LivestockVictoria delays tougher poultry cage rules by a year because of bird flu
The new welfare standards, part of a national plan to phase out conventional cages by 2036, now start in mid-2027, while caged-egg farmers vow to fight the phase-out.
Categories
Australia
Livestock
EnvironmentDairy farmers help heal Queensland's Mary River, once among its most degraded
Pile fields, fenced banks and effluent reuse on farms now keep an estimated 27,000 tonnes of fine sediment a year from reaching the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Livestock
Australian feedlots warn Canberra that running out of fuel is a food-security risk
At BeefEx 2026, lotfeeders recalled fuel deliveries halting during the Strait of Hormuz closure and urged peacetime plans for access to fuel and inputs.
Crops
Heat-tolerant lentils bred with AI and speed breeding reach field trials in Australia
About 200 lines from a GRDC-funded Agriculture Victoria project are being tested at three main sites, with 50 more at hotter satellite sites.
LivestockUS herd at 70-year low, but politics rules out Australian cattle imports, feedlot chief says
At BeefEx 2026, North American cattle feeder Kee Jim said Australia could meet US animal-health standards and the economics work, yet US authorities say there is no import protocol.
AgribusinessAustralian farmers win short-term deal to fast-track backpacker visas for harvest
The National Farmers' Federation and the federal government agreed to prioritise urgent working holiday visa applications for farm work, after a processing slowdown left harvests short of workers.
AgribusinessAustralia could face diesel rationing within weeks if US bans exports, analyst warns
MST Marquee's Saul Kavonic says a US diesel export ban could push Australian diesel above $4 a litre, a risk for farmers and miners in the world's largest diesel importer.
LivestockNew Bass Strait terminal could halve cattle freight costs for island farmers
Bass Strait Freight plans a direct service from King and Flinders islands to a new livestock terminal at Port Anthony in Victoria, carrying up to 40,000 cattle a year from late October.
AgribusinessStonier Wines buys Seppelt as Treasury Wine Estates sheds brands
The family-owned Mornington Peninsula producer has bought Seppelt's Great Western winery and vineyards, the first brand Treasury Wine Estates has sold as it cuts its portfolio to fewer than 30.
LivestockEconomist Saul Eslake warns Australian beef not to bank on China
At the BeefEx feedlot conference, Saul Eslake said China's shrinking population and slowing economy mean exporters should look to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Mexico and Africa.
EnvironmentAustralia's EPA tells farmers EPBC reforms are no ban on clearing; AgForce disagrees
At AgForce roadshow days in Queensland, the National EPA said most grazing and cropping can carry on under the reformed EPBC Act, while AgForce said the narrowed exemptions leave producers with legal risk.
LivestockRecord sheep prices lure Riverina farmers from crops to stock as the north stays dry
A Temora family sold first-cross ewes for a reported Australian saleyard record of $620 a head, while about 45% of New South Wales remains in drought.
LivestockRemote grassfed cattle can now qualify for MSA grading after journeys of up to five days
A new Meat Standards Australia pathway lets cattle travelling up to 120 hours by road or rail stay eligible for grading, after MLA-funded research found no loss of eating quality.