Quarantine inspectors stop New Zealand apple shipments

A NEW Zealand apple grower has been caught trying to send banned waste from apple trees to Australia days after the trans-Tasman market reopened. The load was stopped by Biosecurity Australia on a final inspection in New Zealand before being airfreighted to Australia. The incident has infuriated

Big red canvas to draw carbon farming on Henbury Station

The cattle station is set to become one of the world’s largest carbon farms, drawing pollution from the atmosphere by selling offsets to companies that pollute. Launching the initiative on the deep red banks of the Finke River yesterday, Environment Minister Tony Burke admitted there were no

Rural property investor PrimeAg is to raise $125 million from the issue of new shares to help kickstart a new agricultural fund.

The fund will invest in Australian cropping properties and water entitlements and is targeting $600 million in assets under management. PrimeAg said on Wednesday that an institutional investor which had requested to remain anonymous had committed at

MAF plan may kill industry: Pig farmer

Easing biosecurity controls may allow imports of fresh pork products that bring with them a deadly disease It reeks of a decision made before the consultation was even startedIan Walker, Bay pig farmer One of Hawke’s Bay’s only pig farmers fears his livelihood and the industry throughout the country could be ruined if biosecurity controls […]

Truth to unsold GM canola

THE 49,000 tonnes of genetically modified (GM) canola grown in WA last year remains unsold due to grain quality issues connected to the severe drought and not market rejection of biotechnology, as suggested last week by WA Greens MLC, Lynn MacLaren. WA Agriculture Minister, Terry Redman, has described Ms MacLaren’s disingenuous suggestion as being either […]

Food before coal: Newman backs farmers

CAMPBELL Newman has tagged agriculture as Queensland’s most important industry. “You can’t eat coal for breakfast,” he declared in a speech to party faithful. The Liberal National Party leader yesterday seized on escalating tensions over the spread of mining exploration into traditional farming land with a

NZ food prices rise in May

New Zealand food prices rose in May, led by a jump in fruit and vegetables following a decline in produce costs last month. The food price index rose 0.5% in the month, according to Statistics New Zealand, an increase from the 0.1% rise in cost seen in April. In the month, three of the five […]

Rising food prices good for economy, say experts

Food looks set to cost more at the till this year, although economists say higher commodity prices are good news for the economy. Food prices fell 0.6 per cent in November and 0.8 per cent last month, according to Statistics New Zealand, with seasonal falls in vegetable prices the main contributor. Statistics NZ prices manager […]

Australia Underwater In 2011

According to AgForce, a farmer’s lobby collection, the flooding has left half of Queensland’s agricultural crop damaged. More than a few coal establishments in the region have implemented force majeure. Under this ruling, companies will not be detained liable for missed deliveries as a result of conditions beyond their control. The Queensland Resources Council, a […]

National Vegetable Week call

A GROUP of vegetable industry leaders wants more Australians to recognise and embrace the domestic vegetable industry. Vince Brancatisano, of Prestige Produce at Footscray, was one of 13 people who took part in a six-month Growing Leaders national vegetable industry leadership program this year. Mr Brancatisano said one of the key ideas the group