Sydney | Reuters — Australia will import its first shipment of wheat in more than a decade as a drought across the country’s east coast wilts supply in the world’s fourth largest exporter of the staple grain. Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources said late on Tuesday that it has approved an import permit
Australia to import first wheat in 12 years as drought bites
Australian lawmaker pushes to end live sheep exports
Sydney | Reuters — An Australian backbencher on Monday introduced legislation to parliament to ban the export of live sheep after the death of 2,400 animals led to widespread criticism of the A$250 million (C$241.96 million) industry. The bill threatens to expose fractures within the ruling coalition government, which last week introduced tougher oversight of
Falling off the sheep’s back: Why Australia can’t capitalize on record wool prices
A long-awaited surge in wool prices has met a shortage in key personnel and a low sheep count
Sheep farmers in rural Australia waited more than half a century for wool prices to come roaring back, only to find there aren’t enough shearers to trim their golden fleeces. “Once upon a time you could go down to the local pub and arrange for some fellas to come in and start almost immediately —
Final version of Trans-Pacific trade deal released
Wellington/Sydney | Reuters — The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the Asia-Pacific’s fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signalling the pact was a step closer to reality even without its star member the U.S. More than 20 provisions have been suspended or changed in the final
Beef makes the cut as Australia, China move to boost trade
Sydney | Reuters — Australia and China are expected to sign new bilateral agreements on beef exports, energy and security during a four-day visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang that began on Thursday. Li, the first sitting Chinese premier to visit Australia in 11 years, was welcomed to parliament in Canberra by Prime Minister Malcolm
Australia approves sale of giant Kidman pastoral holdings
Sydney | Reuters –– Australia on Friday approved the A$386.5 million (C$379.3 million) sale of the country’s largest private landholder S. Kidman and Co. to a consortium led by the country’s richest woman Gina Rinehart, after blocking two previous bids. Rinehart and her minority partner, Chinese developer Shanghai CRED, will now complete the purchase of
Australian wheat output seen near record
Rainy forecasts could lead to quality issues and fewer markets, especially if the rain continues
Australia is expected to harvest a near-record wheat crop in 2016-17, slightly ahead of official estimates, a Reuters poll shows, but recent heavy rains may lead to quality downgrades and curb exports. The world’s fourth-largest wheat exporter is set to produce 28.35 million tonnes, a poll of 10 analysts and traders found, just ahead of
Australian bidders gatecrash deal for country’s biggest landholding
Sydney | Reuters — Four of Australia’s wealthiest outback cattle families plan to make the first entirely domestic offer to buy S.Kidman and Co, the country’s largest private landholding, paying more than a rival bid of A$365 million (C$370.1 million), two of the quartet said. Kidman has already accepted a joint offer by Australia’s richest
Australia competition watchdog to widen dairy investigation
Sydney | Reuters — Australia’s competition watchdog will launch a broad investigation into the country’s dairy industry, the country’s deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce said on Thursday. The investigation comes after Australia’s largest dairy processor Murray Goulburn and New Zealand’s Fonterra Co-operative Group in April reduced their farm gate prices, or what they pay farmers
Australia’s richest woman buys two cattle stations
Reuters – Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart has expanded her cattle business, buying two cattle properties in the country’s north, as the billionaire seeks to profit from Asia’s fast-growing food market. The cattle properties, located southwest of the town of Katherine in the Northern Territory, were bought from one of Indonesia’s largest importers of cattle, Japfa,
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
