FARMING AHEAD – by Alex Paull – “APWFC chairman Russell Pattinson said excellent seasonal conditions in all major sheep producing areas had resulted in higher average wool cuts per head this season.
“Some states such as Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland have seen the benefit from the improved seasonal conditions throughout the 2016/17 season and fleece weights are even better than the committee previously expected,” Pattinson said.”
NZ FARMER – by Brittany Pickett – “Sheep, beef, and cropping farmers have endured and enjoyed a varied year in Southland.
Farmers heard positives and negative reports of agriculture markets at a Federated Farmers annual meeting last week.
Meat and fibre chairman Gary Coker said farmers were on average getting $5.90 a kilogram for their lambs this year, compared with last year’s disappointing average of $4.75/kg. Coker stepped down at the meeting after two years and was replaced by Gore farmer Bernadette Hunt.”
THE EXAMINER – by Johanna Baker-Dowdell – “Tasmania’s wool districts and the people who live and work within them will become stars during photographer Chantel McAlister’s The Truth About Wool national tour.”
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Lucy Kinbacher – “EXHIBITOR Chris Clonan, Alfoxton Merino stud, Armidale had a hard enough time juggling his 12 exhibits at the State Sheep Show let alone the armfuls of ribbons and prizes he took home with him.
After missing last year’s event Mr Clonan made up for his absence in Charleville taking out all four grand champions and three supreme exhibit titles.”
WESTERN ADVOCATE – by John Seaman – “LAST weekend’s widespread rain was well received by most sectors of rural industry and ground temperatures are still warm enough for some pasture growth before winter sets in.
The Bathurst basin was looking dreary after some hard frosts but most livestock have held their condition fairly well.”
NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER – by Annabelle Cleeland – “DRUG and alcohol testing in shearing sheds has been proposed in an effort to tackle widespread reports of methamphetamine, or “ice”, abuse in the Australian wool industry.
A national taskforce, including the Australian Shearing Contractors Association (SCAA), National Farmers Federation (NFF), Australian Workers Union (AWU) and Wool Producers Australia (WPA), was formed late last year to curb escalating concerns about the use of ice and alcohol.”
THE TRANSCONTINENTAL PORT AUGUSTA – by Matt Carchich – “Port Augusta university student Amelia Gibson has been announced as one of 15 recipients of the annual Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) 2017 Horizon Scholarship.
Fifteen Horizon Scholars were announced this week following an extensive judging process focused on the applicants’ commitment to agriculture, leadership impact and potential, plus career aspirations.”
SHEEP CENTRAL – “AN investment plan to benefit sheep, goat and cattle production across Australia’s rangelands will be developed in a project supported by Meat & Livestock Australia.”
SHEEP CENTRAL – by Terry Sim – “SHEEP flow trials with electronic ear tag scanners are continuing across Victoria this month after a demonstration at the Wycheproof saleyards recently.”
ABC – TRIPLE J HACK – by James Purtill – “The shearers shake their heads and won’t talk about drugs. “We have to work with each other,” they say.
It’s lunch break at a station near Gundagai, deep in the Riverina region of New South Wales – a place of flat plains, warm weather, plenty of water, and millions of sheep. The shearing shed, where I’ve come to learn about drugs, is over 100 years old, dense with cobwebs and chalk marks. These days it gets rented out as a fancy wedding venue, but the flock of thousands still has to get its coat clipped.”
