Country Today

After predictions of a super El Nino, Victorian farmers are reflecting on what many have declared to be one of the best seasons they can remember. The only downer is lower grain prices, particularly with barley. You’ll hear how many farmers will chose to store the grain on farm. A harvest wrap from the Mallee to the Wimmera and on to the Goulburn Valley. Victoria’s largest wind farm to be built near Warracknabeal in the northern Wimmera has just been granted planning approval by the State Government without consulting the local shire. Australia’s sheep flock is at the lowest level since the early 1900s. So with very strong sheep prices and much improved wool prices, are we in for a flock rebuild?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s National Water week so what better time to contemplate where we’ve come with water reform in the last 30 years, with just 23% of Murray-Darling Basin water now being diverted. How dairy farmers are paid for their milk is frustratingly difficult to understand. So the Federal Government has asked farmers for their views on how pricing information could be more transparent We’ll head to southern inland Queensland, which has had drought breaking rain. And a beef producer researches what past free trade agreements with the EU have looked like. A new industry-first fuel levy calculator. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ll take some time to talk about Dr Helen Haines, the Independent member for the Federal Seat of Indi, who as we all know, is in a critical condition after an attack outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. Today we focus on the work she has done through the Voices for Indi movement which really boosted the momentum in Independents winning Federal Seats. To the controversy over allegations of extensive deforestation in mostly in Northern Australia. The Australian Conservation Foundation’s latest investigation claims the two major supermarkets are failing to meet their deforestation targets. You’ll hear about the Link to Country scheme to attract young workers to rural Australia by teaching teenagers practical life skills and introducing them to new career paths. Now is the time for farmers to work out their fire plans. You’ll hear from Rural Assistance Commissioner Peter Touhey. A 50-year-old time capsule at the Roseworthy campus of Adelaide University will reveal how a fungal wheat disease has mutated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The general sentiment in the beef industry is that we are in good times. But many producers probably aren’t making the profits they should be. More wealth is being created from land appreciation than from beef production. We’ll be joined by National Farmers Federation President, Hamish McIntyre, who wants the free trade agreement with the EU to be scrapped. The H5 bird flu is putting vets under enormous stress, especially in Victoria, where they're given no extra help with payment for extra time, medication, and effort. The CFA has a new Chief Officer, Garry Cook, who's taking over the role just as the Victorian Auditor-General has released a damning report that says Victorian fire authorities need an estimated $1.5 billion to meet critical fire truck replacement and upgrade needs. Without bees, our key agricultural crops would not be pollinated. So what can farmers do to ensure there are enough pollinators? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria's Auditor General has released a report revealing the state's fire services hold barely a quarter of the $1.5 billion dollars needed to replace a critically ageing firefighting fleet. With the winter cropping harvest just around the corner, farmers across the border and North East are keeping a close eye on their crops following the recent rainfall. Is anyone else getting the feeling the Victorian Government is approving a lot of renewable energy projects before the State Election next month. It’s just approved two of three battery energy storage system projects in for West Gippsland. One right next door to dairy farmer Craig McWhinney’s property. Two nests of the very aggressive Red Fire Ant have been detected in Sydney. Their stings can be fatal to both people and livestock. You’ll hear about the dangers from the Invasive Species Council and whether they could make it further south, and heads up, the answer is a definite yes. The weekly wool report.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.