Sea Temple of Pura Luhur, Uluwatu, south Bali, Indonesia. (CIA.gov)

Australia, Indonesia renew push for trade deal

Sydney | Reuters — Australia and Indonesia on Wednesday said they would formally resume long-stalled negotiations aimed at sealing a bilateral trade agreement between the often uneasy neighbours within 18 months. Australian Trade Minister Steven Ciobo and Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong said in a joint statement talks would resume in May after a



Photo: Reuters

Grain consortium lobbying hard for Australia’s biggest wheat exporter

Sydney/Reuters – A consortium seeking to buy Australia’s biggest wheat exporter, Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd (CBH), is stepping up lobbying for its offer amid concerns the deal may be snubbed and reports of a rival Chinese bidder. The Australian Grains Champion (AGC), which includes farmers and some former directors of CBH, wants to acquire and list

(WineAustralia.com)

Australia to hike tax on ‘backpacker’ workers

Sydney | Reuters — Australia is set to increase taxes on foreign travellers who work in the country, raising concerns from farmers that their supply of “backpacker labour” at harvest times may dry up and undermine Australia’s ambitions of being Asia’s delicatessen. Australian fruit exports are set to hit a record A$2.27 billion (C$2.19 billion)


(HempTrade.ca)

Australia set to legalize cultivation of medical cannabis

Sydney | Reuters — Australia is expected to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical or scientific purposes with a bill introduced to parliament on Wednesday — the first step toward doctors eventually prescribing it to patients with chronic pain. The bill will see Australia create a national licensing and permit scheme to supply medical

(FarmersEdge.ca)

Major investment to build Farmers Edge’s data power

Canadian precision agronomy and farm data management firm Farmers Edge plans to keep taking its services to previously underserved acres around the world, with a major cash infusion from a group of its backers. Japanese commodities trading and investment firm Mitsui, Toronto commercial real estate company Osmington and the Green Growth Fund operated by investment


Australia’s Treasurer Scott Morrison, shown here earlier this year, has blocked the sale of S. Kidman’s farmland holdings to overseas bidders. (ScottMorrison.com.au)

Australia blocks foreign firm’s deal for largest farm owner

Sydney | Reuters –– Australia on Thursday blocked the sale of the country’s largest landowner, private farming group S. Kidman and Co., to foreign investors, saying an agricultural area the size of South Korea should remain in Australian hands. Ownership of farmland is a sensitive political issue in Australia amid concerns that foreign buyers are

Winnipeg-based pumpkin grower 13-year-old Milan Lukes is eagerly awaiting the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth Weigh-Off on October 3 to find out if he’s got a winning entry this year. This is his third year growing giant pumpkins.

Pumpkin growers ready to vie for 2015 heavyweight title

Self-professed pumpkin-growing addicts will converge on Roland Oct. 3
 to find out who will be this year’s heavyweight champion

Milan Lukes has crawled inside the pumpkins he grows. He fits in the cavity because he’s only 13 years old. He dug into them last year and in 2013 to collect seed. “There’s room for people my size in them, which is cool,” says the teen from St. Norbert who is growing pumpkins again this