Sydney | Reuters — Agricultural trading house Bunge plans to build a port terminal on Australia’s east coast, boosting competition for the country’s largest agribusiness, GrainCorp. Bunge Australia said on Wednesday the terminal would be built in Geelong, Victoria, with capacity to export 45,000 tonnes of grain a year. The proposed new port is likely
Bunge plans new grain terminal in GrainCorp country
Insect farms: Investors see big profits in thinking small
Flies fed garbage become an environmentally friendly source of protein
When it comes to resolving a big global food problem, a new breed of farmers and their financial backers are thinking small. Work on the world’s largest fly farm has begun in South Africa after the European firm behind the project won much-needed funding from investors, propelling the use of insects as livestock feed beyond
Australian organic farmer loses landmark GMO contamination case
Sydney | Reuters — An organic farmer in Western Australia lost his bid to claim damages from a neighbour after genetically modified (GMO) canola seed heads blew onto his property, causing him to lose his licence as an organic grower. The Supreme Court of Western Australia ruled on Wednesday against organic farmer Steve Marsh, who
Australia says drought to cut 2014-15 ag output
Canberra | Reuters — Drought conditions across Australia’s east coast will cut production of key agricultural commodities such as wheat and beef next season and reduce exports, the government’s chief commodities forecaster said on Tuesday. The current season could see Australia, the world’s third-largest wheat exporter, produce a bumper wheat crop, with increased plantings and
Bumper Australian wheat crop seen, but lack of rain a risk
Sydney | Reuters — Australia will issue its 2014-15 wheat production forecast next week, but with hot, dry weather across its east coast and the threat of a dry El Nino weather pattern developing, the supply picture from the world’s second largest exporter is uncertain. The Australian Bureau of Agriculture, Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
Australia commits nearly $300M to help drought-hit farmers
Sydney | Reuters — The Australian government will provide a A$320 million (C$319 million) assistance package to help farmers ravaged by years of drought across the east coast, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Wednesday. With pockets of Queensland and New South Wales recording the lowest-ever rainfall levels, farmers in the world’s third-biggest beef exporter
Landmark GM canola case pits neighbour against neighbour in Australia
Sydney | Reuters — Two neighbouring farmers, a field of canola and a gust of wind are at the centre of a landmark court case in Australia that could have consequences for the controversial growing of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country. Steve Marsh is suing former childhood friend Michael Baxter after harvested seed
Australian ranchers set for drought-relieving rains
Sydney | Reuters — Australian cattle farmers will receive much-needed rains in the next two days, forecasters said Wednesday, offering some relief to ranchers struggling to keep animals alive during a period of prolonged drought in the world’s No. 3 beef exporter. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said much of prime Queensland pastoral land, home
Russia halts Australia beef byproduct imports over drug
Russia is temporarily banning the import of beef byproducts from Australia, citing the detection in shipments of a growth stimulant it prohibits and throwing into doubt exports that brought in around A$10 million (US$8.81 million) last year for Australia. The ban will be imposed from Jan. 27 and was prompted by the detection of the
Australia’s farmers slaughter cattle, swelter out of record-hot 2013
A searing heatwave is baking central and northern Australia, piling more misery on drought-hit cattle farmers who have been slaughtering livestock as Australia sweltered through the hottest year on record in 2013. Temperatures have topped 40 C in large parts of Australia’s key agricultural regions for most of the past week, with the mercury topping
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