November 26, 2025
Bartlett Brothers’ contract harvesting team has found good yields from the bottom of Queensland and into the Wimmera, where spring’s cool start has seen lentils stripped first. Co-owner Dale Bartlett, right, is pictured with his daughter Milla and employee Luke Swinfen. Story, page 51. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Golden Yolk - A nutritious, balanced & complete everyday pelleted feed specifically formulated for laying birds of all breeds in a home flock.
Pullet Grower - A nutritious, balanced & complete crumbled feed specifically formulated for growing pullets, from 8 weeks to 16 weeks of age. Suited to a wide range of layer bird breeds.
Chick Starter - A nutritious, balanced & complete crumbled feed for chicks, from hatching to 8 weeks of age. Suited to a wide range of layer type-breeds.
Grain Mix - Suitable for most breeds of laying poultry. A nutritious grain mix formulated from natural ingredients for hens in a home flock.
Federation University researchers believe an app enabling users to view spatial variations in rainfall across short distances has potential to provide farmers with ‘an unprecedented level’ of rainfall data.
Rainfall Mapper, developed by researchers at the university, enables users to receive information for specific 500-by-500-metre tiles, allowing farmers to gain greater insight into rainfall data specific to their property.
Available to the public on a trial basis, Rainfall Mapper is a standalone online application developed by the technical team from Federation University’s Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation, CeRDI, based on initial work by researcher Peter Weir during his Soil CRC PhD project.
Dr Weir said with increased access to information about past rainfall, the app would enable farmers to make
more informed decisions, including crop planning and irrigation strategies.
He said results from the trial period would help improve the design of the app to enhance user experience, as well as enabling the research team to gain a deeper understanding of the varied practical applications of the tool.
Dr Weir said the specificity of the data available through the app was unique.
“It is an area measurement – not a point measurement from a single location and that means the app has the capability of picking up rainfall details of localised thunderstorms that often occur unmeasured between official Bureau of Meteorology gauges,” he said.
With regional rain gauges sparsely located at an average distance of about 30 to 50 kilometres apart, Dr Weir said single-point measurements could
National Agriculture Day celebrates Australia’s farm sector, and this year with the theme of Stand with the Land, encouraged all Australians to unite and celebrate with farmers and rural communities.
Farmers face many challenges, from weather extremes, bushfire and environmental expectations, and is the second-most dangerous industry shown in Safe Work Australia data.
Australian Institute of Health and Safety, AIHS, chief executive Julia Whitford said National Agriculture Day, this year on November 21, was a time to celebrate the vital work of farmers, but it was also a reminder that safety should always be top of mind.
“Ag workers are exposed to a range of health and safety hazards throughout their workday, making them vulnerable to injury, stress, and fatigue,” she said.
“Some of the most common physical safety risks include operating heavy machinery and vehicles, working with animals, handling chemicals, and being exposed to extreme conditions such as weather and dust.
“Working long hours, financial pressures, and the impact of weather can lead to a heavy mental toll.”
Safe Work Australia data shows the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector is Australia’s second most dangerous industry, accounting for 22.8 per cent of all work-related fatalities from 2003 to 2024.
There were 45 worker deaths recorded last year.
“Tragically, we continue to see preventable deaths in the agriculture sector. Our farmers feed us, clothe us, and care for the land that sustains us,” Ms Whitford said.
“Every fatality is one too many.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud thanked Australian farmers on Agriculture Day, for producing the nation’s food and fibre.
He said it was important to acknowledge farmers needed extra support this year, after ‘being forced to bear the brunt of Labor’s race to all-renewables and reckless net zero ideology’.
“Under Labor, 95 per cent of emissions cuts have come from cutting productive farmland, not energy transition,” he said.
“Large areas of bushland and farmland are being cleared for solar panels and wind turbines, threatening native species and local communities.
“We have sadly already lost 7.2 million hectares of agricultural land,
sometimes be flawed. “We’re very careful with our disclaimer because the rainfall amounts are dependent on the modelling of the weather radar signal to estimate the amount of rain that has fallen in that specific area, but the results are extremely interesting,” he said.
Rainfall Mapper uses data sourced from the official Bureau of Meteorology, BoM, rain gauge network across Australia, merged with the BoM’s weather radars to generate a Rainfields3 dataset, which is available online from the National Computing Infrastructure.
It is currently available as a component within the Visualising Australasia’s Soils portal – a long-running Soil CRC initiative bringing together soils research, information and activities from across Australia and New Zealand.
CeRDI principal research fellow Associate Professor Peter Dahlhaus, who
supervised the project, said the potential applications for Rainfall Mapper were varied.
“If you’re a farmer and you want to seed your paddock, you would like to know how much rain you’ve had since the last harvest, and when and where the rain has fallen,” he said.
“It’s farmers and farming groups that are currently showing interest in the app.
“Apart from the agricultural sector, I anticipate strong interest from people involved in catchment management and those living in high-rainfall areas.
“Biodiversity groups are also likely to find this tool valuable.
“The resolution is so much finer than any other tool that is available and rainfall patterns have shifted due to climate change.
“Instead of getting normal reliable winter rain, we’re now getting more scattered intense rain events and scattered showers.”
Assoc Prof Dalhaus said the app relied on modelled data that converted reflectivity picked up by weather radars – often detected up to a kilometre off the ground – and converting it to rainfall.
It includes two years of data and allows users to select specific date parameters.
Assoc Prof Dalhaus said the research was ‘shining a light in a dark corner’ to show already-available information in a user-friendly way.
“Now we are going on to the next step, which is to convert this rainfall data into soil moisture at a finer resolution than we have been able to do so far,” he said.
“The important point is not just the rain that has fallen on a specified area – this is valuable information – but a lot more interest will come when people are able to say how much water is in the bucket.”
TIMELY REMINDER: Nationals leader David Littleproud thanked Australian farmers on Agriculture Day, for producing the nation’s food and fibre.
and to achieve Labor’s net zero targets, we’ll lose another 5.1 million hectares.
“That means our food security is under threat and when supply goes down, prices go up, so families will pay for Labor’s ideology at the checkout.
“Regional Australia and our agriculture industry is being torn apart.
“We need a cheaper, better, fairer way to reduce emissions.
“The Coalition’s energy plan won’t lock up our agriculture land.
“We need common sense, such as the Emissions Reduction Fund, which has practical measures to alleviate the use of agricultural land and supports environmental stewardship programs.”
Mr Littleproud said agriculture also needed to be protected through the use of a Scientific Advisory Group for biosecurity import risk analyses, es
pecially when it came to bananas, but that was not happening under Labor.
“We need a full Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis under the Biosecurity Act, which the Minister can direct the Department to undertake,” he said.
“Our agriculture industry is too important to be put at risk and Agriculture Day is a timely reminder of that.” National Agriculture Day is an initiative of the National Farmers Fed-
GrainGrowers has released a landmark report highlighting the complexity of Australia’s grain freight task and the urgent infrastructure investments needed to support growers and regional communities.
The advocacy group is calling on government policymakers and infrastructure planners to use the findings to prioritise investment in the freight routes that matter most to growers and regional communities.
The report comes as farmers are mid-harvest – the busiest time of year for growers transporting product on regional roads.
The report, Australia’s Priority Grain Freight Routes: Critical Infrastructure, Bottlenecks, and Strategic Investment Requirements, provides a rare, state-by-state breakdown of grain freight movements.
Drawing on CSIRO’s Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool,
Farm drought support grants of up to $10,000 are available for stock containment areas, water systems and upgrades, grain and fodder storage and upgrades, and internal refencing.
Agriculture Victoria livestock extension officer Greg Ferrier said a stock containment area, SCA, could provide many benefits to farm management, from times of drought, seasonal extremes, after fires, and for more general farm management.
“An SCA can support stock feeding, watering and monitoring; pasture management; minimising erosion risks by avoiding over grazing; and an area to manage potential weed introduction from introduced feeds,” he said.
Mr Ferrier said when siting a SCA, landholders should consider adequate setbacks to minimise risk of run-off to waterways; the location on moderately sloping, well drained, stable soil,
the analysis reveals how complex grain freight routes are, with distinct networks and patterns in each state shaped by production, markets, and infrastructure access.
GrainGrowers chief executive Shona Gawel said the findings highlighted the diversity and the challenges of moving millions of tonnes of grain from farm to market.
“Grain freight in Australia is not a one-size-fits-all task,” she said.
“The report shows the complexity of freight movements and the unique challenges in each state – from bridge weight limits at the New South WalesVictorian border, to gaps in the PBS A-double network in Queensland, or the high volume of grain on local government roads in Western Australia.
“These bottlenecks add costs and reduce efficiency for growers.”
Ms Gawel summarised the report under four main sections.
“If I had to summarise what the report is telling us, in four overall main
headlines – the first is that there’s targeted upgrades needed to our regional roads,” she said.
“The second is that we could address some performance-based standard network limitations.
“The third one is that we are going to have to address how to mitigate some more climate-related disruptions on our roads.
“And the fourth – and the big one –is cross-border harmonisation.”
Ms Gawel said detailed, publiclyavailable information about grain freight had historically been limited.
“This report helps fill that gap, offering new insights into the complexity of freight routes and providing a clear, state-by-state picture of where targeted investment will deliver the greatest benefit,” she said.
Ms Gawel told Country Today the key challenge for growers was interconnectivity.
“So you’ve got national highways, there’s state controlled roads, and
there’s local government routes, and it does differ state by state,” she said.
“But we’ve identified key findings for each state, and we hope that this will be able to target investment and co-ordinated responses across state and local networks going forward.”
Ms Gawel said climate impacts, such as flooding, was causing damage to roads – with a greater prevalence of potholes or road degradation.
“When you think about B-double trucks that are trying to cart grain from the farm off to wherever their destination is, you see that more and more, and the report actually looks into to some of the flood risks that our roads see and that can actually cause quite significant disruptions on road networks,” she said.
“As people would appreciate with harvest it, it’s a time where it doesn’t stop for anything, and so when you have those disruptions, it really does dilute the efficiencies and the productivity of our grain farming.”
HELP ON HAND: Eligible primary producers across the state can access up to $5000 as a co-contribution grant to support stock containment areas, water systems and upgrades, grain and fodder storage and upgrades, and internal refencing.
avoiding pen-to-pen drainage; shade and shelter for stock; and distance to neighbours and local and state planning requirements.
“When planning for and setting up a SCA, farmers should consider five to 10 square metres per sheep and 10 to 15 square metres per head of cattle,” he said.
“People should avoid feeding directly from the ground, and use fencing suited to the type of animal to be managed.
“Be sure to locate feed points well away from water troughs to minimise contaminating the water source, and consider laneways and vehicle access.”
Mr Ferrier said animals in SCA needed to be supplied a suitable diet with consideration of energy, minerals and roughage, and water.
“The Navigating Farm Developments web-based platform can help work through considerations for appropriate siting of the development of
SCAs,” he said. People can find more information on SCA’s and feeding on Agriculture Victoria’s website.
Eligible primary producers across the state can access up to $5000 as a co-contribution grant, while southwest Victorian producers can access up to $10,000.
For program guidelines, a list of eligible drought management activities and to apply, people can visit www. ruralfinance.com.au/grants.
People can join in a field day at Hamilton Smart Farm from 10am to 1pm on December 1.
People will hear about how multispecies pasture has the potential to improve sheep production, reduce methane emissions and extend the resilience of pastures in the Southern regions of Australia.
The session will showcase the trial platform with presentations from research scientists explaining the aims of the MultiMix project.
The event will conclude with a free barbecue lunch.
Agriculture Victoria will host a free soil moisture monitoring half-day workshop at Irymple for irrigators on December 8 from 9am to 11am.
People can learn more about interpreting soil moisture data, gain a better understanding of soil water principles, interpreting graph responses and more. People can bring their login and data to discuss soil moisture for their properties.
Limited places are available. People can register by email to irrigation@ agriculture.vic.gov.au.
A series of informal presentations by land management extension officer Clem Sturmfels will explore water self-assessment, water planning, farm dams, pipeline layout and design, and installation and construction.
Participants will also have access to a range of other recordings, videos and associated resources.
People can register for the webinars, each Tuesday at 10am until December 16, at trybooking.
Applications open
Agriculture Victoria is seeking applications from service providers across the state – including agronomists, farm business planners and veterinarians – to deliver local group-based events next year.
The request for quotation program for group-based events is open until December 21.
Service providers who registered to deliver events under rounds one and two can reapply for round three. Priority areas for the round three group-based events program include technical decision-making and farm business management.
People can apply at the Agriculture Victoria website.
BY BRONWYN HASTINGS
Harvesting operations are moving southwards and crops are producing good yields in some areas after spring rains and a cool finish to the growing season.
Bartlett Brothers Harvesting’s Dale Bartlett said his team started the season on the Queensland border, at Goondiwindi and Moree, with six of their eight harvesters.
“Northern New South Wales was really good, it was above average,” he said.
“We did wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas and beans – canola and wheat were between two-and-a-half to three tonne to the hectare, while wheat varied between four tonne to six tonne. Barley was sort of constant over six tonne.
“It was a really good year, a lot of grain up there this year.”
Mr Bartlett said crops produced slightly above what NSW farmers expected this year.
“They got a good spring rain up there about six weeks before harvest, which just added a really soft finish, and it was nice and cool for them,” he said.
Travelling further into New South Wales, Mr Bartlett said the crops dropped off.
“As soon we got south and west of Dubbo the crops dropped off,” he said.
“We didn’t do any harvesting, but you could tell by just driving on the road that they’ve had a very poor year back through there, just with lack of rain and late rain,” he said.
“They didn’t get out of the ground early, like we got here in Victoria, and then just didn’t get any spring rain.”
Mr Bartlett, who was working near Hopetoun late last week, said the
Mallee should produce good yields of wheat, barley, lentils and canola this season.
“For the amount of rainfall they’ve had for the year, it’s exceptionally good,” he said.
“Crops are down on yield, but when you work out kilo for the hectare to rainfall that we’ve had, it’s really good conversion.”
Abbie's out on farms across the district every day, meeting face-to-face with farmers, and getting her boots (and car) dirty to get the right insurance cover.
Book a visit from Abbie today.
Since buying their first machine in 2003, Pimpinio-based Mr Bartlett and his brother Chris have grown their business to employ up to 14 seasonal workers – a mix of English, Irish and Australian workers, who bring different skill sets to the operation.
Mr Bartlett said depending on the weather, their harvest usually finished in the western districts sometime in
“Crops are down on yield, but when you work out kilo for the hectare to rainfall that we’ve had, it’s really good conversion”
– Dale Bartlett
January. His team had moved to Tarranyurk by the weekend.
“Everything’s running late this year, it’s been a cold finish in Victoria,” he said.
“Usually we’d come home and be into the cereals and everything, but with this really cold weather everyone’s been harvesting lentils.
“We have got a fair few lentils to get over, so it works out well.”
Mr Bartlett said farmers had made similar cropping and cutting decisions as previous years.
“There’s more or less your rotation –a percentage of your farm is legumes and cereals, and on a wetter season there’s a little bit more canola, but majority of the time it’s very similar each year,” he said.
“This year in the Mallee, people were cutting for hay, but none of my clients have really cut any extra hay or cut their crop for hay than what was planned.
“But everyone’s got their different programs on what they want to do.”
The decision by Federal Liberal leader Sussan Ley to dump the parties policy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 does one major thing: it differentiates the Coalition from Federal Labor.
Speaking to Country Today last week, Ms Ley said it was all about helping Australian families with the cost-of-living crisis.
“This is absolutely putting Australians who deserve affordable energy front and centre … affordable energy is vital right now and so is responsible emissions reduc-
with Libby Price
Here’s an extract from the media release put out by the then Prime Minister, Scott Morrison in October 2021:
“The Morrison government will act in a practical, responsible way to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050 while preserving Australian jobs and generating new opportunities for industries and regional
san Ley like leadership hungry wolves.
As I said to Sussan Ley on Country Today, it’s not a good look.
“Ultimately it’s not about us. It’s not about me. It’s about the Australian people and it’s about the job that we need to do for them and putting together a serious, compelling policy agenda,” Ms Ley said.
It would seem throwing some tasty policy scraps that her leadership aspirants had previously relished, may not be enough to satisfy their renewed appetites.
There’s also another problem facing the Coalition.
Hay season is underway and farmers are reminded to take precautions to prevent are right for making hay and for the future storage and transport of the product
Longerenong College is preparing for a big year ahead in 2026 following a past 12 months that college leaders described as ‘active and engaging’.
Representatives from the agricultural education provider attended nearly 30 career expos and field days across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia this year.
Marketing and business development co-ordinator Brad Barber said college staff had connected with hundreds of parents and prospective students, helping them explore pathways into agricultural careers and education.
He said Longerenong’s annual open day in August was a standout event, generating enthusiasm around the college’s course offerings, with many attendees expressing excitement at the opportunity to pursue qualifications they had previously considered out of reach.
Mr Barber said flexible study options had proved enticing for prospective students, with ‘a surge of enquiries’ when applications for 2026 opened.
“All our courses are one year in duration, and students can study two qualifications side-by-side each year,” he said.
“It’s a choose-your-own-adventure
At just 21 years old, Longerenong College student Alanna Hansford is establishing herself as a future leader in the Australian agriculture field.
Originally from Victoria’s southwest, Ms Hansford spent her formative years balancing life between her family’s dairy farm near Cobden and the nearby township.
She said the dual upbringing inspired her appreciation for rural life and an interest in pursuing a career in the agricultural sector.
Earlier this year, Ms Hansford and her partner Ryan moved to the Wimmera, purchasing their first home and embracing the opportunities and challenges of living and working in one of Australia’s key agricultural zones.
Currently undertaking an Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management at Longerenong College, Ms Hansford said she was focused on gaining practical, hands-on knowledge to enhance her agriculture work.
Her studies encompass crop and livestock management, soil health, sustainable farming practices and the integration of modern technologies.
“Studying at ‘Longy’ is equipping me with the tools to make informed decisions, adapt to changing conditions, and prepare for future op-
portunities in the sector,” she said.
Ms Hansford credited multiple mentors and role models for shaping her journey, including local farmers Jon and Brad, who supported her studies by allowing her to conduct practical work on their properties.
She also acknowledged the guidance of industry leaders and educators including Gaye Cameron, a former teacher and long-time supporter, who encouraged her to apply for a Global Footprints Scholarship, which she said stood out as one of her proudest achievements.
“It’s a dream come true. This award allows me to travel globally, learn from innovative practices, and contribute to the future of sustainable agriculture,” she said.
Looking ahead, Ms Hansford said she was eager to continue expanding her knowledge and network.
She plans to attend agricultural conferences across Australia and potentially abroad in the next 12 months, depending on the timing of her scholarship travel.
Ms Hansford said she was particularly interested in further study in animal nutrition and agronomy, driven by her strong passion for livestock.
She encouraged anyone considering undertaking agricultural educa-
style of study at Longerenong. Students can combine either a Certificate IV in Agriculture or an Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management with wool-classing or agronomy, depending on their interests.”
Mr Barber said students often elected to stay for a second year after undertaking an Advanced Diploma of Agribusiness Management.
“Students not only study together – they live and socialise together, forming lifelong friendships and industry connections that carry into their careers,” he said.
Mr Barber said the diversity of agricultural backgrounds among students added to their learning experience.
“We have students from broadacre cropping, sheep, beef, dairy, irrigation, rice – you name it. They often arrive with one focus, like dairy or cropping, and leave with a broader interest in areas like beef or agronomy,” he said.
While most of the college’s students come from across Victoria – including Gippsland, north-east Victoria, Melbourne, Corangamite and the Wimmera-Mallee – Mr Barber said the college also attracted strong interest from interstate.
“This influx of students from across the country is fantastic for the region,” he said.
“Many get involved in local events
and sporting clubs, contributing to the community while they study.”
Applications for next year are at between 70 and 80 per cent capacity, with Longerenong College officials expecting numbers to climb further following the completion of year-12 exams.
Mr Barber said no ATAR score was required to apply to the college, but students underwent a selection process to ensure course suitability. People interested in learning more about Longerenong College or wanting to book a personal tour can call Mr Barber on 622 222.
tion – especially young women – to pursue it.
“Just go for it. Agriculture has opened so many doors for me, and I love seeing more people get involved,” she said.
“Don’t let anyone discourage you. You’re more capable than you believe.”
Ms Hansford shared guiding principles that shaped her journey in agriculture.
“You’re part of something bigger,” she said.
“Feeding a nation – and often the world – is no small task. Every early morning, tough decision, and challenging season contributes to a legacy that matters.
“The land teaches patience. Growth takes time. Keep showing up.
“Embrace innovation, respect tradition.
“Ag tech is evolving rapidly, but
the wisdom of traditional practices remains invaluable.
“Invest in soil health. It’s the foundation of resilience and productivity.
“Plan for variability. The Australian climate demands adaptability and foresight.
“Mental health matters. Farming can be isolating – check in with yourself and others, and never hesitate to seek support.”
Member for Lowan Emma Kealy is urging the State Government to apply commonsense measures to control kangaroo numbers across Victoria.
Ms Kealy, the Victorian Nationals deputy leader and shadow Minister for Agriculture, said analysis showed a decline in the number of control measures being employed across the state despite a boom in kangaroo populations.
Ms Kealy said many farmers applying for an Authority to Control Wildlife permit were either knocked back or not given sufficient scope to control
kangaroos on their property. At the same time she said the number of tags issued to registered hunters through the government’s kangaroo-harvesting program had dropped.
“Mobs in plague proportions are stripping paddocks bare, destroying crops and pose a danger to road travel, but the government keeps cutting the number of harvest tags and control permits available,” she said.
“Farmers are being told to apply for permits that allow for just a handful of kangaroos, while licensed harvesters are standing ready and willing to do the job properly – under strict regu-
“Let the trained, licensed harvesters manage the problem responsibly, rather than burdening farmers with endless paperwork for permits that don’t match the scale of the issue”
– Emma Kealy
lation, with no waste, and with the potential to create a valuable source of income and protein.”
Ms Kealy said government data showed Victoria’s kangaroo-harvesting quota at 166,750 in 2023 before
ESTABLISHED: Early intervention to prevent deer populations from becoming unmanageable will be the focus of a forum in Halls Gap next month.
Feral deer and their impact on biodiversity, agriculture and road safety will be the topic of a community forum next month.
Hosted by the Victorian Deer Control Community Network, in collaboration with Project Platypus and local Landcare groups, the event will focus on early intervention to prevent deer populations from becoming unmanageable.
Victorian Deer Control Community Network executive officer Peter Jacobs said now was the time to act for early intervention and manage-
ment. “Deer are well established in eastern Victoria, but populations in the west remain smaller and more controllable,” he said.
“Acting now for early intervention is essential, particularly after the bushfires.”
Project Platypus’s Lachlan McIntyre said deer damaged private and public land.
“Deer threaten both biodiversity and primary production in the Grampians-Gariwerd area,” he said.
“They damage crops, consume pasture, destroy fencing, and hinder
bushfire recovery and revegetation efforts.”
At Halls Gap, on Saturday, December 6, the forum will feature expert presentations, practical advice, and opportunities for landholders to ask questions and share experiences and solutions.
Bookings are essential – people can visit the events section of the Project Platypus website www.project platypus.org or call Peter Jacobs on 0487 295 198 to register attendance.
admission of Rachel Meulendyks as a solicitor of the Supreme Court. To arrange an appointment with Rachel, please contact our office today.
dropping to 115,575 in 2024. She said the government had lowered the quota again this year to 106,750 despite kangaroo populations rising.
“It makes no sense for the government to hand out rebates for farmers to shoot and bury kangaroos while cutting back tags for professional harvesters who could be processing them for human consumption,” she said.
“Let the trained, licensed harvesters manage the problem responsibly, rather than burdening farmers with endless paperwork for permits that don’t match the scale of the issue.”
Ms Kealy called the government’s
current approach ‘wasteful and inconsistent’ leaving farmers without viable options.
“Our farmers feed the nation. They deserve a system that helps, not hinders, and that means issuing more tags to licensed harvesters where kangaroo numbers are out of control,” she said.
“The government must urgently review its kangaroo management programs and bring some common sense back into the system before more damage is done to farms and regional food production.”
Dimboola’s Ash Brooks has been elected to the GrainGrowers’ board, one of two directors representing the southern region.
Ms Brooks has served as a director since 2023 and was re-elected after retiring in accordance with the constitution, while Fiona Marshall was elected to the other position on the board.
Ms Brooks is part of a familyoperated broadacre cropping business, growing cereals, canola and pulses.
With an agronomic background, she is actively involved in crop management and brings wide experience to the board, having worked within the grain industry for more than 20 years, including national marketing and strategy positions.
Ms Marshall farms with her family at Mulwala in the Southern Riverina of New South Wales.
GrainGrowers chair Rhys Turton congratulated the pair on their election to the board.
Mr Turton said the elected members bring a wide range of knowledge and experience, and he looked forward to their ongoing contributions as members of the GrainGrowers board.
“As a grower-focused membership organisation, it is extremely satisfying that we have grower members who not only have the skills and experience, but also the dedication to
Ash Brooks
serve on the board and continue our stewardship of our great organisation,” he said.
“As a board, I am confident that we have the right blend of experience and expertise to address the wide range of issues that can help deliver a better future for our growers.
“We again have a strong and experienced board, and this, combined with our management staff and the input from our National Policy Group and our members and supporters, allows us to deliver meaningful results across key policy areas.”
Strength in livestock markets has continued throughout the spring rush to date, with some outstanding results being achieved privately, through the saleyards, as well as online.
Lamb has maintained the rage regularly trading north of $11 CWT and mutton has consistently been holding in the mid-$7s, providing very handy returns for cast for age ewes off shears and even the odd ram entering retirement.
I was not aware that AWN was also in the business of selling horses, however there has even been the odd pen of those slip through and making exceptional money as well.
Quality has been excellent with a soft spring keeping feed relatively fresh, slowing down the onset of seed and delaying the requirement to shear in traditional grazing areas.
Perhaps the odd pen of lambs that have been weaned for a period of time are presenting a little drier in the skin, however this has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of buyers with weight still present underneath and any dips being cleaned up by store buyers leaning into a clear line of sight on forward contracts.
Wool markets, after a huge uptick and an equally as dramatic slide, has the swinging pendulum showing signs of going back the other way with solid lifts in the past week.
Try not to get hypnotised by this pendulum
when attempting to read the market however, with weekly bales on offer sitting about 32,00033,000, when it would usually be 10,000 bales per week more at this time of the year.
This reduced supply alone would suggest that a level of firmness should be able to be maintained for the medium term.
A very successful AWN 1st X Ewe and Lamb Sale at Edenhope saw top 1.5-year-old ewes achieving the magical $500 with an average of $406, with top ewe lambs making $350 and averaging $285.
It is an absolute credit to our repeat vendors that A, continue to stick with their breeding programs through thick and thin no matter what is thrown at them, and B, repeatedly produce top quality breeding stock and prioritise the sale of that stock through their local network and selling centre.
It is not an easy thing to do on a consistent basis – congratulations to all involved on a very successful result.
Victoria’s largest duck-tracking study is underway, with Deakin University fitting more than 400 game ducks with solar-powered satellite trackers to monitor their movements, survival and behaviour.
Game Management Authority research principal Jason Flesch said the main goal of the three-year study was to identify what the drivers of game duck movements were.
“In Victoria, we have fluctuating environmental conditions including water availability, and this dictates not only how many ducks we’re going to have, but also their movements within the landscape,” he told Country Today.
Ducks are trapped in wetland areas, attracted by grain, before they are transported to a nearby area to be fitted with a tracker.
Mr Flesch said data was gathered by attaching lightweight solarpowered satellite tracking devices to the ducks – 100 of each game duck species Pacific black duck, Australian wood duck, grey teal and chestnut teal.
“They’re basically little mobile phones attached using a small harness, which goes over the back of the ducks and under their wings,” he said.
The project will provide finer-scale patterns about the ducks’ diurnal patterns of activity – resting, feeding, flying and in some cases, breeding activity.
“More importantly, what it also shows us is mortality, so most of the duck species display boom-bust type reproduction patterns,” he said.
“In times of relative high rainfall and good water availability, you’ll see large breeding and then conversely, when conditions dry, we’ll see population crashes.
“This will tell us not only where they move when conditions are good but also where they move and how far they’ll move when conditions decline, but also what, in some cases, the reasons are for their death.”
Mr Flesch said the benefits of the project extend beyond duck movements.
“The research provides us not only an understanding of movements of ducks across Australia but also the relationship between our habitat availability and these behaviours,” he said.
“This can help manage and improve water birds and their habitats, and
“It doesn’t interfere with their flight, and this positions the solar panel above the duck, so these things recharge over time and each day, whenever the duck’s in mobile service, it will download to the server.”
will also feed into adaptive harvest management.”
The study will also provide information for waterfowl conservation more broadly, and disease management.
Updates are posted on website research-stories.shorthandstories. com/tracking-victorian-game-ducks.
Updates include reasons for ducks’ mortality, from raptors, foxes, hunters and unknown; distances travelled by area and kilometres, and ducks’ activity at different times of the day. The project has been approved by the Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee.
A consultation process is underway for a new sustainable hemp industry, proposing new legislation to make it easier for farmers to grow it in an expanding market.
Hemp is a fast-growing crop, and fibres and seeds can be used for a wide range of products, including building materials, packaging, biofuels, textiles, seed oils and other food products.
Industrial hemp is currently regulated under the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981, which exempts licensed growers from cannabis-related offence when cultivating and processing hemp for non-therapeutic use.
The proposed new stand-alone legislation will mean industrial hemp will no longer be directly associated with drugs and poisons laws. The proposed legislation for industrial hemp does not relate to medicinal cannabis, which is regulated separately to hemp by existing Victorian and Australian government legislation.
The State Government invested $400,000 from the Victorian Budget 2025-26 for the reforms, which would help lay the groundwork for a new industry that creates jobs, supports farmers, and drives regional economic growth.
Agriculture Minister Ros Spence said the State Government was looking at ways to grow Victoria’s industrial hemp industry, unlock new farming potential and create new jobs in regional Victoria.
The consultation is open until December 3, at engage.vic.gov.au/hemp.
