News
Agricultural Pests
Feral pig numbers ‘out of control’
According to NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin, millions of feral pigs are breeding and rampaging across the countryside, flourishing after years of heavy rain, attacking native animals and livestock, and wreaking havoc on crops and infrastructure.
Community in Agriculture
Bidding opens on Dolly's Dream charity auction items
Pre-auction online bidding on eight fantastic charity auction items donated to raise funds for the Dolly's Dream Foundation as part of the Australian Agricultural Co's Long Lunch fundraiser on Thursday has begun.
The charity auction items include outback on-property experiences, fantastic sporting memorabilia, artwork, and bushcraft items.
Technology in Agriculture
Mustering By Drone. Cheap, Safe, But Still Inaccessible for Most
In a battle over the use of drones to muster livestock, a young stockman from north-west Queensland is taking on the aviation watchdog.
Luke Chaplain of Malakoff Station near Cloncurry founded SkyKelpie in an attempt to be the first person in the world to commercialise the use of drones to herd animals.
Agricultural Economics
Young steers and heifers show some recovery in online trading
The value of most young steer and heifer categories increased in online trade this week.
Commercial cattle listings on AuctionsPlus fell to 10,869 head, with clearing increasing to 43 percent, a 12 percent increase from the previous week.
Natural Disasters in Agriculture
Crop Devastation in NSW Raises Fears of a New Mouse Plague.
Farmers in New South Wales are on the lookout for increased mouse activity, fearing a repetition of the deadly 2021 plague.
Growing damage to crops and fodder has been reported across the state, prompting the NSW Farmers Association to issue a warning.
Technology in Agriculture
New iPhone safety feature labelled potential ‘lifesaver for the bush’
Imagine being able to contact emergency services even when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage is unavailable.
That capacity has now been triggered in the latest generation of Apple iPhones accessible in Australia, which has been welcomed as a potentially significant step forwards for rural safety.
Technology in Agriculture
Farming Simulator - The Digital Farming Experience
Video games and agriculture are concepts not often considered side-by-side, but Swedish game developer Giants Software aims to change that with Farming Simulator.
Technology in Agriculture
Artificial Intelligence - Taking the Sleep out of Counting Sheep
While counting sheep is recognised for being a tedious chore that can put even the most agitated person to sleep, returning an accurate number without making costly mistakes appears to be practically impossible for humans.
As a result, some processors have turned to artificial intelligence to achieve a more precise count of the number of sheep entering a plant. Similarly, work is being done in cattle feedlots.
Agricultural Events
A History of the Sydney Royal Easter Show
Historically a showcase for New South Wales' primary and secondary industries, as well as the promotion of agricultural education and improvement, the Show has brought 'the country to the city' for decades, and it remains an important part of Sydney's cultural life, particularly for youngsters.
Agriculture and Economics
Start-up Invest Inya Farmer set to democratise investment in agriculture
Start-up Invest Inya Farmer (IIF) has raised $1.1 million in seed fundraising lead by Investible, with participation from global agtech VC AgFunder and HNW investors.
IIF intends to break down barriers between farmers/food growers and everyday consumers by allowing ordinary Australians to invest fractionally in agriculture without owning a farm.
Cattle Health and Wellbeing
3-Day Sickness Warning for Cattle in NSW
On the NSW North Coast, cattle are showing signs of Bovine Ephemeral Fever, popularly known as three-day sickness.
Laboratory testing has verified the illness in animals over the northern rivers and far north coast. The disease is predicted to spread south as the season develops.
Agricultural Property
The changing face and future of S. Kidman & Co
This week's property review looks at the reasons behind Gina Rinehart's two pastoral businesses - Hancock Agriculture and the S. Kidman & Co joint venture - changing course, as well as some interesting developments in the property space involving the companies.
Over the last five years, no one has been more active in the Australian grazing property market than Ms Rinehart, both as a buyer and seller.