The National Australia Bank (NAB) in its latest Rural Commodities Outlook  wrap  issued on 22 December 2011 has reported that apart from the weakening global economy, there is also a very strong production response hitting world agricultural commodity markets. Australian rural production  is on track for  massive winter crops in 2012 because of good rains adding to downward pressure on prices.  At  the same time, sugar and cotton production growth in Australia have also been part of the general... ...Read more »

A business lobby group in South Australia is calling for the State Government to lift its ban on genetically modified crops. There are currently no GM crops grown commercially in South Australia with the possible exception of blue carnations and carnations with an extended vase life. Apart from Tasmania, South Australia is the only State to have a ban on GM crops. The Chief Executive Officer of Business SA, a group that lobbies on behalf of the businesses in South Australia, Peter Vaughan said that... ...Read more »

A new report published today by the Asian Development Bank (ABD) urges Pacific nations to increase local food production, particularly of climate-resistant crops such as taro, yam, and cassava. The report also says that climate change threatens to increase hunger and malnutrition among the Pacific region’s poorest people unless there is action soon. According to Food Security and Climate Change in the Pacific: Rethinking the Options., unseasonal weather has already reduced crop production for... ...Read more »

Ants and termites may be the earthworms of dry-land agriculture, with a paper by scientists at CSIRO and the Univeristy of Sydney showing that the insects have a significant positive impact on crop yields in dryland agriculture. “Ants and termites perform the same ecosystem service functions in dryland agriculture that earthworms perform in cooler and wetter areas, but the potential for ants and termites to provide these benefits has received little attention until now,” said CSIRO’s... ...Read more »

The European Commission yesterday (13 July) formally proposed giving EU member states the right to ban or allow the cultivation of GM food on their territory.The tabled regulation would preserve the existing EU-wide controls on GM production but allows governments to prevent the cultivation of GM foods authorised elsewhere in the EU. EU health commissioner John Dalli said: “The concrete measures adopted today will allow member states the freedom to decide on GMO cultivation.” The Commission... ...Read more »

What will be the effects of predicted temperature increases on fruit crops in the future? How will climate policies like the federal government’s proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme affect farm businesses? Horticulture body Growcom is set to address these issues with new research commencing next year with the assistance of Horticulture Australia (HAL), Apple & Pear Australia and Avocados Australia. The first project focuses on apples and pears and will involve David Putland, Growcom’s... ...Read more »

Winter wheat and barley crop production is likely to be higher this year despite recent rains ensuring the harvest will not quite meet expectations. Current summer cropping, however, is weaker than last year, with total wheat planting area forecast to decline by nine per cent. “A lack of rainfall over the summer cropping regions in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland has resulted in little grain sorghum planting so far,” said Dr Terry Sheales, Deputy Executive Director, ABARE,... ...Read more »

There is optimism regarding winter crop planting and production because of recent rains across the Australian grains belt, according to ABARE’s June issue of the Australian crop report.”Rainfall in late May and early June was timely for those winter crops that had already been sown and provided an opportunity for remaining planting intentions to be realised,” Phillip Glyde, Executive Director of ABARE, said upon releasing the report. The area sown to winter crops in Australia is... ...Read more »

Australian crop production increased in 2007-08 in comparison to the previous year, but generally remains at among the lowest levels in five years, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The numbers of livestock fell while the horticulture sector reported mixed results. Lack of water was labelled as the major contributor, with a near complete suspension of rice production. Drought conditions and industry adjustments have lead to a decline in livestock, with sheep and... ...Read more »

The 2008-2009 growing season has presented more challenges for the Australian wine industry than would normally be expected in a generation, according to the latest Rabobank report analysing the impact of the heat wave on the Australian wine industry. Hammered by the after-effects of the heat wave, forecasts have tumbled ahead of the 2009 harvest. The Rabobank report says the extent of damage cannot be quantified until the grape harvest is complete, but evidence suggests a wide range of estimated... ...Read more »