Agriculture coverage
State Winners
BELLATA dryland farmers Glenn and Rachel Fernance crowned a landmark 2025 season when they were named Dryland Field Wheat Champions at the Suncorp Bank AgShows NSW Dryland Field Wheat Competition Awards at Dubbo on Friday night. The Fernances form part of a large family enterprise, with dryland operations across four properties in the Bellata district [...]
Agriculture
THE National Farmers’ Federation has announced Michael Guerin as its new chief executive officer, effective March 23, 2026. NFF president Hamish McIntyre welcomed the appointment, pointing to Mr Guerin’s proven leadership capabilities and passionate ag advocacy work. “Mike brings extensive experience to the NFF CEO role, through his current role as Acting CEO of NSW [...]
Agriculture
THE National Farmers’ Federation has called for a renewed focus on a sustainable agricultural workforce, urging policymakers to ensure the needs of regional communities are properly addressed. In a submission to the Value of Skilled Migration to Australia Inquiry, which closed this week, the NFF said while skilled migrants played an important supporting role in [...]
Gun Laws
THE state’s peak farming group warns rushed changes to firearms legislation are unworkable. NSW Farmers’ president Xavier Martin said multiple attempts had been made over the past week to engage with the NSW Government in the wake of the Bondi terror attack to ensure farmers and those in agriculture were not impacted by any knee-jerk [...]
Agriculture
MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan has welcomed news that virtual fencing was legalised in New South Wales on Thursday. Virtual fencing systems allow farmers to confine and move animals without physical fences using GPS, wireless and sensor technology. A parliamentary inquiry in October 2024 into the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment (Virtual Stock [...]
Agriculture
NSW Farmers says farming communities and landscapes cannot continue to be vandalised in the state government’s “sledgehammer” approach to powering the nation. NSW Farmers’ President Xavier Martin said it is clear the Minns Government is ignoring farm communities and the damage inflicted on them by industrial scale developments. “NSW Farmers has long been a bridge [...]
Agriculture
AUSTRALIA’s combined agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is on track to reach a record-breaking $106.4 billion in 2025–2026, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences December quarter reports. ABARES executive director, Dr Jared Greenville, said agricultural production alone was expected to total $99.5 billion – the highest on record. “These [...]
Right To Repair
THE National Farmers’ Federation has secured a Federal Government commitment to extend Right to Repair reforms to agricultural machinery. The announcement has been hailed a historic win for farmers and a direct result of years of advocacy from the farm sector. Following a meeting of state and territory treasurers last week, Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers [...]
Agriculture
The Australian Cotton Ginning Association has awarded life membership to Moree’s Melvyn Kong and service-to-the-industry awards to Rowena’s Neil Towns and former Wathagar Gin manager Mike Murray during its annual general meeting last month, reports Grain Central. Richard Millyard, formerly with Lummus Australia in Moree, also received life membership. Since starting out at Auscott in [...]
Agriculture
A series of NSW Farmers’ roadshows will return to the north-west this month to assist the farming community with telecommunication issues, including one at Moree on Wednesday, December 10. The Moree roadshow will be held at Moree Masonic Hall between 6pm and 8pm. Roadshows will also be held at Uralla, Mullaley and Loomberah over the [...]
