Hundreds of donated hay bales being delivered to South Australian farmers over the long weekend, grain producers SA reacts to a "vanilla" State Budget for agriculture, and dairy farmers told to expect a milk price step up if international markets remain stable.
The number of SA farmers accessing low-interest Rural Investment Corporation (RIC) loans doubles, Rural Aid experiences a 55% rise in new mental health referrals in the past year, and still no answer as to how the deadly bee parasite varroa destructor arrived in Australia.
Pork SA says the closure of a Port Wakefield abattoir next year shouldn't largely impact SA pig breeders, the Rotary Club of SA delivers tonnes of sheep pellets to help livestock producers through the drought, and meteorologists point to multiple signs of a boost in rainfall this winter and spring in southern Australia.
JBS Australia announces it will close its Port Wakefield pork processing facility in January 2026, dairy farmers left unimpressed by the season opening milk prices offered by processors, and farmers call for governments to pressure financial institutions to offer low or no-interest loans during drought.
The Prime Minister visits South Australia to an announce an extra $2million for the Rural Financial Counselling Service, farming groups welcome the PM's announcement but call for more immediate drought support for producers, and biosecurity experts concede it is no longer possible to eradicate the tomato brown rugose fruit virus from Australia.
Dairy farmers call for emergency relief as the industry battles with drought and floods across the nation, a campaign launched to get more South Australians buying local citrus after a dry summer impacts crops, and SA producers de-stocking and sending increasing numbers of livestock to sales as far away as Dubbo.
The ACCC announces further investigations into concerns around a proposed merger between agribusiness giant Elders and rival Delta Ag, farmers and ag groups meet with the Federal Agriculture Minister to talk more support for drought-affected SA, and an evaluation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan shows environmental water having positive impacts on biodiversity and habitat quality.
Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins is touring South Australia today and has announced $800,000 for rural financial counselling services in SA and Victoria, heavy lamb prices hit a national all time high this week -first $400 per head in Ballarat and then $405 in Horsham and the Coalition is officially back together just over a week after they parted ways.
Storms amount to a lot of wind but not much rain to help drought-ravaged South Australia, Streaky Bay farmer Suzie Kenny's save our sheep campaign has been delivered to Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven and there are changes ahead for the beef cattle competition at the Royal Adelaide Show
Dust storms accompanied some rain across South Australia, Livestock SA calls for fodder transport subsidies to be instituted and Elders made $64 million before tax in the first half of the year, up 67 per cent on last year's first half.
SA records its highest quarterly cattle slaughter since 2017 and huge increases in lamb slaughter, most South Australian oyster farms unaffected by a widespread algae bloom along parts of the coast, and Adelaide researchers discover 71 new native bee species found across the country.
Feed Central visits SA clients amid increasing anxiety about hay supply and rising prices nationally, South Australia's Mesonet weather network announces a re-launch and a new membership model, and Victoria becomes the latest state to commit to allowing virtual fencing for cattle by the end of the year.
Rabobank forecasts a record-high winter crop planting for Australia this year, but an overall drop in production, another outbreak of tomato rugose fruit virus in Victoria traced back to NSW, and egg-laying chickens from SA on the move to the NT as demand increases.
South Australian seeding intentions show most farmers will still dry sow despite the lack of early opening rain, a farmer has sown a broadacre crop with autonomous machinery, and the National Party has split from the Coalition with the Liberals.
The Telecommunications Ombudsman says the 3G network shutdown has resulted in some "life-threatening situations", one of Australia's largest table grape properties located in the Riverland up for sale, and a date extension for quarantine restrictions in Ceduna due to an outbreak of Mediterranean fruit fly.
PIRSA's crop report shows SA produced 5.2million tonnes of grain last year, worth about $2.1billion, BOM's long-range forecast for SA shows mixed fortunes for rain heading to the end of August, and hay producers' phones ringing off the hook as prices and demand goes through the roof.
A marine scientist explains the risks to the seafood industry of an algae bloom happening along the SA coast, buyers and agents report lower quality and signs of destocking at South Australian saleyards, and signs of improvement in the retail food sector after some tough years.
Legislation passes to build 61,000 houses on prime agricultural land north of Adelaide, the SA Drought Hub to remove regional node coordinator roles as part of a structural shake up, and an SA dog trainer teaches her dog to detect foot rot in sheep in a world-first.
Urea holds largely at cheaper levels after the spike seen during the Covid years, the USA and China have agreed to a 90-day pause in their implementation of tariffs on each other's imports, and home cooks release an new book paying homage to one of Australia's oldest community cookbooks.
South Australian shearers struggling to find work as drought pushes reduction in wool industry, the apple and pear industry at a cross roads as more orchards to be consolidated in the coming years, and drought-affected Western Victorian farmers look to their state government for more support.
A senior entomologist reports reduced pest pressure for SA farmers this season due to drought, the livestock industry represented at South Australia's second Industry Climate Change Conference, and feral olive trees under consideration as a weed of national significance.
SA farmland values and sales plateau as drought puts a damper on the market, a parliamentary inquiry looks into South Australia's kangaroo and wallaby populations, and Bega Cheese announces closure of its Victorian site at Strathmerton and consolidation of operations to Bega Valley.
The NFF calls on the newly re-elected Prime Minister to visit and hold a drought forum in dought-affected SA, calls to do more to protect water levels and quality in South East aquifers and wetlands, and South Australia prepares to host its second Industry Climate Change Conference.
Agricultural advocacy groups react to the Albanese Labor-government's landslide election win on the weekend, challenging times for the SA wool industry as drought and high input costs see forecast wool production plummet, and a Streaky Bay farmer gathering a database of sheep numbers needing feed across the West Coast and Eyre Peninsula.
A transport subsidy scheme expanded to deliver high quality fodder to drought-affected SA dairy farmers, the Australian wool clip forecast to decline in the coming year to its lowest level since 1922, and the Port Lincoln tuna industry celebrates World Tuna Day.
A new major global wine company created through the merger of Accolade Wines and assets formerly owned by Pernod Ricard, a water broker says dry conditions across the southern Basin are leading to higher water demand and temporary prices, and regional businesses report locals spending less in town due to the ongoing lack of rain.
Drought-affected producers able to access emergency water supply for livestock from the Bundaleer Reservoir, Livestock SA urges the state government to get on with implementing virtual fencing after its approval in NSW, and outback farmers explain the challenges of switching to hybrid and electric vehicles.
Australian mainland apple growers celebrate gaining access to the lucrative and huge Chinese market, latest export figures show more than $1billion worth of Australian wine was sent to China last year, and Australia's wagyu beef industry looks to capitalise on growth opportunities amid record-low cattle numbers in the USA.
The SA Government announces a $3million fund for dairy farmers owed payments following the collapse of Beston Global Food, a South Australian abattoir among 10 Australian facilities granted access to the Chinese market for the first time, and farmers welcome bipartisan funding promises towards farm safety and a national food plan.
An early survey of SA grain producers suggests around a quarter have already started dry seeding, the Bureau of Meteorology's latest long-term rain outlook shows little chance of decent rain for SA into June, and citrus harvest begins in the Riverland with high export demand for the fruit.
