Country Today - May 21st

Country Today - June 4th

Following a record year ABARES is forecasting the value of agricultural production to fall by 5% to $98.3 billion.    Bulla Dairy Foods has announced its opening farmgate milk price for the 2026–2027 season at $9.15 - $9.95 kg/milk solids, which is higher than most processor prices.     There’s been widespread and very welcome rain over the past week, with most areas seeing totals from 15 to 100 mls, which is great to grain growing regions. Today you’ll hear about Hand to the Land is a fundraising initiative focused on increasing mental health professionals in the bush.   Anthrax has been recorded in Australian livestock for over 150 years. To explain the risks, signs to watch for and how farmers can protect their animals, you’ll hear from Agriculture Victoria’s senior vet Geoff Cave.   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Country Today - June 3rd

Today we revisit the global fuel and fertilizer situation with specialist international supply chain management, David Leaney. And a resolution to the War with Iran is no closer, so we’d better get used to increasing input costs. Dairy farmers are disappointed by opening milk prices, but industry leaders say processors are struggling too.  Gippsland farmers are fighting plans from three energy companies to build Battery Energy Storage Systems in the Baw Baw Shire. Victoria has the highest feral deer population in Australia, estimated to be more than a million and growing.      See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Country Today - June 2nd

Country Today has been at the United Dairy Farmers of Victoria conference in Ballarat. It’s the first in several years after the divisive leadership under former VFF president Emma Germano, which saw the UDV leadership walk away and form a breakaway group, Dairy Farmers Victoria. Just short of three years, and they’re back. You’ll hear from UDV president Bernie Free, who now has former Dairy Farmers Vic president Mark Billing is his vice president. Then a young dairy farmer who has gone down the path in intensive dairy farming with cows housed and milked three times a day Then it’s on to the Victorian Farmers Federation conference, and the official election of the new president Ryan Milgate, who’ll talk about what he sees as the priorities in the job You’ll also hear from the Victorian Minister for Agriculture Michaela Settle, only appointed to the role in mid April And dairy industry stalwart, for UDV President, octogenarian Max Fehring takes us back a quarter of a century to talk about the deregulation of the dairy industry  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Country Today - June 1st

The Victorian Government has finalised five of the state's renewable energy zones. So does this mean the zones are cast in stone? You’ll hear from VicGrid chief executive Alistair Parker    It’s 15 years this month since the Australian Government suspended live cattle exports to Indonesia after shocking footage of being beaten and their throats cut, left to an agonizing, slow death. The Federal Court is still wrangling with lawyers over compensation for northern Australian cattle producers. On this edition of Country Today, a special three-part interview with the Australian who pioneered the establishment of the live cattle trade, Greg Pankhurst, who is still involved with the industry to this day.   See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Country Today - May 29th

Dairy farmers call it the silly season when milk processors announce the opening milk price.  Without a decent increase, more farmers will be walking away from the industry. You’ll hear from Shadow Agriculture Minister Darren Chester about the Treasurer not coming clean on the changes to Capital Gains tax The wool market is tantalisingly close to 2000 cents a kilo and now at it's highest level since 2019. If you’re in the sheep industry, you should be heading to the biennial Lambex conference being held in Adelaide in July   Green is back in the grass across the South West after a dry 18 to 24 months,  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.