uses a dual-cab, 2004 diesel Ford Courier for just about everything: weed control, transporting gear and biological controls, picking up pipes for irrigation, and to wing a trailer when needed. It’s fitted out exactly how he needs it – racks, 4WD, and “enough grunt to handle whatever gets thrown in the tray”.

“There’s nothing else that’d do the job like it,” he says. “The ute’s perfect for restoration work, loading urea, tools, equipment – everything. It gets used and abused, and it handles it without worries.”

Like many smaller operators, Meadley is eyeing future upgrades – maybe a hybrid one day. But with no mains power on the block and solar still on the wishlist, an electric ute isn’t yet viable.

Across Australia, stories like Meadley’s are common and changing. As the climate shifts, fuel standards tighten, and new models arrive, the ute remains a rural mainstay whatever size the farming operation. But what it looks like, and what farmers expect from it, is evolving.

Australian vehicles need to be tough. In the back blocks, on farms, and even in our towns, they cop a hiding – hauling, towing, crossing creeks and paddocks. It’s these conditions that gave rise to a uniquely Australian vehicle: the ute.

The ute might not be exclusive to Australia, but the demands of our rural landscape have shaped it like nowhere else – built to cross deserts, ford rivers, and handle the bush without flinching.

In 2024, Australians bought over a million new vehicles. Of the top four sellers, three were utes:

· Ford Ranger – 62,593

· Toyota HiLux – 53,499

· Isuzu D-Max – 30,194

Together, utes made up over 229,000 sales – clear proof they remain a backbone of Australian life.

A Brief History

In 1933, a farmer’s wife from Gippsland penned a letter to Ford Australia asking for a vehicle “to go to church on Sunday and take the pigs to market on Monday.”

Ford designer Lew Bandt responded by modifying a coupe with a strengthened chassis and tub body. By 1934, the first Aussie ute – the Model 40-A Light Delivery – rolled out of Ford’s Geelong factory. It was both workhorse and weekend ride. Of the 1,390 produced, 862 were Roadster Utilities and 528 were Coupe Utilities; a modest start to what would become an Australian icon.

Through the ’50s and ’60s, Holden and Ford rolled out sedan-based utes, but the game changed when Japanese brands arrived. In 1958, Sir Leslie Thiess imported the first Toyota LandCruisers for the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and in 1968, the Toyota HiLux replaced the Stout light commercial.

Farmers quickly saw the benefit of 4x4s. When dual-cab models arrived, they could carry tools during the week and the family to the bush or beach on weekends. The modern ute was born.

The Modern Ute

Today’s ute is part work truck, part family car, and part off-road tourer. Japanese brands flipped the script in the late ’80s, designing wagons from utes instead of the other way around.

Globally, the US dominates in sales, led for years by the Ford F-Series. Thailand punches above its weight, with around 460,000 utes sold annually – that’s enough to attract major manufacturing from Japanese brands. Most Japanese utes are now manufactured there due to strong local demand and import tariffs. Interestingly, a Thai law requiring rear leaf springs has curbed innovation in some models.

Meanwhile, China, India, and Korea are pushing hard into the ute market, putting pressure on the old guard.

Big Yanks Hit the Dirt

In recent years, American utes have hit Australian roads in a big way. Thanks to local conversions by companies like Walkinshaw, models once unavailable in right-hand drive are now commonplace.

RAM models are imported and converted to right-hand drive by Walkinshaw for American Special Vehicles, which is owned by Ateco Group – also responsible for bringing the vehicles to Australia. It started with RAM – the 1500, 2500, and 3500 – followed by the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-100 , and now Toyota Tundra. The appeal? Towing capacity. Where Japanese and European utes cap out at 3,500 kg, the American giants can legally tow 4,500 kg – a big deal for farmers hauling machinery or stock crates.

That said, some of the largest models may require a truck licence to retain their full gross vehicle mass (GVM), something prospective buyers need to consider.

But these beasts come at a cost: fuel. Around town, 15–18 L/100 km is typical – even more when towing. Toyota’s hybrid Tundra offers a V6 with better economy, showing where the market might head.

Japanese Staples Still Evolve

Not everyone wants (or can afford) a super-sized Yank truck. Brands like HiLux, Ranger, D-Max, BT-50 , and Navara are improving fast – better comfort, performance, and tech without losing their rural reliability.

Ford's recent launch of the Ranger Super Duty shows just how far utes are evolving. With a 4,500kg GVM and matching tow rating, it bridges the gap between mid-size utes and light trucks.

Todd Willing, head of Ford Design at Ford Motor Company, says: “Fleet managers told us about the heavy-duty medium pick-up space and how there just wasn’t anything they wanted.

“This set our team on a path to digging deeper, meeting with more than 50 companies and public services to truly live the life of these customers to understand their specific needs.

“The result was an idea for a truck that could bridge the gap between what was currently available and what the industry told us it needed.”

Going Electric – or Not?

Electric utes are starting to arrive from China, and soon, Kia. These could be a good fit for tradies in metro areas, where charging is easier and daily travel is limited. But for farmers or anyone covering serious distances, range anxiety and a lack of infrastructure make EVs a tough sell.

Ford’s diesel-electric hybrid may offer a middle ground—boosting torque and extending range. But the added battery weight cuts into payload, a dealbreaker for many in agriculture.

Meanwhile, the diesel-powered Kia Tasman is due for availability from July 2025, with an electric version expected in 2026. While detailed specs are yet to be confirmed, range, towing, and charging infrastructure will be critical factors for farmers. Questions remain about how well early electric utes will perform under load in remote or off-grid conditions.

The Light Truck Option

Are utes the only answer? Not anymore. As light trucks become more comfortable and user-friendly, many rural operators are turning to them for extra load-hauling and towing capacity.

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL), Australia’s top-selling truck brand for over 30 years, has seen strong demand for its 4.5-tonne car-licence range.

Isuzu’s Head of Sales, Craig White, says the company promotes “the right tool for the job”, highlighting their light trucks, which can be driven on a car licence, as versatile for everything from city streets to rural areas.

“Our 4.5 tonne car-licence range of trucks is available in a wide variety of configurations—from tippers to trays and service bodies, narrow to crew cabs, and of course 4x4s,” said.

“We see Isuzu trucks hard at work, pitching in on everything from plumbing jobs to getting feed to stock on farms. And with the inherent advantages of a truck over a ute as a work vehicle — think more payload, a bigger load space, excellent manoeuvrability, and truck-tough components—well switched-on local operators see the advantages and are making the smart choice.

“Plus, we’ve got an all-new range to offer with more safety, more performance, and more features.”

For farmers who value durability and practicality over badge appeal, light trucks are fast becoming the smarter choice.

What’s Next?

We contacted several major ute brands about what’s ahead. Not all responded, but Isuzu Ute Australia , importer of the D-Max, offered this:

“As part of our due diligence, we’ll continue to monitor the local market and work with the factory to meet Australian needs, whether that’s hybrid, BEV, diesel, or otherwise.”

In other words, no matter how the tech evolves – battery, diesel, hybrid, or hydrogen – the Great Aussie Utility Vehicle is here to stay.

For all the innovation ahead in hybrids, electrics, light trucks, the ute isn’t going anywhere. It may evolve, but its place on the farm is secure.

Russell Meadley puts it plainly: “I’d love a hybrid one day, but for now, the old diesel does everything I need. It’s not about flash, it’s about function. When you’ve got materials to shift, gear to haul, and no power on the block, a tough 4WD ute just makes sense.”

And that, perhaps, is the heart of the Aussie ute’s staying power: it’s not just transport. It’s a partner in the work, and the future.

Geoff Middleton has spent decades as a journalist, and in the last year specialised on trucks and commercial vehicles. He holds a multi-combination heavy vehicle licence and is known for cutting through hype to deliver the facts.

What Farmers Want in a Ute – The 2025 Perspective

Australian farmers want a tough workhorse and then some. The modern farm ute must be a versatile, resilient, and future-proo f partner, balancing traditional values with new expectations.

Durability with a Tech Edge:
While ruggedness remains non-negotiable, farmers increasingly expect smart tech that enhances reliability—think dustproof, waterproof touchscreens, and robust onboard diagnostics that help pre-empt breakdowns, not just withstand them.

Load and Towing, Redefined:
It’s not just about hauling hay or stock. Farmers want modular tray solutions that adapt to everything from fragile produce to heavy machinery, and towing systems that handle unpredictable terrain and extreme weather events.

Service Support in the Bush:
The best ute is only as good as its local support. Farmers are looking for brands that offer mobile servicing, virtual diagnostics, and partnerships with rural mechanics—not just city-based dealerships.

Simplicity Meets Smart Features:
Time is money, so intuitive controls and easy DIY maintenance are essential. However, farmers are also open to innovations like remote monitoring and predictive maintenance—features that save time without adding complexity.

Resale Value and Future-Proofing:
With new vehicle efficiency standards now in place, farmers expect their next ute to hold its value even as the market shifts toward hybrid and electric options. They’re keeping an eye on models that offer both proven reliability and a clear path to future upgrades.

Climate Resilience:
As droughts and floods become more frequent, farmers want utes that can handle extreme conditions, offer better fuel efficiency, and reduce running costs—especially as insurance premiums rise.

Aftermarket Adaptability:
Customisation is key. Farmers want to add heavy-duty trays, livestock rails, and weatherproof storage without voiding warranties or compromising safety.

Nudgee College: A school built for boys from the bush

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 05:37:38 GMT

At Nudgee, our students have the freedom to do more, be more, and achieve more. For every boy, there’s infinite opportunities. NEW VIDEO

For over 130 years, St Joseph’s Nudgee College has been a boarding school where 315 boarders call home. Alongside the 1,400 plus boys who attend daily, Nudgee College is proud that boarders come from regional and rural Queensland, across the country, and internationally to call this school their second home.

With boarding as the school's heartbeat, the Boarding Village's location in the centre of the campus is fitting.

Nudgee College Boarding features one of the country's most comprehensive pastoral care models, which is one of the many reasons it was awarded the Australian Best Boarding School of the Year in 2024 by the Australian Education Awards. The four Houses within the Boarding Village are led by a Head of House, two Assistant Heads, and a House Mother. Additionally, there are numerous supervisors from all walks of life, including a combination of teaching and non-teaching staff. The team's breadth allows staff to form smaller pastoral groups to provide regular check-ins and ongoing support for the boys. The network of care for the boys also extends to psychologists, registered nurses, and kitchen and laundry staff, all of whom are dedicated to supporting the boys through the ups and downs of day-to-day adolescent life.

Our boarders embrace distance challenges and excel at the College through academic and co-curricular pursuits that cater to their interests and skill sets. With the broadest curriculum in Queensland, state-of-the-art learning facilities, and our Vocational Education and Training (VET) program (RTO code: 30498), all students have every opportunity to thrive, are encouraged and taught to be critical thinkers and problem-solvers, to create and innovate, and to communicate and collaborate.

The newest addition to the College’s academic program is the Certificate II and III in Rural Operations, delivered in partnership with the University of Queensland (UQ) Skills. With 24 students across Years 11 and 12 enrolled in either certificate, this VET program allows students to get the qualifications they need to begin working in not only rural industries but other rural and regional sectors, such as local government, tourism, hospitality, transport, construction, community services, information technology and metals. In particular, the Certificate III in Rural Operations provides practical training across fields, including agriculture, horticulture and conservation, and land management. This is also a nationally recognised program designed to help students develop a range of skills, including animal health and welfare programs, feeding livestock, biosecurity, and operating utility vehicles.

Curtis, in Year 12, was inspired to pursue the Certificate in Rural Operations because it was a class relevant to his future goals. “It gives me a high qualification to use back home In Goondiwindi, as rural practices are common there”, says Curtis.

Harry, also in Year 12, was interested in agriculture due to growing up on a family farm but aims to utilise it after school. “I want to use the qualification to help achieve my future goals in property management”, says Harry.

Supplementing the College's strong academic offering for agricultural education, the co-curricular program is designed to give students more opportunities to explore their passions and nurture their talents. The Cattle Club and Show Team enable boys from all knowledge and skill levels to interact with agriculture tangibly. Beginning in 1984, this program has attracted rural and city-based students. In 2025, the College will have 70 students in the club learning to fit various cattle studs, break in and prepare animals for shows. Members take great pride in preparing and exhibiting their animals, and in doing so, they learn essential animal husbandry, animal welfare, teamwork, and interpersonal communication skills.

Robert, a Cattle Club member and boarder from Mount Alma, says, “My favourite part of being a part of the Cattle Club is going to the shows and meeting people in the industry and getting to know the industry better. I have learned from this how to communicate and manage people while at a show or just down at the yards. I have also learned the different guidelines for managing animals in an educational format compared to on the station at home.”

With its strong boarding tradition and deep agricultural focus, Nudgee College remains a true home away from home for boys from the bush. It offers a place where they can thrive, cultivate their passions, and prepare for a bright future.

Key Benefits

The academic culture is underpinned by a broad curriculum delivered using evidence-based practice, which strengthens student engagement and opens up extensive pathway options beyond school.
Strong pastoral care program that champions the well-being of all students
Vocational Education and Training program
A co-curricular program (with activities such as Cattle Club) designed to give students infinite opportunities to explore their passions.
Nudgee College Boarding is a true home away from for students.
136-hectare campus, including playing fields, an Olympic-standard athletics track, two heated swimming pools, a recently refurbished gymnasium, modern music and art studios, a 400-seat auditorium, an onsite agricultural centre, and a skills and training centre.

Website: www.nudgee.com

Email address: contact@nudgee.com

Learn more about the opportunities Nudgee College has on offer by booking a tour www.nudgee.com/admissions/book-a-tour

Agricultural Industry Form 2025 – Bunbury, WA

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 23:28:42 GMT

A grower focused event exploring practical science for stronger crops. Keynote speaker is Dr David Marks, Managing Director of Levity Crop Science. Wednesday, 13th August 2025.

We invite you to our Agricultural Industry Form 2025 – WA. See below for details.

Venue: Mantra Bunbury Lighthouse - Koombana Room. 2 Marlston Drive, Bunbury, WA 6230.

Date: Wednesday, 13th August 2025.

Time: 10:000 am - 2:30 pm.

Tough pickup front ahead of the field

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 01:40:03 GMT

Technical improvements have made locally engineered Draper Pickup Front the 'only one to buy'.

Zero warranty claims are good news for Wagga Wagga engineer Tom Grigg, whose enhanced Draper Pickup Front has been enthusiastically received by croppers.

A Draper pickup is a type of agricultural harvesting attachment used on combine harvesters. It's designed to efficiently gather and feed crop material into the combine for threshing and separation. The Draper pickup uses a wide, continuous belt or belts to move the crop from the header towards the center and into the combine.

“They’re uncomplicated, easy to maintain and easy to repair if damaged,” says Tom.

“‘The only one to buy,' is what owners have been telling me.”

He pointed to technical improvements based on earlier versions of the pickup front.

“Our latest update incorporates outcomes derived from many years of farming experiences with these machines in the field dealing with windrow crops,” he says.

Technical features affecting durability and performance have been rectified.

“The demand for higher performing harvesting equipment required a pickup front with the ability to feed material at the maximum rate under all conditions without time-consuming delays,” says Tom.

The 10-belt system involved splitting the rollers with centre bearing holders which keeps belt tension constant under all load conditions.

“To have all rollers driven required significant modifications of the chain drive,” he said.

“This has proved itself in the field to be bullet-proof. We have had no warranty claims on any of the fronts, proving the quality of manufacture.”

He says it was important that the unit was designed and built in Australia specifically for our crop conditions. It works equally well with canola, lupins, and cereals.

“The two belt four driven roller system delivers maximum driving effort to the pick-up belts giving them the ability to tease windrow lumps apart without stalling out.

“At the same time a longer, flatter ramp angle minimises windrow disturbance when travelling at faster harvesting speeds.”

Tom emphasised features that appeal to users including a strong, durable framework, greaseable bearings, and taper-lock sprockets for draper rollers, anti-flutter control and adjustable-height stubble damage protection for the castor gauge wheels.

“There are even more special features including a strong table auger with retractable fingers and a flighting layout especially designed for windrow handling,” he says.

“These features all add up to exceptional reliability, strength, serviceability, and even more importantly a very capable crop handling ability in heavy or difficult windrows.”

Website

From paddocks to productivity: structures that do more

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:56:08 GMT

Central Steel Build is a leader in the design and construction of bespoke steel structures for agriculture and beyond. With 50 years of experience and a long list of pioneering achievements, it customises locally made, durable sheds for both on-farm use and across the agricultural supply chain, supporting clients from paddock to port.

Central Steel Build (CSB) began in regional Victoria 50 years ago by the Edmonds family. As a teen, Gerald Edmonds split his week between distance education and helping in the family business. Now board chairman, he recalls: “My brother was a boilermaker; I apprenticed as a carpenter. We realised we could stop reselling sheds and start building our own. Our first big job? A custom horse arena. That changed everything.”

Since those early days, CSB has partnered closely with farmers, evolving from a backyard operation into one of Australia’s leading providers of bespoke sheds, and increasingly, complex infrastructure across the broader agricultural supply chain.

Today, the company has more than 90 staff, a modern production line, and full end-to-end project capability. It leads with values as well as volume - integrity, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and long-term value for clients and communities.

“We’re big enough to handle complexity, but small enough to care about the detail,” says CEO John Wetzler. “That’s what sets us apart.”

More than a shed: collaboration from day one

For CSB, a structure is a long-term investment shaped by how it’s used, not just what goes inside.

“Every project starts with listening to the client,” says Gerald. “We ask questions like: What problem are you trying to solve? How do you want to use this structure now, and how might that evolve in the future? Those conversations often lead to deeper insights that guide our design.”

This approach delivered powerful results for Andrew Whale, a veterinarian and sheep farmer who partnered with CSB in 2022 to develop a custom shearing shed and yard cover. The project involved early design collaboration, on-site assessments, and close integration with specialist fit-out providers.

“The entire process was handled professionally,” says Andrew. “There was seamless coordination at every stage. My business partner has since ordered another shed from CSB, which speaks volumes about our satisfaction.”

Designing for resilience and return

As part of its innovation focus, Central Steel Build has designed dairy barns to boost cow comfort and improve farm returns. Input from global dairy experts has shaped structures that support herd health and productivity.

Dairy farmer Andrew Marks is already seeing results. Since CSB built a 90m x 20m x 5.5m compost barn on his NSW property in early 2024, milk production has jumped 30%.

“In our first year, we’ve had a 30% increase in milk production. The cows are more comfortable and content; they know the sawdust is the first place to head in any weather. Herd health is much better. We’ve had a lot of wet weather recently, and their hoof health is at a much higher level than you’d expect because they’re staying dry. We’re really happy with how it’s worked out, and we’re building another hay shed with CSB now,” says Marks.

With healthier cows, weather protection, and clear gains, Marks says the investment has paid off.

That same focus on structural resilience during Cyclone Alfred in April 2025, when CSB’s design for macadamia grower Tony Flick’s machinery shed stood strong while much of the surrounding infrastructure was flattened.

“It was the one thing left standing, completely undamaged,” says Flick. “It’s a true testament to the quality and craftsmanship.”

Tech-powered precision

While many regional builders rely on older methods, CSB invests in innovation. In-house fabrication, 3D modelling via Tekla, HoloLens-enabled QA, and site scanning tools reduce errors and speed delivery.

“There’s no guesswork,” says John. “We scan the site and overlay new designs with millimetre precision, reducing rework and delays.”

“It’s about removing waste in time, materials, and effort,” says Gerald. “The savings go straight back to the customer.”

Ahead of the curve

CSB’s innovation drive goes back years. In 2015, it was among the first in its sector to adopt Tekla 3D modelling and later HoloLens technology — a shift Gerald calls “revolutionary” in cutting costly errors. R&D includes site scanning, lean systems, and AI exploration.

A standout achievement is Equinabuild, a safety rail co-designed with end-users and industry bodies that still sets CSB apart.

Built for What’s Next

CSB is positioning itself at the forefront of agricultural infrastructure trends, including growing demand for dairy barns and on-farm storage that boost resilience and reduce reliance on market timing.

“More farmers are seeing the benefits of controlling how and when they sell,” says John. “That’s driving demand for smarter, multi-use infrastructure.”

The company is also working with regulators and industry groups to co-develop shade structures that meet new feedlot welfare standards — another reflection of CSB’s collaborative DNA.

“We’re not just a fabricator,” John says. “We’re a project partner from day one. That’s why we have a 70 per cent referral rate — and why clients keep returning.”

Beyond the Farm Gate

While on-farm structures remain central to CSB’s offering, the company also delivers purpose-built infrastructure across the broader agricultural supply chain — including grain, logistics, processing, and bulk storage facilities.

A standout example is its work with Riordan Grains, a major grain handling company servicing eastern Australia. CSB has delivered multiple bulk storage builds for Riordan, helping future-proof its warehousing and logistics.

“These aren’t farms in the traditional sense, but they’re critical to Australian agriculture,” says John. “We want other supply chain businesses to see themselves in our work — and know we can support their infrastructure too.”

Website

Growing something lasting: continuity for the next generation

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 03:29:57 GMT

It’s more than just numbers for professional accountant Sam Notley, it’s about supporting families in one of the most rewarding and challenging fields on the planet. Agriculture.

Roberts + Morrow is a professional services network all under the one umbrella. The team includes accountants, auditors, lawyers, superannuation specialists, financial planners and even IT experts. This network is spread across offices in Armidale, Tamworth, Glen Innes, Narrabri and Brisbane, as well as IT offices in Armidale, Townsville and the Hunter Valley.

Sam Notley is a Partner at Roberts + Morrow, where he has passionately supported farmers across generations and through some of the toughest seasons they have faced. Sam points out that often the role of the accountant is considered limited to the numbers. This view is not one Sam has conformed to. He wants to be at the kitchen table with his clients, getting to the heart of what they want and what they need to make it happen.

“Good advisory work, especially in agriculture, is so much more than satisfying tax requirements. It’s about understanding the pulse of farm life; the highs, the lows, the blood, the sweat and the tears.”

Sam has worked closely with his farming clients as they look to transition the farm to the next generation. A process that can be daunting and very personal for most. One such family is the Perry family at Trent Bridge Wagyu, located in the stunning Aberfoyle area on the Northern Tablelands. For many years now, Sam has supported Charlie Perry and his family in growing his family’s large-scale seedstock and feeder operation of Wagyu cattle, with a focus on genetic analysis, phenotyping and fertility. Growing an operation like this is not for the faint of heart. Decisions have been made about purchasing more land, launching a sale initiative, introducing more management power, succession planning for a continuing and sustainable future, all the while navigating those frequent challenges, like the weather and the markets.

“Succession planning is a journey all on its own. It's bringing everyone who's involved, into the planning process, all the stakeholders, all those attached financially and emotionally. It takes time. It's more than a conversation with mum and dad or a conversation with off-farm son or off-farm daughter, it's about taking baby steps each and every week. But most importantly, it’s about bringing it up regularly, giving people the chance to speak, because when it's too late, it's too late.”

Success in farming isn’t just about the figures or tax implications. It’s about making sure the next generation have something they can confidently continue to develop. That’s what Sam is passionate about, helping families like the Perry’s grow something lasting.

Thank you to the Perry family of Trent Bridge Wagyu for being a part of this column. The annual Trent Bridge bull sale will be held 4th September, 185 Elite Sires, on farm and online via AuctionsPlus.

R + M www.rm.net.au

CEA Announces Significant Expansion Strengthening Central Queensland Presence

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 02:59:28 GMT

CEA, a leading provider of equipment to the agriculture, construction, mining, earthmoving, infrastructure, defence, waste management, mining, and recycling sectors, is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its business to include two new branch locations in Central Queensland: Rockhampton and Mackay (formerly Terrequipe). This strategic move emphasises CEA's unwavering commitment to growth while reinforcing its

The official handover for the branches took place on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, with both locations now operating under the CEA business trading name. This expansion will substantially broaden CEA's reach throughout the region and enhance its capacity to deliver unparalleled service and robust after-sales support to customers across these vital sectors.

The new Rockhampton and Mackay branches will form part of CEA's Northern Region, with CEA’s Brisbane-based operation providing extensive support to ensure a seamless transition for the highly experienced staff currently at both locations. As part of the acquisition employees previously working for the Terrequipe branches in these locations have transitioned to CEA, ensuring key product knowledge and strong customer relationships are retained within the business.

"The expansion into Rockhampton and Mackay is an exciting move for CEA," said Wes Henshall, Executive General Manager Northern Region. "It's a testament to our focus on growing the business and our dedication to working with customers across industry segments we know well and are highly proficient in supporting. We are also pleased to welcome the experienced teams at these locations into the CEA business and look forward to strengthening our relationships while providing exceptional service to customers within the region."

Hylton Taylor, CEO of CEA, commented on the strategic importance of the expansion: "Our decision to expand into Rockhampton and Mackay reflects CEA's long-term vision for growth and our commitment to being closer to our customers in critical regions. By integrating these additional

branches into the business, we are not only expanding our footprint; we are reinforcing our position to deliver superior service, comprehensive after-sales support, and to be a reliable partner for customers within the agriculture, construction, mining, and earthmoving industries. We are confident that this move will create new opportunities and further solidify our position as an industry leader."

“There will be a period of transition over the coming months as we integrate CEA systems and procedures into the new locations, but I am confident we can complete this quickly and with minimal disruption,” Mr Taylor added. “Since announcing the acquisition, we have received extremely positive feedback from the market, and with over 45+ years of industry experience we are confident our business understands the market requirements, and how best to meet the evolving demands of the customer base going forward”.

Boarding is the heart of St Margaret’s

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 02:27:19 GMT

Caring for boarders has been a part of St Margaret’s DNA ever since its inception in 1895.

Since then, the school has educated generations of Australia’s rural and regional daughters.

Today, the boarding house is, both physically and symbolically, the beating heart of the school, with a diverse group of 195 students from Years 5 to 12 living right in the centre of its beautiful Ascot campus.

St Margaret’s excellence in boarding has been recognised with national awards. In 2019 and 2020, the school won boarding school of the year in the Australian Education Awards and Excellence Awards in 2022, 2024 and 2025. In 2023, the school proudly won the education category of the Queensland Reconciliation Awards for its Reconciliation Action Plan, and in 2022 received the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA) and IEBA Excellence in Indigenous Boarding award.

The St Margaret’s boarding house has been helmed by outstanding educator Lesa Fowler, who has been Head of Boarding since 2008, and who, in 2020, received ABSA’s prestigious Premier Leadership Award.

Ms Fowler is deeply committed to creating a cohesive boarding community where the richness of its culturally and geographically diverse residents – from across Australia and overseas – is celebrated. She works to ensure boarders both feel a sense of belonging and connectedness within the community while also benefiting from its diversity, nurturing a global outlook in all students.

Specialist boarding staff are at the heart of the St Margaret’s boarding experience. Open and regular communication with boarding families is a given, with staff establishing warm bonds in this important partnership.

Boarding staff are closely connected to day school teachers: the teachers take evening prep, helping ensure students are on track. As boarders commence at the school having come from a wide range of educational experiences, such as School of the Air, additional literacy and numeracy programs help close any gaps that might exist, giving boarders the best foundations for future success.

St Margaret’s introduced a Certificate III in Agriculture, aimed at the many girls from rural properties, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and experience to return to work on the family station or continue tertiary studies in this field.

Boarders also compete in the St Margaret’s instigated High School Campdraft Percentile Cup, which honours their incredible abilities gained from their rural upbringings.

Did you know?

Perhaps a little-known fact is that St Margaret’s is one of the few full-time boarding schools, meaning it does not accept weekly boarders. This results in no mass weekend exodus, so girls always have plenty of company and organised activities to enjoy facilitated by a fulltime boarding wellbeing and activities coordinator.

Rethinking Industrial Gas Supply: Why Flexibility Is the New Standard

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 05:24:33 GMT

BOC’s Flexigas offers farmers flexible, pay-as-you-use gas supply—no contracts, no fees, just control and convenience year-round.

For decades, industrial gas supply has followed a familiar formula: fixed contracts, rental fees, and rigid delivery schedules. But as farmers work patterns evolve and demand becomes increasingly unpredictable, that model is starting to show its age. In response, BOC Australia has introduced a new approach—Flexigas—that challenges the traditional assumptions about how gas should be accessed and managed.

At its core, Flexigas is about giving Australian Farmers more control. Based on a pay-as-you-use structure, it does away with the conventional hurdles: cylinder rental fees, upfront deposits, and the need to commit to long-term supply agreements. Instead, it offers a more fluid system that aligns with the needs of the Agriculture industry whose gas usage varies—Because we understand Farming isn’t a 9-5 job and has seasonal workloads, fluctuating demands and inclement weather.

The range of gases covers a wide variety of gases essential to farming and the plan is as broad as it is practical—covering everything from welding staples like acetylene and shielding gases, to food-grade carbon dioxide. The result makes it perfectly suited to the Agriculture sector and is a model that can flex across sectors, from metalwork to manufacturing.

In an era where adaptability is critical, BOC’s Flexigas plan offers the flexibility that modern farmers need. Whether you're a hobby farm or a large commercial farm, Flexigas gives you the control to manage gas supply on your terms—without the hassle or hidden costs.

With Flexigas, BOC Australia is setting a new standard in gas supply — one that puts the customer first and ensures you're never paying for more than you need.

Company email: contact@boc.com

Company website: https://www.boc.com.au/shop/en/au/flexigas

Rethinking Australia’s responses to rising heat and water stress

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 08:35:02 GMT

The world is confronting increased heat and water stress that demands, among other responses, much better collective action in how Australia manages its scarce water resources, especially for agriculture.

Accelerated Heating

According to Berkeley Earth’s analysis, the global mean temperature (land and oceans) in 2024 was estimated to have been 1.62 ± 0.06 °C above the average temperature from 1850-1900; the hottest year since modern temperature records began. Because warming is much greater over the land than the sea, the 2024 terrestrial average temperature was estimated to be 2.28 ± 0.12 °C greater than the 1850-1900 average.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (2025), each of the last ten years (2015-2024) were individually the warmest ten years on record. This is primarily a result of rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide which are at their highest levels in 800,000 years.

Increasing Drought Severity

Higher surface air temperatures have multiple impacts. One of the key consequences on agriculture is a change in drought severity, primarily due to an increase in Atmospheric Evaporative Demand (AED) which increases the rate of plant and soil evaporation, especially in low soil-moisture conditions. Greater evaporative demand also increases the frequency and magnitude of droughts. In some cases, an increase in AED alone is sufficient to cause drought even in the absence of a decline in annual precipitation. Further, a sufficiently high enough AED can decrease photosynthesis and, thus, reduce plant growth (Vicente-Serrano et al. 2025).

Results published in the journal Nature in June 2025 show a global increase in AED. This is worsening hydrological (less water available), agricultural (reduced social moisture) and ecological (lower stream flows) droughts at a planetary scale (Gebrechorkos et al. 2025). The Nature authors found that rising AED has increased drought severity globally by about 40% while the areas in drought in the world were 74% greater over the period 2018-2022, compared to 1981-2017.

The AED findings in Nature are complemented by results from satellite data published in the journal Science (Seo et al. 2025). The Science authors found that over the period 2002 to 2022 terrestrial water storage has declined steeply. Consequently, on average, there has been a 25 mm global decline in soil moisture over the past two decades.

In the absence of effective farmer responses, a combination of heat and water stresses will reduce crop yields and increase food insecurity (Kompas et al. 2024). Climate change may also induce simultaneous global crop failures due to coincident and adverse changes in key global climate oscillations (e.g. El Nino).

Adaptation and Resilience

Australian farmers are responding to heat and water stresses in multiple ways. At a farm scale, responses to heat and water stress include, but are not limited to; changes to when crops are planted and harvested, what crops and cultivars are grown, increased water use efficiency, soil moisture monitoring, and even relocation. Effective adaptation also requires collective action to ensure ssustainable levels of water diversions, well-regulated and compliant water markets, effective monitoring of water diversions, and transparent and independent water audits.

In addition to adapting to climate change (e.g., higher temperatures), there is an increasing need to be resilient to higher frequency and greater magnitude shocks (e.g., severe droughts, greater frequency and magnitude floods). Effective strategies to promote resilience need responses to four key questions. These are, resilience Of What? (farm scale, catchment, cities, etc.)?, To What? (e.g. droughts and floods), For Whom? (farmers, downstream communities, etc.), and Through What? (farmer initiatives, basin-scale management, etc.).

Need for Collective Action and Sustainability

Collective responses to droughts in Australia have, to date, primarily focused on inter-temporal water transfers by expanding water storages (on farm and in large publicly constructed dams). In Australia’s largest and coastal cities, a supply response to the Millennium Drought that ended in 2010, was to build desalination plants as a back-up water supply.

The high costs of transporting water and the costs of constructing and supplying alternative water sources, such as from desalination and air-to-water technologies, are economically unviable for most of Australian agriculture. For many Australian farmers there is no alternative to but to better manage, at both a farm and basin scale, how water is used, for what purpose and by whom.

Beyond farmer actions to droughts and floods, there is a critical need for effective and sustainable basin-scale water planning. The 2012 Murray-Darling Basin Plan has reduced water diversions for irrigation over what they otherwise have been. Nevertheless, the 2012 Basin Plan has failed to adequately manage the trade-offs between allocating water for a sustainable environment and drinking water for communities versus water for irrigation.

The mass fish kills in western New South Wales in 2018-19 during a severe drought, and again in early 2023 when there was no drought, show that the challenge of delivering environmentally sustainable diversions remains unresolved in Australia’s breadbasket, the Murray-Darling Basin. Absent reform in how water is allocated across competing uses and non-uses, climate change will reduce run-off, lower stream flows and lead to further ecological disasters. This is not just only about ecosystem and cultural losses. Without water reallocations that prevent further ecological declines, the social licence of those who have water rights will be compromised and possibly withdrawn.

Australians must move from a ‘hope for the best’ mindset to individually and collectively preparing for and adapting to greater heat stress and water stress. What should get done depends on the place and includes both individual responses and collective action.

A more sustainable and collective pathway about how water is managed and to basin planning requires much more than the standard ‘tick box’ consultations and deliberations. It demands on-going dialogues where all stakeholders, and First Peoples, come together to establish a common understanding of the drivers and pressures in relation to water availability and access. To be effective, such dialogues need to be adequately resourced and to provide sufficient time for participants to reflect and, eventually, to implement actions that promote sustainable rivers, viable communities, and climate-smart agriculture (Grafton 2024).

Increasing heat and water stress means that the ‘hydro-illogical cycle’, whereby water reform only happens when there is a big enough crisis and then converges back to business as usual, is not fit for purpose. While there are no easy responses to climate change, timely adaptation, strategic ‘resilience thinking’ and much better basin and catchment planning and implementation, offer ways forward so that Australians, together, can achieve a sustainable future for all, including farmers.

Cited References

Berkeley Earth (2025) Global Temperature Report for 2024. https://berkeleyearth.org/global-temperature-report-for-2024/

Gebrechorkos, S.H., Sheffield, J., Vicente-Serrano, S.M. et al. Warming accelerates global drought severity. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09047-2

Grafton, R.Q. (2024) Retelling Australia’s Water Story. Monash University Publishing, Melbourne. ISBN 9781922979902

Kompas, T., Che, T,N, Grafton, R.Q. (2024) Global impacts of heat and water stress on food production and severe food insecurity. Scientific Reports 14: 14398 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-65274-z

Seo, K-W, Ryu, D., Jeon, T. et al. (2025) Abrupt sea level rise and Earth’s gradual pole shift reveal permanent hydrological regime changes in the 21 ^st century. Science 387, 1408-1412. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq6529

Vicente-Serrano, S.M., Domínguez-Castro, F., Beguería, S. et al. (2025) Atmospheric drought indices in future projections. Nature Water 3, 374–387. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-025-00416-9

World Meteorological Organization (2025) Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update 2025. https://wmo.int/publication-series/wmo-global-annual-decadal-climate-update-2025-2029

How building soil and vegetation health helps weather climate extremes

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 08:35:18 GMT

From drought to deluge, healthy soil and vegetation systems reduce risk, cut costs, and sustain land, livelihood and legacy.

(Photo Phill Lee)

Agriculture is and will increasingly be impacted by climate extremes: storms, wind, floods, frosts, drought, aridification and wildfires.

The result? Resilience isn't just a buzzword - it's a necessity. With our variable climate, rising input costs, and the need to do more with less, many are turning their attention to what they can control: the health of their soils and vegetation.

Producers are rediscovering that resilient land leads to resilient business. Healthy soils store more water, support stronger plants, and buffer farms against drought and flood. These practices are proving to be both sound economic decisions vital for the long-term viability. Their value is often most evident in challenging years.

Healthy soil is more than just dirt underfoot. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem teeming with microbes, fungi, and organic matter that supports the entire farm system. When managed with care, soil acts like a sponge - soaking up rainfall, storing nutrients, and feeding plants more efficiently.

At the same time, thriving vegetation protects that soil, cools the surface, and reduces erosion by allowing increased water infiltration and dramatically reducing soil movement when runoff does occur.

Grazing for Groundcover

In Australia’s pastures and rangelands, groundcover is gold. Graziers from The Kimberley to the NSW South Coast are using a scientific understanding of the symbiotic relationship between grazing animals, plants and soils to increase plant diversity and maintain perennial cover. The results? Fewer bare patches, deeper root systems, better rainfall infiltration, and more grazing days per hectare - even during tough seasons.

Beyond pasture health, these methods also improve livestock performance by ensuring more consistent forage availability. Holistic planned grazing allows producers to adapt paddock use to rainfall and plant growth, while building long-term landscape function—converting excess growth into fertility rather than letting it go to waste or burn off in dry spells.

Building Cropping System Resilience

In broadacre cropping, it’s a similar story. Stubble retention, cover crops, increased diversity, and reduced tillage are helping soils retain moisture, reduce evaporation, and support soil biology and steadily rebuild soil organic matter. Croppers in the Western Australia wheatbelt and New South Wales central west are seeing their topsoil improve year by year, while also reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers and other inputs.

Cover cropping, in particular, is growing in popularity. It offers benefits for both soil health and business economics - improving structure, preventing erosion, adding biomass, and creating a buffer.

Horticulture and Microclimate Management

In horticulture, resilience is often about protecting permanent plantings from heat stress and erratic water availability. Growers in South Australia’s Riverland, Lockyer Valley in South-East Queensland, and northern Victoria are using composts, mulch, inter-row plantings and living groundcovers to maintain cooler soils and build a more consistent root zone environment. These approaches support crop health, reduce disease pressure, and improve water use efficiency.

Economic Benefits of Soil Resilience

Crucially, these strategies are not one-size-fits-all. Every farm has different conditions, but the principles of maintaining cover, building organic matter, and supporting microbial life apply widely. The methods vary, but the goals are shared: create soil that holds water, sustains life, and provides a stable base for productivity.

Beyond the paddock, resilient land brings financial advantages. Healthy soils improve water-use efficiency, which can extend the growing season and reduce irrigation costs. Better plant nutrition and structure can mean less expense due to fewer chemical inputs. And increasingly, banks and buyers are recognising soil health as a key indicator of long-term farm value.

Many producers also report smoother operations: fewer paddock bogs, better trafficability, less compaction, and less downtime during critical windows like sowing or harvest. A more resilient soil base often means fewer workarounds, less repair, and greater consistency—especially when weather, machinery, or labour are under pressure.

There’s also growing interest in the role of healthy landscapes in broader climate resilience. While it’s difficult to prove a direct link to increased rainfall, some landholders report more frequent dews, ground fogs, and light showers in areas with good vegetation cover and soil function - conditions that help farms thrive in between major rain events.

The 5 Practices that Build Resilience

If you’re looking to build resilience into your land, here are 5 tried-and-tested strategies already being used across Australia:

1. Minimise Disturbance to Deep Soil Structure

Reduce mechanical tillage and reduce chemical inputs such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. This approach helps preserve soil structure and maintains the integrity of the soil microbiome. Healthy soil structure supports deep roots and water retention.

2. Keep the Soil Covered

Bare soil is vulnerable soil. Keep it protected with native pasture, cover crops, stubble, or organic mulches. This “armor” moderates soil temperature, reduces evaporation, and protects against erosion by allowing increased water infiltration. It also minimises soil loss during runoff, suppresses weeds, and feeds soil microbes. Aim to maintain living roots in the soil year-round—continuous root presence supports soil biology, improves structure, and enhances nutrient cycling.

3. Promote Diversity

Implement a diverse mix of plant species through diverse pastures, inter-row cropping, multi species cover crops and shelterbelts. These approaches build more resilient systems and attract beneficial insects and microbes. Integrate animals through managed grazing to support nutrient cycling, stimulate plant growth, and build soil organic matter. Diversity strengthens ecosystem resilience and supports a thriving soil food web.

4. Graze with Purpose

Use short, high-intensity grazing periods followed by long rest phases. This mimics natural herd movement, giving pastures time to recover, promotes forage diversity, improving ground cover, and stimulating root and soil biology. It builds soil health, increases water retention, and supports both animal and land productivity over time.

5. Observe, Measure, Adapt

Use a combination of soil tests and monitoring tools to track changes over time. Just as importantly, trust your own observations: look for changes in plant health, soil structure, water infiltration, and biodiversity. Even a shovel, a phone camera, and notes in your diary can be powerful monitoring tools. Adjust inputs, grazing pressure, or crop rotation based on observations. Evolve your system as seasonal conditions, markets, and soil health change.

Managing for the Long Haul

As times get tougher, these practices become more valuable. They’re about managing risk, reducing costs, and ensuring continuity and long term viability.

There is no “silver bullet” or instant fix but it’s about stacking the odds in your favour. And for an increasing number of Australian producers, it’s also about being able to leave the land in better shape for the next generation.

Because when the soil is healthy, the business is stronger. And when both are resilient, we can face whatever the seasons bring.

Can We Grow Rain?

There’s also growing interest in the idea that healthier landscapes may help bring rain - not just hold it.

While it’s a complex process influenced by many variables, the theory behind 'growing rain' is based on how vegetation and soils contribute in practical ways to the local water cycle. When plants transpire and soils release moisture, they add water vapour to the atmosphere. This humidity can help build cloud cover and support localised rainfall events, particularly in areas downwind.

This is part of what scientists refer to as ‘green water’ or 'the small water cycle' - the localised loop of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation that happens over land. When the land is bare or degraded, this cycle is disrupted. When enough land is covered and its soil is biologically active, the cycle strengthens.

International examples, like the holistic grazing in Zimbabwe or the terraced cereal, fruit, vegetable and livestock farming in Loess Plateau in China, show that restoring vegetation and soil function can lead to more stable and frequent rain patterns. In Australia, some producers have reported the return of morning dew, ground fogs, and increased rainfall regularity after years of regenerative practices.

While more research is needed, the practical steps that support this potential - like maintaining groundcover, building organic matter, and diversifying vegetation - are already being used for soil health and water retention. Growing rain may be a long-term outcome of enough producers doing those things well.

In Closing

These aren’t niche practices—they’re being used by producers managing large areas, tight margins, and real-world constraints. You don’t need to overhaul your whole system to start. Many farmers begin with one paddock, one practice, or one new observation—and build from there. Small, practical steps can make a big difference, especially when they’re done with a clear goal and a good read of the land.

The key point is that these practical changes are urgently needed to rebuild the soil carbon sponge—restoring hydrology, resilience, productivity, and long-term viability on your farm and beyond. It’s about agency and legacy—putting more control back in your hands and helping ensure future generations inherit land that’s not only functional, but flourishing.

Breaking down the barriers of non-tariff measures

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 06:13:39 GMT

With increased global trade volatility, now is the time to intensify efforts to address the growing burden of non-tariff measures on the export interests of our country’s farmers. But resolving them is a complex process requiring sustained strategic effort.

Average bilateral agricultural tariffs have steadily declined since 1995 (even accounting for the current ‘American First’ policies), driven by sustained government initiatives to reduce trade barriers through both bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements.

However, more recently, the number of non-tariff measures (NTMs) applied to Australian agriculture has risen ninefold, according to UN Trade and Development.

Innovation in traceability systems and other on-farm technologies have already provided an avenue to combat the rise in NTMs by extending access to new and existing markets as well as increasing productivity for exported commodities.

However, there are still concerns that, over time, countries are using these to create new forms of barriers to trade, replacing the tariffs that used to exist. Countries are placing heavier requirements on imported goods to protect local biosecurity, improve environmental credentials, and ensure consumer safety.

NTMs impose higher costs for Australian agricultural exporters by restricting products entering the country unless they satisfy specific requirements, such as licensing requirements and product labelling requirements, amongst others.

However, some of these measures are needed to underpin government and consumer confidence in trade – for example we need to ensure that imported food is safe to eat and free from biosecurity threats.

But even if there are good reasons for specific NTMs, questions need to be asked around whether the outcomes sought can be achieved with lower compliance costs.

But sorting the more protectionist measures, or barriers, from the more legitimate measures requires effort.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade defines measures it considers barriers – termed non-tariff barriers or NTBs as “any kind of 'red tape' or policy measure, other than tariffs or tariff-rate quotas, that unjustifiably restrict[s] trade.”

The first step in understanding whether these measures create barriers to trade is to understand the impact that the full range of NTMs are having on our trade. ABARES analysis has quantified this impact on bilateral trade at a product level, finding that they now cause the equivalent change in trade as a 19 per cent tariff—and this has also been growing over time.

If these compliance costs could be removed, exporting would become less expensive for business and our exporters would likely find it easier to access a wider range of markets, thereby supporting government diversification objectives.

ABARES modelling shows that removing NTMs would bring annual benefits to Australian agricultural exporters exceeding $4 billion over the medium term, underscoring the importance of strong resourcing for technical market access negotiations to combat their growth.

Exports are the engine room of our agricultural, fisheries and forestry sector, earning $75 billion in 2023-24.

Consider also that around 70 per cent of our agricultural, fisheries and forestry production (by volume) is destined for international markets.

Better market access is therefore integral to Australian agriculture, the 244,600 direct jobs it provides, and the broader economy.

But efforts to address the challenges to trade posed by NTMs must be specific and targeted.

Negotiations to reduce or eliminate a non-tariff measures involve consideration of more factors than just the market impacts on trade and production.

Other factors like probability of success, resources required, and broader industry and governmental priorities should all come into play when developing negotiation plans.

A key step is to ensure we are not negotiating in the dark.

Using analysis like the recent ABARES work helps provide an information base on which questions can be asked and more tangible steps can then be taken. With tariffs already at zero across many of Australia’s key trading partners, reducing costs associated with NTMs offer a real opportunity for further economic cooperation.

Conclusion

Recent changes in the international trading landscape have generated clouds of uncertainty, but they may also have a silver lining.

Many of Australia’s trading partners are looking at ways to diversify their trade, opening the door for further conversation around improving bilateral and regional relationships.

For Australian agriculture there is an opportunity to double down on efforts to reduce the costs of NTMs and get traction on removing those that create genuine barriers to trade.

Leveraging our extensive network of bilateral and plurilateral free trade agreements and working to increase the number of export destinations spreads the risk, helping to safeguard our global competitiveness in the face of future shocks.

Australia has a strong recent history of successfully going into bat for our agricultural exporters.

In 2024, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry recorded a total of 83 technical market access achievements, which included opening 11 new markets, improving access to 37 markets, defending access to 28 markets and restoring access to seven markets where it was previously blocked (DAFF 2024).

With the imperative for trade reform now stronger than ever, we can build on this momentum to proactively advocate for fairer trading rules that govern the flow of agricultural products critically important to the sector’s competitiveness.

For more information read the ABARES paper Non-tariff barriers: A multi-billion dollar burden .

In 2023–24 Australia agricultural, fisheries and forestry exports were valued at $75 billion.
In the three years to 2023‍–‍24 Australia exported around 70% of the total volume of agricultural, fisheries and forestry production.
Grains, oilseeds and pulses have been the fastest-growing export segment, growing at an average annual rate of 9% in real value terms between 2004–05 and 2023–24 (chart also included in attached Excel if required)
China is the largest single export market for Australian agriculture, followed by the United States and Japan.

Shifting risk is risky business

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:56:58 GMT

Quality leadership in managing risk is only going to increase in importance and complexity in this rapidly changing world we live in. How can we do better as a nation at this core skill that affects almost everything we aspire for?

I was born with a near insatiable need to right a wrong or step up to help where needed for an individual or community. No doubt that trait is how I fell into my varied professional roles. Each of my vocational paths were arrived at not by my own hand but through circumstance or a vision of others not myself. It was my mate who suggested policing as he longed to pursue that role so we could do it together, me less so growing up in a policing family. Another mate encouraged me to follow emergency management on the back of some significant flooding events in Western NSW. Politics was because I was recommended and headhunted for the role and Murray Darling Basin oversight and regulation was because the person leaving the role recommended me. In each case there were always wrongs to right and people and communities in need.

Each of these roles gave me a wonderful insight into leadership roles as they were all different, while sharing some fundamentals and commonalities. Policing was a (Command & Control) structure, Emergency management (Co-ordination and Communication), Political (Inspire & Influence), and currently Oversight, Integrity and Regulatory (Accountability and Improvement). Each of these roles has given me a unique vantage point to observe the equally fast changing need for leadership adaptability to move with our changing world while retaining those core elements of Integrity, Authenticity, and Communication in any leadership position.

What has become most apparent in my recent roles is a lack of role clarity which leads to a dearth in accountability. As a thought leader, I turn my mind to two questions: ‘What problem am I trying to solve here?’; and ‘What is my greatest risk?’. Well, the problems are many, and consequently in water they are part of the most contested, controversial, complex, and compromised public policy in our Nation, which makes them challenging, not insurmountable but challenging.

What is my greatest risk? Well, I believe that is the shifting of risk and consequently accountability of decision makers. A consequence of that, is the black and white or absolute in what we did, how we did it or even how we viewed things are moving to more shades of grey than ever before. When you consider leadership and quality leadership through this prism, I believe that some key fundamentals are less affected and remain fundamentally clear as they have ever been. By this I mean that while tolerance, understanding, and individual management are core requirements of any leadership endeavour, the fundamentals of integrity, authenticity, and quality communication remain absolute hallmarks of successful leadership and in fact due to the fast pace of change remain even more critical as ever foundational attributes to any successful leadership.

As I alluded to, I’ve been enormously privileged to have experienced leadership across a range of leadership roles, locally, domestically, and internationally so in bringing this issue forward, is because it’s a constant present in all I see across the world. In today’s dynamic and interconnected world, the concept of risk has become a central concern for leaders across industries. Yet, paradoxically, many individuals and organizations shy away from accepting risk directly. Instead, they often shift it onto others, whether through strategic decision making, contractual clauses, or operational practices. While this may seem like a pragmatic approach to safeguarding interests, it fundamentally undermines accountability, erodes integrity, and ultimately, jeopardizes sustainable success.

Fear of failure is deeply ingrained in human psychology. The potential for loss, be it financial, reputational, or emotional makes risk a daunting prospect. As a result, some leaders and organisations prefer to transfer this risk elsewhere, believing that avoiding direct exposure shields them from blame or negative repercussions. This tendency is amplified in complex environments where the stakes are high and the consequences of misjudgement are severe.

However, this approach fosters a culture of avoidance rather than resilience. It shifts responsibility away from decision-makers, creating accountability gaps that can have far-reaching implications. When risk is externalised, the true cost often manifests in diminished trust, compromised integrity, and systemic vulnerabilities.

A common misconception is that accepting responsibility equates to being a victim of circumstances. In reality, accountable leadership involves owning decisions even difficult ones, without shirking duty. True leaders recognise that accepting risk and managing it transparently are hallmarks of integrity. They understand that vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but a foundation for trust and credibility.

Holding oneself accountable in the face of uncertain outcomes fosters resilience. It encourages proactive risk management, continuous learning, and adaptive strategies all essential qualities in a rapidly changing environment. Conversely, shifting risk undermines these principles and leaves organizations ill-prepared for unforeseen challenges.

In the past, decisions could often be classified as clearly right or wrong, safe or risky. Today, however, the world is less black and white. Every decision exists within a spectrum of grey, influenced by complex variables, shifting landscapes, and unpredictable consequences. Leaders must navigate ambiguity, balancing competing interests and imperfect information.

This complexity makes risk acceptance more nuanced. It requires sophisticated judgment, stakeholder engagement, and a clear understanding of the potential impacts. When decision makers cling to absolutes, they oversimplify reality and may inadvertently increase the risk they seek to avoid.

Advancements in technology have revolutionised how organisations operate, communicate, and compete. While these innovations offer tremendous opportunities, they also introduce new pressures. Leaders are expected to make faster, more informed decisions with access to vast amounts of data. However, this acceleration often comes at the cost of thorough risk assessment.

The heightened pace and transparency enabled by technology can make leaders more vulnerable to shifting risks whether through rapid market changes, cybersecurity threats, or social media scrutiny. The temptation to shift risk onto others such as suppliers, customers, or even regulatory bodies can become a default response in high-pressure situations. Yet, this behaviour exacerbates accountability issues and diminishes organisational integrity.

When risk is delegated or transferred without clear boundaries, accountability becomes diluted. This creates “holes” where responsibility should be. Such gaps can lead to decisions that benefit short-term interests but undermine long-term stability. In industries ranging from finance to healthcare, when key decision-makers evade accountability, the entire system becomes vulnerable to failure.

Furthermore, shifting risk often leads to a reactive rather than proactive culture. Instead of anticipating and managing risks upfront, organisations become adept at deflecting blame, which hampers learning and continuous improvement. Over time, this erodes trust among stakeholder’s, employees, customers, regulators, and the public.

Change is inevitable and often necessary. However, constant change especially without clear accountability or strategic coherence can be destabilising. When organisations or industries face a relentless barrage of shifting goals, regulatory updates, or market disruptions, the lack of a stable framework hampers adaptation.

Effective change management involves transparency, defined roles, and accountability structures that enable stakeholders to adjust without feeling disoriented or unfairly burdened. Without these elements, change becomes chaos, and organisations risk losing their moral compass and operational footing.

Accepting risk is an integral part of growth, innovation, and leadership. The real risk lies not in embracing uncertainty but in avoiding it through shifting and evading responsibility. Leaders must recognise that accountability is not a burden but a cornerstone of integrity and trust.

In a world characterised by grey areas and rapid technological change, the most resilient organisations will be those that accept responsibility for their decisions, manage risks transparently, and foster cultures of accountability and improvement in all they do.

Rooting Out Plant Diseases: Are Computers Ready To Run Our Farms?

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:43:32 GMT

Nature is still too complex for artificial intelligence (AI) modelling to be effective, but the tipping point is close, according to a new study that found the technology may still trip at the last real-world hurdle.

The study into how AI can help protect crops from diseases and improve food security by identifying diseases and forecasting outbreaks, has revealed that most AI models that work in the computer lab are overwhelmed when put into the field.

There is growing interest in using AI in crop protection because infectious plant diseases, if unchecked, can compromise anywhere from 10 to 40 per cent of a farm’s crop yield depending on the disease. The diseases could cause nutritional deficiencies among crops typically rich in vitamins and minerals.

In recent years, machine and deep learning algorithms have served as the backbone of mobile applications, drone-base monitoring, automated irrigation and treatment systems, and precision agriculture platforms that have advanced to reliably recognise budding diseases.

But in-field applicability remains one of the major challenges faced by the growing technology.

Study supervisor Dr Thuseethan Selvarajah , a CDU Lecturer in Information Technology, said real-world agricultural scenarios were often more complex than AI models are capable analysing, leading to misdiagnoses and inappropriate treatment recommendations.

Dr Selvarajah said the study highlighted the need to develop diverse, real-world plant disease datasets that capture the variability in crop types, disease stages, and environmental conditions to train AI models.

“Some of the more common field issues that affect an AI model’s accuracy include changes in lighting, overlapping leaves, background clutter, and inconsistent image quality,” he said.

“Techniques like data augmentation, domain adaptation, and training AI models to handle noise and distortions would help overcome this, but it’s also important to create lightweight and efficient deep learning models that can be used on resource-limited devices like smartphones and drones.

“In regions like Darwin and across the Northern Territory where network coverage can be limited, deploying AI models directly on mobile devices is critical because it allows farmers to access these tools without needing a constant internet connection.”

University of Peradeniya PhD candidate Romiyal George, who led the study, said healthy crops were crucial for feeding communities, preserving biodiversity, and supporting economic development around the world but the growing threat of plant diseases puts all of this at risk.

Mr George said farmers had historically relied on visual inspection of crops to monitor the presence of plant diseases – a method that is time-consuming, costly, and often inaccurate.

“A deep learning model trained on images of plant leaves showing different stages of disease can spot early signs of infection with high accuracy,” he said.

Catching these symptoms early is crucial because traditional visual checks often miss them until the disease has already advanced, leading to more severe crop loss.

“In comparison, AI systems powered by deep learning can provide immediate feedback, helping farmers make quicker and better decisions.”

This research was published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture and contributes to Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals , which relates to zero hunger.

Feedlot Cattle Can Brush Their Stresses Away

Tue, 27 May 2025 07:00:46 GMT

Feedlot cattle with access to grooming brushes are generally more content, sociable and have less stress, according to recent research out of Murdoch University’s Centre for Animal Production and Health.

They also have reduced aggression, suggesting brushes may permit a more harmonious feedlot environment.

Associate Professor in Animal Welfare and Ethics, Teresa Collins said her team had investigated ways to improve the welfare of cattle in feedlots, focusing on approaches within routine farming systems.

“There is an increasing trend to prepare beef cattle for market in feedlots in Australia, with numbers sitting above 1.4 million in 2024 - and these can be regarded as barren environments when compared to pasture-based farms,” Associate Professor Collins said.

“Our team investigated how to improve the welfare of cattle within a feedlot context, in a way that is relatively practical to implement.

“We found that installing cattle brushes can be a simple and cost-effective way to improve their welfare, without leading to negative impacts like reduced weight gain.”

The study looked at the behaviour and production of about 170 cattle in a feedlot, comparing those in pens with enrichment in the form of a large, upright cattle-grooming brush, and those without, over 100 days.

Cattle with access to the brush exhibited more positive demeanour than those with no brush.

The research team was surprised to find the frequency and duration of brush use did not decrease over the study period, suggesting the cattle valued this form of enrichment for providing long-term mental and physical stimulation.

“Interestingly, the cattle were also observed to engage in play behaviour more frequently. As cattle are a social species, this is an important sign of positive wellbeing,” Associate Professor Collins said.

“These types of studies attempt to increase the understanding of what positive animal welfare looks like in farmed cattle. Despite the need for confinement for maximising growth, it is important to provide opportunities for cattle to groom themselves and each other to maintain overall wellbeing.

“Less stressed cattle will likely ensure safer interactions between producers and their animals, and also better-quality meat. Providing environmental enrichment helps promote natural behaviour which supports long term productivity and farm sustainability, while mitigating societal concerns for cattle farmed in feedlots.”

“The use of the cattle brush is an example of how producers can put into practice one of the stated goals in the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework (ABSF), which creates a pathway of best practice for the Australian beef industry, without a lot of expense or labour.”

This pilot study was carried out in two pens on one farm in Lake Preston in Western Australia.

The full published research is available in Frontiers in Animal Science .

Panels and pastures: Australia’s Agrivoltaic opportunity

Tue, 27 May 2025 06:41:20 GMT

As solar energy projects rapidly expand across the regions of Australia, a new approach is needed to balance clean energy development with the preservation of farmland, community support, and long-term benefits for farmers. Agrivoltaics, the combining of farming and solar panels on the same parcel of land, offers a promising solution.

The concept of integrating solar panels over crops and horticulture is still emerging in Australia, whereas it has been successfully implemented in various other countries for several decades. This innovative approach not only aids in food security, given it ensures land is still used productively and can open up new opportunities in new locations for shade loving plants, but also supports renewable energy goals and decarbonization efforts.

Japan stands out as a leader in agrivoltaics, cultivating around 120 different crops beneath solar panels including rice, cereals, vegetables, mushrooms, fruit trees, tea, coffee, and ornamental flowers. This practice is largely driven by land scarcity and is incentivised through feed-in premiums, which offer financial benefits to the energy developers as well as farmers depending on the business model. In Japan, agrivoltaic systems must ensure at least 80 per cent of agricultural yield compared to prior conditions, highlighting the commitment to maintaining agricultural productivity alongside solar energy generation. Solar panels must also be installed at a height of at least 2 metres (6.6 feet), allowing sufficient light for crops beneath.

A consideration is that agrivoltaics systems can require more land to produce the same amount of energy as ground mounted systems. The amount of land required by stilted agrivoltaic systems is typically 20 per cent to 40 per cent more than that of ground-mounted PV (photovoltaic) systems. This means that stilted, overhead agrivoltaic systems have a capacity of 500 to 800 kilowatt peak per hectare, while a conventional ground-mounted PV system can achieve 700 to 1100 kilowatt peak per hectare.

International standards and requirements

Other countries have established their own standards to ensure that agrivoltaic systems are beneficial for both agriculture and energy production:

Germany: Requires a minimum of 66 per cent of reference yield.
France: Mandates at least 90 per cent yield compared to a nearby control plot.
Italy: Limits solar panel coverage to no more than 40 per cent of the area on agrivoltaic sites.

In the United States, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources is spearheading agrivoltaic incentives through the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program. This program offers compensation rates up to $0.06/ kilowatt peak, contingent on specific design requirements. For instance, horizontal single-axis tracking systems must have a minimum panel height of 10 feet (3.0 metres), while fixed tilt systems require a minimum of 8 feet (2.4 metres). Furthermore, there are restrictions on shading—no more than 50 per cent shade should be created in any part of the site compared to baseline conditions.

Opportunities in Australia

Australia holds considerable potential for agrivoltaics, particularly with sub-5 Megawatt solar developments connected to the distribution network. These systems can provide behind-the-metre power to farms, enabling them to meet energy needs during peak times while exporting surplus energy at other times. Installation of a battery to soak up excess solar during the day and export in the evenings would provide a more lucrative income, receiving higher feed-in-tariff when trading on the wholesale market.

These smaller solar systems could also be located closer to larger load centres such as cities and industrial sites.

However, while international experiences offer valuable insights, substantial research tailored to Australian conditions is still needed. The 2023 report that I co-authored, "Pursuing an Agrivoltaic Future in Australia," outlines the specific research and considerations needed for successful implementation.

Solar grazing

In Australia, solar grazing has emerged as the most common form of dual land use on utility-scale solar farms. Successful solar grazing, where livestock graze on land underneath and around solar panels, hinges on thorough planning and design well before construction begins. Industry consultation has revealed that inadequate preparation can lead to significant challenges down the track. Key considerations in the planning phase include:

Effective pasture management to prevent overgrazing and encourage even grazing patterns, as well as to support maintenance strategies like crash grazing to manage grass height.
Site infrastructure that supports livestock handling, including trafficable surfaces and designated holding areas for mustering and administering animal health treatments.
Enough water troughs installed prior to electrical cabling going in.

Managing both pasture and sheep within a single large paddock interspersed with solar infrastructure can be difficult. Retrofitting solar farms after installation, with additional fencing, water points, or handling yards, is often costly, complex, and risky, especially when solar operators and landholders are not aligned on investment and return expectations.

To avoid these issues, solar developers should engage agronomists, livestock specialists, and experienced graziers early in the project lifecycle. Their input can guide:

Pasture selection and establishment, based on local soil and climate conditions.
Farm layout design, optimised for livestock health, pasture management, and operational efficiency.

Pastures should be well established before construction begins to ensure resilience and productivity. Where improved pastures already exist, disturbance during construction should be minimised. In areas with native pastures, preserving these ecosystems through low-impact development should be a priority.

Solar farms enhancing biodiversity

Biodiversity should be prioritised in low rainfall zones. For example, in arid and semi-arid areas characterized by less than 250 millimetres of rain a year, an ecologically sensitive option is to employ rollers instead of graders during construction and to incorporate the seeding of native plants beneath solar panels.

This approach offers numerous advantages, primarily centred around the conservation of soil structure and the promotion of low-growing plant growth for biodiversity enhancement. One significant benefit is the substantial reduction in dust and maintaining lower temperatures beneath the solar panels, contributing to enhanced panel efficiency. Furthermore, the sequestration of soil carbon becomes potentially a valuable mechanism for attracting carbon credits. Emphasising biodiversity as a foundational element in solar developments not only positively influences adjoining properties but also has broader implications for the entire landscape.

As Australia embraces the transition to renewable energy, agrivoltaics presents a unique opportunity to harmonise solar development with agricultural productivity, environmental stewardship, and rural economic resilience. International models, from Japan’s innovative crop integration to the policy frameworks in Europe and the United States, demonstrate that, with the right standards and incentives, solar farming can support both food and energy security.

Australia is well-positioned to lead in this space, particularly through solar grazing and sub-5 Megawatt distributed energy systems that serve local communities and industries. However, success will depend on thoughtful planning, collaboration between solar developers and agricultural experts, and an emphasis on ecological integrity, especially in low-rainfall regions where biodiversity-friendly design can deliver long-term benefits.

By embedding agriculture, energy, and ecology into the design of solar farms from the outset, Australia can unlock the full potential of agrivoltaics, not just as a land-use solution, but as a blueprint for a more sustainable and integrated future.

The future of ag-tech: reflections on four decades of innovation

Tue, 27 May 2025 06:22:46 GMT

A fter nearly 40 years in the ag-tech industry, I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations in how technology shapes modern agriculture and lifts farming productivity and profitability. From the early days of basic record-keeping to today’s AI-driven insights, the evolution has been nothing short of revolutionary. But where will technology take us next?

The early days: from gut instinct to data-driven decisions

When I began my career in the early 1990s, on-farm technology was primarily focused on recording financial, crop, and livestock data. The mantra was simple: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” For many farmers who relied on gut instinct, this shift to data-driven decision-making was a revelation.

As computing power advanced in the 1990s, farm management became increasingly granular. Livestock performance, for example, could be monitored at an individual animal level and crop inputs were tailored to ever-smaller areas—sometimes down to individual plants. Precision agriculture was born and farming entered a new era of efficiency of “doing more with less”.

The next frontier: connectivity, AI, and smart sensors

One of the biggest challenges in rural and remote areas has always been online connectivity. But with providers of satellite internet constellations like Starlink, high-speed internet is now accessible to farmers almost anywhere in Australia, unlocking new possibilities for real-time monitoring and automation.

Smart sensors capable of detecting pests and diseases, using images, sound or hyperspectral analysis allow farmers to monitor crops more frequently and accurately in ways that 10 years ago would have seemed impossible. For example, Laser doppler vibrometers can accurately detect insect species from their unique beating wing signature. High-resolution satellite imagery, available daily, enables remote assessment of land and crop conditions—detecting floods, fires, and crop health with unprecedented precision. The ability to react quickly to emerging threats to the farm can significantly reduce remediation costs.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to play a pivotal role in farm management in this country in the coming decade and beyond, proactively analysing data from across the property and providing alerts when potential issues arise. This will save time, effort, and money, allowing farmers to focus on high value activities rather than reactive problem-solving.

Farming in harmony with nature

When I completed my agriculture degree in 1990, at Seale-Hayne College in southwest England, my then crop lecturer Professor David Iley shared a vision: “We need to farm in harmony with nature.” Today, that philosophy is gaining traction through regenerative agriculture.

Our understanding of the soil microbiome, the gut microbiome in humans and animals, genetics and genomics, and the interconnectedness of natural cycles is driving more sustainable farming practices. Cloud computing’s virtually unlimited power for data storage and processing is helping solve complex agricultural challenges, enabling farmers to optimise their operations while preserving the environment For example, predictive analytics of weather, soil conditions, crop growth trends and market prices help in optimal planting, irrigation and harvesting schedules. New state-of-the-art AI tools like Microsoft Copilot Researcher and Analyst are now able to reason over and identify patterns in complex and disparate data sets.

Virtual fencing: A game-changer for extensive livestock management

One of the most exciting innovations on the horizon is virtual fencing technology, which centres on livestock wearing collars that deliver a sound cue or electric pulse when approaching a virtual boundary defined by GPS. This approach, which originates from the 1970s but was only commercialised in the last decade or so, allows livestock to be managed sustainably by concentrating animals in small areas for short periods, then moving them to allow the land to recover.

AI could soon monitor animal movement patterns, detect when fresh grazing is needed, and automatically relocate herds—potentially integrating satellite imagery to assess feed availability. In emergencies such as floods or fires, livestock could be moved to safety without the need for expensive helicopters or putting lives at risk. Likewise mustering costs can be reduced. For farmers who have lost infrastructure due to floods, virtual fencing may offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional fencing, revolutionising extensive grazing systems.

Looking ahead

The future of ag-tech is brimming with possibilities. From AI-driven farm management to regenerative practices and virtual fencing, technology is reshaping agriculture in ways we once only imagined. As we continue to innovate, one thing remains clear: the key to success lies in harnessing technology to work with nature, not against it.

Australian farmers can increase income while tackling climate change

Tue, 27 May 2025 06:04:08 GMT

As Australia’s climate becomes increasingly unpredictable, the agricultural sector is looking for ways to reduce its carbon footprint while diversifying income streams. Carbon farming and emissions reduction offer opportunities for Australian farmers to diversify their income and contribute to environmental sustainability.

As a superfine wool grower, I established trees belts to protect stock, particularly during lambing, and to manage salinity risks. Today I could also generate revenue by creating carbon credits from those trees.

Australian farmers understand and live with the impacts of a changing climate. A more variable climate with higher temperatures, changed rainfall, and increased risks of flooding and fire pose significant challenges to the sector.

It is somewhat ironic that carbon is viewed as a pollutant when thinking about climate change. In farming systems carbon is a key driver of plant and livestock productivity. All plants and animals depend upon and contain carbon. For this reason, building a strong understanding of and effectively managing the carbon cycle on farms is crucial.

Agriculture businesses contribute significantly to greenhouse gases: methane from livestock, nitrous oxide from fertilised soils, and carbon dioxide from deforestation and soil cultivation. In addition, using fossil fuels in farming equipment and processing also adds to emissions.

Agriculture also has the greatest potential to sequester carbon. The only proven low cost and scalable mechanism for drawing carbon out of the atmosphere is via the process of photosynthesis. Carbon is then stored in and cycled through plants, trees, and soils. Understanding the carbon cycle and developing strategies to build the carbon pool can both enhance productivity and provide opportunities to generate income through the creation of carbon credits.

According to the Climate Change Authority’s 2024 sector pathway review, land-based sequestration already reduces Australia’s emissions by more than 50 Mt CO2-e (megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) per annum ¹ .

At the same time, Australia's agricultural emissions – which account for 16 per cent of our total emissions (440.2 Mt CO2e) ² – are expected to remain steady over the next decade before declining towards the year 2050. Scaling up land-based sequestration, adopting new farm practices and technologies, alongside new low-emission technologies such as feed supplements, slow-release fertilisers, improved herd and pasture management, manure management, and renewable fuel-powered machinery, will facilitate this reduction.

Opportunities exist within Australian Government programs and schemes where farmers can earn carbon credits for implementing carbon farming and emissions reduction practices. Farmers can earn credits for each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent that would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere. These credits can be sold on the carbon market to businesses and individuals seeking to offset their carbon emissions and can represent a significant new source of income, especially as more companies look to meet their carbon reduction targets. Australia is recognised as a global carbon market leader.

Strict guidelines and rigorous governance ensure that each tonne of sequestered carbon is genuine and scientifically accredited. Each sequestration method undergoes rigorous development and validation by an independent committee to ensure effectiveness.

Carbon farming also offers ancillary benefits such as improved water use, increased livestock production efficiency, financial diversification, and provides environmental advantages like shade for livestock and habitats for threatened species.

Carbon farming is not simple. Like any new business venture, whether involving cattle, sheep, or cropping, success requires thorough research and accessing good advice. Before getting into carbon farming, it is important to do the research and get the latest information.

A well-executed carbon strategy will create better and more profitable farms. It will also support more sustainable landscapes and rural communities. A poorly executed carbon strategy will increase complexity, create more paperwork and reduce profitability.

Farmers looking to engage in carbon initiatives should do so because those initiatives align with their land and farm business goals. Do your research and find out whether it’s right for you and your business because renewable energy implementation and carbon abatement on your farm can present win-win opportunities. By adopting these practices, you will not only be helping the environment, but you’ll also be securing the long-term viability of your operations in the face of climate change.

1 Climate Change Authority Sector Pathways Review – Agriculture and Land, 2024. Figure AL.2: CSIRO’s modelling projections of sources and sinks for agriculture and land sector for A50/G2, pg.16.

2 Australia's greenhouse gas emissions: March 2024 quarterly update.

Community connections: The key to disaster resilience

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:34:19 GMT

As Australian farmers know, extreme weather is part of living on the land. Dr Margaret Moreton says our focus must go beyond identifying risk to increasing the resilience of people and communities.

It is widely recognised that extreme weather events and the disasters they often cause, have become more prevalent, can occur concurrently, and have significant, long-term impacts on people, communities, the environment, and the economy. Climate change is predicted to increase their frequency while also amplifying the impacts on Australians with anticipated longer and more intense fire seasons, more extreme heat events, more severe cyclones, and an increased likelihood of cyclones moving further south.

These adverse weather events - those we have experienced and those that are expected - take a tremendous toll on Australians, especially our agricultural industry and farming population.

The devastation and disruption from the bushfires of the summer of 2019-20, followed by consecutive rainfall and flooding events in 2020 and 2021, and finally the extensive flooding experienced in 2022, was widespread. This affected rural properties, and agricultural produce, influenced economic markets, and impacted people, families, and communities. Those affected are at the beginning of a long recovery journey, often delayed and complicated by COVID-19.

Risk management and extreme weather are by no means new to the Australian agricultural industry. There are few sectors so intimately entwined with the forces of nature. In accepting that these events will continue to occur, and indeed worsen, our focus must go beyond identifying risk to increasing our resilience, understanding the systemic nature of the risk, and protecting that which is valuable to us.

Building disaster resilience requires consideration of a multitude of factors that go far beyond what the weather is doing. While disasters are triggered by natural phenomena, disasters themselves are not natural. Physical considerations such as a property that backs onto a high fuel load forest or is on a floodplain certainly increase disaster risk, but there is still more at play.

Our resilience and, inversely, our vulnerability to disasters is influenced by intangible considerations such as our values, choices, attitudes, and behaviours. These considerations look different for each individual and each community.

For those working in the agricultural industry, the family home and the family business are usually on the same property, concentrating things of emotional and economic value in one location. For example, connection to place and care for livestock may influence a decision to evacuate during a disaster event – understanding these values and their influence on decision-making and behaviour contributes to resilience and preparedness to disaster events.

Connections and capacities at the community level have a significant impact on a town or a region’s collective disaster resilience. The more connected a community is, and the more it understands its diversity, needs, strengths, and vulnerabilities, the better it will recover from a disaster.

Partnerships between farmers, and with government and other agencies, also build resilience. The Drought and Climate Adaptation Program is one government initiative helping farmers in Queensland better manage drought and climate risks with improved seasonal forecast products, sharing tools, and on-property activities. The best climate scientists, government and non-government agencies, farmers, and industry leaders are working together on several cutting-edge projects targeting the grazing, cropping, sugarcane, and horticulture commodities. Queensland farmers are adopting new technologies and practices to improve both their management decisions and ability to manage risks that challenge their business.

Resilience spans far beyond whether the flames or the floodwaters reach a property or home. The unique characteristics of the agricultural industry requires a variety of considerations such as the need to address environmental resilience, economic resilience, animal welfare, infrastructure and road access, access to services, community cohesion and mental health preservation, and sometimes the sheer distances involved in running an agriculture business in regional or remote Australia.

As many farmers know, a resilience mindset is part of living on the land. It is important to consider all aspects of resilience, continually develop and review an emergency plan, get ready for any eventuality early and imagine and prepare for the worst.

Being prepared with a plan that is personalised and localised is invaluable – but only if it is in place before disaster strikes. Knowing what you will do, where you will go, and who you will call, can help to reduce uncertainty during a disaster and increase capability and confidence. Reaching out to those who might be new in your area, or just travelling through, will protect your whole community, because they may not know the land as well as you do. Early planning, education and learning about risks and hazards, and strengthening connections of those who live nearby will enable you to be resilient and help others if (perhaps when) disaster strikes.

Educating Future Leaders of the Ag Workforce

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:28:51 GMT

Australia must prioritise the education and up-skilling of future leaders in our primary industries to effectively meet the growing demand for food and fibre.

There is excitement among politicians and primary industries organisations about the future of Australian agriculture – and food production in particular. Much of this excitement is driven by the opportunity to have a leading role in feeding an increasing world population which is already experiencing issues with supply chain reliability, from paddock to plate. It is imperative that our national interest and resolve maintains an important focus on agriculture in the critical years ahead.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates the number of inhabitants on this planet will reach 9.3 billion by the year 2050. Much discussion, both politically and in our primary industries, is focusing on how this rapidly rising population will be fed.

Australia should acknowledge the various opportunities and challenges it now faces to meet the growing demand for food within our borders, and further afield, including Asia and beyond. Many experts now say that significant capital is required for Australia’s agricultural sector in the coming years. This funding is critical for farms, infrastructure, and facilities, such as food processing centres, if we are to capture our share of this enormous and burgeoning market.

The real challenge for the agricultural sector will be securing human resources with the diversification of skills and education to work in all areas across the food and fibre primary production spectrum. Much of the education and training undertaken in the rural sector has traditionally been on-the-job, but as the world population and subsequent food demand increases, so to do the educational requirements of those involved in agriculture.

There will always be demand across the agricultural sector for workers with a range of education qualifications. Many manual roles can be mastered with on-the-job training, but in order to progress to future roles in the primary industries, such as farm managers and other leaders within the supply chain, further education is necessary.

The education of our future agricultural leaders is now a high priority for both government and primary industries. A national, coordinated approach to assist high schools to encourage interest in agricultural careers through structured programs, will have meaningful, long-term impact. Programs offered by organisations such as the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia fulfill this function, through supporting food and fibre education and the promotion of agricultural careers at a high school and tertiary level.

Productivity Commission reports have identified that a key source of productivity growth in Australian agriculture has been the recent generation and adoption of new knowledge or technologies. Productivity growth has come about as those involved in agriculture have made better use of available technologies and management practices, with this knowledge typically obtained in a formal learning context – high school or university.

High performing agricultural managers along the various supply chains often need to make complex decisions to achieve a profit during challenging times. Many skills can be learned on the job, but the development of the high-level cognitive thinking needed for sophisticated and effective management decision making is best learned off-farm. Agricultural managers now need to be highly skilled and university degree qualified.

The multitude of information available to managers in the agricultural sector continues to increase. As managers, they need to be competent in analysing and interpreting information in a proficient manner. Managers should seek to embrace information technology and consider advances in production, mechanical, and biological technologies.

To be successful, managers can benefit from good numeracy skills for tasks like applying for loans, and solid literacy skills to be across a large range of print information. Time management, networking capabilities, and interpersonal traits are core elements of an effective manager.

Successful managers are skilled in negotiating contracts and deals and can accurately develop business plans and monitor expenditure. Leading farmers are effective at assessing situations where there are risk-reward dynamics. They discard outdated cultures and practices, such as resistance to new technology, which are known to make their business vulnerable.

Effective managers are curious to dissect problems, willing to ask questions, and embrace change. Interpreting market information and keeping up with global trends is critical. Other skills required by managers in the rural sector include the ability to forecast demand and prices for inputs with increased accuracy and to benchmark their products and systems against other producers.

Major technological developments in future years will have an impact on the world of work. Important for managers of the future will be demonstration of their flexibility and adaptability so they can cope with future workplace changes. Managers should adopt the concept of ‘life-long learning’.

In addition to education and training, research and innovation are important to ensure gains for the agricultural sector. As an example, those involved in farming pursue more productive and sustainable use of land, and this can only be achieved through the development and deployment of new knowledge – and research and innovation are fundamental and important contributors.

As a nation, understanding the need for talent diversity in agriculture is crucial. If we are earnest about the promise and potential of this fast growing industry, which is also the world’s oldest and largest, then we surely should fully commit to the development of skills and knowledge at a high school, vocational training, and higher education level.

If Australia is to maintain its position as an effective food producer, and if we are to contribute meaningfully to the productivity increases required to feed a growing global population, prioritising the skills and professionalism of the people who make up the food supply chain, through education, is of utmost importance.

Innovations for a climate resilient sustainable agricultural sector

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:18:11 GMT

Opportunities are emerging that will allow producers to build enterprise resilience through new climate risk transfer (insurance) products and income diversification (carbon and biodiversity credit) schemes. There is significant potential for these to help to smooth the year-to-year income variability linked to climate-related risk and to lead to both healthier agricultural landscapes and a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.

Climate change, and as a result increasing climate variability, is a multidimensional problem impacting social, economic, and environmental values. Practical and affordable adaptation solutions are urgently needed to help farmers cope with the impacts of increasing climate variability through the adoption of management practices that reduce climate-related (including financial) risk (Mushtaq et al. 2018). These include both diversifications of income streams to help smooth income variability and ecosystem-based adaptation measures that buffer agricultural systems from the impacts of climate extremes.

Here, an innovative property management solution is presented that allows producers to dedicate areas of land, which may be less profitable and subject to higher agricultural drought risk, to generate revenue from carbon sequestration and environmental/biodiversity credits. The approach would see producers dedicate marginal agricultural areas (e.g., areas that are opportunistically cropped) to more drought-resilient productive uses (e.g. planting of shelter belts), while also creating environmentally beneficial revenue-raising options. Revenue generated through the conversion of marginal land could in turn support drought risk adaptation to protect against financial losses due to climate extremes. This approach minimises conflict between agricultural and environmental outcomes and creates synergies that benefit farmers’ incomes.

A key component of this innovative solution is the opportunity to exchange environmental/biodiversity credits to cover crop risk premiums that protect farmer losses from climate disasters. Depending on the size of relative proportion of land dedicated to crop production and the area dedicated to earning carbon/biodiversity credits, producers could choose to cover different types and magnitudes of risk (e.g. drought, flood, and/or partial to total crop loss). Sold carbon credit units could allow farmers to purchase a range of agricultural insurance types, such as multi-peril insurance cover, yield cover, income protection, and index-based insurance. Of these, index-based insurance may be the most viable option. Index insurance pays the holder of the insurance contract when a certain value on an index (e.g. a percentile of rainfall) is realized (Kath et al. 2018). Index-based insurance is generally cheaper than either yield- or revenue-based insurance because it does not require expensive on-ground assessments and limits moral hazard resulting from information asymmetries or false reporting of losses. The potentially cheaper premiums and reduced moral hazard risks mean that index-based insurance schemes may be relatively easily integrated with our proposed ‘carbon for insurance’ framework, especially in developing countries where index-based insurance schemes are already widespread (Hazell et al. 2010).

More importantly, government could expand existing emissions trading systems by providing enabling conditions (e.g., tax offsets) to encourage farmers to use their marginal land for the purchase of insurance. Fostering the establishment of plantations for carbon storage would reduce carbon dioxide levels to further facilitate the environmental (e.g., increased land dedicated to natural values), economic (e.g. faster production recovery from climate disasters), and social (e.g. reduction of socio-economic hardship of producers impacted by climate disasters) benefits.

Key efficiency drivers of these innovative property management solutions include:

The opportunity cost of land. Normally, marginal land is not used for productive purposes; however, this approach will allow the use of marginal or surplus land for carbon plantation purposes;

Timeframe. Timeframe is an important parameter, especially for insurance industries and farmers, since they will engage in long-term contracts; further, access to long-term farm data to verify insurance claims will reduce moral hazard;

Affordable premiums. Longer-term interaction with the insurance industry will lead to better understanding of climate-related risks, providing the possibly of cheaper/more affordable insurance premiums, and opportunities for sustainable insurance products; and

Economies of scale: Greater uptake of insurance products will increase the possibility of aggregation by insurance companies, which will enable the sector to reach economically viable scales. This is expected to reduce transaction costs for individual small-scale producers and to reduce barriers to participation in carbon contracts (e.g. plantations). Aggregation can enhance economies of scale, reduce transaction costs and enhance the long-term sustainability of carbon and biodiversity projects.

In summary, innovative property management solutions are expected to allow growers to diversify their income streams and smooth year-to-year income variability linked to climate-related risk. These include access to markets that provide financial rewards for increasing vegetative and soil carbon sequestration, and the development and availability of affordable crop insurance to protect financial losses from climate disasters.

Social licence in the 2020s

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:12:33 GMT

Amid debate surrounding the live sheep export industry, Grain Producers Australia questions the veracity of ‘social licence’ concerns.

Allan Marshall recently published an excellent article outlining the important role live sheep exports play in delivering multiple benefits, especially improved animal welfare and global food security.

The Lake Grace farmer’s analysis also highlighted the industry's job-creation in rural communities, and taxation revenue that is subsequently re-invested into delivering critical public services.

"Export income provides the Australian people with the hospitals, schools, and many other ancillary services required by a modern society," he wrote.

Allan's article rightly questioned the validity of 'social licence' issues raised by animal rights activists more than five years ago via highly emotive and sensationalised media reports, which led to Labor's decision to ban the trade, if re-elected.

"The industry responded to those concerns with livestock ships being refitted to accommodate and even to the point of suspending the trade during the Northern Hemisphere summer period. The inclusion of on-board veterinary staff was introduced to monitor the health of the stock in transit and to record any deaths during the voyage. The death rate on these modern livestock vessels is now about 0.03 per cent, which is lower than on-farm natural death rates," he wrote.

So why does this closure of the live sheep trade concern Grain Producers Australia?

Firstly, many of our members are also livestock producers: they're living already with the social and economic consequences, such as vastly reduced sheep prices.

Secondly, the version of 'social licence' used to 'justify' this ban is politically distorted. That problem needs to be urgently addressed so producers have clarity and certainty in future.

Something is horribly wrong with the world when an industry that's operating with a success rate of 99.97pc (in preventing mortalities) - remembering there's no such thing as zero risk - and has responded to 'public concerns', is now being banned, to serve a political agenda.

The industry has taken its medicine from one prescribing doctor (the former Coalition government) but the new one insists the industry still has a deadly disease, despite evidence to the contrary.

The real question should be – who's issuing this licence which tolerates such a flawed diagnosis being accepted by anyone, with evidence of better health totally ignored?

Our members are watching this policy decision with intense interest, to not only try to comprehend it, but also predict what's coming next from the 'licensing authority'.

We can't continue to stand back and say nothing when such poor policy decisions are being made, contrary to facts and proof.

The new 10 per cent Biosecurity Protection Levy that's raising funds for consolidated government revenue is really another tax on growers and another example of this approach, which concerns GPA.

You have to stand up for what's right. That's why GPA made a submission to the consultation panel process on the phase-out of live sheep exports by sea. We also presented our views to the four-member panel at a public hearing in Sydney.

Our submission covered in ACM papers said the anti-farming activist agenda would be emboldened by this ban, applying its significant funding, resources, and subversive strategies to target cattle and grains.

This ban will set a dangerous precedent which would encourage other extreme activist groups targeting the cropping sector, such as those ideologically opposed to the use of fertilisers, pesticides, and biotechnology, despite heavy regulation and objective scientific evidence of their safety.

GPA's submission highlighted the points raised by Allan about the flawed interpretation of 'social licence' used to justify this ban.

The submission highlighted the "dangerous, poor precedent this ban sets for all of Australian agriculture and the broader community", arguing that it creates greater uncertainty, confusion and loss of confidence.

The submission called upon the panel process to consider the fact that agriculture requires "a clear and transparent definition of social licence to work with in future, to deliver real certainty and grow business confidence, with clearly defined meanings on key matters eg; who the actual licensing body/agent is; the communities impacted by the licence; what the actual offences are and committed by whom; standards of evidence to guide the agent's decisions; and the steps needed to remedy issues and address so called 'community concern' (ie animal welfare improvements), and maintain trust, rather than invoking blunt bans".

GPA believes that without these clear guidelines for 'social licence', Australian producers and farming industries will face even greater uncertainty, in confronting an even more volatile future.

Colin Bettles is the Chief Executive of Grain Producers Australia. This article was first published on Farmonline in August 2023.

Succeeding in succession

Fri, 23 May 2025 00:07:07 GMT

Succession planning on family farms is an essential part of a successful business, but in Australia it is an underappreciated and often messy matter. Founder of Fledgling Farmers and 2018 ABC Trailblazer Alana Black writes about her personal experiences with succession planning and how communication is key.

FROM FATHER TO SON

My life changed after asking my mother the simple question, “why are we not on the farm anymore?”

Like most families, it’s difficult to explain our experience with succession. My ancestors, the Applebees, migrated to Australia from Yorkshire in the 1860s and settled on a little hill atop the Great Dividing Range. And we’ve never left – the original farm is still in the family today, just not within my direct line.

My grandfather, Jack, grew up on the farm. Jack left school at age 12 to contribute to the family business and spent his time picking apples and cherries and tending to livestock. It was an idyllic albeit modest life, though with two brothers and six sisters the farm couldn’t realistically support them all. When Jack’s father died, the farm was left to his two other brothers and not another word was said about it. I have no doubt that my grandfather suffered a lot of self-doubt from missing out on the farm and his sisters were expected to marry farmers – not become one.

The fact that only the sons were considered for succession is not lost on me. In Australia it is estimated that only 10 per cent of farm successors are daughters. Jack and his sisters lost an important part of their identity when they lost the farm and it’s something I’m still trying to understand.

My cousin Colin now runs the farm and generations later we’re healing old wounds. In comparison to other local families who have experienced a messy succession, we’re lucky that all brothers stayed close until their deaths and Colin is a close part of our family. Because of this closeness, Colin told me he always felt a sense of guilt from Jack missing out which led him to sell some of the property to my brother to, in Colin’s words, “right a past wrong”.

From Temora to Tenterfield you could go into any pub, mention succession planning, and hear a similar story of broken families and broken dreams. But why, after years of succession being in the spotlight, are we still getting it so wrong?

SOWING THE SEEDS OF SUCCESSION

A 2007 study from the University of New England reported “close to 50 per cent of farmers in Australia had not identified a successor”, indicating that succession is not extensively discussed by farming families, resulting in a lack of preparedness.

I’ve been told that to be successful in business there’s a lot of room for passion, but no room for emotion. But for farmers, their home, family and work are so intimately woven that it makes generational transitions difficult. And this can ultimately result in issues with farm productivity, ownership and income.

On the simplest level, farming families need to learn how to communicate better with each other. I know that sounds like an incredibly basic answer to an extremely complex topic, but how many of us can put our hand up and say that we’re a truly effective communicator? The statistics regarding rural mental health speak volumes about the communication deficit in regional Australia.

HOW TO BE A BETTER COMMUNICATOR

Every family is different, with unique systems of management that inform their rules or “norms” of communication.

1. Meet regularly

A good starting point to integrate communication structures into family farming businesses is to gather all stakeholders on a regular basis.

These gatherings (frequency can vary between families but it is widely recommended at least twice a year) are an opportunity to discuss the progress of the business with the family and will create an environment where family members feel comfortable to ask questions. This is also the right communication venue for family members who are not involved in the day-to-day running of a business to get their concerns heard.

Each meeting provides stakeholders with a forum to be heard with open and honest communication that is understood and respected by all.

2. Truly listen

My mother always said: “If your mouth is open, your ears are closed”. It’s a saying which can translate to all businesses, not just family owned farms.

Active listening is hard. We’re often so keen to get our side of the story across that we forget to listen to what our colleagues and family members are trying to say.

The key to becoming a better listener is to stay quiet and hear the other person out fully, without interrupting, and to keep an open mind when disagreements arise. It’s a lot harder than it seems!

3. Give it time

It’s going to take time and a great deal of dedication and effort to build an environment of open and transparent communication within your family and business. But the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices, as effective communication not only improves the family business dynamics but helps ensure the proud continuation of family farming in Australia.

Our agricultural future will be defined by Science and Innovation

Thu, 22 May 2025 07:04:20 GMT

Prof. Victor Sadras is a world authority on crop ecophysiology with an interest in the adaptation of crops to environmental stresses, including water deficit, extreme temperatures, nutrient deficit, soil physical and chemical constraints, pathogens and insects. He leads the team of Crop Ecophysiology at the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI). Prof Sadras has distilled the background, objectives and findings in his co-authored paper Making Science More Effective for Agriculture published in the international journal “Advances in Agronomy”, Volume 163, 2020.

Food Agility is a $150 million innovation hub funded by the federal government and a long list of prominent partners in agribusiness, technology and research. The CRC’s mission is to lead a digital revolution in food production and supply by brokering innovative research, educating the industry workforce and influencing policy in the sector.

How can Australian agriculture embrace the opportunities offered by digital technology, particularly big data and the Internet of Things (IoT)?

“Six or seven years ago, agriculture was considered to be at the bottom end of the scale in terms of digital MakMaking science more effective for agriculture

Australian agricultural output increased 2.8-fold since 1961, a growth trajectory only disrupted transiently by the widespread, persistent and severe millennium drought. Innovative producers engaged with an effective scientific community underlie this outstanding trajectory. The evidence is clear – investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) is highly profitable for Australian agriculture; returns on investment are 10:1 and often much higher; few investments elsewhere in the economy are more profitable.

A group of scientists, breeders, economists, farmers, managers and industry representatives met in Adelaide to pose questions about effective investment in agriculture R&D. Acknowledging Australia’s already high return on investment record historically, the meeting asked: “can we do better?”. Despite a compelling case for more investment, we see less. In many countries, especially the high-income countries like the United States and Australia, public investment in agricultural R&D has stagnated or is declining in real terms. At the same time, funding is occasionally misallocated to fashionable R&D programs with unlikely payoffs. Additional concerns are many and varied including: (1) a shift towards bureaucratic industrial principles to organise scientific work; (2) the opportunity cost of the scientists’ time for applying and managing funds; (3) reduced scope to pursue the unexpected because of contractual constrictions, incentive structures, and restricted exchange of information between scientists; (4) and the erosion of scientific expertise in core disciplines including crop science and ecology.

The core issue is to manage the tension between the fact that we cannot plan for the discovery of the unknown, but in agriculture, we cannot afford expensive distractions – nitrogen fixing cereals, for example, are an expensive distraction. Julian Alston, an Australian economist that pioneered economic approaches for allocation of limited resources to R&D, formalises this tension:

“ …There is a demonstrated need for formal economic evaluation of alternative investments and priority-setting procedures but … formal evaluation and priority-setting procedures should not be used as a basis for replacing ingenuity, serendipity and scientific entrepreneurship with bureaucratic procedures…”

Data-driven technologies, including “omics” and precision agriculture have overpromised and under-delivered. They share an emphasis on data (“we measure stuff because we can”). Big data is the next promise. The question must be asked: “To what extent are we limited by data, and to what extent by our understanding of the problem at hand”.

Chief Research Scientist at the Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, Dr John Passioura noted:

“…major technological innovations have major consequences. Their inventors often develop them to solve problems that are otherwise intractable – such are their motives. However, as the appreciation of the power of these technologies spreads, fascination with them can change their role. They become seen as powerful tools to try in all sorts of novel ways. They may then become the (often inept) drivers of research, rather than the means to solve specific important problems…”

The meeting in Adelaide concluded:

“…there is no silver bullet in agricultural R&D. Agricultural innovation emerges from new combinations of existing technologies. Funding bodies should scrutinise carefully new ’bandwagons‘. Donors and investors who are reluctant to support ’more of the same‘ unintentionally favour spurious claims of breakthroughs that need to be challenged. Excessive emphasis on data clouds the issues, whilst testable hypotheses remain paramount for robust and relevant science. …the situation is not static – the targets of agricultural R&D evolve. A likely future direction for R&D in agriculture and food will be to ask as much about the efficiency of demand issues as the past has been concerned with food supply. Environmental resilience is expected to remain central, and the interface between agriculture, human nutrition, diet and obesity is increasingly important. Irrespective of the targets, investments in agricultural science and technology must be used more effectively, and declining public investment reversed. All actors must preserve the same high, evidence-based standards that has led to realised success – but also be prepared to move out of their intellectual comfort zones.”

EDITOR’S CONCLUSIONS: 1MG commissioned this piece originally from the outstanding Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), where one of Professor Sadras’ co-authors Professor Daniel Rodriguez works as a Professional Research Fellow in the Centre for Crop Science. QAAFI is yet another of Australia’s many vanguard research institutes ultimately serving our country’s farmers and the wider agricultural economy. We love their phrase about “ingenuity, serendipity and scientific entrepreneurship” because it describes not only scientists but also our innovative farmers. Australian farmers have always exhibited creativity and experimentation in many ways, and this should grow. Yes, government does need to increase R&D funding in agriculture, and do it well and knowingly. Farmers ought be more vocal about this subject with their local MPs, or direct to the Minister, at State or Federal levels. As publishers on the need for more science and innovation in our society, we feel passionately about this. And we are experienced enough to know that if we don’t call out for it, define it , take a stand, the results will be lesser, or nil. Agricultural peak bodies also ought to lobby aggressively for this – many are already. The pace should increase. Rigorous science and innovation are critical to Australia’s farmers –at the farm, regional, state and federal government levels, all. No food producing nation will grow its returns over the years to come without the fulcrum of intelligently applied science and innovation. Such intelligent decisions can only be arrived at through greater interaction between farmers, scientists and government. And every farmer worthy of the name should grow in the Australian tradition of self–education, experimentation and now more than ever – engagement and collaboration. Our collective agricultural voice ought be heard at government, and research priorities, key concerns for both SARDI and QAAFI, be refined, indeed defined, by the end beneficiary: our farmers.

Improving mental health help for farmers in the face of increased droughts and rising temperatures

Thu, 22 May 2025 06:57:05 GMT

Mental health issues in farmers are a rising concern, especially in the face of predicted increases in droughts and hotter conditions. We need to get better in dealing with and treating mental health conditions in rural communities.

As the driest inhabited continent in the world, Australia regularly experiences rainfall deficiency, prolonged drought, and hotter temperatures with future change predicted to heighten these extremes.

One area of growing concern is the link between the impacts of weather extremes on mental health, particularly in rural areas.

Droughts result in reduced agricultural production, increased financial hardship, degraded environmental conditions, and reduced regional employment opportunities. As a result, droughts can induce post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, with hotter temperatures negatively influencing the central nervous system and moods.

Poor mental health is linked with higher suicide rates, and in Australia, the suicide rate in remote Australia has been found to be almost double that of major cities.

In a study published by my team this year in Climate Change Economics, research in the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia found that an increase in extreme drought occurrence in the previous 12 months was strongly associated with the suicide rate increasing by almost a third. Moderate drought was also found associated with an increasing suicide rate, but only by a small margin.

Hotter temperatures were also positively linked to a rise in the total suicide rate. The more farmers within an area studied, the higher the suicide rate, and the suicide of males and younger age groups were more positively associated with extreme drought and higher temperatures.

A survey of 1338 farmers by Norco and the National Farmers Federation in February 2023 found similar findings.

They reported that close to half of Australian farmers had thoughts of self-harm or suicide, with the three biggest factors affecting mental health being weather or natural disasters; financial stress; and inflation and cost pressures.

Weather and natural disasters were said to have caused financial burden, negative impact on animals and loss of stock; and a difficult and costly rebuild and recovery process.

As drought and other natural weather events progressively become more severe, as is predicted with future climate change predictions, we need to design more effective mental health interventions, as well as putting policies in place to deal with climate change.

Current interventions in the bush range from telehealth and medical services; to primary health networks services; to men’s sheds; to drought counselling.

Breaking down deeply held stigmas around mental health issues, especially for men, is very important, and what also seems to be key is that farmers prefer talking to people whom they already have an existing relationship. Hence, there are calls for farmers to “check in on a mate” and create a “Farmers’ Army” of mental health advocates.

In addition, given the important interrelated relationship between weather and natural disasters and financial hardship, there is a need to promote: alternative forms of income on-farm (including from natural capital); drought preparedness; improved financial accounting and literacy; appropriate regional economic and social development policies; and aiding farm exit where necessary. Greater research in understanding the problem and its solutions is also critical. The aim is to try to create numerous ways in trying to deal successfully with this wicked problem, to work towards better mental health for all those in the bush.

If you or anyone you know needs help:

Lifeline on 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636

Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

Headspace on 1800 650 890

ReachOut at au.reachout.com

MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774

Head to Health at headtohealth.gov.au

When cropping meets the carbon economy: play the offensive game

Thu, 22 May 2025 06:38:57 GMT

With business Greenhouse Gas emissions reporting now a reality in Australia, and agriculture becoming increasingly entangled in the carbon economy, how can farmers best position themselves?

As an agronomist in the Australian agricultural carbon space, I see opportunity and risk ahead for farming in the evolving carbon economy. Farmers may be asked to account for, and then ultimately pay for, emissions (i.e., fertiliser, electricity, fuel, methane etc.) created in the production of agricultural produce (i.e., grain, meat, fibre). The philosophy of “Occam's Razor” suggests that the most likely scenario will be that insetting emissions will simply become a requirement to market entry. Importantly, the grower will bear this cost of lowering the on farm emissions i.e., reduce fertiliser, fuel, or livestock from burping. Not a very straightforward task on the farm and often economically very unpalatable.

There is a narrative in the landscape that agriculture should ”socialise” its carbon emissions with the value chain by ”insetting” carbon emissions into its saleable produce. Nice sounding words. It’s actually code for ”the rest of the value chain wants to push emissions downstream, off their books…back to the farmer”.

Why? I call it the ”Pepe-Le-Pew effect”. Remember that old Looney Tunes cartoon skunk that was always being overly amorous with the cat, and the cat seriously didn't want anything to do with the skunks unwanted advances? Well, Pepe-Le-Pew represents carbon emissions and the cat represents businesses.

It’s a game of ”pass-the-(emissions) parcel” and don't get caught with it when the music stops or else you will pay.

That’s where farming has a seriously powerful unfair advantage.

Carbon is good for soils, crops, resilience, and food security. Soils are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet. Farmers manage that carbon sink. No other industry has access to this huge carbon sink. It’s a fortunate ”unfair advantage”, the ace in our hand in this carbon economy.

There are two reasons for this: one, the farmer can grow another valuable enterprise-stacked crop (soil carbon credits); and two, it's a chance to rehabilitate tied soils with more carbon and get paid for it. They call that a ”win-win”, and it's the only way this carbon space is going to truly work in agriculture’s favour I believe.

Science confirms we can indeed build carbon in soils in both grazing and annual cropping systems. This changes the game. When a landholder can reliably store a carbon credit on their own farm, in their own soils, that carbon credit value sits on the farmer's own balance sheet as a financial instrument. No one else owns those credits. The farmer is free to use whatever financial mechanism s/he chooses to wield that influence in the carbon economy.

I'll leave this with the astute to think about what that actually means to a farm business. For mine, I’d rather play offensively, enhance my soil health and be on the front foot in the carbon game than be a defensive bunny in the headlights. Best of all, growing soil carbon credits allows the industry to truly earn a global green image in the climate space by actually physically removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere whilst improving soils … at scale. A virtuous and welcomed win-win-win with legacy.

Crop modelling in crop management and genetic improvement

Tue, 20 May 2025 08:13:32 GMT

Computer modelling and simulation of crops can guide decision making by predicting consequences of crop management and genetic trait improvement options.

Dr Alex Wu and Professor Graeme Hammer. Graeme is one of the founders of the globally leading crop modelling platform, Agricultural Production System Simulator (APSIM). Alex has been working as a post-doctoral fellow with Graeme in further developing and applying this technology.

Poor seasonal conditions can wipe off tens of million tonnes of grain production and multi-billion dollar reduction in the total farmgate value each year. Achieving productivity gains and yield stability are thus sustained focal areas in the grains industry.

This requires the synergetic effort of many individuals and entities spanning the grains industry: farmers to grow the most suitable crops based on informed decisions, with the support of breeders, agronomists, and extension experts in providing cultivars and production advice, which are powered by research and development. A platform to integrate these collective efforts will be most valuable.

What is crop modelling?

The Australian grains industry already has extensive experience with existing crop cultivars, management practices, and production environments. This helps growers to achieve good crop outcomes and minimise the odds of bad productivity performance and financial losses. The sustained focus on increasing yield and yield stability will require continual supply of innovations to improve management practices and cultivar attributes.

One of the means to generate innovation is via computer simulation. Via modelling and simulation, it is feasible to look at anticipated yield and production risk ‘a priori’ by examining outcomes over many years and locations. The best way to do this is by using a reliable crop model with relevant long-term climate data and soil data to simulate what might happen when agronomic practices and/or cultivar attributes are changed.

Broadacre crops can be thought of as a complex soil–plant–environment system with many interacting biological (underpinned by the genetics of the plant, G), environmental (E), and crop management practice (M) components. Crop modelling is an exercise that formalises our knowledge in how G × E × M can interact into mathematical equations, connecting knowledge from across the grains industry from grain growers to researchers.

Modelling and simulation provide an avenue to predict consequences of crop management decision options, support their relevance by assessing broad-scale impact , as well as test new cultivar ideas and climatic conditions that may not currently exist. This helps the formulation of robust ideas that can be followed by real-world testing, supporting the delivery of innovations.

Tangible benefits of crop modelling

The concepts related to using crop models as agricultural decision/discussion support has matured over the past many decades and forms a critical part of the grains industry research and development.

Crop science research and modelling supported by the grains industry has enabled the development of advanced computer modelling capability (Hammer et al., 2010). This capability has been used with long-term sequences of climatic data to test probabilistic estimates of yield for a range of decision options, such as planting time, antecedent soil moisture status, cultivar maturity, and moisture conserving agronomic practices like single- and double-skip row systems (Muchow et al., 1994). It has also provided avenues to test G × E × M options for likely future climates (Hammer et al., 2020).

This capability has also been utilised for plant breeding. In addressing the stagnation in the improvement of crop yield, a major Australian government investment into crop modelling enabled researchers and plant breeders to evaluate the value of manipulating plant genetics on photosynthesis, increasing the efficiency at which crop plants convert CO2 into biomass and yield (Wu et al., 2019).

These sorghum crop modelling examples show the ability of modelling in generating broad-scale assessment as an effective means to support robust discussion with decision-makers.

Better outcomes for the grains industry

As the grains industry looks for avenues to improve productivity and profitability, investment into crop science and modelling and engaging with experts and tools for decision/discussion support can help accelerate the discovery and delivery of innovative strategies.

Crop modelling has significantly increased the quality of research and development outputs by integrating knowledge and efforts between decision-making individuals and entities across the wider grains industry from growers, plant breeders, advisors, agronomists, plant/crop scientists experts.

The concept of engaging modelling as a supportive tool extends beyond the provided sorghum example, benefiting various Australian crops including other cereals (e.g., wheat: Chenu et al., 2017; Hunt et al., 2019), legumes, horticulture and viticulture crops.

Maintaining and growing the fruitful interactions across the agricultural industry supported by modelling research and experts will help ensure Australia’s agriculture improvement efforts remain robust and relevant for addressing new challenges.

Some of the entities with close connections to crop modelling efforts. The output of each decision-maker can be enhanced with a two-way connection with others. Crop modelling plays a key role in facilitating information exchange and decision/discussion support.

Dealers: essential partners in agriculture, not just middlemen

Tue, 20 May 2025 07:30:44 GMT

A discussion point has been raised recently about the value proposition of machinery dealerships which provoked an interesting reflection on what dealers actually bring to the industry, and indeed the broader agricultural economy. Viewing the role of dealerships as simply transactional, fails to recognise the significant value they bring to local communities, industries, and the nation.

Supporting local communities and providing careers

Dealers are not just intermediaries; they are pivotal employers within local communities. Across Australia, these businesses employ thousands of people in roles ranging from sales and service to logistics and administration. Many of these employees live, work, and contribute directly to the communities where these dealerships operate, fostering economic activity and stability in rural and regional areas. These businesses don’t just employ workers—they create opportunities for families to thrive in rural areas, sustaining communities that are increasingly under pressure from urbanisation and corporate consolidation.

Dealerships are among the largest providers of apprenticeships in regional Australia. They train the next generation of mechanics, technicians, and precision farming specialists, equipping them with globally transferable skills. These aren’t just jobs— they’re pathways to expertise that can open doors to opportunities anywhere in the world. This investment in education and career development ensures a pipeline of expertise that supports not just agriculture but also a wide range of industries reliant on skilled technical labour.

Commitment to sustainability and environmental standards

Dealers have also embraced their responsibility to meet community expectations regarding sustainability. Many are actively working to reduce the environmental impact of machinery by introducing electric and hybrid options and promoting equipment that meets stringent European and U.S. standards for engine emissions. This is not just a response to regulatory changes but a proactive effort to align with global trends in environmental stewardship. Plus, these innovations are critical in ensuring farmers have access to equipment that meets both current and future environmental expectations.

Feeding the nation and supporting farmers

While the internet has indeed made information and purchasing more accessible, farming is not a nine-to-five job. Dealers provide unparalleled support that goes beyond the initial sale, including round-the-clock service, parts availability, and expert advice during critical seasons. When a combine breaks down during harvest, it’s the local dealer who dispatches a technician at midnight, ensuring minimal downtime and preventing potential crop losses. This level of service is something no online marketplace can replicate. Dealers don’t just sell machinery—they ensure it keeps running, minimising downtime and keeping farms operational and productive when it matters most. The call for greater pricing transparency is valid, but it’s essential to consider the full value proposition that dealers offer. The cost of maintaining a local presence, employing skilled workers, and stocking a wide range of parts and equipment reflects the essential services they provide. A race to the bottom on pricing may yield short-term savings but risks undermining the infrastructure that supports farmers in the long term.

Conclusion

The term “middleman” often carries a reductive connotation that oversimplifies the critical contributions of dealers. Far from being a source of market failure, these businesses are enablers of success for farmers, employees, and local communities alike. It’s worth noting that many dealers are already adapting to new technologies and market expectations. Online parts stores, remote diagnostics, and precision farming consultations are just a few examples of how dealerships are integrating digital solutions into their operations. Far from resisting change, they are evolving to meet the needs of a modern agricultural economy while maintaining the personal touch and local presence that online platforms cannot replace.

When cropping meets the carbon economy: play the offensive game

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 06:11:01 GMT

With business Greenhouse Gas emissions reporting now a reality in Australia, and agriculture becoming increasingly entangled in the carbon economy, how can farmers best position themselves?

It’s a game of ”pass-the-(emissions) parcel” and don't get caught with it when the music stops or else you will pay.

That’s where farming has a seriously powerful unfair advantage.

Reinventing the livestock breed society

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 08:00:29 GMT

Modern breed societies need a new approach, new tools, and a cost effectiveness focus to be relevant to today's livestock breeders.

For many decades, centuries in some cases, the use case for a livestock breed society has been slowly changing and it is fair to say that not all breed societies have kept pace with the requirement for change. Long term endeavours such as breeding a line of agricultural livestock require significant conservatism to succeed but this also limits the innovation and technological change that can be harnessed by thoughtful and careful embracing of technology.

A modern ideal breed society must retain the core function of maintaining an accurate pedigree but to assist breeders in their efforts, pedigree databases should include details of measurable traits, especially highly heritable traits. In addition to accuracy, images, video, and marketing tools are expected in any modern useful system.

Embracing a state-of-the-art database is the first necessary step. It must be one that can easily include user entered information to reduce administrative overheads as well as the ability to record photos, videos, pedigree with verification (parent verification), understandable and verifiable performance recording, and genomic trait recording. It should be available in the paddock on a mobile device and ideally integrated with useful farm management software.

Innovative database use allows for one-off lifetime registration for animals - no longer requiring annual renewals or expensive herd inventory costs.

Performance recording and trait recording, and parent verification which eventually becomes pedigree verification, specifically provide certainty for buyers and breeders alike. Furthermore, parent verification will obviate any downstream lawsuits that can arise from unintended and unavoidable real-life management issues.

While breed societies have existed in their own silos in the past, modern marketing specifications suggest commercial breeders would be better off choosing animals with desirable traits for their circumstances rather than adhering to some fashionable breed. Of course stud breeders are still entirely necessary to provide seed stock to composite producers. For this reason a modern breed database would be optimal if it was multi-breed and available to all beef producers to identify animals with traits and performance best suited to their local conditions.

Genomic assessment too needs to become better and more cost effective for the breeder. Rather than maximising profits with the traditional charge per trait approach, we can now provide parent verification and set of traits (currently 42 and growing) for a single low cost test. We can do this because we have created application programming interface (API) links between our HerdLogic database and the highly innovative Diversity Arrays Technology laboratory that allows us to reduce administrative overheads. Furthermore, this lab provides us with exceptional analytical capabilities that promise to allow breeders to discover more relevant genes that are associated with specific traits as we see breeders record more phenotypic information.

Stud breeders from all breeds, particularly small breeds that struggle to afford expensive breed society support services, as well as beef producers with interest in innovative performance recording, modern database technology and cost effective genomic assessment ¹ are welcome to contact us and learn more about what and how we have made these changes. In particular, they will be interested to learn about how cost effective our new approach has been.

REF 1: www.diversityarrays.com/dartreseq-finding-the-needle-in-the-genetic-haystack/

Six Top Trends In Cattle Genetics

● Achieving sustainability and carbon neutrality goals.

● Focusing on feed efficiency for economic and environmental benefits.

● Accelerated genetic progress through artificial breeding technologies.

● Precision breeding with digital twin technology.

● Welfare-driven selection for polled genetics.

● Leveraging artificial intelligence for genetic selection.

Source: Beef 2024.

GrowHer event empowers next gen ag-tech leaders

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 02:30:40 GMT

Innovation, technological solutions and teamwork – those were the themes that comprised the first GrowHer ag-tech event in Rockhampton this week.

The first cohort of 50 secondary students from 14 schools across the Central Queensland region worked with industry mentors and researchers to collaborate and design innovative solutions to emerging and current issues in agriculture.

Culminating in a pitch event, the girls formed teams to present their ideas to a judging panel, with the winning team to attend a QLD innovation event later in the year.

CQUniversity Senior Lecturer in Agriculture and Agri-Tech Education researcher Dr Jaime Manning said the event was integral for empowering and equipping the next generation of females in ag-tech with new skills and knowledge, whilst building industry networks and key mentor relationships.

“As agriculture changes, the next generation workforce will require a whole new suite of skills that we don’t currently have yet, so this event has been a great opportunity to brainstorm solutions and innovative ideas for new and emerging opportunities in agriculture,” Dr Manning said.

“It’s also been a great experience for the girls to develop strong and supportive industry connections that will be able to continue to nurture and assist them with finding their place in the world of agriculture.”

The winning pitch was by a team from the Rockhampton Grammar School comprising of Ella Holcombe, Lalita Roopnarinesingh and Kathleen Nguyen, with support from their mentor Dylan Gannan of PestSense.

Year 12 student and passionate youth advocate Kathleen from the winning team said the event was a valuable opportunity to be able to connect with other young women in the region and hear from women working in the sector.

“Being able to network and share ideas with so many amazing women in the community and in the sector has been really valuable,” Kathleen said.

“I’ve always been a strong advocate for youth empowerment and for more younger people to be at decision-making tables, and I think the agricultural sector would definitely benefit from some of our ideas – so it’s been a big step forward not only for myself, but other young women in the community and across the state to be able to present their solutions.”

Judges of the pitch competition comprised of CQUniversity Associate Professor in Ag, Science and Environment Karen Harper, alongside Advance Rockhampton’s Senior Advisor, Investment Attraction Brendan Ryan.

Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Tony Williams said that he was pleased to see the response the initiative received, and highlighted how critical the agriculture sector is to the Central Queensland region and economy.

“I want Rockhampton to succeed and that means having thriving local industries that drive jobs and economic activity,” Mayor Williams said.

“That only works when we have bright, committed and energetic young people in the sector and driving that next generation of farmers and ag specialists across the region.”

Of the 14 pitches presented, Dr Manning said she was impressed by the calibre of ideas and was looking forward to seeing the girls progress towards eventual careers in the sector.

“There were teams who certainly presented feasible ideas to address problems in the ag sector over the next several years,” Dr Manning said.

“For us in the sector, we really need to start considering some of these ideas from our young people – workshop those ideas and see how we can make them a reality to really help out the agricultural sector.”

Over three years, the GrowHer project delivered by the CQUniversity Agri-tech Education and Extension Team and AgriBusiness Connect will support 450 female participants to innovate, collaborate and lead in agriculture's tech-driven future.

Each year, winning teams of participants will represent GrowHer at an innovation event, to further develop their idea and grow industry connections.

To learn more, visit the GrowHer website . GrowHer is proudly supported by Advance Queensland, as part of the Regional Enablers Program.

Is our current education model fit for purpose?

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 01:12:14 GMT

From cotton fields to classrooms: Principal Scott Thomson reflects on how innovation in agriculture mirrors the evolving needs of education.

As an early career school teacher, whilst living on a cotton farm near Toowoomba for two years, I was fortunate to visit a boarding family just outside Moree in northern New South Wales.

We embarked on an eye-opening tour of the massive property, which highlighted the latest in agricultural innovation. I realised the immense chasm between the cotton farms I knew of in the early 2000s and the ones I know now. The use of technology, artificial intelligence, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable land management, and the ability of families to manage staff, machinery, and finances was indicative of what school graduates in a contemporary world require.

This title question is often posed in education circles, usually involving a stimulus picture of a classroom from the 1920s compared to a modern classroom. It is important to understand just how far education has advanced, not just in the last 100 years but particularly in the last 10 to 15 years. In these contemporary times, students are often blessed with the ability to find their way into higher education courses that help fill their bucket and fuel the passion and fire that lies within. In much the same way that I had seen incredible advances within the cotton industry, Australia’s schools of the past display a similar level of redundancy. Just as cotton farmers align their tasks, roles, and decisions toward achieving the highest yield per hectare, schools must align their mission, vision, and values to ensure meaningful outcomes for students.

As an education leader, I see a few key points as being vital to ensure schools are at the forefront of education that draws a parallel to my observations near Moree.

A mission statement is often well-written and intended but hard to remember and articulate. TedX has a very simple mission: spread ideas. My personal favourite is liberate hearts and minds. Every organisation strives for alignment, and knowing the mission helps achieve this alignment.

If the mission is the what, the vision for a school is the why, and when this is articulated, great things happen.

Internationally renowned business leader Simon Sinek championed starting with the ”why”; a clear and robust vision will hook people in and give them a reason to invest in the organisation's direction.

The ”how” needs to be transparent with all stakeholders. Schools should communicate values in ways that guide decisions, interactions, and expectations, ensuring staff, students, and families understand their role in achieving these outcomes.

In implementing such principles, school communities can navigate through change and ensure that the school experience for the students remains life-giving and fulfilling and bears much fruit. Ultimately, schools are trying to produce quality young men and women who know how to make a positive contribution and impact on the world in which they find themselves.

Mr Scott Thomson is a devout Catholic father of four and Nudgee College Principal.

Rise of the electric farm

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:55:14 GMT

New Zealand farmers are well-accustomed to turning sunlight into food and fibre. Now, as Mike Casey writes, there’s an opportunity to turn that sunlight into something else that will benefit New Zealand and the rural sector: renewable electricity.

Have you ever tasted an electric cherry? That’s what I grow in Central Otago, New Zealand, and, while I may be slightly biased, I reckon they’re the most delicious cherries in the world. But there’s something else they taste like: the future of farming.

At Forest Lodge Orchard near Cromwell, our claim to fame is that we have swapped all the fossil fuel machines, that cherry orchards traditionally use, for electric equivalents and we power 21 of these machines - including New Zealand’s first electric Monarch tractor - with a combination of solar panels, batteries, and New Zealand’s highly renewable grid.

We save tens of thousands of dollars a year on diesel fuel and because we’ve built enough generation and storage capacity, we can make tens of thousands more by exporting excess energy to the grid at times of peak demand. We’ve also slashed emissions by around 95 per cent compared to the old-school approach.

As an orchardist, I love low-hanging fruit and going electric is a prime example of that; a productivity hack that’s basically hiding in plain sight.

Cheap, abundant fossil fuels have been central to human progress for centuries. But, as we’ve discovered on Forest Lodge, the energy you generate yourself will be the cheapest energy you can get and investing in solar and running electric machines is one of the easiest ways to reduce your input costs and increase your bottom line.

In New Zealand, the agricultural sector spends around $700 million on diesel every year and the price is expected to keep rising, but solar is now the cheapest form of electricity available to customers (7 cents per kilowatt-hour on your farm mortgage vs 35 cents per kilowatt-hour via the grid).

When you think about it, it’s crazy that the sector is still so reliant on expensive, volatile, imported fossil fuel molecules for its tractors, motorbikes, pumps, and harvesters when we could instead be using cheap locally produced electrons generated on our farms and via our renewable grid to power more efficient electric machines.

Based on our experience at Forest Lodge, our total operational savings are approximately $40,000 per year and we make approximately $20,000 per year from exporting during peak periods. With changes afoot to the sector that will more fairly rewarded export, something that we have advocated for strongly at Rewiring Aotearoa, the already impressive ROI could soon be even better.

Farmers also have an opportunity to lower the price of electricity for everyone in New Zealand, which is something the sector should be embracing. In New Zealand, if all our 50,000 or so farms had mid-sized solar systems like ours, that would create 60 per cent more generation and using more solar during the day and through winter could help reduce the wholesale price by keeping water in our hydro dams.

Despite increasing our electricity use by 900 per cent compared to the status quo to run all our electric machines on the orchard, we have not increased our peak usage (which is the main reason for expensive upgrades to poles and wires) and no new electricity infrastructure has been required. Around 80 per cent of the orchard’s electricity now comes from our own sources, which not only saves us money, but makes us much more resilient to power cuts or disasters.

We also electrified our home and upgraded from fossil fuel appliances to heat pumps for heating and hot water, an induction cooktop and electric vehicles and powering them with solar and batteries. Similar economic and environmental benefits apply there as well and it is often a good place for farmers to start so they can see firsthand that when you’re generating your own energy so cheaply, it makes economic sense to use as much of it as possible.

One of the misconceptions about the modern electric vehicle (EV) is that they’re not suited to rural areas. Farmers drive a lot more than the average motorist and the more you drive, the more you tend to save with an EV , especially if it’s charged with cheap solar energy.

Modern EVs are very impressive machines. I have been taking mine up to the ski fields for the past few years with no problem at all. Our new 4WD EV seven-seater was used to tow up to two tonnes of our electric cherries down to the packhouse near Cromwell.

The economic argument for going electric increasingly stacks up for more of the rural sector and there are savings on the table right now that can help make farms more profitable. Replacement electric machines don’t exist for all use cases yet, but they are coming and the upfront costs continue to drop. This is why we’re advocating for farmers to prepare for the inevitable, invest in their own power plants and start farming electricity.

Early generations of farmers had to learn to be self-sufficient and make the most of the resources they had around them. And what farmers have around them now is plenty of land, lots of sun, increasing demand for renewable electricity, and a need to save money and diversify their revenue streams

Using, creating, and storing more electricity on our farms is a win for farmers, a win for communities, and a win for the environment. So let’s make those farms electric.

All dollars and cents shown are in New Zealand currency.

The Forest Lodge set-up:

160 kilowatts of rooftop and ground mount solar panels (approximately 250 panels).
300 kilowatt-hours of battery storage.
21 electric machines on farm, including the country’s first electric tractor.
Two electric frost-fighting fans.
Electric golf carts for farm transport.
Electric tools.
How much are they saving?
Total operational savings - approximately $40,000/year.
Additional revenue - approximately $20,000/year from exporting during peak periods. Software automatically exports from batteries when the wholesale price reaches a certain level and charges electric machines when rates are low.

Ancient farming, modern lessons: adapting Australian agriculture to climate change

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 00:38:48 GMT

A recent study published in the international science journal Scientific Reports explores how pre-industrial communities in north-eastern Europe adapted their farming strategies in response to climatic shifts over the past two millennia. The research highlights how these early farmers mitigated risks associated with crop failures by strategically selecting and cultivating buffer crops. With climate change bringing more extreme weather conditions, including prolonged droughts and heat waves, Australian farmers could gain valuable insights from these historical strategies to enhance productivity and profitability in modern agriculture.

Agricultural Adaptation in the Face of Climate Change

Led by Professor Dr. Giedrė Motuzaitė Matuzevičiūtė of Vilnius University, the oldest and largest university in Lithuania, the study examines how climate change influenced crop choices and agricultural resilience in historical European communities. The findings reveal that as temperatures cooled during the onset of the Little Ice Age, that occurred from the early 14th century through the mid-19th century, farmers shifted from thermophilic (heat-loving) millet to more cold-resistant crops like buckwheat and rye.

“This study shows quite vividly that due to climate change, the thermophilic millet crop, which was a staple food during the first millennium AD, was replaced by other, more cold-resistant crops such as buckwheat,” says Professor Dr. Motuzaitė Matuzevičiūtė, senior author of the study and principal investigator of the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant project called MILWAYS.

While this research focuses on European agricultural history, its findings resonate globally—especially in regions like Australia, where farmers grapple with shifting climate patterns. The strategies used by ancient farmers to diversify crops and maintain resilience against climatic uncertainties could provide a roadmap for modern agricultural practices.

The Importance of Crop Diversification for Australian Farmers

Australia’s agricultural sector is already experiencing the effects of increased climate variability, with rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events. Learning from historical agricultural adaptations could help Australian farmers future-proof their farms by incorporating more drought-tolerant and climate-resilient crops into their rotations.

Environmental scientist Dr. Michael Kempf, a contributor to the study, notes the pressing need for a rethink in global food production strategies. “Recent drying-up processes and increased risk of prolonged heatwaves and subsequent droughts are challenging our socio-political resilience and demand a rethinking of global food production strategies. Reconsidering drought-tolerant species, therefore, can help mitigate the long-term effects of current global warming,” says Dr. Kempf.

The study suggests that forgotten or underutilised crops that once played a crucial role in food security—such as millet—could become viable options in modern agricultural systems. For Australian farmers, this could mean revisiting lesser-known grain varieties that are naturally more resilient to drought and poor soil conditions. While limited amounts of sorghum and other millets are grown primarily in the Darling Downs and other areas of Queensland, ecological tolerances of a range of millets make them an attractive prospect for other areas of Australia also.

Around 20 millet species are domesticated in Eurasia and Africa and are currently cultivated around the world. Some species, such as pearl millet, can withstand extreme heat and minimal water input and are extremely nutritious for humans and animals. Unlike in temperate Europe where just one millet species could be cultivated due to the cold climate, Australia could potentially expand millet cultivation into arid zones that overwise would have not been used for agriculture. Dr. Michael Spate from La Trobe University comments: “My recent research from arid regions of India parallels the team from Vilnius University findings – during the Little Ice Age we see a resilient farming response in increased and diversified millet cultivation during periods of weaker summer rain. The environment of these regions compares well to parts of Australia and millets may play a key role in Australia’s food security”.

From European Rye to Australian Millet?

One of the key insights from the study is how climatic shifts influenced dietary staples over time. “It is due to the Little Ice Age that staple foods such as rye bread and buckwheat porridge came to dominate the cuisine of north-eastern Europeans. Warming climates might lead us back to forgotten millet crops,” says Professor Dr. Motuzaitė Matuzevičiūtė.

Where wheat, barley, and canola dominate the grain industry in Australia, could millet or other drought-tolerant crops become a more significant part of the agricultural landscape? Millet is already grown in parts of Australia, particularly in Queensland and northern New South Wales, but its potential remains largely untapped. As climate change challenges traditional farming systems, millet and other resilient crops could offer a more sustainable and profitable alternative.

A Historical Perspective on Food Security

Another intriguing aspect of the study is how agricultural choices influence food culture and long-term food security. Professor Rimvydas Laužikas, a Vilnius University historian involved in the research, explains: “Natural conditions, agriculture, and gastronomic culture have always been closely interconnected. Gastronomic culture is more inert, meaning that environmental changes first affected agriculture and only later became apparent in the kitchen. Therefore, studying these processes is essential for understanding past and contemporary societies.”

For Australian farmers, this highlights the broader implications of crop selection—not just for productivity and resilience but also for consumer preferences and food markets. With increasing interest in sustainable and climate-smart foods, farmers who invest in drought-resistant crops may find new market opportunities both domestically and internationally.

The Future of Australian Farming: Learning from the Past

While historical agricultural strategies cannot be directly transplanted into modern farming systems, they offer valuable adaptability, resilience, and diversification lessons. The study’s emphasis on shifting crop repertoires underscores the importance of being proactive rather than reactive in the face of climate change.

As Australian farmers seek ways to maintain profitability while navigating an increasingly unpredictable climate, looking to the past might provide surprising solutions. Embracing a wider variety of crops—including those suited to hotter, drier conditions—could be a key strategy for securing the future of Australian agriculture.

The complete study, The Shifting of Buffer Crop Repertoires in Pre-Industrial North-Eastern Europe, can be accessed in Scientific Reports here .

The European Union funded this research through a Consolidator Grant awarded to Professor Dr. Giedrė Motuzaitė Matuzevičiūtė (ERC-CoG, MILWAYS, 101087964).

Dr. Gintarė Bidlauskienė works at Vilnius University’s Marketing & Communication Department, specialising in science communication. She focuses on bridging research with the public through effective storytelling and engagement. Contact: gintare.bidlauskiene@cr.vu.lt.

Aussie Know-how Key to Header and Harvester Enhancements for 2026

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 07:22:27 GMT

John Deere has announced new automation and efficiency updates on 2026 model combine harvesters that provide more capabilities and boost productivity by up to 20%* on Australian farms.

John Deere has announced new automation and efficiency updates on 2026 model combine harvesters that are capable of boosting productivity by up to 20%* on Australian farms.

Designed with farmer input, the new features, announced at Commodity Classic in Denver, Colorado, focus on maximising harvest productivity in a range of conditions, and are designed to deliver more with less operator intervention.

“These updates will unlock the full potential of the John Deere combine harvester, whether it’s anticipating crop variability, fine-tuning weed detection sensing or improving the grain unloading experience,” Royce Bell, John Deere Australia and New Zealand Production and Precision Ag Marketing Manager, said.

“They are designed to help farmers to fully optimise working time in tight harvest windows.”

Harvest Automation Updates

The updates work to create a smoother harvesting experience and enable less skilled operators to maximise crop quality and include:

Ground speed will automatically adjust to varying field terrain such as waterways and non-cropped areas in the field to maintain harvest progress. Operators previously had to disengage the Predictive Ground Speed Automation feature in sensitive areas.
Predictive Ground Speed Automation now supports edible beans and lentils, as well as the current crops of peas, wheat, barley, canola, soybean and corn.
Cab-mounted cameras used for Predictive Ground Speed Automation can now sense individual weed patches that are mixed in with the crop by detecting weed-like characteristics of plant shape and height. Depending on the weed density and operator-defined sensitivity, the combine will reduce ground speed as it harvests through these areas to reduce slugging and help prevent reel or rotor wrapping.
John Deere Operations Center ^TM will automatically send harvest automation files, including crop data from planting, so that satellite views of Predictive Ground Speed Automation are available on all eligible harvesters.

Harvest Settings Automation sets concave clearance, fan speed, rotor speed, sieve clearance and chaff clearance, based on the harvester model, crop type and geolocation.

Harvest Settings Automation also now includes an out-of-crop setting that engages when the harvester is passing through areas already harvested, helping to reduce grain loss and maintain a cleaner tank sample in sparse areas of the field.

Productivity Enhancements

The 2026 model range incorporates updates designed to enhance productivity with less operator intervention, ensuring harvest quality is maintained regardless of operator experience.

AutoTrac™ Turn Automation provides hands-free turning, by automatically raising and lowering the machine front as it crosses specific field triggers. This update reduces the likelihood of missing a crop or starting a new pass in the wrong place, and also benefits operators harvesting at night with poor visibility.
A new auto-unload camera mounted to the auger, along with supporting hardware and software, helps to evenly fill the grain cart, reducing pressure on operators during unloading. The camera senses the grain fill level inside the cart and sends in-line nudge commands to the tractor. This feature is also available as a precision upgrade for older-model combines.

Gaining More Insights

Following successful trials in Australia’s unique conditions, operators can now monitor harvest with at-a-glance views on their mobile device thanks to updates available through Operations Center. These include:

Grain Sensing with HarvestLab™ 3000, previously only available on S700 harvesters, has been extended to all model year 2021 and newer X9 harvesters plus the new S7 and T6 models. Grain Sensing collects and records the percentages of crop moisture, protein, starch and oil content of wheat, barley, canola, corn, soybeans, oats and rye crops.
Grain harvest weight sharing shows how much grain is in harvesters and chaser bins, so that the bins are in the right place at the right time.

To ensure reliable capture of field and machine data, John Deere will offer JDLink ® Boost™ in Australia from mid-2025. This satellite connectivity solution ensures customers can work in fields with little to no cellular coverage.

The field-installed kit allows machines to transmit data in real time and better supports remote display access, which reduces the time taken to diagnose a machine issue.

New front-end equipment optimises crop capture

To ensure customers capture as much crop as possible, John Deere has also released a new three-piece CAM reel with dense pack fingers, designed for optimal performance when harvesting challenging crops such as pulses.

The innovative design features 32% more tines compared to previous flip-over reels, providing an efficient sweep from the knife to maximise grain capture, particularly in lodged crops.

In-cab Upgrades

John Deere has taken on board customer feedback and introduced new in-cab upgrades.

A new instructor ‘stadium’ seat will be included in all 2026 harvesters. When not in use, the seat flips up and the back can be folded down to serve as a shelf.

A dual USB-C charging module has been installed in the new models, to charge batteries quickly for mobile devices.

To find the header that best suits your operation and determine which updates are available for 2025 models or available on 2026 models, contact your local John Deere dealer or visit deere.com.au.

*Results from using optional Ultimate Technology Package. Anonymised John Deere Operations Center™ data gathered in soybeans, corn, and small grains. Performance varies based on machine size and field and crop conditions.

Media enquiries :

Stacey Wordsworth

stacey.wordsworth@bluehillagency.com.au

0438 394 371

Sophie Day

sophie.day@bluehillagency.com.au

0408 935 885

Smart Sprays and Cold Plasma to Optimise Crop Productivity

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 07:53:34 GMT

Two Murdoch University research projects have received investment from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to improve profitability and sustainability for Australian grain growers.

Associate Professor Kirsty Bayliss, Dr Uys Lourens and Professor Daniel Murphy

The projects include the development of novel biodegradable smart sprays for broadacre cropping, and treating wheat and canola with cold plasma for enhanced plant growth, vigour and yield.

The smart sprays project is a three-year, $8.1 million investment led by Murdoch University. It aims to develop and test two new biopolymer products: a soil spray to facilitate water harvesting, and a sticky spray for foliar (leaf) application.

Across production environments, only 20 – 40 percent of rainfall is typically transpired by dryland crops, with up to 60 percent of rainfall lost to evaporation, and 5 – 20 percent lost in runoff and deep drainage.

Professor Daniel Murphy, Director of the CSIRO Murdoch Bioplastic Innovation Hub, said the soil spray would facilitate rainfall runoff into the furrow and reduce soil evaporation, increasing the water available for transpiration and plant water use efficiency.

“The sticky spray would be applied to crops to potentially deliver chemicals, nutrients or antifreeze proteins from bacteria,” Dr Murphy said.

Antifreeze proteins protect against potential crop damage due to frost and provide growers with an opportunity for in-season management of frost events.

GRDC Manager Sustainable Cropping Systems Dr Uys Lourens said these different approaches to smart spray production will diversify GRDC investment in this area, and offers growers different potential price points, scalability and effectiveness.

The second project is a three-year, $5.1 million project led by Murdoch University with partners the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in WA, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), a division of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, and Neymyrup Economics.

It aims to investigate and quantify the agronomic and economic value of applying cold plasma or plasma activated water to wheat and canola seeds and plants.

Cold plasma is formed through the ionisation of a gas (including air) using an electric current, radio frequency or microwave energy. It can be fed through water to create plasma activated water, enabling liquid application.

The use of cold plasma technology in crop production offers a sustainable technology for seed treatment and application during plant growth which could improve grain yield.

Associate Professor Kirsty Bayliss, from Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute, said previous research has shown great promise at increasing the rate of germination.

“We will now also be testing plasma activated water to increase nutrients and manage disease levels,” Associate Professor Bayliss said.

“We are excited to test this technology at a large scale in field trials across Australia.”

GRDC Manager Sustainable Cropping Systems Dr Uys Lourens said the two projects signalled an appetite from GRDC for innovative, exploratory research to reach new frontiers for Australian grain growers.

“These new projects aim to develop and trial novel treatments to optimise productivity of crops, and if successful, lead to commercial application pathways for these technologies in broadacre agriculture,” Dr Lourens said.

“This investment will trial and evaluate the application of cold plasma and plasma activated water to both canola and wheat seeds and developing plants.”

“Through rigorous economic analysis, it aims to provide a definitive answer as to whether this technology should be implemented by growers. This includes a potential adoption pathway if implementation is economically sound.”

The research projects conclude in 2028, whereby results and recommendations will be available to growers.

Time to choose a better energy future

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 23:39:36 GMT

With efficient and lower emission energy solutions uppermost on farmers’ minds, ELGAS is committed to working with Australia's agricultural sector with LPG.

LPG: The easy, reliable energy solution for farms and businesses

As Australia’s largest LPG provider, ELGAS has a long history of serving the Australian agricultural community. And with more than 40 years of experience, it’s no wonder that ELGAS is poised to play a greater role in shaping agriculture into the future.

As a fuel offering reduced emissions and a high-energy content per unit volume, LPG is the ideal alternative to diesel for farmers.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) offers a crucial advantage in one of the most critical post-harvest operations – grain and cotton drying. LPG can produce high-grade heat in large volumes. Grain and cotton dryers powered by LPG can efficiently remove moisture from crops, preserving quality and preventing spoilage. This is vital for farmers in regions with unpredictable weather patterns, as it allows for rapid drying of the harvest.

LPG is also a versatile energy source for heating large spaces. Nurseries, greenhouses, and poultry sheds require consistent temperatures for optimal growth and production. LPG heating systems provide reliable and efficient warmth, creating ideal conditions for sensitive crops and livestock.

When LPG can reduce carbon dioxide by up to 45% compared to diesel and virtually eliminates particulates along with major air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, it seems a no-brainer that customers should make the switch.

With the agricultural industry under increasing pressure to produce more with less, while minimising environmental impact, that’s where ELGAS steps in, delivering reliable energy solutions to the agricultural community and more broadly homes across regional and rural Australia and New Zealand.

“LPG has a higher energy content than diesel fuel, meaning farm businesses can achieve the same level of output with less fuel consumption,” explains ELGAS National Marketing Manager Ebony English. “And because LPG produces 45 per cent less carbon dioxide and 99 percent less nitrogen oxide pollutants than diesel, ELGAS has been able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more sustainable operation. Also, LPG produces significantly lower levels of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and other harmful pollutants compared to diesel.”

With more than 400 depots, agents, and distributors around the country, ELGAS is committed to supporting the agricultural industry as it transitions towards a net zero economy.

“We understand the farmers responsibility to achieve carbon neutrality is now.”

To assist with this journey towards net zero, is the offer of Carbon Neutral plans to our customers via Climate Active, an Australian Government initiative. This offset is achieved by ELGAS purchasing carbon credits that are equal to the emissions produce.

To support the transition from diesel to LPG, ELGAS offers site assessments for LPG storage, technical advice on equipment conversions, installation assistance from its National Technical Team, and ongoing maintenance through its National Maintenance Team.

The energy solution for farms and businesses: a case study

Being able to swiftly switch to LPG gas literally meant the survival of a remote rural town.

“Ten weeks after ELGAS came on site, we had gas to our boilers,” sums up Steve Townsend, Plant Manager at Tongala Nutrition, of the LPG gas supplier’s critical role in getting the fledgling company up and running.

In late 2023 Tongala Nutrition purchased a dormant former Nestle site at Tongala, a small rural town 225 kilometres north of Melbourne, with plans to reopen as a food and beverage manufacturer focussed on producing UHT milk for the domestic market, but with global export aspirations.

“Of all the services connected to the site, natural gas was the only one disconnected,” Steve says of when the start-up company took over the site.

Attempts to reconnect natural gas proved futile - both in cost and lost time.

“For the timeframe we needed to get gas running, it wasn’t going to work,” says Steve. “And it was going to be more expensive. So, we approached an ELGAS agent in Echuca and they jumped on board.”

ELGAS Sales, Technical and National Maintenance teams immediately worked with Tongala Nutrition and quickly executed the installation.

"They managed to fit a system and get us running within weeks. It’s been working well ever since.”

With two large boilers on-site, LPG was the only cost-effective option for Tongala Nutrition.

“It’s the best bang for the buck for the energy we get,” says Steve. “We’re a start-up and ELGAS has given us such good support. In our first 12 months, we didn’t know what our volumes would be and how often we’d need gas. We only pay for what we use, which is a great part of it.”

ELGAS’s pricing and contract arrangements supported Tongala Nutritions success moving forward. Its telemetry system enables ELGAS to remotely monitor all LPG tanks at Tongala. This allows for improved service scheduling for timely refills, better understanding of gas usage patterns, and enhanced reliability of service with fewer disruptions.

“We’ll be using about 100 tonnes of LPG per month,” says Steve, a Tongala local, adding that the town’s revival with Tongala Nutrition re-opening the site was hinged on ELGAS stepping in with a reliable, safe, and cost-efficient local energy supply.

“We had supply contracts with major retailers,” Steve explains. “If ELGAS hadn’t supported us with this project, we wouldn’t have been able to meet those contracts. It was as critical as that.”

ELGAS and Energy Safe Victoria have supported Tongala Nutrition’s journey “all the way with regulations and procedures we must have on site. And ELGAS has provided safety training and documentation to support that”.

Steve expects Tongala Nutrition’s LPG requirements will grow.

“The beauty about the ELGAS system is that we can grow by adding LPG tanks on site as we need. Easy.”

Website:

Email:

Shearwell is expanding

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 01:59:44 GMT

Shearwell is a leading manufacturer of livestock identification tags and readers and is now bringing to market a premium one-piece steel NLIS tag for cattle.

Shearwell is going from strength to strength, with cattle tags now added to their sheep and goat tags available in Australia. Shearwell is owned by the Webber family based in Somerset in England and trades across the globe. Shearwell has expertise in livestock identification and management, providing practical solutions for over 30 years.

Shearwell has manufactured and sold sheep and goat tags in Australia based in Bendigo since 2012 and continues to grow market share and its product range. This growth has been supported by genuine and receptive customer service and quality products.

This solutions-based company has a continuous improvement culture that has delivered innovative tags, applicators, scanners, and management kit in response to livestock producers’ needs. This comes second nature to the Webbers as they are family farmers themselves.

It is common knowledge that tag retention in livestock is mightily important. Shearwell’s tags have been designed with this attribute at front of mind. The sheep and goat electronic or eID tags are slim-line one piece tag that are easy to apply and when placed properly are well retained. Shearers like them as the spike is enclosed when applied and will not scratch the handler.

Shearwell also produces a range of sheep tag applicators from a single tagger to multiple tag drum fed Turbo Tagger applicator, and the soon to be released ‘Speedy Tagger’ - utilising a straight cartridge or magazine that takes a full strip of ten tags at time.

Given that Shearwell tags are sent around Australia, turnaround times and freight are important to clients. From the Bendigo factory in 2024, tags were dispatched within 48 hours of receiving the order. Freight has been standardised with orders over 1500 tags being freight free. Further, Shearwell has bundle deals for customers ordering 950 or more and 5,000 or more sheep eID tags.

Shearwell also has a world first stainless-steel cattle NLIS tag on the market which has been designed for retention, security, and ease of application. This new MET tag provides an alternative to the plastic tags currently dominating the Australian market.

To complement the NLIS tags, Shearwell has also launched a quality range of management visual or flag tags that can be laser printed or penned by the operator. These tags are known as Bos tags and range from small (which could also be used in sheep) to largest XL in a number of popular colours.

Shearwell has representatives in VIC, TAS, NSW, SA, and WA to help with availability, technical, and practical enquiries. Their catchcry is engaging – tag well with Shearwell!

Website: www.shearwell.com.au

Email: enquiries@shearwell.com.au

Levelling the field: Agtech puts you in control

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 22:22:07 GMT

A wet year isn’t when you make your money in agriculture, but you can lose the most, says Charles Reynolds, General Manager of the agtech business, T3RRA.

“Wet years can often be the toughest for farmers. Crops often go under water, and it’s hard to get onto your land. If the heavy rain comes late in the season and your input costs are high, you could lose it all.”

The key to success is managing how water pools, flows, and infiltrates your land, no matter the season.

Charles explains that land-forming agtech is about more than just irrigation. But, until now farmers have long been frustrated by the lack of plug-and-play interoperability between land-forming controller software and the tractor technologies they’re using.

T3RRA is set to launch a new controller early this year. It will work seamlessly with a variety of GPS/GNSS receivers, tractor brands, and hydraulic systems. The Level COMMAND powered by T3RRA helps farmers optimise earthworks and drainage, boosting productivity and efficiency on existing fields. Designed and manufactured primarily in Australia, the controller extends this agtech’s compatibility beyond John Deere systems.

The Level COMMAND underwent 18 months of development and testing on farms across NSW, Victoria, and Queensland, ensuring it is “designed with farmers and contractors for them.”

The controller can implement advanced field designs created using T3RRA’s design software or by third-party consultants. Both options allow farmers to “optimise their levelling designs using elevation data and watershed simulations to conduct cost-benefit analyses and ensure the least amount of dirt is moved”, he says. Operators can also upload large design files directly into Level COMMAND without needing to split them into smaller parts.

“The user interface is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, requiring minimal training,” Charles says. “It’s so simple, you shouldn’t need the operator’s manual.”

However, we will offer training through the John Deere dealer network, and short ‘just-in-time’ tips will be shared through social media platforms like Facebook and X.

Typically, farmers expect their earthworks to pay off in three to four years, says Charles.

“Users of T3RRA often report a pay-off within a season or two. It’s a long-term investment—not a seasonal input, like a one-off application of fertiliser that only impacts one year’s gross profit. By resolving drainage issues and moving soil effectively, you’ll see returns for many years.”

T3RRA Website: https://t3rra.com/

T3RRA email: info@t3rra.com

Expert insights from the top

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 06:19:27 GMT

Following from another record year for beef production and exports, we anticipate opportunities for Australian beef to continue into 2025, especially in markets like the US which is in a cattle herd rebuild and was our number one export destination for beef in 2024.

A smaller American herd also means improved competitiveness access for our beef in other major markets like Japan, Korea, and China. With our own cattle herd reaching maturity, Australia is in a position to capitalise on this global demand.

A focus on improving fertility, improving animal growth rates, optimising turn-off weights, and striving for improved carcase quality is key for producers to look to next year. When considering appropriate turn-off weights and how long to fatten their cattle, producers should consider the cost benefit of continuing to feed animals and the end price received for the animal to evaluate if continuing to feed is cost-effective. Often the sweet spot on a feeder grid or a processor grid is not producing the heaviest animal. The price differential is often for the most optimum animal delivered within the specifications.

With strong domestic market demand and such a robust export market available outlook in 2025, producers should be aware of market specifications. The best way to understand market specifications and the most cost-effective marketing options for your beef enterprise is by being well informed. Use market intelligence available through the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS), access past carcase feedback from your supply chain partners or through MyFeedback in order to implement a continuous improvement system by responding to short-and long-term price and market signals.

Agtech success pivots on linking the algorithm with farmer needs

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 06:08:22 GMT

Cutting-edge mobile technology is revolutionising on-farm decision making, but what makes agtech especially successful is when it complements farmer knowledge and links with on-farm practices, in a user-friendly manner.

Too often new digital tools and technologies are developed with brilliant science and amazing capabilities, but they are not what farmers first want to make a difference in their business.

As I know well from work carried out between 2017-2020 with my UNE co-authors and led by Dr Penelope Schulz, livestock producers need relevant, useful and easy to use smartphone apps. Our surveys of livestock producers revealed a keenness to use apps, including when it comes to making more informed decisions, increasing efficiency, and accessing and recording important information.

Apps were not viewed as suited to completely replace more traditional methods, but rather to have a role in decision-making processes and/or to be incorporated into new programs and tools.

It’s a lesson the team at UNE took to heart during the world-first development of an app to make 6-month forecasts of live weight, pasture availability, soil moisture, rainfall, and animal wellbeing customised and available to all Australian livestock producers. The team at UNE has gone out of its way to design a user-friendly interface and mobile app to allow users to customise data about soils, pasture types, livestock, and current pasture availability.

The tool, called Ag360, forecasts pasture availability but taking the concept of working with producers, the forecasts are improved when producers take periodic estimates of pasture availability or live weight and enter these into their Ag360 account. These data contribute to early warnings if pasture and live weight targets are unlikely to be met, allowing users of Ag360 to benefit from the various “what if” tools when planning for the coming season.

The collaboration between university research and practical farming knowledge exemplifies the thought leadership needed in agriculture: translating theory into real-world action. This approach showcases the brightest minds working to tailor high-tech innovations to the realities of Australian livestock production. By blending traditional skills with modern technology, farmers are supported to make smarter, more effective decisions that enhance both productivity and sustainability.

Ag360 is supported by the Armidale Node of the Southern Queensland and Northern NSW Innovation Innovation Hub, which receives funding from the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.

Trace elements: They continue working, even when you’re not!

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:02:56 GMT

Trace elements play a crucial role for Australian livestock producers. Long-Acting trace element bolus improves productivity, fertility, health and profitability. One dose, complete peace of mind.

Introduction

Efficient and sustainable livestock production is essential for meeting the growing global demand for animal protein. The performance of cattle and sheep depends not only on good-quality feed and management practices but also on adequate trace element nutrition. Trace elements such as copper, selenium, cobalt, iodine, and zinc play crucial roles in maintaining the health, reproduction, and productivity of livestock. However, deficiencies are common in many Australian soils and pastures due to geographical and climatic factors. Long-acting trace element supplementation has emerged as an effective strategy to ensure optimal nutrition and overcome the challenges associated with trace element deficiencies. Let’s explore the importance and benefits of long-acting trace element supplementation in cattle and sheep production in Australia.

Trace Elements and Their Role in Livestock Health

Trace elements are micronutrients required in small quantities but are essential for numerous physiological processes in cattle and sheep. Their roles include enzyme activation, immune system function, reproduction, growth, and energy metabolism. For example:

Copper is vital for bone development, immune response, and red blood cell production.
Selenium protects cells against oxidative damage and supports immune function.
Cobalt is necessary for the synthesis of vitamin B12, which is critical for energy metabolism and red blood cell production.
Iodine supports thyroid hormone production, which regulates growth and metabolic activity.
Zinc aids in wound healing, immune responses, and enzyme activity.

Deficiencies in these elements can lead to a wide range of health issues, including reduced growth rates, poor fertility, compromised immunity, and increased susceptibility to diseases. For instance, selenium deficiency is linked to white muscle disease in lambs, while iodine deficiency can lead to goiter and reproductive issues. Whilst a deficiency may present as an observable health issue in your animals, sub clinical deficiencies are wider ranging and harder to detect. Grazing animals in regions deficient in one or more trace elements will induce sub clinical deficiencies. Failure to address these deficiencies can reduce both production potential and profitability for livestock producers.

Challenges in Addressing Trace Element Deficiencies in Australia

Australian soils are some of the oldest soils in the world and have been depleted and leached of nutrients for thousands of years. Most of our grazing regions and pastures lack adequate levels of essential trace elements, primarily due to soil type, climate, and intensive agricultural practices. Deficiencies are most pronounced in regions with sandy, acidic, or leached soils, such as our coastal regions of the northern states and most of our southern animal production areas. Additionally, livestock requirements for trace elements can vary depending on factors such as breed, age, physiological stage, and environmental stressors.

Traditional supplementation methods, such as oral drenches, mineral blocks, and feed additives, have a number of limitations:

Inconsistent Intake . Livestock may not consume adequate quantities of supplements, especially when offered in free-choice mineral blocks or licks.
Short Duration of Action . Many traditional supplements require frequent reapplication, significantly increasing labour input costs and management efforts.
Seasonal Pasture Variability . Grazing on deficient pastures during specific times of the year can exacerbate deficiencies, leading to production losses and reduced profitability.

These challenges underscore the need for more reliable and efficient supplementation methods to ensure consistent and sustained trace element delivery.

Long-Acting Trace Element Supplementation: A Game-Changer

Long-acting trace element supplementation involving the use of slow-release bolus technology provides consistent levels of trace elements over an extended period, making them highly effective in addressing the unique challenges presented to Australian livestock producers. Individual treatments, ensuring each animal is receiving a consistent daily supply of the targeted trace minerals required for optimal animal production.

Pacific Biologics are the market leader and now distributes a wide range of nutritional boluses for both cattle and sheep producers in Australia. Utilisation of a long-acting bolus provides peace of mind that the one percenters are getting done, every day. A bolus will continue working for you, even when you stop for the day!

Benefits of Long-Acting Supplementation

Sustained Nutrient Supply . Long-acting boluses provide a steady release of trace elements over weeks or months, ensuring livestock have consistent, unbroken access to essential nutrients. This reduces the risk of deficiencies during critical periods, such as breeding or peak lactation.
Improved Productivity . By maintaining optimal trace element levels, long-acting supplements improve growth rates, feed conversion efficiency, wool quality, and milk production. Selenium supplementation, for instance, enhances fertility rates and reduces neonatal mortality in lambs and calves.
Enhanced Animal Health . Adequate and consistent trace element levels strengthen the immune system, reducing susceptibility to infections and diseases. For example, copper supplementation helps prevent swayback in lambs, while zinc reduces the risk of footrot and skin conditions.
Convenience and Cost-Effectiveness . Use of a long-acting trace element bolus will reduce the frequency of supplementation, saving time and labour costs. Although the initial investment may be higher, the sustained benefits and reduced need for frequent interventions make these supplements economically viable overactive life of the product.
Adaptability to Extensive Systems . In Australia, many cattle and sheep operations are extensive, with animals grazing on vast rangelands. Long-acting supplementation is particularly beneficial in these systems, where frequent handling of animals is impractical and prohibitively expensive.
Environmental Benefits . By improving the efficiency of nutrient use, long-acting supplements reduce nutrient wastage and environmental contamination. This aligns with the principles of sustainable agriculture.

Practical Applications in Australian Livestock Production

The use of long-acting trace element supplements in Australian livestock production has been demonstrated to enhance animal performance across diverse systems. Key applications include:

Breeding Programs. Ensuring optimal trace element levels in breeding stock enhances fertility rates, embryo survival, and offspring vigour.
Growth and Development. Young animals, particularly weaners, benefit from consistent nutrient supply, improving weight gain and reducing morbidity.
Seasonal Challenges. During periods of pasture dormancy or drought, long-acting supplements mitigate the impact of nutritional stress, maintaining animal health and productivity.
Pacific Biologics now offer a significant range of long acting bolus products, designed to meet the needs of all Australian producers.

Challenges and Considerations

While long-acting bolus supplementation offers numerous advantages, producers must consider certain factors to ensure success:

Accurate Diagnosis. Regular testing of soil, pasture, and animal tissue is best practice to identify deficiencies and avoid over-supplementation, which can be toxic.
Tailored Solutions. Different regions and production systems have differing requirements. By reviewing your needs you can best select the bolus that is best suited to meet your animal’s needs.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. Producers must weigh the initial cost against the long-term benefits of improved health and productivity. By utilising APVMA (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority) registered and approved bolus products, producers can have the confidence that those products are delivering and supported by significant trial data and years of clinical production trials.

Conclusion

Long-acting trace element supplementation represents a transformative approach to improving cattle and sheep production in Australia. By addressing trace element deficiencies in a consistent, efficient, and sustainable manner, these solutions enhance animal health, productivity, and welfare while reducing labour costs and environmental impact. As global demand for animal protein continues to rise, adopting innovative supplementation strategies will be crucial for the Australian livestock industry to remain competitive and sustainable. Ongoing research, education, and adoption of best practices will further amplify the benefits of this technology, securing the future of Australian agriculture.

Pacific Biologics

Website: www.pacificbiologics.com.au

Email: markjones@pacificbiologics.com.au

The place of the horse in Australia: a national survey

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 02:01:33 GMT

Little is known about the scale of activity associated with the recreational equine industry in Australia, but a large scale survey is seeking to change that.

Equine owners have an idea of the amount of resources and time they expend individually, but what does this mean on a national scale?

President of the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) Mark Burnell says that although horse racing is generally considered an area of high economic activity and employment, the majority of horses in Australia are owned for recreational purposes.

“This is why we feel it’s important to gain an understanding of the contribution of the recreational sector to the economy,” says Mark.

“We also know that horses still play an integral role on many rural properties across Australia in a working capacity, too. Some members of the AHIC are pastoral companies with hundreds of horses on their properties that they couldn’t do without.”

Seeking to explore this and related areas of the recreational horse industry, the AHIC undertook a national survey with 500 participants – the first of its kind in almost 10 years – in late 2023.

On average, survey respondents reported spending just under $30,000 pa on equine-related activity such as horse feed, veterinary care, tack and rider equipment, and transportation expenses.

As a collective, survey respondents reported a total annual spend of just under $15 million.

“If you scale this to the number of people involved in the recreational horse sector, you can see the amount of money that is injected into the economy is really very significant,” says Mark.

"Often, this money is spent in regional and rural areas. Governments at all levels need to be cognisant of the size of the recreational sector when making policies.”

As an island nation, Australia has had the incredible fortune of safety from many of the infectious diseases, such as African Horse Sickness, that threaten equine populations around the world.

“While quarantine and biosecurity are the responsibility of state and federal governments, it’s critically important that recreational equine owners and competition organisers are aware of the part they play in keeping our national herd safe,” says Mark.

In line with this requirement, the survey interrogated both individual equine owners and equestrian event organisers respectively on their level of biosecurity awareness and biosecurity protocols.

More than 75 per cent of respondents indicated an awareness of their obligations in regard to equine biosecurity, and 77 per cent confirmed they had a Property Identification Code (PIC). The AHIC has been advocating for greater consistency between states and for both PICS and animal movement regulations.

Over the last couple of years, the AHIC has been actively involved with the Federal Government’s working group on Equine Traceability. A key driver of this is ensuring that the industry as a whole is as prepared as possible for any biosecurity threat to equines in this country.

When asked about microchipping, only 41 per cent of respondents said 100 per cent of their equines were microchipped – an interesting insight on the path to a sustainable and affordable national traceability system in Australia.

The AHIC survey will be critical in shaping the organisation’s work into the future.

AHIC – National Equine Survey 2023 Report

Linda Bracken is Vice President of The Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC).

How to Transform Yields from the Ground Up

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:01:28 GMT

During the peak of a scorching summer, the microbes in your farm’s soil are likely accessing water locked up in soil. That’s moisture the plants can’t reach without those crucial microbes.

Whether your farm grows crops, fruit and vegetables, cattle or sheep, each summer presents unique challenges: nutrient-depleted soils, unpredictable weather, and soaring input costs. Conventional chemical fertilisers often exacerbate soil imbalances, leading to diminishing returns over time.

Embark on a journey beneath your feet, where clues to boosting harvests and productivity lie. It’s home to organisms ranging from 0.001 millimetres to twice that size for bacteria, with fungi extending their root networks up to several metres.

These organisms are the heroes of an innovative biological approach that’s helping farmers across Australia and New Zealand.

It’s all about balance

According to Mark Gabsch, Founder and Managing Director of soil-enrichment company, Bactivate, healthy soil is the “engine room of agriculture”.

“Australia’s soils are ancient and depleted, and the way we’ve been farming has largely broken the natural symbiotic systems that supported soil health,” he says.

“Get the biology right and restore that balance, then the results above ground will follow.”

Mark's experience as a mechanical engineer and cattle farmer equips him with highly transferable skills in problem-solving, data collection, and analysis.

On the ground and under

A New South Wales vineyard offers a powerful example of what’s possible. Mark’s testing showed one part of the farm had a 54 per cent to 46 per cent fungi to bacterial ratio.

“Then we walked up the row where the grapes were growing much better, and the ratio was 70:30 fungi to bacteria and the total count of biology was significantly higher. So, I could show the causal link between plant performance and what’s happening in the soil.”

Having identified the fungal-bacterial imbalance in the soil, the grower implemented Bactivate’s tailored program. Within months, vine performance improved dramatically, with higher sugar levels in grapes and better overall plant health.

“We didn’t just fix the soil; we improved the crop. Farmers often assume that what’s happening above ground tells the full story, but soil health is the hidden driver of success.”

After years of research to capture ammonia in the chicken litter in broiler shed, Bactivate applied a biological program to create a waste that was transferrable from shed straight to paddock. The fertiliser was applied to tomatoes, which grew up to a remarkable 620 grams each. The game changer was what was added to the growing medium - bacillus-activated chicken manure that didn’t need composting before top dressing around the plants.

“When a tomato plant has access to a healthy microbiome, it can absorb zinc and other essential nutrients more effectively,” Mark says. Zinc deficiency, he notes, is a growing issue worldwide, contributing to poor yields, lower plant health and declining food quality.

Meanwhile, a farmer in the Hunter Valley transformed depleted soils into thriving pastures, seeing measurable increases in plant sugar levels and healthier yields.

A thoroughbred horse farm on the Victorian Peninsula experienced a reduction in foal birth defects of up to 90%. Improved soil health resulted in more nutritional feed for the horses, improving fetal development.

The soil from four dairy farms in Eastern Victoria, demonstrated a direct link between soil health and farm profitability. As the soil health improved the cattle produced more milk.

Boosting Soil Biology … Naturally

Bactivate is science backed: introducing specific strains of bacteria and fungi to match the soil and crop’s needs. The soil is the microbiome for the plant.

For example, Bacillus bacteria cultures play a role, but they’re not the same as those found in yoghurt. Only a few Bacillus species are commonly used or extensively studied in agriculture and horticulture. A bacterial organism typically lives just 20 minutes, so Mark uses a technique to encourage biological reproduction using liquid carbon to populate and dominate the soil.

“Liquid carbon basically replicates the sugars that the plant would extrude to support the biology. When a plant isn’t performing, which is when Bactivate first gets involved, we want to ensure there are enough sugars in the soil to support the biology and allow healthy growth.”

Bespoke Solutions for Long-Term Change

Mark says for him it’s a “long game”. He’s accelerating what regenerative farming would achieve in three to five years, and by the end of the typical two-year program, “many of our clients no longer need us”.

This aligns with a broader philosophy of sustainable farming, where soil is treated as a living system rather than a resource to be exploited. By integrating practices like cover cropping, avoiding soil disturbance, and leveraging biological inputs, farmers can create self-sustaining systems that endure beyond a single growing season, he says. Healthy soil is the fundamental foundation for a healthy ecology and plants to optimise their performance, which increase yield, quality and nutrition.

Website: www.bactivate.com.au

Email: mark@bactivate.com.au

A rural outlook you can bank on

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 06:11:25 GMT

Is there a bank that can help rural and remote communities remain resilient, prosperous, and vibrant? Yes, there is – and it’s changing for the better.

Australia’s rural and remote communities are the heartland of the nation. For those who live and work in these areas, financial institutions like Rural Bank have played an essential role in strengthening both local economies and the social fabric by stimulating successful rural business enterprise.

This vital role will be continuing under a change you may already have heard about on the grapevine. In 2025, Rural Bank customers will be transitioning to Bendigo Bank and will have a banking experience on offer that comes from decades of listening to customers and understanding the unique and changing needs of Australian farming businesses.

Rural Bank customers will soon be fully backed by Bendigo Bank’s digital capability, products, and services, plus have ongoing access to Bendigo Bank’s extensive network of branches Australia-wide – everything you’d expect from a bank Roy Morgan awarded Most Trusted Agribusiness Bank for the second year in a row.

One of the benefits on offer is the specialist Insights series of publications, prepared by the Bank’s in-house team of expert analysts for farmers and businesses across the agricultural sector.

The Farmland Values Report, is one in this series of regular insights Bendigo Bank offers to farmers. The Insights report series provides a detailed analysis of the rural sector and is a valuable source of information that can assist farmers in their planning and decision-making for future growth.

“Farmland Values is the longest-running analysis of the farmland market in Australia and for almost 30 years, the report has tracked every farmland sale annually, providing detailed market information from a national to a local level”, says Kathryn Davies, General Manager Agribusiness at Bendigo Bank.

According to the latest report, the traditional drivers of farmland values have led to a more subdued buyer appetite, but the longer-term outlook appears optimistic as demand may again strengthen if current rainfall forecasts provide a good finish to 2024 and interest rate cuts begin in early 2025.

The main drivers of farmland values – commodity prices, seasonal conditions, and interest rates were mixed across regions. For example, dry conditions have proven challenging for most of southern and Western Australia while Queensland and New South Wales have experienced good rainfall.

At the end of the day, the expertise offered by Bendigo Bank ensures that farmers can partner for a better future in Australian agribusiness and that rural communities around their areas of operation can remain resilient, prosperous and vibrant.

You can view the full Bendigo Bank Agribusiness Insights series and register for the free Farmland Values Report here: https://www.ruralbank.com.au/knowledge-and-insights/publications/insights/

Website: Rural Bank | Agribusiness, Lending, Personal Banking, Savings & Investments

Email: SalesEnablement@bendigobank.com.au

Company Brochure: - equipment-finance-brochure.pdf

From Tradition to Innovation: Transforming Farming with Modern Practices

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 22:26:16 GMT

Australia has been exporting wheat grown on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia since the 1870s and it is this heritage that A.G. Schilling & Co. has inherited and continues to build on today.

South Australian-based agribusiness A.G. Schilling & Co . was established in 1964 but its origins date back to 1925 when the grandparents of current CEO Mark Schilling first established their farm. Fast forward 60 years later, having grown from an 800 hectare farm to 3000 hectares combining owned, leased, and share farming. The business is still a family owned and run operation. “There’s nothing better than being part of a family farm operation – it’s both your home and also your job, with a lifestyle most would envy,” Mark says.

In 1992, Mark took on a management role within the business that was being run by his parents. Since then, he, and his wife Merridee, have taken on multiple initiatives, all of them in keeping with their commitment to innovation. Their sons, Aidan and Rohan and five full time staff ensure the diversification becomes reality.

When rising rodent bait costs became a financial strain for SA farmers about a decade ago, Mark partnered with business acquaintance Wilhelm Rural from Adelaide, owner of the registered label “Last Supper”. This partnership enabled A.G. Schilling & Co., now trading under the company Their Last Supper Pty Ltd , to supply mouse bait for broader acre use directly to farmers and retail chains as an alternative bait to what was currently in store.

Mark describes himself as a disruptor. “If I have identified a problem then it’s likely others have the same problem,” Mark says, admitting it is something of a theme in his approach to business. When he needed a particular opener for his air seeder, he “googled” and found one that took his interest, which was manufactured in Canada. Purchasing a set for their own use subsequently began a business partnership importing Atom Jet openers . Thus began the import arm of A.G. Schilling & Co., now known as AG Culture Pty Ltd . The company employs three full time staff working solely on importing products that include the AWS Airbar, Needham Ag Technology and RedE Ag disc seeder parts.

But A.G. Schilling & Co. are also exporters and have control of their entire supply chain. Mark is an authorised Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service officer, which allows them to pack their own product into shipping containers and export to many countries. “We’ve become self-reliant by covering the full supply chain,” he says.

AG Schilling & Co are shareholders of privately owned seed breeding company GIA. “In partnership with Grains Innovation Australia, we have bred eleven different varieties of grain and pulses, which we grow, pack, and export.” New seed varieties bred by GIA include Metro, Thunder and Lightning Lentils, Kingbale and Archer Oats, Anvil and Soaker Wheat, and Kastar Peas.

Yorke Peninsula is renowned for its innovation in dry-land farming machinery and techniques, but one of the key challenges facing farmers on Yorke Peninsula is the need to conserve water and maintain soil quality. Decades ago A.G. Schilling & Co. adopted sustainable farming practices such as Zero Till and other permaculture methods to increase water retention and improve soil health. This ensures that the land remains fertile and productive over the long-term.

Sustainability is crucial to the operation of A.G. Schilling & Co., which means the business must have the ability to track and trace across the value chain. “If we’re going to be sustainable, we need to understand what chemicals are used on what products, and when and where it was grown.” To that end, A.G. Schilling & Co. has partnered with local computer software company Trust Provenance of Adelaide to develop a digital platform that will enable producers to manage their supply chain using a mobile phone.

Mark has demonstrated his strong commitment to sustainable farming by becoming an active member of agricultural groups and committees such as Grain Producers Australia and Grain Producers South Australia and a board member of Adelaide University's Agribusiness Advisory Board. He is also an advocate for improvement of facilities for farmers at a local level.

This fierce commitment is a reflection of Mark’s leadership and his understanding that successful farming depends not only on technology and equipment but also on a strong and supportive local community. “Agriculture is in many ways the backbone of the South Australian economy and social fabric; it is the healthy cooperation of the people in the agricultural industry that is key to success,” he says.

“Remaining “cash positive” is one motivator for diversifying A.G. Schilling & Co.’s business, especially with the ever-present threat of drought and other challenges that go with farming on Yorke Peninsula . “The most resilient generational farms are the ones that have chosen to diversify,” Mark says.

“I’m always looking for new opportunities,” Mark says. “Yes, there have been some failures, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give something a go. That’s the only way you learn. That’s the Aussie spirit.”

Farmer testimonials for Atom Jet Opener

“Good seed placement at the bottom of the farrow with next to no seed bounce, excellent durability. Very happy with Atom Jet.” David Cawrse, Wasleys, Adelaide Plains.
“Very happy with the vertical profile of the opener to minimise soil throw. Excellent seed and fertiliser placement in the variation of soil types. It’s durable and a robust design for the required job.” Brad Lynch, Langhorne Creek, SA
“Very happy! Accurate seed and liquid placement, they keep clean in the trash and good on mixed country. It has taken 15 years to get to this point.” Andrew Watson, Wirrulla, SA.

Product Brochure

Email sales@agculture.com.au

The hidden losses of pasture utilisation

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 03:28:48 GMT

Pastures underpin the competitive advantage of Australian key livestock production systems like beef, sheep and dairy. Are farmers getting the most from them?

I have always been intrigued about the gap between potential and actual pasture productivity of Australian livestock systems. I will use dairy as example, but the principles behind pasture utilisation are the same for beef, sheep, or other livestock production systems. In pasture-based dairying, the average amount of pasture converted into milk (i.e., pasture utilisation) is only about 6 to 7 tonnes of dry matter per hectare and per year. Yet, the potential shown by our previous research ( www.futuredairy.com.au ) was consistently greater than 12 (dryland) and over 20 (irrigation) tonnes of dry matter per hectare and per year with adequate pasture monitoring and management. Why? Where is the gap?

The answer is not difficult to understand; it is just difficult to find on farm! The gap is what we call the ‘hidden losses’ of pasture utilisation: neither the pasture that wasn’t grown due to nutrients or water limitations, nor the pasture what was lost (or not grown) due to inadequate grazing management, is readily detectable in practice.

Logically, key nutrients (particularly nitrogen) and water are the most important drivers of pasture growth. In fact, water alone explains most of the above-mentioned difference between yield of dryland and irrigated dairy pastures. Managing these key inputs (water obviously more limited for extensive systems), puts the farmer in the driver seat for increasing pasture growth and utilisation -and from this, profitability.

But growing more is not the whole story. For a given level of inputs and potential growth, a large part of that potential can be lost, either by not growing it in the first place; or by growing it and not utilising it properly. Or worse, both!

An example of missing growth potential is in overgrazing or ‘grazing too hard’. On perennial ryegrass pastures we have measured a reduction of 25 per cent in the rate of pasture regrowth when the residual pasture cover (biomass above the ground) was less than 1,500-1,300 kilograms of dry matter per hectare (measured to the ground level). Many farmers like to graze a lot harder (i.e. leave lower residual) than that! The result of this is simply a much slower regrowth: the lower the residual the slower the regrowth. From the eyes of the farmer, the paddock just took longer to be ready for the next grazing. A hidden loss, and a big one. Do this 2 to 3 times per year and there go, easily, 2-3 tonnes of dry matter per hectare of pasture that could have been grown, but were not.

An example of poor utilisation is in waiting too long to start grazing (i.e. accumulating excessive pasture cover or biomass before grazing), which is the most direct path to also get and excessive residual post-grazing! Monitoring residual is important, but most of the time the answer of a poor residual is in the previous management: the greater the pre-grazing biomass, the harder it is to graze it down to an adequate level, without ‘forcing’ the cows to graze down and reducing their milk yield. This is quickly noticeable in a dairy farm given the ‘thermometer’ of the daily milk yield in the vat! The advantage dairy farmers have over other livestock production systems!

So how can farmers minimise these hidden losses? Well, like anything hidden, trying to unhide them would be a good place to start! Clearly if the losses were measurable and quantifiable, it would be a lot easier to do something about them. This is what we are doing with P1a project of Dairy UP, a large collaborative program for the NSW dairy industry led by the University of Sydney’s Dairy Research Foundation and co-delivered together with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Dairy Australia, and Scibus. The project is exploring new management options using advanced remote sensing technologies and monitoring systems to ‘unlock’ the potential of Kikuyu-based pastures, dominant in NSW and Queensland pasture-based dairy systems. By measuring pasture remotely and working alongside 15 dairy farmers, at Dairy UP we’ve been able to monitor grazing management closely and estimate hidden losses of pasture utilisation.

A simple example may help. With optimum management (pre-grazing cover of approximately 2,700 kilograms dry matter per hectare and post-grazing residual of approximately 1,700 kilograms of dry matter per hectare, both measured to ground level), grazing dairy cows should harvest about 1 tonne of dry matter per hectare grazed. However, at one of the monitored farms, the data show that cows harvested, on average, only 660 kilograms of dry matter per hectare each day. The 340-kilogram difference is a ‘hidden loss’. Taken to the whole year, where each hectare of the farm is grazed at least 12 times, this is well over 4 tonnes of dry matter per hectare of high quality pasture potentially lost.

And what does that mean for the bottom line? Factors affecting profitability are many, but we know from the analysis of many years of physical and economic data that 1 tonne of utilised pasture dry matter represents easily about $250 of earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) or ‘operating profit’. A quick ‘back of envelope’ calculation can verify this: 1 kilogram of pasture dry matter can produce approximately 1 litre of milk, on average. At current milk price in NSW that is $0.9-$1.0 of income. With an EBIT (as per cent of income) of 20-25 per cent (actual range 5 to over 35 per cent), that represents $200 to $250 of operating margin per tonne of pasture dry matter; very similar to the above figure from data analysis. So for the average Australian pasture-based dairy farm, with about 150 hectares of milking platform, 4 tonnes of dry matter per hectare of pasture not utilised could represent missing out on more than $150,000 of operating profit per year!

As the saying goes, we can’t manage what we can’t measure. Monitoring is key, and the recent advances in technology and satellite imagery allow farmers and consultants to do it remotely and proactively. Without monitoring, it is just too easy to get caught in the ‘out of sight-out of mind’ situation; and as a top farmer once said to me “…we look after the pellets because we get an invoice with every load, but it’s easy to overlook pasture management, because we don’t get charged for not grazing paddocks properly”.

A stronger, safer, smarter ute for work and play

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 02:41:29 GMT

The next-gen Mitsubishi Triton ute is the latest incarnation in an evolution of tough, reliable vehicles, that began in 1937.

Mitsubishi built the PX33 , a four-wheel drive prototype sedan, for military use in 1937, so it has a long history of making vehicles built for rugged conditions. But, Paul Fazldeen, Sales Manager at Toowong Mitsubishi in Brisbane, says the recently launched All-New Mitsubishi Triton ute is an entirely new build, with a new chassis frame and redesigned suspension system. “And the engine is more efficient and powerful being bi-turbo, having small and large turbochargers for different conditions,” Paul says.

As for fuel efficiency, according to a review by the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria: “Fuel economy is improved in the 2024 Mitsubishi Triton with a claimed fuel economy figure…of 7.7 Litres per 100 kilometres, reduced from 8.6 litres.”

Paul adds, “The new Triton also includes an Adblue tank, which is refilled every 6 to 12 months to reduce greenhouse emissions.” Made from synthetic Urea, Adblue is a diesel exhaust fluid which reduces the emission of harmful gasses.

Mitsubishi takes safety very seriously, which is why the new Mitsubishi Triton is the first Dual Cab Utility to earn a 5-star ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) safety rating. It has dual frontal airbags, multiple side airbags, and driver’s knee and centre airbags fitted as standard across the range.

Paul says the next generation Triton also has increased camera resolution and overhead view which, with the larger display screen, also makes the vehicle safer. It has Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Prevention and Emergency Lane Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a Driver Monitoring System that detects if the driver is becoming drowsy or distracted, triggering an audio and visual alert.

Arguably the best news for Australian farmers is that standard models come with an increase in towing capacity, up from 3.1 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes and the Trailer Stability Assist helps prevent “trailer swing”. The new Triton ute also has increased carrying capacity and an optional front steel bar. And it now comes with a 10-year, (up from 5-year) 200,000 kilometre warranty, 10-year capped-price servicing, and Auto Club Roadside Assist. Additionally, farmers who are members of farming associations can access fleet-level pricing.

But the new Triton is not all about work. The roomier cabin has ergonomic seating, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a new 9-inch centre touch-screen display. “It is also a much smoother ride,” Paul says. “Its improved suspension provides improved dampening and noise reduction.”

“Mitsubishi customers have a well-founded expectation of reliability and after-sales service,” Paul says. “Farmers can’t afford the downtime if a vehicle breaks down; the new Triton definitely ensures reliability.”

Website

Boosting Cattle Herd Health and Profitability with Marks-Min®

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 01:09:48 GMT

Cattle producers are reaping the benefits of improved herd fertility, increased weight gain, and fewer stock losses thanks to strategic supplementation with trace minerals

Cattle producers are reaping the benefits thanks to strategic supplementation with trace minerals and vitamin B12. Marks-Min products optimise trace mineral and vitamin B12 levels in a single dose.

Ballarat cattle producer, David Wells, now sells heavier steers and heifers after optimising trace minerals and B12 with Marks-Min. “We weighed them at marking and recorded their weights over nine months,” says David. “The heifers increased by 11.6 kilograms over that time period and the steers increased 8.6 kilograms compared to untreated cattle.”

Tom Baker, Principal of Woonallee Simmentals in South Australia’s south-east, uses Marks-Min to save time without compromising animal health outcomes. “Combining trace minerals with B12 in a single dose allowed us to reduce an injection while getting the same benefit. Reducing an injection means we can save on labour and time.” he says. He’s also noted the improvement in cattle health. “With this overall improved calf health, we are seeing less respiratory issues and less scours.”

Getting the most out of feeder cattle in the cold Mount Gambier winter has been a priority for Benara Pastoral Company Farm Manager, Brad Creek. He uses Marks-Min to boost minerals important for his animal’s immune system to maximise per hectare production – even when there’s limited pasture available.

Treating cows once a year, pre-joining, has improved pregnancy rates and enabled the females to thrive – regardless of seasonal conditions. “We are finding our preg-test numbers have been up since doing a pre-joining treatment,” says Brad. “At joining time the feed is short, and the cows are doing it tough, I feel they really get a benefit from the trace minerals.”

Boehringer Ingelheim Technical Services Manager, Dr Gareth Kelly, said an animal’s need for trace minerals and vitamin B12 can be intensified at times of rapid growth, reproduction, or stress – such as feed restriction, transport, or entry into a feedlot. And in some cases, the trace minerals in soil consumed via direct grazing aren’t enough to optimise productivity, and supplementing through feed or orally isn’t always efficient or accurate. “There’s variation in individual intake, low absorption from the digestive system and competition with other dietary components, limiting the success of a supplementation program,” says Gareth.

“Using injectable mineral supplementation can avoid these variables by being rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and made readily available to support optimal health and production. Minerals not immediately required are stored in the liver and mobilised as required.

Marks-Min was recently part of one of the largest injectable trace element studies done to date.

Click here for the Remarkable Results.

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Silver lining for 25 years of Farmers' Markets in Australia

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:21:05 GMT

Some milestones are marked with fanfare – others with piles of freshly picked colourful spring produce, protein-packed prime cut lamb, pork and beef; fresh catch seafood; creamy white mould cheese, pasture-reared eggs or pure honey. All that’s fresh and farm direct and destined to mark the 25 ^th Year of Australia’s vibrant farmers’ market sector.

The first farmer’s market commenced in 1999 in the Yarra Valley (VIC) with more germinating to a flush of start-ups in 2002, including Margaret River Farmers’ Market (WA), Willunga Farmers’ Market (SA) and Orange Farmers’ Market (NSW). Now there are around 200 best practice farmers’ markets trading regularly in all states, in showgrounds, carparks, school grounds, churchyards and main street malls – community farm direct produce markets where fresh food takes pride of place.

‘Farmers’ markets have proved to be a remarkably resilient and significant link in the nation’s food supply chain,’ commented Australian Farmers’ Markets Association (AFMA) spokesperson, Jane Adams, who conducted the first community farmers’ market workshop in 1999.

Farmers’ markets operate on a fundamental paddock-to-plate proposition to deliver fresh, seasonal, healthy food with a face directly from farm (or ar1san kitchen) to dinner tables.

At the outset some suggested farmers’ markets would be a fad. In fact, market mornings are now habitual and weekly in many communities from Albany (WA) to Willunga (SA), from Harvest Launceston (TAS) to Mullumbimby and Bangalow (NSW) and beyond.

The growth and viability of the Australian farmers’ markets sector is reliant on passionate, hardworking farmers and artisan food producers, professional market managers, avid volunteers – and loyal food shoppers.

‘Consumer engagement has been spurred most recently by two significant food supply related events – the initial onset of Covid and the various supermarket industry enquiries,’ explained Ms Adams.

‘Farmers’ markets consistently provided fresh food supplies throughout the height of the pandemic. Some markets also launched home delivery produce boxes, others online order portals, showing that shorter supply chains can be both nimble and reliable.’

The current inquiries into mainstream supermarkets have also spurred more shoppers to local community farmers’ markets where food purchasing can be cost effective, convivial and educational – and sustains our farmers and food producers.

Grazier Vince Heffernan of Moorlands Biodynamic Lamb started selling at farmers’ markets 20 years ago. He is now a regular stallholder at three markets – in Canberra and two in Sydney and is a sanguine advocate of selling paddock to plate.

‘It’s good money for hard work and offers a fairer and stable farm gate return. Building brand awareness is a long game. Chefs shop in farmers’ markets and acknowledge their producers on menus, which means diners who enjoy our meat come and find us at the market.

‘Market morning is the place to tell farm stories. Customers see my work worn hands and hear about the new kelpie pups or our farmland regeneration program. It’s all about authen3city and maintaining a quality product,’ explains Vince, who won the national ‘From the Paddock’ category in the 2024 Delicious Produce Awards.

Byron Farmers Market long-serving market manager (and passionfruit grower), Tom Carey, says the market that started 22 years ago has grown to 75 stalls over the past two decades.

‘Our community has regular access to the freshest produce available at reduced food miles. From a farmer’s perspective, the market provides a reliable and viable choice to sell produce without having to resort to wholesaling in Brisbane and Sydney, which is crucial to the long-term success of smallscale farmers. Market morning is not solely about transactions, but rather a hub for connection, especially for the stallholders.’

Byron Farmers Market (and its sibling markets in Bangalow and Ballina) are now embedded in their communities. ‘Some customers attended the very first farmers’ market in Byron over 20 years ago and still shop there every week,’ said Tom Carey.

Richard Bennett, manager of Willunga Farmers’ Market concurs and believes his market’s impact is significant. ‘It not only supports South Australian farmers and food enterprises but its advent significantly revitalised the town of Willunga. It has evolved to become the largest weekly regional event in SA and is an important economic mainstay for local producers and the wider community. It is a reliable, weekly habit-forming source of fresh seasonal food for both Adelaide and Fleurieu Peninsula residents.’

Among the newest farmers’ markets to trade are Goulburn Farmers’ Market (NSW - 2023) and the freshly minted Aura Farmers’ Market (QLD - 2024) auspiced in part by property developer Stockland in collaboration with the Caloundra Chamber of Commerce. It’s one urban development that could be seen as a fitting new milestone for the grassroots farmers’ markets movement that only took community-minded developers 25 years to discover.

Market managers across Australia have been invited to signify the anniversary during October with eye-catching silver themed market day installations, to be generously supported by Merry People whose boots are made for market mornings!

The AFMA Find A Market Directory lists regular best practice markets:

www.farmersmarkets.org.au/find-a-market

Australian farmers are key to the energy transition

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:01:07 GMT

From already feeding the world to now also potentially saving it, Australian farmers are in a unique position to harness advanced automotive and renewal energy technologies to both lift their on-farm productivity and profitability while also combatting climate change.

Australia’s, and indeed the world’s, current focus on the energy transition is essential, as climate change remains one of our greatest challenges. The future will undoubtedly feature mostly autonomous, battery-powered vehicles. But as science fiction author William Gibson famously said, “The Future Has Arrived — It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed Yet.”

Growing up on a farm in South Africa, I dreamed of future technologies while driving anything with a steering wheel and a gearbox from a young age. Fast forward to 2024, and amidst all the buzz around futuristic self-driving cars, Australian farmers have quietly been using autonomous technology for years. Autonomous tractors, for example, are highly effective at mapping farms and avoiding fences and trees while navigating fields.

The advantage of farm machinery is that it operates in a controlled environment. For passenger vehicles, the challenge is greater. While many modern cars are already capable of some elements of “self-driving” such as Forward Collision Mitigation and other Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, legislation and the complexity of public roads hold back this potential. Cars do not yet communicate with each other or with infrastructure like traffic lights, making autonomous driving on public roads still considered a high-risk proposition. For this technology to be adopted more broadly, governments globally need to invest in smart infrastructure that can support the algorithms and data demands of a fully connected road system.

On the electric vehicle front, the future is closer but still not fully within reach, especially for farmers. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) have yet to provide practical solutions for rural Australia. While there are a few electric utes on the market, their high cost and limited range — especially when towing — make them impractical. One electric ute boasts a range of 410 kilometres, but when towing a 3,200 kilograms trailer, that plummets to just 140 kilometres. And it costs well north of $100,000 – that’s not middle Australia. Until there’s a major breakthrough in battery technology, internal combustion utes and hybrids will remain the most viable option for farmers and tradies.

An exciting technology currently available in the SUV range and soon making its way into utes is Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) technology. PHEVs offer a hybrid solution — an electric battery for short trips and an onboard generator for longer journeys, like camping adventures, family holidays interstate, and trips in rural areas where charging infrastructure is severely lacking. Put bluntly, there are not enough chargers, they are not where they should be, and they are frequently unreliable. Australia only has around 2,000 public EV chargers, mostly concentrated in capital cities, making PHEVs a practical solution with ranges up to 80 kilometres on electric power, plus a petrol engine for backup.

PHEVs also feature bi-directional charging, which unlocks new possibilities for farms. PHEVs can serve as generators, producing electricity by charging the battery with regenerative braking, electricity or fuel — a full tank can recharge the battery up to six times. With bi-directional charging, it's possible to use solar power during the day to charge the vehicle, then use the excess power stored in the battery to electrify the home in the evening. This not only eliminates petrol costs but also reduces home energy bills.

For farmers, integrating automation and renewable technologies can lower costs, boost productivity, and reduce carbon emissions, paving the way for a more sustainable agricultural industry in Australia. The future is already here — it’s just unevenly distributed, and now the government and private sector need to invest in new technologies to support Australian farmers on the road to Net Zero.

Australia has a small taxpayer base, which limits our ability to invest in many new opportunities, so we need to be selective. One opportunity worth considering is Australia’s potential to become a biofuels powerhouse. Farmers around the country can grow crops like sunflowers and canola for biofuel production. And farmers in Queensland, who produce 95% of the country’s sugarcane, can position Australia as a major bioethanol exporter, helping to diversify, and generate new income streams.

Australia stands at a critical juncture. The energy transition provides an opportunity to develop our competitive advantage as a country to decarbonize while remaining prosperous. Farmers can play a crucial role by adopting new technologies that not only reduce emissions but can increase productivity and profitability. The government needs to play its part by adopting a razor-sharp targeted approach in investigating and investing in alternative technologies, such as biofuels. This will empower Australian farmers to continue producing the nation’s food and fibre; simultaneously contribute to achieving climate goals, whilst potentially developing additional value-added revenue and income streams. In this way, the Australian farming community will remain competitive, sustainable, and vital in the global marketplace.

Laser-Focused Bird Control

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 04:36:29 GMT

Cockatoos are notorious for their intelligence and persistence, but there's now a smarter way to outwit them.

Australian farmers are all too familiar with the damage birds can cause to crops. From grain fields to vineyards, pest birds like cockatoos, starlings, and parrots pose serious threats to both yield and quality. Enter the AVIX Autonomic laser—a cutting-edge solution that’s revolutionising bird control.

Developed in the Netherlands by Bird Control Group, the AVIX Autonomic has evolved into an efficient, user-friendly deterrent. “The latest AVIX Autonomic Mark II can be controlled via a smartphone app, making it incredibly easy for farmers to use,” explains Michelle Kerr from Bird Beam Laser Bird Systems. Covering up to 5 hectares, the system operates silently 24/7, ensuring no harm to birds or the environment. Endorsed by the World Wildlife Fund and Birdlife Australia, it stands out for its high-performance effectiveness, sustainability, and quality modular design.

Michelle brings hands-on experience from her vineyard background, where bird damage is all too common. “After leaving the viticulture industry, my husband and I were looking for something new when we came across a video of the AVIX Autonomic in action, clearing birds from a vineyard. We were impressed by the results and soon installed 11 units at a large property,” she recalls. “What makes this system different is its ability to prevent birds from becoming accustomed to it. Unlike gas guns or kites, the laser’s constantly rotating patterns keep birds on their toes.”

The numbers tell the story: Australian farmers lose nearly $300 million annually to bird damage, according to the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With more than 60 bird species targeting crops like grain and grapes, the AVIX Autonomic provides a proven, reliable solution to safeguard yields and crop quality.

Beyond crop protection, the AVIX Autonomic has important biosecurity applications, particularly in combating the spread of Avian Influenza. “Birds contaminate water sources, which is a major issue for poultry farmers,” Michelle notes. “Independent research confirms the AVIX Autonomics’ effectiveness in keeping pest birds away, making it a valuable tool for biosecurity.”

Farmers typically see a return on investment within one to two years. “At the end of the day, the question is: how much are you willing to lose? Bird damage is costly, and protecting your land is just smart business,” says Michelle.

“Did you Know?”

Bird damage to Australian horticulture production is estimated at over $300 million annually, do you know what it’s costing you? It’s worthwhile to do the sums, invest confidently and decrease that number.

Key Benefits

Immediate and long-lasting results
24/7 deterrence of pest birds
Effective bird deterring across long distances and wide spaces
Easy to deploy
Animal friendly
Humane and sustainable

Website: https://www.birdbeam.com.au

Email: info@birdbeam.com.au

Simplifying Livestock Tracking with Easy Online Ordering

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:45:50 GMT

The introduction of ear tags for cattle began in Australia in the mid-20th century as a way to improve upon earlier identification methods such as branding. Ear tags provided a more humane and flexible way to mark and track individual animals. Now Yolla Co-op have come up with an easier way to order tags.

Starting with hazelnuts at Hagley Station, south west of Launceston, tourists can follow the “tasting trail” and sample berries, honey, chocolates, olives, truffles, and oysters, and wash it down with craft beer, cider, wine, and coffee. The many dairy farms in the area offer cheese—both cow and goat—and ice cream.

These are the North West Tasmanian producers whom Yolla Co-op has been servicing for the last 46 years. According to Ben Davies, Yolla’s General Manager, the Co-op was started by farmers who wanted to be able to “buy better”. “That business has continued to grow to the point now where we have three stores across the north-west coast employing over fifty staff and almost 2000 members,” Ben says.

One of the essential products supplied by Yolla are ear tags for livestock, and recently they have come up with an innovative way to get the correct ear tags to farmers. Previously, farmers would give Yolla the names and numbers they wanted printed on the tags, but often mistakes were made, which is an expensive problem if a farmer receives several thousand incorrect tags.

Under the National Livestock Identification System, all cattle, and from 2025 all sheep, in Australia are required to have a unique electronic ear tag—often referred to as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag—that is linked to a central database. These tags contain a microchip that stores the animal's identification number, which can be scanned to access information about its origin, movements, and health status. This system allows for rapid tracing of animals in the event of a disease outbreak, which is crucial for protecting both the livestock industry and public health.

“So we asked ourselves ‘how do we really give the farmer a better user experience with ear tags?’” says Ben. The answer was to design an online tool so farmers can visualise their ear tags before they purchase them. “You can have different texts, logos, numbers, you name it.”

The online tool was originally created for farmers in North-West Tasmania, but since it was launched in May, Yolla have made deals with the tag manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand and now the tags can be sent anywhere in Australia. A separate website was developed exclusively for the ear tags and Yolla had one hundred orders in the first month.

“The farmers can see exactly what their tags look like before they buy and then just hit the button,” Ben says. “It’s so easy they can do it in their pyjamas.”

Website: https://yollaeartags.com.au/

Email address: eartags@yollaproducers.com.au

Empowering Regional Communities Through Local Banking and Sustainable Growth

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:55:59 GMT

Regional Australia Bank offers a refreshing alternative that prioritises community well-being and member satisfaction. From funding essential projects to promoting sustainable agricultural practices, the bank’s commitment goes beyond traditional banking, creating a positive ripple effect across regional Australia. Regional Australia Bank is redefining financial services by putting its members and their communities first.

Unlike the "Big Four" banks, whose main objective is to generate profits for shareholders, Regional Australia Bank focuses on the well-being of its members and the regional communities it serves. With its customers as the only shareholders, the bank’s driving force is to deliver value and exceptional service rather than chasing profits. This approach has allowed Regional Australia Bank to grow, thrive, and make a significant impact on the regional Australia’s economic landscape and social fabric.

Regional communities have watched their local bank branches close one by one, but Regional Australia Bank is committed to keeping its offices and call centres local. With head offices in Armidale and Port Macquarie, as well as regional call centres in Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Newcastle, and Dubbo, the bank is dedicated to supporting the local workforce. By creating more than 250 jobs for residents in regional New South Wales, Regional Australia Bank not only boosts local employment but also actively supports the communities it serves.

Regional Australia Bank ensures that each of its 38 branches is staffed by locals who understand the needs of their communities. This commitment helps drive the success of both individuals and businesses, contributing to the overall growth and prosperity of the broader regional economy. And the bank’s dedication extends well beyond banking. Through the Community Partnership Program, Regional Australia Bank has donated nearly $2.75 million to support over 1900 community projects every year. These initiatives range from enhancing mental health services and educational programs to promoting environmental sustainability and strengthening community infrastructure, as well as providing emergency relief in times of crisis.

Sustainability is a key focus for Regional Australia Bank, particularly in agriculture. The bank is committed to financing climate-resilient technologies and supporting sustainable practices to help farmers adapt to changing environmental conditions. These efforts ensure that regional industries, especially agriculture, continue to thrive amidst evolving climate challenges.

Regional Australia Bank embodies the values of integrity, respect, and fairness – core principles that resonate deeply with regional Australians. The bank’s dedicated staff are not only experts in their fields but also active participants in their local communities. Whether coaching a sports team or helping organise a community project, Regional Australia Bank employees are passionate about making a difference in the places they live and work.

Whether it’s through giving back to the community, keeping their branches open, or choosing not to pass on full interest rate rises to their members, Regional Australia Bank are driven to support their members and their communities every step of the way.

Who benefits? Their members are their shareholders, which means their motivation is purely on delivering value to those members
What do they offer? Competitively-priced products, superior service and profits invested back into the community
Why do they put all profits back into their member communities? They get a real kick out of helping individuals achieve their lifestyle and financial goals
Where are they located? 38 branches in New England North West, Central West, Mid North Coast and Greater Newcastle

Website: www.regionalaustraliabank.com.au

Email: enquiries@regionalaustraliabank.com.au

Irrigation challenges in Australia: Balancing innovation and adaptation for a sustainable future

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:42:29 GMT

As climate change intensifies, Australian farmers are adopting advanced technologies and practical strategies to manage water efficiently and sustainably.

Introduction

We are increasingly challenged with feeding a growing population using diminishing water resources, while also ensuring the protection of landscapes and ecosystems that depend on this same water. Farmers and the irrigation industry are central to this effort, providing the food we rely on both domestically and for export. Part of their role also involves caring for the environment, a responsibility that grows as water becomes scarcer. Addressing this complex issue will require a careful blend of technology, innovative farming practices, and supportive government policies.

Australian innovation

Australia’s dry climate has pushed farmers to innovate constantly. Efficient irrigation has become critical for agricultural productivity, and new technologies like drip irrigation, digital tools, and data-driven solutions offer ways to optimise water use.

Australia is globally recognised for its advanced irrigation systems, including its innovative digital water management solutions, which are now being exported by Australian companies worldwide. However, it is essential to balance cutting-edge innovations with practical strategies that work for farmers of all sizes. As the country faces changing rainfall patterns, farmers are looking both to technology and new farming practices to maximise productivity with less water.

The role of technology

Recent advances in digital agriculture – such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and satellite imagery – are beginning to reshape how Australian farmers manage irrigation. These tools provide real-time insights into soil moisture, crop health, and weather patterns, allowing farmers to adjust irrigation schedules with greater precision. IoT devices, for example, can monitor soil conditions continuously, reducing guesswork and improving water efficiency.

However, integrating these technologies poses challenges. Smaller farms, in particular, face financial and logistical barriers to adoption. While larger agribusinesses can invest in high-end systems, smaller operations may struggle to justify the upfront costs. This is why farmers need simple, practical tools that turn data into actionable insights without the complexity or high price tag.

Satellite imagery is one example of a practical solution. It offers a broader view of crop health over large areas without requiring expensive sensors on the ground. By providing detailed irrigation recommendations through easily accessible platforms like smartphones, this technology can benefit farms of all sizes, making it a more scalable and affordable option.

Adaptation strategies

In addition to adopting new technologies, Australian farmers are using a range of practical strategies to adapt to water scarcity. Soil health management is a key focus, with some growers using techniques like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and organic matter to improve soil’s ability to retain moisture. Healthy soil holds more water and reduces the amount needed for irrigation, helping farmers make the most of their resources.

Crop diversification is another strategy, with farmers shifting to more drought-tolerant crops or growing a wider variety of crops. This approach helps build resilience against climate change and weather unpredictability. By diversifying their crops, farmers can reduce the risk of crop failure while maintaining productivity.

Alternative water sources will also become increasingly important. We need to develop options like recycled wastewater and even desalinated water in regions where freshwater is limited. These alternative sources help reduce the strain on traditional water supplies and provide a more reliable solution during times of drought.

Some farmers are joining the energy transition by integrating renewable energy sources into their irrigation systems. Solar-powered irrigation is becoming increasingly popular, providing an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to power pumps. This not only reduces energy costs but also aligns with the growing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.

Additionally, farmers are investing in water harvesting and on-farm water storage. Techniques such as building dams, reservoirs, and water tanks to capture and store rainwater ensure a more reliable water supply during dry periods. Water-harvesting systems, such as bunds or swales, help direct and capture runoff, further supporting irrigation efforts when rainfall is scarce.

As the AgTech bubble runs out of hot air, what have we learnt?

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:33:13 GMT

Is communication, or more specifically asking industry what they actually want, the main reason for the poor translation of the billions of dollars spent on the BigData, Drones, AgTech booms into on farm adoption and broad scale industry change?

When asked to put together an AgTech thought leadership article for The Australian Farmer I was a “on the fence”, as I am definitely not the best person to over promote the Agtech “unicorn”, and the words “disrupt”, “agile” and “game-changer” do not readily inhabit my vocabulary (nor that of any farmer I know). Then inspiration came from a posted article on social media’s LinkedIn that provided a perfect narrative for this story.

Before I get into this moment of enlightenment, you may ask “who am I?” and “what would I know?”. In response, I have worked within agricultural research for 30 years including extended stints with both the New South Wales and Queensland Departments of Primary Industries and for the last ten years with the University of New England (UNE). I have an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree and a PhD all majoring in remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and am currently the Director of UNE’s Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC), where we work across 20 industries globally. I am also an oyster farmer based on Moreton Island (Mulgumpin), Queensland, and President of the Queensland Oyster Growers Association.

Back to the LinkedIn article. It showed the following animation and the heading: Ag thought of the week: Is low adoption of certain AgTech solutions due to anxiety and fear?

As mentioned, this stirred a reaction. Being around to see the Big Data, Drone, AgTech, Machine Learning /Artificial Intelligence and now RegenerativeAg booms, it astounds me (and surely fatigues all) that the same pattern occurs time and time again. A small whisper of these technological incarnations becomes a roar of frothing excitement where billions of dollars are spent on good salesmanship and invention which ultimately fails to translate to comparable advancement on the ground. The tech, the analytics, the accessibility are all there, so where does it go wrong? I simply believe this failure is predominantly due to a lack of communication between tech developers and industry need.

Going back to our bird scenario. The Agtech perspective on this is all about the cage that they have gloriously removed to allow the bird to be free (technological advancement). But as the bird doesn’t embrace this then it must be afraid or suffer from anxiety i.e. the bird’s fault. What if we started this process by asking or considering what the bird actually wants or why it is in a cage in the first place? Maybe it wants to be in the cage, maybe it doesn’t fly, maybe there is a cat sitting on the outside and by assuming the cage is not needed you have sentenced the poor fella to being lunch.

A simple way for Agtech providers to flip the scenario and put themselves in the “bird’s/ grower’s shoes” is do they own a robotic vacuum, an electric car, and a fully solar powered energy efficient building? If not why? They incorporate cutting edge tech, offer massive efficiencies (labour and power), and are better for the environment. Would it not be considered hypocritical if these developers do not have these latest technological advancements in their own places of business, are they scared? Furthermore, if they do in fact have all these things, have they read all the manuals to ensure they are using all the functionality appropriately to get the best result?

Following these trains of thought, I don’t think it’s fair to suggest a grower suffers from fear or anxiety because they haven’t adopted the latest tech. The failures are more likely to be due to the cost of tech, the relevance of the tech to their needs, the time required to learn and adopt it as well as change from current practice, and also ongoing support. There are many drones gathering dust due to difficulties in downloading, analysing and understanding the data, not to mention flat batteries and broken propellers.

From my experience, the following guidelines have led to the successful development and adoption of Agtech that transcends most of the “booms”. These are: find out what are the main three limitations to the current farming operation (the need); find out what are the current commercial practices and what are the short falls; find out what tech is best suited for the required application; find out how accurate and reliable is the proposed solution (validation); and then support on how to adopt, apply, interpret, and then maintain the technical solution into common day practice.

Tree crops: A nice example of application driving Agtech

Starting with the industry need. In 2014, CEOs from three Australian tree crop industry associations identified two main needs: The first was to have a more accurate understanding of the extent (location and area) of their respective industries, the second was having a more accurate way for predicting yield earlier in the growing season.

This request came at the start of the “Drone” and subsequent “Agtech” booms and as such there was the opportunity to throw everything at these two needs including satellites, drones, airplanes, robots, ML/AI, MobileApps, hyperspectral, multispectral, thermal, LiDAR, carrier pigeons. There was also the opportunity to bring together a strong collaboration of expertise from industry, university, government departments of primary industry and commercial developers. With all that engagement, testing and validation there were some wins that have been adopted and continue to grow.

The Australian Tree Crop Map Dashboard which identifies the location and area of all avocado, mango, macadamia, citrus, olive, and banana orchards nationally was developed using an integration of remote sensing (aerial and satellite), the digitisation of existing industry data, citizen science engagement through mobile and web based Apps and ground truthing. The mapping of tree crops was a major achievement for digitally empowering a number of industries by delivering essential base line data that provided an accurate measure of current industry size and annual change, informs decisions around labour, infrastructure, traceability, forward selling, and improved preparedness and response to natural disasters and biosecurity threats. The freely available map has been adopted directly on each industries website to assist grower engagement as well has been used by ABARES, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Harvest trail, and the Murray Darling Basin Authority. This successful integration of Agtech and industry need has now encouraged many more industries to be mapped in Australia as well as other countries, it has achieved the glorious status of Agriculture 4.0.

For yield forecasting, I am still perplexed on how growers are supposed to navigate all the technologies, understand how to use them effectively “off the shelf” and how to integrate them into the farming system. No wonder the bird has anxiety.

In order to find the best solutions, the extended team assessed space, airborne, and ground based sensors including hyperspectral, multispectral, thermal, and LiDAR for accuracies and practicalities of use.

Here are some main findings and observations: From the very outset there was no information on how best to acquire drone imagery of tree crops for yield forecasting i.e. time of day, flight direction, image overlap, speed etc. Then it was found that no sensors could accurately count all the fruit on avocado and citrus trees due to fruit growing within the canopy, in short if you can’t see it then neither can optical sensors. Ground based sensors were able to count fruit on mango as the fruit hang below the canopy; historic imagery identifying seasonal growth patterns and their subsequent correlation to annual yield proved to be a reliable predictor for tree crop yield at the block and farm level (this methodology is now being deployed across seven countries); thermal imagery was the most accurate for identifying specific diseases such as Phytophthora; Specific wavelengths from hyperspectral imagery that were found to correlate with specific constraints were generally not transferable to other growing locations and seasons due to the influence of other growing constraints.

The moral of the story is that not one Agtech could do it all, and that it was the application that best dictated the best tech and analysis methodology to use.

Water Stewardship: A Pathway to Sustainable Agricultural Futures

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:17:30 GMT

As the global agricultural sector faces mounting pressure from climate change, water scarcity, and the growing need for food production, sustainable solutions are more critical than ever. Water stewardship has emerged as a fundamental approach to managing water resources in a way that promotes ecological balance, economic vitality, and social equity. Central to this mission is the application of frameworks such as "Commoning" and systems thinking, which provide comprehensive pathways to a sustainable agricultural future.

Water Stewardship: Defining Responsible Water Use

Water stewardship refers to responsible water management that ensures equitable and sustainable water use for people, the planet, and economies. It’s a voluntary commitment from users to understand and mitigate their water-related impacts, adopt sustainable practices, and collaborate with others to achieve better outcomes.

In the agricultural context, water stewardship promotes farmers and agricultural businesses to consider the entire water cycle - where water comes from, how it’s used, identifying risks related to climate variability, and the downstream impacts. This involves using efficient irrigation methods, reducing water pollution from runoff, and conserving freshwater ecosystems. The stewardship approach moves beyond the individual farm level to encourage collaboration across the whole of the catchment enabled by a stakeholder inclusive process, working with local authorities and communities.

Water Stewardship Asia Pacific (WSAP) has been at the forefront of implementing strategies that enhance sustainable water management across agricultural landscapes. By adopting innovative frameworks like "Commoning" and systems thinking, Water Stewardship provides a holistic approach to addressing water-related challenges in agriculture.

Commoning: Collective Management of Shared Resources

The idea of commoning, grounded in Elinor Ostrom’s work on the governance of common resources, emphasises the need for collective management of resources that are used by multiple stakeholders. This approach addresses the “tragedy of the commons” where individual users, acting in their self-interest, deplete a shared resource to the detriment of all.

In agriculture, the commoning framework encourages farmers to see themselves as part of a larger ecosystem, where their water use practices directly affect neighbouring farms, local communities, and broader ecosystems. This sense of shared responsibility fosters cooperative management and reduces competition for water resources.

By implementing commoning principles, Water Stewardship helps create frameworks for local water governance that include diverse perspectives. Farmers, First Nations communities, environmental advocates, and water managers collaborate to create systems that benefit all, ensuring equitable water distribution, preservation of ecosystems, and long-term sustainability.

Systems Thinking: Tackling Complexity in Agriculture

Systems thinking is a powerful tool that allows us to understand the interconnectedness of different elements within a system. In agriculture, this approach involves recognising how water use, land management, crop selection, and biodiversity are interrelated and affect the long-term sustainability of farming practices.

Through systems thinking, water stewardship goes beyond the simple allocation of water resources. It involves a thorough understanding of the whole agricultural ecosystem, including soil health, climate patterns, and social factors such as local community needs and governance structures.

Water Stewardship uses systems thinking to design strategies that are both flexible and adaptive. For example, in regions facing drought, rather than focusing solely on reducing water consumption, systems thinking encourages an integrated approach that includes selecting drought-resistant crops, improving soil moisture retention, and promoting community-level resilience.

Renmark, SA, Case Study: Collective Irrigation Management in Australia

In Renmark, South Australia, where water scarcity is a significant issue, farmers have adopted water stewardship principles alongside community-driven management. Water-sharing agreements among farming communities have led to better irrigation efficiency, reducing the strain on local rivers and groundwater. Farmers collaborate through water user associations to manage infrastructure and monitor water quality, embodying both commoning and systems thinking principles.

By integrating these approaches, the farmers have been able to balance their water needs with environmental protection, increasing their resilience to climate change.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite its potential, employing a water stewardship approach in agriculture faces challenges:

Institutional Barriers: Regulatory frameworks often focus on top-down water management, making it difficult for communal and systems-based approaches to thrive.
Knowledge Gaps: Many farmers may lack the knowledge or resources to adopt new water stewardship practices.
Power Dynamics: Unequal access to water resources, particularly in regions where large agribusinesses dominate, can undermine commoning efforts.

However, opportunities for progress include:

Technological Innovations: Tools like remote sensing and data analytics can help monitor water use and improve decision-making.
Policy Support: Governments can incentivise water stewardship management through subsidies, tax breaks, or technical assistance.
Capacity Building: Training programs for farmers and local communities can promote systems thinking and collaborative management.

Towards a Sustainable Agricultural Future

Water stewardship, grounded in frameworks like commoning and systems thinking, is essential for creating resilient agricultural systems capable of withstanding the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity. By fostering collaboration and promoting a holistic understanding of agricultural ecosystems, Water Stewardship is paving the way toward a sustainable agricultural future.

Through these innovative frameworks, farmers are empowered to make decisions that benefit both their land and the broader community, ensuring that future generations have access to the water resources necessary for life and livelihood.

The ongoing work of Water Stewardship Asia Pacific demonstrates that sustainable water management in agriculture is not just possible, but essential. By integrating collective action and systemic understanding, the agricultural sector can continue to thrive while protecting one of our planet's most precious resources - water.

A Farmer’s Daughter – Travels from the paddock to the boardroom

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 02:45:18 GMT

A big part of innovation is reliance on diverse perspectives. In agriculture today, our greatest potential lies in gender equality on the farm and in agribusiness management.

From the Beginning – Everything Was a Possibility

Raised in a small rural community in Wisconsin’s Dairyland, USA, I lived in an environment where men, women, and children alike contributed to a successful household, family business, and community. Where working mothers woke at 4 am for farm chores, held an office job during the day, raised a family, and led major community programs every year. Alongside these role models in my early life, I also grew up with parents who taught me that opportunity and potential know no gender; for me everything was possible, from becoming a ballerina to an engineer, to taking over the family farm.

Today I am far away from my origins and now find myself one of less than 6 per cent of female CEOs in Australia’s agricultural industry. We are all born with potential, irrespective of gender; so where did things go wrong in the world of gender-balance as we migrate from the paddock to the senior management and Board positions in our sector?

Having studied mechanical engineering at university, my working life has always been very male-dominated and one that I have enjoyed. Early on in my career I often overlooked some of the bias and judgement which other helpful colleagues later pointed out.

I subsequently spent 15 years in various global businesses across Europe which exposed me to countless women who were succeeding in business. Usually, their success occurred by fitting the mould that society placed on them and as well as the stereotypes of many male leaders before them. I asked myself, over time, if this was an ideal way as a manager to maximize diversity and potential.

Defining moments have featured heavily throughout the 2.5 decades of my career such as reactions to pregnancy – a persistent and unresolved issue in maximising female participation in management. I was also inspired by male and female leaders who broke the mould, asserted themselves – spoke openly about entrenched corporate behaviours which inhibit women and reduce potential contribution to the shared goals.

Working across many different cultures in my career some of my favourite memories are from my time in Poland – where I managed a strong balance of male and female talent. And in South Asian countries too where trailblazing women were role modelling the way for more diversity, particularly in commercial roles influencing growers.

Across all the elements of diversity, which ultimately is about bringing truly new perspectives to solving problems, I have realised gender is the lowest “hanging fruit”. Low number of women in senior management roles, in particular, suggests that something isn’t working – that the talent pool to deliver innovative solutions is not being fully leveraged. A diverse team where all members stand up for what each believes in and speaking their minds creates a workplace where all individuals can truly thrive.

Calling all Inclusive Leaders to the Cause

During my 15-plus years’ experience in senior management roles, I’ve become convinced that the pathway to our industry’s future success is the rise of inclusive leadership across the whole value chain of agriculture and at all levels of the management hierarchy. More and more industry leaders now recognise there is a business case for inclusive leadership – the capacity to manage and lead a heterogeneous group of people efficiently, while respecting their uniqueness in an empathetic and bias-free way. Meaningful change is now happening in various areas such as such as a parental leave policy.

Let’s look at the practical elements to encourage such change. More education and rewards are needed to harness this early momentum. For example, inclusive leadership first requires intense curiosity – an enduring need to “ask why?”. Cognisance of bias, or leveraging self-awareness to avoid the leaders Achilles heel, is also a fundamental building block. Commitment, or in other words having strength, resilience, and perseverance to lead through good and bad times, is another. Taking personal risk , or simply courage, is the fourth. Cultural Intelligence, --- truly empathizing and understanding people of diverse backgrounds, is paramount.

And finally – collaboration which involves fully engaging in team work to create a greater outcome, is the fifth requirement. An industry that will always know drought, floods, volatility, trade wars, and other complex challenges will prosper with more of these inclusive leadership behaviours across the value chain.

To young rural women and men who might be growing up on a farm – be confident in all you do, never stop the child-like curiosity, break social norms and whatever you decide to do, go after it with commitment and courage. Opportunities see no gender – Australian agriculture needs the best from the paddock to the Board Room. Here is to a very bright future as we unlock the full human potential in Australian Agriculture!

“Kristina Hermanson is Head of Natural Capital, APAC & Africa at global asset management firm Nuveen - Nuveen is the world’s largest investor in farmland. Kristina is former Managing Director for FMC's ANZ and ASEAN business - FMC is part of a multi-national agricultural sciences company that advances farming through innovative and sustainable crop protection technologies.”

Improving mental health help for farmers in the face of increased droughts and rising temperatures

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 01:18:58 GMT

Mental health issues in farmers are a rising concern, especially in the face of predicted increases in droughts and hotter conditions. We need to get better in dealing with and treating mental health conditions in rural communities.

One area of growing concern is the link between the impacts of weather extremes on mental health, particularly in rural areas.

Poor mental health is linked with higher suicide rates, and in Australia, the suicide rate in remote Australia has been found to be almost double that of major cities.

A survey of 1338 farmers by Norco and the National Farmers Federation in February 2023 found similar findings.

Weather and natural disasters were said to have caused financial burden, negative impact on animals and loss of stock; and a difficult and costly rebuild and recovery process.

Many have emphasised the need for a systems approach to suicide prevention, which essentially means treating this issue as a complex whole while also accounting for the many constituent parts that often are interconnected and have interdependencies, as well as increased access to (and funding of) mental health support in rural communities. Current interventions in the bush range from telehealth and medical services; to primary health networks services; to men’s sheds; to drought counselling.

If you or anyone you know needs help:

· Lifeline on 13 11 14

· Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

· Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636

· Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

· Headspace on 1800 650 890

· ReachOut at au.reachout.com

· MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

· Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774

· Head to Health at headtohealth.gov.au

Farmers - A poem

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 01:03:03 GMT

A poem by Edwina Smith

They’re a special breed

A quiet, hard-working lot

People from towns afar

May or may not

Know what farmers do

From daylight until dark

Meeting needs never voiced

And always hit the mark.

The shed’s alive and buzzing

Combs glide through woolly fleeces

Willing hands all take part

Parents, uncles, nieces

A year’s work on the boards

Skirted, classed and baled

Vital skills of generations

Learned, practiced, nailed.

City business managers

Strut their corporate gear

Think of the farmers

Who raised sheep to shear.

Here’s an Aussie barbecue

The sizzling grill awaits

Lamb chops with sausages

And delicious juicy steaks

With a dash of spicy sauce

Meat that comes from where?

‘Pass the bread and salad please

There’s plenty for all to share.’

These beloved cuts of meat

Don’t come from outer space

Farmers tend to livestock

And run a rural place.

Up and down the paddocks

Ploughs and tractors toil

Sowing crops in the hope

Rain brings life to soil

Taking such a gamble

With seasons and their flaws

To feed our hungry nation

And those beyond our shores.

Munching on some muesli

It comes to us by truck

Imagine those dear farmers

Their fate depends on luck!

In this land of plenty

The shelves are full and packed

With nutritious fruit and veggies

Freshly ripe and stacked

Ready for the shoppers

To buy, take home and eat

Tasty meals and dessert

Crispy, crunchy, sweet!

When enjoying such delights

Grapes, lemons, limes

Don’t forget the farmers

With crops on trees and vines.

Farmers work so hard

It’s not an easy road

To feed and clothe our nation

Is quiet a heavy load

They often go unnoticed

By us who need not see

Taking them for granted

And yet this mustn’t be!

Folks who live in towns

May not understand

The service of our farmers

Working on the land

It is rather easy

And not such a deal

All they really need to do

Is be glad for every meal

Relish the aroma

Of curried lamb shanks

Great Australian farmers

Deserve our heartfelt thanks!

EDWINA SMITH

I am a retired nurse/midwife from Canberra. I enjoy writing poems with rural themes.I write poems about subjects that I have great admiration and respect for. Farmers come to mind and I wrote 'Farmers' to draw attention to their hard work and dedication to feeding our nation. Many people in cities take so much for granted, including our wonderful farmers. I wrote 'Farmers' to pay tribute to them and to let them know how much they are valued.

Regulations need to catch up to science on beef emissions

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 09:00:59 GMT

The Australian beef industry plays a unique and important role in the global push to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, however current emissions calculations are stymying its potential to be part of the climate change solution.

There aren’t many industries in the world quite like the Australian beef sector.

We play an important role in food and nutritional security, contribute to the resilience of our communities and nation, and as custodians of more than 50 per cent of the country’s land mass, are proud to play a part in ensuring the sustainability and prosperity of our environment for generations to come.

It’s this last point that is particularly important when we consider Australian agriculture’s significant efforts to be part of the solution to climate change.

Unlike the burning of fossil fuels, the beef industry is not an exhaust pipe into the atmosphere.

More importantly, we are unique, in that methane is the largest attributable greenhouse gas to our sector, rather than carbon dioxide.

Here exists an opportunity. However, to fully realise our potential in this space, we must address a huge limiting factor - greenhouse gas emissions calculations do not reflect the science on beef cattle emissions.

Notwithstanding their warming effect, it is imperative we recognise methane emissions are part of a 12-year, short-lived biogenic cycle.

This means they have a different impact on global warming than emissions from fossil fuels which are additional to the atmosphere and persist for thousands of years, if not millennia.

A 2023 report from the CSIRO, Pathways to climate neutrality for the Australian red meat industry, recognised different targets are needed for different types of emissions in order to measure the industry’s progress towards achieving a state of climate neutrality.

As the peak industry body representing grass-fed beef producers, we have modernised our climate policy and fundamentally support a target to be climate neutral - the point at which emissions from the beef industry will have no additional impact on global temperature rise.

Committed to mitigating emissions

The Australian beef supply chain has shown its significant commitment to mitigating its emissions, with large sections of the industry already sequestering more CO ₂ than they produce, and we will not deviate from this endeavour.

The scale of Australian grazing land means beef producers also have the ability to sequester carbon in vegetation and soil like no other sector.

Moreover, we must recognise Australian cattle often graze non-arable and native landscapes, where they do an incredible job of transforming cellulose, which is indigestible to humans, into high-quality, nutritious animal protein (beef).

Policy missteps and the way forward

In light of this, it is imperative we focus on the application of the current accounting methodologies, which risk policy missteps and unfair burdens on a critical sector of the economy.

The industry is currently being stymied by a national accounting method that does not reflect the complexity and opportunity of grass-fed enteric methane.

This is due to a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the net position of grass-fed enteric methane emissions, and the fact we are only partially measuring the emissions versus sequestration equation (CO ₂ capture through biomass).

Particular attention needs to be given to the specific nuances the beef industry has when it comes to GHG emissions, and there needs to be more work done to understand the biogenic nature of methane emissions from grass-fed cattle and the manner in which this contributes both to net GHG emissions and to atmospheric warming.

The consequences of not taking action will potentially involve costly interventions and greater difficulty accessing financial services, which would have direct implications for production costs and asset values.

It is crucial Government and industry research efforts are “in sync”, and producers have access to accurate data on the net effect of both their CO ₂ and their methane emissions – something which is currently missing.

There is a real opportunity here to further display the benefit of Australian red meat production to the environment, while considering the importance of food security, nutritional security, and the societal role of meat.

Future goals need to continue to stimulate investment to ensure an ongoing positive impact on the climate, in conjunction with the continued productivity and profitability of our sector.

All Bark, All Bite: Anti-Crime Measures Working For Farmers

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 02:14:52 GMT

There was a time when security was a matter of minimal concern on the land; however, the isolation of rural and regional properties is becoming increasingly attractive to opportunistic thieves.

In 2021, 80 per cent of farmers responding to a UNE Survey had been affected by farm crime, making it the most significant challenge facing rural Australia – and unfortunately, there hasn’t been a great deal of improvement since.

In fact, last year alone, theft cost Australia farmers as much as $70 million in losses.

Times like these call for upgraded security systems and measures, and the good news for farmers is that the technology available now is more advanced and effective than ever.

A high-quality security camera is an essential investment, working 24/7 to protect farmers’ best assets.

Within that digital space, the Barko Security RVT system is a shining example of highly effective farm security in practice, combining cameras and connectivity technology to overcome a range of challenges in remote property management and provide unsurpassed peace of mind.

"The RVT is a stand-alone, one-camera solution that can do the job of four normal cameras," said Barko Security CEO Tye M. Atkinson.

"A multipurpose management and security system, it comes complete with tower, solar panel, and AGM battery, and can be positioned for maximum coverage, with state-of-the-art PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) camera delivering 360-degree HD visuals straight to your mobile 24 hours a day.”

"This means you can track an unknown vehicle or person, or see a tank or mob of cattle up to two kilometres away – and advanced vision technology makes for extremely clear images, even at night.”

With an extensive background in the IT space and the management of large, remote farming and livestock operations, CEO Tye Atkinson has created a solution that addresses the need for technologically advanced security and management products on rural and remote properties.

Barko Security has also created Livestock Track Pty Ltd – the first fully integrated digital livestock tracking system for installation in high-volume loading and unloading races at saleyards, feedlots and abattoirs.

The Livestock Transport Recording System uses the most advanced camera technology available to collect critical data at the time of livestock delivery, ensuring the correct consignment and coverage of WH&S and Animal Welfare obligations, and ultimately improving the existing National Livestock Identification System.

Through the latest advances in Virtual Reality technology, farmers can even test out the technology remotely without leaving their properties.

This is all part of Barko Security’s dedication to providing a better security and management solution for people on the land, and the reason it’s never been a more important - or convenient - time to protect your property.

Company website: www.barko.com.au

Company email address: rvt@barko.com.au

An agricultural education for every possibility

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 02:02:25 GMT

A career in agriculture is often something passed down through bloodlines and inherited, but for families living on a farm, the burden of providing their children with an holistic education is significant. That’s where the selection of the right school becomes critical – and few have the resources to deliver “holistic” quite like The SCOTS PGC College.

With a 36-hectare campus, The SCOTS PGC College is ideally placed to offer a top-of-the-range education for the next generation of farmers and agricultural industry professionals, supporting the ongoing development of the industry.

Whether they’re harvesting honey from the beehives, cultivating rosella plants and vegetables, rearing cattle or even flying drones and using the latest ag technology, the students at SCOTS PGC have countless learning opportunities – and they can’t get enough.

The school is particularly proud of the agricultural aspects of its curriculum, encouraging the students in their sheep and cattle show teams to participate in the EKKA as well as shows further abroad.

SCOTS PGC is well known for addressing the vocational aspects of agriculture study, but the team, led by Principal Kyle Thompson, is also committed to maintaining a high standard across a range of standardised academic subjects like mathematics and English.

“I'm a firm believer that education and excellence have many guises, and our vision is for SCOTS PGC to be a school of excellence, in whatever guise excellence takes for our students. We want the independent education that our kids get to be of the highest quality, but we also want to remain true to our communities – our locals and our boarders – and provide pathways and opportunities for them to build capacity and to maintain their connection to traditional areas of endeavour,” Mr. Thompson says.

“Whilst we’ll always honour traditional methods of doing things and our history, we also want to look at what agriculture is going to be like in five, 10, or 25 years' time and move with what the community is going to need, particularly in terms of sustainable agriculture practices.”

As students look to the future, they also have access to certificate courses in engineering and manufacturing as well as SCOTS’ extensive industry and tertiary education connections, preparing them for careers with ongoing growth potential.

Of course, it takes a special team to deliver an education that covers such a broad spectrum of opportunities – and Principal Thompson is open about the challenges involved in developing their wide-ranging program.

“Covering all bases for our students is one of our greatest challenges and we do it well, but it is difficult because we have to have a breadth of subjects that many larger schools can’t or won’t offer,” he says.

“That means we’ve got to have agriculture staff, Maths and English staff – even our co-curricular activities, being where we are, are quite unique. We have a director of equestrian; we have someone to lead our cattle and sheep teams – and we're all wanting to provide the next level of education for kids and get the next capable kids into the workforce with capacity.”

“I will say without exception, we are recruiting some fantastic staff who are looking for a sense of connection, community, belonging, and purpose – and being in a regional setting, you get all those things in spades. It’s parent teacher night, every night of the week at five o'clock in aisle three of Woolworths.”

In their quest to educate the young people of today, SCOTS PGC is raising up the farmers who will feed the world tomorrow.

Website: https://scotspgc.com.au/

Email address: postbox@scotspgc.com.au

Totally Natural Nutrition: working with nature not against it

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 01:29:14 GMT

Peter Doyle started using Totally Natural Nutrition (TNN) Australia’s products on his rural property, near Dubbo NSW, and became a reseller 15 years ago. He was so pleased with the results that in late 2022 he bought the company.

“The business has been running for about 25 years,” Peter says, “and 99 per cent of TNN’s resellers are farmers themselves, so they have real life experience with the products.”

Ken Purvis is a beef producer at Gilgandra who first encountered TNN Australia’s products at an AgQuip field day. He began using the Mighty-Min mineral supplement— made from kelp—for his cattle. He had been feeding hay to his animals every day, to prevent the animals eating too much bloat-inducing green pasture, but was able to stop altogether within a week as their bloat had resolved.

Peter Doyle says, when he was still farming, he used to drench his cattle with Mighty-Min the morning before he sent them to market. “People thought I was wasting time and money, but it only cost me 90 cents a head to drench them. I found the cattle were a lot more settled in the truck and I estimate they retained 10-15 kilograms in the 30 hours that they were standing around in the truck and the yards.”

Clayton Evans is a lucerne grower at Quirindi, in regional NSW, and switched to TNN Australia’s fertilisers and mineral supplements several years ago. He says where he used to get 160-180 bales of lucerne from a hectare he now averages 200 bales with his highest yield 247 bales. Also a horse trainer, Clayton has found that his horses are much more settled and require far less hay since giving them Mighty-Min.

While all of their other products are Australian made, TNN Australia’s granular FCMP (fused calcium magnesium phosphate) fertiliser is imported from Vietnam. It differs from the usual water-soluble fertilisers in that it requires the acid around the root zone to break it down. A study conducted in the south-west of Western Australia comparing leaching rates of FCMP with conventional superphosphate found the low water-soluble fertiliser “less-likely to leach from the root zone of plants after heavy rain.”

“When you put the FCMP fertiliser out,” says Peter, “you’re retaining 98 to 99 per cent of your product rather than 42 to 46 per cent with the water-soluble fertiliser.”

To prove the safety of his granular FCMP fertiliser, Peter has photos of his fish tank on the TNN Australia Facebook webpage. The bottom of the tank is lined with the fertiliser while fish swim above it.

“Using our fertilisers, farmers know they are not putting anything on their paddocks that is going to be harmful, and that’s why our slogan is ‘working with nature not against it’.”

Company email address: peter@tnnaustralia.com

Company website: https://www.tnnaustralia.com

Agribusiness chief warns of red tape dangers

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 01:22:26 GMT

Endless compliance is undermining productivity and imposing a human cost on businesses, Countrywide Engineering’s Tom Grigg warns.

The constant pressure to comply with endless government rules and regulations is imposing a huge financial and human cost on the rural industry, especially local manufacturing of agricultural machinery, according to a leading Wagga Wagga agribusiness owner.

Head of Countrywide Engineering Tom Grigg says he has watched with alarm as compliance requirements have skyrocketed in Australia in the last decade.

“There’s a never-ending requirement to fill in forms and tick boxes, much of which seems unnecessary and counterproductive,” he says. “It’s made everybody overly risk-averse, which is not favourable to a dynamic workplace.”

Mr Grigg points to findings by the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) that the number of federal government employees in regulatory roles had almost reached 100,000. IPA research fellow Lachlan Clark said red tape at the federal level had increased by 88 per cent, growing at a rate two-thirds greater than the overall growth in the national economy since 2005.

“Compliance is a growth industry,” Mr Grigg says. “There are more people involved in compliance than people doing the work.”

Research by George Mason University’s Mercatus Centre, near Washington DC, found that the number of regulatory restrictions in Australian federal laws exceeded a third of a million, a record level.

“The more time that businesses have to spend filling out forms, applying for permits, sometimes duplicated permits, the less time they have to provide the key household goods and services that everyday Australians need,” IPA research fellow Saxon Davidson says.

“We’ve seen the price of services and goods skyrocket in the last 18 to 24 months and we cannot drive down those prices if businesses are being burdened by a record level of red tape at both the state and the federal level in every state across the country.”

Mr Grigg says apart from the debilitating business costs, he is concerned with the human costs of what many consider out of control regulation. “The rules question your own integrity, judgment, and sense of responsibility,” he says. “We're guilty until proved innocent. The right balance is no longer there”

“It’s as if we don’t know how to look after ourselves and our employees. Our sense of personal control is damaged. The impact is degrading.”

Countrywide Engineering manufactures steel structures and agricultural machinery as well as equipment used in telecommunications and aviation. Like any manufacturer, costs of materials and other inputs are high as is labour – hence, all overheads need to be monitored closely to ensure reasonable margins.

Mr Grigg says he sees the impact of government rules and regulation across Countrywide’s operations.

“Recently a minor construction project in Canberra was delayed by extended site safety officer checks on our equipment and then a repeat of the exercise on a locally-hired crane,” he says . “It slowed down a simple and non-dangerous job needlessly.”

Mr Grigg fears that major national projects are affected by the mindset of regulation.

“Everything ends up being over-engineered. It destroys our competitiveness internationally. It affects our country’s economic sovereignty.”

Company website: www.countrywideengineering.com.au/

Company email: tomg@cweng.com.au

Growing a financially fit farm

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 01:10:05 GMT

Australian agricultural training is changing, especially when it comes to farm financial management. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to jump on this change and thrive.

Years ago, when state government departments of agriculture had strong extension programs for farmers, governments used to help fund this type of training for farmers, who would spend hours – sometimes days – travelling to and attending significant workshops held in regional centres. However, government-funded workshops have all but disappeared in Australia. This gap has been left to ‘private providers’.

Also, at this time, Australia had a number of tertiary institutions offering a range of farmer financial management courses, whereas these courses are now offered by only a handful of public providers.

We once had farm and adviser groups called ‘Farm Business Management Societies’ around Australia, and they have all gone too!

So, does this mean the economic challenge of maintaining viability is no longer affecting farmers? Not at all, as we must manage the increased uncertainty of climate change and its effect on the world’s rural commodity markets. We now have more government resources being allocated to the farm financial counsellors and disaster grants helping financially challenged farm businesses.

The job of up-skilling farmers has been left to the private providers, whose innovations have im-proved efficiencies of time and money, particularly during the peak of COVID-19.

These changes have generally provided huge benefits, and recent farmer feedback has indicated strong support for this improved technology over the more expensive and time-consuming ways of the past.

What exactly has changed? In summary:

Decreased travel costs – The use of online communication with Zoom and TEAMS means we don’t have to waste time travelling, the tyranny of rural living!
Improved learning experiences – Small group webinars and 1:1 sessions make instruction more efficient and have taken course completion rates from 50 to 90 per cent!
Tailored data usage – No longer does learning depend on Case Study farm data - stu-dents can now use their own farm data, which significantly enriches learning.
Convenience of your own farm office – Improved rural connectivity to the internet in recent years has been a technology game changer.
Cloud-based software – The cloud ensures that users’ software is always up to date. You can also get multiple cloud-based applications sharing data to automate good business practices, like automating cash flow management.
Bespoke learning – Because there is a mix of group and 1:1 learning opportunities availa-ble, students can have their learning needs met more effectively.

The bottom line is, if you want to stay ahead of increasing farm and market risks in the Australian agriculture industry, seeking out these new ways of learning is key.

Mike Krause is the CEO of P2PAgri, a company providing powerful farm management software designed to improve farm profitability, sustainability and risk management.

Feeding Australia and the world

Thu, 16 May 2024 22:43:36 GMT

Supporting science-based research and development in agriculture is helping Australia produce food for the world’s growing population.

Feeding yourself and your family is one of the most important responsibilities of an individual. By and large, modern communities have delegated this responsibility – and their food security – to a relatively small number of producers.

As a result, farmers have an incredibly important role. They feed us, some warm us, and all are custodians of our landscape and ecology.

Commercial agriculture and the science that supports it are now vital to society.

The innovation challenge facing agriculture

The challenge of feeding the world’s people is becoming greater. In 2016, 815 million people, or 11% of the global population, went hungry 1 .

Low and middle income countries account for almost half the world’s mouths to feed but only produce one quarter of global agricultural output. The imbalance is increasing, not improving 2 .

By 2050, with 9.8 billion people predicted to be sharing the planet, 3 food supplies will be under extreme stress if we only maintain current rates of production. Against this 60% increase in demand, climate change, urbanisation and soil degradation are all reducing the amount of viable farmland. Adding water scarcity, biosecurity threats and pollution highlights the inescapable need for farmers to be more productive per unit of arable land and available water, and to grow food under previously prohibitive conditions.

In short, if the global community wants to maintain food security into the future, farmers need to innovate faster than ever. Global agricultural output must increase at more than 1.7% per annum to sustain our food, feed, fibre and bioenergy needs for the 2050 population.

Farmers constantly innovate and adapt to maximise their yields. But they need the support of science to achieve significant changes.

The importance of science

In the 1950s and 1960s the adoption of scientific method and new technology led to the so-called ‘Green Revolution’ with higher yielding varieties of wheat and rice and widespread production uplifts.

This approach has continued to deliver improvements, from the subsequent ‘Gene Revolution’ and more widespread applications of genomic research, to rapid progress in precision agriculture.

Ultimately, last century’s far-sighted and sustained investment in science paid off with improved food security, reduced food costs, lower levels of global poverty and ongoing progress.

While there will always be a need for such patient and persistent research, the new food security challenge also demands a fundamental shift in how quickly science can deliver real-world results. Advances discovered by ‘pure’ and ‘basic’ science will need to be progressed into more ‘adaptive and applied’ agricultural science faster than ever.

The adoption of the Green, Gene and Genomics Revolution plus the adoption of ag technologies and improved farm management practices, especially in high-income countries, has increased global agricultural output by 60% over the past 40 years, while global cropland has expanded by just 5%.

This trend has started to taper off, but scientists globally – and here in South Australia – are rising to the challenge.

Can we achieve these productivity gains again? We have to!

It will be a far more complex challenge this time around, however we now have more tools at our disposal.

Improving agricultural output for a changing world

Rectifying production constraints is a key focus for agricultural science today. Improving crop resilience to soil sodicity or acidity, water scarcity and disease can all help improve yields – especially on marginal land.

Improving soil carbon can also increase productivity while helping sequester carbon to benefit the environment.

The revolution in precision agriculture technology is delivering incremental yield improvements, as are scientific improvements in crop varieties, seed viability, nutrient management and animal health.

In addition to these direct contributions, attention to ecosystem services such as pollination and erosion prevention can help increase and sustain productivity gains on farms.

The powerful combination of specialised technology, best farm management practices, and attention to ecosystem services will be the key to supporting agricultural productivity growth, sustainability and resilience.

The future of agricultural science

The fundamental nature of agricultural science is already changing.

We can expect biology, mathematics and engineering to become more and more intimately linked in the future. Satellites and the Internet of Things will provide more data on production systems than ever. Farmers will be capturing more data from increasingly diverse sources. They will be able to link genetic information with production data and sophisticated climate models to make decisions on what to plant, where to plant, when and where to add nutrients, how to protect crops and animals from diseases, and when to harvest.

The tools farmers use to make these decisions, and the inputs they apply as a result, will all be delivered by agricultural science.

In the past, a new crop variety or animal line was developed over several generations by the breeder.

Now, agricultural science involves agronomists, crop physiologists, cell biologists, pathologists, molecular biologists and geneticists, as well as software programmers, computer scientists, statisticians and economists. These teams must work collaboratively with climate scientists (and other disciplines) to understand the conditions their new lines must be optimised for.

Helping Australian farming to evolve

Agricultural production has remained central to Australia’s economy because we have developed and delivered new technologies through a strong research base. This has been crucial to sustaining and increasing productivity, even though we grow food in dry climates, in low quality soils and under continual climate variability.

Our agricultural R&D capability ranks among the best in the world, as evidenced by our strong research sector, significant achievements and shared projects with overseas institutions.

In South Australia, primary industries and agribusiness revenue amounted to $15.2 billion for 2018-2019 fiscal year including $3.79 billion from field crops and $3.17 billion from livestock.

The state’s Food, Wine and Agribusiness Sector Plan aims to grow this revenue to $23 billion by 2030.

Enabling and achieving this increase will see agriculture make a substantial contribution to the South Australian Government’s Growth State initiative for increasing gross state product by three per cent each year. It will also be vital to Australia’s NFF Industry Roadmap 2030, which envisions agriculture as the nation’s next $100 billion industry.

A number of South Australian government-supported research and development projects are focused on improving the productivity and profitability of South Australian growers, and thereby contributing to the drive for improved global food production.

The continued development and application of agricultural science will only strengthen our agricultural production, alleviate food security pressures worldwide and make a substantial contribution to the remarkable value of Australia’s farming industry.

Dr Peter Appleford is Executive Director of the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) – Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA).

1 “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017.” Produced by FAO on behalf of United Nations.

2 The future of food and agriculture Trends and challenges, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, 2017.

3 World Economic Forum.28 Mar 2018

Independent exchange is advancing the Australian grain industry

Wed, 15 May 2024 23:49:57 GMT

18,000+ growers, 350+ buyers, 20 Million+ tonnes traded, $7 Billion+ securely settled.

In the past decade, Clear Grain Exchange (CGX) has grown to become a mainstay in the Australian grain industry.

As the only independent exchange for physical grain in Australia, CGX has seen remarkable approval from the industry, with more than 4.8 million tonnes of grain settled through the exchange in season 2022/23 alone.

A focus on streamlining the traditional, and often cumbersome, grain selling process into an efficient and easily accessible online exchange has simplified the process for all parties involved and seen grain regularly trade at higher prices.

Underpinning the CGX business are 3 key pillars.

An independent exchange - CGX is not a buyer, seller or adviser of grain. It is not CGX’s role to have a view on price. This ensures the exchange operates without any potential bias, fostering a fair market where as many buyers as possible can participate in trying to buy Australian grain.

Secure settlement - CGX settles grain contracts. This is a unique offering in the Australian grain industry that ensures sellers retain title of grain and buyers retain title of funds until the contract is settled. It also ensures industry levies and royalties are disbursed and payment records are accessible online.

Accessibility - A focus on supporting users, facilitating industry good functions, and continual investment in CGX technology, has reduced barriers into the Australian market, enabling growers to reach all buyers and benefit from transparency of grain transactions.

CGX's managing director, Nathan Cattle, emphasises the exchange's role in fostering a transparent grain market where counter-party risks are minimised, and a wider array of buyers are encouraged to participate.

“Growers can have a direct impact on the efficiency of the Australian grain market. The simple act of offering grain for sale at a price they want, on an independent exchange, creates so much value for growers and broader industry.”

“All buyers can see the grain offered for sale and be encouraged to try and buy it", Nathan explains.

The evidence is Clear with grain regularly selling at better prices than growers may have thought was available.

The most recent innovation for CGX is the integration of igrain into the CGX ecosystem which extends the exchange’s approach to grain stored on-farm, further simplifying the supply chain and enhancing accessibility for all market participants.

The approach of accessibility, independence and secure settlements will enable Clear Grain Exchange to continue its mission of supporting the Australian Grain Industry into the future.

The truth about carbon on the farm

Wed, 15 May 2024 06:19:29 GMT

Known for having achieved his goal of running his farm at carbon zero only to revert to a carbon-emitting model, Mark Wootton is one to watch within his niche – a case study for many progressive farmers. In a recent conversation, he shared his insights into managing carbon on the farm and the key things farmers need to know as the trajectory shift towards carbon zero continues.

TAF: How did you take your farm to carbon zero?

MW: So initially, there were a number of things. There’s the supply, and then there's the demand side. In terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) or emitting equivalents, it’s predominantly methane. Eighty per cent of that footprint is methane, and then there's nitrous oxide, but then all the rest is really single digit stuff - your car and your energy and stuff like that. First of all, we had to work out what our footprint was. So we went through a carbon audit. And then we discovered that we were producing all of this. Then we said, well, what are we sequestering? There was an audit done on two significant parts, which was at that point in the initial study was our soil carbon. Which then we, in the first study, we're about three and a half percent for organic cut. In, our measurement, and then in the second study, that had reached saturation point, so we couldn't get any more out of it so that in effect, we're back to zero. It's there, but it's not growing.

The largest piece of it was the trees and what they were sequestering. Then at the same time, we were looking at our supply side; we were trying to optimise our fecundity – produce more lambs and more calves per maternal unit – through genetics and management, trees for shelter and better utilisation of pasture. That way, we could match our demand curve - so when the ewe or the cow was lactating, we had feed in front of them. That's management stuff. With that, we created a really carbon efficient operation without using the trees. But then to solve that problem, we had to use the offsets in the trees - or in our context, insets. The language around it gets a bit messy - your offsets could be sold to third parties or you can keep them to yourself or your own system, which is what we've done. We've never sold to third parties.

TAF: How did you measure the sequestration into the trees, and therefore know that you’d reached saturation?

MW: The University of Melbourne came up with a forestry team, and they did a number of things. Initially, they do a sort of Google Map analysis to plot the location of the trees, and then they go out and measure them. On top of that, they brought up drones to measure density and did sampling of a whole bunch – literally going in and measuring the size of the trees. Based on those measures, they were able to say, “On that size tree over that period of time, that's what would have been sequestered.” We have a lot of sampling, so there wasn’t a lot of averaging on our property, but of course that’s an option, because on our land alone there are 700,000 trees – so you’re not going to measure them all individually.

We had a lot of databases and did random transects, choosing sites off the map – so we didn't go choose your juicy spots or something; we chose what was there and then duplicated it through. That's a challenge for your average producer, though – measuring all of their trees.

TAF: How can other producers achieve the same kind of result and should they want to?

MW: The MLA has just put out a new tool, which is much better than the ones we started with. So in that context, what you do is you say, “This is the amount of country you have – soil type, your rainfall, and the type of trees you put in - and that will give you an average of what those trees should do.” It gives you a pretty good rule of thumb for working out your carbon capture, and that's not that hard to do. If you want to go to the next level, then obviously you'd have to engage third parties to do the measurement.

TAF: What are consumers actually looking for when it comes to farmers being environmentally friendly?

MW: So there's two things going on here – there's what they say they want and what they’re actually prepared to spend on, and they’re not always the same, but in our context, at this stage, we're in a quite boutique market of Coles carbon-neutral beef, ZQ, ReGen - it all goes into those North American Sports markets. And so they're quite specialist and those people, I think they're motivated and they’re talking to the people who come through, the intermediaries for these ones; they say, not all consumers are one voice. Some people are doing it for animal welfare reasons. Some are doing it for biodiversity reasons and some are doing it for carbon reasons and some are doing it for all of those reasons. The challenge is, how do you unpack that when someone's purchasing a product somewhere? And someone might just like the packaging. The ultimate test of that is are they prepared to pay? So where's the price point where they're prepared to pay for those things?

The producers of the product for the consumers under the Science-Based Target Initiative who are signing up to that - basically saying we're going to keep the planet under 1.5 degrees warming - they’re the most important thing for farmers, because that's who's gonna be buying our product.

TAF: What’s the difference between transitional soil carbon and proper soil carbon?

MW: There are two key considerations when you're doing any insetting or offsetting: what you do has to be additional - something that you wouldn't have done anyway - and it's got to be permanent.

Transitional soil carbon ebbs and flows – let’s say we have a high rainfall event and lots of vegetation growth. When that vegetation breaks down and decomposes, soil carbon will be very high.

But then we have a drying event, or we overgraze it or something, we will lose that soil carbon, so that's transitional. In terms of proper, it’s permanent soil carbon. So you've had a permanent change in terms of what you're doing. That's the challenge because a lot of these figures that have come through - and there was one last weekend, someone selling carbon neutral heifers and steers in northern New South Wales - the problem with that is he had one year of data. You need at least five years of data to say you have actually had the shift. And that's the problem. In defence of everyone who’s doing it, it’s all new. I'm not having a go at anyone who does it. You just have to learn the space a bit better.

TAF: What do farmers need to know about the future of carbon credits?

MW: There's going to be no price on carbon for agriculture, as far as I can see, going forward, and the market is still totally voluntary. However, if you want to understand what your carbon footprint is and try to get that down, you'll need to make sure that you keep your carbon credits that you could produce for yourself and not sell them off to another Santos or Rio Tinto who wants to use them for their own products.

So this is the battle. There’s only going to be a limited ability for the Australian landscape to sequester carbon. In agriculture, in my view, we’ll need as much of that as possible, because we won’t be able to do it permanently. These parties that are coming now and buying these large swaths of land or going onto other people's farms and paying them to change their methodology, whatever they're doing to get their carbon credits – those people will not be able to use it for their own product, because they’ve already sold it. The problem also is is they may have a covenant sitting on their own property title, to say that they've sold it. So someone in the future can’t come and buy that farm and do the same thing.

TAF: Does that affect the future resale value?

MW: It could, yes. That's the second half of your question: what are the repercussions financially? At the moment, you can take the money and run for 25 to 100 years depending on what scheme you sign up to, and you've got that in your pocket, but later on when you want to keep farming and selling food or fibre, you won't be able to do that again. That’s the challenge for the ag industry.

TAF: Is it possible to improve processes, increase productivity on the farm, and increase financial viability without adding to carbon emissions?

MW: Yes, I think it is. I think you do best practice - and the best practice, relative to what we're doing at the moment, is that you control your controllables. That means you focus on doing the most efficient genetics you can for your product. For lambing, you want a robust animal that takes less to feed and produces more lambs and mothers well. For beef, it’s not dissimilar. It's about genetics, combined with the work being done now on feed conversion - so an animal which eats less to produce the same amount of weight gain or the same amount of calves is obviously going to be more attractive than the one that needs to eat more. The other thing is selecting for high growth. Carbon’s pretty simple. When that animal dies, it doesn’t produce any more methane, so if you have an animal that finishes a month or two quicker than the norm, your carbon footprint will be lower. The best thing you can do is focus on your genetics, focus on utilising pasture well, focus on best practice in terms of keeping your ground cover. All of those things will mean you'll have a lower carbon footprint, and that’s without doing any offsetting or insetting. You'll also end up with more money – but to be in the green, you’ve got to be in the black first.

Ultimately, farmers won't get to carbon zero unless they do some offsetting or insetting somewhere. But if they don't want to do sequestration, because there's no carbon impact, I would still say make your operation as efficient as you can. You'll make more money and you'll be in a better position if you have to do offsets later on because you'll have a much more fertile and productive system.

TAF: What role, if any, does the Integrated Farm and Land Management Method and the ERS exit scheme play in all of this?

MW: We never entered into it. It could be a good method for understanding how to do it and what you have to measure and what some of the limitations are, but I'd only use it as a guideline.

TAF: Is there more that farmers could be doing to minimise carbon emissions? Where should our focus be, industry-wise?

MW: I think when it comes to climate change, everyone should do what they can do, no matter where they are. If you are an electricity producer and you can produce using renewables going forward, that I think you're honour-bound to do that, so you should be focusing on that, not trying to buy offsets of farmers who don't have those choices. Yeah, we haven't got tools in our toolbox that we can just go and grab as an alternative, because we've got these methane-emitting animals that need to keep emitting methane. So that's my argument: everyone needs to be responsible, and we just can't keep taking coal and gas out of the ground and burning it as we have been doing because it's not sustainable for the climate.

Mark Wootton is a pioneer of carbon-neutral farming operating Jigsaw Farms, a 3378-hectare family property in Western Victoria.

Kids on the farm: a force of nature

Wed, 15 May 2024 06:13:30 GMT

As the disconnect between urban and rural lives widens, so does the chasm in our understanding of where our food and fiber originate.

The crux of the problem is multifaceted: an aging agricultural workforce, a burgeoning urban population, and an onslaught of misinformation about farming practices – and these issues underline the urgent need for programs to engage students and teachers with the agriculture industry.

Without such programs, we risk an escalating disconnection from the agricultural world, potentially leading to a decline in individuals entering agri-careers as well as a diminished understanding of the origins of food and fibre and of agriculture's pivotal role in our lives and economy.

Peak body organisations recognise the need for kids to become involved in agriculture from as young an age as possible so that they come to understand the importance of agriculture to their everyday lives and to the nation’s prosperity.

Considering also that the agricultural workforce is ageing, we need young people with drive and passion to move into the industry to address that.

The key is explaining the huge diversity of careers available to those who want to work in agriculture. Opportunities exist for those who are interested in science, economics, information technology, engineering, design, management, marketing, journalism, agronomy, animal husbandry, finance, conservation, production, research, natural resource management, food services, education or training or policy – the list goes on. The agriculture sector is a highly innovative and technologically advanced industry.

Unfortunately, as agriculture knowledge in the broader community decreases, teachers lose the confidence to use this knowledge in their classroom teaching despite the existence of fantastic curriculum-aligned agriculture resources, exacerbating the problem.

Enabling students and teachers to take part in a range of activities and experiences, including on-farm or primary production worksite visits and hands-on curriculum aligned activities, is key. This real-life experience gives both cohorts a deeper understanding of where their food and fibre comes from and kindles a lasting appreciation for agriculture – and that’s exactly what the Kids To Farms program aims to cultivate.

AgForce School to Industry Partnership Program Manager Kellie Blinco says, ‘In the Kids to Farms program, primary students visit farms, agricultural businesses, and primary production worksites to learn about the agricultural industry using ag-tech focused learning modules which bring together the classroom and the farm, the students and the producer or production site. It celebrates the vibrant activities that bring the soil and soul of farming into the classroom and beyond.’

Teachers are consistently amazed at the transformative effect these programs have on students, noting their newfound excitement and comprehension of agriculture's relevance. Following the Kids To Farm program, one teacher remarked on the initiative a student showed in exploring different grains at home, a testament to the program's influence beyond the classroom.

For students in secondary school, activities need to focus more directly on the diversity of careers available in the agriculture sector and the pathways to those careers. Within the Kids To Farm program, activities and events such as Ag Inspirations (three-day intensive tour of agriculture industries in a region), Career Conversations (engagement with agriculture industry professionals in an informal setting) and Career Snapshots (agriculture industry professionals share a day in their life, career pathway and opportunities) provide hands-on, relevant experience and immersion in the agriculture industry. Such interventions not only enhance understanding and appreciation but also demystify the agricultural profession, showcasing its modern, technology-driven face.

Even students who decide not to pursue a career in food and fibre will benefit from the opportunity to develop a better understanding of and appreciation for the agriculture industry and its importance to their everyday lives.

Student participants are loving this approach. Year 10 student Chris Hoare said he now realises he has more options in agriculture then he thought and feels inspired to try more and find his passion.

“Coming from a small cattle property myself, I found it very interesting and informative how many jobs and careers the agricultural industry offers and how many paths that I as a Downlands Student can choose straight out of school,” Chris said.

“As we toured through Nurseries and Feedlots, I noticed that the archetype of an old bloke with a tractor and implements no longer represents the agriculture industry, which is now looking at more of a sustainable and robotic future.”

A combination of education, engagement, and experiential learning not only illuminates the path from paddock to plate but also sows the seeds for a more informed, connected, and sustainable future. As we contemplate the future, the importance of such educational endeavours cannot be overstated—for in nurturing a child's connection to the land, we cultivate the guardians of our food security, environmental stewardship, and economic resilience for generations to come.

When economic rationalism is irrational

Wed, 15 May 2024 05:53:25 GMT

Science, technology, and innovation are accelerating like never before in the agricultural industry to help achieve food security targets in this decade and beyond. Equally important are the 100 or so agricultural organisations in Australia that represent our farmers’ interests: Farmer Peak Bodies.

Your farm is under attack.

Attack by federal and state governments who think they can keep on adding regulation and adding population and somehow the food will still keep flowing, and in excess so they can claim they “caused” all the exports to help keep the country’s books in the black.

Attack by well-funded city-based animal activists and environmental movements who can raid your farm, steal your animals, and have legislation introduced that will inhibit your right to farm and increase your costs, all the while alleging that you are cruel and uncaring, or that you are harming the environment.

Attack by media who can paint a story any way they like to get ratings because they need the advertising revenue, falling for any gory photo fed to them by well-funded activists.

Attack by well-funded energy and mining companies who can just walk in your gates and tromp all over your land, destroy your biosecurity, and restrict your right to do agribusiness on all or part of the property that you or your family purchased with hard-earned money, all for their own financial gain.

Seriously, someone ought to do something. The government ought to do something.

But governments respond to what they believe are the desires of the largest numbers of voters - the loudest voices. Even with all the will and effort in the world, they can’t canvass the population every time some group mounts a campaign – and in any case, populations can be made to believe all sorts of things.

‘Oh wait! The Farming Peak Bodies and Federations can stop the attacks. I don’t have to. Some other farmer will fund them so I don’t have to. I can blame them if they don’t do the job that I didn’t pay for. It’s too expensive. I can’t point to a deal that I would get to offset my membership fee. It’s economically rational not to spend the money if someone else is going to spend it.'

Well, it looks like all farmers have become economic rationalists. All over Australia, farmers have walked away from their representative groups, who are struggling along on “smell of an oily rag” budgets, trying to counterbalance all these well-funded forces for the good of all farmers when only some farmers have the guts to pay.

Wake up, farmers! As the saying goes, “the best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your arm”. You could find 10 reasons not to join your Farmer Peak Body - be it beef cattle, sheep, forestry, grain, horticulture, or chicken. But that’s completely overshadowed by the one reason TO join - without these tiny underfunded groups run by (often) poorly paid and deeply passionate staff, your farm would be being legislated or “activisted” towards closure. Being a “head in the sand” farming ostrich might be good for a while - after all, the sand is warm and dark and you can pretend all this isn’t happening. But eventually you need to come up for air, and face the reality. If you aren’t paying to join, why should you expect other farmers to subsidise you or your farm?

Big business employs lobbyists directly - they understand that in business you need to have quality relationships with government to minimise attacks on your business. If your farm can’t afford a full time lobbyist, sit still and wait to be swallowed, or join the farming peak body most specific to your business and pay your bit towards their full time lobbyist. If you don’t like what that association is doing, get involved and change the rules. Or start a new Farmer Peak Body, or change the Farmer Group if the old one isn’t listening. Or be your own full time lobbyist - writing letters, having meetings, conferring with other groups, writing submissions, doing consultations, developing plans, finding alternatives.

You need to fight for your future!

How much is the actual loss to your farm if all those well-funded groups have their way without any push-back voice for the farmers? So often in business, you have to spend a little money to make more – and if your cashflow is squeezed now, how much worse will it be if all these groups get what they want, unopposed?

People power matters. Unless and until farmers realise this and begin to act as a group; the activists, companies and regulators will have their way, with only these poorly-funded groups to stop them. Most of the time you won’t even know it’s happening until it happens.

If you are in the farming business, being informed and supporting lobbying is part of that business. Join the group that best represents your farming business tell them what you need, make yourself aware of the work they do, and make your requirements clear. Stand up and be counted.

Now is your chance to make a difference to your own future – or have it made for you.

Taking on La Niña with weather insurance

Wed, 15 May 2024 05:46:33 GMT

An Aussie start-up is arming agribusinesses across the country with the financial tools to better manage weather risk.

After three consecutive La Niña events over 2020-2022, and a fourth now predicted, the wetter-than-usual conditions put weather insurance uppermost in the minds of agribusiness owners.

La Niña’s reemergence would mean increasing odds that Australia will face long periods of above average rain and cooler temperatures by the second half of 2024.

“I know what it’s like to have a great crop ruined by too much rain at harvest time,” says Dale Schilling, Founder and CEO of Hillridge, whose technology underpins real-time weather insurance tailored to agribusinesses, big or small, across Australia.

“If La Niña comes to pass, this will be the fourth one in five years. That’s only the second time that’s happened since 1900. It’s a big threat this year, particularly for east coast growers – but now, farmers can do something about that risk.”

Hillridge provides primary producers with the latest financial tools to better manage weather risk – be it too hot, too cold, too dry, or too wet. It’s an affordable data-led systematic approach that aims to mitigate risk in a way that’s both meaningful and valuable for farmers.

Instead of the traditional insurance model, which typically only covers fire or hail and sees farmers undergo a lengthy claims and damage assessment process, weather insurance offers an organised and automatic claims process that offers quick payouts in the case of a severe weather event, authenticated against weather bureau data.

As the first automated platform for weather insurance in Australia, farmers can now directly log in online to get quotes in real time, and purchase cover from our insurance partners.

Any agribusiness, including cropping, livestock, horticulture, or viticulture, can buy cover.

“Farming goes back many generations on both sides of my family,” says Dale.

“Every farming business is different, so it was important to me that farmers and their agronomists or advisors can easily use our system to come up with a solution that is right for them.”

Hillridge software analyses the risk profile of the individual farm and provides “pin drop pricing” in seconds. The offered is based on the likelihood of poor weather based on where and what you farm, not your claims history. Once you pay that premium, you’re covered.

The decision to pay a claim comes from a trusted weather data source, not the arbitrary judgement of an insurance assessor. If that weather event occurs your payout is fixed, fast and guaranteed.

Website: https://weatherrisk.hillridge.com.au/

Investing in the Ag landscape from the ground up

Wed, 15 May 2024 05:35:45 GMT

In the next five years, BASF is doubling down on its commitment to research and development in the Australian market.

WA grower Scott Walker with BASF broadacre specialist Caroline Dix

The world relies on Australian growers’ ability to embrace modern farming practices and profitably secure yields on good and marginal land so they can supply high quality produce to feed our nation, and also the world’s growing population. At BASF, we have always aimed to help farmers take greater control of their futures by supporting their mission to succeed at what we call the biggest job on earth.

We take the best chemistry, knowledge, and innovation the world has to offer and develop it here for our local market. We support growers and partners across the agricultural food chain as they adopt best practice through products and services that boost long-term productivity, improve their incomes, and support the growing demands of sustainable agriculture in a constantly evolving environment.

Expanding the capability of Australian growers and advisors through upskilling and education is vital to agriculture reaching its full potential. The skills shortage in the industry continues to hinder efforts to access the agricultural expertise farmers require.

In an industry where knowledge can, at times, be closely guarded by senior agronomists and there are six job openings to every agriculture graduate, there is a material need to support aspiring agronomists expand their skillset to access opportunities available.

In 2021, BASF established its Junior Agronomy (Agro) Training initiative at its CropSolutions farm in Tamworth NSW to help attract and retain the best industry talent. For Australian farmers, trusted information is everything. It’s the difference between sound decision making rather than relying on ‘gut feel’.

We see real value in the Junior Agro program that equips agronomists commencing a long and prosperous career with a unique practical experience in the field. It supplements their classroom studies and prepares them for the discussions they will have with future clients throughout the growing cycle.

During the last two years, 150 junior agronomists have completed our program at the Tamworth facility, with more than 40 per cent of participants being female. Participants reported a boost in confidence following the program’s conclusion, with many recognising the value of meeting likeminded professionals early in their careers.

BASF plans to expand the initiative to include a year-round training offering, featuring a syllabus of webinars for agronomists to further enhance collaboration with growers. By cultivating a generation of empowered junior agronomists, BASF hopes to lead an industry-wide shift towards more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.

While education is essential, growers must also focus their attention on controlling their environment with innovative products. BASF has a tried and tested commitment to Australian agriculture, developing targeted chemistry and seed varieties in local conditions. We bring ground-breaking products to Australian growers first.

Australia was the first global market for newly launched Efficon® insecticide, a unique mode of action targeting piercing and sucking insect pests. Efficon’s compound, Axalion® Active, is the first and only Group 36 mode of action and the first insecticide for the control of piercing and sucking pests such as whiteflies and aphids to receive classification since 2015. Efficon is fast acting and can reliably be applied in crop early or after the crop canopy forms, making it an important tool to control resistant pests.

Taking Axalion Active from discovery to market was a significant global undertaking that started right here in Australia. Australian growers were the first in the world to use the product in commercial crops, delivering a new tool for higher efficacy in crop production. The product has no known cross resistance, which makes it effective against pests that have developed resistance to existing chemistries and can no longer be controlled with current market standards. It also ensures that local products remain useful for longer, slowing resistance to chemistry in horticulture cropping.

In the next five years, BASF is doubling down on its commitment to research and development in the local market. We will launch up to nine new products for broadacre, three new products for horticulture, and fourteen new products for professional and specialty services (P&SS).

Working hand-in-glove with growers and communities to drive positive outcomes (and yields) is part and parcel of BASF’s commitment to Australian agriculture. We take great pride in not only supporting growers, but also giving back to local groups that are the heart and soul of our rural and regional communities.

In 2023, we continued to support our Community Paddocks initiative where we collaborated with local growers in Paskeville, South Australia and Nhill, Victoria to generate new agronomic insights and raise much-needed funds for each local community.

Local growers generously designated paddocks on their land to grow barley, with BASF providing expertise and continuous support throughout the season to cultivate healthy crops.

We supplied crop protection solutions such as Systiva®, Voraxor®, Frequency®, Opus®, and Opera® to aid each in paddock achieving an optimal level of weed control and high-quality yield. Following harvest, all profits generated by each paddock will be donated to local community organisations and sports clubs. Along the growing journey, members of the community, including local agriculture students, have been invited to visit each site to drive further collaboration and understanding.

Whatever the task or challenge, at BASF we’re all about helping growers and ag business partners tackle their challenges. We are committed to finding the right balance, so that farmers, our industry, and future generations can all flourish. We want to create a positive impact on the agricultural-food system that is so important for our society and help shape a sustainable future for farming. This is true for today, tomorrow, and has been for more than a century.

Website: https://crop-solutions.basf.com.au

Email: anz@agsolutions.basf.com

Grower Lynk McLelland from Rapisarda Farms with BASF Agricultural Solutions team members Greg Haslam and Serge Usatov, after the world first application of Efficon in Ayr Queensland.

Growing a financially fit farm

Wed, 15 May 2024 05:08:57 GMT

Australian agricultural training is changing, especially when it comes to farm financial management. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to jump on this change and thrive.

We once had farm and adviser groups called ‘Farm Business Management Societies’ around Australia, and they have all gone too!

The job of up-skilling farmers has been left to the private providers, whose innovations have im-proved efficiencies of time and money, particularly during the peak of COVID-19.

These changes have generally provided huge benefits, and recent farmer feedback has indicated strong support for this improved technology over the more expensive and time-consuming ways of the past.

What exactly has changed? In summary:

Decreased travel costs – The use of online communication with Zoom and TEAMS means we don’t have to waste time travelling, the tyranny of rural living!
Improved learning experiences – Small group webinars and 1:1 sessions make instruction more efficient and have taken course completion rates from 50 to 90 per cent!
Tailored data usage – No longer does learning depend on Case Study farm data - stu-dents can now use their own farm data, which significantly enriches learning.
Convenience of your own farm office – Improved rural connectivity to the internet in recent years has been a technology game changer.
Cloud-based software – The cloud ensures that users’ software is always up to date. You can also get multiple cloud-based applications sharing data to automate good business practices, like automating cash flow management.
Bespoke learning – Because there is a mix of group and 1:1 learning opportunities availa-ble, students can have their learning needs met more effectively.

The bottom line is, if you want to stay ahead of increasing farm and market risks in the Australian agriculture industry, seeking out these new ways of learning is key.

Time in equals yield up for leading drill manufacturer

Wed, 15 May 2024 04:54:37 GMT

After a four-year-long development process, Bourgault Industries has released the 4420 DK™ Drill with the promise of greater precision, yield and efficiency for farmers.

Over the decades, leading agricultural equipment manufacturer Bourgault Industries has developed a reputation for delivering highly efficient, effective agronomic equipment to farms across Australia.

The 4420 DK™ Drill is one such piece of equipment, delivering a high standard of precision seeding that enhances farming efficiency and yield.

Having been designed and developed in partnership with Australian farmers and put through a rigorous testing process, the 4420 DK™ Drill is the reliable on-farm seeding tool that farmers need to maximise consistency in often-challenging growth environments.

Built for resilience and stability, the machine has undergone a 4-year design, development and prototyping process – a timeframe that Bourgault Operations Manager Ben Bulley says is longer than the expected timeframe for similar products. However, Mr Bulley is certain that the completed prototype will be well worth the wait.

“With this type of product, it’s possible to get from an engineering design concept to a working prototype within 12 months,” Mr Bulley said.

“The decision to spend 24 months on the development stage was all about thoroughness. We didn't want to go to the market or waste time on prototypes that weren't thoroughly engineered and strong and durable.

“If you're going to aim for durability, you cannot rush the design process, so we took slightly longer than what would be typical in the industry.”

Mr Frank Varone, Director of Roma Farming Company, a 30,000-acre mixed crop and lambing operation based in Hyden, in the heart of the WA wheat-belt, helped with the in-field testing in 2023. Frank knows precise seed placement is a must and was so impressed by the performance of the 4420 DK™ 18-metre drill that he decided to go ahead and buy it.

“With the 4420, it almost doesn’t matter what the tines are doing, the seed placement is always precise and germination was very even,” Mr Varone said.

Reducing the likelihood of breakdowns is critical to on-farm efficiency, but it’s not the only way in which the 4420 DK Drill is minimising the time and effort required of the farmers who use it.

The addition of Hi-Flotation™ tyres minimises soil compaction to promote healthy crop growth, while the dual-tine Deep Knife™ opener penetrates the soil to greater depths, improving fertiliser and seed placement precision to ultimately optimise germination and early plant growth.

In combination, these features enable farmers to quickly fine-tune seeding depths and achieve the best possible outcomes out in the field.

A steadfast product range has been central to Bourgault Industries’ long-term business, as has their one-track customer service focus.

“The product we're supplying to the market is only used typically through April and May. There are a few exceptions, but for the rest of the year, our team here is dealing with the sales process, going to trade shows, dealing with the factory, transporting products, handling any inventory issues – basically dealing with the one product range all year ‘round, so we never lose sight of the customer's needs in relation to the product,” Ben says.

Proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary of delivering precision air carts, drills, and seeding equipment this year, Bourgault Industries remains as committed as ever to driving agricultural excellence through innovation.

Founded in 1974, the company entered the Australian market in 1997 and set up its own warehouse in the year 2000 - something that would become symbolic of a long-term commitment to local customer service.

“The clearest demonstration of our commitment to this market is the fact that we own our Australian facilities. We’ve made substantial monetary investments in the country, and we’re here for the long haul,” Ben says.

“With our distribution centres based in Perth and Albury, we cover all of the grain-growing regions of Australia. Those distribution centres are 100% company-owned subsidiaries, servicing our dealer network and handling the distribution of parts and assembly of products – essentially ensuring access to our products and services for anyone who needs it.”

The commitment of Bourgault staff takes their standard of customer service to the next level.

“All of our staff have one function: to support the Bourgault brand and products. We're specialists in what we do, fully focussed, which means our customers can expect the job done well.

“We're also fortunate to have some very loyal long-term employees here, who have been with the company for 20 years or more.

That experience and knowledge is critical in terms of understanding and supporting the product – not only the current product, but also the older iterations that are still in use. We have the parts and the knowledge to keep those machines running,” Ben says.

Website https://www.bourgault.com/en-au

Email salesaustralia@bourgault.com

Removing the guesswork from selective spraying

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 06:05:37 GMT

HARDI Australia has long been at the forefront of technological development for Australian farmers, giving way to a game-changing solution to the perennial agricultural problem of weed control.

Unlike traditional weed sprayers, which identify weeds using a boom with cameras attached, the Geoselect is a decoupled system that uses remotely-sensed data collected from a drone or fixed-wing aircraft to scan the area to be sprayed, allowing weeds to be identified down to the centimetre. The HARDI patented “per-pixel” processing algorithm can then tell farmers precisely how much chemical they will need before they start spraying.

“The system is able to calculate the percentage of weed infestation in each paddock to allow selective spraying,” says HARDI Business Development Manager Mark Armstrong.

“The difference between current prescription map versions and Geoselect is that GeoSelect uses much higher resolution cameras,” says Innovation Manager Heath Thompson.

“We’re also using four GPS receivers on the boom that enables spraying at the same accuracy as the data captured by the drone. We’re spraying at a plant-based level rather than an area-based level, which is a big leap in capability.” Combining Geoselect with HARDI’s H-select system allows the system to know the positioning of the sprayer and each individual nozzle.

“ Geoselect allows the farmer to save up to 90 percent of chemical per spray,” says Heath.

This, in turn, means fewer if any returns to the filling station. And because they don’t have to wait for reservoirs to refill, it allows farmers to increase their productivity. Saving time and product during the application process saves money, enabling farmers to invest in more expensive, higher quality chemicals that achieve better results.

The Geoselect system has already been successfully deployed on broadacre operations for summer fallow spraying, and HARDI plans to scale it down for future use in horticulture as well.

Heath says the system has been specifically designed for ease of use. “The map is firstly downloaded from the Cloud, then the drone operator tells the farmer how much chemical is needed for the job before they go out into the paddock and spray,” he adds.

And in terms of technical assistance, each machine is gateway-enabled, meaning HARDI technicians can dial in and see exactly what the farmer is doing in real-time.

The environmental benefits of reducing chemical use are immense – so much so that Heath describes it as a disruption to the agriculture industry. “It’s better for soil health because you’re not putting unnecessary product into the ground, and you’re also saving water. It’s also a great way for farmers to meet their corporate social responsibility requirements.”

Company Info

AI for a Prosperous Future: How AI Assessment of Quality Can Empower Australian Farmers

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:45:44 GMT

Quality Assessment by Artificial Intelligence will bring a new level of trust, traceability and transparency to Australian agriculture – here’s how.

AI has the potential to revolutionise grain assessment and trading through unprecedented accuracy and efficiency. The Australian Grain Industry is aware of this as key industry bodies, like GRDC and GTA, have recently sought proposals to help navigate the AI-driven landscape.

Following many expensive attempts to develop imaging and generative AI between 2000 and 2014, new machine learning algorithms have finally broken down technology barriers for Australian grain corporations. While these attempts were designed for buyers, a new breed of smartphone-powered AI Assessment solution is now emerging, shifting the paradigm of assessment from machine-centric to farmer-centric solutions for buyers. This opens up entirely new possibilities that go well beyond quality assessment.

Farmers want to get the best price for what they produce. They want to know who to sell to and whether they should store or sell now, but all these decisions depend on the harvest quality. If quality could be assessed reliably at harvest, farmers would be in a powerful position to maximise its value. AI and blockchain technologies will soon be woven into the process to create seamless quality assessment records, making agricultural products into tradable digital assets. New forms of digital platforms will manage trade entirely electronically, in the same way that stock trading operates today. Whilst it will take some time to eventuate, there are some real benefits that farmers will soon enjoy.

For farmers, AI Assessment will first be used to adjust machine settings, assess downgrade risks (the biggest initial benefit), and make cleaning decisions. The technology will then be adapted for the purpose of storing, selling and making blending decisions from a position of complete control.

The next obvious step for farmers would be to install AI assessment devices on harvesting machines. This is already happening with protein measurements where harvesting machines are being attached with protein measurement devices - allowing farmers to create protein maps of their paddocks. This map is then used for variable rate fertiliser application. The same can be done for herbicide applications based on the detection of weed seeds. Machine-mounted AI Assessment technologies will certainly help reduce input costs. Such devices can also be attached to belts or augers that fill trucks, making it possible to assess the quality of the entire load with much better precision than current sampling methods.

Subjectivity opens the doors for malpractice. AI is fundamentally objective, it will help create more reliable and verifiable quality metrics. With these tools, hard-working Australian farmers will be even better equipped to make the most of this new era.

Once AI Assessment enjoys wider acceptance from buyers, the playing field will level and more exciting possibilities will emerge. Whilst it is difficult to speculate as to what this playing field will look like, we can be certain that farmers and trading companies relying on AI assessments will gain a significant competitive advantage through risk reduction and quality assurance – and several countries are already making moves in the right direction. Argentina, for example, has pioneered the establishment of AI standards for the assessment of barley variety, while the Indian government – one of the world’s largest grain buyers – is actively supporting startups developing AI Assessment technologies.

The hard-earned global recognition of the quality of Australian agricultural produce has been the result of dedicated efforts to set and follow industry-wide quality standards. Under the new quality assessment religion, AI will sit at the altar, blessing those who recognize its powers with credibility that begets global demand.

Dr. Sivam Krish is a Generative AI Expert and the CEO of GoMicro, a company offering AI-powered quality assessment solutions for grain and fresh produce.

Pumping white gold: rural water solutions backed by 70 years of success

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:26:59 GMT

When it comes to building and maintaining a successful farming business in Australia, implementing the right solutions to deliver and preserve essential resources like fresh water is crucial – and in these ponds, White International is an authority more than 70 years strong.

Amidst rising operational costs across the country, Australian farmers are looking for ways to make every dollar count.

To manage climbing expenses, farmers are seeking out solutions that deliver maximum “bang for buck” – in terms of not only the input vs output ratio, but also the use of their properties.

In the world of pumps, this search for increased efficiency is all about developing innovative ways to transport water to hard-to-reach areas while circumventing rising costs.

One company making significant tracks in this space is White International.

Beginning with the foundations of products developed over the decades prior, White International has been making gradual enhancements since 1976.

“We chose not to reinvent the wheel, but rather enhance it,” says Managing Director Tony Ryba.

“Working in partnership with some of the best manufacturers from around the world, we started to explore and to invest in research and development.

This arrangement meant that while many competitors were tied to one brand and limited factories, White International has been able to bring forth innovation from multiple manufacturers, giving rise to several stand-out brand partnerships.

“We’ve represented our premier brand, DAB, for about 40 years, and they’re currently producing exciting new products in the domestic pumping space, like the Esybox Max,” Tony says.

“We’re also celebrating 20 years since we launched Bianco Pumpz and will be launching a revised product range driven by innovation and technology in 2024, after two years of R&D work – really setting this established brand up for the next decade.”

“We’re proud to have grown and developed the BIANCO brand ourselves, sourcing products from the best manufacturers around the world and delivering great value for money.”

The pride is well founded, not least since our BIANCO NXT pump controller won an Australian Design Award – but the innovation and development is far from over.

In fact, the company is currently developing and planning to launch a new economical pump controller in the first quarter of 2024.

The latest movement in the ongoing White International product range expansion is the acquisition of generator specialists Welling & Crossley – a move which Tony says makes perfect sense for the company.

“Also a family business, Welling & Crossley embodies the values that have been central to our company ethos for nearly 50 years,” Tony says.

“Our product innovation and development experience over the past few years will carry across to what we do under Welling & Crossley in the generator and energy sector, forming a complete package offering, with the exception of the piping.”

“As far as innovation goes, all of White International’s product ranges – which include brands like Dunlite, GenTech, and Welling & Crossley – are being looked at now as opportunities to breathe some excitement and life into the company.”

Naturally, the family business ethos that underpins the selection of partner brands also informs the White International approach to managing employees and serving customers – because, as Tony says, “anyone servicing farmers needs to be family-oriented”.

It follows that more than one-third of the approximately 140 White International employees have been with the company for longer than 10 years – and counting.

“Family business values are absolutely core to the ethos and fundamentals of not only our business but our business dealings, and the vast majority of our suppliers’ and customers’ businesses as well,” Tony says.

Giving priority to relationships and customer service is integral to the White International philosophy of providing holistic solutions that cater to customers’ needs.

“When we develop new products, we take our customers with us through field trials, encouraging direct feedback and deep engagement – whatever it takes to help them achieve their goals and for us to ideally get it right the first time” Tony says.

“Rural based retailers look to us for guidance – for ideas on enhancing their operations, targeting the right markets, and ultimately growing their business – and the products come as a result of those considerations. We co-create value. If our customers feel they're getting great wins from us, then that suits our working and winning together philosophy.”

Loyal customers like Brad Batten from Watermart Bathurst confirm that this level of customer care is the best thing about working with White International.

“Their catchphrase ‘working and winning together’ is really evident in the way that they deal with their customers.

“When we first engaged Whites, Tony came and sat down with me for three hours in my office to see what he could do to service our business.

“That three hours was all about how Whites could serve us better, but there was no sales pitch – it was a relationship meeting. I still tell a lot of our customers about that level of service.

“When things go wrong on a job, we rely on our pump suppliers for technical support, and none offer a greater standard than White International. They'll send a technical guide to site to assess it with us, to troubleshoot and make sure we can give those solutions to our customers, which has been a really crucial point for us.

“Another big thing is that we're not coming and going from sites trying to troubleshoot it – because they're helping us, we're able to make sure our solutions are targeted .

KEY BENEFITS

- Targeted Expertise: We have 50 years’ experience in developing water pumping and power generation solutions

- Specialty Trade Tools: Our broad product portfolio spans multiple industries, offering a range of specialty trade tools.

- Distribution Business: Our primary focus is on efficiently supplying products to customers.

- Customer-Centric Approach: We tailor our service delivery approach to meet the needs of a diverse customer base.

Contributing to our recreation and rural life – the place of the horse in Australia

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:15:26 GMT

Little is known about the scale of activity associated with the recreational equine industry in Australia, but a large scale survey is seeking to change that.

Equine owners have an idea of the amount of resources and time they expend individually, but what does this mean on a national scale?

President of the Australian Horse Industry Council Mark Burnell says that although horse racing is generally considered an area of high economic activity and employment, the majority of horses in Australia are owned for recreational purposes.

“This is why we feel it’s important to gain an understanding of the contribution of the recreational sector to the economy,” says Mark.

Seeking to explore this and related areas of the recreational horse industry, the Australian Horse Industry Council undertook a national survey – the first of its kind in almost 10 years – in late 2023.

The AHIC survey was developed using the previous 2014 survey as a base and then expanded to specifically target respondents’ knowledge and understanding of biosecurity requirements, costs and other issues relative to owning, breeding, and racing equines and the participants that run events or provide services.

The anonymous survey was open to anyone in the recreational horse sector and attracted approximately 500 participants.

Contribution of the recreational horse sector to the economy

Those who own equines know that it isn’t an economic pursuit for the faint-hearted.

The AHIC survey is proof of the age-old advice that the actual equine is sometimes the cheapest part of the scenario.

On average, respondents reported spending just under $30,000 per annum on equine-related activity.

This included:

horse feed
veterinary care
farriers
health care providers (such as dentists)
agistment or property expenses
tack and rider equipment
competition fees
transportation expenses (e.g. cars, trucks, floats, fuel)
trainers and coaches.

Some survey respondents were actually a little shocked at how much they spent in total. One respondent admitted that they spend “too much, according to my husband!”

As a collective, survey respondents reported a total annual spend of just under $15 million.

“if you scale this to the number of people involved in the recreational horse sector, you can see the amount of money that is injected into the economy is really very significant,” says Mark.

"Often, this money is spent in regional and rural areas. Governments at all levels need to be cognisant of the size of the recreational sector when making policies.”

Biosecurity - protecting the national herd

As an island nation, Australia has had the incredible fortune of safety from many of the infectious diseases that threaten equine populations around the world. Our approach to quarantine and biosecurity is critical to ensuring that diseases such as African Horse Sickness are kept at bay.

“While biosecurity is the responsibility of state and federal governments, it’s critically important that recreational equine owners and competition organisers are aware of the part they play in keeping our national herd safe,” says Mark.

In line with this requirement, the survey interrogated both individual equine owners and equestrian event organisers respectively on their level of biosecurity awareness and biosecurity protocols.

More than 75 per cent of respondents indicated an awareness of their obligations in regard to equine biosecurity, and 77 per cent confirmed they had a Property Identification Code (PIC.)

The Australian Horse Industry Council has been advocating for greater consistency between states and for both PICS and animal movement regulations.

The Australian Horse Industry Council thanks all survey respondents for providing this information, which will be critical in shaping the organisation’s work into the future.

AHIC 2023 Survey Report

About the AHIC

The Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC) represents the interests of equine industry professionals as well as the health and welfare of all Australian equines, both working and recreational. If you or your club or association would like to join the AHIC, please visit https://www.horsecouncil.org.au/membership-info

CLAAS celebrates 50 years of JAGUAR Harvester

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:06:41 GMT

After five decades of consistently setting new standards in forage harvesting technology, including perfect cut quality, ideal chop length, and efficient kernel processing, CLAAS has recently released a special edition JAGUAR 990 TERRA TRAC model at Agritechnica.

CLAAS is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its leadership in the self-propelled forage harvester market with the release of a special edition JAGUAR 990 TERRA TRAC model at Agritechnica – the latest in a long line of powerful products.

Boasting the very latest operating systems and a 24-litre V12 MAN engine that delivers a whopping 925 Horsepower, this harvesting behemoth is capable of processing a staggering 400 tonnes of forage per hour!

CLAAS revolutionised forage harvesting in 1973 with the release of the JAGUAR 60 SF, a hybrid of components from the company’s existing trailed foragers and combine harvesters. More than 500 of the 120 Horsepower units were sold within three years, triggering the beginning of a series of ground-breaking innovations that rewrote the benchmarks for productivity, efficiency and reliability.

Over the next 30 years, CLAAS pioneered four-, six- and eight-row forage harvesting technology, culminating in the launch of its signature 900 series in 2001. In 2008, CLAAS smashed performance levels even higher with the introduction of the twin-engine

JAGUAR 980. With a combined maximum output of 830 Horsepower, the engines were controlled by a dynamic engine management system that automatically adjusted power output to load whilst reducing fuel consumption by up to 10 percent.

The new-design V-MAX chopping cylinder with its paddle-type knives further improved chopping quality, efficiency and maintenance. The introduction of a new-generation cab and operator assistance systems, such as the AUTO FILL automatic

discharge system, near-infrared dry matter sensor and variable tyre pressure control system, provided greater operator comfort and convenience.

In 2015, CLAAS acquired the SHREDLAGE processing system, which intensively processes corn kernels and long-chop maize to improve the digestibility of starch and fibre. This was followed by the development of a new generation of ORBIS maize headers with working widths of up to nine metres.

In 2019, CLAAS launched the JAGUAR 900 TERRA TRAC with its innovative crawler tracks and the CEMOS AUTO Performance system, which automatically adjusts engine power curves and forward speed for optimal productivity and efficiency.

More recent improvements include the ACTISILER 37 silage additive system, water injection system and the CEMIS 1200 terminal for automated steering and precision farming applications.

From the paddock to the cloud

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 04:47:06 GMT

In today's fast-paced world, embracing technology has become essential for industries to thrive, and the Australian agriculture industry is no exception.

Digital record keeping in agriculture is a game-changer, allowing growers and producers to replace cumbersome paper-based systems with user-friendly, cloud-based solutions. By adopting these modern tools, staff can complete records in the paddock or shed, with access to their information at their fingertips, making data management faster, accurate, and more accessible.

By centralising all critical farm data and records, digital forms and checklists ensure that farmers have easy access to essential information at any given time. This streamlined approach simplifies the audit preparation process by ensuring that all necessary documents and data are readily available, which in turn eliminates the stress involved in searching through stacks of paperwork, often hidden away in gloveboxes or back pockets. Comprehensive features such as digital forms, task assignment, document management and inventory that can now be accessed through modern online platforms enable farmers to maintain accurate and up-to-date records for a range of purposes including compliance for food safety, market access, biosecurity, workplace health and safety, and government regulations.

This level of organisation not only ensures compliance with industry regulations but also contributes to better decision-making and operational efficiency. As a result, farmers can focus more on the core aspects of their work, reducing stress levels and fostering a healthier work-life balance.

Making revegetation ‘climate ready’

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:29:37 GMT

As a Landcare group, one of our main interests is to increase ecological resilience in our local area. Many of our landscapes have been cleared of vegetation in previous decades, so we have the task of supporting landholders to plant trees and shrubs to replace those that are missing. The benefits of revegetation are manifold. They include providing habitat for a range of native animals; controlling erosion and salinity; increasing farm productivity through nutrient cycling and shade and shelter for stock; and drawing down carbon from the atmosphere.

But as weather patterns become more variable and we experience more climatic extremes, we need to think about which plant species – and which plant genetics – are most appropriate in our revegetation efforts. We are forced to ask will our local plantings be able to survive our future climate?

Up until recently, it has been common for people to preference locally sourced seed when re-planting. This has been based on the idea that such plants will be best adapted to local conditions. However, there is growing understanding among scientists and land managers that we need to shift our focus to plants that can persist as the climate changes. This involves looking at which plant species are most appropriate by focussing on species that have a wide distribution and grow in our area and also in hotter areas, and increasing the genetic diversity of our tubestock so they have the best potential to adapt over successive generations.

Our Landcare group has been tackling this issue for the past several years, working with scientists and AdaptNSW to find the best way forward. There are several key steps involved:

understanding our local future climate,
analysing whether selected local species can survive in climates like the one projected for our area, and
sourcing seed for those likely-to-survive species from a range of areas to increase the genetic diversity of our plantings.

Planting the right species with good genetic diversity gives revegetation projects the best chance of survival into the future. It’s not just about making sure the individual tubestock will grow, but that future generations of those plants will be able to survive and thrive.

Luckily there are some good resources available for farmers, land managers and groups interested in climate ready revegetation. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney has launched the Restore and Renew Webtool ( https://www.restore-and-renew.org.au/ ), which is a wonderful way for people to incorporate both climate change and genetic information when sourcing seed or plants. The NSW Niche Finder is invaluable for those who want to dig further into climate variables and species distribution ( http://www.nswnichefinder.net/ ). For future climate information, the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology have joined forces to provide a user-friendly online tool ( https://myclimateview.com.au/ ). And AdaptNSW also provides projected climate change information for different regions of the state ( https://www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/projections-map ).

The Yass Area Network of Landcare Groups also has detailed information about our work on climate ready revegetation and relevant resources our website: https://yan.org.au/projects/climate-ready-revegetation-project

As the climate changes, our revegetation efforts are more important than ever. And we need to make sure that they are ‘climate ready’ so that their benefits persist well into the future.

Growing an urban farm from backyard to business

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:08:43 GMT

Some weeks, Amy Pascoe spends more time with mushrooms than humans. In this Q&A the Little Acre co-founder talks stereotypes, innovation, and the problem with “Grown in Australia” labels.

How have you grown your urban farm from its humble backyard beginnings?

Seven years ago I couldn’t tell you anything about mushrooms! My partner Mickey and I were living in Brisbane, working office jobs, trying to find the idea that would free us from the 9-5 grind. Of course, you soon learn that running your own business (let alone a farming business) is 24/7… but that came later.

Shipping container farms were a recent novelty in 2016 and we followed a few YouTube farmers growing fast-growing, high value crops in urban plots and backyards. The idea of bringing food production into city spaces was inspiring for us. When we stumbled across mushrooms, they ticked all the boxes. We started doing trials in a makeshift greenhouse we hacked together under our rental Queenslander. By 2018 we had established ourselves in two shipping containers in a private car park and started supplying local cafes and restaurants. Now we operate from an industrial warehouse on Brisbane’s northside.

Have you faced any challenges as a woman in agriculture?

On our recent world research trip I was disheartened to only meet with three women running operations in this industry, out of 26 facilities we visited. It’s not dissimilar in Australia. I’d say I haven’t faced any discrimination, but when a trade turns up to a farm and asks to speak to the owner they’re not expecting me to be that person – they’re looking for a man. I have a lot of optimism for the future though – those stereotypes are being challenged all the time.

What are some of the innovations in your industry?

All farming can be scientific, but mushroom growing is heavily weighted towards science. Every aspect of the growth cycle is highly controlled, monitored, recorded, and repeated. We have cleanrooms for our tissue culture work, where we grow the mushroom mycelium on different mediums before transferring it to the final fruiting substrate.

Mycelium or fungi is a versatile organism. We focus on the culinary aspects of fungi currently but mycelium can be applied to building materials, medicine, waste recycling or upcycling, textiles – there are many innovations emerging through the exploration of the uses of mycelium and fungi.

Where do you see opportunities for mushroom farming in Australia? What are some of the challenges?

The interest in more varieties of mushroom species is exploding. The opportunity is there for local producers to start meeting this rising demand, which for now, seems to be relatively ignored by large-scale mushroom operations. Local growers also have the advantage of being able to supply quality and freshness that imported product can’t compete with due to the fragile nature of the specialty species and their short shelf life.

The biggest challenge is the initial capital investment in starting out, and the lack of consumer knowledge about gourmet mushrooms. Small growers need to educate and promote their product which can take up a lot of time that could be otherwise focused on producing. There is also a lack of supporting industry in Australia. In Europe and the US there are facilities that just make mushroom spawn, or just make fruiting substrate, then you have the farmers who just fruit and sell the mushrooms. Here, you have to do it all.

What should the Government be doing to ensure Australian ag reaches its 2035+ potential?

The Government need to change the labelling laws around the “Grown in Australia” claim for mushrooms. Mushrooms grown off imported logs and only fruited in Australia are allowed to be packaged as “Australian Grown” even though all the substrate, the water, and all the inputs those mushrooms are growing from have been produced overseas. This puts local growers under price pressure as they can’t produce a fruiting block as cheaply as overseas.

Japan, the heartland of mushroom cultivation, has only just managed to lobby for this change in 2022 to protect their local mushroom industry so it will be a huge effort for Australian small growers to achieve this. The Government needs to better understand the growing process so the labelling laws can better reflect country of origin. Mushrooms are bio-accumulators so it’s vital to know what the inputs are. If there is any heavy metal contamination in your substrate, this will be present in the mushroom fruiting bodies. If you don’t have complete transparency with the overseas inputs and practices, this is a risk consumers may not be aware of.

How hard is it to attract investors and scale up?

As our farm has grown, we’ve had to set up each and every part of the growing process in order to support it. We produce our own mushroom cultures and spawn, we make our own fruiting substrates, and we grow and sell the mushrooms. We also supply other small farms with mushroom spawn and growing supplies, and teach workshops to the public. It’s a lot to manage! We’ve made the decision to focus on scaling up the spawn and substrate areas of our business in order to provide more support to the fledgling specialty mushroom industry here. There’s a massive gap which we aim to fill. We’d be interested to speak to anyone who would want to help us grow a local industry.

Amy Pascoe is the co-founder of Little Acre Mushrooms.

Bolus technology expands choice for Australian Producers

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 07:52:54 GMT

As the traditional backbone of Australia's agricultural industry, sheep farming is not without its challenges. When farmers in 1877 first settled in Robe on the coast of South Australia they thought they’d found excellent grazing country. But many animals were doomed to succumb to a condition that became known as “coast disease”. Then in the 1930s, farmers hit upon supplementing the sheep with cobalt; the problem was solved, and the animals thrived.

Much of Australia’s ancient soil is victim to long-term weathering and leaching, particularly coastal regions and areas of high rainfall. As a result, most of Australia is deficient in one or more trace elements required for optimal animal production. “Producers who want the best quality meat and or fibre from their livestock are required to step in to ensure their animals receive the nutrients they require”, says Mark Jones, Business Development Manager at Pacific Biologics and a beef producer himself.

Pacific Biologics has been supplying nutritional bolus products into the Australia market for more than a decade as the distribution partner for Agrimin Ltd., who are world leaders in bolus technology based in the United Kingdom. Bringing a new bolus product to the Australian market is a long and expensive process. Each product must be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which means extensive testing and trials before it can be approved for use by Australian producers.

For the past 13 years, Pacific Biologics has distributed and championed All-Trace cattle bolus and have continued to grow their cattle bolus range to 5 products. They are now pleased to announce a new addition of a long-acting bolus specifically for sheep producers. Smartrace Adult Sheep bolus contains cobalt, selenium, iodine, and zinc, with a payout period of 6 months and is compatible with long-acting copper in a single application.

The combination of these essential trace elements in a single bolus offers comprehensive benefits for sheep producers:

Cobalt is vital for the synthesis of Vitamin B12 and plays a pivotal role in energy metabolism and overall growth. Supplementation is particularly crucial for sheep grazing in regions with low natural Cobalt levels as deficiency can result in wasting, poor appetite, reduced growth rates, and general ill-thrift.

Selenium is an essential antioxidant that helps protect sheep against oxidative stress. It supports the immune system, improving the sheep's ability to fight off diseases and is an essential component for sound reproductive health. Deficiency can significantly affect animal fertility and induce onset of conditions such as White Muscle disease.

Iodine is essential for thyroid function, which regulates metabolism and helps to maintain energy balance. A deficiency in iodine can lead to coarse wool and reduced wool yield and can be seen with the presence of goitre in younger stock.

Zinc is indispensable for various metabolic processes, immune system function, as well as skin and wool health in sheep. It also plays a role in wound healing and is vital for reproductive performance, particularly the development of sperm and ova.

Mark says the administration of a bolus can be done at the same time as general animal handling and animal health treatments. A single oral application provides producers with peace of mind that their animals are receiving a precision dose of key trace elements for a period of 6 months, reducing labor costs and animal stress and ensuring all animals are on a level playing field.

Mark adds, “Supplying trace element supplements via an oral delivery mechanism, such as a long acting, eroding rumen bolus, presents distinct advantages when compared to traditional methods and more closely mimics a grazing animal’s natural intake mechanism”. Feeding daily or weekly rations is time consuming and labor intensive, injections are a short-term fix and require regular applications in order to offset deficiencies, meaning more yarding and time off feed in order to meet animal requirements.

Bolus products provide producers with flexibility, efficiency, and peace of mind providing producers with a little more certainty in what can be a very complicated balancing act. Long-acting trace element boluses are a major key to assisting producers to maximise production efficiencies in their flock or herd. Pacific Biologics specialises in the utilisation of bolus technology and continues to work closely with producers and manufacturers in the production and development of long-acting bolus products for Australian farmers in both the sheep and cattle sector.

Website: http://www.pacificbiologics.com.au/rural/

Email: markjones@pacificbiologics.com.au

OTR Australia: Aussie revolutionaries

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 07:36:04 GMT

With a near-40-year history of locally manufacturing their tyres and wheels, OTR Australia is proud to supply Australian farmers with the quality products they need to get the job done.

As the last dedicated manufacturer of ag wheel products in Mildura, OTR Australia’s wheel-manufacturing operations have gone from strength to strength in recent decades.

Described as eclectic and one-of-a-kind, the Mildura facility combines old fielding presses from the world wars with the latest CNC machines.

OTR’s ag wheels have recently been registered with the Australian Made trademark – a significant move which GM Travis Parsons says is simply an official reflection of the company’s long-term commitment to Australian manufacturing.

“We've been manufacturing in Australia for about 40 years. In Australia, our unique, large-scale approach to farming demands different equipment than what is available on the global market, so we manufacture it locally, and the farmers we supply to do the same,” he says.

“The Australian Made certification is just a visual representation to our ag market, but it's important to us that Aussie farmers know we're supporting the community and local jobs.”

OTR Australia serves the original equipment manufacturer market of companies with overseas operations and supports them through the aftermarket by supplying parts.

This is particularly important to the clients with manufacturing operations based in regional locations where staffing challenges are common.

Looking to the future, ongoing innovation is essential as the expectations for tractors and ag machinery – in terms of horsepower, load capacity, and speed – are consistently increasing.

“Our job in Australia is to manufacture the heaviest duty items to support those changes in the market – and that's what we do,” Travis says.

As a custom manufacturer, OTR Australia has the capacity to produce solutions beyond the norms of what is available in the open market.

This in turn enhances productivity, profitability, and safety for their farmer customers, and dramatically reduces the likelihood of breakdowns – a key consideration.

“Aussie farmers tend to try and get the most out of everything – especially given the challenges with achieving a healthy profit margin. They push the equipment to its limits and sometimes beyond, causing breakages,” Travis says.

Farmers appreciate the high standard of product quality and service that OTR Australia delivers.

Leroy Finch from Finch Engineering, a family-owned grain handling equipment manufacturer in regional Queensland, says he trusts OTR Australia to supply the highest quality axles and wheels, and take care of any malfunctions.

“When we do have breakdowns, whether it be a bearing failure or a tyre failure, OTR are fantastic with their response. They recognise the importance of minimising downtime, and this fast service means a lot to me.”

Website: http://www.otraustralia.com

Products: https://otraustralia.com/products/wheels/agricultural-wheels

Email: sales@otraustralia.com

The might of Thor: A game-changing combo for farmers and fencers

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 07:23:30 GMT

The Thor Silenced Hydraulic Post Driver + Rock Breaker combination is a versatile, efficient, and cost-effective asset for farmers, fencers, and rural contractors.

In modern agriculture where efficiency and adaptability are paramount, the Thor Silenced Hydraulic Post Driver + Rock Breaker combination stands out as a true game-changer.

This versatile attachment offers a multitude of advantages, positioning it as a premier solution for a wide array of tasks. From swift post driving to tackling infrastructure construction and rock-breaking challenges, it seamlessly streamlines operations while conquering the demanding Australian environment.

The Thor Silenced Hydraulic Post Driver + Rock Breaker isn't just a one-trick pony; it's a versatile powerhouse and a valuable asset for farmers, fencers, and rural contractors.

Thor provides a comprehensive range of different sized hydraulic post drivers, pickups, and mounts compatible with machines ranging from 800 kilograms to 35 tonnes. This broad compatibility ensures seamless integration with your existing machinery, including mini loaders, skid steers, excavators, tractors, loaders, or telehandlers.

With over three decades in business and four decades of trade-qualified industry experience as a plant fitter, Thor’s owner Simon Taylor understands the unique requirements and challenges faced by farmers and rural contractors.

“Our company's approach is to collaborate with customers, understand their goals, and tackle their challenges. This ensures we provide tailored solutions to meet specific needs delivered as easy ‘plug and play’ configurations,” he says.

Thor’s hydraulic post rammer employs an advanced piston-driven power cell, powered by the renowned SB Power Cell that has dominated the industry for over 50 years. Operating at a nitrogen gas pressure of 16.5 bar, this power cell delivers unparalleled impact Joules.

Thor's power system combines hydraulic oil and compressed nitrogen to deliver powerful and precise impacts. Hydraulic oil flows from the host machine into Thor's power cell, driving the piston up into a nitrogen gas accumulator, storing energy. When peak pressure is reached, the hydraulic chamber valve opens, releasing hydraulic oil and the stored nitrogen energy. This combination propels the piston forcefully downwards, delivering high-impact Joules to the post or chisel tool.

This controlled process ensures efficient post installation or rock breakage, adaptable to different needs. Operators can regulate the hydraulic flow to control speed and impact intensity, enhancing precision and efficiency for various tasks and materials. By controlling the hydraulic flow operators can tailor impact speed for specific job requirements, making it versatile and effective in diverse operational scenarios.

Thor's design philosophy prioritises ease of maintenance. With only two moving internal components – the piston and the control valve – minimal maintenance is required, resulting in reduced downtime and low associated costs.

Thor Rock Breakers and Post Drivers’ commitment to uncompromising durability is exemplified by the use of premium high-strength heat-treated alloy steel in the manufacturing process of their post rammers and rock breakers. This alloy steel is an exceptional combination of tensile strength, hardness, and resistance to wear and abrasion. This not only extends the operational life of the equipment but also ensures optimal performance even under the most demanding working conditions.

Thor's commitment to quality is also reflected in rust resistant nickel-plated bolts, flash chromed pins and bosses as well as top quality industrial painted power cells. Thor’s heavy duty mounts for skid steers, tractors, loaders, and telehandlers weighing 200-250kg are made from 16 millimetre and 20 millimetre plate steel and together with their slanted legs are the most stable on the market. The mounts are quick and easy to attach. When detached from the host machine and when not in use, they stand anchored where left, with no danger of them falling over.

Simon’s tip for farmers looking to invest in a post driver is to “ensure you are comparing apples to apples”.

“The key elements to compare are the weight of the driver itself, the driver’s impact energy class in joules and the diameter of the chisel tool. These three elements will allow prospective customers to flag if a retailer is trying to overstate or understate the size and power of the post driver or indeed price gouge,” he says.

Priced on average between $5,000 and $10,000, Thor’s Silenced Hydraulic Post Driver + Rock Breaker combination packages offer a cost-effective solution for farmers, contractors, and machinery owners. By eliminating the need for multiple specialised tools and materials such as concrete and reducing labour and time requirements, the attachment minimises operational costs.

With thousands of Thor post drivers and rock breakers operating across every Australian state and territory, Simon acknowledges that his brand’s strength is customer driven.

"Thor has earned its reputation for durable, high-quality machinery, personalised customer support, and fair pricing that consistently exceeds Australian expectations. Today, approximately 75 per cent of our enquiries come from satisfied existing customers who value the exceptional performance and reliability of their Thor equipment. Our brand's foundations are proudly rooted in our commitment to customer satisfaction,” he says.

“We provide extensive warranties, comprehensive mechanical backup, readily available parts, and expert advice, all reinforcing our dedication to customer satisfaction.”

Applications Include

Thor Silenced Hydraulic Post Driver + Rock Breaker can handle applications including:

· Post driving and fencing (steel, timber, concrete, and composite products)

· Steel and timber cattle yard construction

· Vineyard and orchard supports

· Solar panel mounting

· River and estuary erosion control

· Efficient rock breaking and excavation

· Precise demolition and deconstruction

· Seamless concrete and asphalt cutting

· Infrastructure and road construction

· Trenching and landscaping

· Splitting firewood

· Pile driving

Website: http://www.thorockbreakers.com.au

Email: info@thorrockbreakers.com.au

Be more efficient with KUHN's new Strawblower

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 07:04:09 GMT

Since purchasing the KUHN Primor 5570M straw blower, mulching has become a much easier job for viticulturist Steve Schiller.

Steve Schiller’s family have been growing grapes in the famous Barossa Valley, an hour north of Adelaide, for five generations. For the past 25 years they have been using straw to mulch their vineyard and the results are obvious. “You scratch under the straw and there’s a lot more worm activity. The soil health has certainly improved over the years,” Steve says.

The vineyard covers 60 hectares, growing Shiraz, Cabernet, Matera, and Malbec grapes. “The six wineries that buy my grapes,” Steve says, “are really happy to see me using straw to improve soil health throughout the years, especially the dry ones.” The area only gets about 500 millilitres of rainfall each year, mainly in winter and spring, but very little in summer when the vines are growing. The crop is irrigated with supplementary water, but mulching has saved a lot of money. “By putting straw on, we’re certainly saving a fair bit of water use,” says Steve.

Having chosen to use straw to mulch, Steve says they used a basic bale-unroller, which involved going along with a pitchfork after application and manually breaking up the lumps. But since purchasing the Primor 5570M straw blower from KUHN, the task has become much more efficient. “I can carry three, 5 foot by 4 foot bales with one bale covering 130 metres,” Steve says.

Tom De Greenlaw is KUHN Australia’s specialist mixer and an expert on the Primor machines. He says the Primor 5570M can hold up to three round bales or one large square bale; however, in Australia, KUHN sell an additional range of capacities: 2 cubic metres trailed; 3.5 cubic metres trailed; 4.2 cubic metres trailed; and 15 cubic metres trailed (which can hold up to 3 large round bales or four large square bales).

The Primor 5570M machine can run off a 90 horsepower tractor and is equipped with a wide-angle PTO shaft, allowing easier turning at the end of rows.

The Primor 5570M has the capability to use other products, such as hay, silage, sawdust, wood shavings, rice hulls, wood pellet shavings, and wood chips (as long as these are less than 4 centimetres long). It can also be used to apply bark (as long as it is dry, to prevent clogging the turbine).

The Primor 5570M is run from an electric control box in the tractor cab, and using the joy-stick the operator can easily direct the 300 degree swivel chute which allows the straw to be blown 18 metres to the right and 13 metres to the left while travelling in the same direction. And the turbine has enough force to allow application even in windy conditions with minimal drift.

“An hydraulic control beam helps direct the bale into the rotor so you get a more consistent flow,” Tom says. “The hydraulic slide then allows the product to fall at a 45 degree angle, just outside the tyre and onto the bottom of the vine.” The Unroll System (used only for round bales) picks up the second bale which allows the first bale to spin when it’s going through the rotor to get a more consistent feed into the turbine.

KUHN’s unique, patented, POLYDRIVE system is belt-driven to enable the turbine to be engaged and disengaged using an hydraulic clutch, so the flow of product can be adjusted if necessary. The rotor is equipped with 48 knives to allow the product to be chopped more evenly, and also having five regulating plates that control the flow of straw going into the turbine.

The tailgate has an additional control panel at the rear of the machine which makes for easier and safer loading, and the non-slip footboard protects the operator from falling while cutting bales or performing maintenance.

The Primor 5570M comes with different options such as the CLEANSTRAW system, which consists of a water container mounted on the side of the machine that blows a fine mist onto the straw as it comes out of the chute, minimising dust. This is particularly useful when blowing straw into-shed for bedding. There is also a weighing system that can be added to assist with costing of products.

And while most manufacturers rely on dealer technicians, KUHN is unique in that they have their own technicians available to solve any problems if the dealer technicians can’t.

“I’ve put about 1500 bales through the Primor straw-blower with fairly minimal wear,” Steve Schiller says. “It’s a really well-built machine.”

Website: http://www.kuhn.com.au

Email: marketing.au@kuhn.com

Assisting Australian fruit growers compete in a changing world

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 05:31:39 GMT

In the 40 years that the Australian Nurseryman’s Fruit Improvement Company (ANFIC) has been in operation, they have imported nearly 1,800 fruit varieties and rootstocks. CEO Gavin Porter says this is just one of the things that makes the company unique.

Gavin Porter knows his fruit trees. He has a PhD in botany from the University of Queensland, has been with ANFIC for more than 20 years, and is also CEO of the Associated International Group of Nurseries. ANFIC, a not-for-profit company, was established in 1983 to assist fruit growers in Australia to compete in global markets by introducing new, improved varieties, and by establishing IP rights to protect these varieties from unauthorized propagation and production.

One aim of ANFIC’s research and development with new variety introductions, is to reduce the need for chemical use and find varieties able to withstand the changing climate, without the use of GMOs. ANFIC works closely with breeders to evaluate varieties overlooked in the past, but which may prove more resilient. Observing parent trees with genes that make them naturally resistant to disease and breed with them, using conventional breeding techniques, to provide varieties also with the best taste and quality.

Of the tens of thousands of seedlings planted each year for evaluation by fruit breeders, less than 1 per cent will be commercialised. “It’s a numbers game,” Gavin says. “The more seedlings you plant out to evaluate once they fruit, the more chance you’ve got of finding one that’s going to be a great commercial variety.”

ANFIC is currently in the process of commercializing a new seedless mandarin variety, a process that takes longer than many people, even those in the industry, realise. This variety was imported into plant quarantine in 2002. It will be more than 20 years since initial importation, distribution to trial growers around Australia, variety evaluation and eventually commercial fruit production in Australian orchards.

“It’s very difficult for Australia to compete on the world scale with our exports, so we’ve got to do things smarter and more efficiently with higher productivity and better quality. Working with the global marketing models with the same fruit varieties we grow in Australia, can provide our Australian growers with the best chance of success in these export markets with counter-seasonal production. It’s ANFIC’s unique level of skill and experience that enables us to do the job we do for Australian fruit industries,” Gavin says.

Company email address: info@anfic.com.au

Company website: https://anfic.com.au/

Community connections: The key to disaster resilience

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 05:15:34 GMT

As Australian farmers know, extreme weather is part of living on the land. Dr Margaret Moreton says our focus must go beyond identifying risk to increasing the resilience of people and communities.

These adverse weather events - those we have experienced and those that are expected - take a tremendous toll on Australians, especially our agricultural industry and farming population.

Being prepared with a plan that is personalised and localised is invaluable – but only if it is in place before disaster strikes.

Knowing what you will do, where you will go, and who you will call, can help to reduce uncertainty during a disaster and increase capability and confidence. Reaching out to those who might be new in your area, or just travelling through, will protect your whole community, because they may not know the land as well as you do. Early planning, education and learning about risks and hazards, and strengthening connections of those who live nearby will enable you to be resilient and help others if (perhaps when) disaster strikes.

Dr Margaret Moreton is the Executive Director of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience.

Future-proof your farm

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 04:55:22 GMT

Findex is one of the largest providers of integrated financial and advisory services across regional Australia, with its Family Office model enriching the lives of clients by tailoring smart solutions to big issues, like farm succession planning.

Too often David Hall sees what happens when farm succession planning doesn’t work well. That’s when he gets a knock at his door.

“Either things have been done poorly or the client just doesn’t understand what they’ve ended up with,” laments David, a Townsville-based tax specialist and partner at Findex.

“Mum and Dad have built their farm empire and want to hand it on to their children. The children get educated, some with non-farm qualifications. Some of them might not want to stay on the property or all might want to stay.”

The parents’ quandary is how to keep the empire going while being fair with their children and making sure there is enough wealth to support their own comfortable retirement.

“Lawyers have come in and family agreements are created, which aren’t properly understood, ” David continues. “Life moves on, circumstances change, and 10 years later they’ve got all these problems.”

Findex’s Family Office model across its network of more than 80 offices in regional Australia starts with talking to the client-family about their individual circumstances and goals.

“Accountants who look after that client are an essential part of any conversation, because they are the trusted advisor who has dealt with the client for a long time,” David says. “They see the family interaction and understand the issues happening in that family.”

Misconceptions, miscommunication, false or unattainable expectations make it essential to instigating the right conversations – sometimes hard conversations – with parents and their adult children, separately and together, to get the best succession planning outcomes.

The threat of family litigation means it’s more critical than ever for the issues around succession planning to be fully addressed.

“Sadly, I’ve seen family empires destroyed because of court costs and legal fees,” David says. “My biggest criticism is that there are too many ‘products’ out there, but this isn’t about generic products, it’s about the family you’re dealing with.”

Here at Findex our family office model ensures that we can bring together a range of expertise to work with families in developing their own specific family succession plan.

Daniel Roberts, a partner and financial planner at Findex’s Dubbo office, has seen a shift in thinking about financial planning strategies that help build off-farm assets.

“Over the years, I’ve heard ‘my farm is my super’ more times than I care to admit,” Daniel says.

While many farmers count their farm as their biggest asset, and potentially a source of retirement income, others are recognising the flexibility of an off-farm income source.

“We all know that seasons can be tough and unpredictable,” Daniel says. “Do we want to burden the next generation with providing for us in our retirement?”

Daniel presents the scenario of husband-and-wife farmers John and Sally, whose farm property is on several titles. This gave them the opportunity to move some of their land holding into their self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF), with investments across a diversified portfolio of Australian and international equities, including some property and a blend of defensive investments, such as bonds and term deposits.

Because John and Sally equally own the property, they could minimise stamp duty costs by splitting the transfer into their super.

“They’ll pay a concessional amount of stamp duty, and by doing that they can move the farm into a tax-concessional structure, which they can pay rent to and claim that as a deduction in the farming enterprise,” explains Daniel. “This allows them to build wealth in the super fund far beyond the other contribution limits.”

When John and Sally retire, all earnings in their super fund become tax-free.

It’s this collaborative approach to looking after clients’ needs that Findex prides itself on, bringing in the expertise of an accountant, a financial adviser, a tax specialist, a lawyer, and an insurance broker to develop the best financial solutions. One of these experts is appointed the client’s key relationship manager (KRM).

For many clients, their KRM might be their accountant, with whom they have a strong, trusted relationship.

“But the accountant can’t do everything. We still want the accountant to hold that trusted relationship, but they bring in the tax specialist or financial adviser or insurance broker or external lawyer to provide all the expertise that best serve the client in their succession planning,” Daniel says.

“In John and Sally’s case, we need to know what wealth is already in the super fund to be able to purchase some of that property from themselves. Or we can use the contribution limits to contribute the land into the super fund.”

“By using a combination of tax-deductible and non-tax-deductible contribution limits, the act of moving that land could proportionally be a deduction as well. There are so many moving parts to that strategy. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

When is the right time to begin planning for your future?

Findex believes building off-farm wealth is not a strategy that’s implemented overnight, and instead sees it as a 30-year plan that’s tweaked over time as individual circumstances change. “It’s not something you do a couple of years before retirement,” says Daniel. “You need to start as soon as possible, generally by the time you’re in your early fifties. The longer the time horizon, the better.”

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the thought or position of Findex.

Website: https://www.findex.com.au

Email: info@findex.com.au

Cultivating agribusiness success through the workforce

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 04:24:36 GMT

On a drive through Western NSW at the height of the early 2000s drought, Geoff Lucas saw many farms devastated by the lack of rain. Some, however, were still flourishing. What was the difference? “It had to do with people,” he says.

Geoff Lucas learned a key lesson during the early years of his career in the agricultural sector, working in countries such as Libya and Iraq. Failure in agriculture, he found, has more to do with people than with drought, pestilence, flood, commodity prices, or anything else.

While this could be said of many businesses, Geoff says there is a difference when employing people for agriculture: it's all about the cultural fit of the individual, and even their family. If they don't hold the same values, it's not going to work out.

Geoff is the managing director of The Lucas Group, Australia’s leading agriculture and primary production recruitment specialists. The company works with the agricultural industry to find the right permanent staff for open roles, from on-farm managers to industry body CEOs. Their process, he explains, involves a thorough selection screening, saving clients time and money in the recruitment and retention of staff.

"We have a rigorous search process," says Geoff. "We ensure that with all the details we get from our clients, we can create comprehensive documentation, including position and person profiles with defined selection criteria."

It's this thoroughness that has ensured The Lucas Group's success for over 30 years. The company recognises the importance of details and cultural matches. If, for example, a prospective employee’s partner runs their own online business, is there adequate internet service in the area? If they are expecting a baby, is the property a long way from the nearest hospital?

The selection process involves a formal interview to ascertain not only a person’s skills but their values and personality. Referees are also thoroughly interviewed, with a summary provided to the client.

The structured recruitment process ensures a cultural match between a prospective employee and their new employer, while the dual promotion and search process provides a wide breadth of candidates. The Lucas Group furthers their dedication to the people of agriculture by providing a guarantee on the new employee and reviewing the success of the placement.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inadequacy of Australia’s agricultural workforce. According to ABARES, around 17 per cent of Australian horticulture farms that experienced crop loss in 2021–22 reported that a lack of labour was one of the primary causes for the loss. "People are the linchpin of agriculture," notes Geoff. "Our team knows this which is why we strive to ensure the ongoing strength of our industry through its people."

The Lucas Group is based in Adelaide and operates nationally, even running some international projects. They boast a network of around 300,000 agribusiness contacts.

Website: Click here

Email: resume@lucasgroup.com.au

Experience cutting-edge agriculture at the 2023 KUHN Expo

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 02:00:13 GMT

Following its success in 2020, the KUHN Machinery Expo is back for 2023, and will provide a hub for industry innovation and technology.

KUHN Australia is set to once again play host to their dealers and customers at the 2023 KUHN Expo, and will be offering the opportunity to see first-hand more than 30 of KUHN’s cutting-edge agricultural machinery.

Planning is well underway for the expo, set to be held in Toowoomba, Queensland on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 of July.

“The KUHN Expo is a great opportunity to see and experience the KUHN machinery range in action on farm, whilst networking with leading industry partners,” KUHN Australia’s marketing manager Michael Murer says.

Attendees will be exposed to a variety of impressive live demonstrations, machinery displays, and workshops led by KUHN product specialists. There is also the opportunity for customers to take part in a silent auction of the demonstration machinery, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to Are You Bogged Mate, a mental health support organisation led by Mary O’Brien.

The event will showcase the full KUHN machinery range, from the full hay and forage process to mowing and baling; stubble management and tillage; crop protection and fertilising; and livestock solutions.

The event will also highlight the newest additions to Australian shores; the VBP 7100 round baler wrapper combo series and the FC 13460 RA and FC 9330 RA mower conditioners.

The VBP 7190 round baler wrapper combo was recently crowned as the winner of category nine at the 2023 Farm Machine of the Year Awards, securing KUHN’s position as leaders in the hay and forage industry. The VBP 7190 was identified as being the most powerful and versatile machine in its category.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to the 2023 KUHN Expo and sharing KUHN’s latest innovative technology,” Mr Murer says.

Registrations for the 2023 KUHN Expo are open now. To find out more and register to attend, visit www.kuhn.com.au/expo

OTR Australia duals keeping farmers working through the wet

Fri, 05 May 2023 06:23:33 GMT

Farmers contending with wet harvests are turning to OTR Australia’s dual kit system for a simple, efficient and cost-effective solution.

With unprecedented rains across Australia in recent years, many farmers have had to contend with a very wet harvest.

But they haven’t had to face this challenge alone - OTR Australia and their dual kit set-up have been there to help them through.

A dual kit system involves mounting two tyres on a single axle, typically a standard radial tyre on the inner wheel and a larger, wider tyre on the outer wheel.

By opting to fit a dual kit on their existing tractor setup, farmers gain extra traction and floatation, helping them increase their pulling power.

Increased tyre surface area also helps reduce ground compaction and makes it possible to get through those wet areas.

Daryl Hynoski, National Product Manager and Business Development Manager Agriculture for OTR Australia, says installation is fast and easy.

“There is no need to replace your tractor wheels or make expensive modifications,” he says.

“Simply fitting eye nuts to existing rim bolts to give anchorage for clamps is all that is required.”

OTR Australia’s dual kit system includes a Power Rail that continuously welded around the total circumference of the rim, giving full circle reinforcement against any side or torsional thrust. The Taper Fit Spacer Band fits accurately against the tapered bead set of the rim, ensuring even load distribution.

Clamps are drop forged from high quality steel ensuring trouble-free operations on larger tractors.

Wherever there is an eye nut on the tractor wheel, you simply fit a clamp to the Power Rail and lock the clamp with the lever supplied.

The fast fitting and removal of duals is especially handy for tractors entering narrow gateways and workshops.

The simplicity of the OTR dual system means it is economically priced and represents exceptional value for money.

“OTR’s clip-on dual kit is the option for budget-minded farmers. Running the same tyre size as OE fitment for potential spares, kits also have adaptability to go on any machine make running the same size tyre,” Daryl says.

Website: www.otraustralia.com

Revolutionising River Management

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 06:02:24 GMT

The world sees Australia as a leader in water management, with the iconic Murray-Darling Basin a standout example of its prowess.

Australia is recognised as a leading water-policy innovator and sophisticated river-basin manager. We are best known for our management of the iconic Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), which covers one seventh of the Australian continent, is home to two million people, is the centre of our irrigation industries and supports over 30,000 wetlands, sixteen declared internationally important under the Ramsar Convention. The Basin covers five jurisdictions (four states and one territory), with the Australian Government playing an important role through its responsibilities defined in the Water Act 2008. Hence, the MDB is also an exemplar in inter-jurisdictional water management.

Over many decades the ecological health of the MDB declined due to over-allocation of water resources, pollution arising from land conversion for agriculture and urban development, and climate change altering rainfall patterns and enhancing extreme weather events. The ecological decline has been seen in increasing river salinisation and sedimentation, algal blooms (the world’s longest being recorded in 1991-2), loss of riparian vegetation, including river redgums, declining biodiversity and increased closure of the mouth of the Murray River.

The key innovation steps in addressing the simultaneous issues of ecological decline, increasing competition for scarce water resources and emerging climate change were: capping consumptive water use (1995) and later setting a basin-wide Sustainable Diversion Limit (SDL) (2012); establishing a water market to facilitate water trading (1990s on); designing a Basin Plan for integrated water management, including environmental watering (2012); reduction of consumptive water entitlements (2012); and implementation of sub-basin water resource plans (2019 on). As an aside, Australia has been successful in managing river salinisation through building 18 salt interception schemes.

The central plank to this major river basin innovation was building a ‘cap and trade’ system that is unique globally. The 1995 cap to surface water diversions was a critical first step to preventing further over-allocation. Setting up a water market then allowed the trading of water among users in the Basin, with the market setting the price of water at any given time. The key objective of the cap was to retain sufficient water in the river for its environmental needs. The key objectives of the market were to facilitate the migration of consumptive water to higher value uses and to build resilience during drought by allowing entitlement owners to sell precious allocated water into the market for others to use, while retaining an income from selling water.

The 1995 cap on surface water use was found in subsequent studies to be insufficient for two reasons: first, the amount left over for environmental water use was insufficient to maintain a healthy river system; and second, increased groundwater use was being substituted for the loss of access to additional surface water. The next round of innovation sought to address these problems, firstly by scientifically determining how much water is needed to maintain a healthy aquatic environment in the MDB. This led to the concept of quantifying the SDL – the total amount of water that could, over a given period of time, be sustainably extracted for consumptive purposes. The SDL, when calculated, was below the 1995 Basin Cap, which then required a permanent reduction in water allocations to water entitlement holders to meet the new SDL. The second step was to treat surface and groundwater as one water resource, which in practice meant setting SDLs for both surface water and groundwater independently but in a way that could be aggregated. While one overall SDL was set for the Basin, each surface water sub-catchment and each groundwater unit had their individual SDLs scientifically determined. These results were published in the comprehensive Basin Plan in 2012, which required each sub-catchment to develop its own water resource plan that demonstrated adjustments to their local SDLs by 2019.

To help irrigators adapt to lower water entitlements, the Australian Government provided funds to improve the water efficiency of the irrigation sector. This included upgrading systems of delivering water to farms, such as lining canals, using piped water where cost-effective and expanding telemetry control systems. There was also funding provided to irrigators willing to upgrade their on-farm water application, on the basis that a proportion of the water savings would be made available to the environment, while the remainder of the savings could be used to expand the irrigation enterprise. This irrigation modernisation process has put Australia at the forefront of efficient irrigation practices, which are now being adopted in countries like Vietnam with AWP support.

Through this innovation period, Basin water users have modified their behaviours significantly. Driven by water-market dynamics, there has been a significant move to higher value uses of water. For example, the almond industry has grown substantially. The water market has also increased resilience in the irrigation industry, with production revenue not falling during severe droughts by nearly as much as would have been the case without a market mechanism, and most irrigators remaining in business despite not always farming. To enable the wise use of releasing more water for the environment, the Australian Government established the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), which has the responsibility of managing the environmental water gained through lowering the cap to the Basin SDL. In practice, the CEWH has created its water holding through purchasing water directly in the water market with government funds, and through the accession of water savings made by irrigators who utilise government funds to improve their on-farm water-use efficiency by deploying more efficient technologies. Through well-organised stakeholder consultation processes, the CEWH delivers environmental water to maximise ecological outcomes across the Basin. It is fair to say that this Australian innovation in the MDB, using a scientific underpinning and market-based instruments, has not pleased everyone. In any major policy adjustment, there will always be winners and losers, and trade-offs have to be made. Some stakeholder groups have felt under-represented. Others point to the relatively small gains made to the environment. Water theft and extreme drought have caused issues. Implementation through the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and individual jurisdictions, has, however, attempted to balance social, environmental and economic outcomes.

As with any innovation, listening, learning and adapting is an ongoing means to future refinements and improvements.

Nick Schofield is the Chief Executive of the Australian Water Partnership, with over 35 years’ experience in the water and natural resource management sector.

Advocacy from the Apple Isle: women in leadership

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 05:56:11 GMT

With nearly 45 years’ industry experience, Deb Morice could write a book about the challenges she has faced. As the chair of Tasmanian Women in Agriculture, she helps empower women and celebrate their contributions.

I was born on a farm and grew up into the industry, where my husband and I eventually owned 700 cows. Early in my career, I quickly learned that I needed to trust myself, know where I stand, and make sure my voice was being heard. I became acutely aware that if our farm was to remain competitive and meet agriculture’s economic and social challenges, a personal priority was to strengthen my leadership acumen and farm management skills. It was also important that I remained connected to and supported by other female farmers.

I was not alone. In 1994, a group of like-minded women started not-for-profit organisation Tasmanian Women in Agriculture (TWiA) to celebrate women's contributions, promote networking opportunities, and cultivate connections. I was there for the very first TWiA gathering.

My conversations with female farmers ran along similar themes. Our contributions, we observed, were undervalued and women overall were underrepresented. Women remained financially and socially disadvantaged too despite their contribution to both on-farm and off-farm income. Further, women bore the majority of family care and household responsibilities. Some were also isolated, while others suffered domestic violence and lacked access to essential services.

There are now many women in agriculture advocacy organisations who are lobbying to influence government policy in these and other areas. Core objectives are improved farm safety, better rural services, and relief from rising costs of living. The acknowledgement of women as equal participants in agricultural businesses is also championed heavily.

Ensuring women's contributions are valued makes good economic sense for Australian agriculture. The current dearth of women in leadership contributes to economic loss across the whole industry. The sector needs greater female inclusivity on boards, in senior leadership positions, and in everyday farming decision making.

The lack of inclusivity limits innovation and resilience at a time when our best resources are needed to meet the many challenges our industry faces. Womens’ contributions are critical to support rural communities and manage the challenges of loss of productive land, diversification of farm income, declining soil fertility, biodiversity loss, climate change, and extreme weather events, while coping with increased production costs and a shrinking workforce.

Men and women process information, relate to one another, and experience leadership and empowerment differently. The value of recognising these different learning styles and supporting women's decision-making and leadership capacity in managing agricultural resources cannot be underestimated: boosting farm productivity and economic and social benefits for women themselves, their households, and their communities.

Building connections facilitated by networking is known to help rural women and their communities. e.g., gender-safe learning programs and encouraging women to participate fully in decisions affecting their family farms and business ventures.

In Tasmania, the state government offers industry bodies like TWiA the Strategic Industry Partnership Program that helps these organisations support women with their business ventures and family farms. The program aims to deliver notable outcomes in farm safety, and succession planning.

Women can, as I do, draw on all the skills and resilience they have acquired to meet the challenges of being part of a male-dominated industry. Those trying times will make a woman stronger and give her more resolve. Women are in many ways the backbone of farming communities, and their unique insights and talents are worth recognising and celebrating.

Delivering Peace of Mind

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 05:43:06 GMT

MGA Insurance has been a leader in risk advice for almost 50 years, pioneering a highly successful partnership model of local portfolio managers across the farming sector.

It began with conversations around the kitchen table recognising the need to provide insurance products catering to the needs of individual farmers, then quickly grew as a business in the spare room of John George’s Adelaide home.

Almost 50 years later, the MGA Insurance Group is among Australia’s top insurance brokerages with more than 70,000 clients and an extensive branch network across regional Australia. In 2022, MGA announced an annual gross written premium of about $300 million across the agricultural, business, and strata protection sectors.

MGA’s success continues to grow from Chairman John George’s original blueprint – putting local brokers in the paddock, partnering with farmers to streamline their insurance needs, and simplifying the entire process for MGA’s clients.

“It comes back to how our people form partnerships with clients to develop the best insurance outcomes that give clients certainty and peace of mind,’’ says John’s son Paul George, now managing director. “It’s about always putting the unique needs of the client first.”

Risk is a normal part of life and can be mitigated by thoughtfully planned insurance that responds to the good times and not so good times – a global pandemic, international market volatility, and the ongoing issues around climate change.

MGA’s advisors are on the ground to partner with farmers to broker an insurance policy that suits their individual complexity and regional location – be they broadacre farmer, orchardist, hobbyist, vineyard, or cattle station.

They’ll also advise on farm management liability, an increasingly claimed for class of insurance that covers you for the day-to-day management decisions you make. Common claims under Management Liability Insurance include: unfair/wrongful dismissal, discrimination, and harassment; defamation by directors/officers; and statutory fines and penalties (OH&S).

They also provide other covers, such as public liability, heavy motor, business interruption, farm continuation costs, transit insurance, accident and illness insurance, and many more.

When it comes time to claim, farmers can feel confident that their MGA broker understands the processes and knows how to get the best result for their client. “No single insurer offers the best products for all classes of business, which is why our local partnerships will tailor the best insurance programs from a wide selection of specialist insurers, often with more than one insurer involved,’’ says Paul.

With the market for farm insurance hardening as a result of global conditions and issues such as climate change, brokerage firms must work harder to offer the right cover to their clients, which means becoming advocates for their clients’ needs, and this is exactly what MGA prides itself in doing well.

MGA Farm Insurance offers peace of mind.

Simplifies coverage for your unique enterprise
Local portfolio managers on the ground
Brokerage with a focus on farm sector and location
Client-first approach for best insurance outcomes
Tailored farm liability management

How agriculture can switch diesel for alternative energy to power industry

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 05:30:50 GMT

AgriFutures Australia research has revealed practical pathways for the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sector to switch diesel powered machinery and equipment to alternative energy sources such as methane, battery and hydrogen fuel cell electric.

Petroleum diesel fuel is the most widely used source of energy in the Australian agriculture sector, representing 84 per cent of total energy consumption in 2020-21. It is culturally ingrained as a practical, efficient fuel that can be stored for long periods on-farm as it is less hazardous than petrol in hot weather.

Diesel also often serves a range of practical purposes beyond use as fuel, for example as drilling fluid, for removing tree stumps or as a solvent.

The diesel dilemma

The sector is facing pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously facing supply risks, rising input prices and price volatility for petroleum diesel fuels. While a focus on reducing emissions and switching to renewable energy sources is important in addressing climate change risk, there are also broader economic and fuel security issues driving the need for transition.

Australian governments are stimulating investment in alternative energy infrastructure, such as charging stations for electric vehicles and positioning hydrogen as a key component of the country’s future energy landscape.

Machinery manufacturers have developed alternative fuel prototypes in hydrogen, biogas and battery electric, and are working to identify the market demand for new fuels, machinery and equipment.

It is therefore timely to understand the potential pathways for the sector to transition away from diesel.

Key findings

The agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors across Australia are universally affected by the need to transition from fossil fuel-based diesel to alternative energy sources.

The market is responding with developments in hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric and bioenergy equipment, and machinery. But demand in Australia is yet to be established.

Barriers to supply and demand:

Upfront investment
Investment case for early adopters
Uncertainty in demand forecast
Availability of regional skills and energy supply chain.

Supporting the transition

Transition from dependence on petroleum diesel fuels requires a coordinated and cross-sector approach. This requires a parallel transformation of the supporting ecosystem of fuel and equipment supply chains, financial services providers, service networks and workforce skills.

Australian rural industries working with governments, suppliers and training organisations must consider four areas of initial focus to plan for transition.

1. Establish integrated planning and targets: Integration into existing strategic investment and planning, such as the National Hydrogen Roadmap and the work of Rural Research Development Corporations (RDCs), as well as incorporation into other sector-relevant industry roadmaps such as the National Farmers’ Federation 2030 Roadmap.

2. Establish a major pilots program involving manufacturers, supply chains, and communities: Develop the governance, institutional (including local leadership capacity) and market engagement frameworks to initiate and support a national rollout of a major pilots program e.g. geography-specific pilots that align with produce, machinery requirements, fuel supply chains, established infrastructure and coalescing of workforce and skills.

3. Align incentives and regulation: Ensure sector perspectives are incorporated into national and state policies and frameworks for incentivising the adoption of new energy technologies and related skills. This includes reviewing, updating and/or building regulations and incentives (such as subsidies and tax incentives) to address distortions in existing incentives and stimulate supply and demand to promote uptake of technologies proven in the pilot program.

4. Engage key supporting sectors: Work with the financial services sector to integrate the diesel transition into environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) frameworks and incorporate into sustainability linked loan products for producers.

Today, early adopters in agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and other sectors such as road freight, are taking action. Homegrown hybrid solutions are being trialled and professional retrofitting enterprises are serving the early adopter market.

Investors are expecting a four to five-year transition period, followed by a rapid uptake of new energy technology in the sector.

Case study: AdBlue shortage of 2022

In December 2021, Australia faced a supply chain crisis with the national inventory of AdBlue being depleted to critically low levels. AdBlue is a selective catalytic reduction additive that is used in diesel vehicles to break down harmful nitrogen oxides. To meet Australian emissions standards, modern diesel vehicles require the additive. This limitation extends to diesel-run tractors and irrigation pumps.

The AdBlue shortage was driven by a scarcity of synthesised urea – a critical component of the fuel additive. Urea is typically imported from Russia and China. Rising fertiliser costs prompted China, the largest producer of urea and supplier of 80 per cent of Australia’s urea stock, to halt exports of the commodity. This caused scarcity of AdBlue and rapid price inflation. The shortage risked a standstill in Australia’s freight and agricultural industries. The crisis was mitigated through a deal with Indonesia to supply Australia with urea, as well as $30 million in financial support provided to Queensland urea producer Incitec Pivot to increase domestic production.

This project has involved significant regional and industry consultation, including with other diesel-reliant industries such as mining and freight. The report considers what farmers, fisheries and foresters’ current and future needs are, and the intersection with the specific regions in which they operate.

While the project acknowledges a national diesel transition plan requires further development, this report provides initial priority areas for consideration, and is intended to be a catalyst to engaging in sector-wide discussion about the diesel transition.

To learn more about diesel transition and recommendations, read The Diesel Transition: Petroleum diesel alternatives for the Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector on the AgriFutures Australia website.

AgriFutures Australia is one of 15 Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) that service the Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) needs of Australian rural industries.

Acclimate Partners is an advisory, technology platform and capital management firm that supports climate and energy transitions in partnership with governments, communities and businesses.

The Australian Farm Institute is an independent institute leading farm policy discussions for Australian agriculture.

State-of-the-art tyres that provide quality and affordability

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 05:11:06 GMT

Leading supplier Tradefaire International is helping farmers across the country maximise their land’s potential with innovative and cost-effective tyre solutions.

The right tyres can unlock a farm’s productivity, but choosing wisely can be a daunting task. Farmers often confront the conundrum of finding tyres that offer value for money without compromising on quality.

Tradefaire International (TFI) has been in the tyre business for more than 20 years and offers a comprehensive range of brands that capitalise on the latest technology.

Company director James Saunders says quality tyres do not have to break the bank.

TFI is the exclusive local agent of multi-national manufacturer BKT Tyres, which James says “is comparable to Tier 1 brands, yet more competitive in price”.

“BKT has a range of bias-ply and radial tyres to suit your work, from tough conditions to the high load, low pressure requirements of modern farming,” he says.

BKT Tyres are soft on your field, which reduces soil compaction and fuels crop growth and yield.

They have excellent traction, which is essential for navigating difficult terrain, and a low rolling resistance, which improves fuel efficiency and reduces operating costs.

The company is sowing seeds of innovation, introducing new materials, technology, and specialised tyres to meet the diverse needs of Australian farmers.

In its state-of-the-art R&D facility in Bhuj, India, simulation software and data analysis are used to predict and optimise the performance of tyres in different conditions. The use of advanced compounds and materials in tyre construction, such as steel belts, increases durability and strength.

A world-leading manufacturer of Off-Highway tyres, the company has also incorporated very high-flexion technology, which allows tyres to carry heavier loads at lower inflation pressures, reducing soil compaction and increasing productivity.

With origins in 1992, TFI is renowned for its technical expertise and advice that stands the test of time. The company grew from humble beginnings selling solid forklift tyres to the Beaurepaires chain, and is now a leading supplier in the agricultural, forestry, mining, construction, and material handling sectors.

James says TFI is underpinned by honesty and integrity, so “we won’t offer something just for the sake of a sale”.

“We like to understand your need and offer a product that will ensure your satisfaction. Our goal is to maximise your potential, whether you have one or 10,000 acres,” he says.

TFI’s sophisticated national distribution network means that no matter where you are, you can rely on their expert assistance.

“We can match you with the ideal tyre type and tread pattern for your application, and provide after-sales support and services to keep you on the road with minimum downtime,” James says.

By supplying products that push the boundaries of what is possible, TFI is helping farmers across Australia reach their full potential.

Website: https://tradefaire.com.au/

Email: sales@tradefaire.com.au

Tradefaire International supplies tyres with both bias and radial construction.

Bias tyres advantages:

● Flexible body

● Smooth ride over rough terrain

● Less expensive than their radial counterpart

Radial tyres advantages:

● More machine-to-ground power

● Lower rolling resistance

● Improved fuel economy

● Less soil compaction

Showcasing Australia’s irrigation innovation

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 05:52:39 GMT

Irrigation Australia is the peak national organisation representing the Australian irrigation industry in all sectors from water users, consultants, designers and installers through to educational institutions, government, manufacturers and retailers. Irrigation Australia is also the Australian representative body of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Anne Currey discusses some of the latest advancements in irrigation innovation helping farmers around the country as well as the ICID congress delivered in Adelaide in October 2022.

We all have heard many times that Australia is the driest inhabited continent. It is less likely, however, that many people would be aware of how this has driven water policy in the last 30 years and how our 21,000+ irrigators have responded to the challenges of using this precious resource more efficiently.

With a history of policy implementation to provide a financial incentive for efficient water use, backed by regulatory require- ments to do with environmental and social outcomes, and an irrigation sector willing to take on new challenges, Australia is regarded in many forums as a global leader in water governance and water use efficiency.

INNOVATION THE KEY

Some of the major ways of maintaining this record and continuing to improve technology and practices to produce “more
crop per drop” into the future in the agricultural sector will be through better trained irrigation managers and the adoption of best practices and of innovative technologies using the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital applications.

Improving water use efficiency is still a priority for irrigators. Climate change adds complexity to the challenge of improving water use efficiency. In many irrigation areas, run-off into rivers is predicted to decrease and we are already seeing great variability in terms of rainfall and weather patterns.

Forward thinking irrigation managers have examined their records and have incorporated risk management strategies into their enterprises. On farms, for example, this has meant practices including earthworks to capture and store more water, installing soil moisture sensors to keep a close eye on moisture and temperature levels and schedule planting and irrigation when it will have most effect, and keeping up with climate and weather forecasts.

As with most things in life, irrigation is becoming highly technical, and almost every day the suite of digital and computer-based equipment for managing irrigation systems expands. Much of this technology is about collecting and analysing data such as evapotranspiration, soil moisture and weather conditions and applying it to scheduling irrigation so that water is most efficiently applied.

This means that learning the skills to effectively manage new technology and irrigation equipment generally has become a priority with many irrigation managers for whom skills development is now part of their farming strategy.

Irrigation Australia Limited supports a skilled industry through its training and certification programs that are designed for each major sector of the industry from irrigation manager through to retailer, contractor, agronomist, meter installer and designer.

SHOWCASING AUSTRALIAN IRRIGATION

In recognition of our world-leading record, in October 2022 the irrigation world came to Adelaide, where Australia showcased its achievements, practices and technology. Irrigation Australia Limited, in partnership with the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), staged the nation’s largest-ever irrigation event. The week included an international congress, managed by ICID, as well as Irrigation Australia’s renowned conference and exhibition.

The congress, which is the irrigation and drainage sector’s most important international event, has been held triennially since 1951. It was last convened in Mexico in 2017, when it was opened by his Excellency Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico.

The international conference featured eminent speakers from and Australia beyond presenting the latest on irrigation policy, technology and practices under the theme Innovation and research in agricultural water management to achieve sustainable development goals. The exhibition showcased irrigation manufacturers and suppliers from every corner of the globe with technologies ranging from pumps and emitters through to applications designed to equip irrigators with up-to- date information for making the best decisions about managing irrigation and their crops.

Despite challenges with international travel, more than 2,000 people attended to participate in a range of keynotes, workshops and 90 oral presentations, and engage with trade exhibitors.

Water used on Australian farms

Despite rainfall returning to some parts of eastern Australia in early 2020, national rainfall was below aver- age with 2019-20 the sixth driest year on record.

Reduced water availability and increased water costs were drivers for a further decline in irrigation activity in 2019-20. Irrigators markedly reduced the areas of their crops and/or switched to alternate crops with less reliance on water. Fruit, nuts and grapevines were the only crops that saw an increase in irrigation area and volume from 2018-19, with growers having limited options to change irrigation practices.

Irrigation of crops and pastures

In 2019-20, 3.8 million megalitres were applied to crops (67% of all water applied):

1 million megalitres for fruit and nuts (up 7%)
886,900 megalitres for sugar cane (up 1%)
469,300 megalitres for grapevines (down 1%)
379,600 megalitres for cotton (down 71%) Of the 1.8 million megalitres applied to pastures (33% of all water applied):
1.3 million megalitres for pastures and cereals fed off (down 15%)
589,200 megalitres for pastures and cereals cut for hay and silage (down 12%)

* Sources:

ABS Water Account website: www.abs.gov.au/statistics/environment/ environmental-management/water-account-australia/latest-release Water Use On Australian Farms.

www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/agriculture/water-use-australian-farms/2018-19

www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/agriculture/water-use-australian-

Growers creating a sustainable future with independent grain exchange

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 05:21:32 GMT

Electronic grain exchange CGX is providing innovative solutions for Australian growers by connecting them to a deeper pool of buyers.

Australian grain growers are achieving higher returns for their crops while simplifying the sales process with the help of thriving ag-tech business Clear Grain Exchange (CGX).

CGX offers an easy-to-use online tool that links growers to a more competitive market while overcoming the inefficiencies of traditional sales methods where growers respond to bids from buyers by phone or email. More than 10,000 growers and 300 buyers are now registered with CGX, which sold more than 4.2 million tonnes of grain in the past year.

CGX managing director Nathan Cattle says the exchange enables growers to sell in a transparent market with secure settlement. Grain regularly trades on the exchange at higher prices than growers thought were available.

“The industry has been used to relying on the buyer’s advertised bid for price discovery,” says Nathan . “With CGX, a seller offers their grain at the price they want.”

Searching for the best bid for their grain can be time-consuming and stressful for growers.

“If growers aren’t familiar with a buyer then the counter-party risk is unknown,” says Nathan. “The result in every region has been that just a handful of buyers purchase the majority of the Australian crop from growers. The exchange aims to encourage as many buyers as possible to participate in purchasing Australian grain while making the sales process easier and more secure for growers.”

CGX was owned by NZX Ltd, operator of the New Zealand Stock Exchange, from 2009 to 2016. Nathan led the business for NZX for a short time before the exchange was privatised in December 2016. It is now 30 per cent owned by Elders Australia.

Nathan grew up in the grain-growing region of Lake King in Western Australia. As CGX managing director he has led the expansion of the business from an initial concentration in the eastern states to a presence in all major grain growing regions across Australia.

It has now traded more than 16 million tonnes of grain and settled more than $5 billion of transactions in commodities such as wheat, barley, canola, sorghum, and all other minor crops including pulses and oats. CGX is the only independent exchange for physical grain in Australia.

“An exchange has to be independent and operate without bias to ensure there is no potential influence on price,” says Nathan. “CGX is a pure exchange. We are not a buyer, seller, or adviser.”

The traditional way of selling grain has started with buyers advertising “indicative” bids, which means growers need to negotiate to find the buyer’s real purchase price. Growers often contact other buyers to check they are receiving a good price and can play-off buyers. If the grower goes back to the highest bidder they can find the buyer has withdrawn the bid or reduced the price.

Sometimes they don’t go back to buyers at all, meaning the buyer receives no feedback and can be left feeling played off in some sort of Dutch auction.

“The process can be clunky and the result is growers or their agents typically deal with just a handful of buyers,” says Nathan. “Growers can go through the full cycle of emotions in the process and sometimes miss the price opportunity altogether.”

When selling grain the traditional way, sellers and buyers typically complete the transaction with a verbal contract over the phone, which relies on the parties making accurate notes and confirming the sale in an email. Growers then transfer the title of their grain as an unsecured creditor.

“For a 1,000 tonne sale at $400 a tonne, that is a $400,000 contract with the grower expected to deliver the grain and wait for payment,” says Nathan.

A CGX account is free. Sellers are anonymous so if there is uncertainty about the market they can set a high price and reduce it any time. Once grain is sold, CGX charges a small fee per tonne which growers can factor into their price. Grain automatically sells if the desired price is reached and growers retain title of their grain until payment.

When growers sell the traditional way they can be required to complete additional paperwork from statutory authorities to declare varieties and possibly pay levies. With CGX, all paperwork is digitised, emailed and recorded in the online account.

“Users of the exchange don’t have to find buyers’ bids and then ring around and negotiate, wait for payment, and potentially follow-up the paperwork,” says Nathan. “All of that that is looked after for them. They only have to worry about the price they want for their grain.”

“Imagine trying to negotiate while you are on the header getting the crop off before the next thunderstorm. With CGX, growers aren’t rushed making their decisions so they are making better decisions and receiving fair value for their grain.”

Grower Nic Grogan, from Trayning in the north-eastern wheatbelt region of WA, says the best pricing opportunities often occur when he is busiest. “The exchange makes sure I don’t miss them,” says Nic. “We regularly sell grain much higher than what we thought was available by public bids.”

The CGX option to trade for delivery now or in future months and deferred payment options also helps buyers and sellers manage cashflow.

While the technology developed by CGX could have broader applications for other commodities, the ag-tech leader’s focus is adding value to the Australian grain market to create a more sustainable long-term industry.

“It is putting power in the hands of growers to ensure there are as many buyers as possible in 10 years rather than the potential for the number of buyers reducing to only a few,” says Nathan.

“The flow-on effect from CGX is it helps create efficiencies across the supply chain. Buyers are able to find grain quickly and simply in more suitable locations than they may otherwise have access to. Sellers are able to access buyers who need their grain the most. These win-win situations are everywhere across Australia and get reflected in traded prices. That’s how an independent exchange creates value for the industry.”

Company email address: support@cleargrain.com.au

Company website: www.cleargrain.com.au

The family business bringing ‘revolutionary’ water and energy solutions to farmers

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 04:56:38 GMT

At White International, “family business” is more than a marketing term. This innovation-hungry company fosters genuine relationships with customers as it meets their water and energy needs.

White International provides indispensable water and energy management solutions to farmers in Australia and New Zealand, in times of fire, flood, drought, and business as usual. The company employs sales representatives who travel across the continent; works with the market to help their suppliers develop new products; and practises field tests for incoming items before distribution. It may be hard to imagine a family business on this scale, but that’s exactly what White International is.

White International’s National Sales Manager for Australia, Peter Hicks, says the family business model has helped the company grow with care.

“Family business is not a throwaway line, because every family business is different and I’ve been involved in a few in my time,” Peter says. “The ownership really believes in its customers, its people and its suppliers. It’s genuine.”

Peter says one distinguishing feature sets family businesses apart: owners and operators will foster “a genuine friendship — in a business sense — with so many of our customers”.

White International’s customers, usually located in rural and regional areas, need similar resources generation to generation: water and energy.

Though the company has fostered friendships and retained clients over multiple generations, they’re not about to rest on their laurels; Peter believes his clients are “like-minded” in seeking out more efficient, sustainable, and innovative ways to get what they need.

“We spend a lot of time listening to our customers and developing products,” he says. “We’re always looking for innovation. We’re looking to add value to their business.”

Peter says the best value products at White International include their solar panels and control systems, bore pumps, and the DAB Esybox Max.

The Esybox Max — a companion piece to the DAB Electronic Booster Sets — is an integrated pumping system for water pressurisation. Peter describes it as “a genuine revolution” in industrial water supply.

The product comes in three sizes, and has on site assembly capability without needing large expensive equipment or weeks of delay for a traditional booster set to be made. The National Sales Manager explains: “It takes us from servicing small sheds to a large irrigation capacity in a revolutionary way.”

Peter also teases at White International’s “hidden pipeline of innovation”, saying there are “very high-end products in the works that we’re not going to declare to the market just yet”.

He says the company is consistently developing new items, “either directly by us or in conjunction with our supply partners”.

Illustrating White International’s commitment to involving its clients and suppliers in the product development process, Peter explains that the company employs a “product steering team” involving finance, product management, technical staff, customer service, sales, and himself. They first discuss and test product designs themselves, then send prototypes to “key partners in the field” and make changes based on feedback.

“It’s continual,” Peter says of development. “The problem we have is which idea to pick. We have plenty of ideas. It’s quite exciting really.”

The National Sales Manager rejects the stereotype that the industrial services are resistant to new technology. When he speaks of excitement about new prototypes, it’s not just in the room with the product steering team — it’s on site, where they’re tested during a real job for the first time.

Peter sees a thirst for agricultural technology that isn’t being satiated.

“In our space, it’s quite underdone,” he laments. “There’s opportunity there for people.”

Asked where up-and-coming innovators should look for opportunity, Peter points toward that vital ground: water and energy. He names innovation that decreases the cost of sustainable energy usage as the industry’s most intense craving.

“The cost of fuel will go up,” he warns. “It’s a fact that running a diesel generator is nowhere near as healthy as running a solar panel, or charging a battery, or running with hydro.”

Peter relishes his work, but leaves with a quote from White International’s owner, Tony Ryba. It’s strangely fitting.

“I don’t give a rats about the products,” Peter recounts Tony saying. “It’s not about the products. We want a relationship.”

KEY BENEFITS – DAB ESYBOX MAX

Single, double, triple, or quadruple systems available
Capable of servicing buildings over 14 floors tall
Each unit includes hydraulic connection base, electronic vertical multi-impeller pump, display, Wi-Fi module, pressure sensors, non-return valve on delivery, variable frequency drive, water-cooled permanent magnet motor, and an expansion tank
Units can be installed on-site
Compatible with DConnect

Company Info: www.whiteint.com.au

Email Company: www.whiteint.com.au/contact-us

The insurance helping farmers secure a sustainable future

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 04:27:56 GMT

An Australian start-up is providing new tools to farmers to mitigate poor weather and make better management decisions.

Farmers have always been at the mercy of the weather, it is something they have absolutely no control over. Until recently, very few have had access to financial tools to protect against those risks outside traditional crop insurance, which typically only covers fire and hail.

Now if it is too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry, any farmer—large or small—can access weather insurance to protect against those risks. Any agribusiness, including cropping, livestock, horticulture, or viticulture, can buy cover.

Hillridge , an Australian technology company, has partnered with Nutrien Ag Solutions, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Victor Insurance Australia, a subsidiary of Marsh, to launch a weather insurance platform powered by Hillridge’s technology.

The platform is the first in Australia to offer farmers a real-time quote for weather insurance or risk transfer protection through an online system.

“Farming goes back many generations on both sides of my family, and I realised that most farmers just didn’t have access to the derivatives that large agribusinesses use to manage their weather risks,” Hillridge co-founder and CEO Dale Schilling says.

“Every farming business is different, so it was important to me that farmers and their agronomists or advisors can easily use our system to come up with a bespoke solution that is right for them.”

Being able to offset downside risks helps provide farmers with the confidence to explore options like buying more livestock, forward selling, accessing premium markets, planting higher-revenue crops, or investing in inputs to maximise yields.

For example, growers can use this tool to protect their investment in fertiliser where the weather may render the fertiliser unavailable to the crop, or unable to reach its full yield potential. Viticulturalists and horticulturalists may worry about heavy input costs if it rains too much, but now they can protect against that risk to smooth their finances from year to year. Wet harvest risks might hold growers back from forward selling, but they can now hedge against the risk of a product downgrade.

The premium is based on the likelihood of poor weather, based on the location and how much cover the farmer wants. The decision to pay comes from a trusted weather data source. Payments are automatically triggered when certain weather conditions have been met and the farmer confirms the loss.

Shortly after its launch in 2021, Hillridge won the prestigious Extreme Tech Challenge, a global competition for start-ups addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from a pool of 3700 applicants.

Last year, it raised $2.3 million in seed funding, which has enabled it to expand into Vietnam and Indonesia. New Zealand, Cambodia and Thailand are also being explored.

Looking to the future, Hillridge is also developing a yield-based product.

“At the moment, cover is based on a single metric within a season, whether it's temperature or rainfall,” Dale says. “What we're working on now is broadening that to incorporate many variables, including solar radiation, across a whole season. That would give farmers more comprehensive cover against low yields due to the weather.”

The business is also involved in a GRDC-funded research project led by the CSIRO to look at the impact of frost and heat stress on five major crops, with a view to incorporating both frost and heat stress risks into the insurance product.

Key benefits

How weather insurance works

Weather insurance benefits cropping, livestock, horticulture and viticulture growers and protects against extreme drought, heat, excess rain, or low temperatures. Any agribusiness can buy cover and the process is easy:

Get an estimate – You decide the cover period, threshold, and payout. You can view the historic weather data at your farm, and easily compare different policy options side by side. Choose the option that best fits your risk management strategy and budget.

Pay the premium – The price is based on the historical weather data and outlook. Once you pay your premium, you are covered.

Monitor the weather – There is no need for you to initiate a claim. Our technology continually scans for the time-based weather triggers in the policy for you.

Receive payment – Claims are simple and fast. You will be notified every step of the way. If you are entitled to a payout, payments are typically made within 45 days of the end of the policy.

Disclaimer: Hillridge is a technology company that provides the software for online pricing of weather insurance, and monitoring the weather. It is not the insurer, nor an Authorised Representative of the Insurer. This article does not constitute financial advice, a solicitation, offer, or recommendation to make decisions, buy any products or services, or effect any transactions.

Email address

info@hillridge.com.au

Website

https://www.hillridge.com.au/

Video: https://vimeo.com/749814514

The Future is Liquid: the perfect solution to the rising costs of farming

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:53:49 GMT

Australian farmers are facing rising costs of fuel, fertiliser, and a shortage of labour. Meanwhile, with over fifty-seven years’ experience in agricultural engineering, Peter Burgess of Liquid Systems SA has developed systems and solutions that provide precise, accurate, and reliable in-furrow delivery of liquid fertilisers at time of sowing, to save on time and money.

Originally a welder and metal fabricator by trade, Peter Burgess has been working in agricultural innovation and engineering since 1966. Peter’s interests in developing an efficient and safe system for precise liquid delivery to boost crop performance began when he was asked by the Minnipa Agricultural Centre in South Australia to develop a novel solution for delivering liquid phosphoric acid to the soil. Seeing the success Peter had experienced solving this problem, CSBP in Western Australia then asked him if he could help in the delivery of another fertiliser product, called Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN), and in 2002 Liquid Systems SA was born.

Liquid Systems SA uses two key components, both manufactured in the company’s Edwardstown facility located in south Adelaide, called Pump and Rate Control Modules and STACKER Distribution Kits. They can be, Peter explains, “daisy-chained” together and have their functionality easily upgraded to section control, multiple liquids or chemical injection. They can be attached to most air-seeders and, more distribution units can be added over time, if needed. They’re also designed to integrate with most leading Precision Ag displays such as Raven, John Deere, Trimble, and Topcon. One of the main advantages of the delivery system is that it can retrofit onto most existing agricultural machinery – old and new.

Samantha Bell, Peter’s stepdaughter, has been the company’s operations and marketing manager since 2011. “The major benefit of Liquid Systems,” Samantha says, “is its targeted nutrient placement – meaning every seed gets its fair share of fertiliser; multiple liquids in one pass and the ability to have independent control of the liquids. You get a faster, better crop establishment because the nutrients are targeted in the soil where the seed can draw the product.”. Liquid Systems SA’s clear step-by-step manuals make it easy for farmers to set up the systems themselves – but, if there are any problems, help is just a phone call away.

The main liquids usually applied by Liquid Systems are fungicides, micronutrients and UAN, but the delivery system can also be used to apply crop protection agents such as insecticides and, nematicides as well as other products such as inoculants, soil conditioners, and soil wetters. Different sized polyethylene tubes allow for different viscosities, which allow non-compatible liquids to be applied at the same time while avoiding mixing. The system delivers row-by-row, second-by-second accuracy. Liquids can be applied at different levels within the soil, and applied before and after seed placement. Anywhere from one to more than five liquids can be delivered at time of planting, and the farmer has the ability to control individual supply lines real-time, using any of the leading Precision Ag displays. This precision enables farmers to save time and money, as it minimises waste and requires fewer passes.

Lee Lonergan, a grain producer in Mungindi, NSW, has been using Liquid Systems for over 16 years. His focus on improving soil health means he largely uses the system to apply trace elements, such as copper and zinc, which reduces the amount of nitrogen fertiliser required. He says that while the up-front cost of liquid fertilisers, particularly UAN, may be dearer than granular, less is needed and none is lost into the atmosphere. And, unlike when applying granular urea, he doesn’t need to hope for rain to get the product where it’s needed.

“I don’t want to put my business at any more cash-flow risk than I absolutely have to, so I can buy my liquid fertiliser, I can put it in the tank on farm, at the right price, and I can apply it when I go to plant. So, I don’t have to spend all this money hoping and praying I’m going to get rain; I’ll do it when I’m going to plant. I don’t pre-plant at all anymore, I do it all in one pass. And from a cash-flow point of view, I’m saving, saving, saving; I pay a bit more for the product, but I’ve got a very efficient product, I’ve got very efficient machinery, I just do it in one go, and the savings are enormous.”

In January 2022, Liquid Systems SA conducted a survey of their customers that proved what they already suspected: using liquid results in greater crop yields, saving time and money.

• 93% reported improved farm profitability

• 88% reported quicker crop emergence

• 55% reported reduced post-spraying of chemicals

• 74% reported improved operational efficiency

• 73% reported increased crop yields

Liquid Systems exports their product all over the world from Eastern Europe to North America, and has been working with John Deere since 2010. All parts are manufactured at the factory in South Australia meaning not only a quality product, but the avoidance of delays when a customer needs a part quickly. “We aim for same-day orders out the door. It’s something we take very seriously, especially at seeding when it’s time-sensitive,” Samantha says.

And Liquid Systems is ready with phone support if things go wrong. “Because we’ve got everything documented, and understand everything from design, operation, to maintenance, we can support and diagnose any technical issue that arises over the phone,” says Samantha.

“If you actually lost all of your electronics,” Peter says, “we’ve built the system so you can still run it manually. Nobody out there can provide as much backup as we can, with all our extensive literature and related company assets; it’s unreal, and that’s just a fact.” He adds that in some instances, if you have Wi-Fi, problems can be resolved remotely. “But, we’re committed to making durable and reliable equipment of the highest order”, he says.

“Their machinery is very accurate, it’s very well-built, and it’s virtually bullet-proof actually,” says Lee Lonergan. “And it’s timesaving. That’s the other big one.”

Web: https://liquidsystems.com.au

Email : contact@liquidsystems.com.au

Company info: https://liquidsystems.com.au/news/customer-case-studies/

Making hay cuts big rewards

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:00:35 GMT

Alex Peacock doesn’t just use Kuhn’s premium machinery to make award-winning hay, his transport company hauls Kuhn’s vast range of agricultural equipment to farmers across Australia.

Generational hay farmer and contractor Alex Peacock heads a successful agricultural business that first entered the transport market in 1985. Based at Timmering, near Shepparton in northern Victoria, operations expanded after his daughter and son-in-law joined the business. Today Alex’s transport fleet includes prime movers and more than 20 trailers carting hay, grain and agricultural and mining machinery Australia-wide.

“We supply freight to some of the major agricultural importers and work with Kuhn on a lot of their products, shifting them all over the country,’’ says Alex.

From growing up making hay on his parents’ farm Alex moved into professional hay-baling, starting with a small square baler. It was a time when “everything was done by hand”.

When large square balers entered the market, Alex was among the first to give them a go. With its reputation for innovative high-quality equipment and customer focus, he chose Kuhn when the LSB 1290 iD baler was released.

“It was an interesting time. That period of conversion from small square to larger square bales. To have that productivity boost for transport, having more weight on the truck rather than a few tonne of round bales or a lot of labour in small square bales.”

As bale weights increased, Alex says transport load weights - and hence efficiencies - have grown “enormously” over the past few years.

When Alex bought his first Kuhn high-density large square baler, he was curious to trial the innovative new technology from the world’s leading supplier of machinery for hay and silage making, baling and wrapping, soil preparation, seeding, fertilisation and spraying.

Apart from the baler’s improved fuel efficiency, another welcome spinoff was a reduced fuel bill for Alex’s tractor. “We could get another 40 or 50 bales out of a tank of fuel in similar conditions.”

Yet when making the purchase, Kuhn’s warranty was also uppermost in Alex’s mind.

“It’s important to me that the machinery manufacturer back their product and Kuhn backed it pretty well with a three-year warranty.”

The French company with almost 200 years’ experience in manufacturing agricultural machinery also provided Alex’s staff training to operate the baler at its head office in Melbourne.

“It makes it easier for us to talk to their service people if we understand more about the machines we are using,” says Alex. “We have access to people when we need them and access to parts if we need them too. It makes our business easier to run.”

The customer journey is a vital element of Kuhn’s ongoing success worldwide, says the company’s marketing manager in Australia, Michael Murer.

But that success starts with Kuhn’s dedication to the design, manufacture and marketing of its high-quality agricultural equipment and services.

In Australia, that presence has been built over the past 50 years, culminating in 2011 with the opening of Kuhn’s headquarters in Melbourne for warehousing, machinery, sales, spare parts and training.

“We offer our customers direct access to research and development and technical support, which is a great benefit when a machine needs to be adapted to farm conditions,’’ says Michael.

“We don’t just assemble machines, we build them, and we are one of the only agricultural machinery company today still with its own foundry. We do the lot.”

Michael sold Alex his first Kuhn baler.

“We took the risk together,’’ says Michael. “It’s a personal journey. Alex is a perfect example. I’m not here to sell him a machine and walk away. It’s a complete process. First you identify the needs, find out what is problematic and from there you find the solution.

“It comes down to passion. Ultimately, in this job, you need to breathe it,” says Michael, who still tests new machinery in the paddock before release.

Alex Peacock feels confident that Kuhn understands the urgency of harvest work and over the years this partnership has seen Alex rewarded with many national awards for hay making.

“It’s taken a while to learn how to do it properly,” concludes Alex. “I try to buy the best tools we can. We can achieve a very uniform, very square bale in most weather conditions. If we can achieve a good quality product and be recognised for it, that gives you a bit of a boost and the people you work for a boost as well.”

Web: https://www.kuhn.com.au/

Email: marketing.australia@kuhn.com

Drought-Proofing a Sunburnt Country

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 03:30:30 GMT

Australian Poet and Fiction Writer Dorothea McKellar’s vision for Australia is still waiting to be realised. But where will all the water come from?

Caption: The mighty Ord River Dam, in The Kimberley north-east, where huge volumes of water are poured into the sea every day.

As we make our way through this third decade of the third millennium, Australians are confronted with the challenge of sustaining our world-class lifestyle in the face of unprecedented threats to our national security. Various geopolitical, public health, and socio-economic forces are now converging while most of the international scientific community describes climate change as out of our control.

Our resilient farmers survived a horrific record 6-year drought to be rewarded, serendipitously, with a glut of rain in 2020 and 2021. Consequently, our stewards of the land are currently enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity. To depend on the right climate at the right time, however, is a fragile strategy fraught with risk, as any Australian farmer will tell you. The only sustainability that counts in this country is water security.

Despite personally advocating for it for a long time, the plan to drought-proof the inland of Australia is not new, in fact. John Bradfield CGM (1887-1943), the eminent Australian civil engineer who built the Sydney Harbour Bridge nearly a century ago, came up with a plan in the 1930s to turn rivers in Queensland and New South Wales backwards to feed the thirsty inland.

A few years later, towards the end of the World War II, and prior to becoming a journalist for the Truth and Daily Mirror publications in the 1950s, Leslie Henry Luscombe started promoting the same idea. His 177-page book, “Australia Replanned”, was published in 1945, though it was written in 1944 before the war had ended. His map, drawn by hydrologists at the time, showed how rainfall could be captured and stored for the “six lean years” to come.

Luscombe put forward the proposition of what a country of a mere seven or so million people able to put that huge an effort into the war should be capable of doing with the opportunities afforded by this vast island continent. He suggested our number one priority is water supply to the inland – such as dams and channels, similar to the Snowy River Scheme that was eventually constructed between 1949 and 1974.

In my humble opinion, credit should go to Barnaby Joyce and Tony Abbott, who as then Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister of the country, later had a similar vision called the “Hundred Dams Project” in 2013. They realised that with much of our wealth being generated by farmers, regional Australia’s water security was a great opportunity to enlarge and grow the sector.

The idea was to turn Bradfield and Luscombe’s dreams into reality albeit three-quarters of a century later. They argued that improved water supply to the agricultural sector could mean , Australia producing not just four times more food and fibre that we can consume ourselves but perhaps even 20 times that amount.

The idea of simply channelling water from Northern Australia, where it is abundant, to southern areas of the country that need it seems logical enough and technically feasible – at least in theory. This possible solution is, however, affected by a number of converging forces and therefore causing enormous complexity – social, technological, environmental, economic, and political. Hence, easier said than done.

Has anyone ever considered measuring the actual potential of a water transfer strategy, beginning with the question of “how much surplus water is there in cubic feet in Australia’s North?” and “what logistics are involved in bringing it south, where to, and to what benefit? “Interior rejuvenation” through the mass hydration of regional Australia, an “anti-desertification move”, ought be on the national agenda. Other parts of the world, including the Middle-East and Africa, are now engaging in this practice, especially if there are good water reserves in one part of said country.

The proposed Hells Gate Dam on the Burdekin River in northern Queensland, a transformational project for the region, could be a great start. Investing in the channels to get the water spread in a wide enough area to turn more land into quality high value cropping, however, should not be overlooked. Certainly, a project of this nature, which has attracted an historic AUD5.4 billion funding package from the Federal Government, has great potential to improve the “drought proofing” of regional Australia as largely serviced by the Murray Darling river system.

Nationally recognised water specialists like Simon Cowland-Cooper, a recent Order of Australia award recipient for his services to the irrigation industry, have ideas that are worth considering. Simon advocates that the Mount Foxton Dam proposal is another possible way of offering greater water security to both the eastern and western regions of the Great Dividing Range without the use of tunnels, pipelines or pumping units. This is achieved by substituting the proposed Hells Gate Dam with a far more appropriate structure 30 kilometres downstream to the Gorge situated Mt Foxton. At this location, a dam will be far higher than the Hells Gate Dam having an RL [1] 380 which will be able to provide two discharge gravity outlets to service both the East (RL 300) and West (RL 350) riverbed sides of the Range.

For the world’s driest inhabited continent, Australia’s next 5 to 10 year crippling drought is surely not a matter of if but when. While there are drip-feed improvements in attitudes happening and plenty of people with good opinions worth listening to on this nationally important commodity, what’s really needed is a tsunami of orchestrated action before it’s too late.

[1] Relative Level Above Sea Level.

Caption: L.H. Luscombe’s map showing his dream, 82 years ago, of a vast inland sea. Wouldn’t it be great to build up our water storage and to refill the Great Australian Artesian Basin every year, instead of once every 6 years?

The Succession Plan — Looking to the future in Aussie manufacturing

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 02:15:22 GMT

Countrywide Engineering’s Tom Grigg is calling for young Australians to save our local manufacturing industry.

“I’m gearing up to get out,” Tom Grigg says, fourteen years into managing one of Wagga Wagga’s thriving manufacturing centres. “That’s what the concept is, succession planning.”

Countrywide Engineering is known for its ability to manufacture Australian-made products tailored to the community’s needs. Historically, that’s been canola farming products like their customer-favourite Draper pick-up fronts. As the COVID-19 pandemic wore on, it expanded into telecommunications products including their cable cover strips and hooks. Tom’s team found success in responding to demand no matter the niche, and now the 72-year-old is looking to pass the torch.

According to the University of Washington, a succession plan helps an organisation identify future staffing needs and related job allocation. To Tom, a fierce advocate for Australia’s economic independence, it’s about more than his own organisation; it’s about keeping the local manufacturing industry alive.

“We should all try to encourage somebody to get into manufacturing,” he urges in a recent interview.

Tom entered the manufacturing industry at 40 years of age, starting as a boilermaker, before moving on to building, and finally buying his company. Though he calls himself a “late starter”, the CEO remembers a rich manufacturing sector late last century when Australians built cameras and Holden cars. He remembers growing his company as his surroundings shrank.

According to Tom, Australian manufacturing businesses have been squeezed by two factors in recent decades: an unreliable global supply chain and a high cost of compliance. He notes Incitec Pivot’s 2021 announcements that they would shut down their urea plants, despite having “oodles of gas”. So how come business is booming for Tom Grigg?

“It’s related to size,” he explains. “You’re down at a level where a big business couldn’t operate.” Local companies, usually operated by fewer people and servicing smaller jobs, can be cheaper for the clients who require those services. Incitec Pivot–sized organisations can’t serve more community-driven projects, which is where Countrywide Engineering finds its work and flourishes.

It’s also related to versatility. Though Countrywide Engineering’s owner doesn’t take much personal credit for it, he’s able to provide for canola farmers, telecommunications projects, and even the aviation industry with a range of services. He calls his team “yes people” and “people pleasers”, insisting, “There’s nothing too hard not to have a go at.”

To Tom, his own success as a smaller manufacturer begs the question: “Why aren’t there more people doing it? Why isn’t there more competition?”

More than 30 years into his career, Tom is calling to bring the competition back. His succession plan isn’t just finding positions at Countrywide Engineering; it’s finding young Australians willing to take up the mantle of reviving our local manufacturing sector.

So, how exactly do we do that?

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Essentially, “the supply chain” describes how raw materials become finished products, delivered to consumers. In 2023, this process runs around the globe, with manufacturers purchasing raw materials, parts, and machinery from various countries depending on cost. The globalised supply chain has cheapened some manufacturing processes, but also caused delays in times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even though some of the supply comes from manufacturing within Australia, there have been difficulties with the supply chain over the last few years,” Tom notes in his interview. You can’t build a trailer now if the wheels won’t arrive for another six months.

Tom’s world-wide suppliers span from Germany to Sydney to Japan. Unfortunately, the majority of steel used in Australian manufacturing isn’t locally made steel, he says: “Most of it is from Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and maybe some from China.”

In Tom’s experience, our country’s manufacturers can’t rely on overseas companies to prioritise Australian delivery when supply is backed up elsewhere. He describes our market as “too small” for major corporations to “like coming to Australia”. We have to do it ourselves.

To ensure Australian manufacturing can thrive, manufacturers must have access to Australian made inputs available to be delivered across the country. That means Australian steel. Australian parts. Australian machinery. Australian shipping and haulage. Buying overseas for less seems like a good deal, until the wait time blows out the schedule and cost of the job.

THE COST OF COMPLIANCE

A Deloitte report published in 2014 found that Australian businesses were spending a total of $250 billion per year on “compliance costs” — the costs associated with sticking to government regulations. These costs include time spent on bureaucratic tasks (8.9 hours per week for managerial staff; 6.4 hours per week for other staff) as well as employing for those whose entire job description involves ensuring a company complies with the rules.

“To be clear, rules and regulations are vitally necessary. They cement the key foundations of our society, protecting the rule of law and a wealth of standards in everything from health to safety and the environment,” the report’s author says. “However, a decade of prosperity has seen Australia’s policymakers ‘reach for a rule’, often without weighing the costs and benefits of doing so, and the cost of government rules has risen since the last time the Productivity Commission added them up.”

Tom agrees, naming compliance costs as the highest barrier to entry for Australian local manufacturers. Tom even estimates the cost of compliance is over 50 per cent of the production cost.

With hours in every worker’s week spent on bureaucracy, Tom feels that Australia’s compliance system “slows the workforce down”. Additionally, while manufacturing businesses are employing a very high ratio of compliance workers over workers on the factory floor, the Countrywide Engineering boss has seen a trend where, “There’s only a few people who actually do what you call productive work.”

To “turn it back”, Tom predicts, Australia needs “a whole mind shift, a different way of life”. Compliance work has become a career, with a Seek report forecasting 11.8 per cent growth in compliance officer jobs within the next five years.

“You’ve got more and more people in that type of work nowadays and sucking more and more money into it, drawing the money into it,” the manufacturer summarises. Reducing the cost of compliance would therefore require drawing those responsible back out of the sector — upending people’s jobs and lifestyles. But is it worth it?

Tom says yes; we would be upending a “middle class existence — not related to any form of meaningful production at all”. This philosophy calls into question what exactly we’re protecting by keeping the system as is.

THE SUCCESSION

Countrywide Engineering will be fine. It will continue. Tom’s succession plan is for his sector as much as it is for his company.

He’s asking young Australians to start their own manufacturing businesses, resource companies, parts and machine building companies, and shipping companies. He’s asking regulators to consider the cost of compliance when reviewing legislation, and compliance workers to consider what they’re working for.

In a climate where manufacturing locals are susceptible to a range of socio-economic forces — including skills shortages and urban migration — Tom likens his passion for reviving the Australian industry to a “rebellious act”. He does it for “self esteem, to have this integrity in it. Because it’s real. It’s a real product.”

DRAPER PICKUP FRONT – KEY BENEFITS

Australian-made windrow harvesting machine

- Easily modified for various crops

- Configurable with most combine harvesters

- Easy maintenance and durable frame

- Comes with trash screen accessory for seed loss prevention

- Comes with flotation kit accessory for rough terrain

- Wide option also available

DRAPER PICK-UP FRONT REVIEW – TIM ROSS, SHIRWILL INDUSTRIES

“It’s a bloody good pick-up. Normally if you’ve got a bit of grass, it’s a bit hard to pick it up. This does it with ease. It seemed to pick up the windrow easily, and it fits into the machine perfectly. You can get down flatter, and it’s not so aggressive picking the crops up. With canola, it’s pretty easy to trash out.”
“We passed on a big saving to the client as far as hours in the field. It made us a lot more competitive and a lot more productive. The way it shortened harvest time and increased header capacity was unbelievable. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of picking up windrow, it just makes it so much easier for the operators.… and I’m really happy with the price.”
“It’s a reasonably simple front, as far as servicing. If we ever had to repair it, it wouldn’t be that hard to repair.”

AGF Seeds: Investing so you can plant with confidence

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 01:55:11 GMT

An Australian family-owned seed production company with a proud 70-year history is getting the highest-quality seeds into the hands of farmers thanks to innovative research and development.

When farmers sow their crops, they want to know they are using the highest quality seeds that are well suited to Australian growing conditions.

Leading Australian seed production and marketing business AGF Seeds is investing heavily in research and development to ensure its customers can plant with confidence, and enjoy maximum returns.

The company has recently undergone a rapid expansion, increasing its capacity to supply world-class seeds and provide independent knowledgeable advice to resellers and growers.

It operates a six-hectare research site at Smeaton in rural Victoria, with hundreds of different trial plots aimed at finding the best varieties, and modern seed cleaning technologies to ensure an exceptional end product.

R&D and Production Manager Brendan Torpy says AGF Seeds is continuously improving and introducing new products.

“Because of the lead time to bring products to market, we have to be looking at the next products to come four or five years in advance”, Brendan says.

The trials at Smeaton are the first step in the R&D process.

“Genetics from partners across the globe and those developed from AGF’s own breeding program are trialled internally against key commercial lines. Varieties that meet key criteria requirements are entered into national trial networks such as GDRC, FAR, Pasture Trial Network, and independent trials”, Brendan says.

“This ensures all the genetics are tested in a range of environments across Australia to see if they will be successful.”

Quality assurance is integral, from before the crop is accepted into the cleaning plant to the time it is planted.

AGF Seeds Director David Toose says there are “strict quality assurance procedures to ensure that everything is clean, that all dust, chaff and weeds are removed, and that certification rules are adhered to”.

“The procedures are continually evolving with new machinery, training of staff and development of strict protocols”, David says.

The modern seed cleaning processing plant at Smeaton, complete with gravity table and colour sorter, ensures a smooth and safe process.

The process from a variety’s first trial through to being sown commercially is a journey that takes years; it is this dedication that ensures AGF Seeds produces the highest quality seed for its customers.

All the latest information about AGF Seeds products and guides is available here .

Key Benefits:

● World-class quality seed genetics for cropping and pasture farming systems.

● Research and technology collaboration providing the best advice on variety selection for farming conditions.

Contact details for AGF:

W: www.agfseeds.com.au

E: admin@agfseeds.com.au

Innovations for a climate resilient sustainable agricultural sector

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 07:35:21 GMT

Opportunities are emerging that will allow producers to build enterprise resilience through new climate risk transfer (insurance) products and income diversification (carbon and biodiversity credit) schemes. There is significant potential for these to help to smooth the year-to-year income variability linked to climate-related risk and to lead to both healthier agricultural landscapes and a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector.

Key efficiency drivers of these innovative property management solutions include:

The opportunity cost of land. Normally, marginal land is not used for productive purposes; however, this approach will allow the use of marginal or surplus land for carbon plantation purposes;
Timeframe. Timeframe is an important parameter, especially for insurance industries and farmers, since they will engage in long-term contracts; further, access to long-term farm data to verify insurance claims will reduce moral hazard;
Affordable premiums. Longer-term interaction with the insurance industry will lead to better understanding of climate-related risks, providing the possibly of cheaper/more affordable insurance premiums, and opportunities for sustainable insurance products; and
Economies of scale: Greater uptake of insurance products will increase the possibility of aggregation by insurance companies, which will enable the sector to reach economically viable scales. This is expected to reduce transaction costs for individual small-scale producers and to reduce barriers to participation in carbon contracts (e.g. plantations). Aggregation can enhance economies of scale, reduce transaction costs and enhance the long-term sustainability of carbon and biodiversity projects

References:

Hazell, P. et al. (2010). International Fund for Agricultural Development and World Food Programme.

Kath, J. et al. (2018). Weather and Climate Extremes, 22, 1-9.

Mushtaq, S. et al. (2020). Climatic Change, 161(3), 465-478.

Educating Future Leaders Of The Ag Workforce

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 07:33:07 GMT

Australia must prioritise the education and up-skilling of future leaders in our primary industries to effectively meet the growing demand for food and fibre.

The Australian company revolutionising data-driven sheep breeding

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 07:07:39 GMT

A ground-breaking sheep technology system is bettering the businesses and lives of Australian sheep breeders thanks to a revolutionary combination of software, hardware, and support never before combined into one cohesive unit.

Game-changing overarching integration is allowing sheep breeders to wholly adopt sophisticated data management systems within their farming operations without the headaches and clunkiness that many others face.

Combining software, hardware, electronic tags (EID), data support, and optional Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBV) data within a singular unit was once considered unimaginable.

Not anymore thanks to BreedELITE who is enabling breeders to turn data into dollars via their disruptive sheep breeding system that allows focus on what really matters.

The Australian-owned company has managed to replace what used to require six to ten different companies’ products with one simple robust system backed by real-time industry-leading support.

The result allows breeders to remain focused on breeding and making decisions rather than overcoming technical issues and having data always out of reach, letting them achieve their goals while saving time, effort, and energy in the process.

Equally impressive is the by-product of an occupational environment that’s bringing farming families closer together while, given notable improvements in farmer lifestyle, simultaneously inspiring the next generation to continue their parents’ legacy.

And, with the Victorian Government already making EID compulsory for sheep breeders, with other states following soon, BreedELITE’s undeniable innovation is certainly timely.

The revolution begins

BreedELITE’s pioneering journey started in 1999 when co-founder Greg Johnsson set out to track the value of modern genetic selection methods after approaching a group of commercial sheep farmers on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia.

The collection of high-quality data relating to the sheep’s objective measurement, mating, lambing, and visual performance was paramount prompting Greg to study the market for suitable software.

Hitting roadblocks at every turn, Greg was unable to find such a program that not only collected data but also allowed elite decision making and animal comparison.

So, he developed his own.

Fast-forward 23 years and this family-owned and run company is changing the industry via their BreedELITE Sheep System as the need for sheep genetic selection and objective measurement reigns supreme.

“Dad was so determined to empower the way people approached sheep breeding that he wrote the code that can now record over 800 pieces of data per sheep,” says Greg’s son and BreedELITE CEO and co-founder Tim Johnsson.

“Our software is the key tool underpinning any operation by recording data straight from the hardware and presenting that data in a way that allows for easy and powerful decision-making.”

Turning data into dollars

Up until 2015, BreedELITE’s main focus was continuing to improve their recording software for the small group on Kangaroo Island, during which it inadvertently became the most capable program on the market.

Releasing to the market later that year, their clients’ notable gains from using the software were soon being thwarted by the absence of integrated technology.

“Breeders need to focus on breeding sheep and making great decisions, it’s what their specialty is, not wasting time forcing bits and pieces of technology together or trolling through session files and excel lists,” says Tim.

So, in 2015, BreedELITE identified the debilitating concerns of hundreds of stud and commercial breeders across Australia to create a list of needs for creating a unified solution.

The ultimate goal was for breeders to achieve production and efficiency goals faster than ever before by combining the three pillars needed for technology success: Software, hardware and support.

Two and-a-half years later the result was a seamless plug-and-play system connecting capability and adaptability via easy-to-use data-collecting analytics technology helping breeders thrive.

“You can’t guess your way to success and our system enables our clients to have the confidence and clarity in every decision they are making,” says Tim.

“Empowered decisions make good businesses and if something is easy to do, you’ll likely do more of it.”

Total integration

The BreedELITE Sheep System is a fully integrated data management, technology, and hardware system supporting every data collection need breeders have allowing for the real-time implementation of high-quality decisions.

The unit comprises pedigree and performance recording Software, a rugged computer, stick reader, fleece weighing equipment, tags, auto drafter, support, and training, all of which work seamlessly and can be purchased separately depending on operational requirements.

The expandable grow-with-you system incorporates EID technologies catering from beginners to the most advanced producers in the industry.

Tim says his focus is on making the hardware as rugged, reliable, and durable as possible, while frequent software updates ensure breeders remain at the forefront of industry dynamics.

And, with BreedELITE’s support staff available to guide users on the job in real time or through industry leading training, Tim says the system is as nurturing as it is revolutionary.

“Our software and hardware design criteria and standards have defined the optimum outcome to meet the needs of sheep breeders in implementing EID technologies quickly and cost-effectively,” he says.

“So often, Australian farmers are fearful of digital technologies so stay behind and others are living a clunky nightmarey. I believe we have created a system that can be a sheep breeder’s best friend, not their worst enemy.”

Real success

A lot of sheep breeders will tell you the hardest part of their job is not just getting to but staying at the top of their game.

Remaining successful takes innovative thinking, technology, and advanced breeding techniques.

Fifth-generation breeder and Roseville Park Merino Stud owner Matthew Coddington says BreedELITE changed his business and his family’s life for the better.

“By using BreedELITE’s easy-to-use system we can tailor our rams to do any job our clients want in meeting their breeding objectives to increase their productivity and profitability,” he says.

“Before investing in BreedELITE we spent a fortune on two previous systems that didn’t get used because no one knew how to use them. They’re still sitting there.”

Matthew’s wife Cherie, who runs the farm’s administration, describes BreedELITE as a saviour .

“Gathering so much data used to be so complicated with it stored in so many places that you would go back to the house and forever be working,” she says.

“We’ve had two great years of ram selling seasons because the data is instantaneous, the decisions are made, the rams are thrown onto the ute that afternoon, and away we go.”

Company video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/561267827

Company website: www.breedelite.com

Company email address: admin@breedelite.com

Titan Australia is now OTR Australia – and 100% Australian owned

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 06:58:43 GMT

The OTR Tyres acquisition of Titan Australia solidifies the company as a leading nationwide provider of wheel, tyre, and axle solutions.

Nobody cares more about tyres and wheels than farmers. Whether you’re behind the wheel of a tractor, harvester, crane, sprayer, or mower, your tyres and wheels are a secret weapon that makes your life easier and your business more efficient. Those round black hoops of rubber are critical workhorses on the farm, as important as any piece of agricultural machinery.

Whatever ground you have to cover, you need equipment you can trust to be up to the task.

OTR Group CEO Adam Oakenful says their wheel and axle range is designed and manufactured to suit the toughest Australian terrain.

“We know how important it is to work efficiently and safely, have equipment you can rely on in all weather, and get the highest yield in your business,” Adam says.

“Agricultural products by OTR Australia are made strong enough to combat the challenges of wet and dry soil in the field so you don’t find yourself in tricky situations where it may be problematic to move your equipment.”

OTR Tyres recently acquired Titan Australia and rebranded it to OTR Australia, creating a strong Australia-wide network providing world-class products, and good old fashioned customer service.

As well as providing Australian-made products, the company is now wholly Australian-owned.

“The change will be virtually seamless for farmers. They’ll get the same great products, the same great service, and have the same contact points. The major difference is that we can be more flexible and reactive to their needs,” Adam says.

OTR Australia, which also provides off-highway solutions to the mining and construction industries, is an independent distributor of all major brands. Their friendly team takes the time to get to know your business, and helps you choose the products and services that suit your needs.

Headquartered in Perth, OTR Australia also has locations in Brisbane, Mildura, Emerald, and the Hunter Valley, together with a strategic presence in major mining hubs in WA. It is committed to R&D, and is capitalising on technological advancements to make the manufacturing process easier and more efficient.

OTR Australia has a strong and enduring presence in local communities.

“We manufacture in some regional areas where it can be hard at times to find staff. We could move to a bigger city and do things a bit easier, but then we wouldn’t be in that local area,” Adam explains.

OTR Australia’s growing team includes tyre fitters, service technicians, sales, and administration support staff. Adam says his company is one that always puts people over profit and is passionate about helping farmers get as many hours out of their tyres as possible.

“Our tyres, wheels and axles are built to last. Farmers know our products are strong and durable, and our service is second to none. They know they can rely on us,” Adam says.

email address: sales@otraustralia.com

website: https://otraustralia.com/

Product catalogue link: https://titanaust.com.au/downloads/

Seed Certification Key to Australia’s Agricultural Future

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:32:20 GMT

Plant breeding is the essential platform for sustainable agriculture. Seed certification ensures the identity and integrity of certified plant varieties. Certification is a high value risk mitigating proposition for farmers to get plants established from that seeds which are as close as possible to the genetic makeup of the variety as selected by the breeder.

The planet is changing and plants have to adapt too if we are to provide enough food to feed future generations. Plant breeding and innovation are an essential platform for sustainable agriculture and food security. Seed certification ensures the identity and integrity of existing and new certified plant varieties.

Each time the seed is multiplied, that is, seed is sown and then seed is harvested from the plants established, there is a risk that the special genetic characteristics which made that new variety valuable, can be lost. This can be through physical contamination with inferior plants or seed, cross pollination, and natural selection. Certification of seed is designed to minimise these opportunities to lose or diminish the genetic characteristics which make the variety valuable.

What does seed certification really mean?

Plant breeders in Australia and overseas work very hard to produce “better” varieties of crop and pasture plants. Just what is “better” varies greatly and depends on the species and the environment in which it is to be grown. Usually, it means characteristics such as:

Higher yield in a crop plant;
More leaf for a pasture;
Enhanced resistance or tolerance to a pest or disease;
Better processing quality for a crop plant;
Better adaptation to a particular environment, like very acid soil, or resistance to frost, or to heat, or to drought; and
There is an almost endless list of characteristics which might make a new variety better than an older variety it is intended to replace.

Plant breeding is a long and painstaking process. New varieties of almost any species can take 8 to 12 years to produce. When the breeder is satisfied, they have a small amount of seed from the plants they have finally selected. This seed has to be multiplied up to hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of tonnes for it be useful to farmers over the possible 5 to 15 years commercial life of the variety.

Each time the seed is multiplied i.e., seed is sown and then seed is harvested from the plants established, there is a risk that the special genetic characteristics which made that new variety valuable, can be lost. This can be through:

Physical contamination with inferior plants or seed caused;

- by planting the new variety in a paddock where other varieties of that same species have grown recently;

- at harvest where seed of the new variety is mixed with inferior seed in the header, or in trucks, or in silos;

- by the physical contamination could happen at the seed cleaning plant;

Cross Pollination. In this case, pollen from inferior varieties pollinates the flower of the new variety, and so the resulting harvested seed is a mixture of the new variety and the inferior variety; and
Natural selection. In this case, individual plants are selectively killed, or selectively favoured by the environment of the paddock into which the crop has been sown. For example, after a series of very wet or very dry seasons, the plants surviving could represent only a proportion of the genetic potential of the new variety. This natural selection occurs over time and over generations.

Certification of seed is designed to minimise these opportunities to lose or diminish the genetic characteristics which make the variety valuable. The objective of certification is to ensure that the buyer of certified seed will get plants established from that seed which are as close as possible to the genetic makeup of the variety as selected by the breeder .

There are certification rules for every species, which must be followed by the seed grower to have his seed certified. These rules include requirements such as:

The correct generation of seed must be sown. For first generation certified seed, this means the grower must obtain basic seed of that variety;
The paddock must not have grown plants of that particular species for a certain time – usually two to five years;
The seed crop must be inspected after seedling establishment to see what plants are growing between the rows which must have germinated from seed set by plants grown in the paddock in previous years;
There are a limited number of generations which can be used to produce certified seed. The seed which was produced by the breeder is called “breeder’s seed”. It must be sown to produce “pre-basic seed”. It in turn must be sown to produce “basic seed”, and basic seed must be sown to produce certified seed;
In perennial species, there is a limit to the number of harvests which can be taken from the seed crop. Usually this is six harvests, but it can be fewer for pre-basic seed;
In perennial species, there is a limit on the establishment of seedlings within the crop. These seedlings represent the next generation, and so they cannot be allowed to represent more than a small proportion of the total plant population of the seed crop;
Paddocks with seed crops in them must have what is called an “isolation distance” from plants of the same species which could flower at the same time. This is to prevent, or at least severely limit, cross pollination. For some species, for early generation seed crops like pre-basic or basic seed, these can be as far as 5000 metres. Headers and seed transporting and handling equipment must be cleaned out before being used on certified seed. This includes silos in which the seed might be stored, and the machines used to clean or process the seed; or
Very good records must be kept of the harvested seed, both on the farm and in the processing plant, to provide assurance to the certification agency that the seed is not mixed with other varieties of that species.

If all the rules are followed, there is a high level of certainty that the plants which a buyer establishes with certified seed, will have all the characteristics which the breeder selected, and hence the grower will obtain the benefits which that variety offers.

The fact that uncertified seed has a variety name on it, provides no assurance to the seed buyer that it is in fact that variety. It may be, it may not be. It may only be a small proportion of the variety the buyer wants. However, if you buy certified seed, you have the assurance that an independent authority has enforced the rules which are designed to give the buyer seed as close as possible genetically to that selected by the breeder of that variety.

Certification really means varietal identity and genetic integrity of seed i.e., you are sure of getting the variety you want, and that it will have a genetic composition as close as possible to that selected by the breeder. However, the Australian seed industry requested some physical standards i.e., for germination and physical purity of the seed, before it can be finally certified to ensure that certified seed should not be sold with very low levels of germinability, or excessive weed seed levels

Renewables: Fighting skyrocketing energy costs and a changing climate

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:24:42 GMT

Escalating commodity prices, catastrophic weather events, and increasing acknowledgement of the need to protect the environment are leading many in agriculture to consider and adopt the use of renewables. And few know more about successfully transitioning to renewables than farmer, sustainability expert and conference creator Karin Stark.

Australian agriculture is experiencing significant change as more farmers adopt the use of renewables to fight skyrocketing energy costs while simultaneously witnessing first-hand the repercussions of a changing climate. 

And few understand this green transformation better than Karin Stark, with the farmer and renewables expert uniquely melding the rare combination of technological nous and lived experience. 

Born in Auckland and raised in Perth, Karin obtained a degree in environmental science and sustainable development before moving to the United Kingdom and finally back to Australia to live on her partner’s family farm. 

Although always working in the environmental field, it was her time on the farm 30 mins from Narromine in the Central West NSW, however, that inspired her pursuit of reducing farmers’ energy costs and carbon emissions by facilitating the adoption of renewables.  

Presently residing on her partner’s cotton and wheat farm, Karin understands the inherent energy challenges faced by farmers. This prompted her partner and herself to install the country’s biggest solar-diesel irrigation pump on their farm in 2018. 

She also heads a renewables consulting business, and created the burgeoning National Renewables in Agriculture Conference & Expo, as she continues to raise awareness by educating farmers and delegates about the benefits and technical feasibility of renewable technologies. 

And while some view the relationship between renewables and farming as somewhat new, Karin says the sector’s interest has been growing for several years - which she personally witnessed in her role as Regional Clean Energy Coordinator for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage from 2014 to 2016.  

“I saw there was a lot of interest from farmers in renewables quite early on and how they could reduce their pumping costs in particular through solar irrigation,” she says. 

“But there wasn’t a lot of credible independent advice out there and not a lot of companies were doing it.  

“Basically, over the years I have seen the sector move from theoretical to demonstration to commercial-scale solar irrigating applications.” 

Living and working on agriculture’s frontline for 10 years, Karin knows too well the inherent unpredictable nature of the industry which she says is only getting harder to plan for.  

“It was only really when I went to the farm that I could see with my own eyes the impact that unpredictable weather events such as droughts and floods in particular affects and harms productivity and profitability potential” she says. 

“Farmers deal with so much variability including commodities and changing weather and climate patterns, and they have to manage that variability more than any other sector.

“You are at the mercy of weather and climate which made me focus on renewables to increase resilience by reducing energy costs and emissions and showing that we are a sustainable green sector.”  

And the savings were undeniable.

“Our solar diesel irrigation pump saved about $180,000 in diesel fuel in the first year alone for that diesel pump’s operation,” she says. 

“It was about making the most of renewable energy to reduce our emissions and demonstrate our commitment to sustainability into the future while cutting costs.” 

And while the pump encountered some ensuing issues due to the way solar and diesel blend, Karin says it was an extremely informative experience.  

“The upside of being an early adopter was that we felt it was really important to share these learnings with as many people as possible so that other people don’t fall into the same trap,” she says.  

Set-up costs are one of the biggest hurdles faced by farmers considering the jump to renewables which can be up to $250,000.  

“It can be a massive upfront cost for farmers,” Karin says.  

“But there have been cost reductions too with solar power prices coming down about 85 per cent in the last 10 years while battery storage continues to reduce in price. 

 “That is driving business decisions to the point where it is actually viable for a farm to now try and covert to renewables.” 

Despite the positive inroads some in the agricultural sector are making through the adoption of renewables, Karin says there is reluctance from some corners. 

She says much of that hesitancy resulted from a lack of working examples. 

“Farmers like to look over their fence and learn from their neighbours and peers,” she says.  

“There’s really not enough of those examples yet that allows people to easily learn from one another, and sometimes that causes a lack of understanding, which I appreciate.” 

Karin says once farmers make the jump, a renewables system usually pays for itself within five years.  

“There are massive monetary benefits because once you’ve paid that off, that energy you have created is basically free which is a huge boost to farmers’ income, and that extra income can be used on other projects around the farm,” she says. 

“Having a more profitable farm benefits regional communities too because it means farmers have got more money to spend at local businesses such as the auto-mechanic and the grocery store. There is just more money around.” 

And while more income is always a great thing, Karin says the environmental benefits are significant.  

“We know we are not on track to meet targets of the Paris Agreement and we know farmers can use large amounts of energy,” she says. 

“My own farm’s solar system saved an astonishing 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide in just its first year when compared with diesel which is about 44 households’ worth of carbon dioxide. 

“Even if we help just 10 farms “make the switch” – it all helps with keeping to our carbon budget and reducing emissions in the agricultural sector. 

“It is about saving money while also recognising the responsibility farmers have to environmental conservation and protecting what we have for future generations.” 

The Renewables in Agriculture Conference & Expo aims to overcome the barriers faced by adopting renewables by bringing together farmers, peak industry bodies, suppliers, and government representatives to share stories farmers successfully transitioning to renewables. The next Conference will be held on the 21 June 2023 in Dubbo.

Visit www.renewablesinagconference.com.au for more information. 

Innovation boosting Australia’s red meat industry

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:18:04 GMT

Australia’s red meat industry is harnessing innovation to tackle three key issues: carbon neutrality by 2030, biosecurity, and market access.

Australian red meat is defying rusted-on stereotypes, with industry leaders recognising that innovation is crucial for the sector’s future.

Michael Crowley, the General Manager of Research, Development, and Adoption at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), shares his insights on four key issues the industry is tackling head-on to ensure maximum impact for its beef, lamb and goatmeat producers.

Carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30) target

In 2017, the Australian red meat industry set the ambitious target to be carbon neutral by 2030 (CN30).

“To achieve that target, we need to accelerate progress – and we need the whole of industry to buy in to get us there,” Michael says.

A few examples of the technological solutions to reduce methane emissions in livestock include:

· A red seaweed extract used as an additive in cattle feed

· A focus on lower-methane-emitting livestock breeds

· Adding more legumes to the pasture feedbase.

“Legumes have condensed tannins in their leaves that naturally reduce methane emissions and increase productivity through improved weight gain.”

“Using legumes in pastures means more kilograms of production per hectare, as well as a positive environmental outcome in terms of improved soil health and emission reduction,” Michael says.

Alongside the industry’s CN30 target, the Federal Government also has a range of financial incentives to help farmers and others in the agricultural industry take practical steps towards carbon neutrality. Key programs and strategies include a Technology Investment Roadmap, Emissions Reduction Fund, and Agricultural Biodiversity Stewardship Package.

Biosecurity

There are several research and development projects underway to improve the health and welfare of livestock, as well as the productivity and integrity of the Australian red meat industry.

These projects primarily focus on:

· Creating on-farm biosecurity plans that include measures to reduce the risk of introducing and/or spreading an infectious disease, pest or weed onto properties.

· Implementing industry biosecurity programs that aim to prevent and control emergency animal diseases.

· Containing disease outbreaks to prevent spread between businesses, states, and countries.

· Creating vaccination protocols to prevent and contain the spread of disease.

· Monitoring and evaluation of perceived and actual biosecurity risks to the industry.

“A key biosecurity priority for the Australian red meat industry in 2022 has been assisting state and federal governments to keep Australia free of foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease,” Michael says.

Numerous industry organisations have partnered up to manage the biosecurity risks around these diseases, providing technical expertise and investment in potential prevention and treatment solutions, including mRNA vaccines.

“Biosecurity is essential to our market access as we remain free from several exotic animal diseases and plant pests.”

Market access

According to Michael, there are several big opportunities for red meat in global markets, such as the EU.

“We are negotiating with the EU to deliver more favourable market access conditions as part of a comprehensive free trade agreement,” he says.

Meanwhile, the industry continues to add value through product innovation to bolster trade opportunities. One project in particular has explored extracting collagen from animal hides and skins, which are now being developed into food-grade collagen – as well as collagen for the beauty and medical industries.

“These diverse innovations show the industry is testing its mettle for future challenges, providing better market access for our producers,” Michael says.

Foot and Mouth Disease: The $80 billion threat to Australian farming

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:11:17 GMT

Australia has managed to keep Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) at bay for over a century, however, a recent outbreak in Bali has the nation’s farming community and the Australian Government on high alert. Should it reach our shores, the repercussions would be devastating. Here we evaluate FMD’s risk, its potential billion-dollar impact, and Australia’s preparedness for an outbreak.

Sheep Producers Australia CEO Bonnie Skinner

The Australian livestock and export industry is facing one of its greatest threats in history as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) spreads across Indonesia to sit at our doorstep.

Indonesian authorities in May 2022 confirmed an outbreak after it was detected in livestock in Bali posing a significant risk to Australia’s animal health and trade.

FMD is an extremely contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs with an outbreak delivering severe consequences to our agricultural sector.

An incursion here would effectively shut down production and trade with a 2013 ABARES Report estimating economic losses of up to $80 billion to the Australian economy over 10 years.

Australia’s livestock populations are yet to be exposed to FMD having successfully kept the disease out of the country for more than 130 years, despite its ability to establish and spread internationally.

Initial symptoms of infected animals include fever, drooling, and reluctance to move as well as fluid filled blisters (vesicles) on the lips, tongue, palate, feet, and teats.

And, although FMD poses no threat to human health, it can be spread from person to cloven-hoofed animals.

FMD’s RISK TO AUSTRALIA

Australia has been fortunate to avoid an outbreak as the disease continues to wreak havoc on international trade.

Sheep Producers Australia CEO Bonnie Skinner says the risk of FMD entering Australia is always present.

“A group of biosecurity experts comprising vets, government and industry representatives recently determined the risk to be in the vicinity of 11.6 per cent,” she says.

“One of our greatest biosecurity advantages is that we are surrounded entirely by ocean.

It’s a low risk but extremely high-consequence scenario.”

Bonnie says quantifying the risk is difficult.

“We are operating in a global marketplace where you’ve got greater levels and speed of global trade, travel and interstate freight which create new opportunities for disease to enter and spread,” she says.

“The virus has to survive the journey here and it has to find its way into a susceptible animal– both are plausible in the modern age. Combined, it amounts to a doomsday scenario should it become a reality here.”

HOW FMD CAN GET HERE

The Australian Government has recently declared FMD one of the country’s greatest current biosecurity risks, placing the Australian livestock and wider agricultural sector on high alert.

But how could it get here?

“Generally, the riskiest pathway is through importation of contaminated illegally imported animal products, which then come into contact with susceptible animals.” says Bonnie.

“There is a considerable amount of illegal meat products that get brought over in travellers’ luggage which is very high-risk.”

Livestock Collective Director Steven Bolt says returning travellers also posed a significant threat.

“And it’s not only travellers from Bali which have been highlighted,” he says.

“There are dozens of countries that now have FMD so travellers that have been to high-risk areas like farming properties or sales yards need to be particularly careful.”

THE IMPACT ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY

An FMD outbreak here could wipe $80 billion from the Australian economy over 10 years.

“The industry would effectively grind to a halt,” says Bonnie.

“The $80 billion in losses comes down to the impact on trade and market access.”

Bonnie says Australia currently enjoys significant global market access due to our disease-free status - which would be severely impacted in the event of an outbreak.

“Much of that market access is premised on our FMD-free status, but as soon as a detection is made and reported, many of our markets could close almost overnight,” she says.

“It would devastate trade and it takes a very long time to regain disease free-status and market access after the last animal infection has been successfully treated or the disease eradicated. Likely several years.”

But the effects would be felt far beyond the agricultural sector.

“Regional communities and everybody else caught up in the outbreak would be affected, leaving a long-lasting impact across all of Australia,” says Steven.

“The flow-on affect would be far-reaching – it would be catastrophic.”

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO KEEP FMD OUT?

The May 2022 Bali outbreak prompted the Australian Government to ship one million vaccine doses to Indonesia as part of a three-pronged approach to keep Australia FMD-free.

The effort concentrates on assisting our neighbours deal with an outbreak, while also strengthening our own biosecurity borders and enhancing our preparedness at home, with Australia to supply a further $4.4 million in FMD vaccines as part of a $10 million biosecurity package.

“When we look at the biosecurity continuum, pre-border measures are very much the responsibility of the Australian government and Sheep Producers Australia work with the government,” says Bonnie.

“Indonesia is such an important bilateral trading partner and hopefully they continue to work with and accept the support of the Australian government.”

Steven says informing returning travellers of the risk they pose was also high on the agenda.

“The Federal Government has increased their signage and messaging on airplanes and when passengers are doing their declarations,” he says.

“There’s also been increased screening of luggage and mail, passengers as well as the use of foot mats so that awareness has increased after Bali’s outbreak.”

ARE WE PREPARED FOR AN OUTBREAK?

Despite some sections of the farming sector doubting Australia’s preparedness for an outbreak, Bonnie says significant planning and investment has been made.

“We have been preparing for an FMD outbreak for decades,” she says.

“We have the Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement which sets out the operational and financial obligations of both the Federal government and agricultural industry in the event of an Emergency Animal Disease outbreak, and outlines how the disease should be managed and controlled.

“Training is also an essential component and is being provided to all relevant industry and government personnel.”

Bonnie says Australia maintained a very large vaccine bank, although vaccines were not a cure-all to FMD.

“The vaccine decreases the chance of an animal becoming infected, reduces viral shedding and helps to slow the rate of disease spread,” she says.

But the use of vaccination would impede our ability to return to trading as quickly as possible, and so the decision to vaccinate and how to apply vaccination in Australia would be complex and dependent on many factors.”

Steven says the Australian Government had spent considerable funds training frontline responders.

“We have sent a lot of people overseas for training and dealing with infected animals and what to do should there be an outbreak here, so we have people who know what to do,” he says.

“But we all need to be doing our part and that includes Australian producers being proactive and vigilante.”

If your livestock are showing signs of Foot and Mouth Disease, immediately call the
Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 or visit https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/pests-diseases-weeds/animal/fmd

For more visit Resource Hub – Animal Health Australia and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) | Meat & Livestock Australia (mla.com.au) .

Livestock Collective Director Steven Bolt

Putting it on the agriculture agenda: bush foods and blockchain

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:04:15 GMT

Alice Springs and the deserts of Central Australia don’t sound like a food basket, but they are for businesswoman and bush foods innovator Rayleen Brown.

As the chairperson of the First Nations Bush Food & Botanical Alliance Australia, she has been working in the native food industry for almost 25 years. Rayleen is now part of an alliance lobbying for a merge between bush foods and blockchain to verify traceability across the food value chain.

It’s also about the ethics of non-Indigenous people profiting from intellectual property (IP). Indigenous women as food foragers have developed this know-how over their people’s 65,000-years of living on Australia’s ancient soils. Men’s role is to carry the harvest and they also have connection with story and songlines.

Rayleen’s ancestry is intertwined with that. Her mother’s clan is Mulvian clan Muringar people, based at the top-end of the western side of the Northern Territory.

“Nana was removed from her people and put into an Alice Springs mission, so that’s how we came to be here. My mob is the strength I draw from and makes me want to work on projects to connect with my people up north,” says Rayleen.

After finishing high school in Alice Springs, she and her husband had five children and lived on a hobby farm over the border in South Australia. When she returned to Alice Springs, Rayleen worked as a project officer for the Aboriginal Land Council, helping distribute royalty funds from mining on Aboriginal lands. The work involved flying out to remote areas to help with cultural meetings and women’s law. And that’s where her life pivoted.

“A friend at the council asked me to help him run a workshop for 100 Indigenous teachers, and I spent a week cooking for them in a tiny domestic kitchen,” says Rayleen.

Despite being sore afterwards, the experience sparked her to then set up and run a food business with an Indigenous friend. It took a year to turn that idea into Kungkas Can Cook, a café and catering service, to celebrate bushfood.

“When setting up the business in 2000, we really wanted to have that point of difference by showcasing our beautiful bushfoods,” says Rayleen. “We wanted to change people’s perception of bush foods and not for people to think of it as roadkill or weird-looking grub.”

Their business infused flavours of wattle seeds, bush tomatoes, local quandongs (a small desert tree), and “anything we could sustainably source from local Indigenous people”.

“The ladies from whom we sourced had English as a third or fourth language and were harvesting in a traditional sense the same way that had been done for many thousands of years with just bare hands and simple implements.”

For them, wild harvesting could involve shaking or brushing an acacia tree to release and collect the seeds, then carrying them in a coolamon – which is simply an Aboriginal container made of wood or bark. And with the bush tomato, they always leave some fruit for the bush turkey to eat – each type of plant has its own animal totem and story.”

“Those women were so resilient in carrying that story forward from generation to generation. I felt that what was missing from the bushfoods industry was the history behind the plant and its use. It goes back to humans surviving on land without a lot of water.”

At the time, already major food manufacturers were innovating with products sitting on Coles and Woolies’ supermarket shelves around Australia.

“A lot of our native seeds have travelled away from this land in agricultural and harvesting techniques very different to the way it’s done here. Indigenous women don’t understand why plants are grown in a straight line, and require water, fertilising, spraying and tending or even genetic modification when those same plants on country have built up their own resilience and don’t need those regimes.”

“We need to protect the biodiversity in this country or risk, as we have seen already with lemon myrtle and macadamias, foiling a huge economic opportunity to overseas. That’s why we’re looking to the blockchain which can prove the provenance of ingredients as they move across the food-value chain.”

The COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020-2021prompted Rayleen to close her café and catering business, putting off her 20 employees. She now sells Indigenous food products online, runs seasonal educational tours, and has taken more of a national purview to spotlight intellectual property rights for the bush food industry. As the chairperson of the First Nations Bush Foods & Botanical Alliance Australia, Rayleen’s helping organise a national conference to be held in April 2023. It aims to address the many issues and barriers that Indigenous people face around the world regarding intellectual property and intellectual ecological knowledge.

“This industry was built on this knowledge, yet we only represent a very small percentage of business and there are very few benefit-share agreements in place across Australia. Our organisation hopes to support and strengthen indigenous businesses in the industry and build an ethical framework for industry to work within,” Rayleen says.

Among her supporters is Natalie Somerville, a South Australian broadacre cropping farmer, former agronomist, and now the president of Australian Women in Agriculture (AWiA). The AWiA was set up in 1993 to raise the visibility of women in agriculture so they could formally contribute to the agenda.

“Thirty years ago, farming women weren’t legally allowed to call themselves farmers, only farmers wives. We’ve come a long way,” says Natalie. The most recent government statistics estimate that women account for a third of people employed in agriculture. However, just 1 per cent of agricultural workers overall identify as Indigenous.

Natalie recognises that Indigenous women’s knowledge and skills are crucial for the bush foods industry.

“With my indigenous and agronomy background, I appreciate that First Nations people have intricately bred bush foods for many thousands of years without financial reward and more broadly acknowledged. Yet, when we purchase, grow and market a lot of our wheat and canola, for example, we sometimes have to pay royalties to the companies that own the breeding rights. Why aren’t we using as similar reward and recognition system when we use bush foods?”

“I very much support Rayleen’s interests in blockchain to move Indigenous agriculture forward as well as our broader agricultural sector. Consumers are increasingly demanding to know where their food comes from, how it’s been grown and produced, so we need to start providing that evidence if we are not already.”

For the bushfood sector it has been a bumpy road, though.

“In the past, when organisations have attempted to do this, it hasn’t been done in a culturally appropriate way, or followed the correct process or been transparent about what happens to the data once it’s been captured - we need to follow protocols,” says Natalie.

The Indigenous Food Traceability System project was one of 16 successful applicants in round one of the Federal agricultural department’s Traceability Grants Program in 2020. All up, there were 168 applicants for the total funding pool of $4 million. The Indigenous project aimed to transfer, apply and trial FBK FoodTrakR Digital Farming Platform for food authentication, provenance and social matters. The application has since been withdrawn.

Another project, focusing on the native superfood, the Kakadu plum, will create a blockchain-based Indigenous certification and accreditation system for better traceability. In mid-2021, the Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance won a $455,100 grant from the Federal Government to undertake the work. The grants aim to curb food and ingredient fraud in overseas markets. The plum also has promise for use in cosmetics and nutraceuticals.

Meanwhile, another bush food with medicinal potential is the native quandong, a type of fruit, currently selling for $25 a kilogram. Being rich in antioxidants, it has many health benefits. But, too often, say Rayleen, “bush foods like the quandong are relegated to chutneys, sauces and teas.”

“Bush foods are more than that - Indigenous people have used it over the years to give us energy and endurance.”

She likens protocols for protecting Indigenous IP about bush foods as “like a mining licence”.

“It’s like a technology where the IP stays within the [Indigenous] language group, but if others wanted to use and further test the bush foods to develop into products, we’d have the ability to do a benefit-share agreement.”

Rayleen is looking to QR codes to be the “biggest gamechanger” and that blockchain will help the Indigenous food industries establish their brand and provenance.

“The technology is there. It’s about linking with the right people and understanding our values.”

Alvan Blanch: where simplicity and efficiency combine

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 07:00:13 GMT

Three Australian farmers in the grain and seed business share their insights into how their Alvan Blanch driers have transformed their operations.

For Victorian farmer Dan Coulthard, one essential piece of farm equipment is helping him increase and spread his farm income throughout the year whether he’s on farm or not.

He’s a director of a family business, Bluevale Agri Co, based near Wangaratta, in north-eastern Victoria. Dan farms wheat, barley, canola, “the odd bean”, summer corn, and sorghum on 445-hectares.

Investing in a grain drier has been a game changer for his 20-year-old operation.

“The drier allows us to harvest our grain crops earlier. It saves us overwintering the corn so that we can use that field for something else like a cover crop or a grain crop”, says Dan.

His current drier – donning the Alvan Blanch brand – allowed him to process 2800 tonnes of corn and 700 tonnes of sorghum last year. Dan harvests corn at 26 per cent moisture; the Alvan Blanch drier will get that down to 14 per cent. The drier heats the air up to 95 ^o C with the fan designed to move the hot air through the grain on the bed, the DF drier is both efficient and simple to operate. And there’s a bonus – the “nice, gentle drying process” for that seed means it smells like popcorn. For the sorghum, it comes off the field as high as 20 per cent moisture, and, setting the drier’s temperature to 36 ^o C, he’ll dry it down to 11 per cent moisture.

He sells to seed companies, or for stock feed, and, in the past, to the company that makes CCs corn chips.

“We also export, so it goes all over the place; for example, we’ve sold early corn to Japan and have just loaded a boat to send a lot off to Korea,” says Dan.

“With the dollar value changing with commodity prices, it’s all about timing. So, if we can harvest earlier in the season when the paddocks aren’t wet, that’s a lot less straining on the harvester and the soil as well. By doing that, we get money coming in, spread throughout the year. We’re not carrying debt through the winter.”

And that’s important because Bluevale is a lean three-person operation – Dan, his father, and an employee.

Five years ago, he bought his current Alvan Blanch drier, a Model DF22000 with a capacity of around 22 to 25 tonnes per hour in wheat. It’s had “15,000 tonnes of grain through it” so far, yet it has only needed minor tweaks.

“I’ve had to replace an igniter on one of the burners.

Bluevale services the equipment in-house, and it takes just two hours.

“You check the six grease nipples, then change the burner jets to tune them and check the chain tension. That’s it, and you’re away.

“We went for this brand of drier because, as farmers, we aren’t always locked into the same crops due to the price, weather, and market availability. The ability of this drier to do seed crops, grain crops, and coarse grains gives us versatility. We don’t know what we’ll end up growing but will always chase a better crop to improve our business.”

Dan describes himself as an “early adopter” of Alvan Blanch’s equipment. He’s onto his second drier. For his first, he opted for a portable model.

“We bought that nine years ago thinking we’d do contract drying. Someone saw it and wanted it, so we sold it. The money we made from contracting with it helped pay for an upgrade – we replaced the portable model with a fixed drier to integrate into our silo system.”

His current drier, which Dan assembled himself, ticks many boxes for the business.

“This one is much better for us because we have an unloading facility. You can drive over a pit, making it easy and fast to unload. Then there are conveyors and bucket elevators linking the system.

“It’s fully automated - I’m confident we get it set right, and I can just go home for the night. I’ll return in the morning, and it’s either still running or has shut down, but that only happens if it’s run out of grain.”

And, if he wants, he can check on the drier via his mobile phone and make changes.

“It was all available when we bought it, but I only got all that going two years ago. At the time, I’d been living off the property, so it saved me driving half an hour to make a change to the drier.”

When he returns to the machine after it’s dried its load, Dan’s chuffed he won’t have another task cleaning up.

“My Alvan Blanch machine is very clean – it just blows all that out the back. It gets caught in the dust house.”

“Other driers expel the air differently and create a lot of dust, chaff, and stubble, and it just flows out of the machine and grows everywhere. I’ve seen other driers having a metre of stuff all around them, which is a horrendous fire risk.”

Speaking of heat, his Alvan Blanch machine offers versatility in temperature settings. It can go from really high to low temperatures for different crops yet maintains the quality. Drying a particular seed crop at too high a temperature will “wreck germination”.

For now, Bluevale uses the drier for sorghum and corn but plans to expand. The business has a nice ‘side hustle’ doing contract drying for forage grain and sorghum, which it picked up the last two seasons.

“Those growers bring the grain to us, and they take it away”, says Dan.

While the drier is a staple of his farming operation, Dan has almost come to think of the people from Alvan Blanch as family.

“We’ve actually become really good friends with the Australian distributors – Jim and Jane – and the technician that comes out from the headquarters in England. He finds his way to us and stays with us for a while; calls the kids for Christmas, too.”

Meanwhile, Western Australian farming operation RD & CL Parsons is onto its third Alvan Blanch drier. For the past 60 years, the business has been running mixed cropping and sheep on a 9300-hectare property on the south coast.

One of the farm’s directors, Trent Parsons, says they had been using two 40-year-old Alvan Blanch driers but, five years ago decided to invest in an updated machine for drying canola, wheat, and barley.

“We installed the standalone Alvan Blanch drier ourselves, including a lot of the site works and all the grain handling equipment that goes with it. It’s an excellent product. The drier came with an installation booklet and we just worked our way through that.”

Trent’s farm has a DF22000 that processes 22 tonnes of wheat per hour, reducing moisture from 15 per cent to 12 per cent.

“And that’s on a day when it’s 20 ^o C ambient temperature and 70 per cent humidity,” he says.

RD & CL Parsons didn’t opt for the computerised, automated model.

“We have a control board, and that’s been excellent because it’s all off-the-shelf parts, so if anything goes wrong, we just ask for parts.

“The grain drier has barely had any maintenance, and one of the reasons we went with Alvan Blanch is that we clean out the drier every year and fire it up for a harvest, and away it goes.”

The drier’s capacity was a pleasant surprise, he says.

“You always question the manufacturer’s quote about the capacity, but what they said it would do, it did exactly that.”

And this is where money talks. Trent has two class-9 headers and says having the Alvan Blanch drier is “the equivalent of another header”.

Another bonus is being able to switch to different grain types without emptying the grain drier.

“There are operating manuals, so it’s pretty easy to adjust the parameters on it as the manual says, and away you go. We love their simplicity. There are very few moving parts and minimal electronics. Without it, we’d be required to buy another header.”

Queensland farmer Brian Greg also bought his Alvan Blanch drier five years ago.

“It was to replace a smaller drier – 20 tonnes – that we’d bought 15 years ago? that wasn’t the same brand. We just had too much grain to dry, and the old one was too labour intensive, took too long, and that company didn’t have a suitable size one for our operations.

“I went to a summer grains conference and checked out the Alvan Blanch stand there, had a chat, talked to a few other farmers, and decided it was the one we wanted. It’s simple to operate, offers low-cost drying, and can run on its own,” he says.

Brian is on about 6700-hectares and on his family farm, Kolara Farming, 900 kilometres north of Brisbane. It grows sorghum, corn, wheat, and chickpeas and runs cross-bred Brahman-Angus cattle.

He’ll mainly use the drier for corn and sorghum. It does up to 30 tonnes per hour, but usually, he sets it to do 25 tonnes per hour. That compares to his old machine that took an achingly slow four hours to process 20 tonnes.

“Alvan Blanch is an excellent company to work with. They’re friendly, really approachable, and, if we have a problem, they’ll sort it out for us.”

The company solved one problem: helping Brian “save a lot of crop”.

“This year, because we have a drier, we harvested all of our crop around Anzac Day and had it all harvested without any sprouting. However, most of our neighbours didn’t get it off - it sprouted and lost a lot of value.

“Thanks to our drier, we can harvest about four-to-five weeks earlier than what we’d do if we didn’t have a drier – it reduces the risk.”

It means Kolara can get on with its business of delivering its crops straight to Grain Corp at the port, some 245 kilometres away.

Kolara Farming had an issue about seeds that aren’t even going through the drier. Brian said that because he has to harvest chickpeas so close to the ground, the harvester picks up a lot of soil with the crop.

“So, the only change we’ve made to the drier set up is adding a cleaner. We use the same elevator, but there’s a separate operation to clean all the dust out from the chickpeas.”

Dan, Trent, and Brian represent just three of the farming businesses that Alvan Blanch has supported. The UK-headquartered company, with a long history in manufacturing crop drying solutions and with globally recognised awards, Alvan Blanch have been servicing the Australian market since the early 1960. The business has been servicing its two largest markets, Australia and New Zealand, since the 1960s.

Australian Distributor – Alvan Blanch Australia, is based in South East Queensland, providing concept and design for grain plants, co-ordinating proposals and deliveries across the nation.

The local operation has been selling, assembling, and maintaining its two key models – the DF & CD models with much success. The Double-Flow drier is ideal for granular crops such as wheat, barley, hemp seed, almonds, and more. Meanwhile, the Conveyor Drier suits bulk products such as grass, woodchip, banana, lemon myrtle leaf, dubosia leaf (all being dried in Australia in CD systems).

Company website: www.alvanblanchgroup.com/asia-pacific/

Company email address: jim.duncan@alvanchblanch.com.au

Pacific Biologics’ boluses boost cattle farmers’ production gains

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 06:53:50 GMT

Across Australia there is increasing demand for boluses, which aid in the prevention of trace element deficiencies in cattle and can in turn boost growth rates, fertility and milk production.

A healthy cow is a high-producing cow — and that equals a happy farmer. Adding trace elements to a cattle nutrition program can heighten an animal’s performance and the overall health of the herd.

Mark Jones from Pacific Biologics, a market leader in bolus technology and the national distributor for Agrimin Bolus products including All-Trace, says boluses are the most reliable way to deliver a variety of trace elements including but not limited to copper, zinc, selenium and even calcium.

“Boluses are a guaranteed way of delivering a product to an animal and you know every animal’s got it. They are the future,” he says.

Pacific Biologics provides boluses to support fertility, weight gain and milk production, those approved for use in organic systems, and products for sheep. The capsules settle in the reticulum and dissolve over a controlled timeframe, releasing a continuous supply of supplements.

“It’s as if you were giving the animal a tablet every day, like a daily multivitamin,” Mr Jones says.

One dose can last several months, which Mr Jones says gives boluses an advantage over injectable products that “generally provide sufficient trace elements for a couple of weeks”.

“We have copper capsules that last 12 months. We have All-Trace boluses [1] which deliver seven trace elements and three vitamins over eight months,” he says.

A cattle farmer himself, Mr Jones says boluses free farmers from the guesswork of mixed ration delivery and offer more certainty than ad-libitum feeding, where bullies often get too much as shy feeders miss out.

While the oral delivery system can spark hesitation, particularly for farmers with larger herds, Mr Jones says application [2] is easy with good yards and a crush.

“Crush technology and design is far superior to what it used to be. Animal flow is better. You have significantly more restraint over an animal’s head,” Mr Jones says.

“Once somebody uses boluses, they tend to use them every year. Our largest single client uses 10,000 doses, but like most they started off buying 100 or 200 doses.”

Pacific Biologics expanded into the rural sector in 2005 as a subsidiary of Clarke, a family-owned company that has been at the forefront of disease vector control in the public health sector.

“Clarke saves thousands of peoples’ lives every year from vector-borne diseases. Knowing the company you work for is making a difference is very satisfying” Mr Jones says.

He is proud of the company’s commitment to sustainability, and the way profits are utilised for philanthropy; a few years ago Burrumbuttock Hay Runners received a $26,000 donation.

Pacific Biologics is currently registering a number of new bolus products with their partners Agrimin, a costly process that takes around two years but ultimately makes an invaluable difference in the paddock.

“Our job isn’t just to sell something for the sake of it. Australian producers are in the business of making meat, milk and wool, it’s our job to provide profitable products that support this endeavor for the long-term viability of our industry,” Mr Jones says.

Company email address: markjones@pacificbiologics.com.au

Company website: http://www.pacificbiologics.com.au/rural/

Product catalogue: http://www.pacificbiologics.com.au/rural/index.php/nutritional-products/cattle

Innovative air cart a productivity boost for crop growers

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 06:46:47 GMT

Bourgault’s new range of seeding equipment has passed the

test of two seasons in the harsh Australian environment with outstanding results.

The 9000-series air cart, released in Australia in 2021, is “a significant step up in technological capability and builds on multiple patents”, says Ryan O’Sullivan, Bourgault Australia’s Marketing Manager, and an engineer. Allowing Australian farmers to seed quicker and more efficiently, this premium precision product is ideal for crop growers seeking the latest innovations to help get the very best out of every hectare to increase margins.

Significant features include real-time self-calibration functionality, generous tank size to save on refilling time, a reliable metering unit for even seed distribution, and tyre packages to reduce compaction (thereby boosting germination). This advanced agricultural equipment is also very robust so keeps performing for long seasons on hard, dry ground. It can also cope with sodden soils thanks to the option of high-flotation tyres.

Positive feedback from Australian farmers about the 9000-series air cart centres on its high accuracy sowing rate. The equipment has independent tanks with weight scales so the seeder can self-calibrate in real-time.

“You can check the calibrations to ensure the exact amount of seed is going through. It gives farmers the confidence they’re not wasting seed, which is an increasingly expensive input,” says Ryan.

“In previous years, farmers needed to constantly monitor how much product they’d put in a tank and do back-of-the-envelope calculations to ensure the right amount was being used. Now, a lot of those calculations are performed for farmers by the seed rate controller, and it will warn you if it’s not right so you can fix it.”

The machinery comes in a range of sizes right up to 45k-litre, with that version the world’s largest production air cart. That capacity makes the 9000-series ideal for large-scale broadacre cropping sizes, which saves farmers considerable time refilling their tanks. There are also two smaller sizes.

Meanwhile, the base metering unit has stood the test of time for 30 years and, with tweaks, has evolved into a simple, reliable, and accurate unit.

“It uses a horizontal auger to meter products, whereas most other brands will use a roller. Ours have a bigger capacity without the farmer changing metering augers or rollers. Plus, there’s less chance of products jamming”, says Ryan.

“Bourgault’s metering unit has, essentially, one major moving part, and it’s incredibly long wearing, so with minimal upkeep and maintenance, you can keep seeding accurately for a very long time.”

A notable innovation built into the 9000-series air cart is an EvenStream™ Distribution System, which randomizes the seed in the airflow. That means that over an 80-foot-wide seeder bar, the same amount of seed going to the outer edges of the bar is the same as those in the middle. Seeds will germinate evenly, so thin and thick strips are avoided.

Farmers know the air cart is one part of the seeding setup but understanding how it fits the rest of the equipment is essential.

Bourgault has operated in Australia for 25 years. It also sells paralink hoe drills, paralink coulter drills, frame-mounted seeders, mid-row applicators, and air hoe drills. The company distributes through dealership networks and offers a three-year limited warranty.

“We assemble everything in our distribution centres in Perth, Western Australia and Albury, NSW. We also have territory managers on the road supporting the dealership groups and their technicians. So, the first port of call for farmers is their local agricultural equipment dealer,” says Ryan.

That’s where they’ll also be able to access training to use the air cart, which has Topcon controllers. They’re as easy to use as your smartphone, Ryan says. Bourgault also has an extensive online video library for farmers to troubleshoot and deal with any issues.

Ryan is dual-qualified in marketing and mechanical engineering (mechatronics). At Bourgault Australia, 80 per cent of his role is research and development.

“Bourgault’s equipment is very well engineered. Our research and development team invests heavily in designing, testing, and verifying new machines and models before they are released to the market. “

That includes trials right here in Australia.

“Customers are part of our innovation cycle. Our engineers and agronomists work with them on trials to come up with solutions to the problems they see on their farms. For example, Australian farmers from all over the country have helped test several prototypes over the last few years. They gave us feedback so we could improve and further test the machines before they are ready for the market”, says Ryan.

Customisation for the Australian market includes helping deal with the risk of soil compaction during seeding.

“One of the big differences between the equipment used in Australia and overseas is around tyres. We’ve spent much time working on tyre packages and technologies so farmers can run the tyres at extremely low pressure. That will reduce that pressure transferred to the ground. In turn, it will also minimise the negative impact on your soil, so you seeds emerge faster and more evenly,” says Ryan.

“Some of our air carts have tyres that are 1250-millimetres wide on 32-inch rims, meaning they have a big footprint. These high flotation tyre options for the air carts are great for keeping it from getting stuck in the mud.”

The air cart’s ‘Class A’ distribution design means there’s not much componentry in the undercarriage, so if mud flicks up into there, it’s easier to clean and does less damage.

Those insights into how their equipment is used on the ground are the hallmark of Bourgault’s continuous investment in research, development, innovation, and disruption. When asked what air-seeding technology might look like in 10 years, Ryan replies: “We’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for air carts to help improve farmer productivity and profitability even more.”

9000 Series video…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqr-swJ4Cjk

Website:

https://www.bourgault.com/en-au/products/air-carts/9000-i-series

Email :

BourAus@bourgault.com

Managing multi-million dollar hazards to our food security

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:13:06 GMT

Biosecurity is an insurance policy for primary producers that yields dividends in the long run

From the hand sanitising station at the local supermarket to the omnipresence of signs asking shoppers to “stop the spread” by wearing masks and staying 1.5 metres apart, the past two years of COVID-19 have underscored the significance of biosecurity.

This may explain why, between mid 2021 and mid 2022, an unprecedented 100,000 Australians visited a website dedicated to providing primary producers with up-to-date information about how to protect their crops and livestock.

Aimed specifically at Australian farmers, the Farm Biosecurity Program is designed to be a one-stop biosecurity shop offering resources such as checklist templates, animal health declarations, and biosecurity manuals among other instructional documents.

A complementary smartphone app, an extension of the Farm Biosecurity’s website and toolkit, enables farmers to see updated information in real-time at their fingertips.

Officially launched in 2011, the program was developed jointly by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and Animal Health Australia (AHA), which represent their respective core concerns.

Rob Barwell from AHA, who previously worked as a vet locally and overseas as well as for the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries before joining Australia’s animal health body in 2012, says the genesis of the program stems from protecting Australia’s strong reputation as a biosecure nation.

Apart from COVID-19, other “nasties” making their way to Australian shores in recent times that pose a threat to this world-class reputation include tropical disease Japanese encephalitis, now appearing as far south as regional Victoria. Meanwhile, African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease were both recently found in our near northern neighbours.

All three are a potential danger to Australian agriculture, which the National Farmers’ Federation believes can become a $100 billion industry by the year 2030.

This is up from the industry’s current economic performance of $70-$80 billion revenue annually. An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease would reduce this figure by $50 billion over ten years, according to recent modelling performed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

The Farm Biosecurity program is an important part of Australia’s emergency animal disease and exotic plant pest preparedness and surveillance systems.

Rob speaks of the importance of understanding and managing the six biosecurity essentials: farm inputs; people, vehicles and equipment; production practices; feral animals and weeds; farm outputs; and, train, plan, and record.

Central Queensland cattle producers Melinee and Rob Leather, who in 2019 won the Farm Biosecurity Producer of the Year award for their advocacy work, say “Good biosecurity practices will protect our people, environment and animals. A biosecurity outbreak will impact on profitability, productivity, and property values.” What’s good for the producer, then, is good for the environment. Rob says the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of human biosecurity – and how important biosecurity practices are to implement at the individual, regional, and national level. “Australia’s biosecurity system is like an insurance policy for producers, property, crops, and animals.”

The Great Reset for Australian Agriculture

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 04:56:25 GMT

Rising input costs and increasing climate extremes can be a wake up call for Australian farmers.

It has arguably never been harder to grow food in Australia. We have the increasing challenge of climate extremes coupled with unparalleled price increases in all inputs. The cost of fertilisers, farm chemicals, diesel, power, packaging, and freight has exploded, and we have not yet seen food price increases, sufficient to counter that tsunami. Economic viability has taken a major hit, to the point that it will soon be decision time for many farmers.

However, there is a silver lining here and it essentially involves a recognition that something is awry in a system that requires more chemical intervention every year, while global pest and disease issues constantly increase. It’s actually the definition of “unsustainable”, to apply more and more, for less and less response. There is a direct parallel in human health management, where we have adopted a similar symptom-treating strategy. In fact, prescription medicine recently became our third largest killer.

The silver lining relates to a shining opportunity amidst the mayhem.

What if there were a better way to progress food production that didn’t involve this hamster wheel scenario? Einstein suggested that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. We have clearly demonstrated that phenomenon in chemical, extractive agriculture, and now these added challenges have added impetus to the need for change.

It’s clearly time to address root causes rather than treating symptoms, but those with vested interests are very keen to cling to the status quo. That’s why we have reached a point in our farming evolution where we must reclaim responsibility for our own farming future.

The good news is that the regenerative approach has a hard-science basis, and that science has evolved to the point that there is now no sacrifice in becoming more sustainable. In fact, it is demonstrably more profitable to work with Nature rather than against her.

There are a host of productive strategies that can reduce costs and build profitability, while ensuring more stress-free, farming fun. Nitrogen, for example, is the most misused and abused of all mineral inputs. Perhaps we thought we could accept that mismanagement when urea was 50 cents per kilogram. Now that it is approaching $2 per kilogram, perhaps it’s time for a major rethink.

Agriculture is responsible for 80 per cent of the nitrous oxide emissions thickening the greenhouse blanket, that traps the heat and changes our world. Nitrous oxide is 310 times more thickening of that blanket than carbon dioxide, so this misuse is increasingly costly on multiple levels.

Nitrogen is the most abundant mineral found within the plant, so it should never be neglected. The question becomes, how can we increase nitrogen efficiency, reduce greenhouse emissions, and increase yield and profitability? There is now the wherewithal to achieve all of those goals and more. Nitrogen mismanagement is also directly linked to pest pressure, so better management equates to a reduced requirement for chemical intervention. It is a classic win-win, and we need more of these victories to survive what is emerging as the perfect storm.

Nutrition farming strategies for nitrogen management include stabilizing and magnifying all N inputs, foliar spraying urea, growing your own nitrogen, inoculating nitrogen fixing organisms and improving nitrogen cycling.

Our Future Food Security: Time to Take Control

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 04:46:01 GMT

Technological advancements for the space industry have delivered wider innovative solutions to humanity for nearly 75 years. Now Controlled Environment Agriculture is handing Australia a socio-economic opportunity on a platter.

Space missions have long required innovative solutions that have proven valuable here on Earth too e.g., microwave and digital cameras. Now, thanks to a SpaceX-led renaissance of human-crewed space flight, dropping launch costs by 95 per cent, fresh-food solutions are required for deep space missions to fuel long-haul missions. Perhaps serendipitous, this coincides with an emerging urgent issue here on Earth: widespread reduced food security due to climate change. Australia is not immune to this impending danger, as recent and ongoing events around the country continue to highlight our vulnerability. So, the question is, should Australia be invested in this race to grow food in space?

Australia’s agricultural sector is in a unique position, as it provides food security for its residents while generating significant export income given surrounding nations’ dependence on a steady food supply. However, unpredictable weather reduces our food output yearly because our crops are primarily unprotected and at the whim of the natural elements. Additionally, finite inputs are surging in price, creating further financial pressures on farmers. This is no surprise for farmers, as they have been exploiting strategies to mitigate these issues for more than two centuries, but further innovation driving new technologies is needed to lessen these pressures and increase food security.

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), which includes food production methods such as vertical farming, is a technology-based approach that protects crops from the elements, reduces inputs to a minimum, and maintains optimal growing conditions. For the last few decades, Australia has already been using space technology and satellite imagery to aid on-the-ground practices on farms, but now we have an opportunity to test this emerging disruptive technology in the demanding environment of space to produce robust on-world solutions for the nation’s agricultural industry.

CEA has been part of space missions since 1984, with small projects proving plants can be grown in space. Now we must build on those early missions and maximise their true potential at larger scales. By Australia getting involved in this AUD400 billion space industry, and allowing collaboration with world-leading space-engineers, we can optimise our agritech intellectual property and guarantee our food supply.

This is a unique moment for Australia to become leaders in a technology that will help humanity while solidifying us as a CEA hub rather than a laggard. Viewing this situation as a nationally important opportunity should motivate investment in space technologies in order to ensure future success in achieving sought outcomes. Australia hasn’t previously invested heavily in the USD58 billion CEA industry (compound annual growth rate of 12.5%), which experts estimate will be worth USD147 billion by 2030. Australia shouldn't miss this fleeting window to help our farmers prosper in the long run as, if we don't engage with CEA now, they will pay a premium for the technology later on.

The electrification of Australia’s agricultural future – time to take charge

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 03:16:32 GMT

Executive Director of Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia Gary Northover says, despite electric tractors still being in their infancy in Australia, there are signs that we will join other major agricultural economies in the coming decades. As long as there’s sound leadership and the agricultural industry as a whole is fully committed and united.

TAF: What do the dynamics of electrification of agricultural machinery in Australia look like today?

GN: Generally speaking, we have not seen a great deal from the tractor manufacturers – who are mostly still using diesel-fuelled engines. Further, most of their research and development investment is still focused on conventional technologies. The reality therefore is that the electrification of tractors and other heavy agricultural machinery in Australia is at least 5-10 years away from full maturity across the wider agricultural industry. I do believe, however, it’s still worth starting to have a meaningful conversation now.

TAF: Can or should we be doing better as a rich, educated and progress nation?

GN: Our European agricultural “cousins” are, in some ways, leading in this area albeit there is not a lot of meaningful progress there either. Government regulations over there provide carbon emission targets and related limits for farmers, which does not apply (yet) for Australian farmers. It’s worth recognising, however, that Australia is already a step ahead of Europe with things like the Autonomous Vehicle Code of Practice, a world first, developed in 2021 by Grain Producers Australia, the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia and the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia. Change will probably happen here eventually depending on whether there’s enough lobbying to government and therefore some impetus to drive the transition. Other socio-economic dynamics are also key – the general public, a top down “force”, is showing more and more interest in the environmental footprint of agricultural producers. This is now starting to happen but not a lot yet.

TAF: What are the key issues affecting the electrification of Australian agriculture?

GN: The main issues affecting the adoption of electric tractors in Australia are: (1) insufficient re-charging infrastructure in rural Australia; (2) charging downtime for the farmer; (3) inadequate energy density of the battery i.e., towing heavy machinery – which is a big problem for broadacre farming especially; (4) due to their sheer size, the batteries are too heavy for tractors – hence, logistics issues and (5) no government regulation yet on carbon emissions for farmers which, if / when it happens, will inevitably accelerate adoption in Australia.

TAF: Where is there real potential in the “here and now”?

GN: Australian agriculture leaders and farmers alike should be observing and monitoring, “in lockstep, the rise of the latest battery-powered engine technology in other industries that also rely on heavy machinery – such as mining and construction. There are important lessons learned that can be adopted and adapted to agriculture. It is, interestingly, the manufacturers themselves, like Cummins, that are leading the way towards cleaner engines. Strict requirements on carbon emissions for Tier 4-5 tractor engines have, for example, been top of mind in Australia in recent years. So, there are signs that, in principle, the agricultural industry wants to reduce its environmental impact – starting from the “bottom up” in this case. Change is more likely to be stimulated by the engine manufacturers themselves rather than the tractor manufacturers that use their power equipment solutions.

TAF: Where else are there small gains that can be made to continue the early momentum?

GN: The best approach for Australia in the coming years is a “baby steps” strategy towards full adoption of electric tractors – such as starting off with hybrids and also with the smaller agricultural machinery adopting electric powered engines including lighter horticulture equipment. Progress is also happening in the turf and lawn care area which I believe will drive development "up the scale". For example, golf courses along with some intensive horticulture activities.

Look up and live – working near electrical infrastructure

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 03:02:30 GMT

Essential Energy looks after the poles and wires that deliver electricity to 95 per cent of New South Wales and parts of southern Queensland. The electricity powers the homes, hospitals, schools, businesses, and services that form local community. The business is on call 24/7 to fix power outages, maintain the pole and wires to meet customers’ needs and explore innovative and cost-effective ways to provide services.

Essential Energy knows that regional, rural and remote communities form the backbone of our network and works closely with the agribusiness sector as safety is paramount across its network area.

The biggest electrical safety risk for the agribusiness sector is machinery contact with powerlines and power poles. Research shows that agribusiness incidents have increased 18 per cent on last year’s results, and they have continued to climb over the last three years. For this reason, Essential Energy urges farmers to take steps to protect their safety and the safety of others when working near electrical infrastructure.

Essential Energy’s Interim Head of Health, Safety and Environment, Kayla Hardy, described public safety as a shared responsibility. “Our goal is to help farmers and agricultural workers to understand how to protect their safety and the safety of others when working near the electricity network”.

“Essential Energy has a network that spans 95 per cent of NSW and serves 1,500 rural, regional and remote communities, so a lot of our work is centred around electrical safety within the agricultural industry,” says Kayla.

“Essential Energy’s educational safety campaigns focus on those working on the land and reinforce the need for farmers to remain alert to electrical hazards and aware of the location of electrical infrastructure, such as overhead powerlines,” says Kayla.

Essential Energy, renowned for its long history of pioneering achievements, now offers a range of innovative tools to help keep workers safe while working on the farm. This includes an Aerial Marker Program, offering the installation of up to ten aerial powerline markers free of charge to increase powerline visibility and help reduce contact with overhead powerlines.

Last year’s welcome bumper harvest unfortunately coincided with a spike in equipment hitting powerlines and power poles across the network. To help reduce the risk of these potentially fatal accidents, landowners are encouraged to consider installing aerial markers on their property.

Kayla adds “Unfortunately, we have seen a variety of incidents across our footprint, including tipper trucks and aerial spraying (crop dusting) planes coming into contact with our network”.

“Feedback from those undertaking work near where aerial markers are installed has been very positive, with people saying how amazed they are with how eye-catching the markers are, and others stating they help save lives.”

SafeWork NSW offer rebates to small businesses and sole traders in NSW who buy and install equipment that makes their workplace safer, meaning many agribusinesses may be able to claim back up to $1000 of the purchase cost of the powerline markers. Essential Energy also offers site visits on request to discuss ways to stay safe around powerlines.

Essential Energy has also launched the Look Up and Live smartphone app in its network area, which provides powerline safety at the click of a button.

“The app is a simple tool that everyone can access from the laptop or smartphone, to access information including the location of overhead powerlines and imagery via an interactive geospatial map. This is an important first step that everyone working on the land should take before starting work,” says Kayla.

The app can be accessed at www.essentialenergy.com.au/lookupandlive, or can be downloaded through the Apple or Google Play stores.

Essential Energy also offers a range of online electrical safety information including educational fact sheets on agribusiness and harvest safety, free safety stickers, and a practical instructional electrical safety video. These are available at www.essentialenergy.com.au/safety.

To find out more about initiatives specific to agribusiness and safety around electricity on farms, visit www.essentialenergy.com.au/agribusiness. To report a network incident, contact Essential Energy immediately on 13 20 80 or call Triple Zero (000) if the situation is life-threatening.

Tasting the fruits of success

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 07:42:43 GMT

Changing climates demand more innovation than ever before for farmers to feed our growing global population.

Thinking about what the world looks like at the midway point let alone end of this century often prompts thoughts about the future condition of the natural environment, especially given the sheer number of people that will interact with and impact it.

A research team at the University of Washington, for example, estimates the world’s population will peak at 9.7 billion in 2064 while the UN predicts the population will plateau at 10.9 billion by 2100.

According to the World Resources Institute, this population will need to eat 33 billion meals per day.

The past couple of years has provided many lessons for the future of humanity as we progress through this 21st century, one being the importance of local agricultural supply chains to food security.

Part of that includes protection of fragile crops during extreme weather events such as droughts and cold snaps - both that are becoming increasingly frenetic and frequent.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization recognises this, with one of its key messages in its report on the future of food and agriculture being “Agricultural production is limited by the increasing scarcity and diminishing quality of land and water resources.”

Crop protection has become a booming global business and, according to British market research provider IHS Markit, the value of the industry has increased by eight per cent across the Asia-Pacific region during 2021.

The same market research identifies UPL Ltd as the fifth biggest crop protection business by sales in the world. Despite UPL delivering worldwide impact on an increasingly hungry population, the original family is still involved in the business after half a century in the marketplace.

Founded in India more than 50 years ago, UPL has continuously innovated and adapted over its five decades’ history to bring new crop protection solutions to farmers in Australia and around the world.

With a head office in Adelaide, UPL Australia – a group of companies including Pacific Seeds, Hannaford, and Nurture Farm – does this by offering industry-leading solutions that enable better management of yields and crop quality, including a unique high load herbicide called Fascinate™ DRY, which is used to control weeds that are resistant to other herbicides like glyphosate. Select™ Xtra Herbicide, the premium grass selective herbicide for the Australian Canola and Pulse crop grower, and MainmanR Insecticide – a unique mode of action aphicide for use in Canola, Horticulture and several more crops, are some others while Quick Phos™ is a market leading grain protectant. Rancona™ Dimension offers premium protection of wheat and barley seed while Kanemite™ Miticide is a new mode of action miticide for the tree crop grower.

In 2021, UPL launched a range of bioprotection, biostimulation and bionutrition products into Australia. These market-leading products have been developed by UPL globally over the last 30 or so years and are now available to Australian growers. The new products include sustainably produced, organically certified, Ascophyllum nodosum-based biostimulants that promote and enhance plant and root growth, flower and fruit set and assist the plant to cope with such biotic stress as frost and heat.

UPL ANZ’s Marketing and Product Development Manager Ian Cass says the company’s focus on the customer enables it to deliver cost-effective solutions quickly as part of its ethos to respond agilely to farmers’ needs, as indicated above. Ian adds that UPL is proud that it invests over $5 million in research and development in Australia each year. UPL also invests back into the community by proudly supporting the Australian Mens Shed Association, particularly in rural communities where they play such an important part of the community, and Active Farmers, who are playing an important role in helping farmers to remain fit and resilient.

Right here in Australia, one of UPL’s offshoots is leading Australian farmers into the future. Pacific Seeds, now in its 60th year of operation in Australia and with its head office in Toowoomba, is facing the challenge of climate change by continuously innovating new products that are tolerant to drought, heat, and other extreme weather conditions.

It does this through a range of seeds that are more environmentally-friendly – by requiring less water , for example – and less economically inefficient for primary producers.

Pacific Seeds’ marketing manager Andrew Short says innovation has been embedded as a key value of the company since being established in Biloela, in central Queensland, in 1962.

Amongst its many national firsts, the company released Australia’s first hybrid sunflower in 1974 and then in 1988 introduced the world’s first hybrid canola. Pacific Seeds is also credited for the first immuno-tolerant grain sorghum, Andrew reports.

Australian farmers continue to enjoy the fruits of Pacific Seeds’ labour – a grower, for example, in Northam WA recorded an average yield of 2.34 tonnes per hectare using the company’s next generation Hyola Blazer Triazine Tolerant canola hybrid. Likewise, grain sorghum is another crop that is reaching for the stars. Last year, the Wall Street Journal interviewed Pacific Seeds’ managing director Barry Croker about how the company captured an additional 5-10 per cent in sales by using predictive analytics to move sorghum seed into northern NSW before the region’s heavy rain season.

The overall health of cereal crops is also the focus of Hannaford, another in UPL’s group of companies.

Hannaford, with its head office in Adelaide, too has a long and illustrious history supporting Australian farmers and in fact are three years away from celebrating their centenary.

The company has demonstrated innovation from the outset – its founder Alf Hannaford invented the original seed grader, the Hannaford Wet Wheat Pickler, and the Hannaford Ideal Dry Pickler – followed by other iterations.

This prodigious record of innovation has carried through to today’s seed treating and processing technology, which uses the latest digital tools to control equipment.

Just as importantly, Hannaford’s seed treatments, including biostimulants, tackle the problem of weed seeds and facilitate the growth of better crops. “Proper seed grading gives a dramatic increase in yield of up to 45 per cent”, states the company’s Commercial Manager Brett Heath .

Australian farmers have responded to Hannaford’s long-term commitment to quality and reliability over ten decades of transformation. For example, Gerard Paganoni at Broomehill in southern WA reports that the company’s Rancona Dimension seed treatment from UPL not only solved his crop disease issue, but treated seed flows much better and handles really well compared to other products we’ve used.

UPL’s vision is to be “an icon for growth, technology and innovation”. Australian farmers are engaging with this vision and are playing their part to realise it.

HARDI launches GeoSelect on Trailers

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 00:24:06 GMT

HARDI Australia launched GeoSelect on its trailer range to an audience of more than 100 dealers and customers at their head office in Adelaide, 19 ^th July 2022.

Australian primary producers can now have highly sophisticated weed targeting technology on their trailed crop sprayers.

Adelaide-based sprayer manufacturer and importer HARDI AUSTRALIA today announced that their locally developed GeoSelect spot spraying system would be offered on trailed sprayers, starting with the popular COMMANDER.

GeoSelect will also be available on the company’s next generation SARITOR self-propelled sprayer which was unveiled at the same time.

HARDI’s National Sales Manager Zac Harnett says offering GeoSelect on the company’s most popular trailed sprayers will be great news for farmers.

“The COMMANDER is hugely popular with grain producers, pastoralists and vegetable growers, as well as broadacre operators,” he says.

“We are very pleased to be able to help all those farmers reduce their herbicide usage and costs by up to 90 percent in every paddock.”

Unlike many spot spraying systems, GeoSelect adds very little extra hardware and weight to the spray boom. Instead of heavy and vulnerable cameras, there are just four GNSS units that continually geolocate the spray nozzles with centimetre accuracy.

This means there is virtually no change in boom performance and the system can be easily disabled for blanket spraying of fungicides and liquid fertilisers.

GeoSelect programming begins with a drone or aircraft pre-scan of the paddock. A weed geolocation database is created and transferred to the software, which calculates how much chemical will be needed in the tank, recommends the tractor’s optimum spraying speed at each point in the paddock, and controls individual spray nozzles along the boom to target weeds.

“HARDI has an advantage in our incredibly fast and precise ActivAir nozzle switching technology, so the computer can very accurately open nozzles as they pass over a weed and close them immediately afterwards,” Mr Harnett says.

HARDI Australia CEO Bill Franklin says having GeoSelect on HARDI trailed sprayers will allow even more Australian growers to reduce their chemical usage by up to 90 percent.

“The current high cost of chemicals and the lasting benefits of putting less herbicide into the environment mean GeoSelect delivers growers a double saving and a huge return on investment,” he says.

“It means spraying can be done in less time, at less cost and with far less chemical.

“The accuracy and efficiency of GeoSelect makes the HARDI trailed sprayer range a logical fit for this new technology.”

COMMANDER trailed sprayers are offered with 6500, 8500 and 10,000 litre main tank capacity and boom sizes from 30 metres to 48.5 metres.

Visit www.hardi.com.au for more details.

Managing multi-million dollar hazards to our food security

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 02:36:29 GMT

Biosecurity is an insurance policy for primary producers that yields dividends in the long run

A complementary smartphone app, an extension of the Farm Biosecurity’s website and toolkit, enables farmers to see updated information in real-time at their fingertips.

Officially launched in 2011, the program was developed jointly by Plant Health Australia (PHA) and Animal Health Australia (AHA), which represent their respective core concerns.

All three are a potential danger to Australian agriculture, which the National Farmers’ Federation believes can become a $100 billion industry by the year 2030.

The Farm Biosecurity program is an important part of Australia’s emergency animal disease and exotic plant pest preparedness and surveillance systems.

Rob speaks of the importance of understanding and managing the six biosecurity essentials : farm inputs; people, vehicles and equipment; production practices; feral animals and weeds; farm outputs; and, train, plan, and record.

What’s good for the producer, then, is good for the environment.

Rob says the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us all of the importance of human biosecurity – and how important biosecurity practices are to implement at the individual, regional, and national level.

“Australia’s biosecurity system is like an insurance policy for producers, property, crops, and animals.”

KEY BENEFITS:

Farm biosecurity awareness campaign produces simple, relevant, and effective resources, and connects with growers and producers to strengthen on-farm biosecurity.
A collaboration between PHA and AHA that’s been running since 2011 to enhance on-farm biosecurity.

www.farmbiosecurity.com.au

email address: aha@animalhealthaustralia.com.au

Taking the plunge

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 02:17:02 GMT

Soil monitors probe global water scarcity problem

In the context of climates changing, and the general global trend towards water scarcity and aquifers running dry, soil water management has become more important than ever before.

This is where Sentek Technologies, an Australian-born company with a presence in more than 80 countries, is working hard to meet these challenges of the future.

With headquarters in Adelaide, they are doing this by designing, developing, manufacturing, and globally distributing world-class technologies for measuring and managing soil moisture, salinity, and temperature – by measuring the ‘drinking speed’ or crop water-use.

Farmers use Sentek’s unique technologies and tools – such as TriSCAN, a fertiliser/salinity, temperature, and soil water monitoring system, which takes readings on a near-continuous basis, to monitor groundwater movement, generate exceptional research data, and gain vital insights into crop water usage to make better irrigation decisions.

Sentek was co-founded in 1991 by Peter Buss after he developed a commercial irrigation scheduling service for irrigators (ICMS) for the South Australian Department of Agriculture in 1986.

This involved taking manual readings of water in soil and crops. Over time this developed into his own consultancy business.

Peter, who has a Bachelor’s degree of Engineering in International Agronomy and a Master of Science in Rural Science among other qualifications, talks of the challenges of working with data in the pre-internet age.

He used fax machines to transmit data from the probes he developed with an electronic engineer while working one-on-one with onion farmers in and around Adelaide – an example of the customer-driven approach that has led to Sentek’s continuous improvement and success.

Now he is focused on “Irrigation 4.0”, which leverages Industry 4.0 process optimisations such as the cloud, artificial intelligence, and “big data” in combination with tried-and-tested human management methods.

Other elements include remote sensing for crop measurement, weather forecasting. and irrigation system performance.

To what end? Why should farmers improve their water management?

The on-farm reasons are optimising input sources such as water, power (electricity or diesel) and fertiliser and maximising farm outputs such as yield, crop quality. and environmental sustainability. The overarching reason is to perform better irrigation management.

The statistics on agricultural water use draw into stark relief the need to find further efficiencies.

Earth’s Future, the journal of the American Geophysical Union, recently published an article saying “agricultural water scarcity is expected to increase in more than 80 per cent of the world's croplands by 2050.”

Given “agriculture irrigation accounts for 70 per cent of water use worldwide and over 40 per cent in many OECD countries,” according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development , and given it takes “about 1300 cubic metres of water to produce a ton of wheat and 16000 cubic metres of water to produce a ton of beef”, according to World Energy 46 , the time is right for growers and primary producers to put more emphasis on their irrigation management strategies.

Most people tend to over-irrigate, Peter says, and this presents problems beyond water use.

Peter is a strong advocate for taking a systemic approach to fixing systemic issues when it comes to irrigation, which he says is not being discussed.

For example, over-irrigation also flushes out fertiliser from the soil below the root zone, leading to the pollution of groundwater reserves and waterways.

Disciplined water management therefore not only increases crop yields and quality but also decreases expenses on a wide variety of fronts beyond water itself.

In a throwback to Sentek’s original story, the company demonstrated its innovative precision agriculture solutions for onion, corn, cotton and soybean growers and consultants in Texas.

Thanks to their easy-to-install Drill & Drop probes, Sentek enabled the agronomy team to track root development and ensure water was delivered to the right depth without wastage through excessive drainage.

Closer to home, Sentek worked with McLaren Vale’s popular Wirra Wirra winery to measure their soil water levels precisely, including Regulated Deficit Irrigation, to achieve maximum water use efficiency, and required grape quality. The outcome enabled wine improvements to Ultra Premium grades.

Impacts are increasingly global, with over 80 percent of sales now international. This expansion, the product range and the rate of product commercialisation is reflected in the many innovation, export sales and marketing awards Sentek has picked up.

Peter Buss has put his academic experience to good use, having been involved with almost 20 published journal articles related to irrigation and soil management. An example is the 2018 paper in Acta Horticulturae that showed the benefits of using the award-winning IrriMAX software to “Visualise the water and salt distribution within the soil in 2 dimensions” among potato plants.

Sentek’s IrriMAX Live software works with any internet-connected device, and integrates soil moisture, salinity, and temperature data. The information is viewed through a range of graphs, simple to read water gauges, and a map view showing the probe locations and their irrigation priority within farm management zones.

In an article presented at the 2016 Irrigation Australia International Conference and Exhibition, Sentek’s Drill & Drop probes are used to compare how water travelled through two separate sections of turf at Adelaide Zoo – one exposed to public footfall and one sheltered from it. The probes found , among other things, that “significant overwatering (of the sections of turf) were occurring,” leading Peter and the paper’s co-authors to estimate potential water savings of up to “10.5 Megalitres of water worth around $25,000 for the year” – or 30 to 50 per cent of Adelaide Zoo’s annual water use.

Peter is also involved with the Australian Water School, having presented webinars on how soil moisture sensors such as Sentek’s can provide greater insights into crop-water-soil dynamics.

In a world where water use has come under more and more scrutiny, Peter Buss is widely credited for pioneering the use of soil water dynamics to achieve improved economic and environmental outcomes for growers. An adoption that is world-wide and growing rapidly.

Woolworths drives the organic boom with $30mil fund

Mon, 23 May 2022 07:46:26 GMT

The organic food market in Australia has grown exponentially in the last few years, with year-on-year growth of around 20 per cent. As an early adopter of organic produce, Woolworths accounts for about 60 per cent of the entire organic market. And now the supermarket chain has launched the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund to help meet the growing consumer demand for organic produce.

Despite the growth of the organic market in Australia in recent years, there is still room for improvement – organic makes up less than one per cent of overall product sales in Australia. This is in comparison to more developed organic markets overseas, with organic food in the UK comprising eight per cent of total sales.

One of the reasons for the low organic market share in Australia is that there is not enough supply of organic produce to meet consumer demand. In order to help grow this supply, Woolworths recently launched the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund – a $30 million, five-year investment fund that will provide interest-free loans and grants to help organic Australian fruit and vegetable growers.

“The motivation for the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund is to position Woolworths at the forefront of the organic boom and help the industry to grow,” says Paul Turner, Woolworths Head of Produce. “It’s an industry that is very much in its infancy in Australia and a long way from meeting the level of customer demand.”

The interest-free loans from Woolworths can be used by existing organic operations to acquire land, develop new varieties or purchase new equipment, and are also available to help growers convert conventional farm operations to organic production. Financial grants will also be awarded to proposed projects with a higher risk profile, such as innovative organic production methods.

Through the fund, Woolworths is aiming to not only grow the organic market to 5 per cent of total product sales, but also provide more certainty for customers with year-round supply of organic produce. Farmers will also have contracted purchase volumes, providing them with the certainty of longer-term supply of organic fruit and vegetables to Woolworths.

“We know that without support, there are a lot of hurdles for someone to move into organics or convert from conventional into organic growing,” says Paul. “We think this investment will help people bridge that gap and make the journey to organic farming.”

The first recipient of the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund is Tasmanian apple grower R&R Smith. Located in the Huon Valley, the company is Australia’s largest grower of organic apples and has been supplying these apples to Woolworths supermarkets since 2006.

Investment from the Woolworths Organic Growth Fund has enabled R&R Smith to develop a new organic apple variety. To be developed and marketed in collaboration with Woolworths, the new variety – which will hit Australian shelves in 2023 – has several appetising properties for consumers.

“It’s crisp and firm, has a great flavour and is an attractive apple,” says Andrew Smith of R&R Smith. “But more importantly from an organic point of view, it’s a great storing apple – meaning we will be able to have great-tasting, crunchy, organic apples in summer!”

For Andrew, the involvement of Woolworths has made the development of the new variety a reality.

“To have a ready-made consumer for your product is a very powerful thing,” says Andrew. “The weight that Woolworths gives to the commercialisation and marketing of the new variety is integral, and nothing says ‘I love what you’re doing’ like funding.”

John Deere introduces new P600 Precision Air Hoe Drill

Mon, 23 May 2022 07:37:13 GMT

Small grain farming operations across Australia now have access to a comprehensive choice of precision equipment to meet their unique needs and preferences.

John Deere has introduced the new range of P600 Precision Air Hoe drills, to deliver up to a 15.5% larger working width and 24% weight reduction compared to the P500, to decrease compaction, labour time and fuel consumption, while optimising productivity and seed to soil contact.

Ranging from 12.2 - 27.4 m (40-to-90 foot) working widths, the P600 models include the P640, P650, P660, P670, P680, and P690. Each has 25.4 – 30.5 cm (10-to-12 in.) spacing and new dual knife openers to consistently place fertiliser 3.8 cm (1.5 in.) horizontally and 1.9 cm (0.75 in.) vertically away from the seed for even emergence and equal access to nutrients.

New P600 Precision Air Hoe Drills utilise the existing John Deere naming system. The "P" stands for Precision Hoe; “6” is the series number; followed by the two-digit tool width.

John Deere Precision Ag Segment Manager, Ben Kelly, said the introduction of the P600 lineup would round out John Deere’s integrated seeding solution – to give small grain farming operations across the country a comprehensive choice of equipment to meet their unique needs and preferences.

“Our focus is on providing flexible and adaptable seeding solutions for small grain farmers, which is why we offer tractors in wheel, two-track and four-track configurations, high-capacity Air Carts in tow-behind and tow-between options and, with the launch of the new P600 lineup, seeding bars in a range of working widths for both disc and tyne,” Mr Kelly said.

“All equipment is appointed with precision technology and a JDLink™ connection to the John Deere Operations Center™ making it easy for our customers to monitor what’s happening in the field during seeding and collect valuable data to inform decision making post seeding.”

Mr Kelly said the addition of the P600 would fulfil the requirements of customers both looking to gain productivity to meet tight seeding windows, as well as those prioritising Controlled Traffic Farming.

“The increased working widths will not only mean more hectares can be covered per day, but the inclusion of 12, 18 and 24 metre widths will also suit existing Controlled Traffic Farming systems for marked reductions in compaction,” he said.

“Additionally, the P600 provides ideal seed to soil contact, consistent seed and fertiliser depth, excellent residue flow and stubble management.”

P600 Precision Air Hoe Drills leverage existing integrated John Deere air seeding technologies, improved tyre options for optimal flotation, RelativeFlow™ blockage sensing, and full integration with John Deere tractors and air carts.

RelativeFlow blockage sensing allows farmers to see the flow rate of seed and fertiliser from inside the tractor cab. Sensors are located on all primary towers and secondary hoses to monitor the relative product flow, while providing a better view of the flow rate of seed and fertilser from the cart to the opener. This helps farmers identify problems before potential blockage occurs.

The new P600 Air-Hoe Drill will be available for order in 2023 for delivery in early 2024.

“In the 2023 seeding season, John Deere will have the P600 on-farm in Western Australia to give producers the opportunity to see and experience the product prior to placing an order,” Mr Kelly said.

Five Minutes Q&A with Andrew Weidemann AM

Mon, 23 May 2022 07:27:32 GMT

Traditional trade skills from the past are key to Australia’s agricultural future.

1MG: What do you see as some of the big issues facing Australian agriculture in the coming few years?

AW: One of the key messages from the COVID-19 public health crisis over the last two-plus years is our improved understanding of just how fragile food production systems can be. To see supermarket shelves empty of food is a stark reminder of just why agriculture in this country and around the world is so important. Perhaps, for at least a few decades in this country, we have all taken food security for granted and the role of farmers in producing food. As a farmer myself, one of the biggest issues facing Australian agriculture today is skilled labour and finding people prepared to work outdoors and appreciate the wonderful aspects of producing food and fibre to feed a hungry planet.

1MG: How serious is this agricultural workforce issue?

AW: In my three decades working as a farmer, I’ve never seen such a labour crisis in agriculture as we have now. COVID-19 has had a lot to do with causing these shortages, with international border closures impacting our ability to access overseas workers to do important jobs at critical times such as seeding or harvest. It’s more important than ever that we today continue to invest in training people locally here in Australia to work in the various occupations in agriculture and help produce food. Progress in agriculture, like most other industries, has seen the ability for farmers to do more with fewer people. However, we still need the personnel to manage production programs, and produce the food and fibre we need, especially with farm scale growing and populations shrinking in regional centres and country towns. We need to re-populate the regional areas of Australia and that starts with all of us contributing where we can to ensure the food producers of tomorrow have the skills and mindset to keep farming.

1MG: Where did this problem come from?

AW: COVID has obviously made it worse in recent times but other factors also come into play. During the late 1980s to early 1990s, governments around Australia unfortunately closed down most of the technical colleges around the country while also changing the education agenda more towards academic skills in computing, accountancy and related disciplines. We as a nation are now paying the price for these decisions but we need to turn this around and continue to promote food production and agriculture as a great place to work and career option.

1MG: Is this problem isolated to agriculture?

AW: I’m afraid not. What is becoming clear is the strong need for hands-on trade skills across Australia’s wider economy aimed at young people in building, engineering and plumbing as the cost of housing escalates on the back of a clear lack of people to manufacture and build legacy constructions. Governments need to invest more in trade skilled oriented areas to maintain a strong manufacturing skillset. The retirement of the nation’s baby boomers is placing further pressure on a need for these traditional technical skills. COVID-19 seems to have lowered the priority of this issue on the national agenda. We need to invest in the skills for tomorrows food, construction and fibre sector or we will struggle to feed – house – clothe people in Australia and the world. Escalating fuel prices at the moment, with only two old refineries in Australia, is risking a perfect storm scenario with disastrous implications for food security.

1MG: What are some specific skills shortages for farm businesses?

AW: In the agricultural profession, there is now a critical need for skilled workers able to perform a variety of functions to run the farm business including: driving trucks (GPS equipment) and tractors, headers, and seeding equipment; machinery maintenance (mechanic skills); header operators; welding; testing and export certification skills; and accountancy (bookkeeping skills). General engineering, welding and mechanic (repair and maintenance) skills are also key attributes for any farming business in remote areas where key services and machinery dealers are scarce.

1MG: What else can be done?

AW: Investment in skills, and related strategies such as incentives for on-the-job training by the private sector and retiring tradespeople who re-invest their time in training the future, is now an imperative for Australian agriculture. Bad news around agriculture, such as bush fires, floods, and plagues, deters people from entering what can be a truly exhilarating career path with so many aspects of skills that can be used.

1MG: How else can we get more people to work in agriculture?

AM: For all of my agri-political career, spanning 30-plus years now, I have always sought to change the perception of farmers in the general public eye – historically the stereotypical Australian farmer has been portrayed as having straw in their mouth while wearing dirty overalls and the kelpie by his side. Today, thanks to remarkable technological advancements in the last decade or so, the more tech-savvy Australian farmers spend much of their time on the smart phone checking on tractor operations and equipment performance from the comfort of their home – which incidentally, in the not-too-distant future, will be driverless. Hence, also, improved farmer lifestyle. Farmers such as those like me who produce grain are also very scientifically and commercially focussed in the way we run our businesses in using new technologies. This means there’s great opportunity to be innovative with what we do to solve current and future problems, across the agricultural industry as a whole, not just on-farm. This extends to the work we do to not only improve production output and farm returns, but to do it in a way which also improves sustainability.

1MG: Are there some model country towns that have the ideal agricultural talent mix?

AM: Horsham in western Victoria seems to have a good balance and is a key agricultural town. Dubbo appears also to have the right mix as a much larger centre. COVID-19 has seen a demographic shift to rural areas – in particular smaller towns of below 1000 people but it’s putting a serious shortage of housing under more pressure again. The community bank model of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has been looking at this situation and trying to get support for building affordable housing accommodation. COVID-19 has also seen a major deficiency in building products and high prices in steel up some 40% on 2 years ago.

Andrew Weidemann AM is former Chairman of Grain Producers Australia. He is also a third-generation farmer from Rupanyup in Victoria’s Wimmera Region.

Digital Agriculture: A Tale of Unrealised Expectations?

Mon, 23 May 2022 06:53:18 GMT

Time to build on the success of bottom-up and multi-disciplinary approaches, for more industry led agricultural innovations that add value.

Digital agriculture has attracted plenty of excitement in recent years from investors – close to USD30B a year so far and increasing, pandemic notwithstanding. The vision of drones zooming over Australian rural landscapes to detect crop nutrition status or of robots tending vertical farms make a good story. And though narratives are powerful influencers for change as pointed out by Nobel Laureate Robert Shilleri, many are built on uncertain foundations.

We, too, like these ideas and have no doubt that digital technology will ultimately deliver major change to Australian agriculture. But what will this change look like to Aussie farmers, and how can they meaningfully engage? In the absence of concrete analysis, narratives can evaporate and leave people disillusioned, creating a problem for those doggedly pursuing authentic progress.

Agriculture, we know, has enormous potential for productive change through digital technology. But clarity is needed to explain how change is likely to occur, what drives and what obstructs change, given the peculiarities of agriculture and the array of factors to consider. Here we attempt to demystify the process of digitisation for Australian agriculture to establish a solid basis for expectations.

We do so by:

Defining the potential for digital agriculture globally as food systems respond to growing demand;
Explaining common causes of failure;
Identifying the different pathways to success - how they work and how they can be realised in Australian agriculture; and
Finally, we focus on what farmers can expect from these changes, and what they and their partners need to do to lever the power of digital for sustainable growth.

The global potential for digitally-driven change in agriculture

Numerous recent research endeavours and reports have highlighted this, including –

McKinsey ii , reporting Agriculture to be the least digital of all sectors in the US and Australia, and major change to be inevitable. As digitisation of business processes and supply chains will create economic growth, it cannot be ignored.
The World Bank concluded that data are our future iii , identifying the underutilisation of existing data by society, and calling for a re-imagining of data usage and re-usage to forge economic and social value.
In Australia, AUD30B of change is expected iv , mainly through production gains in grains and livestock. Investment in Agri-food Tech is on a steep upward trajectory, with investment at the farm-gate end of the supply chain gaining momentum.
The World Economic Forum v highlights digital innovation in global food systems, discussing inclusive and sustainable food systems from the perspectives of technology (e.g. artificial intelligence and blockchain), as well as human decision making.
Lajoie-O’Malley and others vi point to the role of digital technology for gains in food system sustainability, encouraging an ecosystem view of food systems and posits that ecosystems service researchers’ contributions to digital agriculture advancements could result in a more responsible provision of food to society.

What could possibly go wrong?

Theory and practice don’t always align. In our experience, we’ve seen three types of failures:

User failure. Farmers or other users either aren’t interested in change, or don’t see enough value in the change to invest in it. This is the rarest type of failure.
Technology failure is still worryingly common. Sometimes the technology is just too difficult to get to work or expensive to manage. This type of failure often occurs when technology has been simply transposed to farming from other areas.
Process failure is the most common cause, by far. This occurs when the system around the technology (especially people and organisations) hasn’t been considered, and is what scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) call the ”Technology Fallacy”.

Pathways to success

“Everybody is trying to figure out where the value is?” bemoaned a 2017 Wall Street Journal article about the disappointing adoption of digital agriculture in the US. So, what indeed are the pathways to value and success? Let’s focus on some basics:

Value must be created - though this seems obvious, we sometimes find the technology so exciting that we forget to ask “how will it pay for itself?”;

Value must be shared between different actors - particularly along supply chains, in a business process that is sustainable; and
The process must be scalable.
This last point is often overlooked yet it’s vital, because the ways in which organisations capture value from digital technology vary significantly. From a classification developed in UK manufacturing, we call these :
The “John Deere model”- much farm machinery comes with a mass of embedded digital technology, with farmers using the technology to improve field operations;
The “CBH model” - value is created in bulk commodities through management of scaled-up processes, with scale operators using digital technology to manage processes on behalf of farmer customers;
The “Syngenta model” - rich sources of data are available to farmers through technology embedded in chemical or seed product; and
The “CSBP model” - suppliers of “standard” inputs may embed digital technology in production processes for users to get more value out of these inputs.

The examples above derive from incumbents in value chains. Moreover, a range of additional opportunities are emerging to exploit opportunities for digital services. These are the so-called “disruptors” which provide digital services connecting farmers, processors, intermediaries, retailers, consumers, and many more. Many such services are new and developing rapidly, with weak and strong ties to what we have always thought of as the “farm economy”, as well as links to other industries and their commercial practices.

Above all, leadership is required to take aspirations of value creation from digital agriculture into the future. Government leadership is the most traditional and obvious source of leadership. There is evidence of this playing-out in our Federal Minister for Agriculture’s 2022 pledge of $68 million to improve traceability systems alone. Leadership is, however, being realised in new forms unique to Australia. An example is the Food Agility Co-operative Research Centre (FA CRC) which is partnering government, academia, and industry for the co-creation of establishing new data-driven technology for the agri-food industry.

How will Digital Agriculture appear amongst Australian producers?

A number of ways Digital Agriculture (DA) has been enhancing Australian Agriculture, specifically Grains, Meat and Livestock, Dairy and High Value Product, include the following:

Grains industry

The Australian Grains industry has several DA tools, such as Graincast, Digital Agriculture Services (DAS), digital trading, landscape valuation, and OFE (On-Farm Experimentation). Graincast™, Australia's first real-time grain forecast platform, was developed with CSIRO’s expertise in grain forecasting, climate, remote sensing, data management, software engineering, and social innovation. This app assists grain growers with crop decision making through making available yield data - from individual paddocks and across the whole farm.

Meat and Livestock industries

Satellite imagery pasture evaluation, electronic identification (eID), animal welfare monitoring and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry technology (more commonly known as “DEXA”) for meat quality grading, have already become an integral part of the Meat and Livestock industry, with some common failures and successes.

High Value Product

Digitally enhanced connectivity between consumer and producer has been growing in popularity and effectiveness. In the coffee industry, CROPSTER is a great example of software which connects coffee professionals worldwide from producers all the way through to people in cafes, working with small to large businesses across the coffee supply chain to deliver solutions that add value.

In Australia, the FA CRC is co-creating projects in numerous dimensions of the agri-food industry whereby technology is enabling value creation in high-value products. Examples include disease monitoring in shellfish to reduce cost of closures; and blockchain technology in the cherry market to improve biosecurity, improve supply chain efficiency, and reduce the incidents of unnecessary product recalls.

What then is the role for “digital farmers”?

While patchy success has been enjoyed in the uptake of digital farming innovations, most of the above business models remain cases in which farmers are recipients of digital products rather than co-developers. In the past, they have been privileged with innovations being introduced to them, with supported learning. Change was seen as the role of government extension services, and for many this echo persists. We think this needs to change, particularly in countries like Australia where publicly-funded agricultural research and extension is diminishing. Signs of demand for pivoting away from government-funded agricultural science in Australia included organisations like the Grower Group Alliance in Western Australia, where innovation needs are being placed into the hands of producers, as well as the Co-operative Research Centres (CRCs) whereby research is funded through co-operation between Private Industry and Government. While such promising structures are on the rise, agriculture remains the least digitised of all sectors in the US and Australian economies viii ix .

While no one wants to distract farmers unnecessarily from their core business, their participation is paramount. It is important that farmers engage in the development of business cases to help adopt digital technologies in ways that advance farm management and supply chain performance alike.

How can this happen? The key is to develop digital skills amongst producers and their partners through farmer-centric organisation, such as we’ve developed for on-farm experimentation. Not that farmers themselves need to become digital specialists, but rather that they engage closely with the process to ensure that management evolves through technology.

This will not succeed through top-down, externally driven processes similar to the government extension services that were widespread until the 1990s, but through the growth of endogenous, farmer-driven, digitally-enhanced business use cases that meet the requirements mentioned in (3) above and deliver value along the supply chain x . For this to occur, farmers and their consultants must imitate what other industries are doing and prepare to allocate time and money to engage with innovation ecosystems in ways that support the evolution and scaling up of successful digital business models.

The top-down/bottom-up concept xi is drawn from marketing science whereby new product development executives have determined what consumers need and have set manufacturing and service provision in place to align with market forecasts (i.e. top-down). The bottom-up approach flips this logic on its head to suggest that consumers and their needs are what should be driving innovation. When one thinks of a pyramid whereby there are few corporate decision makers at the top and numerous consumers at the bottom; the flow of ideas and decision making about innovation development had traditionally filtered from the top of the pyramid to the bottom, whereas the bottom-up approach now seems to be gaining traction. Simanis and Duke (2014) give multiple examples of where the top-down approach has failed (e.g. the poor response of sub-Saharan Africans to insecticide-treated bed nets) as it risks alienating those who use the consumer innovations, while the bottom-up approach has made high-impact on society (e.g. an e-verification solution for tracking genuine agricultural inputs, whereby African farmers can verify the authenticity of seeds or pesticides via their mobile phones at agro-dealer shops). There is no reason why this concept cannot be translated into digital transformation in agriculture whereby farmers, as consumers of digital innovation, provide developers with their user requirements. Until that occurs, digital adoption is likely to be slow, farmer-alien and disconnected with many of the opportunities that await digital agriculture.

What’s next for digital agriculture and farmer learning?

Lack of digital connectivity is a genuine barrier to the adoption of digital innovations in regional, rural and remote communities. Yet the situation is steadily improving, in Australia at least. However, this is a barrier that can be questioned with governments.

Our traditional mechanisms for extension of scientific discovery to farmers have shifted over time, to reflect the iterative nature of innovation, the changed economics of delivery, and the availability of multiple communication channels such as CRCs and producer groups as mentioned above. Australian industry’s generally low level of engagement with universities for research and innovation xii is evident as universities struggle to engage in the new communication channels, and also with the new “breeds” of firm – big and small – selling DA to farms and the food industry more generally.

A pressing issue, and one that is directly within the control of farmers, is that of education. It has long been known that educated people (not only in the farming community) are more likely to explore and adopt innovations; this applies regardless of the source of that education (i.e. higher education, further education or local education). The profile of people new to agriculture has never been more diverse and the imperative is for this diversity to grow. We predict an expanded disciplinary base for knowledge growth and a “holy trinity” of skills:

Biological scientists – to understand the complex biological processes involved in creating value from a farm business;
Data scientists – to create methods of capturing and reporting meaningful data that adds value to the farm business; and
Behavioural scientists – to understand that knowledge creation and therefore value creation from new ways of innovation requires change (sometimes uncomfortable change) to existing practices (how to deal with this change is within the domain of behavioural scientists).

The core message remains that knowledge diversity, and its communication, is needed. Furthermore, whether people new to agriculture have an education in marketing, finance, chemistry, engineering, biology or any other discipline, there must be a fundamental understanding that farming and its associated innovations are multi-disciplinary, thus input is required from a plethora of skills to ensure value is added to the farm business and its biological and social environments xiii .

Peak industry councils like the newly-launched Cattle Australia - national peak body for the grass-fed cattle industry to provide a unified and influential voice for producers, Wool Producers Australia, and Grain Growers, among others, are contributing a great deal to the future of their respective sectors by offering scholarships to develop leadership capabilities amongst early to mid-career people in farming. An example includes the scholarship by the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a course that teaches governance principles to new and emerging leaders. This creates national networks for young people in agriculture and provides them with the appropriate skills to lead and govern their industries into the future. However, a great deal more is needed, including contributions from outside the reach of Peak industry bodies. Acceptance of knowledge diversity is a key ingredient in improving adoption of digital agricultural innovations and transforming how farmers learn new skills to change their farm businesses.

Prof Simon Cook is leader of the recently launched Centre for Digital Agriculture at Curtin University, which develops new technologies to help shape Western Australia’s future agricultural industry.

Dr Elizabeth Jackson is a senior lecturer in Curtin University’s School of Management and Marketing, and a visiting scholar at the Royal Veterinary College (UK).

Prof Derek Baker is director of the UNE Centre for Agribusiness, and Professor of Agribusiness and Value Chains at the University of New England.

i Shiller, R. J. (2017). Narrative Economics (Working Paper No. 23075). NBER.

ii Manyika, J., Ramaswamy, S., Khanna, S., Sarrazin, H., Pinkus, G., Sethupathy, G., & Yaffe, A. (2015). Digital America: A Tale of the Haves and Have-Mores. McKinsey Global Institute.

iii World Bank (Ed.). (2021). World Development Report 2021: Data for better lives.

iv Burwood-Taylor, L. (2021). AgFunder AgriFoodTech Investment Report 58.

v World Economic Forum. (2021, September). Food Systems: Data, Digital and Innovation Levers.

vi Lajoie-O’Malley, A., Bronson, K., Van der Burg, S., & Klerkx, L. (2020). The future(s) of digital agriculture and sustainable food systems: An analysis of high-level policy documents. Ecosystem Services, 45, 101183.

vii Pavitt, K. (1984). Sectoral patterns of technical change: Towards a taxonomy and a theory. Research Policy, 13(6), 343–373.

viii Trendov, N.K., Varas, S., & Zeng, M. (2019b). Digital technologies in agriculture and rural areas—Status report, FAO, Rome. Licence: cc by-nc-sa 3.0 igo.

ix Blackburn, S., Freeland, M., & Gärtner, D. (2017). Digital Australia: Seizing opportunities from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Digital/McKinsey.

x Lacoste, M., Cook, S., McNee, M., Gale, D., Ingram, J., Bellon-Maurel, V., ... & Hall, A. (2022). On-Farm Experimentation to transform global agriculture. Nature Food, 3(1), 11-18.

xi Simanis, E. & Duke, D. (2014). Profits at the Bottom of the Pyramid, Harvard Business Review.

xii Wilkinson (2015). Australia's dismal, bottom-of-pack performance in university-business innovation, Financial Review.

xiii Robertson, M.J., Hall, A., Walker, D., Keating, B.A., Bonnett, G. 2016. “Five Ways to Improve the Agricultural Innovation System in Australia.” Farm Policy Journal 13 (1).

Digital Transformation in Agriculture: Making Farming Efficient, Precise & Productive

Sun, 22 May 2022 07:16:28 GMT

Amid the rising uncertainty and volatility in agriculture, there probably is no better way for farming systems to survive and thrive than digital transformation – all important data at the farmer’s fingertips 24/7.

The global population is estimated to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, implying that agrifood demand will continue to rise worldwide in the coming decades. Specifically, a surge in the middle-class population among our neighbours in Asia bolsters the prospects for considerable growth in Australian food export. Meanwhile, our farmers continue confronting formidable challenges, such as increasing cost of labour, unavailability of skilled workforce, reduction in water availability, more frequent extreme weather events due to changing climate conditions, and fragmented value chains with asymmetric patterns of information sharing between trading partners. The COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed the weakness of traditional farming systems where empty shelves were seen in some supermarkets while, at the same time, surplus produce had to be dumped on farms. The country’s state governments’ health measures exacerbated the issues of labour shortage and excessive delays in farm operations.

In the wake of these challenges, digital transformation – integration of digital technologies in business operations – was catapulted to the top of discussion to reinvigorate the current farming systems to prepare them for similar unforeseen events. Our research at CQUniversity examines the impact of digital transformation on agricultural operations. The analysis uncovers a significant difference in operational efficiency and productivity among the firms that adopt digital transformation compared to others that do not. We find that the performance and profitability significantly outweigh the costs incurred by digital transformation. Digital transformation substantially reduces labour dependency, input waste and the cost of doing business. The digitally connected farmers can receive real-time information on food demand, market dynamics and changing consumer preferences, lowering information asymmetries and transaction costs. The digital transformation thus revolutionises the farming systems in ways not previously seen. The following section sheds some light on the most popular digital technologies, and how they work to boost the efficiency, productivity, transparency, and profitability of farming systems.

Internet of Things – The internet of things (IoT) describes the interconnected network of devices that contains sensors with data processors – constantly collecting, analysing, and transmitting data. The IoT devices can be controlled through an app on a smartphone. Farmers can constantly monitor the state of crops, soil moisture and nutrients, and exact need for fertiliser, pesticides, water, or livestock health and movement, among others. Monitoring of anomalies along the crop growth or livestock health allows farmers to reach optimal efficiency and reduce the risk of unexpected economic losses. At another level, IoT devices can be used to operate tractors for cultivation, spraying and harvesting. IoT-enabled livestock management systems help monitor the location, temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, readiness to mate, and grazing pattern of animals in real-time on a smartphone. A large amount of data, also known as “big data”, aggregated through multiple devices, can be utilised to predict diseases, pests, inputs, and yield, thereby making more informed decisions in a timely manner. For example, an apple and pear grower (Maurice Silverstein) in Shepparton East Orchard of Australia implemented the Internet-of-things (IoT) that connects all physical devices through the internet and the data between these devices are regularly shared. At Shepparton East Orchard, this IoT connected system supports irrigation efficiency by receiving real-time information on soil moisture, the need for irrigation in a specific part of the farm, and the need for fertilisers and pesticides, thus vastly increasing farm productivity and performance. A case study of Joe Loewith and Sons Ltd. Farms in Ontario Canada show that the application of IoT based smart farming technologies has significantly augmented farm productivity including tracking of animal health, digitally driven animal birth, timely disease control, and efficient crop management. Another case study on a rice farm in Suphan Burin Province of Thailand confirms the outstanding outcomes of IoT devices in rice farming operations.

In greenhouse farming, IoT devices offer real-time information on temperature, lighting, humidity, soil condition, etc. which are difficult, if not possible, to receive manually. With IoT connected smartphone, a single farmer can manage a large field while sitting on the other side of the world. Given the recent issues of labour cost and availability, IoT implementation offers promising opportunities to Australian farmers for reshaping conventional business operations. Many farmers across the world, in countries such as the USA and the UK as well as Europe, have already started benefitting from IoT devices in farm operations. However, our research at CQUniversity shows that lack of investment, awareness, and training are among the key impediments to the adoption of this cutting-edge technology in the Australian farming system.

3D printing

While our research could not find evidence of 3D printing in the Australian farming system, we believe that this technology could deliver tremendous gains to our farmers. While this technology has gained a place in the automotive industry, its large application in farming is yet to be established. Nonetheless, 3D printing offers a myriad of benefits for smart farming, for example, a farmer can manufacture small farming equipment and appliances on a farm with less cost. In a 3D printing machine, one needs to insert a prototype or map of equipment along with key ingredients. And, quite remarkably, with one click a piece of equipment can be produced. With rural Australia’s excessive exposure to natural disasters, 3D printing can greatly help Australian farmers recover and rebound by quickly producing damaged machines, appliances, equipment, medicines etc. The large 3D printers (which can be organised with government support) can also help rebuild the houses/shelters in a matter of days at a relatively cheaper cost.

Blockchain

Modern conscientious consumers demand the complete history of the food they buy and consume including where and how it was produced, what kind of and how much fertilisers and pesticides were applied, and how it was stored and transported. Blockchain helps answer all such questions in an effective and reliable way. Blockchain is a digital ledger accessed and updated by all members in a supply chain network. Ideally, each member is connected through an app on the smartphone and shares/traces all information from input suppliers to farmers to consumers. Each member of a network constantly uploads information, often in real- or near real-time, on routine operations which are being verified by relevant authorities and other members, reducing the risk of information tempering, price manipulation, and fraud. With the blockchain platform, farmers can directly sell their produce to buyers eliminating multiple layers of commission agents. In case of a complaint about the quality and safety of the product, its source can easily be traced, allowing for the elimination of such products from the food chain. That said, the blockchain is a perfect solution to deal with issues like the “pins in strawberries” stunt that occurred in September 2018. It can also facilitate regulatory bodies to trace a case. To enhance traceability, trust, and visibility in transactions, companies like Auchan retail, Walmart, and Carrefour Italia have successfully piloted blockchain in collaboration with farmers and other stakeholders. The blockchain has also been productively used by olive farmers in France and pork meat and horticultural farmers in China. In Australia, AgriDigital has successfully piloted blockchain in the Australian grain industry and is slowly moving to other industries as well. Nonetheless, our research at CQUniversity (interviews with managers in the Australian agri-food supply chains) shows that the pace of blockchain adoption in the Australian farming system is slower than in other developed economies. This is mainly due to the following impediments: deficit of strong collaboration and resource sharing among the trading partners (especially downstream supermarkets); low level of awareness among many farmers about the potential benefits of technology and how it works; and cost of implementation alongside a lack of sufficient financial support from the government.

Drones

Drones are amongst the most advanced Agritech for smart and efficient farming. Drones can perform multiple tasks that previously required labour force such as spraying pesticides and fertilisers. Aerial visuals taken through a drone can help identify the infected plants in the field of animal health quickly, providing specific remedies before the disease spreads and economic losses occur. It appears that the use of drones is much more cost-effective and efficient than fixed- and rotary wing- aircraft used in farming systems. Drones with hyperspectral sensors can detect which part of a field is receiving too little water, allowing for irrigation adjustments. They can also identify water pooling in the field, reducing damage to sensitive crops. Farmers can receive all the information and related statistics on their smartphones. Drones can reach areas that are hard to access with other heavy machineries (e.g., tractors), such as too wet ground, steep terrain, and smaller areas requiring localised treatment. Given their repertoire of benefits, it is suggested to enhance the drone’s adoption in the Australian farming system.

Robotics

Automated robots are massively reshaping farming operations around the world. They help reduce waste and labour costs, thereby increasing operational efficiency and productivity. The use of robotics is increasingly popular in Australian farming practices and is currently found in seeding, planting, harvesting, loading, and grading. Our study at CQUniversity shows that the farmers who use robotics have better operational efficiencies, productivity and profitability compared to those who are performing tasks manually. In the dairy industry, robotic milking has gained huge acceptance in Australia. In our interactions with dairy farmers, it was reported that robotic milking systems offer better udder health and improve milk quality. With an ageing population and high labour cost, robotics serves as a great alternative to human labour and could ensure continuity of business operations in case of unforeseen upheavals like the current pandemic.

Concluding remarks

The global digital agricultural technologies market size is rapidly growing and is expected to reach $3.2 trillion by 2025 compared to $320 billion in 2021. However, the speed of digital transformation in the Australian farming systems is slower compared to numerous developed countries. Nonetheless, digital transformation could offer a myriad of benefits to our farming systems and animal welfare, such as improved efficiency and productivity, cost-saving, waste reduction, enhanced quality, safety, and more control over internal processes. Several complex operations can be effectively managed with the smartphone alone, which is an exciting revolution of this era. The following measures could help speed up the digital transformation in the Australian farming system: technical and financial support from the government and NGOs to the business, particularly to the resource-scarce small- and medium enterprises; training and awareness campaigns; digital infrastructure; more collaboration; and resource sharing among the trading partners in the agricultural value chains. Growth in the industry will offer several economic, social, and environmental benefits which include, but are not limited to: GDP growth; more employment; increased access to food at optimum prices; development of the regional/rural businesses; and reduction in waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Dr Imran Ali, PhD, MBA, BSc. (Hons.), is a lecturer in Operations and Innovation Management at the School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Melbourne Campus, Australia. Staff page; Connect on LinkedIn

What happens to rural communities if digital technology brings city slickers to the land?

Wed, 18 May 2022 04:33:56 GMT

What does digital change mean for the bush? This is an important question for both rural and remote communities and city dwellers.

Digital technology promises to increase profits, reduce yield uncertainty and improve quality of life on the land by reducing the farmer’s workload. The emergence of broadband and greater digital access is also making the bush a more accessible and attractive place to live for city folk. The new digital economy allows people to generate income remotely and provides greater flexibility and access to services and infrastructure. Digital technology and autonomous machinery are reducing the barriers of living on the land that have deterred many from farming life.

Cities are becoming too expensive and too congested, while regional areas are getting much-needed infrastructure improvements. Essentially, the lifestyle advantages and appeal of city living are starting to dwindle, while rural living is becoming more attractive. As opportunities grow for people to work in casual positions or work from home, all sorts of city folk could find a profitable, sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle in the bush.

Modern farming: the impact of agricultural technologies

Digital technology has the potential to create an agricultural revolution with hi-tech machinery and better farming. Increasingly, farmers are starting to experiment with digital and autonomous technology to improve decision-making and reduce the strain of manual labour. For example, soil moisture probes, water sensors, autonomous pumps and irrigation scheduling tools can reduce labour needs and increase flexibility by making decisions more precise.

Agtech can reduce crop and livestock stress, save water and make decision-making less involved for farmers. Robot pickers can harvest and load goods into autonomous refrigerated trucks. A product’s origin can now be recorded using digital fingerprint technology on each piece of fruit or bale of cotton, giving farmers and their families much-needed peace of mind. However, all this digital change can mean farmers need to reskill and hire different sorts of consultants, contractors and staff.

Digital agriculture: Technology making life on the land easier

In the coming decades, agricultural robots will play a vital role in helping farmers manage the daily operation of farms. Jobs like weeding, fertilising and controlling pests and diseases will be standard operation, and the robots will also collect vast amounts of data to further improve farm management. AgBot II is an innovative solar-powered agricultural robot prototype fully designed and fabricated by QUT researchers and engineers with significant co-funding from the Queensland government.

AgBot II forms part of a new generation of crop and weed management machinery, intended to work in autonomous groups across both broadacre and horticultural crop management applications. The robot’s cameras, sensors, software and other electronics enable it to navigate through a field, apply fertiliser, detect and classify weeds and kill weeds either mechanically or chemically, providing a tool for farmers to help reduce operational costs and efficiency losses. The AgBot II provides multiple benefits including improved yield, better soil health and data-driven decisions while allowing farmers to manage their farm remotely (click here to find out more).

But agtech isn’t just about technology, systems and products. It’s about people and business improvement too. Tech-savvy entrepreneurs are seeking agtech accelerators in regional towns. New agtech consulting firms are bringing together farmers, entrepreneurs, government, investors and corporations to create new economies. Creatives are selling their wares online beside farmers selling their produce direct to global markets.

New research into how smart contracts can change the supply chain will also help. One example is QUT’s work with BeefLedger, an industry-led project bringing together design, business, technology and food research under the $200 million Food Agility CRC. This world-first project will track beef from the paddock to the plate and protect Australia’s reputation for world-class beef production using blockchain technology.

Smaller farming enterprises are being serviced by more affordable digital technologies such as Platfarm, a program for existing mobile phones or tablets that can access high-resolution spatial data so farmers can make smarter decisions. Custom-made spare parts can be printed cheaply on 3D printers, which could fix plumbing or robot woes in remote areas. Fences won’t need repairing anymore, because they’ll be virtual.

The shift towards regional areas

Major capital cities in Australia such as Sydney and Melbourne are some of the most expensive places to live in the world. Well-known Australian futurist and demographer Bernard Salt agrees that “city folk are heading to country and coastal towns in search of a better lifestyle”, leading to a new social trend.

One in six Australians (16 per cent) are unhappy with their current lifestyle due to work commute times, and it’s estimated about 400,000 Aussies have already made changes by choosing to work from home. This trend is predicted to grow to include more than a million workers within the next decade and has given rise to the ‘lifestyle town’. These communities have more affordable real estate, scenic views, plenty of space and/or a potentially slower pace of life. Baby boomers have been the leading demographic group behind this lifestyle choice, but this new life model could clearly have broader appeal.

In the past, many of the barriers to living in rural areas have been issues such as poor internet connectivity and a lack of infrastructure, but this is slowly changing. Also, if rural areas grew in population, then hospitals, schools, universities and infrastructure would follow.

Cheaper house and land prices could reduce the pressure for both parents to work just to keep a roof over their family’s heads. Car and equipment ownership may become optional because people will be able to just tap on their phone and order an agricultural robot to help on the farm or a driverless car to transport them into town. Equipment can be shared between farms. Parents get to watch their kids grow up in the great outdoors while tracking their goats and cows. The next generation see STEM in practice in the field educating them about farming as a career, and new health initiatives will reduce the risks of living remotely. Finally, new models of sustainable living can guide both urban and rural communities to live sustainably and cooperatively with the land.

City skills come to the country

Farming enterprises are changing, and some Australian farmers are upscaling. These larger enterprises need strategic thinkers, operations experts and systems managers to manage huge agricultural production, manufacturing and distribution centres. With an increase of urbanites heading to the country, regional towns could benefit from a range of new skills. This could include young workers and people skilled in agtech or other digital skills needed for new technologies.

Education providers could meet the challenge of training and re-skilling people for future employment as digital agriculture consultants, agronomists and more. A well-rounded farmer of the future might now have mechanical, strategic, communication and digital skills. Career changers whose jobs have been automated due to technology might find new opportunities to suit them in regional areas.

Due to digital connectivity, global geographical barriers start breaking down – which influence the basic decision of where people decide to live. In the past, many people may have felt forced to live in major urban areas to achieve their professional ambitions. However, it is now increasingly possible to stay plugged into the business world from almost any location that offers an internet connection. This could even mean an influx of foreigners attracted to Australia’s outback.

Can city dwellers adapt to country life?

Life in the bush is different from the city. Sparse, geographically dispersed populations embody values of care, service and community that can be very different to the values of city dwellers. In the city, residents expect services to be available when they need them, rather than expecting to fix infrastructure or urgent problems themselves. On the flip-side, in rural communities, people expect to know your business. Much of the time this helps the communities to connect folks when they need help. Sometimes it means a lack of privacy, thus the potential for judgment, or worse, being ostracised. So, what happens if city folk start moving in big numbers to the bush? Will country values be lost?

As Australia gets more regional communities, there will be shifts to community values that incorporate both remote and city living. Digital and physical connectedness within communities and their distance from cities may mean that regional communities continue to foster and maintain bush values despite technological, economic and lifestyle changes.

Can regional towns manage the digital transition?

There are great risks that technology could increase inequality and deepen segregation if digital disruption is not managed through good government policies for regional Australia. Many Australian regional cities and towns have struggled in a post-industrial economy filled with fast-paced technology change and digital disruption. Early examples of regional cities adopting metropolitan urban policies have not resulted in the promised economic development and regional prosperity. If anything, pushing urbanisation and gentrification without paying attention to the specific circumstances of regionality will lead regional towns into a similar urban crisis as their city counterparts.

Conclusion

The rise of agtech and increasing digital and autonomous technologies might entice city folk to leave the hustle and bustle and move to more rural and remote areas. Regional economies could benefit from new residents equipped with 21st century digital skills and a willingness to embody country values. However, there is a risk that vulnerable rural populations will be further disadvantaged by a digital revolution.

The challenge is for policy-makers to ensure that local populations are supported to learn the skills to contribute to any digital transformation and are included as stakeholders for digital infrastructure change and job opportunities in the bush. City folk can bring their big ideas, but they’ll need the wisdom of those who’ve lived on the land for generations to make sustainable and thriving communities. The opportunity is for regional, rural and urban policy makers to embrace an ecological democracy for a sustainable Australia.

Protecting Data in Digital Agriculture Gets R&D Boost

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 02:06:24 GMT

Major agtech players in Australia, Bosch, UTS and Food Agility, have joined forces to protect data in digital agriculture to help feed an increasingly hungry planet.

Food Agility CRC is pleased to announce a new $1.5 million partnership with Bosch and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), that will strengthen data privacy and security across Australia’s agriculture industry.

As major agricultural producers collect increasing volumes of data, they face pressure in appropriately controlling and sharing these datasets with service providers and other industry bodies. This collaborative project seeks to overcome the broad global challenges of data privacy and security in three key areas of the data value chain:

Sensing – Establishing a framework for the inception of data that protects personally-identifiable information and complies with global anti-trust laws.
Data Privacy in Machine Learning – Identifying federated learning systems that enable agtech data users to generate high-quality machine learning models using widespread sources of data in a decentralized manner.
Exchange in data marketplaces – Exploring mechanisms to create trusted digital cleanrooms for data marketplaces.
Food Agility’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Norton, said; “We are observing a critical need in our sector for greater accessibility and confidence in agricultural data management. This project creates a win-win for producers and technologists in ensuring we can extract as much value from data as possible, whilst treating it with the respect for privacy and security it deserves.”
Project Leader, UTS’s Associate Professor, Justin Lipman, contributed; “The collection and sharing of valuable and sensitive agricultural data has the vast potential to improve Australia’s agricultural productivity, efficiency, yield and economic growth. However, unlocking this potential requires appropriate levels of privacy and security across the entirety of the data life cycle, which is what this project will deliver.”

Gavin Smith, President of Bosch Oceania, added, “This project is about trust. Without it, the benefits of smart agriculture will never be fully realised.”

The research activities for this project will generate new insights and technologies that are to be published broadly and adopted into the Bosch global portfolio of data solutions, including the open-source Carbyne Stack.

The Ultimate Agriculture Advantage: Interview with Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems President Dr Reece Clothier.

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 01:52:22 GMT

We recently interviewed the President of the Australian Association of Uncrewed Systems (AAUS) Dr Reece Clothier to learn about the latest developments in aerial drones and their promise and potential for Aussie farmers.

TAF: How would you describe the uncrewed systems market in Australia today?

RC: Agriculture, photography, aerial inspection, and infrastructure management are probably the largest commercial use cases for uncrewed systems, which includes aerial drones, in Australia today. A recent Deloitte study, commissioned by the Australian Government, estimated the agricultural market for aerial drones to grow to AUD1.1B by 2030, and those farming and agricultural applications would deliver further efficiency and cost savings of almost AUD3B. But it is not coming, it is already here. More and more pioneering Australian farmers consider drones as indispensable farming equipment. With so many near term applications and a relatively low risk operating environment – Australia’s farming and agriculture sector will be the one of the first industry sectors to truly capitalise off the adoption of aerial drones.

TAF: Tell us about the pay-off for aerial drones in Australian agriculture today?

RC: Most people think of aerial drones as small multi-rotor aircraft equipped with cameras or multi-spectral sensors. That is what is primarily in operation today, used largely for remote sensing and inspection in applications such as crop health management. We are starting to see the scope of applications expand quite rapidly. Aerial drones are now being deployed for precision spraying, targeting weeds and hard to access areas with spot spraying. They are also being used for planting and seed dispersal. Drones are also being used in farm maintenance for inspection of silos, fences, and large machinery. There’s a number of applications enabled by greater connectivity between devices. So you’re seeing drones that don’t just fly and collect data but also uploading that data into existing software packages and farming machinery such as spraying or fertilising delivery systems. It’s becoming increasingly less about the vehicle and the sensors and more about interconnectivity and how it feeds into the broader farming system.

TAF: What is the government doing to advance the potential of aerial drones in Australian agriculture?

RC: The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), the national aviation safety regulator, is continuing to work with industry to advance the safety regulations governing drones. While there is a lot of work to be done, Australia is widely seen as a world leader in this regard. Industry have been working with CASA to develop a strategic roadmap – essentially a plan for the advancement of safety regulations for this sector. Last year the Federal Government released its National Emerging Aviation Technologies policy, which took a much broader look at the key challenges that need to be addressed. This included aspects such as noise, privacy, security, spectrum, and community acceptance in addition to matters of safety. A key initiative under this policy is a funding program that aims to advance the uptake of drones – with the focus specifically on those applications that benefit rural and regional Australia. So the Government is starting to make some meaningful strides in support of the sector.

TAF: How can Australian agriculture get even more out of aerial drones today?

RC: Key to really opening up the full potential for drones in farming and agriculture is achieving beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operation. Without it, the farmer is limited to keeping the aircraft within Visual Lines of Sight (VLOS), which would limit the size of the area a drone could be effectively deployed. If you have huge pastoral land or massive grain farms, you can’t just keep driving and stopping to launch and recover your drone. AAUS has been working collaboratively with CASA to try and forge the knowledge and understanding of what it takes to get a BVLOS approval. As a result of this work, CASA has released standard scenarios for BVLOS operations, which help streamline the requirements and process. AAUS has been delivering free webinars to help operators understand what it takes to safely operate BVLOS and how to get the necessary approvals using these standard scenarios. We are now seeing more and more BVLOS approvals being issued for operations in rural areas, but we still have work to do to broaden the scope of these approvals.

The agriculture application industry for drones will be the first to benefit from more routine BVLOS operation. Farmers are doing it now however it just takes a huge amount of effort. To open up the agriculture application, we really need to get the process moving much more smoothly.

TAF: What risks are posed by the use of aerial drones in Australian agriculture?

RC: The main challenges are in ensuring drones can be safely operated alongside other aircraft or over people and property. In particular, we need to manage the risk of a collision with another aircraft operating at low altitudes, such as helicopters or crop dusters, or a drone impacting a person or house. The relatively low utilisation of airspace and vast areas of low (or no) population mean it’s much easier to close the safety case for drone use in rural and regional areas than it does for drones operating near a city centre. This makes many farming and agricultural applications much more of a near term opportunity.

TAF: How will Australian farmers cope with so much new data sourced by aerial drones?

RC: There is a real risk of “drowning in data” and the solution really lies in connectivity and automation. Farmers don’t have time to go through hours and hours of video data or multispectral data and make sense of it. What they really need is that one image or information product that supports the decisions that need to be made. This is where data analytics and automation come in. Artificial Intelligence (AI) could aid farmers in combining, interpreting and analysing the wealth of data collected by drones and other farm sensing systems. But before all that we need to make sure the data collected by drones can be readily imported into existing farming software and automation systems. This is achieved through standardisation of interfaces and data formats.

TAF: Can you tell us more about the role of AI in aerial drones.

RC: You can liken AI to an expert consultant, available 24/7, that embodies the accumulative expertise of huge datasets. AI can be used to “see” the complex patterns and trends that lie in the data. For example, that certain areas of a crop may have an infestation or need additional water. AI can also suggest courses of action, like the particular type of insecticide and its rate of application, or the amount of water required to those identified areas. The benefit of AI lies in presenting the information relevant to good decision-making. To close the automation loop, approved courses of action could then be simply uploaded to farming spraying or irrigation systems!

Automation and AI also helps overcome issues with connectivity in rural and regional areas. Drones, and many other farm sensing systems, can collect terabytes of data. The challenge is then – how to get all this data back to where you need it? If there is automation or AI at the point of data collection (i.e., on the drone itself), the system can instead process the data in the field and just send back the one important image or piece of information needed by the farmer. So, there is a very strong case for the use of AI in farming and agricultural applications. It’s becoming increasingly less about the aircraft and more and more about the product it collects and how it connects to existing decision-making processes and farming automation systems.

TAF: What does the future look for aerial drones in Australian agriculture?

RC: Farming and agriculture is already one of the largest use cases for drones and it will continue to grow. This growth will be enabled through greater awareness amongst farmers of the applications for drones, continuing advancements in the capability of the drone platforms and associated software systems, and the streamlining of regulatory processes. Processes that enable routine and safe BVLOS operations will enable a raft of new applications, particularly in broadacre farming. Within the next decade, you could readily see large drones undertaking broad area aerial application tasks, shuttling feedstock or equipment, picking up RFID tags of livestock, and even undertaking the mustering.

Much of the technology to do this already exists. However, we still need to advance the regulatory processes to make all these great use cases a reality. AAUS is doing a lot on this front, working with CASA to advance our joint understanding of the safety case and mitigations that need to be in place. We also have a working group exploring the requirements for aerial spraying. There’s a lot of work still to be done but one thing is certain, the potential benefit is huge.

Earthing Carbon

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 01:36:57 GMT

Plants, vegetation, and soils take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, convert it into energy and store it as biomass. Increasing biomass to reduce atmospheric levels of C02 is known as carbon sequestration. Australia can make an exceptional contribution to climate action by creating natural systems to store more carbon in soils, pastures, woodland forests and biodiverse plantations, selling the offset carbon to other nations to meet their Paris Agreement targets

: It is now clear to the international community – as it was not eleven or eight years ago – that changes in land use and agriculture will have a central role in avoiding high costs of climate change. If we move too slowly and overshoot the Paris targets, soil- and plant-based sequestration – including through the capture of carbon wastes from plant-based industrial processes and storing or using them in ways that keep them out of the atmosphere – will be the main avenue to achieve negative emissions.

The transformation of food, agriculture and land use that is necessary for climate change mitigation is also needed for global development, to improve human health and to maintain a stable global ecology more generally. There will be one agricultural and land use transformation to serve these four great purposes.

To make good use of this opportunity, Australia will need systematic incentives for reducing emissions in agriculture and land, and to provide sound reasons to believe that they are here to stay. And it will need to restore old national strengths that have been allowed to decline in recent years: our strengths in research and education on agricultural, pastoral, forestry and related industrial activities. Alongside our industrial opportunity in renewable energy, our strength in growing and using biomass will set Australia up as the superpower of the low-carbon world economy.

Size, scope, opportunity

Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have elevated the importance of capture of carbon in the landscape. It is estimated that natural climate solutions can provide 37 per cent of cost-effective reduction in global carbon emissions for a two-thirds chance of holding warming below 2°C. These reports indicate that native forest restoration and reforestation could sequester up to 480 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems – sufficient to meet the negative emissions needs of many 1.5°C scenarios.

The unusually large endowment of land and woodlands relative to population gives Australia immense advantages in the production of biomass, as well as in the capture of carbon in the landscape.

We still can’t speak definitively on the size of the opportunity. Australian research funding and effort over the past decade have not matched the economic and environmental importance of the subject. The general story is of immense potential for sequestration of carbon through changes in Australian landscapes, but of small and diminishing research effort to define the potential and the means of unlocking it. Two developments have contributed to this unsatisfactory situation: the absence of generally available incentives and a general reduction in research and development on agriculture, pastoral activities, forestry and climate change.

Counting carbon

In 2008, I concluded that climate mitigation in the land sector required comprehensive carbon accounting. The inclusion of land under the Kyoto Protocol framework was incomplete. With the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, and the subsequent rulebook adopted at the end of 2018, all countries will be required to report emissions under the same United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting framework, applying the latest guidance from the IIPCC, which includes a more comprehensive approach to land-based accounting.

The Paris Agreement raises an expectation that the long-term mitigation goal will be achieved through a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks.

What have come to be known as "natural climate solutions" have become much more prominent in international and especially the European and North American discussions.

Research a decade ago did not permit definitive assessment of how much carbon could be captured in Australia in these ways. However, in 2011, I speculated that the value of land credits sold into the emissions trading scheme could equal, by 2030, the contribution now made by wool to the Australian farm economy.

My treatment of carbon in the Australian landscape in 2008 and 2011 drew upon pioneering work by the CSIRO and the state departments of agriculture, as well as research at universities. A CSIRO publication in 2011, published after my second Review, highlighted the importance of the opportunity: "Our soils and forest store large quantities of carbon: somewhere between 100 and 200 times Australia’s current annual emissions. We can potentially increase these stores in our rural lands and perhaps store or mitigate enough greenhouse gases to offset up to 20 per cent or more of Australia’s emissions during the next 40 years.

The decarbonisation of electricity and the electrification of industry and transport can remove about two-thirds of the reductions to net zero global emissions. The land use, agriculture and food transformation can deliver most of the rest.

A recent research project from the US Academy of Sciences suggested potential for 10 gigatonnes per annum sequestration in global and one gigatonne per annum in US landscapes over the period to mid- century during which the world needs to achieve zero net emissions. Australia should have sequestration potential comparable to that of the United States. The low agricultural value of most Australian land reduces the opportunity cost of management for carbon sequestration. It is of national economic consequence that we undertake the research to define the scale of and the means of unlocking the opportunity. In the meantime, the judgement on scale presented in 2011 seems modest. The big difference now compared with 2011 is that we no longer have the prospect of an emissions trading system into which land-based carbon credits can be sold.

Compared to other nations, Australia has two advantages in capturing carbon in the landscape. The first is our exceptionally large endowment of woodlands, forests and other land relative to population. The second is our exceptional expertise in land-based industries – from agricultural and forestry science, through agricultural and resource economics to public and private knowledge and institutional arrangements supporting commercial success.

Advanced knowledge and innovation were necessary for transplanting European-style agriculture to a strange and unpropitious physical environment. Research, innovation and education supported by public institutions were important from the earliest times.

In 2008, I brought into the mainstream discussion some early work by the CSIRO and state departments of agriculture on the immense mitigation potential of changes in land use. Nurturing vegetation on the dry, degraded mulga country where rainfall was spasmodic in Queensland and New South Wales could be transformative. Innovative uses of the properties of Australian eucalypts included farming of the mallee on the arid boundaries of crop cultivation for subterranean sequestration and for harvesting biomass.

The 2011 Review took the land use mitigation story further. It advocated inclusion of offsets from agriculture into the emissions trading scheme through what became the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). These arrangements were carried into the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments’ Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). The ERF was a clunky, truncated and less adequately funded version of the CFI. It required resources from general revenue, rather than from sales of emissions permits.

Nevertheless, Abbott’s ERF kept alive the sale of offsets as a way of providing incentives for farm sequestration. The arrangements developed by the Clean Energy Regulator showed how an offsets scheme related to land use could work, and that there was strong private response to incentives.

The Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) allowed farmers and land managers to earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). Each ACCU represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent stored or avoided by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The ACCUs could be sold to clear obligations under the carbon-pricing rules. In July 2014, the carbon price was repealed. On October 31, 2014, the new Coalition government’s climate strategy, the Direct Action Plan, was passed, which established the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF). The shift was made from a carbon price to government-purchased abatement, and an expanded CFI, moving eligible projects beyond the land sector to include energy and transport. In the ERF, $2.55 billion was made available for direct purchasing of abatement under the reverse auctions, of which $226 million remained in May 2019. The government’s Climate Solutions Fund was announced on February 25, 2019 to appropriate an additional $2 billion from 2020–21 onwards to fund auctions to 2030.

The ERF involves a voluntary crediting and purchasing mechanism.

To ensure these emissions reductions are not displaced significantly by a rise in emissions elsewhere in the economy, a safeguard mechanism requires Australia’s largest emitters to keep net emissions below baseline (historical) levels. The safeguard mechanism applies to around 140 businesses that have direct emissions of more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year.

Projects that meet the requirements under the various methodologies can generate ACCUs for emissions reductions. Projects can sell their ACCUs on the voluntary market, or bid to sell them to the government in auctions run by the Clean Energy Regulator. Auctions are held twice a year. The ninth ERF auction was held on July 24–2, 2019. The average price per ACCU contracted has been $11.92 over the life of the scheme, with the average price at individual auctions ranging between $10.23 (April 2016) and $13.95 (April 2015).

There is a way forward that does not violate the current government’s electoral commitments. The first step would be to make the whole of the funding for the Climate Solutions Funds available for use now as legitimate carbon credits are certified by the Clean Energy Regulator. This would see the new fund exhausted over a few years.

The second step would be to require in the next parliamentary term, with the necessary electoral preparation, the beginning of phasing in of full offsetting of fugitive emissions by purchase of ACCUs. The full offsetting would be completed through the 2020s. Demand for credits from the farm sector would be further enhanced by the current requirement for all exceedance of baseline emissions within the Abbott safeguard mechanism to be accompanied by surrender to the Clean Energy Regulator of ACCUs. Alternatively, state governments through their mineral leasing or environmental powers could require offsetting of fugitive emissions by use of certified ACCUs – sourced from their own territory, as the local politics would favour expansion of opportunity for the local farm and station community. This is the approach proposed by the WA Environmental Protection Agency in 2019, in its Greenhouse Gas Assessment Guidelines.

Further into the future, when Australia’s international climate change mitigation credentials have been restored, linking to the European Union emissions trading system would avoid truncation of the mitigation effort. Time would be needed to negotiate change in European and Australian rules on trade in carbon credits. There would be initial European scepticism about the legitimacy of a number of Australia’s rules on farm credits. Where warranted, adjustments could be made. At the same time, Australia would need to persuade European policy-makers of the value of soundly measured and administered carbon farming.

Our efforts in persuasion would be supported by the recognition growing in the international community, including in recent IPCC reports noting the importance of natural climate solutions to the global mitigation effort.

Valvoline’s premium oils and lubricants are designed for the toughest Australian agricultural conditions

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 02:27:53 GMT

As the original engine oil, Valvoline™ has been providing various industries, including the agricultural industry, with longstanding innovation. With the world’s first racing oil, first synthetic blend and first high mileage engine oil, the company has consistently shown its commitment to innovate and reinvent for the evolving automotive, commercial, agricultural, and industrial customer needs.

With over 50 years of experience in servicing the Australian agricultural market, Valvoline continues to hit the mark with their heavy-duty engine oils, greases, hydraulic oils, tractor fluid, and coolants, helping to protect and keep agricultural equipment in Australia running optimally. These products are developed to withstand the toughest conditions and demands faced on Australian farms. It is safe to say therefore, Valvoline’s oil and lubricant products partner for maximised performance and minimised downtime.

“We understand the importance of high-quality lubricants to primary producers and their machinery. It is crucial that equipment runs efficiently, particularly when operating in isolated locations,” says Graham Hutton, director of the Commercial and Industrial division at Valvoline. “During the pandemic, we’ve learnt and confirmed many things about our own business and the industries that we serve. One of our main insights and hence priorities for the agricultural industry is that farming and agricultural work simply can’t “do lockdowns” - lockdowns, downtime, and delays isn’t an option when soil needs to be properly cultivated and sown during optimal conditions and timing. That is why it remains Valvoline’s mission to make vehicle and equipment care as easy and efficient as possible for all of our customers. We do this by providing innovative solutions and efficient distribution that enable the customers that we serve to continue moving forward with their businesses.”

Valvoline has been manufacturing lubricants in Sydney since 1964 and the range of agricultural products has been formulated to combat Australia’s uniquely harsh environment, delivering protection and performance for agricultural equipment.

When deciding which gear and transmission lubricant to use, farmers usually give advantage to Universal Tractor Transmission Oils (UTTO), such as Valvoline Unitrac SAE 80W and FarmPlus Hydratrans , because these oils effectively lubricate hydraulic systems, the transmission, and wet brakes of tractors, combine harvesters, diggers, and other agricultural equipment.

Unitrac SAE 80W has been tested in a range of tractor and earthmoving applications and was proven fit for purpose, with drain intervals extended by as much as 50 per cent across a variety of conditions.

In addition, Valvoline developed FarmPlus Universal , a Super Tractor Oil Universal (STOU) which, besides being a tractor gear oil that lubricates the transmission, hydraulic systems, and wet brake systems, can be used as a tractor engine oil as well, and thus leading to product consolidation. The diesel tractor oil is adjusted to respond to different challenges, which makes it one of the favourites in the market.

Valvoline has a proven track record in Australia that extends from production and research and development to dependable availability in rural areas, with close links to the agricultural community. A total of 27 warehouses around the country, which includes 20 situated in regional areas, ensure a significant national and rural footprint, while the easy to use online ordering platform ‘Connect’ offers convenience and extensive product information. The platform is supported by a range of distributor partnerships in regional centres so farmers have ample opportunity to access the Valvoline product range.

The company values strong long-term relationships with both distributors and resellers, who in turn have long-term relationships with highly valued local primary producers.

Flow Launches Global Reforestation Program to Protect Pollinators

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 07:46:24 GMT

Flow is today launching its Billions of Blossoms impact project to help to arrest the drastic decline in crucial insect populations worldwide.

The Billions of Blossoms project is a partnership between Flow and some of the world’s best reforestation and conservation projects. The goal is to create billions of new flowers for pollinators through a mix of reforestation and habitat protection, including agricultural reform.

“Today – as we face climate, pollution and extinction crises, with insect populations and overall biodiversity in drastic decline – committing to the regeneration of the natural world has never been more important,” said Cedar Anderson, Flow Hive co-inventor and CEO. “Flow is delighted to be partnering with some of the world’s best reforestation and conservation projects, to help create a bright future for pollinators, people, and the planet."

Earth is at the start of the sixth mass extinction in its history. More than 420 million hectares of forest have been destroyed worldwide since 1990.

Flow will help to protect and re-establish healthy forests, so as to provide forage for billions of pollinating animals worldwide.

The Billions of Blossoms project is funded by Flow's online education initiative, TheBeekeeper.org. More than $325K has been raised for the Billions of Blossoms project so far, which will be used to partner with high-quality reforestation projects around the world.

Billions of Blossoms partner organisations currently include Eden Reforestation Projects [Africa]; One Tree Planted [Australia, USA, Indonesia, NZ]; World Land Trust [Latin America]; YAKUM [Ecuador]; Hometree [Ireland]; and ReForest Now [Australia].

One Tree Planted works with reforestation partners across 43 countries. In 2020 they planted 10 million trees.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Flow’s Billions of Blossoms project, which supports our mission of planting trees and creating healthy ecosystems where biodiversity can thrive. Bees need trees too!” said Beth Dalgliesh, One Tree Planted’s Regional Director, Australia and Asia Pacific.

YAKUM works with Indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest to build cultural, medicinal and food sovereignty, through reforestation with carefully selected native tree species and territorial resource mapping.

“We’re really happy to be collaborating with Flow and their Billions of Blossoms Project to do reforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon. These funds help to continue our work with organisations like the Sachawaysa eco-tourism workgroup in Ecuador, who’ve been reforesting cattle pasture land with ancestral fruit, nut and palm trees since 2018,” said YAKUM’s Executive Director Nick Ovenden.

Flow are the creators of the Flow Hive, a revolutionary way to extract honey straight from the hive.

Franklin Electric Australia celebrates 60 years

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 07:41:03 GMT

A global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of water movement products and systems, Franklin Electric has continued to provide farmers across Australia with efficient and reliable solutions - staying ahead of the game and meeting the demands of an ever-changing climate in a harsh rural landscape.

The year 2022 marks the 60 ^th anniversary of Franklin Electric Australia , a water management company synonymous with excellence and reliability. Not long after the establishment of Franklin Electric in 1944 in the USA, Franklin Electric Australia commenced operations in Dandenong, Victoria and since that day in 1962, it has been playing a pioneering role in this country. Today, it continues to offer pumping and associated products and services with application across agricultural, residential, industrial, commercial, mining and municipal water systems.

In the early 2000s, Franklin Electric Australia manoeuvred its focus to solely cater services and technical skill to the water pump industry, leading to the launch of the FPS range of submersible and above-ground pumps, motors, controls, and drives to great success in 2007. Continuing to lead in this field of expertise, the company has been using cutting-edge technology to design and launch pumping systems that are consistently more dynamic. The company’s extensive range of products aims to offer solutions for all water management and movement-related processes, particularly significant for the agricultural industry where effective and innovative irrigation equipment and practices for enhanced water efficiency is crucial.

“As a global company, Franklin Electric reaps the benefits of having manufacturing facilities worldwide,” says Malcolm Eyre, the Managing Director of Franklin Electric Australia. “Considerable effort and investment are being made at overseas operations in product development, leading to enhanced efficiency, reliability and sustainability of existing offerings, as well as launching brand new solutions.”

Streamlining the performance of its water management systems is at the core of Franklin Electric’s product development and this applies to all the company’s merchandise.

A comprehensive selection of submersible water pumps is on offer, wherein key components of specially designed mechanical seals prevent water from entering the pump motor and causing a short-circuit. A new range of 4” submersible bore pumps is to be launched in the near future, adding to the current selection of 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, 14” and 16” pump ends. These bore pumps have been re-designed to increase productivity. Though the range of applications is broad, a typical application is to pump water from a specific source (e.g., water well) to a desired destination.

The company’s line of submersible motors, used for groundwater and other submerged pressure pumping applications, have been developed to be extremely durable and reliable. “In the case of submersible electric motors, we have developed permanent magnet motors from 1.1 kW to 150kW, which are far more efficient than conventional motors. Comparable higher efficiencies of up to 20 per cent are attained”, Malcolm confirms. More specifically, the Franklin Electric 4” submersible motor will feature the widest range of voltage and frequency ratings in both single- and three-phase models in the industry.

Submersible control boxes complement this full range of motors and pumps, specifically designed for Franklin Electric products to provide long-lasting, accurate operation for optimum pump system performance. To accommodate the burden of regulating water levels to suit the country’s unstable rainfall patterns, “Franklin Electric has integrated variable speed drives with its pumping equipment to allow Australian farmers to better utilise their water allocations,” Malcolm says. Ultimately, this is saving the farmer time and money, while also providing peace of mind.

An emerging forerunner of solar-powered pump systems

Since Franklin Electric’s launch of its solar pumping systems over a decade ago, solar power has gained in popularity as not only a climate-friendly alternative to diesel or electricity, but additionally as a more economic energy resource. To meet the growing demand for solar-powered systems, the company will soon be launching a new range of solar pump products.

“The development of higher powered and more efficient solar panels over the past several years enables us to provide much larger systems than our current Fhoton and SubDrive SolarPAK offerings,” states Malcolm, “and we foresee solar pumping to be the range where the most development will take place in the coming years.”

The current features of the Fhoton SolarPAK include a high-flow system ensuring faster tank-fill and significant water output; multi-colour LED operating status; soft-start feature to prevent water hammer and increase system life; built-in diagnostics; DC solar array; and most importantly, long-term reliability with simple installation and no required maintenance. The C-tick and UL-approved SubDrive SolarPAK system similarly features a high-flow system and soft start feature, and comes equipped with a seven-segment controller display as well as MPPT (max power point tracking) to maximise input power efficiency. It also offers remote telemetry, simultaneously providing off-site owners and operators full access to the Franklin Electric solar water pumping system.

Reliability and continued innovation

As a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of innovative products and systems for water and fuel management and movement, Franklin Electric continues to provide solutions to Australian farmers all too familiar with managing frequent drastic climate changes and land conditions.

The vision remains for the company to continue its strong growth trajectory, with Franklin Electric retaining its place as the leading bore pump company in Australia, while maintaining its renowned level of service. Malcolm reiterates that one of the biggest benefits Australian farmers get from choosing Franklin Electric is the technical support from locally based technicians. He attributes the company’s success over the past 60 years to not just their innovative products and competent staff, but also reliability and performance – undoubtedly essential to Australian farmers.

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Franklin Electric’s decades’ worth of technical experience has seen the company thrive as a leader in developing efficient water management systems. Their range of products is comprehensive, encompassing Motors, Controls & Protection ; Above Ground Pumps ; Bore Hole Pumps ; Solar Systems ; Constant Pressure-Subdrives ; Sump Pumps ; VFD-VSD Drives ; Water Truck Pumps ; Transfer Pumps ; Pioneer Pumps and Accessories . Whatever the need, Franklin Electric has the optimised solution for any water-management and movement issue. New Paragraph

How Science and Innovation have helped Propel Australia's Wine Industry

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 07:30:00 GMT

Leading vintner and wine industry leader John Casella reflects on the history of science and innovation in our wine industry, often underappreciated. Applied innovation has been a key force in the sector’s success over recent decades.

Innovation and science have played an important role in the success of the Australian wine industry. Refrigerated fermentations, insulated wine tanks and inert gas cover, for instance, were introduced in the mid 1900s and have enabled Australian winemakers to prevent oxidation and retain flavours in their wines.

By the 1970s, the adoption of greater clarification of white grape juices by cold settling, filtration or centrifugation reduced the incidence of coarse phenolics – most critically tannins – which otherwise would have rendered white wines more prone to oxidation and less delicacy. These developments and more sophisticated equipment were necessary to counter the hot regions where the renewed industry had largely found itself, a consequence of its history producing fortified wines that, for many decades, had dominated the wine market.

Of great significance in this period was the release of the 1952 Penfolds Grange Hermitage. The wine’s creator, Max Schubert AM, took the revolutionary step of finishing the fermentation of his red wine in barrels of new American oak. New oak was rarely used at this time other than to repair damaged barrels. While the target of early ridicule, bottle-age revealed the emergence of a classic that was to influence Australian winemaking. This would take on greater significance on global markets when in 1995 the influential American magazine Wine Spectator rated the 1990 vintage of Grange as its Wine of the Year.

For around a century Australian varietal table wines were based on merely four grapes, Semillon, Riesling, Shiraz and Grenache, and even these were often labelled with generic names, such as “Claret”. Nevertheless, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet sauvignon and Pinot noir had been present since the 1800s but it took the growth of the local table wine market and the move to varietal labelling to bring these to the mainstream. Chardonnay is particularly noteworthy, with renowned UK commentators Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine, and Andrew Jefford declaring that many Australian Chardonnays were of French premier cru – first growth – quality. Pinot noir, too, is internationally recognised, changing from the tough, leathery examples of early years in hot regions to the aromatic, finely balanced wines from cool regions.

Three important examples highlight the variety of home-grown scientific research. Dr Pat Williams and colleagues at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) discovered in 1992 that some flavours in wines are present in grapes as flavourless precursors. This had great benefits in understanding the processes of primary fermentation which release these flavours. The spinning cone column, a process invented by CSIRO, has been used for making reduced or low alcohol wines, grape concentrates and for the removal of undesirable flavours. It is also used in many applications in the food and brewing industries. In 2001 Australian producers began a widespread move to screwcap closures to counter damage to bottled wine by cork taint and oxidation. While this was strictly an adoption, ground-breaking research by the AWRI identified how screwcaps and other closures could be better managed for maximum consumer benefit. This research had worldwide ramifications.

While new production techniques were bringing greater quality and consistency for the consumers’ wines, research, innovation and adoption moved from the winery into the vineyard.

Agriculture and population growth have brought more pressure on water resources in our dry continent, prompting several approaches to mitigation. Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) relies on accurate measurement of soil moisture, humidity and evaporation rate to restrict growth and crop, gaining quality while maintaining vine health. An alternative, partial rootzone drying (PRD) uses twin irrigation lines, one on each side of the vine row, supplying water or restricting it alternately to each side of the row. The roots on the dry side send hormonal signals to the vine to restrict further growth, while those on the wet side nevertheless give the vines sufficient supply.

Climate change has exacerbated the demands on water resources, with mitigation in vineyards following broadly two paths. Some companies are moving the centre of gravity of their vineyard holdings towards cooler regions such as Tasmania, adding to the shift in vineyard regions that began in the 1970s. The second option is to use the existing vineyard. Research is identifying the grape varieties that better suit warmer conditions when the time comes to replant. Alternatively, extensive studied are showing how existing vineyards can be better prepared for drier conditions with well-targeted irrigation and using new tools including apps on smart phones that can measure water or nutrient status and light penetration. This micro-sensing can also identify the extent of vineyard variability, which was studied on the macro scale by Rob Bramley and colleagues using remote sensing by satellites. This highlighted areas of higher or lower vigour and yield, allowing different sections of a vineyard to be managed and harvested either in different batches or on different dates, leading to higher quality.

The warming climate has also increased the speed of ripening. Sugar levels, however, tend to race ahead of flavours and tannins, so that winemakers find they need to delay until grapes are fully ripe. This leads firstly to increasing alcohol levels but also, with increased heat, grapes are ripening earlier and in warmer months, exacerbating the problem. Brilliant research by Victor Sadras and colleagues at SARDI found that hotter weather decoupled the onset of sugar and phenolic development forcing the latter to lag. This showed sound physiological evidence for what winemakers had been struggling with.

Growing concern for the environment by the public and the wine industry has concentrated effort on reduced inputs and sustainability. Changes include reducing fuel use in vineyards by grazing sheep during vine dormancy; using mulches to reduce evaporation, vine stress and herbicide use, retaining moisture and using less fuel for irrigation; mulching prunings to retain organic material and carbon; and using composts, including composted grape marc. Nitrous oxide, a strong greenhouse gas, is released from soils, but changing fertiliser practice in vineyards is reducing its emissions.

Research was boosted by the formation of the Wine Innovation Cluster (WIC) in 2008. Based at the Waite Institute in Adelaide, this is a group of universities, national and state research organisations providing synergy on many projects. Some have been completed while others are continuing, including identifying clones for climate change and grapevine rootstocks to reduce environmental stress; developing irrigation strategies to combat dry winters; and understanding fungicide resistance in viticulture. Another project within the WIC is defining the regional variability and uniqueness of Australian Shiraz.

Research to practice, a strong part of the Australian wine industry, is continuing to bring results to industry through seminars, workshops and published technical papers.

Winemaking continues to focus in research, notably sequencing the DNA of yeast and malolactic bacteria strains to improve microbial performance and make sounder, more flavoursome wines; the identification of rotundone, the compound responsible for the black pepper aroma and flavour in wine, and its importance in Australian Shiraz wines; and understanding and avoiding “brett”, an unattractive horse-stable or medicinal plaster taint in wine which is disliked by consumers. And the consumer is the most important person to please.

Like wine production, wine itself complex, but many wine lovers look for just simple enjoyment. It was satisfying this need that challenged me. Casella needed to escape the crowded market, make our own rules and create a brand that had breathing space to grow. Our way to differentiate was to make a wine that wasn’t traditional, but was good fun and easy to drink. Within 14 years we had a top-selling brand in Australia and took [yellow tail] to 51% of Australia’s share in the US market. We’re now successful in Asia too.

Other market opportunities are being explored. The country’s winegrowing regions are increasing in number, bringing more cellar doors to please visitors and increasing the diversity of our regional offerings, particularly on-premise. Australia has also further diversified its varietal mix, most importantly with vermentino, pinot gris/grigio, prosecco, viognier, sangiovese, tempranillo, petit verdot and nebbiolo.

Ultimately, research alone is not enough. Disseminating the findings to vineyard and winery is essential as is the need, even the challenge and courage, to the meet consumers’ expectations.

Livestock Pulling its Weight for Carbon

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 07:20:41 GMT

For Australia to achieve its climate goals, all sectors must pull their weight. For farmers with livestock, there are a multitude of challenges: methane emissions, lot feeding and meat processing all put pressure on the carbon budget. So how does an industry with high carbon emissions balance things out to become carbon neutral?

The Australian red meat and livestock industry has set the ambitious target of being Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30).

That means by 2030, Australian beef, lamb and goat production, including lot feeding and meat processing, would make no net release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere.

Red meat producers manage half of Australia’s land mass and the industry is on the front foot, proactively working to maintain or improve long-term productivity and livestock numbers while striving to deliver zero net emissions.

Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), in collaboration with industry, government and research partners, is investing in research, development and adoption projects to enable industry to move toward the CN30 target.

The red meat and livestock industry currently contributes 10 per cent of all of Australia’s GHG emissions – this figure has halved since 2005.

According to data released by CSIRO in June 2019, the Australian red meat industry achieved a 57.6 per cent reduction in GHG emissions between 2005 and 2016. It was one of only two industries in Australia to reduce emissions, the other industry being manufacturing.

The significant decline in the industry’s carbon accounts largely reflects the impact of enhanced productivity in red meat production systems and land-management practices like reforestation, afforestation and reduced deforestation.

Further emissions reductions are expected as technologies that reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminants – the major emissions source for the red meat sector – penetrate the market.

Under the CN30 initiative announced in November 2017, MLA is leading a collaborative research, development and adoption (RD&A) program to develop and commercialise technologies and practices that promote the role of carbon farming in building drought resilience, emissions reduction and a more profitable red meat industry.

The MLA has form when it comes to leading the globe. Only one robot in the world is doing advanced x-ray guided beef carcase cutting at the moment – and that’s here in Australia at JBS Dinmore.

Innovation to feed the future of animal production

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 03:51:50 GMT

Australian farmers are actively looking for feed ingredients that are cheaper, more widely available and at least as nutritious as existing feed. In response, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researchers are finding new uses for sugar industry by-products that might not only feed the growing national herd, but also deliver significant benefits across the agricultural sector.

Global demand for Australian animal products such as meat, cheese and milk powder is increasing, particularly in Asian countries where changing population dynamics are creating a burgeoning middle class. Our agricultural sector is responding to this demand by increasing animal production, which therefore means we need to produce more animal feed.

As well as helping producers supply growing export markets, animal feed containing lower cost, widely available and nutritious ingredients (such as dietary fibre, sugar syrups and protein) also helps to future-proof the livestock industry in times of drought or flood. The lower cost of these feed ingredients will help ensure that cattle, pig and chicken production businesses continue to thrive.

Crop by-products such as hay have long been used to feed animals. However, QUT scientists are now examining the by-products from Australia’s iconic sugarcane industry as a potential source of nutritious, sustainable and low-cost animal feed ingredients.

A sweet solution

According to the Australian Sugar Milling Council, sugar is one of the nation’s largest rural industries with up to 35 million tonnes of sugarcane grown each year. The crop is primarily grown along the east coast – about five per cent in northern New South Wales and the rest in Queensland, where it is the state’s biggest agricultural crop and generates more than $2 billion dollars in annual export earnings.

Australia’s annual harvest of 35 million tonnes of sugarcane produces a range of products: up to 4.5 million tonnes of raw sugar, about one million tonnes of molasses and 10 million tonnes of bagasse, a fibrous residue left over when the cane is processed for its juice. Another by-product is cane trash – the tops and leaves of the sugarcane that remain in the field when the plant is harvested.

For QUT Senior Research Fellow Dr Mark Harrison, the mission to find efficient, economically viable ways of transforming bagasse and cane trash into animal feed is very much about upcycling – reusing materials and waste to create higher value products.

“Recycling and upcycling are common practices in several industries, and they have many potentially profitable applications across the agricultural sector,” he says. “As we know from the sugar industry, large amounts of agricultural by-products are available across Australia and these by-products can contribute to farm income if converted into valuable, saleable products.

“We need to look to residues and by-products from agricultural systems that are available at central locations like sugar mills as potential feed additives and feed ingredients.”

Traditionally, sugarcane by-products have found other uses. For many years, Australia’s sugar mills have burned bagasse on site to produce heat, steam and electricity for their milling processes. Excess electricity generated from bagasse is then fed into the grid to supply nearby populations.

It is possible to feed sugarcane bagasse and trash to animals, but this is not done in Australia because the by-products are not very digestible nor nutritious in their native state. By developing new bagasse and trash treatment processes, and probiotic and enzyme supplements, QUT scientists are changing the structure and chemistry of bagasse and trash to improve their nutritional value and transform them into quality feed ingredients for animals such as cattle, chickens and pigs. The research also offers the opportunity to improve the nutritional value of crop by-products that we already use for animal feed.

Converting biomass to feed

Much of the research into transforming these wastes into feed ingredients takes place at QUT’s Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant, based on the site of the operating Racecourse Sugar Mill in the central Queensland city. The pilot plant is a unique research and development facility that can convert biomass into biofuels, green chemicals and other bioproducts.

QUT’s research into transforming bagasse and cane trash into feed ingredients focuses on three processes:

pre-treatment to change the structure and chemistry of fibre so that digestibility improves processing to dissolve the sugar polymers in the fibre and produce a feed syrup with similar properties to molasses solid-state and liquid fermentation to produce single-cell microbial feed protein from crop by-products and pre-treated crop by-products.

At the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant, scientists use chemicals, heat and pressure to break apart sugarcane bagasse or trash fibres, release sugars and make them accessible to the animal that eats the feed.

“We have a lot of experience in bagasse and trash pre-treatment at the pilot scale,” says Dr Harrison. “For example, we know what conditions we need to use to make the fibre more digestible for cattle.

“After pre-treatment with chemicals at high temperature, the fibre is softer and can provide more energy to the animal. We also know what conditions to use to partially dissolve the fibre and make a liquid sugar product that we could feed to pigs or chickens.”

Making the most of nature

Animal feed diets typically contain a variety of different types of supplements such as probiotics and digestive enzymes to help livestock digest the feed and remain healthy. Probiotics are live microbial cells that enhance the health and performance of an animal, while enzymes are added to help break down feed to release extra energy and nutrients.

QUT Associate Professor Robert Speight and his team of scientists are developing new probiotic and enzyme supplements specifically for inclusion in sugarcane bagasse-based feed to add further value to this low-cost feed ingredient.

“We know fibrous feeds such as bagasse can be challenging for an animal to digest,” he says. “So we’re looking at adding the probiotics and enzyme supplements to the feed to make it more digestible and nutritious, which in turn produces an animal that is healthier and more profitable for the farmer.”

QUT is currently working in partnership with Bioproton Pty Ltd, Ridley Agriproducts, Kennedy Creek Lime and The University of Queensland on a government-funded project to scale up probiotic and enzyme supplement production to commercial levels and perform testing in livestock to show safety and efficacy.

The project will bring these new supplement products to market faster and more efficiently. It will also demonstrate a streamlined lab-to-market platform for taking research discoveries through scaled-up production and field-testing. This platform and the capabilities developed in the project are now being applied to a variety of industrial bioproducts.

The benefits to Australian agriculture are significant, with these new technologies primed to create flow-on effects in the form of more plentiful and cheaper feed ingredients for animal producers, new income streams for crop producers and processors and increased employment and economic development opportunities for regional areas.

“The potential is there to bring the best of biotechnology and hi-tech manufacturing to the regions using fermentation-type technologies,” Associate Professor Speight says. “It’s these new technologies that are going to make the difference in the end.

“It’s about protecting and growing the industry through future-proofing. The great thing we can see is that this research represents real opportunities for the agricultural sector in Australia, particularly with the willingness of farmers and industry to get behind these ideas and technologies to realise their potential.”

Find out more:

QUT’s Institute for Future Environments finds ways to make our world more sustainable, secure and resilient by studying interactions between our natural, built and virtual environments.

Acknowledgements:

The research projects described are part of QUT’s Biorefineries for Profit program, funded by the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program. The ‘bagasse to animal feed’ research program is also supported by Sugar Research Australia, while the ‘probiotics and enzyme supplements for enhanced livestock feed’ project also receives support from Advance Queensland.

Research for this article was contributed by:

QUT Associate Professor of Microbial Technology, Robert Speight (@portyrob)

QUT Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities member, Dr Mark Harrison (@MarkH_CTCB)

Misinformation over GM is harming our agricultural productivity and potential

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 03:34:19 GMT

The genetic modification (GM) of crops helps growers around the world produce more food and fibre with fewer inputs and meet the nutritional needs of a booming population. And in a developed country such as Australia, GM science allows farmers to supply consumer demand for cheaper and more abundant food. So, why do GM products face such negativity or fear from many sections of society?

Humans have been modifying crops for over 10,000 years through selective plant breeding. Here in Australia, William Farrer is celebrated as the father of the wheat industry for his plant breeding work just over 100 years ago. Yet today, the genetic modification of crops – merely the modern, more efficient technological extension of this historical practice – faces significant community and government opposition despite the benefits it delivers.

In their article on the relationship between science and food in the first volume of The Australian Farmer, Dr Heather Bray and Professor Rachel A. Ankeny called the development of GM crops “arguably the most important scientific intervention in the food system in recent years, and also the most contested.”

They posit that reasons for community opposition to GM often include ethical conundrums of whether nature should ever be manipulated, fears about food safety, a belief that GM is merely a way for big corporations to boost profits and even a lack of knowledge – “for many in the community, uncertainty about benefits is reason enough to avoid consuming GM foods.”

One would think that communication and education on the benefits of GM would be the key to overcoming this opposition. But GM crops have been around since the 1970s – and attempts to educate and communicate their benefits nearly as long – yet opposition still remains. However, as GM science progresses and we learn how to develop more consumer-friendly plant traits, will this situation change?

THE CURRENT SITUATION

Genetic modification allows the transfer of genes between unrelated plant species to develop desirable traits – most commonly, herbicide tolerance or pest resistance. Only three GM crops are currently commercially farmed in Australia, with their growth, transport and use strictly regulated by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR).

Pest-resistant and herbicide-tolerant GM cotton was first introduced to Australia in 1996 when 40,000ha of the crop was planted – it has since grown to encompass 714,000ha. GM canola was introduced in 2008, and by 2017 almost a quarter of the national canola crop was genetically modified. GM safflower was approved for commercial growth only last year, and you can read more about this crop and its potential in the next article in this chapter.

By using GM technology, Australian farmers have gained an estimated $1.37 billion in income and produced an additional 226,000 tonnes of canola that would otherwise have not been possible with conventional crops. GM crops have also enabled farmers to reduce their environmental footprint by eliminating the need for 22 million kilograms of herbicides and insecticides.

And with the world’s population growing to an expected 9 billion by 2050, GM technology is considered one of the best ways for farmers to meet the equivalent rise in food demands.

“The future of literally billions of people depends on changing the narrative about how we view genetically modified food and genetic technologies,” says Professor Ian Godwin, Director of the Centre for Crop Science at Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and author of the book, Good Enough to Eat?.

“If we are to produce more sustainable and nutritious food to meet the growing global demand – in the face of challenges from pests and diseases, eroded soils, lack of water and climate change – we need to be able to take the best from the latest genetic technologies and from organic and agro-ecological farming practices.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA MISSING OUT?

In Australia, federal legislation allows anyone to grow and sell GM crops, as long as they have OGTR approval and licencing. Most states follow the federal model, except for South Australia and Tasmania, which both have a moratorium on the cultivation of GM crops. Western Australia, where a moratorium on GM was only overturned in 2016, is now home to the nation’s largest GM canola crop.

In South Australia, the situation may be changing after the newly-elected government commissioned a review into the moratorium and found it had negative economic consequences for SA farmers. The review estimated that the moratorium had cost the state $33 million since 2004 in lost canola earnings alone, and found there was no premium price for the state’s GM-free grain.

South Australia’s peak grain association, Grain Producers SA, has been a longstanding opponent of the moratorium and welcomed the results of review.

“The opportunity cost of maintaining the moratorium will only grow as new GM varieties from other crops are made available, such as super-high oleic safflower and omega-3 canola,” said GPSA Chair Wade Dabinett. “GPSA has consistently argued the moratorium offers little in the way of trade and marketing benefits to the majority of agricultural producers in SA, and only removes the option of using safe and effective GM tools.”

And it’s not just South Australian growers that are missing out – the practicalities of bringing a GM product to market are only made more difficult in a country where the laws are different in each state.

For companies that invest in GM technology, Australia is a difficult place to do business. And it’s easy to see why when GM canola seed grown in eastern Australia must be shipped to Western Australia rather than freighted by land due to South Australia’s moratorium, or when a farmer with property straddling the Victorian/SA border has to abide by different laws in different paddocks.

“It’s a difficult area for biotechnology and seed companies to navigate, for what are really expensive products to bring to market,” says Tony May, Head of Customer Marketing ANZ at Bayer Crop Science. “When there’s a clear legislative framework, you know what’s required. But when you overlay that with a patchwork of different legislative requirements, it’s difficult for companies to make investment decisions in the first place.”

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

While farmers in Australia are voting with their feet and embracing GM crops, there is still an element of society that remains opposed. Despite 23 years of use in Australia, public misperception of the risks – health or otherwise – associated with GM acts as a barrier to future use and technological advancement.

“There’s a long-entrenched perception of GM that continues to be perpetuated without the intervention of facts,” says May. “And it does appear to be getting more difficult to counter fairly simplistic arguments with the use of science.”

Part of the problem is that GM food has been positioned in some quarters as the ‘opponent’ of organic food. The growth in the organic market has seen a newfound consumer interest in the provenance of food, which is undoubtedly a good thing. But organic and genetically-modified do not necessarily have to be at opposite ends of the scale – both methods of food production have their advantages and their place in society.

“We have to stop pretending that ‘natural is best’ and challenge the notion that organic food companies are not actually big global companies with a conflict of interest when it comes to the GM debate,” says Professor Godwin.

“Our focus will continue to be on improving crop productivity, food quality and sustainability in the crop sciences, and we will use

every safe, effective and innovative tool in the toolbox to do so.”

FARMERS THE ANSWER?

Even though the science is clear, communicating the benefits of GM crops to the public has not been easy. Perhaps this is because explaining the benefits of current GM crops requires your audience to understand farming, the way food is produced and the challenges farmers face. This may soon change though, as we begin to grow crops such as super-high oleic safflower that have a direct consumer benefit.

“Typically the GM crops that are in use around the world benefit farmers, which is great – they are herbicide or pest resistant and really improve farming systems,” says Nick Goddard, Executive Director of Australian Oilseeds Federation. “But there hasn’t been consumer benefit, so consumers are sceptical because they haven’t really understood what happens on the farm.

“We’re now getting into the realm of genetically modified crops that produce an end benefit for an end market, which might just change that paradigm a bit.”

Social media is also opening up new avenues for better communication when it comes to advancing the benefits of genetically modified crops. Social media allows the general public – who often have little-to-no contact with the food production cycle in their lives – an opportunity to put a face to a name and interact with real people.

“It’s about understanding what farmers do and how they produce food,” says May. “Some people probably aren’t going to listen to big corporations, but they might have more affinity with a farmer – seeing people’s individual stories on social media can be really powerful.”

It is clear that as long as public mistrust or misunderstanding of GM remains, Australia’s agricultural productivity and potential will be hampered. In order to embrace the science and the benefits that come with it, we need to better communicate why it is needed in the first place and foster a nationwide legislative environment that encourages investment in GM technology.

Farmers are the key to this, and we need to promote farming voices at both peak body level and on social media. Maybe, with a new wave of GM crops that deliver a direct benefit to the consumer and more farmers making their voices heard in the public sphere, the tide will begin to turn for the public perception of GM.

Hydrosmart Boosts Yields

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 07:12:26 GMT

Once installed, farmers can expect to pay about $10 a year for electricity to power their Hydrosmart. It’s a small price to run a nifty bit of gear that reduces salinity, protects plumbing equipment, increases crop yields and helps fatten cattle faster.

Hydrosmart’s physical water conditioning system is a simple, sustainable and effective approach to conditioning water. By applying it, farmers get the advantages of using a technology to solve water problems which requires no chemicals, no filters and no maintenance.

Reflecting back, CEO of Hydrosmart Paul Pearce said they started the company 23 years ago servicing vineyards in South Australia, as the business was surrounded by the many great Australian wine districts.

The technology took off and, since then, Hydrosmart’s have helped growers from a range of farming sectors including strawberries, broccoli, olives, apples, citrus trees right up to broadacre farms and livestock. They have a field trial currently running on young seedless lemon trees in California using EC 1.1 dS/m (630 TDS) water over the last 12 months. They are measuring tree diameters and heights and applying regularly measured amounts of fertiliser to the trees planted on coarse sandy soil in the desert. The Hydrosmart treated water increased growth a significant 30% the first year.

Hydrosmart’s have become a mainstay sustainable water technology on many farms and outback homesteads which, of course, rely on well water. From go to flo, the installation process doesn’t take longer than a few hours.

“We ask that the Hydrosmart is protected, so it may take time to put a small shed or enclosed area around it so it’s safe from the elements and any animals”, he said. “It will keep working for decades of use and there are no running costs other than $10 in power to operate it yearly.”

When asked how and why it works much better than simple static magnets, Paul replied: “By using a computer program that puts out powerful electromagnetic fields in combination with resonance frequencies that are put into water via coils wrapped around the plastic pipe loop giving over 3 meters of contact time and oscillating (activating) water molecules as they pass through. This in turn helps to weaken their bonds and produce a wide range of beneficial outcomes, particularly with highly mineralised, salty, iron or calcium rich sources.”

In short, the device softens hard water to improve overall yields. Just like a good overnight rainfall, which can only be gifted by the weather gods, farmers can notice a difference to their crop within a few days.“

We have had vineyards report seeing vines perk up within a week of installing one, as the flushing away of sodium and chloride in the root zone acts like a rainwater event, and plants pick up rapidly” Paul said. “They can absorb more water and nutrients allowing for the growth of longer, stronger canes, a better canopy and an increase in grape quality and yield.”

Hydrosmart activated water also provides many benefits for livestock of all types A beef farmer contacted Hydrosmart when they realised their Poll Hereford stock were unable to gain weight on their regular well water.

The well ran water with moderately high TDS (7000 ppm) which the cattle were not enjoying. After learning about this technology, the farm ordered a 50 mm Hydrosmart unit to treat the water which was considered low quality for beef cattle. Once installed, the cattle began putting on weight as they drank from the Hydrosmart treated brackish water. “After moving over to Hydrosmart in January, one lamb feedlot in New South Wales observed a 15% weight gain over six weeks”, Paul said. For more information, visit https://www.hydrosmart.com.au

Ecological Organic Fertiliser by ReNutrients - trace minerals from recycled batteries

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 04:03:38 GMT

Cutting-edge Finnish technology enables this Australia-based company to extract and purify Zinc and Manganese from used alkaline batteries.

Who would have thought Cleantech can meet Agtech in the form of a viable jump from toxic batteries to pure fertiliser? The Australian company ReNutrients is using Finnish technology to do just that - tackling an environmental issue whilst returning valuable nutrients to the ground. Their first product is ZM-Grow™ which has been approved as an input for Organic Production by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture in Australia, NASAA.

According to research commissioned by the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC), Australians only recycle around 10 per cent of their household batteries. When compared to Switzerland’s 71 per cent (and five other nations recycling more than half of the batteries they buy), it is no wonder that the BSC is preparing to launch a national collection network for end-of-life batteries not covered by other stewardship schemes (such as computers and phones).

ReNutrients addresses battery recycling and more. It is commonly known that soils and pasture throughout Australia tend to be deficient in trace minerals. This has a knock-on effect on crops and livestock. Through this technology, however, valuable minerals which are currently mined in Australia can now be recycled and returned to the soil.

The technology, which is patented by the Finland-based company TraceGrow, centres on extracting and purifying the trace minerals zinc and manganese from used alkaline batteries. The resultant premium foliar fertiliser ZM-Grow™ is clean, safe and adaptable. The liquid compound comprises nutrients critical for plant growth and nutrition, including potassium and sulphur in addition to those extracted. Increased yields and an enriched nutrient content in crops have been proven during trials overseas. Thus far tests have been conducted in countries including Finland, England, Italy and the USA, for wheat, oats, barley, grass, corn, citrus, avocado, cotton, tomato and potato. The fertiliser has already been certified for organic use in the UK and approved for use as an organic fertiliser under EU legislation. Recently, it has been approved by NASAA in Australia, where trials are currently underway.

ReNutrients is a member of both NASAA and the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA). The company has plans to advance and establish a processing and manufacturing facility in Australia. They are on a mission to play a key part in Australia’s circular economy, including sustainable and socially responsible production. Good news for conscientious consumers, who’d certainly enjoy the benefits of increased nutritional value also.

SARDI: from applied research to best practice in South Australia

Sun, 19 Dec 2021 04:10:47 GMT

The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the research arm of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, is the South Australian Government’s principal primary industries research provider.

Since its establishment in 1992, SARDI has pursued world-leading research and development solutions for primary producers in South Australia and beyond.

SARDI delivers the applied science that grows South Australia’s primary industries, playing a key role in advancing the productivity, quality, competitiveness and long-term sustainability of the state’s agricultural sector.

That’s a bold ambition. South Australia has over 522,000 square kilometres of land in use for agriculture and the prolific waters off its coast host extensive commercial fishing and aquaculture industries. Add the state’s substantial food and wine sectors, and the breadth of SARDI’s remit can start to feel dizzying. It is a multidisciplinary agency in the truest sense.

The mainstay of SARDI’s activities is applied scientific research, which focuses on addressing the real-world challenges faced by primary producers now and into the future.

In practice, this includes everything from identifying and managing emerging environmental threats – weeds, pests, bacteria and pathogens of concern – to helping individual sectors and producers operate more efficiently, more cost-effectively, and more sustainably.

SARDI is headquartered within the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus – a forward-looking agri-science precinct that has developed in Adelaide’s leafy inner-south.

The organisation’s broad-ranging research specialties are divided into four main categories: aquatic sciences, crop sciences, food sciences, and livestock sciences. Each involves the kind of hands-on, experiment-based research that attracts curious and innovative scientists to SARDI – and which often leads to significant discoveries. The Waite Campus facilities include the SARDI Plant Research Centre (PRC), which functions as a hub for SARDI’s state-wide network of cutting-edge laboratories, research centres and field sites.

There is ample opportunity for trial-and-error science at the PRC. Its ultra-modern facilities include 30 controlled-environment rooms in which light levels, temperatures, and other variables can be manipulated as needed; next-generation greenhouses that can maintain a wide range of natural environments; and bespoke laboratories where researchers apply molecular diagnostics to entomology, plant pathology and soil health tests plus other trials and diagnostic services.

SARDI is also a genuinely state-wide organisation, administering a network of regional research centres that tend to reflect the industries that operate around them.

Just north of Adelaide, at the University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy Campus and at the Turretfield Research Centre, SARDI researchers explore innovations in broadacre agriculture, advanced animal reproductive technologies, natural resource management, pastures research, and animal production. Their projects are supported by an operating piggery and a 900-hectare working farm, where lab theory can be tested in practice.

Other regional research centres are located at Struan and Kybybolite Research Farms in the state’s southeast, Loxton in the Riverland, and Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley. There are also research facilities at Clare in the Mid North, as well as at Port Lincoln and Minnipa on the Eyre Peninsula.

These centres conduct ongoing research into pasture, livestock, viticulture, horticulture, agronomy, tillage, and low rain fall cropping techniques.

SARDI’s research is not limited to dry land, either. The Institute is also heavily involved in supporting sustainable fisheries and a thriving aquaculture industry for the state.

The South Australian Aquatic Sciences Centre at Adelaide’s West Beach is a striking, purpose-built marine and freshwater research centre. The facilities include a pool farm, an indoor aquaria room, shellfish and finfish hatcheries, and an algal production and analysis facility – as well as the nation’s only large-scale biosecure aquaculture system for investigating marine pathogens.

Working here and in regional marine research offices at Port Lincoln and Mount Gambier in the state’s southeast, SARDI staff work to ensure the sustainable development of South Australia’s fisheries and aquaculture industries, and the long-term health of Australia’s southern waters.

SARDI also manages a sophisticated oceanic monitoring system that covers the Great Australian Bight, the Southern Shelves and the Spencer and St Vincent Gulfs. The network continually tracks water temperature, salinity levels, wave heights, extreme weather events, algal blooms, the trajectories of potentially devastating seaborne viruses and more.

This generates a wealth of immensely valuable data for the communities, commercial operators and recreational users of South Australia’s extensive coastline and waters, which SARDI gathers and shares online daily.

That reflects an organisation-wide commitment to not only conduct cutting-edge applied research, but to disseminate the results as widely and consistently as possible.

The development of South Australia’s vibrant innovation culture has been an unambiguously positive story and SARDI is an integral part of the state’s growing reputation as a global knowledge hub.

The SARDI model – in which applied research, enabled by government funding, is directed strategically at specific industry problems and policy priorities – creates real value for South Australian primary producers.

SARDI has delivered numerous outstanding outcomes including underpinning the development of the Australian oat industry by breeding specialised new varieties, delivering science to support the development of the state’s valuable Southern Blue Fin Tuna aquaculture sector, improving pest and disease management in crops, and improving lamb survival rates for graziers.

Other gains aren’t as easy to quantify. For example, SARDI has mapped improved routes for Southern Ocean trawlers that are saving the fleet thousands of dollars in fuel costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions both on the water and along the fuel supply chain.

The Institute’s whole-of-state benefits also extend to extensive scholarship and postgraduate placement programs, which provide viable pathways for young South Australians who want to pursue careers in primary industries science and research in South Australia.

SARDI’s various programs help prevent a “brain drain” by attracting and retaining this homegrown talent where it will benefit and advance the state’s best interests.

This underscores the fact that SARDI is not just an important asset for today. Its researchers are already investing considerable effort into future food and water security, sustainability, climate challenges, changing soil constraints and emerging biosecurity threats.

Australia’s primary producers will need innovative solutions to meet these many challenges. SARDI’s proven commitment to delivering them is an argument for optimism.

The Future of Food Off-world and On

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 05:58:34 GMT

Agricultural research supports long-term space habitation possibilities, while accelerating sustainable food production research for Earth.

In the next five years there will be a new space station orbiting the moon, by the end of the decade a crewed lunar base will have been established, and by 2040 humans will have stepped onto the surface of Mars. These are the aspirations of Earth’s space agencies and, whilst the propulsion systems to reach our off-World targets are well-advanced, critical technologies that will ultimately enable remote human habitation lag far in development.

In particular, the challenge of providing the adequate and varied diet to ensure healthy space explorers is one of the greatest obstacles for mission planners. This is because mass and volume restrictions prevent enough food being taken on the voyage to Mars, and resource resupply from Earth is not a viable option; furthermore, even if enough food could be sent in advance, food stability of essential vitamins and nutrients for longer periods of time is not yet achievable.

Space and Mars missions provide the ultimate microcosm environment in which we will need to achieve sustainable food in a closed loop system. Everything must be supplied from the outside making waste a luxury that cannot be afforded. As such, the lens of space provides the ideal laboratory in which we can innovate to provide new opportunities for achieving sustainability on Earth. It would be remiss to not deploy the enabling technology needed to achieve this for space, here on Earth, long before humans step onto Mars surface 20 plus years from now. In light of this, the goal of supporting long-term space habitation is an opportunity to accelerate the research needed to reach sustainability on Earth.

There is a strong rationale for plants to be the ultimate base material for food production in space due to their autotrophic nature – requiring carbon dioxide, light, water and a minimal set of nutrients to produce nutrients and oxygen to support human life. In return, humans use the carbon fixed by plants as energy and complete the cycle by respiring carbon dioxide. Additionally, the intricate metabolism of plants can provide a platform to produce complex flavour molecules, nutrients, and even biomaterials such as plastics. The innovation required to provide the nutrition and biomaterials to sustain long-term space habitation, and to deploy this technology here on Earth to improve sustainability, is an area where Australia can claim to have the critical mass that would be capable of providing global leadership.

The research needed to sustain human life in space will produce nutrient rich, highly efficient plants, nutritionally fortified plant-based foods and space-ready functional materials and pharmaceuticals – all readily translatable to Earth markets. Developments in modern gene technology and zero-waste plant production in controlled environments will also result. These breakthroughs in the emergent field of plant processing would firmly establish Australian competitiveness as a leader in high-value sustainable agricultural production, as well as enabling the moonshot of the 21 ^st Century.

The Future Forces Shaping Australian Agriculture

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 05:48:39 GMT

While no one can predict the future, it is important to explore what Australian food and fibre production and consumption might look like in a future shaped by growing trends and potential disruptions that are starting to take hold today.

Making forecasts about the future is not about predicting what is more likely to happen, it is about providing insights and stimulating conversations that expand the scope of our strategic thinking. When it comes to Australian agriculture, we look at the forces that may shape its functional health and related dynamics in order to consider the opportunities and risks that exist with the system and all along the value chain.

The past decade has seen seismic shifts in how we produce, consume, and use food and fibre. For example, drones went from expensive playthings to commodity equipment, and crop genome sequencing went from high-cost research to an affordable service. E-commerce and social media marketing allow consumers to buy food online and have it delivered to their front door, often directly from the producer.

The next 10 years will stretch our preconceived notions about the future and as the speed of change is increasing, so too does uncertainty and the diversity of opportunities. That is why it’s important to examine the plausible – yet sometimes provocative – possibilities that lie ahead. AgriFutures Australia, Agthentic Advisory and the Institute for the Future did exactly that in the 2021 report, Future Forces: A ten-year horizon for Australian agriculture, which offers a new perspective on the emerging agricultural and food landscape.

Future forces

In the report, Agthentic Advisory and the Institute for the Future identified five social, environmental, economic and technological forces that are set to grow over the coming decade. While these forces are much bigger than the global food and fibre system, they nonetheless have already begun to shape Australian agriculture.

These forces are high-level and reach across categories. The report explored these underlying directions of change in order to better understand the operating environment of the future.

Viral disinformation in the food system – Food issues become increasingly susceptible to disinformation campaigns that use deepfakes, conversational artificial intelligence and accessible botnets that can manipulate online discussions.
Interconnected digital infrastructure – An interconnected system of digital capabilities unleashes new opportunities in agricultural supply chains.
New geographies of climate change – Movement of people, climate regions, and crops define an era of uncertainty.
Rewiring the grid – Distributed energy production is made possible by advancements in renewable and alternative technologies.
Domesticating the cell – New products, experiences, and concerns will arise from the ability to design biology.

Forecasts

The report found emerging trends and innovations that, in combination with the above forces, give rise to seven forecasts for Australian agriculture. These forecasts include signals of change and are windows into how the future might look very different from today.

1. The war for the consumer relationship

Many new stakeholders, including actors who have never before been in the agricultural system, will seek to influence and capture consumer interest as digitisation of every step of the food system increases. For example, physical retailers will race to add in-store sensors and consumer behaviour models, digital platform players will leverage their head start in data analytics to disrupt traditional sales channels, and even processors and producers will build relationships with and seek out direct channels to consumers.

2. Regional redesign

Driven by new energy systems and automation technologies, there will be a fundamental re-design of individual production systems and regions as everything from genetics to irrigation to layout of farm operations will be optimised for automation.

3. Outside solutions to climate problems

New technologies such as advanced sensing, machine learning, and synthetic biology will help mitigate climate change volatility.

4. Divorcing flavour, nutrition, and form

Synthetic biology technologies will allow for the design of food products untied from natural production systems, and commercial competition will drive development of new foods through cellular agriculture, molecular engineering, and 3D printing. For example, Australian start-up Vow is changing the concept of meat by building a library of cell lines and genetic traits to help redesign cultured meats.

5. Supporting full-spectrum producers

Producers of the future will rely on a wide mix of income streams through broadly defined resource conversion: not only converting grass to meat or fibre, but also converting sunlight to solar power, soil to carbon sequestration services, or data collection to useful models.

6. The searchable food web

Measurement and tracking tools, in combination with molecular tags and the internet of things (IoT), will allow for individual food products to be tracked and traced, increasing the importance of managing trust in food systems.

7. Biology goes digital

Genetic therapies and gene editing tools such as CRISPR (a set of DNA sequences that allow for relatively easy gene editing) will become democratised through commercially available products, and biological manipulation will be possible for new organisations and producers.

Preparing for, not predicting, the future

As the next few years unfold, the future forces and forecasts described above won’t stand still. Part of what the report revealed is that forecasts will also evolve and change. Some will follow a predictable trajectory; others will bend on a different path. And, of course, unexpected and unpredictable black-swan events will potentially change everything.

The report reminds us that the future is something over which we have agency and that the purpose of looking to the horizon is not to strictly predict, but to prepare for what is to come – whether that is expected or surprising. Monitoring the drivers and signals of change makes it possible for Australian agriculture to both maintain and update its model of the future, as well as direct preparations in the present.

While we don’t know exactly what shape the future will take, thanks to the Future Forces: A ten-year horizon for Australian agriculture report, what we do know is that:

Future developments will involve new combinations of known and unknown principles and practices, across domains and supply chains, and give rise to new competitive forces.
Tomorrow’s agricultural producers may be categorically different than today’s as new technologies and systems shape their roles.
The future will require new methods of support, education and training in order to make sure people thrive.
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach as solutions to future challenges will need to be both local and global.
The future will favour collaboration over competition in order to solve complex problems.

A proactive approach towards mental health in rural Australia

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 05:34:51 GMT

New initiatives and new research are empowering farming communities to change the narrative

My interests in mental health affecting rural Australians originated during a routine run. I had not long moved to my husband’s family farm near Mangoplah in the Riverina region of New South Wales, and on this particular run I was wondering how I could contribute and ‘do my bit’ for my community. Running has always provided me with time where my mind is cleared and ideas can flow. Reflecting on what I already knew were relatively high incidences of suicide and mental ill-health in farming communities, with the Australian bush being home to some of the most genuine and down to earth people I knew, I wondered why this was the reality.

The decision to live on the land, though a cherished way of life for many, comes with its challenges. Droughts, floods and fires are all too familiar for rural folk and the never-ending fluctuation of commodity prices is yet another source of uncertainty. The hurdle of succession planning may also present unexpectedly. These can all lead to significant amounts of stress for those who call the bush home. While farms are getting bigger, the vast improvements in technology often mean fewer people on the farm to interact with. Efficiency gains can be great for the bottom line, but what about the soul? As herd animals we’re simply not designed to be isolated for long periods of time, it is unhealthy for the mind. When a feeling of disconnect is combined with reduced physical activity, paired with conditions such as a bad back or a tough “Nah, I’ll be right, mate” attitude ingrained over many farming generations, it can develop into a perfect storm.

I reflected further on team sport and the influence it had had on my own life. As well as keeping me fit physically, the social connection formed with my team-mates had profound benefits for my mental health too. The beauty of team sport is the amazing mental health improvements that happen “behind the scenes” – almost unnoticed. Yet too often this work-life balance becomes a thing of the past, especially once the footy boots or netball bibs are inevitably hung up, this often at a time in life when it’s needed the most.

That’s when the light bulb moment happened: “mimicking the team sport effect”. Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if there was a club of some sort that ran regular group fitness classes in my community? This would get farmers off the farm and people out of the house every week to exercise as a community, in the place of a team, and mean everyone can go home feeling stronger physically and mentally.

Curious to find out more about the state of mental health in rural populations, and what was being done about it, I started asking questions such as:

How severe is mental illness and suicide in rural populations? Is it more or less serious than people think?
Are there suicide statistics available for the agriculture profession specifically?
Where do the risk factors come from?
How are modern-day farming communities faring when it comes to connection and resilience, things which could surely be pivotal in promoting good mental health?

After a lot of reading online and despite many phone calls and emails to relevant government agencies, research institutes and NFPs, I was surprised to find out there wasn’t actually any definitive resource specific to those working in the agricultural industry that had reliable numerical data or conclusive research in these areas.

Through our organisation, we are involved in the proactive space and we’ve also taken the first steps towards research in this area. We partnered with the Regional Australian Institute and the results of this new research have proven our approach to be effective – we are indeed playing a part in building stronger and more resilient communities. While this has been a relief and a great encouragement, I don’t believe it is time to rest on our laurels.

Through campfire stories and pieces of old research patched together, we know that we are losing too many lives to suicide and the more remote you go the worse it gets. We also know that males are at a higher risk. Could this be due to a lack of understanding or a mischaracterization of a mental health problem? Could hesitance to seek help or lack of access to professional care be to blame? What about stigmatisation of those who struggle with mental health, does that play a part?

In my opinion there remains a lot to be done in fostering correct mindsets and good self-care habits. If farmers are happy to service their vehicles and machinery so that they don’t break down, doesn’t the same principle apply when it comes to their bodies and minds? Have we not neglected the basics like physical activity and relationships which provide a safe space to share fears or troubles? What about an unwavering sense of belonging to community which sticks together through thick and thin?

Despite my own fierce commitment to improve the well-being of farmers and farming communities, alongside other mental health advocates like John Harper at Mate Helping Mate, I cannot fix a complex problem alone. But what I can do is raise awareness of what I believe works in the proactive space, a space in which I will always be advocating for new initiatives, greater participation and more collaboration. Yet I am an equally avid advocate for new research to be done whether it’s on the effectiveness of proactive measures, or gaining insight into the complex nature or root causes of the issue. Following a two-fold approach - a continued cycle of action and research - can lead to supporting our valued stewards of the land in more relevant and effective ways.

As part of a broader farming community, I have noticed over the years that the collective conversation around mental illness is improving. People feel increasingly more comfortable talking about it, stories and experiences are being shared more freely. There are many stories that give hope too. Connection, understanding, access to help and strong communities are common denominators in these.

Whether it is through proactive initiatives or better support, more data or new research, I believe each part is an important one in a multi-faceted solution. Past and recent history has proven collective efforts successful. We have already gained some healthy momentum. Now more than ever, a proactive collective effort is exactly what is needed to save more lives of those who matter and are responsible for feeding and clothing our country.

If you, or someone you care for is experiencing distress or struggling, please find support. For crisis support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Beyond Blue offers support, aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma. Call 1300 22 4636 open 24 hours, 7 days a week. The Black Dog Institute offers mental health resources and support tools .

Digital Equity for Regional Australia

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 04:35:21 GMT

Data centres enable regional towns to compete on the same playing field as metropolitan areas

Digital infrastructure in regional Australia has long been neglected, left without investment for many years. This neglect has resulted in untapped economic potential. What impact would local data centres have on growth, and how can regional centres catch up with the capital cities? The key lies in urgent attention to cost-effective connectivity and cloud access solutions for Australian farmers.

Regional towns have been forced to endure limited and costly network solutions for far too long. It goes without saying that it is difficult to run a business when connectivity is both insecure and unstable. And, not only are regional businesses being disadvantaged, but they are also paying more for the privilege. Something needs to change.

THE CHALLENGES FARMERS ARE FACING

The current reality is, every time someone in regional Australia attempts to access the internet, their request needs to go through a metropolitan area, such as Sydney or Melbourne. This pinging back and forth results in a high latency experience – the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction for its transfer. The result? Slow, unpredictable connection that could drop out at any moment. It’s not a stretch to suggest that a simple weather event can leave a small town without internet for several days.

If left as is, the situation is only going to get worse. There are no two ways around it, as extensive public cloud use is prohibitive. Plus, the widespread inception of 5G and growing applications for augmented reality and artificial intelligence means that the volume of data is mushrooming. How will regional towns cope?

FINDING A SOLUTION

The answer is simple. Business data and the cloud both need to live closer to where it is needed in order to streamline processing and reduce latency. This is where data centres come into play. A data centre is a highly connected secure facility that centralises all IT operations and equipment in order to store, process and disseminate data and applications. For many people and businesses, data centres house their most critical and proprietary assets and, therefore, are vital to the continuity of their daily operations. They also provide direct connectivity to the cloud.

There are reportedly more than 7 million data centres worldwide. You can thank data centres for any data storage, management, backup and recovery, as well as your email, high-volume e-commerce transactions, big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence and more.

Unfortunately, it’s no longer enough to have access to a data centre and sending data to and from big cities just won’t cut it anymore. It needs to be local. That’s why edge data centres are so important. An edge data centre is a small data centre located ‘at the edge,’ meaning closer to the people, processes and technologies that generate and use data.

Edge data centres are based in 23 regional Australian centres with large populations such as Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Bendigo, Townsville and Coffs Harbour. They provide direct cloud access, low latency connection and a competitive marketplace that creates a technology hub for the local community.

THE BENEFITS FOR FARMERS

Edge data centres deliver improved telecommunications services for those living in and around regional centres including connectivity, resilience, reliability, and bandwidth. While many have been hesitant to adopt new digital technologies previously due to high latency and the connectivity costs, local data processing can remove this barrier with a fast, affordable solution.

Farmers who regularly employ internet sensors, drones or autonomous farming vehicles on their rural properties are noticing a major impact on their business. These technologies, however, involve collecting vast amounts of data that need to be processed. If the data centre is back in Sydney, these technologies cannot operate in real-time, and a time-lag is inevitable. A local edge data centre allows the data to be processed close by, in real-time, providing better data and analytics for managing and harvesting crops.

The impacts of adopting edge data centres can be felt throughout the farm business as a whole. For example, the overall cost of each harvest can be reduced by adopting sophisticated technologies that can detect specific bugs on a leaf, or sensors that measure moisture and tell the farmer exactly when to apply water. The more information the farmer has access to, the faster he / she can take action; the result is less crop wastage. This isn’t just good for farmers - it also means that the price goes down for consumers. Everyone wins.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

We know the demand for data is already skyrocketing in agriculture, and it’s not just due to the rise of advanced technology. Due to COVID-19, there has been an influx of people and businesses moving to the regions, putting an even greater burden on an already heaving infrastructure.

There are many other socio-economic benefits of edge data centres being widely adopted for regional and rural populations. It is well known that kids raised in rural communities leave the farm to gain a tertiary education and often don’t return due to the lack of work opportunities outside of agriculture, which results in a “brain drain”. Building regional data centres enable metro businesses to relocate their offices to regional areas. Local businesses are also operating more effectively, allowing them to compete on a global stage. All of this creates opportunities for new jobs, driving the local economy and enticing people to move to the area.

KEY PLAYERS

The uptake of edge data centres has been swift, with many businesses and organisations coming together to make it possible. Leading Edge Data Centres own and operate the centres, while Schneider Electric is responsible for the design and build, monitoring and maintenance. Cisco Systems powers the network, in partnership with the NBN POI (Point of Interconnect) which is what allows the data to stay local. This means that every house and business on that POI can take advantage of the faster speeds.

Most of the large telecommunications companies are on board too, allowing users to choose their carrier. The ecosystem within each data centre has been created with the user in mind. There are Managed Service Providers and IT services that can help customers connect and run their business network efficiently.

It’s this collaboration that will make work and life easier for Australian farmers. The time for regional businesses and communities to have access to a stable, reliable and cost-effective network has arrived. It won’t be long until regional towns are on an even playing field with metropolitan cities, achieving digital equity across the whole country.

The Crocodile Conundrum: Where Science, Conservation and Commerce Intersect

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 06:03:22 GMT

John Lever has been catching, nurturing, breeding, showing and selling crocodiles from his Queensland farm for almost 40 years. He has formal training and work experience in science disciplines and is an astute businessman too. Now John is on a mission to promote the economic, scientific and conservational potential of a sustainable and globally competitive national crocodile agribusiness industry.

“It’s not what you’ve got, but what you do with what you’ve got that counts”

BASIC FACTS

The saltwater crocodile (crocodylus porosus), also known as a “Salty”, is the largest crocodile species in the world.
Salties are considered the most dangerous crocodile species in the world.
Salties are evolutionary survivors from prehistoric times.
Salties have survived an intense hunting period in Australia (1940 – 1970)
The Salty population recovery since protection has been beyond predictions.
Salties have a skin with a scale pattern regarded as the best of all crocodilian species.
Salty skins are in high demand by the international crocodile leather industry.
Salties are regarded as a natural resource that can be managed.
Salties are an integral essential part of the natural environment.
Crocodile meat is a succulent white meat with a delicious and unique flavour. It is low in fat and high in protein and is best cooked in the same manner as fish.
The salty’s leather is the finest grade of leather among the 27 crocodilian species around the world.

FARMING

The crocodile industry in Australia has gone through many phases in the last 100 years to get where it is today. Following protection and subsequent population recovery, closed cycle farming was permitted in NT (1972) – captive breeders were kept all year round for one month’s activity, to mate and lay eggs. The eggs were incubated, and hatchlings grown out to skinning size and sold legally through the controls of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Territory legislation. The economic viability of such farms was doubtful and many introduced tourism for cash flow to support farm growth. Crocodiles are a must-see icon in the NT. The first commercial farm in Qld was opened in 1981 followed by WA in 1982.

RANCHING

When “croc” populations in the wild increased there was a public outcry about the threat they posed to residents and recreation users of the waterways. This is still echoed today. The conundrum was that closed cycle farms could not produce sufficient skins to satisfy industry demand; the croc population was increasing rapidly but the wild resource of crocs was protected and could not be used. A strategy of “conservation through commerce” was introduced (1983). Eggs could be removed from wild nests and processed through farms. This process is compliant with CITES. The initial harvests were conservative but ongoing research showed that egg removal had no effect on the status of wild populations. Egg quotas went from 10,000 in 1983 To 100,000 today and Australian skin exports grew fast and husbandry techniques were researched and improved. Policy changes have been evidence based. Only the NT permits eggs to be removed from wild nests; QLD and WA do not.

CONSERVATION

Most people only want to conserve the things they love, only love the things they understand, and only understand those things they're prepared to share time and space with. (Paraphrased from a famous quote by Baba Dioum, a Senegalese forestry engineer from the mid-20 ^th century)

Crocodile conservationists are divided on strategy but the strong evidence that placing a dollar value on crocodiles and utilising the most expendable part of the population only (eggs) is a proven one making the landowners the key beneficiaries.

Those who think that crocodiles should not be utilised at all and want the industry closed have not offered an alternative workable strategy that recognises the value of the crocodile resource nor the potential danger to remote communities, regional urban communities, and recreational users within crocodile ranges.

It is easy to be a crocodile protectionist living in Melbourne or Sydney because you are not affected by their presence or exposed to the danger.

THE FUTURE

By placing a value on crocodile eggs there is a real incentive for landowners to maintain viable breeding populations of crocs. The egg resource is largely owned by indigenous landowners.

The skin export industry returns funds to farmers who are dependent on eggs from the wild. This dependency results in shared dividends.

“Conservation and commercial strategies working hand in hand”

No industry should be complacent or satisfied with the status quo. Any industry that does not build changes into its operation will fail in time. Research is currently being conducted on the parts of the crocodile that can be used for human wellbeing including:

CSIRO has researched the antiarthritic and anti-carcinogenic properties of crocodile cartilage.
Central Queensland University is researching nutraceutical and biomedical uses for crocodile cartilage.
Latrobe University is researching crocodile blood immunity characteristics for possible development for human medicinal use.
University of Queensland is conducting research into artificial insemination of crocodiles.

Crocodile populations in QLD and WA need to be managed and the cost of this is borne by taxpayers in those states. Like the NT, numbers are increasing but there are no industry revenues to offset the costs of management and it remains a taxpayer burden.

Suitable crocodile habitat spans coastal Northern Australia, but the three government entities have separate legislations for crocodile conservation and management. Man-made boundaries are not recognised by crocodiles and some sort of collaboration to have a uniform regularity approach to management and conservation needs to be initiated.

OPPORTUNITIES

Australia is privileged to have this species and is duty bound to use it wisely as a renewable resource. With wild populations nearing pristine levels, a strategy embracing conservation, sustainability and utilisation, research and value adding, as well as a common overarching policy, could lead to steady growth for the next 2 decades and beyond.

For crocodile farming to be financially viable, farmers must have access to eggs, water and be close to a substantial food supply.

Infrastructure can be built around these essentials. Opportunities exist in areas that have bore water that has a temperature range over 30 Degrees Celsius. For the visionaries, places like Moree in NSW and Lorne in Victoria have an opportunity to establish grow out facilities as their bore water exceeds the essential temperatures for cold blooded crocodiles.

The future shift could see crocodiles not just grown for their skins and meat but also blood, bones, and cartilage to develop and value add into saleable products.

Editor’s Note: Crocodile farming is a niche agricultural discipline. It shares many universally relevant farming principles and practices that may be of interest to a wider farmer audience. 1MG commissioned this uniquely fascinating story that demonstrates that by merging science, innovation, technology, commerce (including agri-tourism), entrepreneurism and social responsibility, new industries can be pioneered. The lever family have done just that producing new agribusiness commodities : crocodile meat, skin, and leather products.

John Lever is the owner of Koorana Crocodile Farm, QLD’s first commercial crocodile farm – established in 1981, which is located in Central QLD. Early in his career he worked at CSIRSO and later wrote and managed the National Crocodile Programme in Papua New Guinea. He has a diploma in agriculture from Dookie Agricultural College and is currently an Advisory panel member for emerging industries at AgriFutures Australia.

Are we at war with nature? The language of leadership at the tipping point

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 04:35:21 GMT

The closer we get to tipping points of runaway biodiversity collapse, soil degradation and climate change, the more we need to accept that we’re part of a complex ecological system beyond our control. Our path to ecological reconciliation will be paved not only by the way we farm, but in the stories we tell and the language we use, writes Lorraine Gordon.

Off the back of the toughest drought in Australian history, November 2019 saw my family farm simultaneously 'smashed' between two major fires in NSW – the Ebor fire at one end and the East Cattai fire at the other. This took out approximately 20 kilometres of boundary fence and $700,000 in infrastructure.

In a few hours, these catastrophic fires completely devastated our landscape. Come March 2020, our entire operation was shut down for much of the remaining year. Flood conditions caused a series of avalanches on the mountain to our farm, which resulted in road closures and cut us off from staff and contractors for nearly 6 weeks. Everyone was forced to drive three hours to get around this disaster and come to work.

Such double-barrelled crises are now familiar for many Australians, particularly farmers who so often bear the inordinate brunt of climate and economic instability.

As a community, we will continue to feel the worsening brunt of these extreme weather conditions as we face the reality of climate change.

Planetary boundaries is a concept involving Earth system processes that contain environmental boundaries. The framework is based on scientific evidence that human actions since the Industrial Revolution have become the main driver of global environmental change
(see Figure 1).

Planetary Boundaries are currently unravelling and causing us to rocket away from the stability of the Holocene; climate change is only one of these systems. Without significant change in the way the population operates, including how we conduct agriculture, human activities will continue to destabilise our planet.

Over 50 years ago, the term ‘Regenerative’ was developed by systems theorist Charles Krone in the US to describe a radically different paradigm of approaching human and systems development.

Leading Academic Agronomists agree that, Agriculture is in crisis. Soil health is collapsing. Biodiversity faces its sixth mass extinction. Crop yields are plateauing. Against this crisis narrative swells a clarion call for regenerative agriculture” (Giller, Hijbeek, Andersso, & Sumberg, 2021).

Agriculture occupies 38 per cent of the planet’s total landmass. It is therefore a significant influencer on our planetary systems. Firstly, agriculture has tipped biogeochemical flows through overuse of phosphorus and nitrogen. It has also risked biosphere integrity by decreasing genetic diversity within species.

Other impacts are felt around land-systems change, freshwater use and climate change. We need to invite resilience back into agriculture if we are to survive in an increasingly hostile and fragile environment.

Figure 1: The role of agriculture in overstepping planetary boundaries. (Campbell et al., 2017)

In 2018, I founded the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance (RAA) at Southern Cross University as a venture to enable a large-scale transition to regenerative agriculture in Australia. I recognised that Collaboration between Australia’s leading researchers, teachers and practitioners, was the key to advancing regenerative agriculture outcomes. In partnership with the Farming Together program, RAA is committed to translating its research findings into practical regenerative agricultural solutions, bringing all farmers in the country along on the journey together.

We also recognise the importance of educating the next generation of farmers in resilience disciplines to help them cope with a changing climate. Hence, we created the Bachelor of Science specialising in regenerative agriculture and the Graduate Certificate leading to a Masters in regenerative agriculture at Southern Cross University. Having adopted the necessary changes in the way agriculture is taught and understood in Australia, Southern Cross University is a pioneer in the regenerative agriculture landscape.

If I am going to continue to advocate, research and to educate, as a recognised leader in the field, it is important that “I walk the talk” on my own farm. As an early adopter of carbon farming, registered with the Emissions Reduction Fund, I am happy to make the mistakes, learn from them and use this experience to help others with the process. Carbon co-ops like the ones currently being developed in Northern NSW, are now my focus for creating change, impact and scale. In a nut-shell, the co-operative structure will ensure profits remain with farmers whilst they walk this often complex journey together.

At the heart of it, we need to decide whether we’re going to continue trying to dominate and control the ecosystem, or accept that we’re part of that system; integrated within the web of life. This decision starts with the way we use language, particularly how we frame our current crisis.

For example, metaphors used by a former fire Chief when speaking about the 2019 Australian bushfires were, in my opinion, unfortunate i.e. "The enemy is geared up ... it's like [the enemy's] suddenly got nuclear weapons." He then remarked that, "climate change was the enemy"! This was echoed by another former fire Chief who went further suggesting "national military-style training" to deal with the "locality of battles in a greater climate change war."

I applaud the efforts of our country’s brave firefighters and have personally worked beside them in the recent NSW bushfires. However, I never thought for one moment that we were at “war” with Nature. Indeed, as the Indigenous fire practitioner and author, Victor Steffensen says, "the only reason we are seeing all this degradation to landscape is not just because of climate change, but it's because of bad management." Interesting we are seeing the same sort of narrative unfold with COVID-19, using military language such as “at war” and “fight the virus” only to learn the hard way that we are going to need to live with it and adapt our lifestyles accordingly.

In a recent article by PhD Candidate Ethan Gordon at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, “How Language shapes our Landscape Decision Making” he asks "what is the consequence of treating ecological systems, that are in distress because of human actions, as if they are a nuclear enemy? To fight and destroy the environment is to fight and destroy ourselves. Human beings are in no way separate from the natural world ... this approach has narrowed foresight; no longer can we see the potential for ecological reconciliation. Instead, we only see the 'enemy.'"

Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species, it ranges widely from the number of species to differences within species and can be attributed to the span of survival for a species

Let's contrast these metaphors with those of our First Nations people. They speak instead of "fire knowledge holders" and "becoming part of country." Note the difference in metaphor use.According to Gordon, these differences in metaphor use reflect competing discourses. The former is born of colonialism "and hence carries heavy militaristic symbolism." He says, "this is not a reflection of the individuals who have spoken these words, so much as it is a reflection of a society still gripped with colonial power. This power dynamic is clear in the metaphors as they reinforce independence, specialisation and control. They align with common conceptual metaphors that shape western thinking on nature."

The Principles of Regenerative Agriculture are what underpin the practices and should guide your actions. They include:

Think holistically
Think ecologically and understand complex, adaptive systems
Be comfortable in ambiguity
Have the capacity for continuous, transformative learning
Make place-based decisions, within bio-regions
Understand that human cultures are co-evolving with their environments
Acknowledge and involve diverse ways of knowing and being in landscapes
Participate in cultural and ecological reconciliation

My personal approach to agriculture is to work with nature and do my best to understand the lessons she imparts. And to remember that we need her more than she needs us. I shall continue to earnestly watch this so called “battle” unfold. It is clear who will win, so we best get onside now with nature, embrace her in all her complexity, listen to and fully acknowledge and respect what she is telling us.

Regenerative Agriculture is defined as: "A system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services. Terra Genesis International

Get involved in regenerative agriculture

The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance publishes a monthly newsletter with the latest opportunities in regenerative agriculture and collaborative farming. Email raa@scu.edu.au to subscribe and get involved.

For more information:

The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance: www.scu.edu.au/regenerativeag/

Farming Together Program: www.farmingtogether.com.au

Ref: Giller, K. E., Hijbeek, R., Andersso, J. A., & Sumberg, J. (2021). Regenerative Agriculture: An agronomic perspective. Outlook on Agriculture, 50 13-25. doi:10.1177/0030727021998063

Lorraine is the Founder and Director of the National Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. As Director of Strategic Projects at Southern Cross University, Lorraine acts as a conduit between industry and research, delivering regenerative agriculture solutions nationally with a focus on mitigating the effects of climate change. She was the instigator and co-designer of the Bachelor of Science majoring in Regenerative Agriculture – the only degree of its kind in the world and now the largest agricultural degree in the country. She has assisted over 28,500 farmers, fishers and foresters around the country to progress collaborative projects including establishing Cooperatives which will benefit their various industries as Director of the Commonwealth Government’s Farming Together Program. Lorraine was awarded the 2018 Rural Community Leader of the Year for Australia for her work with farmers, the 2019 Australian Financial Review Award and the 2019 BHERT Higher Education Engagement Award. She was also a finalist in the 2020 Australian of the Year Award. Lorraine is also a carbon farmer and beef cattle trader at Ebor in the New England Tablelands.

The Agriculture Tool for the 2020s and Beyond: “Systems”.

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 04:21:29 GMT

Agribusiness, the world’s largest industry and one that can sequester greenhouse gases at scale with precision management systems.

Farmers as System Managers.

Farmers are central to natural systems involving climate, biology (very temperature-sensitive), water, carbon, nitrogen, energy and phosphate. They also make decisions daily at the intersection of dynamic financial, social and environmental systems. Integration of weather and climate, trading, crop and livestock production, soil and water, are but some of the systems that System Analysts use to understand and optimise plant performance through genetics and increase farm production and profitability while enhancing biosecurity and biodiversity. Multiple ecosystem success indicators, including flora and fauna biodiversity and soil, plant, animal and human health can monitor farm performance. Farmers are system managers much like those working in climate, finance, transport, military and healthcare professions.

Global Instability and Carbon.

Most scientists around the world agree that the evolutionary balanced natural and farming systems have been measurably harmed by the injection of fossil carbon into the global system, already causing a global 1⁰C temperature rise, projected to be 2⁰C soon which directly impacts delicate biological processes. Humans, for example, are finely tuned to function at 36.49⁰C while 37⁰C air temperature is considered to be “hot” and 37-38⁰C is a low grade fever (animals are similarly fine tuned to 38.3-39.2⁰C). Financial accounts of fossil fuel companies extracting carbon for injection don’t account for the costly consequences, “cooking their books is cooking the planet”, distorting the allocation of global resources. $4 Trillion ($700 Billion is currently being spent) is needed today to fix this situation. Worse still, these temperature increases are not evenly spread over the globe e.g., higher arctic temperatures tipped that area from carbon sink to carbon source in 2017 due to loss of sea ice with methane clathrates, permafrost and the Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation also now at high risk of tipping. In 2021, the Amazon rainforest is also tipped most unexpectedly from carbon sink to source with frosting of coffee crops.

System Solutions for Carbon.

The biggest single capture of carbon on the planet is in photosynthesis – the process used by plants, algae and certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight and turn it into chemical energy. Historically the land, especially forests (4 Billion ha.) and grasslands (3.5 Billion ha.) sequestered carbon on a massive scale (oceans 25%). Farmers could lead global efforts to sequester carbon to rebalance the biosphere. Carbon has real commercial value in many parts of the world today, for instance in Europe and China, so managing it to increase sequestered carbon on the farm is a huge financial opportunity for Australian agriculture. Globally, say 0.5 Gigatonnes per year is sequestrated by farmers and valued at $50 per tonne it is a $25 Billion per year market. McKinsey estimates that annual global demand for carbon credits could reach up to 1.5 to 2.0 Giga tonnes of CO ₂ per year by 2030. Companies are interested in buying carbon offsets so creating markets will provide financial incentives for farmers. Farmers can increase sequestration from existing enterprises by increasing protected bush, planting trees even fruit trees, targeted grassland management, over sowing pastures, using perennial crops and Crassulacean acid metabolism or “CAM” plants and by precision management.

System Analysts Role.

The intricate, intertwined and interactive global cycles, embodied within farm cycles, has to include real world carbon data as precise input to robust soil, above ground and global carbon models. Tools are needed to autonomously monitor carbon, with edge computing, ground based measurements (drone, mesh sensors, topography, soil, etc), climate data, satellite data and this data displayed visually. Digital tools applicable for dynamically visualising the farm, in real time and ready for action-packed decisions, are already used in gaming products for the home entertainment industry e.g., game engine models.

Systems analysts with real time modelling will produce farmer-friendly, decision ready, on--the-run predictive tools for farmers and land managers. Actions and decisions can be explored for long-term options for changing management practices to maintain food production but also secure potential income from carbon sequestration. This same data can be interfaced with autonomous equipment and machines to deliver an automated, if not autonomous farm and business, as autonomous agriculture is here today e.g., drones and robotics.

New Knowledge Needed Urgently

Further, this same systems data and models will be the basis of distributed education, learning and instruction, anywhere, anytime including “on the job” real-time new knowledge is needed. Genetic manipulation is central to production, but the application of biological chemicals (e.g., auxins, chemicals and nutrients) is necessary as a running response to indeterminate variables be it weather, markets, water, weeds, animal health, biological agents of viruses, diseases, pests or insects. None of this is possible without digital systems, “edge computing” – which involves positioning data storage and computation closer to where it is needed (e.g., IoT devices), pattern recognition, artificial intelligence, quantum computers with resonator technology and silicon qubits – the fundamental building block for quantum information processes. Teams with design capability will build hardware and software and combined with a manufacturing capability with real-time real field exposure.

Precision Farm and Global Management

Continuous monitoring of the landscape with satellite, drone or ground autonomous vehicles will provide a time-series report of the rate of change and health of the landscape. These will be high resolution, that is in millimetres, captured in 3D and with appropriate technology viewed on large screens or modified for handheld devices in real-time anywhere. The transfer of transformed data can instruct human or automated treatments including delivery of chemicals in solid or liquid forms, seeds or plants by autonomous land or aerial devices.

Nurture Local, Impact Global for the Health of the Biosphere.

Agriculture is also about agrinurture: nurturing land, the atmosphere, plants and animals to produce fibre and nutritious food. Systems data can be used to monitor food from field to fork, including its nutritional status as consumers are now asking for it to be more tailored to what their health needs are. But nurture of the soil and biosphere is also needed. All farmers’ decisions and subsequent actions, especially “treatments”, can modify the Biosphere. This can be in the immediate space e.g., destroy microbes; local, e.g., spray drift destroying neighbours' crops; or global, the wider Biosphere, e.g., impact on global water, nitrogen, phosphorus or carbon cycles. Systems management will be very positive for carbon and its sequestration but also increasing biodiversity and the efficient use of water, nitrogen and phosphorus on farms. Employing over one billion people and generating over USD1.3 trillion worth of food annually, agribusiness is the world’s largest industry and the only industry in the immediate future that can sequester greenhouse gases at scale, using existing processes.

Dr John H. Troughton, MAgSc., PhD., DSc., who is a global consultant of agriculture, ecology and energy programs, is currently leading global efforts to prove transformational actions that benefit the farmer, the biosphere and its climate. Contact John on email at: john.h.troughton@gmail.com .

Isuzu and Cavedon Wines Reinventing Viniculture in Victoria's King Valley

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 08:06:00 GMT

27 ^th October 2021

With acknowledgement to Isuzu Australia Limited and Arkajon Communications.

Nestled against the boundary of Victoria’s Alpine National Park, the picturesque King Valley is a feast for the senses. It’s highly regarded for its charming villages, world-class produce, vineyards, trout-filled rivers and gently undulating pasture country ideal for grazing or cropping.

Being Australia though—and at a high altitude—the idyllic region sees as mix of exceptionally warm and dry summers set against the backdrop of bone-chilling high-country winters.

In amongst this environment of extremes sits Cavedon Wines, a third-generation grape growing operation first planted by Dino Cavedon back in the late seventies. Now with the involvement of Dino’s daughter Pia and son-in-law Gabe, Cavedon has launched its own family label.

Cool sips: Cavedon Wines' Gabe O'Brien & Andrew Heslin from Water Dynamics talk grape growing & irrigation in the King Valley, VIC

Although not one for officialdom, Gabe has nonetheless assumed the role of Head Winemaker and explains the range of vines currently in the ground at Cavedon.

“The original plantings here were mostly noble varieties – Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet. Since then, it has been progressively re-planted and grafted over to newer varieties.

“Now we’ve got a lot of Prosecco, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and some other alternate varieties that tend to fair a bit better in the cooler climates,” he said.

Dino originally partnered with the Department of Agriculture early on to facilitate the innovation of quality grape growing in King Valley, going on to formulate some of the pioneering viticultural methods used widely in the region today.

Three generations later, the Cavedon family are producing some of King Valley’s most sought-after fruit.

“We’ve got good temperature variation here in the valley, so that helps with the flavour of the fruit. We also have deep red volcanic clays that have come down from the Whitlands (a sub-alpine plateau to the north, 700-900 metres above sea level),” explained Gabe.

From an irrigation perspective, Cavedon simply needed more water flow over a larger section of the property.

“We started this process about two years ago by upgrading our pump to increase water volume in a more efficient way, and we’re now in the process of upgrading our sub mains and dripper tubes to supply more water to those grape varieties.”

Enter Andrew Heslin, the Yarrawonga Branch Manager at local water and irrigation experts, Water Dynamics.

A local to the region, Andrew is an expert on the King Valley’s climate, soil type and water catchment. He says it’s not uncommon for the summer months to pass with the King Valley receiving only five millimetres of rainfall.

“An efficient irrigation system is absolutely critical to grape growers in the area.”

“Crops dry out fast around here, with the evapotranspiration rate easily 50 millimetres a week, which is a huge amount.

For those not as well-versed in the science of water as Andrew, ‘evapotranspiration’ is the term used to describe the part of the water cycle which removes liquid water from an area with vegetation into the atmosphere by the process of both transpiration and evaporation.

While King Valley’s elevation is conducive for delightful European-style varietal wine, prevailing winds also render it one of the driest regions in Northeast Victoria.

Which is the very reason Gabe and Dino sought to upgrade their pumping infrastructure with the help of Andrew and the Water Dynamics team.

This meant they needed to pursue an engine capable of delivering water up to 60 meters in elevation, with fuel-efficiency a driving factor to keep costs under control.

Andrew and the team at Water Dynamics chose an Isuzu Power Solutions (IPS) 4JJ1TYBW01 power unit—from Isuzu’s Made-to-Stock Power Unit range—for the unrelenting task.

“We’ve used Isuzu engines in our broadacre irrigators on pivots, and we’ve installed thousands of those,” Andrew explained.

“We found them to be extremely reliable, and more importantly, the backup service provided by the technical team at IPS is incontestable.

“I’ve had conversations with the technical crew from Isuzu after-hours on a Sunday night and they’ve put actions in place to either support the customer over the phone or send service techs out to deal with the issue.

“They are always there 24/7 and that’s a great relief to both our team and our customers.”

Made-to-Stock units are manufactured in Japan and outfitted by IPS engineers in Australia with locally developed accessories to withstand the harshest of environments and applications.

The 4JJ1TYBW0 power unit, offering low fuel consumption and an output of 61kW / 81 hp @ 2,500 RPM, caught the eye of Water Dynamics, who wanted a perfect match for Cavedon Wines and the climate of the King Valley.

“With the demonstrated performance of what we’ve experienced here in the King Valley with that horsepower, the torque, the fuel efficiency and the unit being suited to the climate and application, we will continue to offer these engines in horticultural settings here,” said Andrew.

“We wouldn’t be happy selling any inferior products that would cause us headaches down the line—we want to sell a product that is one of the world’s best to satisfy our customers.

“I know I can count on Isuzu Power Solutions to provide the type of backup service we require, from filters to belts, to sending techs out, whatever we need,” Andrew concluded.

Gabe summarised, “For us, if we haven’t got good, efficient water supply, particularly in those heat waves of summer, it can be critical. It (irrigation) is very crucial to the success of the business – it’s a core part of it all.”

What does innovation look like? How do we do it?

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 03:58:56 GMT

Australian agriculture and agribusiness is constantly being told it needs to innovate. What does that actually mean in practice, asks Peter Schutz.

Innovation has become a fashionable word in Australia in recent years. In December 2015 the Australian government announced a National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA), and individuals and organisations in all industry sectors are being urged to become more innovative.

But was does this mean? And, in the case of the agriculture and agribusiness sector, how does it translate into action?

One of the six Industry Growth Centres established in 2013 is Food and Agribusiness and it is now working under the NISA framework. Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL) – an independent company with an industry-led board – is responsible for managing this Growth Centre. FIAL is looking to promote innovation at all stages of the food cycle – from paddock to plate – but it is not enough to innovate in just one area. Innovation, to be truly effective, needs to take place across the supply chain.

This means the Australian food and agribusiness industry needs to work collaboratively. We need all components of the industry – farmers, the business community, food processors, governments and the wider supply chain – to all work together.

Australian agriculture has largely lacked this culture of collaboration, and that is impacting our readiness for engagement with the huge market potential of the emerging Asian middle class. There is still a lot of xenophobia in Australia, but we need these foreign markets to invest in the Australian food and agribusiness sector because they will guarantee us markets.

The Australian food and agribusiness industry is a very important contributor to the Australian economy. The food and beverage, grocery manufacturing and fresh produce industry represents nearly one third of the total Australian manufacturing industry by turnover.

With the growing issues of food security, availability of arable land, changing diets of the developing countries and the nutrition demands of the emerging middle class in Asia, Australia is ideally positioned to provide solutions to these challenges and opportunities.

But too many farmers, graziers and companies further down the food chain are thinking and acting as they did in the past. Most farms are still family farms, but in a competitive global economy they need to be run as competitive businesses. The same is true of food processing and manufacturing – global pressures are changing the industry and those that do not adapt will not succeed.

We have seen the results of this already. It is no good complaining about the changes – we need to embrace them.

Through Australia’s established food manufacturing infrastructure and footprint, businesses and other industry stakeholders have the opportunity to transform and add value to our vast agricultural resources and provide economic benefit to all stakeholders in the entire value chain. But to do this they need to pull together – we need a coalition of the willing.

The signs are promising. The National Innovation and Science Agenda is particularly strong on promoting collaboration and networking. This is fundamental in developing the food and agribusiness strategy that FIAL is building, to develop innovation policies and strategies for the industry.

But we cannot do it alone. Everybody in the industry needs to adopt a mindset of cooperation and collaboration, with other parties within the industry, outside the industry and outside of Australia. The future success of agribusiness in Australia is as part of the global ecosystem, which means many preconceived notions need to be discarded.

Ultimately, innovation is a mindset, rather than a practice. If we can all start thinking differently, then acting differently will follow. And that is what we need.

The lesson: Innovation needs collaboration, and a willingness to do things differently.

About the author: Peter Schutz is Chairman of Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL), which was founded in 2013 under the Australian government’s Industry and Innovation Initiative. Mr Schutz also serves as Co-Chair on the CSIRO Agriculture & Food Advisory Committee, as Chair and President of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology, and serves on the boards of Lupin Foods Pty Ltd, Fermentation Tasmania Pty Ltd and GLNC Ltd. From 2000 to 2011 he was Group Technical Director for George Weston Foods and CEO of George Weston Technologies. He has also worked for Meadow Lea, Serrol Ingredients, Quality Bakers, Good Food Products, and NSW Egg Corporation. He started his career as a master brewer at Tooth and Company, where he spent 11 years. He has an honours degree in biochemistry and microbiology from the University of Sydney, a degree in wine science from Charles Sturt University and is a Fellow of AIFST and AICD.

What should Australia do about drought?

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 03:52:39 GMT

Droughts are a natural part of the Australian landscape. Farmers and policy makers needs to accept this fact.

Of all the issues that have vexed Australian agriculture over the past hundred years, the most controversial and most persistent is what to do about drought. There have been some backward steps, but policy reforms are now resulting in better outcomes.

Despite their frequency, droughts have long been regarded as abnormal events in Australia. The earliest government responses were to attempt to droughtproof the nation through dams and irrigation systems, and to provide financial support to drought-affected farmers.

Droughts were treated as natural disasters, like floods and fires, with the cost borne by taxpayers. It didn’t take long for state politicians and farmers to realise that declaring a region to be in drought triggered funding from the Australian government. That needed to change.

A review in 1989 found that government drought subsidies removed the incentive for farmers to better prepare for drought. This led to the introduction of new policies designed to:

encourage primary producers to adopt self-reliant approaches to managing their businesses for climate variability
protect Australia’s agricultural and environmental resources during periods of climatic stress
facilitate the early recovery of agricultural and rural industries, consistent with sustainable long-term levels.

Measures to achieve these objectives included farm household support payments and interest rate subsidies, both of which were triggered by the declaration of a drought to be an ‘exceptional circumstance’.

These changes led to questions about the merits of policies such as interest rate subsidies, questions exacerbated by the experiences of the millennium drought from 2003 to 2010. Some regions of Australia experienced an ‘exceptional circumstances’ drought for ten years or more, with many farmers accessing drought support repeatedly with no evidence they were becoming more self-reliant.

An intergovernmental agreement on drought policy reform in April 2013 recommended the cessation of drought declarations, a broadening of the availability of farm household welfare support, the removal of farm business support measures, and a focus on training and support to improve farmers’ business management skills and drought preparedness.

Despite the agreement, in the run up to the 2013 election the Australian government implemented a new drought support measure (contrary to the intergovernmental agreement) in the form of a concessional farm finance scheme, with the finance available even in states where drought was not occurring.

There are a number of lessons arising from the recent developments in drought policy in Australia. The first is that enduring drought policy is necessarily a compromise between what is economically ideal and what is politically acceptable. Economists can develop sound policies based on the need to send the right messages about appropriate risk management and drought preparation, but there is an innate tendency for politicians to respond to drought by ‘doing something’ – even when it is largely ineffectual.

Some farmers and politicians engage in mutually beneficial behaviour in response to drought. They both know that if farmers make enough noise then politicians will act. Drought policy that ignores this reality is unlikely to succeed.

A second key lesson arising from changes in farm demographics is that industry-wide policy responses are often ineffective, due to the increasing diversity of farm businesses. There is no such thing as an ‘average farmer’, meaning it is very difficult to develop drought support measures that treat all farmers equally.

A third key lesson is that farms are different to other businesses. Their level of revenue volatility and risk is much higher than that experienced by most businesses in other sectors of the economy. That means that major drought events in Australia will result in severe industry and regional disruptions, with the potential to impose significant costs on the community.

Given these lessons and the many and varied twists and turns that have occurred along the drought policy reform road, how adequate are current drought policies?

The 2013 decision to cease drought declarations and to stop interest rate subsidies has attracted criticism, but even during the extended millennium drought 70 per cent of broadacre and dairy farms in drought areas received no assistance.

Many believe that interest rate subsidies have rewarded inefficient farmers or those carrying too much debt, and penalised those who prepared adequately for drought. It has also generally not been available to farmers in the intensive livestock and horticulture sub-sectors, despite the fact that these constitute almost 20 per cent of all farm businesses.

Many of these drought support measures sent perverse messages about the need for drought preparedness. They also often had a hidden cost in that they discouraged the development of commercial risk management options such as multi-peril insurance products, which are an efficient alternative approach to in-drought support.

These multi-peril insurance products take a number of forms, with some based on defined meteorological events, and others based on realised farm income. They are commonly available internationally, usually with premiums heavily subsidised by governments. They allow farmers to select and pay for the level of risk they are prepared to be exposed to.

Many question whether such products will ever gain wide acceptance in Australia. They certainly offer much more flexible and personalised drought risk management options for farmers than will ever be achieved by a blanket government payment program, with all the accompanying eligibility criteria and policy changes.

There is potential for government to provide greater incentives for farmers to take up these policies, through measures such as enhanced tax deductibility. This would help to reduce the cost, while ensuring commercial providers remain competitive and tailor products to meet the different needs of the various sub-sectors of agriculture. It should also be close to revenue neutral for government, as any insurance payouts would be taxable income, in times when recipients would otherwise be unlikely to pay tax.

Reform will not work unless it is widely communicated to farmers and their advisors and financiers. After the intergovernmental agreement of 2013, the government made little attempt to explain the changes or the rationale for them. Several state governments then pretended they knew nothing about the agreement as soon as drought conditions emerged. Unless the farm sector is fully engaged in future drought policy reforms, this will happen again in the future.

The lesson: Australia needs to treat drought as a regular occurrence rather than a natural disaster, and modify farming behaviours and policies accordingly.

About the author: Mick Keogh is Executive Director of the Australian Farm Institute, an independent policy research institute that conducts research into strategic policy issues of importance to Australian agriculture. In 2011 he was appointed to chair the Australian government’s panel to review drought support measures, the outcome of which was a fundamental change in Australian drought policy. Since 2012 he has also been chairman of the National Rural Advisory Council (NRAC), a statutory body which provides advice to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. He is also a member of the CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture Flagship Advisory Committee.

Building Meaningful Connections

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 02:38:45 GMT

Telstra’s Regional Advisor Network is meeting the unique communication needs of people in rural and remote areas, allowing communities and towns across the country to thrive.

When a storm hit Melinda Downs, a remote cattle station near Cloncurry in northwest Queensland, Tara Locke was home with her youngest child. The storm knocked out the property’s power and mobile coverage and with her husband and two eldest children in town, Locke could only watch as night fell and flash flooding cut access to the property.

“There was water everywhere and I had no way of letting my husband know not to come home from town,” says Tara, a professional cattle and kid wrangler. “It had been a few hours. It was getting dark. I didn’t know where they were and I couldn’t get onto them. I didn’t know if they were okay. I was worried sick.”

Afterwards Tara made a passionate speech about the ordeal at Cloncurry Town Hall. Jonathon New, a senior network engineering specialist who’s part of Telstra’s Regional Advisor Network, heard the speech and was determined to help the family.

“I kind of knew roughly where Tara was living so I did my calculations with our software and we were able to get mobile coverage from a town that’s about 57km away from the property.”

Tara says her family no longer feels so vulnerable and isolated and credits New for helping make their lives easier and more secure. “I was blown away that he actually cared,” she says.

Stories like Tara’s are common in regional Australia, where distance and isolation make communication challenging. Recognising the unique needs of customers in rural and remote areas, Telstra launched the Regional Advisor Network (RAN) two years ago.

“The need for this team and this project has come from a very clear recognition that our customers in regional communities want more in terms of assistance outside of what we can offer them in a Telstra store,” says Michael Marom, Regional General Manager for Northern NSW, who’s also on the RAN project. “A lot of our customers live a long way from a store, in some cases hundreds of kilometres from one, so we want to be able to provide that assistance and we thought that utilising our technical workforce was a vehicle to do that.”

Beginning as a pilot program with two engineers from the company’s network and IT divisions, RAN now features an army of local technicians in each state who can respond to communication problems on site, offering expertise and providing solutions to issues like network coverage around the home and property, as well as out on the road. In addition, RAN technicians are equipped to investigate and troubleshoot some of the more complex connectivity issues that arise in rural areas and can attend local community events to showcase product solutions.

“We’re able to provide local network engineers who can look at bigger end issues where coverage may have changed in an area over a particular period of time and there’s no explanation for it,” Marom says. “It could be that there’s some illegal repeaters or other types of interference and they can go out on site and investigate that. They can also go out on large properties that might have itinerant workers and need connectivity for them.”

The growing use of monitoring and tracking technology in modern farming is creating additional demand for technical communication expertise, he says. “The emergence of the ‘Internet of Things’ type solutions that are coming onto farms and properties, whether it’s water management, tracking assets like vehicles and so forth, that’s another part of our development in that space,” says Marom, adding that such technology extends Telstra’s network by an extra one million square kilometres.

The increasing sophistication of customers in regional Australia reflects the phenomenal advancement in communications technology in the last two decades more broadly, Marom believes.

“If you look back 20 years ago we basically made phone calls and sent text messages. We’ve gone from text messages to devices in our hands that are basically mobile computers. Voice usage has really reduced. The ability to send and receive data has become far more important in regional markets, as it has in metropolitan areas.”

Telstra’s long history in serving regional Australia means the company is committed to meeting the evolving needs of its customers. “Our heritage in regional Australia is strong and we feel the need to support regional customers in a changing environment is really important,” Marom says. “We have a clear responsibility as the educators and continue to provide a service that’s superior to our competitors and meets the needs of our customers in the bush.”

Overcoming the communication challenges presented by our nation’s unique geography certainly isn’t easy, but the rewards to our regional communities stand to be immense. Projects like RAN have the potential to shape the nation’s future, ensuring rural and remote areas continue their valuable contribution to national prosperity. Not least, it helps make the lives of Australians living in rural and remote communities that little bit easier and in some situations communication could mean the difference between life and death.

“It’s a little bit more difficult to get communications and to do things in the bush so to get a result out here sometimes you have to go that extra mile,” says New. “It means a lot to people out here and it means a lot to me to actually provide that.”

Calrossy Anglican School: an idyllic training ground for the ag leaders of tomorrow

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 02:32:57 GMT

Innovative, century-old Calrossy, in the agricultural heartland of NSW, offers an ag program that’s unique among Australian schools.

For the next generation of primary producers, and the broader Australian ag sector, the future looks set to present great challenges and great opportunities in roughly equal measure.

To negotiate the former and make the most of the latter, the industry will need leaders who are equipped with well-honed problem-solving skills, practical as well as theoretical knowledge, and a strong ethical compass to guide them.

One of the vast stages on which our ag future will play out is the New England region, in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. It’s long been one of the nation’s agricultural crown jewels, renowned for its high-quality cattle and sheep and for its outsized contributions to our wheat and cotton industries.

Anchored by the growing regional centres of Tamworth and Armidale, and dotted with communities whose names resonate in the Australian bush psyche – Moree, Gunnedah, Glen Innes – New England, with its combination of high-quality infrastructure and large-scale farming activity, is an ideal nursery for the ag leaders of tomorrow.

In other words, it’s the perfect spot for Calrossy Anglican School, which has educated generations of girls and boys from New England and beyond, many of whom have gone on to do big things in the industry. Little wonder, since Calrossy offers, among other things, a remarkably hands-on ag program that’s unique among Australian schools.

Over the century-and-change since it was founded – the school marked its centenary in 2019 – Calrossy has been a key element of New England’s educational ecosystem, and has earned a reputation for producing young women and men of character who don’t mind getting their boots dirty.

The Tamworth-headquartered K–12 boarding and day school has an innovative structure that’s been dubbed “co-ed with a difference”, and which allows for the delivery of targeted, age- and gender-specific academic and wellbeing programs. Its William Cowper campus houses a fully co-ed Junior School; Year 7–9 students study on the same campus, but in single-gender classrooms. Meanwhile, on the nearby Brisbane Street campus, Year 10–12 students do their learning in co-ed classrooms.

Calrossy’s energetic alumni community attests to the lasting impact the school has had on generations of students. With its storied old boarding houses, its strong outdoors focus, and the diverse academic, social, cultural, and athletic opportunities it offers, Calrossy is a place that tends to produce misty-eyed memories.

There’s more to it than agriculture – indeed, the school achieves consistently excellent results across the whole gamut of HSC subject areas – but for those with a budding interest in the industry, Calrossy is a kind of nirvana, offering invaluable practical experiences that students can carry with them into ag careers of all stripes.

The Calrossy ag program comprises a number of moving parts that revolve around the Tangara Trade Training Centre (Tangara), a 230-acre working farm just west of Tamworth, where students get the chance to put their ag theory into practice on an ongoing basis.

Purchased in 2010 with the help of the school community, Tangara allows Calrossy students to get out of the classroom and into the paddock, where they can practise, as the school terms it, “learning in context”.

Among other residents – including a popular, watchful Maremma dog named “Dude”– the farm is home to a herd of around 45 high-quality Kamilaroi shorthorn breeding cows and a flock of handsome Dorper sheep.

Each year, Calrossy students and staff members select the finest animals and groom them for exhibition at various agricultural shows (including Sydney’s Royal Easter Show), and prepare a cohort of animals for sale. All students, even those who aren’t studying Ag as an elective, are encouraged to take part in these start-to-finish processes by joining the school’s dedicated Cattle and Sheep Teams from Year 7 on.

The Tangara program has built a very real reputation for excellence; people still talk about the magnificent Calrossy-reared Kamilaroi shorthorn calf that sold for a record-breaking $75,000 – not a misprint – at the 2004 Dubbo National Shorthorn Show and Sale.

At Tangara, interested Calrossy students learn about artificial breeding techniques; how to move, handle, and care for animals; and how to prepare stud livestock for exhibition and sale. They also learn about and – crucially – practise many other aspects of running a stud farm, including building fences and using farm machinery; utilising ground water sustainably; identifying soil types and determining soil health; irrigating and managing pasture and crops; and using chemicals safely.

As any scientist or farmer will tell you, the benefits of “learning by doing” can’t be overstated; even the liveliest textbook can’t compete with the experience of, say, using a cattle crush or a grooming chute for the first time, or parading a prize heifer before an impressed crowd.

One great advantage of the Tangara model is the instructional flexibility it allows. Calrossy ag students address the fluid needs of the farm as they arise – just like real farmers – rather than follow a rigid theoretical program. With that said, students also “zoom out” to learn about the paper-based aspects of ag, including financial management of farms and marketing of agricultural products. Back on campus, they can help tend to the school’s veggie gardens or resident chooks.

Calrossy’s ag focus doesn’t mean other areas are neglected, and students who have no interest in which end of a cow is which have access to plenty of other enriching opportunities at the school, whether in its lively musical, theatre, debating, or sporting programs or in myriad other areas.

The school’s location and deep community and industry links allow for experiences that kids in city schools simply don’t get – from excursions to New England’s rugged gorges and national parks to enlightening visits to research facilities, feedlots, and the region’s immense stations.

Calrossy has also been using IT in innovative ways. It navigated the uncertain waters of the COVID crisis with aplomb, fully embracing online teaching models, and its class of 2020 didn’t suffer any lockdown-related dip in their HSC results – a laudable outcome.

The school is also attracting praise for its burgeoning eCalrossy Distance Education Initiative, which gives online and in-person educational opportunities to students who, for various reasons – distance, economics, family responsibilities – need to do their learning from home. It’s a far cry from the old distance-education model, where self-directed – and self-isolating – learning was the order of the day. In the eCalrossy program, an interactive, supported, connected environment allows students to ask questions as they come up, rather than jot them down for later, and to bond with teachers and classmates.

Climate change, food and water security, intensifying global competition, and the changeable tastes of foreign markets are among the challenges our agricultural sector will face in the coming decades. Calrossy’s high-achieving ag students will be well placed to tackle them, and to help lead the industry into a future in which our considerable agricultural potential is harnessed to the full.

Rural Industries on Track with Trust: new research reveals key drivers, risks and opportunities

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 02:25:05 GMT

The Community Trust in Rural Industries Program is a partnership involving eleven Rural Research and Development Corporations, the National Farmers’ Federation and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. This timely capacity building initiative is designed to drive impactful, cohesive and consistent responses to the cross-sector community trust challenge.

INTRODUCTION

Australia’s farmers, fishers and foresters play an important role in our country. They work in a diverse number of industries – from beef, lamb, pork and livestock export to cotton, wood and grains, from fish and eggs to sugar, dairy and horticulture. These industries produce much of Australia’s food and textiles, which are grown or produced all around the country. Rural industries in Australia also have large and complex value chains, often shared across industries, that take raw materials and turn them into food and other products that are consumed domestically or exported.

The Community Trust in Rural Industries project is a program of collaborative research to understand the nature of the relationship between Australia’s rural industries and the Australian community. Importantly, this three-year research program demonstrates a commitment by Australia’s rural industries to engage directly with the community to guide industry activities and inform the thinking of their members. In Year One of this research, the program appointed research agency Voconiq who: (1) engaged with program funders to determine the goals and ambition of this work; (2) conducted interviews with a broad cross-section of industry participants and external stakeholders to determine key issues related to community trust in rural industries; (3) desktop research to understand how these issues are discussed and framed in the public conversation; and (4) completed a nationally representative survey of 6,461 Australians. A comprehensive process of rural industry engagement on these results has also taken place to support extension and outreach for effective use of these data insights by rural industry stakeholders.

This report provides an overview of the national survey results using data collected between the 2nd of December 2019 and 30th of January 2020.

OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS

The national survey aimed to achieve two broad goals: determine the main drivers of community trust in and acceptance of Australian rural industries, and to determine a baseline of Australian community attitudes toward a wide range of issues related to Australian rural industries.

DRIVERS OF TRUST AND ACCEPTANCE

This research found that community expectations, views and experiences drive trust in rural industries, which then drives acceptance of rural industries in Australia. Building community trust is therefore important for rural industries to maintain and grow community acceptance in Australia.

The main drivers of community trust in Australian rural industries were:

Environmental responsibility – farmers, fishers and foresters acting as stewards of the land and sea, operating sustainably,
Industry responsiveness – the extent to which industries listen to and change their practices in response to community concerns, and
The value of rural industry products to the lives of Australians – the extent to which industry products contribute real value to the lives of community members.

Other factors that were important in contributing to trust in rural industries were faith in regulations to ensure industry accountability, knowledge of community members about the challenges rural industries face (e.g. drought), and how fairly the benefits of industry activity are distributed throughout community, especially with respect to regional areas.

BASELINE MEASURES OF TRUST DRIVERS

Australians were clear in their support for Australian rural industries, with most participants indicating moderate or strong levels of trust in these industries to act responsibly, and similarly high levels of acceptance of rural industries.

Australians indicated broad agreement that rural industries manage their role as environmental stewards of the land and sea effectively, although there was some concern about specific issues such as the impacts of runoff from rural industries on coastal environments, and complexity in the views of Australians about sustainable management of oceans and using appropriate amounts of water. There was very strong agreement, however, that environmental management is a shared responsibility across all Australian rural industries.

The national data showed that rural industries were seen to be broadly responsive to community concerns, but there was less agreement (and high levels of uncertainty) about the extent to which rural industries are prepared to change their practices in response to community concerns.

In fact, looking across all the issues explored in this national survey, Australians systematically indicated higher levels of uncertainty (i.e. choosing neutral or middle values on rating scales provided) on questions that related to environmental responsibility and industry responsiveness. This is a key challenge for rural industries as its current strong levels of community trust and acceptance are a product of community views on these issues.

There was very little uncertainty, however, about the value of rural industry products in the lives of Australians. The great majority of participants in the nationally representative survey of Australians agreed that the products of farmers, fishers and foresters play an important and central role in the lives of Australians.

ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS

Australians agree that rural industries in this country play an important economic role, creating significant employment in regional areas. Australians also indicated strong support for regional communities in general, and that strong regional communities are important for producing safe, high quality food and fibre products.

Australians strongly endorse animal welfare as a key issue and obligation for those industries that involve animals, and that food safety is both an area of strength for rural industries and an area where some industry practices prompt concern (e.g. the use of genetic modification, fertilisers and other chemicals).

“In this first year of research, the Community Trust in Rural Industries program has delivered a pathway to deeper community trust and acceptance for Australia’s rural industries, and baseline measures of Australian sentiment on these drivers of trust and other relevant issues. These data provide key insights for where and how Australian rural industries may engage the Australian community most effectively and highlighted those areas where there is work to be done in supporting a more reflexive, constructive relationship with all Australians.”

CONCLUSION

The Community Trust in Rural Industries program of work is providing key insights into the nature of the current relationship between the Australian public and Australia’s farmers, fishers and foresters, and providing a pathway to deeper trust and acceptance of these industries. A national survey of the Australian community has also provided a clear view of the challenges for Australia’s rural industries in achieving this goal.

KEY FINDINGS

A national survey of Australian attitudes has demonstrated that trust in and acceptance of Australia’s rural industries is strong. Community members view farmers, fishers and foresters as being important to Australia’s economy, identity and future. The products of these industries are highly valued, as are the communities in regional Australia that produce them.

Australians do not see farmers, fishers and foresters as just producers of important materials and goods for sale in Australia and overseas, however, but as “stewards of the land and sea”. This comes with a responsibility to use natural resources like water in sustainable ways, to ensure the safety of the people that work in these industries, and to ensure the welfare of animals that are so important in many of these rural industries.

Community members from across the country indicated strongly that there are issues that concern them about the practices of Australia’s rural industries, particularly around environmental impacts, the use of chemicals and genetic modification to enhance yields, and ensuring food is produced safely.

A deeper analysis of the national survey data revealed that not only are many of these issues important to Australians, they underpin the community’s trust in and acceptance of Australia’s rural industries. Path analysis showed that where community members feel that The Community Trust in Rural Industries program of work is providing key insights into the nature of the current relationship between the Australian public and Australia’s farmers, fishers and foresters, and providing a pathway to deeper trust and acceptance of these industries. A national survey of the Australian community has also provided a clear view of the challenges for Australia’s rural industries in achieving this goal. Australia’s rural industries are acting as “stewards of the land and sea, operating sustainably”, demonstrating responsiveness to community expectations and concerns, and continuing to produce materials and food that are important to Australian society, trust in rural industries will grow.

However, the reverse is also true: trust in Australia’s rural industries may be undermined, for example, by poor environmental stewardship, ignoring the concerns of community, and placing short term economic benefits ahead of longer-term value in the products of these industries. A strong level of agreement within the community that ‘environmental management is a shared responsibility across all Australian rural industries’ is a clear signal that Australians expect rural industries to work together to meet the high expectations that come with the trust of the Australian public.

The good news is that community trust in Australia’s rural industries is the product of its actions and behaviours: these industries have control over their own future. The challenge for these same industries is to work together to be accountable against these high community expectations, to live up to the esteem in which Australians hold farmers, fishers and foresters.

The Community Trust in Rural Industries Program is a jointly funded initiative of AgriFutures Australia, Australian Eggs, Australian Pork Limited, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Dairy Australia, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Hort Innovation, Sugar Research Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, LiveCorp, Meat and Livestock Australia and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. National Farmers’ Federation is also a project partner and AgriFutures Australia is the managing agent. A selection of content has been sourced from the “Community Trust in Australia’s Rural Industries: A national survey 2020” report authored by Dr Kieren Moffat, CEO and Co-founder at Voconiq.

Biosecurity is Everyone’s Business – Including our Farmers

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 02:15:20 GMT

Dr Greg Chandler is a national authority in biosecurity working at Hort Innovation. He has developed an array of knowledge of Australia's biosecurity system, encompassing all aspects of the biosecurity spectrum, over a 25 year career. His current role oversees the Research & Development portfolio for biosecurity, delivering high-quality R&D projects to Australia's horticulture industries. Greg discusses the core principles and objectives of the modern biosecurity system relevant to Australian agriculture and provides advice on biosecurity best practice aimed at the forward thinking farmer.

Biosecurity is currently of increased importance in Australia, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the nation’s agricultural sector, it is a particularly “hot topic” given the recent arrival of destructive exotic pests such as the fall armyworm.

But what is biosecurity exactly? Most people are familiar with the old Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) that is encountered when returning from overseas through via international airports. And while the name ”quarantine” officially changed to ”biosecurity” in Australia almost a decade ago, many people are still unfamiliar with its full meaning.

Biosecurity, usually associated with the isolation of a biosecurity risk until it can be mitigated, is actually much broader than just quarantine. Other examples of biosecurity measures include outright exclusion of high-risk products, physical barriers such as netting in an orchard or light traps in warehouses, treatment options for goods either before or after they enter Australia (e.g., fumigation, heat, washing, or oxygen deprivation) and surveillance to test the measures. Aside from those interventions, increased biosecurity awareness is an important tool, with farmers playing a key role in the early detection of exotic pests and diseases. Contingency plans allow us to be prepared for the arrival of a new pest or disease, including information on identification and management.

The biosecurity spectrum is broad, encompassing pre-border, border and post-border. Pre-border activities occur in other countries, providing early warning of a new biosecurity threat, border covers interception of biosecurity risks before they can enter and establish in Australia, and post-border covers efforts to control any biosecurity threats that have made it past our border defence system. They also include preparedness activities to ensure our industries are ready in the event that something serious is introduced.

Australia’s biosecurity system, regarded as one of the best in the world, is large and complex. But how can one farmer make a meaningful difference? In everyday life, each person has a role to play. Australians have always, for example, been good at making declarations at the border for checking and reporting items that come in through the mail or a suspect new animal or plant pest or disease. This collective effort helps to maintain the integrity of our biosecurity system and continues to protect our industries and the natural environment from serious pests. The plant bacterium known as Xylella fastidiosa, for example, is number one on our exotic plant biosecurity threat list that we have been successful in excluding from Australia through the activation of many biosecurity measures.

There are some really simple things that farmers can do to increase on-farm biosecurity awareness, including erecting signs at main entry points and visitor reception areas that remind people that they are in a biosecurity zone - much like the safety signs that you see when entering an area with dangerous machinery or biological hazards. Basic requirements for visitors, such as ensuring that their boots are clean of soil from other properties and that any equipment brought onto the farm is clean, reinforce the message that biosecurity is a serious undertaking without making it an onerous task.

Australia’s Rural Research and Development Corporations invest in research and development programs that strengthen our biosecurity system and give our industries a competitive edge. These programs seek to minimise the harmful economic and social consequences of new threats to farmers, their industry, and regional communities that support them. Australia’s world class biosecurity scientists are constantly pursuing and achieving novel, transformational research outcomes, ranging from automated insect and air-borne disease spores traps to hyper-spectral imagery to detect disease in orchards before it is visible to the human eye to finding hitchhiker pests on sea containers. We have a shared responsibility to keep Australia free of as many exotic pests and diseases as possible and being prepared for their arrival just in case.

EDITOR’S CONCLUSION:

We commissioned this article for practical reasons as our mandate as an NFP Social Enterprise is to assist the Australian farmer achieve greater productivity thus prosperity. Having surveyed the biosecurity realm in Australia extensively – especially for our major 2017 book Boundless Plains to Share – we saw something important to report on. Biosecurity concerns and the potential for negative economic impacts will continue to escalate. The pandemic has made this situation more acute.

Achieving ever greater controls, and applying innovation to this subject, will improve economic outcomes for the farmer. Ever since former Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb forged new trade deals with several countries in North Asia, export opportunities for Australian farmers have flourished, along with greater scrutiny. Our reputation for “clean and green” food products precedes us. Other nations are eager to consume our products, and their governments ever more vigilant about food safety issues. Our government ought re-double efforts, and at the same time be congratulated for fine achievements thus far. But there is no substitute for on-site, specific innovation and care expressed by each farmer, and by their immediate community.

Demonstration of both stressed plants being susceptible and also abandoned orchards in a community garden on South Goulburn Island, NT. Plants like this in northern Australia are good sentinels for exotic plant pests that could enter through natural, unregulated pathways such as wind. These form an early detection system for our valuable industries, and illustrates the strong partnerships required in our biosecurity system, in this case with indigenous ranger groups who are a vital cog in our north. Photo supplied by Dr Greg Chandler.

Showcasing Australia’s irrigation innovation

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 02:03:36 GMT

Irrigation Australia is the peak national organisation representing the Australian irrigation industry in all sectors from water users, consultants, designers and installers through to educational institutions, government, manufacturers and retailers. Irrigation Australia is also the Australian representative body of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). Anne Currey discusses some of the latest advancements in irrigation innovation helping farmers around the country as well as the ICID congress being held in Adelaide mid 2022.

With a history of policy implementation to provide a financial incentive for efficient water use, backed by regulatory requirements to do with environmental and social outcomes, and an irrigation sector willing to take on new challenges, Australia is regarded in many forums as a global leader in water governance and water use efficiency.

Innovation the key

Some of the major ways of maintaining this record and continuing to improve technology and practices to produce “more crop per drop” into the future in the agricultural sector will be through better trained irrigation managers and the adoption of best practices and of innovative technologies using the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital applications.

Showcasing Australian irrigation

In recognition of our world-leading record, in May and June 2022 the irrigation world will come to Adelaide, where Australia will be showcasing its achievements, practices and technology. Irrigation Australia Limited, in partnership with the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), will stage the nation’s largest-ever irrigation event. The week will include an international congress, managed by ICID, as well as Irrigation Australia’s renowned conference and exhibition.

The international conference will feature the best speakers from and Australia beyond presenting the latest on irrigation policy, technology and practices. The exhibition promises to be a stand-out event, with irrigation manufacturers and suppliers from every corner of the globe showcasing the technology ranging from pumps and emitters through to applications designed to equip irrigators with up-to-date information for making the best decisions about managing irrigation and their crops.

Best of all, entrance to the exhibition is free. All you need to do before you attend is to go to the website https://www.icid2020.com.au/iace-home/ and register. And if you are interested hearing the best and brightest speak about all things irrigation, you will be able to register for the conference later in 2021 at website https://www.icid2020.com.au/iace-home/.

Water used on Australian farms 2018-19

Figures* from the Australian Bureau of Statistics give an idea of the size of the on-farm irrigation sector. During 2018-19, which was characterised by severe drought in eastern and southern Australia, reducing water availability for many Australian farming businesses in 2018-19:

8,000 gigalitres of water was used in agricultural production (down 24% from 2017-18)
7.2 gigalitres of water was applied to crops and pastures (down 26%)
2 million hectares of agricultural land was irrigated (down 15%)
21,900 farms applied water to their land (down 2%).

And the value of production from that water use fell 7% from the year before to $16.4 billion. This fall was largely driven by a decline in water availability, particularly in New South Wales and Queensland. The key contributing commodity groups were:

fruit and nuts (excluding grapes) at $4.5 billion, up 7%
vegetables at $3.3 billion, down 1%
dairy production at $2.2 billion, relatively steady year on year
grapes at $1.3 billion, up 3%
nurseries, cut flowers, and cultivated turf at $1.3 billion, down 4%
cotton at $1 billion, down 54%.

* Sources:

ABS Water Account website: www.abs.gov.au/statistics/environment/

environmental-management/water-account-australia/latest-release

Water Use On Australian Farms.

www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/agriculture/water-use-australian-farms/2018-19

Our agricultural future will be defined by Science and Innovation

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 01:55:30 GMT

Prof. Victor Sadras is a world authority on crop ecophysiology with an interest in the adaptation of crops to environmental stresses, including water deficit, extreme temperatures, nutrient deficit, soil physical and chemical constraints, pathogens and insects. He leads the team of Crop Ecophysiology at the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI). Prof Sadras has distilled the background, objectives and findings in his co-authored paper Making Science More Effective for Agriculture published in the international journal “Advances in Agronomy”, Volume 163, 2020.

Making science more effective for agriculture

The meeting in Adelaide concluded:

EDITOR’S CONCLUSIONS:

1MG commissioned this piece originally from the outstanding Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), where one of Professor Sadras’ co-authors Professor Daniel Rodriguez works as a Professional Research Fellow in the Centre for Crop Science. QAAFI is yet another of Australia’s many vanguard research institutes ultimately serving our country’s farmers and the wider agricultural economy. We love their phrase about “ingenuity, serendipity and scientific entrepreneurship” because it describes not only scientists but also our innovative farmers. Australian farmers have always exhibited creativity and experimentation in many ways, and this should grow. Yes, government does need to increase R&D funding in agriculture, and do it well and knowingly. Farmers ought be more vocal about this subject with their local MPs, or direct to the Minister, at State or Federal levels. As publishers on the need for more science and innovation in our society, we feel passionately about this. And we are experienced enough to know that if we don’t call out for it, define it , take a stand, the results will be lesser, or nil. Agricultural peak bodies also ought to lobby aggressively for this – many are already. The pace should increase. Rigorous science and innovation are critical to Australia’s farmers –at the farm, regional, state and federal government levels, all. No food producing nation will grow its returns over the years to come without the fulcrum of intelligently applied science and innovation. Such intelligent decisions can only be arrived at through greater interaction between farmers, scientists and government. And every farmer worthy of the name should grow in the Australian tradition of self–education, experimentation and now more than ever – engagement and collaboration. Our collective agricultural voice ought be heard at government, and research priorities, key concerns for both SARDI and QAAFI, be refined, indeed defined, by the end beneficiary: our farmers.

Soil Health It's In Our Nature

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 01:48:43 GMT

For 30 years Omnia Specialities has been the Australian and global leader in the development and manufacture of speciality fertilisers and biostimulants including humates, fulvates and kelp products that improve crop health, yields and improve soil health in a sustainable and environmentally conscious way.

Australian agriculture is increasingly looking to harness the power of soil biology to improve the efficiency of and reduce environmental losses of fertilisers while improving carbon capture into the soil to leave it in a healthier condition for future generations says James Freemantle, Managing Director of Omnia Specialities Australia.

Since 1990, Omnia has produced high-quality humate based products and specialty fertilisers in Australia by extracting rich sources of humic acids from Leonardite in the Gippsland region of Victoria.

Humic acid occurs naturally in healthy soils that contain organic matter in levels which favour soil microbial activity. Humate is a soluble form of humic acid and has been widely tested and proven to improve the level of soil aggregates, giving a significant improvement in soil structure.

Soil nutrient and water holding capacity is increased with the use of humate. Acting much like a sponge, humate improves the efficiency of applied fertilisers and increases plant nutrient uptake. Increased root volume is commonly observed, leading to a more efficient foraging surface area for nutrients and water.

Freemantle says his team of dedicated agronomists work directly with distributors and growers to develop cropping programs that improve soil and plant health.

“Typically, once we are clear on the growers’ objectives, we undertake a series of soil tests and/or plant sap or tissue tests,” said Freemantle.

“We then recommend a nutrient strategy to achieve the grower’s objectives”.

Once the strategy is implemented, the Omnia team is directly available to evaluate results and fine-tune it through the growing season, using independent labs to analyse soil, sap or tissue samples matched with agronomic observation.

According to Fremantle however, humates alone are no magic wand and need to be part of a balanced plant nutrition program.

“Our team of specialist agronomists know how to use our products to leverage the fertiliser inputs to your cropping system, ensuring your crop gets maximum uptake when it is needed with a reduction in losses to the environment,” said Freemantle.

“We currently work with some of the nation's largest and most innovative growers, particularly in potatoes, almonds, walnuts, wine and table grapes and Macadamias”.

Working so closely with Australian growers has also led to the development of a range of innovative biostimulant products like the Bacstim range which is designed to deliver yield, quality and sustainability.

“The Bacstim range provides a source of beneficial bacteria to the soil which provide a plant with the opportunity to express its inherent natural resilience to diseases, pests and stress,” said Freemantle.

“The strains of bacteria are carefully selected to survive if the environmental conditions move outside of their comfort zone. They enter a spore form until conditions are suitable and they spring back into action.”

By using products like Mega-Kel-P which combine the power of humates with the biostimulant effect of kelps, fulvates, trace elements and macronutrients, Omnia provides customers with the confidence that using these products will provide a high return on the cost of applying the product.

Freemantle says that the lack of industry regulation in Australia on the humate market has seen a wide range of poor quality products become available from far too many suppliers.

Fortunately, many of Omnia’s products are approved as inputs for Organic production with NASAA, one of Australia’s leading organic certification organisations.

“As a grower looking for the benefits humates bring, the first thing is to make sure that the product you are considering buying contains the humate needed to do the job,” said Freemantle.

“Recent independent testing of various humate liquids, using the CDFA method of analysis, showed from between 27.8% w/v potassium humate to as little as 0.33%. Some products had less than 2% of the humate claimed on the label”.

In comparison, Omnia’s K-humate 26% liquid has been produced in the regional Victorian town of Morwell for over 25 years. Made from Australian Leonardite, K-humate has gained world-wide respect as a reliable and effective product.

“Healthy soil is key to improved plant health, resilience against biotic and abiotic stress and lastly, more sustainable farming practices. It’s important to know what you are really buying!” said Freemantle.

Moving Water Moving Forward

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 01:40:30 GMT

In 1962, Franklin Electric came from the USA to Australia to provide support and technical expertise to our water industry. Now, they are a global leader in all of their specialities, with their products being used across a broad scope of applications with the largest and most comprehensive ranges of pumping and associated products supplied by a single company globally.

After arriving on Australian shores in the early 1960s in Dandenong Victoria, Franklin Electric commenced importing and distributing 4”, 6”, 10” and 12” submersible products. Local manufacturing quickly followed with specialised imported parts to offer the Australian water industry Franklin’s world-leading submersible motors.

Today, Franklin Electrics range of products has expanded to a full range of surface mount pumps, ISO, split case, multi-stage, small and large centrifugal motor pumps as well as a huge range of below-ground pumps including submersible turbines, line shafts, boreholes and dewatering pumps to provide the industry with the highest quality submersible motor products available.

Relying on mother nature to irrigate crops, irrigate pastures and provide drinking water for animals can be risky, especially when unpredictable drought periods hit the hardest.

However the pumping systems manufactured by Franklin Electric provide the stability that naturally occurring weather patterns are unable, enabling farmers to increase their output, better predict crop yields and keep their animals strong, healthy and hydrated.

Malcolm Eyre, Managing Director of Franklin Electric Australia says that the main benefit that the Australian industry has come to rely on from Franklin is their quality, reliability and performance.

“Franklin demonstrates these every day to its customers through its five key factors for success: quality, availability, service, innovation and cost”.

This has resulted in Franklin Electric becoming not just Australia’s leading submersible motor but the world’s most installed submersible electric motor.

After decades of success partnering with pump manufacturers and developing a deep understanding of the market, Franklin Electric had some serious decisions to make when the industry started to consolidate globally in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 2004, Franklin Electric announced the purchase of JBD, formally the jacuzzi industrial range and that they were entering the pumping industry by launching Franklin Pumping Systems, now known as FPS.

Starting from a very low share, FPS is now the leading US market. As the pumping industry is global, similar issues applied in Australia.

“In late 2007 Franklin Electric Australia after 3 years of evaluating the market, entered the main water pump industry by launching and distributing their FPS range of submersible pumps and above-ground pumps, motors, drives and controls direct to their own Australian dealer network,” said Eyre.

Franklin Electric then purchased a 35% stake of Pioneer Pump Inc Situated in Canby Portland Oregon in 2005, growing their product line to include a large range of centrifugal pumps and automatic self-priming pumps as well as solids handling self-priming pumps. The remaining 65% of Pioneer Pump Inc was purchased by Franklin Electric in 2011.

Today Franklin Electric Australia and Pioneer Pump Holdings Australia are 1 company “Franklin Electric Australia New Zealand Pty Ltd, with 2 facilities operating, the Warehouse and Assembly facility in Dandenong South, Victoria and the Fabrication Assembly and test facility in Sunshine West Victoria, which includes a logistic warehouse in Ravenhall Victoria.

According to Eyre, alongside the consolidation of the businesses comes the staff and the years of pump experience that the company now has.

“We now have hundreds of years worth of experience to assist every person who needs help with a pump or application,” said Eyre.

“Whether you need a submersible pump for a clean well water system or an industrial water pump for a larger job, Franklin has a solution to fit your needs, because moving water is our business”.

Whether the need is lawn or crop irrigation, water transfer, drinking water for people or livestock, or just having water where it currently isn’t, ask for Franklin Electric.

Experiential learning gives students a taste of modern ag

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 03:17:10 GMT

Located in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill, The Scots College has had a close relationship with the Australian agricultural community for well over a century. Not only does Scots take a significant number of boarding students from country regions, but agriculture has been an important part of the college’s educational experience for a long time. This has only been reinforced by the practical learning experiences on offer at the new Bannockburn campus.

The Scots College was founded in 1893, when its first Principal – Reverend Arthur Aspinall – saw a need to educate boys from isolated farming families in the Central West of NSW. While it has since expanded its cohort to include students from Sydney and all over the world, Scots has retained country boarders to this day – in fact, boarding students make up roughly 250 of the school’s 1200 high school students.

Agriculture as an educational discipline was dropped for a period of time at Scots, though under the guidance of Principal Dr Ian Lambert it has made a comeback to the curriculum in the last few years. This is not only because of the importance of remaining true to the origins and heritage of the school, but also because teaching about agriculture allows boys to get back to nature and recognise the significance of issues such as food security and animal welfare.

In addition, the modern agricultural industry now offers a broad scope of roles and interest for prospective employees – agriculture is not just limited to ploughing a field or herding livestock, it incorporates science, technology, business, marketing and myriad other industries. As such, preparing boys for a successful career in the agricultural industry requires a different type of learning, one that enables students to understand and get excited about the use of drones and robotics, genetic testing and the analysis of water and soil.

“Modern society’s ideas about food have changed – being interested in agriculture is not just about wanting to be a farmer,” says Dr Lambert. “Here in Australia, we have to redefine how we’re going to be a food producer in the future and think about the sustainability of our regional cities and how we’re going to attract people into these industries.

“Environmental degradation and food security are the biggest threats facing the world, and when you think along those terms in education, there’s a lot of problem solving that students really enjoy doing. Many of the students at Scot’s will be involved in trying to solve such problems with technology and science in the future, so we need to be preparing them for this reality in order to position Australia as a major provider of food and other resources.”

Key to the college’s innovative teaching in agriculture and related sectors is the Bannockburn campus – 300 hectares of pristine natural environment and farming land in the Shoalhaven area of NSW. In an isolated area of considerable natural beauty, Bannockburn provides students a chance to connect with the land.

Located in a historic beef cattle and cropping area, the property was gifted to Scots in 2008 and opened to students in 2016, offering Scots boys the chance to experience nature and learn about agriculture, food and fibre provenance, environmental sustainability and much more. Far from being limited to a traditional agricultural program, the campus is enjoyed by boys studying a range of subjects including geography, science, mathematics, cadets, technology, history and languages. Indeed, the eco-buildings planned for short term accommodation at the campus had design input from a Year 10 technology class.

“Here at Bannockburn we have incredible experiential learning opportunities. With semi-native bush, a rocky ridge, river flats and mangroves the Bannockburn landscape can be used to achieve a multitude of outcomes across the curriculum,” says Kym McMaster, Coordinator of Experiential Education at Bannockburn.

“I’ve been involved in education my whole life and I’ve not come across a school that can offer these experiential activities and connections on such a large scale. Bannockburn allows an opportunity for boys to spark an interest in the food production cycle and become passionate about being good stewards of the environment.”

Dr Lambert’s vision for Bannockburn is to have a campus that promotes sustainability and good stewardship of the land. The experience for the boys at the campus is geared towards minimising their environmental footprint. Plastic bottles are not permitted on site, rubbish is sorted and recycled and all food is sourced locally. Future planning includes building accommodation with biodegradable toilets, recycled water and solar power. All food waste from the Bannockburn, Glengarry and Bellevue Hill campuses will be recycled in the farming system.

Technology also plays a big role in the educational experience at Bannockburn. Genetic testing, cross-breeding and the use of drones are all trialled to give students an idea of how to improve animal or crop returns through the use of science and technology. Digital connectivity provides live data on climate, rainfall, windspeed and soil temperature, which students are able to access from anywhere via a phone app that allows the boys and the wider Scots community to feel more connected and involved with the activities on the land.

And these experiences are not just for the country boarders – Bannockburn enables city kids the chance to sample rural life as well. For these kids, it opens their eyes to life outside the city bubble and a potential future career they may not have considered before.

“In some ways there’s a real deficit for a lot of city kids these days – a lot of boys have never really seen a chicken lay an egg, or seen a cow give birth or a calf feeding,” says Dr Lambert. “I think camping overnight in a rural area and being surrounded by a natural pristine environment is really quite eye-opening for them.”

It is this sort of practical, hands-on teaching that is informing the curriculum at Scots and offers a novel way to capture the minds of young students. It works hand-in-hand with the lessons taught in the classroom, as the boys can see the theory of what they are learning put into practice at Bannockburn.

“Education is really about engaging in the real experience, reflecting on the relationship of that experience to theory and the reason behind these practices,” says Dr Lambert. “Students can monitor how the theory they learnt in a classroom unfolds in a practical setting, providing a cycle of reflection that moves from theory to practice.”

High country healing with Isuzu FX Series

Sun, 29 Aug 2021 02:55:40 GMT

A stone’s throw from Mount Kosciuszko, in the Biggara valley, sits the McKimmie family farm.

It’s been a tough few years for husband-and-wife team, Mal and Belinda McKimmie: a summer of tragic bushfires in 2020, loss of stock, fencing and other infrastructure, and then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

As owners of M&B McKimmie Livestock Transport, they are no strangers to moving local stock safely and quickly.

Needing a rugged, ultra-reliable truck suited to the task, they find Isuzu’s FXY 1500 (FXY 240-350 6x4) with manual transmission fits the bill, especially out on the bush tracks.

“The truck played a huge part in helping our community in Biggara following the fires— helping to transport burnt cattle and moving stock to safer areas,” said Belinda.

“But on a regular day, we can be picking up livestock in the Snowy Mountains farming district, driving long distances on back roads and then travelling to the selling yards in regional centres.”

Sitting at 24,000 kg GVM, the FXY’s generous power rating of 257 kW @ 2,000 rpm, torque of 1,422 Nm @ 1,400 rpm and simple, no-nonsense design—as well as its capability in harsh high country weather—were all appealing purchase points.

“We got the Isuzu for the power and stability going up steep hills and windy corners; the bogie axles really help with balancing the cattle and the movement on top of the tray.”

“In summer I haven’t had any overheating issues,” said Belinda.

With many of her trips involving reversing down narrow access tracks, Belinda notes the FXY’s large mirror coverage comes in handy.

“It gives me a feeling of safety and given the terrain, I’m hugely reliant on those mirrors.”

The McKimmie’s also undertook the extra expense and upkeep of installing premium rubber agri-matting into the truck’s tray for the travelling comfort of their clients’ stock—an addition that generated repeat business throughout the region.

“People love what they do and want to look after their stock. They’re really looking for that extra care.”

The McKimmies also use the truck for carting hay on the farm and taking their horses to compete in campdrafting competitions.

Despite five years of rough and dirty work, the truck has required had no downtime or repairs apart from essential servicing, and the McKimmie’s depend on Isuzu for all their aftercare needs.

“We live quite far away, but the dealership at Wodonga always provide a loan car and services the truck quickly.”

“Isuzu Trucks are built for the work we do. I couldn’t imagine looking anywhere else for my next truck purchase.”

A history of education with an eye on the future of food security

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 03:37:22 GMT

The King’s School is Australia’s oldest independent school, founded by the Royal Decree of King George IV in 1831. When it opened its doors in February 1832 at the eastern end of George Street in Parramatta, in a modest building down by the river, three little boys – James Staff, and James and Ebenezer Orr - turned up to start a legacy.

There should have been a fourth boy – George Fairfowl Macarthur, who would become a future head of the school – but he was struck down with bronchitis. Young Macarthur was grandnephew of the great pastoralist John Macarthur, the Macarthur family immediately bestowing onto the school via their patronage the antipodean culture and values that comes from boarding and farming heritages.

Upon the school’s opening, Archdeacon William Grant Broughton declared “The education received in The King’s School is not for the exclusive benefit of those upon whom it is bestowed, but for that of the entire community”.

185 years on, The King’s School remains true to its founder’s ambitions.

Antipodean Experience

The character, culture and nature of The King’s School remains authentically Australian. Newly commissioned as 20th Headmaster of the school, Mr Tony George describes his perspective on the school in the twenty-first century:

“If we are authentically Australian, in this century that can mean many things – Indigenous Australian, white Anglo-Saxon rural Australian, new Australian-born Chinese, third generation Australian merchants. ‘Australian’ becomes a very racially-oriented term under those circumstances.

“If we use the term ‘antipodean’ we immediately relate to that sense of people of Australia and New Zealand being people at the opposite end of the world. Outdoorsy, problem solving, adventurous, as comfortable outside as much as we are comfortable inside. Something that’s earthy and grounded in our antipodean lifestyle.

“I think that when the world today is looking to Australia, it’s that antipodean experience that they want from an Australian education. King’s, of all the schools available in Australia, is uniquely placed to offer that authentic antipodean grounding to humanity”.

As Comfortable in the outback as the Boardroom

The King’s School has remained true to its founding heritage. These days, the school has the capacity to enrol as many as 400 boarders in a total population of 1800 students at its North Parramatta campus. This population expands by another 100 boarders and 200 day students at the Tudor House campus at Moss Vale in regional NSW.

“With the 360 acres at North Parramatta, 160 acres at Tudor House and a further farm of 13000 acres in Futter Park at Harden in NSW, there are very few schools that are positioned with that kind of heritage,” says Tony. “This means our students are just as comfortable in the outback cattleyard as they are in the city boardroom.”

An Education in Food and Agriculture

In his contemplation of a vision and strategy for the future of the school, Tony George says that it’s not difficult to suppose that The King’s School must continue on its established trajectory.

“Australia is still a very rural country – our aggregate agricultural production is in the top five exports for this country, along with education,” says Tony. “To be Australian, to be antipodean, is to have an understanding of the grounding and foundation of our economy. We need to be sensitive and informed about where our food is coming from and where our school is going to.

“The challenge for King’s presently is figuring out who we are, versus who we might be.”

The King’s School is committed to a new partnership in education and private enterprise known as ‘The Future Project’. The Future Project is about enriching the study of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics by partnering with universities and private sector research firms to allow King’s students to work on genuine research projects designed to solve problems and create a sustainable future.

One area of study being undertaken in The Future Project is in food sustainability. Sydney-based scientific research company Quantal Bioscience and King’s students of have been working on a study of the effect of supercooling on the shelf life of foods.

The study hopes to discover the next generation of food preservation techniques without resorting to chemical imbalance. The study is in its early days and early results, while optimistic, need further work.

A Future in Food Security

Headmaster Tony George sees this as the path The King’s School can travel down as it considers how education might have an impact for the good of society.

“We should be considering if we extend this notion emerging from The Future Project and take it to its fullest extent. We should have a greater emphasis on education in food production and security as a holistic focus of our education offer,” says Tony. “Our boys don’t all need to be in agricultural classes, but boys studying economics can place emphasis upon the role of food production in our economy and in the world economy, for example.

“It’s not unrealistic to consider that at some point King’s might develop its own food precinct with faculties dealing with food security and agricultural economics. We can offer residential education in these disciplines right now, either here at Parramatta or at Tudor House. What is certain about our future is that a King’s education will continue to be is not just for the exclusive benefit of those upon whom it is bestowed, but for that of the entire community.”

Agriculture: how the keyboard replaced the plough

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 03:27:29 GMT

Holger Meinke, head of the School of Land and Food at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, discusses the rise of technology in farming and the concept of systems agriculture.

Like it or not, without agriculture few of us would survive. Agriculture underpins all economic growth and development; without its development over 10,000 years ago the creation of our civilisations would not have been possible. It was an astounding, transformational shift in human behaviour, and provided the foundation upon which other sectors of our economies could be built. Suddenly two people could feed more than just themselves, creating the division of labour and enabling developmental creativity at an unprecedented rate.

While most people would readily recognise and acknowledge the sophistication and strength of the science of agriculture, the practice of agriculture (that is, farming) still has an undeserved image of muddy boots, rusty tractors and unskilled, hard labour. This myth must be comprehensively dispelled if we are to successfully tackle the food security and sustainability challenges that lie ahead of us.

Following the science-based, green revolution of the 1960s and 70s another, quieter revolution is fundamentally transforming the practice of agriculture. The green revolution gave farmers access to sophisticated inputs, such as hybrid seed and mineral fertilisers, without requiring additional skills at farm level. Using these technologies did not require farmers to fundamentally change their farming practices; this is no longer the case. Modern farmers operate businesses that are highly knowledge-intensive. They can no longer rely on single, transformational innovations like the sort that powered the green revolution of the 1960s and 70s.

Norman Borlaug’s contributions to agricultural science and plant breeding resulted in high-yielding, disease-resistant crops that are credited with saving approximately one billion people from starvation. Known as ‘the father of the green revolution’, Borlaug and his colleagues managed to find very effective technological fixes to overcome serious resource limitations. Much research, thinking, knowledge and insight went into the creation of these technologies, resulting in an unprecedented increase in food production. Yet the application of these technologies was relatively simple, and therefore not much additional knowledge was required for their deployment at farm level.

Today’s challenges to our agricultural and food systems are different. This time it is not only about increasing yields per area, but also increasing productivity without using additional resources or causing negative environmental or social impacts. Today’s farmers are confronted with multiple resource constraints such as increasing pressures on water, land and energy resources as an expanding global population changes its tastes and preferences and requires more food. Our farmers not only have to excel at what they are traditionally very good at – namely growing crops and raising animals – they also have to be astute financial managers, excellent stewards of our landscapes, highly computer literate and technologically savvy and have an understanding of their legal responsibilities as managers of physical and human resources – all while managing increasingly complex enterprises.

For the first time in our history, more than half the global population lives in cities rather than rural communities. Increasing urbanisation means there are more people competing with agriculture for access to land, water, capital, labour and infrastructure, particularly across Asia where over half of the world’s population now lives. Another result of these demographic changes is that the increase in the demand for agricultural produce is projected to rapidly exceed supplies, putting additional pressure on the environment and the global food system.

The potential social consequences of these pressures were captured by English parliamentarian Lord Cameron of Dillington who, discussing Britain’s food security concerns in the early 2000s, quipped “We are all only nine meals away from anarchy”. The ‘nine meals’ is substantiated by estimates that most Australian households only hold sufficient food for 2-4 days; any disruptions to our supply chains would quickly lead to significant and foreseeable social unrest. Even with policy makers and agrifood companies spending considerable thought and effort on the logistics and management of these supply chains, all such efforts are void unless the agricultural production at farm level is secure, profitable and reliable.

As a consequence, modern agriculture has become a knowledge-intensive sector of considerable social relevance. For instance, Australia’s agriculture currently feeds approximately 60 million people worldwide, roughly 2.5 times our country’s own current population. The pre-farm gate contribution of agriculture to Australia’s GDP is estimated at around 2.5 per cent, considerably higher than most other highly developed economies. A theoretical upper limit of Australia’s capacity to supply food with current technologies suggests a possible threefold increase over current production volume. This means that at maximum production, Australia could feed up to 3 per cent of the world’s population – an important contribution, but hardly the ‘food bowl’ promulgated by some. Realistically, Australia could more than double its real value of annual agricultural exports by 2050, resulting in an additional $670 billion in revenue over the next four decades.

To achieve such growth in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable will require vision and foresight. This is where agricultural systems thinking, augmented by computer simulations of agricultural systems, comes in. Systems thinking was pioneered by scientists such as C.T. de Wit in the Netherlands and led to the development of the first agricultural simulation models in the 1950s and 60s. Yet it is only fairly recently that these models have become part of everyday decision making at farm and policy level. The systems thinking that underpins the development of these models has already been transformational and led, for instance, to the global adoption of reduced, minimum or no-tillage practices that are now regarded as fundamental components of sustainable agriculture. The plough, which has been an essential tool for the practice of agriculture for many centuries, is increasingly being replaced by the keyboard.

Agricultural systems are complex, adaptive systems with three key characteristics: (i) order emerges rather than being predetermined; (ii) the history of the system is largely irreversible, and; (iii) the system’s future can only be assessed probabilistically rather than deterministically predicted. Cause and effect relationships become increasingly intangible as a system becomes more complex and open. Empirical approaches based on direct experimentation on real systems quickly reach their limits in terms of complexity and time required. This is where good simulation models can help; the approach has been demonstrated in many laboratories around the world.

The models’ real usefulness stems not from their ability to predict the outcome of management interventions, but rather in their power to foresee the likelihood and severity of consequences that might arise from a combination of climate, soil, plant, animal and human interactions. While the difference between such uses might appear subtle, it couldn’t be more profound. Predicting an outcome transfers all power to the person making the prediction (usually a scientist), while foreseeing likelihoods and consequences empowers actors to choose and actively create the desirable future they envision while avoiding undesirable outcomes.

The importance of such empowerment cannot be overestimated. When resources are scarce and in high demand, we need tools that facilitate dialogue and help us to navigate the messy space of contested goals, values and outcomes. This is where a foresight approach underpinned by good, quantitative modelling can help. Using computer models we can ask the ‘what if’ questions that underpin scenario planning. We can investigate agricultural practices and resource uses we would never dare to do in real life because they are considered too risky. This provides us with benchmarks and ‘innovation platforms’ that lead to engagement and discussion between farmers, policy makers and scientists. Everybody learns as a result of this process, and in many cases partial solutions are identified and negotiated where previously none were in sight.

In Tasmania for instance, governments and farmers have invested over $500 million in new irrigation infrastructure. When all the planned irrigation schemes are fully operational, more than 150 gigalitres of new water will be made available for irrigation. This adds about 20 per cent to the total amount of water used for irrigation in Tasmania, a state where irrigation already accounts for approximately 60 per cent of the gross value of agricultural production.

New irrigation infrastructure built on such a scale contains significant risks and opportunities alike. Well-documented problems associated with irrigation (such as erosion, salinisation and over-exploitation of water resources) must be avoided, while the use of these new water resources must lead to increased profitability and productivity of Tasmania’s agricultural landscapes. To this end the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, a joint venture between the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania, developed an agreed-upon strategy for research and development that would increase the economic and social value of irrigation.

The project established innovation networks across the public and private sectors, and has been recognised as an innovation success story by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It involved collaboration between government, regulators, academics, the public, businesses and water institutions. Together, these networks imagined what an agriculturally driven economic revival of the island state might look like, what future would be desirable, what should be avoided and what the development pathways would look like and entail. Many of these discussions were informed by modelled data.

The result was a clear set of research priorities that needed to be addressed in order to stay on developmental pathways that are sustainable in every sense: economically, socially and environmentally. And while this exercise of foresight has not provided answers to all of Tasmania’s questions, it has brought together disparate groups of stakeholders motivated by common causes: advancing the prosperity of the island, developing social capital and establishing a broadly-recognised social licence to operate. The process has yielded agreement on priorities, partial solutions to some problems and a renewed confidence that even some of the more intractable problems in agricultural development can be addressed through a willingness to engage, respect for the perspectives and values of others and innovative technologies that help in drawing such communities together.

Such ‘innovation platforms’ can facilitate meaningful and outcome-oriented dialogues between scientists, farmers, policy makers and agribusinesses. They benefit from systems analytical approaches that provide simulated data for scenario development. Science and practice are critically important, but they need to be augmented by good, socially integrated processes in order for modern agriculture to advance. Current developments in Tasmania are an example of how this approach can be successfully applied.

Australian beef – beef you can trust

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 08:14:28 GMT

Australia's red meat and livestock industry makes a significant contribution to the Australian economy. In 2018-19, the red meat and livestock industry contributed $17.6 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - 1% higher year-on-year and up 89% from 2013–14. An essay was commissioned for Cattle Council of Australia to communicate and clarify key facts and figures around the beef industry’s commitment to sustainability.

Consumers should have full confidence in and be proud of the Australian beef industry. It has built solid environmental credentials and continues to lead many industries in its sustainability push. It has world-leading production and integrity systems, is custodian of more 77% of the total land used for agriculture, plays a vital and sustainable role in feeding Australians and the world, yet frustratingly, we continue to see misconceptions, inaccuracies and criticisms levelled at our industry.

While we have a fantastic story to tell, today’s news media often castigates the beef industry over emissions with simple and powerful messaging, but this is to the detriment of the nation. The Australian red meat and livestock sector has a clear path to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, making our industry a national leader.

Human nature does not lend itself well to looking at long-term solutions opening the door for Hollywood stars, tech moguls and global food companies promoting elevator pitch sound bites that fail to understand the complex system of producing beef that spans physics, chemistry, biology and ecology. Comments like ‘a guilt free steak’ may be catchy and cut through in media, but they are uninformed. Too often are we compared to the electricity or transport sectors, but the fact is domestic transportation in Australia produces 10 times the carbon emissions that domestic beef consumption does, energy production nearly 20 times.

Of course, we all have our part to play, but perspective is essential. When considering the impact of beef, there are some very important things to recognise:

Beef emissions do not come from fossil fuels
Comparing the beef industry to the transport, or the energy, sector is flawed. Burning coal and oil releases carbon that has been locked away for millions of years, but this is not the case with the methane released in beef production.

Grassfed beef recycles carbon. It is drawn out of the atmosphere first through soils and pastures, pasture is eaten by cattle and some of this carbon is released again through breathing and burping. It is true that methane retains around 28 times the atmospheric heat of carbon dioxide, but methane emitted by cattle breaks down within 12 years, whereas carbon dioxide emissions from energy and transport sectors burning fossil fuels can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Stable herd numbers don’t heat the planet

Because our emissions naturally deteriorate in around 12 years, when a cow burps, it’s usually just replacing methane that is breaking down. Greenhouse gasses only have a limited capacity to retain heat – the problem arises when the total volume of greenhouse gas increases. When we cut methane emissions, we go beyond slowing the rate of warming. Put simply, beef emissions don’t always add to the problem, but cutting them can help reverse the problem. By comparison, sectors that burn large volumes of fossil fuel cannot reverse the warming impact they have, they can only slow the rate at which they heat the planet.

Nearly 80% of agricultural land is beef country

Land currently provides the greatest opportunity to offset carbon emissions. This could be through tree planting, soil health or capture and storage. As the custodian of more 77% of the total land used for agricultural production, the beef cattle industry is in a unique position to help address the nation’s climate challenges.

Beef levy-funded technologies, such as the asparagopsis (red seaweed) feed additive, already have the potential to cut methane emissions by up to 96%, while boosting beef production by 20%. Technologies like this, in tandem with our industry’s capacity to capture carbon, means the beef cattle industry is well placed to take advantage of increasing demand for carbon credits as governments around the world demand businesses offset their footprint. Qantas, Telstra, Toyota and others do not have the capacity to do this on their own, they need a partner, and the beef industry is in a position to be that partner.

Independent scientists are keeping track

The red meat and livestock industry has engaged with some the world’s most credible and eminent scientific organisations to track our progress, including NASA, CSIRO and CiboLabs. Their findings are published every year through the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework annual update. Five quick facts:

The Australian beef industry has more than halved its greenhouse gas emissions since 2005. This reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is larger than any other industry in Australia.
Most of Australia’s land mass cannot support any other food production – only 8% of Australia’s land mass is suitable for cropping. Cattle convert grass and other plants with low nutrient value to humans into high quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals that we can digest.
CSIRO analysis shows it is possible for the beef industry to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by increasing productivity, increasing soil carbon and reducing emissions, without reducing herd numbers below current levels.
Research has demonstrated that raising cattle combined with land management practices increases biodiversity on farms.
It takes 68% less water to produce a kilogram of beef than it did 30 years ago.

Conclusion
Australian beef is beef you can trust. We are leading the nation and the world in the way we approach sustainability. For generations, we have cared for the environment, but now the value of sustainability is going up, and there are growing financial rewards for environmental stewardship. This road will not only lead to higher profits for producers but will make Australian beef a key player in addressing the nation’s, and the world’s climate challenges.

Cattle Council of Australia is the peak producer organisation representing Australia's beef cattle producers. Cattle Council was established in July 1979 and brings together all State-based farmer organisations representing cattle producers and individual members operating beef cattle enterprises.

Carbon Farming Risk Management

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 01:06:08 GMT

A CARBONCARE™ Case Study from Rural SW Western Australia.

Re-purposed with the permission of Carbon Positive Australia. Carbon Positive Australia is a non-profit based in Perth WA that develops carbon sequestering native restoration projects across Australia.

The 100-plus year old Yallara Pastoral Co. in SW Western Australia

Supported by Lotterywest, the lotteries commission of WA, CarbonCare ^TM is a five-year research project which seeks to increase community understanding of carbon farming. The project consists of three major components: (1) CarbonCare Voices: A research study of carbon market stakeholders; (2) CarbonCare Co-Benefits: A valuation study at a Northern Agricultural Wheatbelt site; and (3) The establishment of demonstration carbon planting sites. Below are findings of a Case Study from (1): “Adams Family’s Yallara Pastoral Co., Woogenellup, WA”.

Mark and Heather Adams farm 6,910ha on Minang Country at Woogenellup, Western Australia. Theirs is a mixed farming enterprise, but they focus on crop — generally barley, wheat and canola. The whole Adams family lives and breathes agriculture. Heather and Mark have always been involved in WA Farmers Federation, as well as local and regional landcare projects. They were instrumental in developing Stirlings to Coast Farmers, which supports members with agricultural research-based outcomes that are relevant to the local area. Not only that, their daughter, Kimberley was awarded top honour at the Young Professionals in Agriculture Forum in 2014. She undertook her research on the family farm. Her Dad was very supportive — as far as he’s concerned, “change, innovation and young people are so important for the future of agriculture”. In short, they are innovative and progressive farmers. Another thing about the Adamses is that past experiences have made them wary of the zero-carbon movement and what it means for farmers on the ground.

“Carbon farming is the process of changing agricultural practices or land use to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil and vegetation (sequestration) and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, soil or vegetation (avoidance).” Ref: WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Previous experiences with agroforestry projects have left Heather and Mark feeling battered and a bit cautious when it comes to large-scale planting projects for carbon farming.
The Adamses do see there may be opportunity for carbon farming in the future, however, carbon calculation and a return on investment and effort is required.

THE OPTIMISM OF YOUTH

Yallara Pastoral Company has been a no-till operation since the mid-1980s. Heather and Mark have several other ‘Green’ feathers in their cap as well. They manage their cropping to minimise stubble burning (which is the practice of intentionally setting fire to the straw stubble that remains after grains have been harvested), they use a strip and disc system to reduce fuel use, they undertake soil testing to keep a lid on fertilisation and herbicide costs and use a seed destructor to help fight herbicide resistance. But the fact is, while they see benefits of biodiverse plantings on degraded or unused parts of their farm, they are not planning to get on board with carbon farming at the moment.

The current reluctance to get on board with carbon farming stems from their own previous experiences. Heather and Mark have literally planted tens of thousands of trees on their property over the years for different reasons. Agroforestry projects where they have planted trees for alternative revenue sources include:

Pines: Over 130 Hectares of pines in partnership with the Forest Products Commission, but the project was mismanaged and left them with a caveat on their land, and
Saw logs: They started a 40-year project in saw log plantations, but Federal Government support for the project was withdrawn, leaving the family to manage the project themselves.

CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE

Heather and Mark agree that the climate is changing. In fact, their son-law, Nathan, has recently entered and analysed the past 50 years of rainfall data. The evidence showed a declining trend — and Heather agrees that this is a challenge for farmers. Heather is keen to do what they can on the farm to mitigate the effects and impacts of climate change, but she just wants support, from the Government and the agricultural industry, to ensure that carbon planting projects have the greatest possible chances of success. And for Heather, that means deep research into which native species, on which types of land, and with what kinds of maintenance, will result in a favourable result for everyone — including the grower’s bank balance. For her, carbon planting isn’t something you do to feel good. A solid return on investment and assurance that it will be effective is what the Adamses are looking for. After two challenging planting projects where involvement with third parties has been troublesome and the success of the plantings have been compromised (through no fault of their own), Heather subscribes to the old adage: Do it once, do it right.

“Under the Carbon Farming Futures program, which began in 2012 and ran through to June 2017, the Australian Government invested more than $139 million in 200 projects, involving 350 organisations with more than 530 farm trial sites.” Ref: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

MOVING FORWARD WITH CARBON FARMING

Currently, Mark and Heather can’t see the benefits of carbon farming, but they both agree that they will become clearer in the future. Their plan is to hold off on carbon farming until an appropriate opportunity crops up. Having said that, Heather’s already got her eye on a few key parts of the farm that could be used for future planting projects. They’re hoping to incorporate future planting into areas of the farm which currently represent challenges and are not performing from a cropping point of view, including landscapes impacted by shallow water tables. Given their past investments and involvements in Landcare and natural resource management projects, the Adamses are very familiar with the co-benefits of permanent plantings.

Their children, Heather says “might jump onto it with great enthusiasm (as we would have when we were younger) and make it work,” but Heather and Mark say there are four things that they will need to see before they add carbon farming to the farm plan.

Carbon market: A carbon price and a carbon credits scheme that is equitable to all parties would go a long way to convincing Heather and Mark to do carbon farming.
Tried and true methodology: The Adamses need research-supported data about the types of endemic species that can be most effectively used in carbon farming in Western Australia, and the best way to get it done in each region for carbon and co-benefits.
Clear, measurable benefits: A way of calculating carbon is required and any measurement tool needs to be tested, proven and affordable. This way, farmers will have a clear idea of the costs and benefits of being involved ahead of time.
A return on investment: When it comes to big decisions on their farm, Heather and Mark are not interested in taking risks without knowing that there be a return on their investment, and their effort.

For Heather and Mark, the bottom line is the risk; “It’s all about managing risk,” Heather says. “That’s what farming is. There’s always a challenge and we just keep going”. The family has spent years working to support agriculture. Their wisdom, experience and open-minded approach makes them an important voice in the on-going discussion around carbon farming in Western Australia.

“While we continue to make advances in understanding and measuring soil carbon, ultimately it is farmers who need to know that building soil carbon is good for their farms and their businesses.” Ref: CSIRO.

Agriculture’s robots: Rise of the machines?

Tue, 25 May 2021 05:49:17 GMT

Humans learned how to cultivate crops about 10,000 years ago. This massive step brought us from being primitive hunter-gatherers to being able to reliably grow food and textiles, live in villages and towns and create lifestyles that involved a lot more than foraging.

From those early days until the mid-1700s, farming remained more or less the same. But thanks to the past two centuries of technological development, we now have everything from pesticides to GM crops – and of course robots.

These machines, whether we like it or not, play an ever-increasing role in food and fibre production. In the US, the agricultural workforce has already fallen from 40 per cent to two per cent of total employment over the last century.

Now imagine what it’ll be like in another hundred years.

Agriculture’s shrinking workforce

If history is anything to go by, we’re going to see much fewer people doing unskilled agricultural work in the coming decades. And as their numbers decline, we’re going to see a movement of campaigners and lobby groups trying to prevent jobs from disappearing. This has already happened in the automobile industry.

You’d expect that agricultural labour hire and recruitment companies like Agri Labour Australia would be worried about what the future holds; after all, if there are no jobs, there’s no need for candidates or recruiters.

But actually, that’s not quite the case. Some may see cause for concern, but a better approach may be an optimistic one. This might surprise you, so let us explain.

Productivity means profit

First, let’s take a look at why we use machines and robots in the first place.

There’s one main reason: productivity. The most obvious reason to use machines is that they work faster and more reliably than people, which in turn makes them more profitable over the long term.

For example, poultry farming hasn’t seen much of a downside. Dedicated egg-collecting machines have brought automation to this traditionally labour-intensive role, which has helped free up farmers’ time and increased their margins.

Profitable farmers mean a healthy agricultural industry, and that’s a good thing. But at what cost?

Machines do replace workers, but not always for the reason you think

Profit and productivity aren’t the only reason machines are replacing people – in Australia, many farming businesses use machines because the access to labour simply isn’t there, for example in fruit picking. There’s also the fact that in some agricultural roles, human hands bring the best results.

Without the required workforce available to them, farmers are forced to invest in machines. These machines might not give the same quality results, but they have no other choice.

What’s more, this equipment is prohibitively expensive for many smaller-scale producers, although they do reduce labour overheads in the long term. So we see family-run farms going out of business or being forced into costly equipment hire agreements that eat away at their margins.

A tough choice for farmers

To stay in the game, farmers therefore have a decision to make. Do they protect their human workers, or do they spend the money upfront and invest in technology?

One thing is for certain: as technology develops, the face of the agricultural workforce will have to change. There’s no use in fighting automation, so the only option is to embrace it and try to put ourselves on the right side of history.

Focus on what robots can’t do

There will always be roles robots can’t fill. We may one day have machines that can hand-pick berries without damaging them, or that can pick the ripe fruit from the branch while leaving the unripe ones.

To meet the needs of farmers and the consumers they feed, the workforce will have to change what part of the supply chain it services. We may see more skilled workers who, instead of doing the actual picking, are operating the picking machines or grading the produce.

What we would like to see is an increase in semi-skilled and skilled roles, which will be great for the industry and the regions in which they operate. We are already suffering from a dire shortage of unskilled and semi-skilled staff, so any influx of better-qualified people will be great for rural communities.

We have to look at the future as an opportunity. We must invest in training and education for our producers and agricultural workers, and we must give them the knowledge and tools to embrace technology and meet the new demand for technically proficient staff.

An opportunity for change and growth

If you’d asked a 1960s office-job recruiter about computers, they would’ve told you that clerks were an indispensable part of the professional workforce. It’s true – they were.

But since then, we haven’t seen a generation of clerks go hungry because there’s no work for them. They upskilled, learned how to use computers and helped contribute to the further growth and evolution of clerical roles.

What about the human cost?

On the other side of the coin, we might take the example of the car industry replacing factory staff with robots. The loss of thousands of jobs is a real and painful truth, but we have to also consider that consumer trends and competitive performance rely on getting the most out of our manufacturing. Fighting these hard truths won’t make them untrue – it’s time that could be spent more productively.

Agriculture mustn’t follow this example. We need to be able to compete with other nations and continue making the best food and fibre we can – and we need to be able to sell it at a competitive price.

If this means some of our manual roles become obsolete, there’s nothing we can do to fight it. Instead, let’s look at helping to further train and educate our unskilled staff so that their passion and skills can be put to use elsewhere in the supply chain.

The future is bright!

We see a future where robots and humans work in harmony. We mustn’t allow ourselves to fight progress in our industry. We should be at the forefront, providing the manpower that will drive Australian agriculture into the next era.

taf

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Women of the outback - the unsung heroes of rural and regional Australia

Australian women in rural and regional Australia are supported by many advocacy Not For Profit organisations committed to recognising and advancing their various contributions to the economy and social fabric of outback Australia.

CEAT Specialty – a world leader in ag radial tyres

A century of seed services

Hannaford marks 100 years in 2025 of helping growers improve seed quality, reduce crop risks, and boost farm productivity with trusted local services.

Australian farmers choose Bioflora for real results: sustainable roots, soil‑and‑plant biology that works, and a company genuinely committed to supporting growers’ season after season.

Adding hectares isn’t the only business growth strategy for farmers. Smarter landforming can recover margin, improve efficiency, and deliver quicker returns — whether automation is on your agenda or not.

Regional Australia Bank is helping innovative farmers unlock productivity, diversify income, and build stronger regional businesses.

When heat, rising input costs, and water scarcity collide, protecting yield becomes even more critical for growers. In that context, growers are prioritising proven products and technologies that reduce risk and perform under Australian conditions.

The price of land forces some family farmers to sell land to be able to treat all their children fairly.

North Queensland cane grower John Muscat, by minimising manual chores and keeping expensive farm machines working longer, has boosted uptime and cut maintenance using JSG Industrial’s Australian-assembled auto-lube.

Merlo Australia empowers modern agriculture with versatile telehandlers that boost efficiency, cut costs, and deliver long-term value, helping farmers streamline workflows and adapt to industry demands.

With increased global trade volatility, now is the time to intensify efforts to address the growing burden of non-tariff measures on the export interests of our country’s farmers. But resolving them is a complex process requiring sustained strategic effort.

Innovation, technological solutions and teamwork – those were the themes that comprised the first GrowHer ag-tech event in Rockhampton this week.