The event, a collaboration with local conservation initiatives and agriculture organisations, focused on
building community resilience in the face of challenges like drought.

Agriculture Teacher Brett Woods and Primary Industries Teacher Chris Wilson from Crookwell High School
along with Clare McCabe of K2W Link Inc, Eaton Gorge Theatre Company (EGTC), Upper Lachlan Landcare (ULL), NSW Farmers Poultry Meat Manager David Banham, and Kristen Frost, Industry Relations Officer at Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) all came together to help young people learn about agriculture and environmental science.

Mr Wilson emphasised the importance of providing students with information about drought resilience and encouraging them to pursue diverse opportunities within the agricultural sector.

“This event brought together students and industry experts to discuss topics to help students to consider a career in agriculture, understanding of land management and the challenges presented by our changing climate,” Mr Wilson said.

Clare McCabe of K2W Link, along with directors Juliet Scrine and Ian McColm from EGTC,
held an improvisation workshop to engage students in learning about resilient communities.

The Theatre Company’s role was to provide a creative platform for students to express their
understanding of resilience in the face of challenges like drought.

The workshop titled “Thrive Through Drought”, aimed to prepare them for the challenges of
drought and help them understand the economic pressure faced by the community and their
direct families or friends’ families to help them build resilience and be prepared for difficult
circumstances and conversations that will inevitably occur.

Thrive through drought

With Australia’s variable climate bringing drought and flood to rural communities, it was important to prepare the students for future challenges.

The school’s Agriculture Day marked the beginning of the K2W Thrive Through Drought initiative, a
partnership supported by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. Future events were planned to help the local community be better prepared for future droughts.

AWI and NSW Farmers aimed to help young people successfully transition from school into
further education and employment in agriculture-related industries. They presented students
with information about collaboration between industry and NSW Farmers and promoted
agribusiness career opportunities.

The Paddock to Plate lunch was sponsored by ULL, where the students used produce from
their school farm for the plate.

“It was a chance for the students to use what they produce at the farm. They were extremely
proud to produce a delicious lunch from the produce they have grown themselves,” Mr
Woods said.

A screening of Rachel’s Farm also supported by ULL provided information about sustainable
farming practices.

The post Teachers bring farm to school appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry revealed United Airlines twice failed to report it had brought dogs to Australia – in December 2022 and in March 2024 – and failed to provide biosecurity officers with information when requested or meet prescribed disinfection measures, including procedures to control or kill the insect vectors of human diseases and agricultural pests or other insects, both in August 2023.

But despite the potential seriousness of these multiple breaches, which could have introduced rabies or other exotic pests and diseases that threaten food production, United Airlines was given a “slap on the wrist” according to NSW Farmers Biosecurity Committee chair Tony Hegarty.

“It is unbelievable that our response to an international airline not only repeatedly breaching biosecurity rules, but also refusing to hand over information to authorities, is an enforceable undertaking,” Mr Hegarty said.

“This is the equivalent of promising not to do it again after doing it again and again.

“The federal government needs to take breaches seriously and ensure companies like United Airlines also take it seriously, not just give them a slap on the wrist.”

According to DAFF, the airline voluntarily agreed to meet a number of requirements over the next 15 months which would be monitored by the department, including “revising their internal processes, systems, and training”.

Mr Hegarty said while this arrangement could be enforceable in a court, it was a far lighter response than many Australians would accept as appropriate to protect our food supply.

“Aussies cop a bigger penalty for jaywalking or littering than United Airlines has been dealt, and that’s just not good enough,” he said.

“You cannot tell me a pilot wouldn’t know they had a dog on the plane or what the rules are at their destination, and if they don’t know, we need to make sure they do!

“The continued protection of Australia’s biosecurity is paramount, and that means a heavier hand when multiple breaches occur.”

Read more:

• Biosecurity threats concern NSW Farmers
• On the frontline of biosecurity

The post Weak response to biosecurity blunder  appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

On Friday , media reports incorrectly claimed NSW was “a global hotspot for deforestation”, citing NSW Government figures claiming “landowners cleared land equivalent to almost twice the size of the Australian Capital Territory over the five years to 2023”.

But NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said these “cherry-picked” numbers had been weaponised to falsely paint farmers as environmental vandals.

“It’s very sad to see these baseless attacks on the farmers that feed and clothe our nation continue, this time from activists within the NSW Government itself,” Mr Martin said.

“The amount of land cleared stated as facts is wrong, alarmist and irresponsible, and it’s clear they are designed to demonise farmers rather than continue a productive conversation on protecting the environment.

“Australian farming practices are world-leading – and we have made significant progress on this issue, but that is being undermined by the people pushing an activist agenda.”

Clearing figures made no reference to the amount of land set aside for conservation, which was roughly four times as large, Mr Martin said. While the NSW Government claimed 420,000ha had been cleared of native vegetation from 2018 to 2022, it miscalculated the environmentally beneficial clearing of invasive native species.

Mr Martin said the NSW Government knew the actual amounts of land cleared were dwarfed by plantings and environmental gains, including on-farm conservation efforts and setting aside of farmers’ land for the environment, but this had been wilfully ignored or distorted.

“The activist strategy of using incorrect deforestation figures may have far-reaching consequences for all Australians,” Mr Martin said.

“This will impact our international markets and undermine the genuine environmental and sustainability credentials of Australian farmers.

“There is clear evidence that partnering with farmers improves conservation outcomes – such as the fact that forest cover in NSW has increased every year since 2007 – but this has been deliberately distorted by those who simply want to sell a message.

“I am deeply disappointed the NSW Government has taken this approach, and I call on NSW Premier Chris Minns to recommit to a constructive dialogue with agriculture.”

The post NSW Farmers calls out activists in state government appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

NSW Farmers members, who demanded a fair go for farmers, were joined by people from all states and territories, including the National Farmers’ Federation, and truckies and farmers from Western Australia who would be drastically impacted by the Australian Government’s ban on the live export of sheep by sea.

The rally in Federation Mall – on the doorstep of Australian Parliament House – was a landmark moment in the fight to protect food and fibre production from anti-farming decisions set to cost the nation billions.

“Farmers have always put food on the table for Australians and clothes on our backs, but decisions are being made in Canberra that are making it more and more impossible to do this,” NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said.

“We need good decisions out of Canberra that support the farmers who quite literally feed and clothe our nation, and this rally is our chance to show politicians and policymakers that farmers will not stand by while they ignore facts and science to comply with the theories of anti-farming activists.

“The water, land and workers needed to grow our food is being taken away by bad decisions, and we need to act now to keep our farmers farming before our food security is thrown into real jeopardy.”

The national rally focused on key issues such as the ban on live sheep exports by sea, the proposed double tax on farmers for biosecurity, the impacts of the renewable energy transition on rural communities, and the the draining of fresh water out of Murray-Darling Basin communities into the ocean.

Mr Martin thanked attendees for their support for the agricultural industry and called on federal parliamentarians to reverse anti-farming policies.

“Farmers around the world are increasingly having to stand up for agriculture, as politicians put policies into place that threaten our food security and force farmers out of business,” Mr Martin said.

“Australia is no exception, and we hope to see farmers turn out in their thousands this September 10 so we can ensure every Aussie family has food on their table, and clothes on their backs.”

Activists on agenda at National Farmer Rally

Exposing false claims about farmers was one of the key goals of the National Farmer Rally in Canberra, with consumers urged to stay alert to fake news from activist agendas.

NSW Farmers Conservation and Resource Management Committee Chair Bronwyn Petrie said the environmental credentials of the agricultural sector were not being accurately portrayed by special interest groups and activist agendas, who continued to peddle fake news to influence politicians.

“Claims that land clearing is out of control in agriculture are simply wrong and counterproductive to what should be a unified effort to care for our environment,” Mrs Petrie said.

“There is clear evidence that partnering with farmers improves conservation outcomes – such as the fact that forest cover in NSW has increased every year since 2007 – but this being is ignored by those who simply want to sell a message.

“We continue to see unfounded reports that farmers are recklessly clearing land by including vegetation management approvals, regrowth control, responsible removal of invasive species, land covered by non-woody vegetation, land affected by drought and disasters, and even land used for roads in figures on ‘land cleared for agriculture’, which is simply inaccurate and untrue.”

Mrs Petrie said it was critical the right information was used to make the right decisions for the environment.

“Ill-informed activist agendas have gone too far and threaten to prevent farmers from protecting the environment as they produce the food and fibre that feeds the nation, as well as our export markets,” Mrs Petrie said.

“We know exactly how important the environment is, but building biodiversity and protecting our landscape needs to be done in partnership with farmers, or else practical solutions simply won’t be achieved.”

Read more:

• ESG: The good, the bad and the confusing

The post National Farmer Rally in Canberra appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Australia’s farming history goes back to the First Fleet and the fledgling colony of NSW, when growing food was a matter of survival for British soldiers, sailors and convicts in a strange, new land.

While the first farm at what is now Sydney’s Botanic Gardens produced mixed results, James Ruse’s Rose Hill farm proved Australia could produce crops and John Macarthur’s small flock of merinos would lay the foundation for future colonial prosperity.

This rich history of Australian agriculture, of grit and determination in the face of an unforgiving land, is not just the stuff of history books but a living part of modern Australia. Here we celebrate the long history of just three iconic names.

AACo

Established 200 years ago via a Crown Grant of 1 million acres at Port Stephens, just north of Newcastle, the Australian Agricultural Company is the grandfather not only of farming businesses, but all Australian businesses.

When Port Stephens proved challenging for sheep in 1833, the company was granted land parcels on the Liverpool Plains, including the Warrah Estate of 249,600 acres west of Murrurundi and the Goonoo Goonoo Estate of 313,298 acres along the left bank of the Peel River, to the south of present-day Tamworth.

Over the years it had a role in mining and the development of several communities that still exist today, but by the 1890s large-scale pastoralism in eastern NSW was coming to an end and, following government resumption of the Goonoo Goonoo and Warrah Estates in 1909 and 1910, AACo turned its attention to the northern states and cattle farming.

Today, AACo is Australia’s largest cattle producer holding roughly 6.5 million hectares – roughly 16 million acres – of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory, running an integrated cattle production system across 19 owned cattle stations, three leased stations, two owned feedlots, two owned farms and one leased farm. It exports premium branded beef around the world with tailored route-to-market models for each country.

The company takes great pride in “our Australian hard-working attitude combined with years of experience cultivating cattle on our pristine pastoral assets”, and claims to “capture the magic of Australia and craft this into remarkable dining experiences for people around the world to enjoy.”

Elders

For 185 years Elders has played a key role in rural and regional communities by servicing farmers and their families.

In 1839, Alexander Elder set sail for South Australia from the Port of Kirkcaldy in Scotland, bringing with him barrels of tar, roofing slates, seeds and agricultural tools, founding Elder and Company. In 1854, Alexander’s younger brother Thomas formed Elder, Stirling & Co – later Elder Smith and Co – in Adelaide, operating shipping and wool broking services.

By 1881, the company had a network of agents across 64 towns, and was shearing 1.5 million sheep across its properties.

Over the following century the business continued to evolve and expand, but the most remarkable transformations would come when it merged with jam maker Henry Jones IXL in 1982, followed by a takeover of Carlton & United Breweries – which was renamed Elders Brewing Group.

But the economic downturn at the end of the 80s saw Elders refocus on its agricultural roots, and it returned to a pure play agribusiness in 2013.

Today, Elders is a significant supplier of farm inputs including seeds, fertiliser, chemicals and animal health products; its network of agronomists supports farmers in the paddock, while its agents help sell food and fibre grown in the paddock. Its real estate and financial services round out its ‘one stop shop’ approach.

Olsson Industries

A relative newcomer compared to AACo and Elders, Olsson Industries is ‘only’ 70 years old.

Australia’s oldest family-run producer of salt products for livestock, Olsson Industries began in Parramatta in 1948, when Norman Olsson saw an opportunity to support graziers during drought. Norman realised his ice block business was becoming obsolete with the advent of refrigeration, and invested in a block press to address the nutritional needs of livestock during the drought impacting his neighbours.

Over the decades Olsson’s was a true family affair, according to grandchildren Alex and Murray, with the children “brought to the factory from a very young age during school holidays, making boxes and packing salt … involved in every facet of the business, from formulations, fixing machinery to sales and stacking pallets.”

“What started as simple nutritional supplements evolved into medicated blocks, and now includes advanced supplementation to improve livestock productivity. We’ve come to understand the crucial role of micro-organisms and the impact of bypass proteins in the rumen. Our feed blocks and licks are a direct response to this understanding, ensuring optimal nutrition and therefore performance for livestock,” Alex Olsson said.

From its early days in NSW and South Australia – where it bought its first saltworks – Olsson Industries has helped open up northern Australia to productive grazing operations.

“We’ve developed high-concentrated free-choice supplements for northern Australia, addressing deficiencies in protein, sulfur, and phosphorus,” Murray Olsson said. “Our feed advancements have also reduced the impact of toxic native plants like poisonous gidgee and lantana, allowing livestock to process the feed and reducing mortality rates.”

Feeding the future

As Australia has grown and developed, so too have our agricultural businesses such as AACo, Elders and Olsson Industries. Building reputation through personal relationships with individual farmers and rural communities, these companies have made their mark on our landscape and quite literally have helped grow our nation, and in so doing have fed generations of Australians.

While they may not be quite as recognisable in the cities as RM Williams or Akubra, true country people can picture the Elders logo or a humble lick block. They are still a testament to the value of the agricultural industry, and we wish them all the best as they continue to support our farmers.

• Read more: Three clever Aussie inventions that shaped the agricultural industry
• Read more: NSW Farmers throughout the decades

Sources

• State Library of NSW
• Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• National Geographic
• The Dictionary of Australasian Biography
• Australian Dictionary of Biography
• AACo
• Elders
• Olsson Industries

The post Australia’s farming history appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Consumer group CHOICE has released its first quarterly, government-funded report on supermarket prices across Australia.

As part of the research, CHOICE sent mystery shoppers to 81 regional and metropolitan supermarkets across the country, including Aldi, Woolworths, and Coles, to record prices for 14 common grocery items.

The research revealed Aldi’s basket was about 25 per cent cheaper than baskets at Coles or Woolworths.

“Aldi was the clear leader on value for money in our first supermarket basket survey for 2024, with our basket of 14 products costing just $51.51 – coming in at about 25% cheaper than Coles or Woolworths,” CHOICE CEO, Ashley de Silva said.

“Grocery prices at Coles and Woolworths are very closely matched, with only 75 cents separating the prices of our basket of 14 items without specials. Coles was the most expensive at $69.33, while the basket at Woolworths came in at $68.58.”

CHOICE’s supermarket price research was set to continue every quarter for the next three years, helping people to stay on top of where they can find the cheapest groceries.

“We look forward to providing consumers across the country with clear, reliable information about supermarket prices. This kind of transparency is more important than ever as the cost-of-living crisis continues, and prices of basic grocery items climb,” Mr de Silva said.

Scrutiny increases

It comes after an extensive campaign from NSW Farmers to shine a light on the extreme power imbalances felt by farmers in the food supply chain sparked several inquiries into pricing practices and purchasing methods.

Earlier this year, NSW Farmers warned Australia could be unable to feed itself while farmers would be driven out of business unless radical action was taken to reform the supermarket retail sector.

At a Senate Select Committee investigation into the factors driving soaring supermarket prices, NSW Farmers Vice President Rebecca Reardon said ultimately Australia’s food security was at stake, continuing calls for meaningful competition reform until fair prices for farmers and families were achieved.

“It’s farmers – not the supermarkets – who are the real fresh food people, and if the market dominance of these big two supermarkets means farmers struggle to make a living, we could very well see a future where Australia can no longer feed itself,” Mrs Reardon said.

“This would be terrible not only for Australian farmers and for families right across the country, but also for the tens of millions of people overseas who rely on the food we grow and export.

“We can’t afford to miss the opportunity to solve this problem that has been in the ‘too hard’ basket for too long.”

Six recommendations to the inquiry for reforming the supermarket sector were put forward by NSW Farmers ahead of the hearing, which was held at Orange in the state’s central west on Tuesday.

“We have proposed a constructive, considered approach to overhauling the sector, starting with making the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct mandatory and more enforceable with real penalties for its breach,” Mrs Reardon said.

“Increasing price transparency, developing options to add new supermarket competitors, and introducing divestiture powers to correct gross market power imbalances are just some of the other recommendations we have put forward.

“The gross profit margins of supermarkets are only continuing to increase, so there must be controls in place to not only identify any unfair pricing practices, but actually bring these to account.”

As the inquiry continued, Mrs Reardon said significant changes to competition law and policy were essential if effective outcomes for farmers and consumers were to be secured.

“In recent times, we’ve seen governments in Canada and New Zealand drive significant competition reform within their retail sectors – and we must do the same if we want healthy, home-grown food on Australian dinner tables,” Mrs Reardon said.

“Unless there is real and complex reform to how we govern these supermarket superpowers, we will continue to lose farmers and Australia will one day wake up to discover it can no longer feed itself.”

• Read more: Who’s eating Australian farmers’ profits?

Grocery basket items

CHOICE’s full grocery basket consisted of 14 items, 12 of which were packaged products, either national brand or comparable supermarket brand/budget brand options (including beef mince and milk), with two fresh fruit and vegetable items (apples and carrots) completing the list:

• Apples
• Carrots
• Weet-Bix
• Sliced white bread
• Flour
• Penne
• White sugar
• Tea bags
• Tinned diced tomatoes
• Block of tasty cheese
• Full-cream dairy milk
• Frozen peas
• Beef mince
• Butter

The post CHOICE releases first quarterly report on supermarket prices appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Following testing by the CSIRO national research laboratory it was confirmed that Avian Influenza H7N8 has been detected in a mixed barnyard and free-range poultry farm in the Hawkesbury.

In response, the NSW Government rolled out its biosecurity incident plan, developed in line with the national approach for avian influenza.

• Find out more about the Department of Primary Industries’ response here.

The following actions were undertaken within a 24 hour period:

• Tested samples with CSIRO to detect the bird flu type
• Locked down the affected egg farm
• Issued a control order to depopulate the farm of its birds and to dispose of the remains in a biosecure manner working with the EPA on disposal
• Commenced depopulating the farm, in a humane manner, following Australian Veterinary guidelines.
• Activated the funding agreement with the Commonwealth government, egg industry, and other states, to release compensation funds for directly impacted producers
• Spoken with surrounding chicken industry farms, which activated their bird flu plans and locked down their businesses.

• Access the emergency order here.

On Thursday another control order to legally lock down the movement of machinery, materials, animals and transport within a radius of 2 kilometres of the affected egg farm was put in place.

The localised lockdown order would cover three large commercial poultry farms that would be monitored for any signs of the virus. There was to be no movement of eggs or birds or machinery out of the zone during the control order.

NSW Farmers was working with the Department of Primary Industries to ensure any affected egg or poultry producer had the support they needed when they needed it.

“Our focus is on biosecurity for all farmers with poultry including rapid identification and containment to help safeguard the health and safety of our birds,” a spokesman said.

“It is important to report any symptoms in birds to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888, including in backyard hens.”

For more information, please visit the NSW DPI website.

The post Avian Influenza detected in NSW appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Keep Farmers Farming is a direct response to these new government policies which, if implemented, will impact producers and their ability to work. 

Outlining the issues

As part of the Water Amendment (Restoring our Rivers) Bill 2023, which was introduced to Parliament in September, the government is proposing major water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin. 

The aim of the bill is to facilitate 450 gigalitres of environmental water through water buybacks from the farmers who work the land. This would involve the government purchasing ‘water entitlements,’ allowing them to extract a certain amount of water from the Murray Darling Basin annually. 

According to NSW sheep and grain farmer Michael Chalmers, who owns 400 hectares in Wakool, this would be a devastating blow to farmers in the region. 

“In a community like ours, all businesses are related in some way to irrigated agriculture, so if we have less water you’ll see a reduction in jobs, sporting clubs will diminish, and there will be a loss of services in town — the whole community suffers when you reduce access to water.”

Another driving factor is the proposed new workplace laws. Already, Australia is facing a shortage of 172,000 workers in the agricultural sector. Without workers, the amount of food being grown and distributed is reducing, as farmers struggle to keep up with demand.

However, despite this job crisis, the government is proposing to introduce stricter workplace laws and cut visa pathways which support individuals seeking to live and work in regional areas. 

Liverpool Plains farmer and NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said the Australian agriculture industry is united in its stand to call on Federal parliamentarians to stand up against policies which threaten to slash billions from farm production.

“Farmers have always put food on the table for Australians and clothes on our backs, but decisions are being made in Canberra that will make it harder to do,” Mr Martin said.

“They’re taking away the water, land and workers needed to grow food. That means fewer farmers doing what they do and when farmers grow less, everyone pays more.”

An agricultural assessment

The campaign was launched off the back of a country-wide survey, conducted by the National Farmers Federation, which interviewed more than 1600 farmers on their falling confidence in the farming sector and reservations about the approach of the Albanese Government.

The survey found the majority of farmers (54.3 per cent) thought the Federal Government’s policies were harming the industry, and only 31.2 per cent thought they were doing a good job for farmers. Similarly, 1 in 3 farmers reported feeling less secure about the future of the industry than they were a year ago.

However, despite these concerns, an overwhelming majority (70.7 percent) continue to love their jobs and hope to carry on providing for Australia in the future. 

Farmers for farmers 

The national Keep Farmers Farming campaign will focus on key issues such as water buybacks in the Murray Darling Basin; worker shortages on farms and in the food supply chain; red and green tape restrictions on agriculture, and competition policy.

Mr Martin urged farmers and consumers to rally behind the campaign and show their support by signing an open letter to the Prime Minister, contacting their local MP, or making a donation.

“In the coming months, decisions by the Federal Government threaten to shave billions off farm production. We need support to ensure we have the right policies that help keep farmers farming,” he said.

On their website, Keep Farmers Farming outline how to construct an email to a local MP or government official, and provide details on how to dontate to the campaign to end anti-farming policies. 

To read another story about farmers supporting farmers, click here.

The post NSW Farmers joins campaign against anti-farming policies appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Last weekend, Australian and EU officials met in Osaka to discuss how to move forward, leaving many producers concerned for their future.

Years-long negotiations

Since negotiations began five years ago, Australia has been seeking access to EU markets. Currently, accessing this market of nearly 446 million people is difficult due to heavy tariffs and quotas. The EU is Australia’s third-largest trading partner, with a market worth US $16.6 trillion. Easier access to trade could have a positive impact on the success of Australia’s export market. 

In return, the EU is requesting investment access to our critical minerals industry. Australia supplies around 50 percent of the world’s lithium, as well as several rare minerals used in batteries and other important products.

The G7 Trade Ministers met in Osaka last weekend. Despite farmers repeatedly warning the Albanese Government that the existing deal on offer was one-sided, many were concerned they would sign a free trade deal.

While the Australian agriculture sector had long supported a free trade agreement with the European Union that would deliver access to this large, high-value market, it had to deliver value for both parties. Negotiations did not reflect well on this requirement. 

According to Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell, major negotiations were concerned with increased market access for Australian beef, lamb and sugar. The EU proposed low quotas, citing the recent Australia-UK trade deal in 2021, which included a large uptake of Aussie beef and sheep meat. While the EU argued that this impacted European producers by reducing their market share in the UK, leading Australian negotiators were still hopeful that better conditions for our producers could be achieved.

At a cross-roads

Fortunately, it was confirmed earlier this week that the Osaka trade negotiations were called off after negotiating bodies concluded it wasn’t a fair deal for Aussie farmers.

The National Farmers’ Federation has congratulated Trade Minister Don Farrell for turning down an EU trade offer that would have disadvantaged our producers.

Speaking following the briefing of industry representatives in Osaka, NFF President David Jochinke said the Minister had made the right call for Australia.

“Today’s decision was a hard one, but ultimately it was the right one. We thank Minister Farrell and Agriculture Minister Murray Watt for standing by Australian farmers and walking away from an unacceptable offer,” Mr Jochinke said.

“It’s disappointing the Europeans weren’t willing to put something commercially meaningful on the table. This was always going to be a tough negotiation with no guarantee an outcome.

“What was on offer would have hardwired protectionism into our trading relationship with Europe for another generation. It would have locked our farmers in at a disadvantage to competitors in New Zealand, Canada and South America.

“Australia has always been a champion for open and fair trade on the world stage. Today’s decision by Minister Farrell continues that legacy.

“Ultimately, we all want a deal with the EU that benefits both sides. We encourage the Government to maintain dialogue with the EU to work towards this if and when the time is right.

“It should be clear though to the EU from today’s events that Minister Farrell isn’t willing to throw Aussie farmers under the bus just to get the deal done.

“He’s held firm to protect Australia’s interests in the face of intense pressure from EU negotiators, and for that we’re incredibly grateful.

“We’d like to thank Australia’s team of negotiators and the team from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry who have worked tirelessly to produce a meaningful outcome, we hope those efforts will be rewarded with a deal in the future,” Mr Jochinke concluded.

To learn more about the EU trade agreements, click here.

The post Trade deal a cheap photo opp appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry were endorsed by agriculture ministers from all states and territories at a July meeting in Perth amid a firestorm of media reports that they would send egg prices soaring.

While the standards – which were developed by an independent panel in consultation with stakeholders and the public – were adopted as recommended, it was decided each state and territory would be responsible for implementation, meaning the timelines were still open for discussion.

Egg producers believed moving away from conventional cage egg production too soon would leave them with stranded assets – expensive infrastructure that could not be used – which would, in turn, drive farmers out of business. Activists, on the other hand, had shown their hand in wanting an immediate end to cages regardless of the cost.

Cost of living a big concern

One of the key sticking points for egg producers was the ‘phase-out’ date for conventional cage egg production. The recommended date of between 2032 and 2036 was too early, according to producers, who said many would be forced out of business as a result and argued for an end date of 2046.

Brett Langfield, an egg producer from Young who has 680,000 birds in both free range and conventional cage egg systems, says families would be in the firing line if farmers didn’t have time to properly transition their businesses.

“Eggs are an affordable and nutritious product enjoyed by most families, and with so many families doing it tough at the moment the last thing we need is anything that will make food more expensive,” Brett says.

“Australian farmers and consumers are slowly transitioning away from cage eggs, free range accounts for 47 per cent of supermarket sales now, but drastic market intervention would result in a supply crunch that will send prices soaring.

“Let’s not forget that eggs are a critical ingredient in cakes and pasta, not to mention so many other staples like chicken schnitzel, mayonnaise, pies, and fish fingers. It’s caged eggs that are often going into their production, so expect to see a flow-on effect of costs if businesses will be forking out more for free range.”

Brett’s farm produced about 600,000 eggs every day – or 50,000 dozen – equating to more than 16 million dozen eggs each year. 

An early ban on caged eggs in New Zealand had smashed consumers, leading to scarcity on supermarket shelves and prices of up to $15 for a dozen eggs.

In a recent interview with the ABC, Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand executive director Michael Brooks said supermarket egg prices had gone up by 50 per cent because of a “commercial decision” to stop selling caged eggs by 2025.

“Suddenly there are 600,000 fewer hens and 600,000 fewer eggs a day; so [that leads to an] egg shortage,” he said in the interview.

“Farmers do need some help. I think it’s the same in Australia and certainly here in New Zealand, there is no financial assistance given to farmers.

“It’s just one day you’re legal, next day you’re not.”

Orderly transition for egg production is key

Farmers had warned decision makers that the egg industry could not afford to stop conventional cage egg production before 2046 without causing supply shortages and subsequent price spikes. 

According to Australian Eggs, conventional cage production made up 40 per cent of supermarket sales, but they were also used in a range of other edible products. NSW produced the highest proportion of eggs – 36 per cent of the national total – turning out 6.6 billion eggs in 2021-2022. 

With the decision on when to phase out conventional cage egg production now placed onto each state, Brett says the industry was uncertain about how that would impact pricing and supply.

“You cannot pull the rug out from under farmers and shift the goalposts, it will simply cripple their businesses,” Brett says.

“An orderly transition away from conventional cage systems is already underway, and working with industry will prevent the need for a substantial financial package from government to help these businesses make the early transition.

“We would hope to see the NSW Government follow through on the stated position of Premier Chris Minns, who ruled out considering a ban on conventional cage egg production in June.”

The announcement from the Premier came on the back of a private member’s bill from the Animal Justice Party, which sought to outlaw conventional cage egg production within a year. When questioned by media, Mr Minns said his government would not support that legislation.

Question of timelines

The priority for the animal activists was clearly to see an end to conventional cage egg production as soon as possible, but amid a cost-of-living crisis it would be politically difficult for the government to even contemplate such a move.

Meanwhile, Brett pointed out the egg industry was already moving away from cages as the market shifted to free range. 

“We’ve been transitioning for some time, we’ve been in cage and now we’re in free range with 30 per cent cage and 70 per cent free range, which is pretty much where the market is,” he says.

“Our standards and guidelines are the ideal outcome, we have world leading standards across all egg-producing systems, and I believe the consumer should be able to make their own decision.

“What we don’t want are rushed changes, where food shortages and prices become a concern – we want to make sure the consumer does not get impacted in this process.”

The post Implementing egg standards laid aside appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.