The innovative project aims to develop improved monitoring and management tools for farmers and synthesise pheromone blends used by female FAW moths to attract mates, ultimately guiding male moths into traps.  

The FAW (Spodoptera frugiperda) moth is a formidable opponent in the pest control world. Some traditional chemical methods have had limited success due to resistance issues and its larvae enjoy a wide range of food crops and grasses, with a particular hankering for sweetcorn, corn and sorghum crops. FAW also have the potential to infest various horticultural crops and pasture grasses and have been recorded in sugarcane, cotton and wheat in other countries.  

Native to the Americas, it was first detected in Australia at Bamaga, Cape York, in 2020. It quickly spread across northern Australia and down to northern NSW. Authorities ruled out any eradication plans and have instead focussed on control measures and monitoring the seasonal movements of moths.  

Macquarie University’s pheromone research project aims to significantly narrow down the FAW control zones for farmers to incorporate into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plans. Field and onfarm work will begin in November with research locations secured in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and will be ongoing for the next three years.  

Phase 1 will investigate the geographic variation in the sex pheromone of Australian FAW populations and compare the effectiveness of commercially available lures at different locations.  

“The comprehensive data gathered from trapping networks across Australia will serve as the foundation for developing models that forecast the timing and extent of seasonal pest abundance,” says project lead Dr Vivian Mendez.  

“This data-driven approach will empower farmers with a more effective and sustainable strategy for managing FAW, thereby reducing the economic losses associated with this pest. 

“The research outcomes will enable growers to accurately target insecticides when and where they are most needed, thereby reducing costs and improving the sustainability of production.” 

Phase 2 of the project will look at synthesising pheromone blends specifically suitable for each region based on the proportions of compounds found in natural blends.  

Pheromones are chemicals emitted by animals to communicate with their counterparts of the same species. They serve various purposes, including attracting mates, demarcating territories, or signalling danger.  

Macquarie University Research Fellow Dr Meena Thakur says sex pheromones, in particular, hold significant promise for monitoring FAW populations, as they can be employed to lure male moths into traps.  

“Once the pheromones are identified, they will be synthesized and incorporated into traps to monitor the population of FAW,” Dr Thakur says.  

The project will also explore the potential of pheromone lures to cause mass mating disruption. This involves saturating the environment with artificial pheromones to impede males and females from locating each other.  

“If successful, these approaches could substantially reduce the reliance on insecticide applications, thereby minimising the environmental footprints of food production.” 

The $6.5 million ‘Effective fall armyworm pheromone blends for improved monitoring and population estimation in Australia’ project is funded by HIA and GRDC. 

It involves collaboration with the CSIRO, Cervantes Agritech, the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and government bodies in Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia.  

“The project is ongoing, and the research team hopes to continue to uncover more about the pheromone communication system of the fall armyworm in Australia, ultimately offering a beacon of hope for more sustainable and effective pest management strategies,” Dr Thakur says.   

Fall armyworm focus in Northern NSW 

FAW has quickly climbed the priority list for insect pest monitoring programs in corn crops across northern NSW since it was first discovered near Moree in 2021.  

LLS Business Partner for Agriculture and Plant Biosecurity, Dale Kirby, says FAW is no longer regarded as an emerging pest threat.  

“It is now part of regular management activities for farmers and their advisors, particularly in corn crops,” Dale says. “The awareness of this pest and the damage it can cause in NSW has certainly increased in the last two years.”  

LLS teams continue to monitor FAW in the North Coast, Northern Tablelands, North West, Hunter and Sydney basin regions.  

“FAW has been found around Croppa Creek and North Star this year and corn crops were impacted. Farmers were able to control it as part of their pest management programs.

“Farmers with corn crops, which are particularly susceptible, should continue to monitor for FAW. Monitoring really kicks off in September and should continue through to late summer.” 

The LLS’s awareness campaign in the Sydney basin region has been boosted this season, with the Greater Sydney LLS holding a FAW management workshop for local sweetcorn growers.  

“The lessons learned from Queensland, the Northern Territory and the top end of Western Australia have been important. The LLS is keeping abreast of monitoring and control activities in those areas to ensure farmers in NSW are getting the best advice.”

To learn more about the risks posed by the fall armyworm, click here.

The post Plotting the fall of the armyworm appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

Mandatory Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets are rapidly moving down the supply chain to the farm gate from the likes of Woolworths, Coles and McDonalds.  

These targets are driven by consumer demand and are being followed by Federal Government Legislation on climate-related financial disclosure for large farm businesses starting in 2026.  

The good news is that Australian farmers already have or are adopting the practices and technology needed to preserve and enhance natural capital assets and farm sustainability. Many of the looming ESG requirements will be met through industry programs such as BMP cotton certification and the Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework, and through sustainability declarations to access export markets like the EU.  

The bad news is the potential for farmers to be wrapped in more green tape with little financial benefit, and farm businesses will have to spend time and money to prove their natural capital worth.  

“One of the key premises for practice change with respect to natural capital is that you can’t manage what you can’t measure, and you won’t invest in what you don’t value,” says National Farmers Federation (NFF) CEO Tony Maher.  

“There is already an extensive knowledge base and capability amongst farmers but there is not currently a comprehensive and consistent set of natural capital measures to support widespread adoption of natural capital measurement across Australia.” 

That has led Australian agriculture to leap into the emerging world of natural capital accounting in recent months.  

This includes the release of the Farming for the Future program’s preliminary findings in September on financial, ecological and social data collected from 130 Australian grazing and cropping enterprises.  

The second phase of this research program has found that investment in the ecological condition of a farm is associated with financial benefits through improved productivity and measuring natural capital assets.   

The CSIRO released its Natural Capital handbook in the same month to provide guidelines on measuring and incorporating natural assets such as clean air, water, soil and living things into farming, forestry, mining and non-government organisations.  

The international Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) also recently released its final recommendations and nature-related risk management and disclosure in New York.  

Led by 40 Taskforce members representing over US$20 trillion in assets under management, the TNFD drew on the input of market and non-market stakeholders from almost 60 countries around the world, including Australia.  

While the TNFD may not rank highly on an Australian farmer’s priority list, Farming for the Future Program Director, Dr Sue Ogilvy, says it was vital Australia had a seat at its table.  

Dr Ogilvy says the release of the TNFD’s 14 Disclosure Recommendations and implementation guidance comes at a critical time, with rapidly growing interest across business and finance globally on nature and biodiversity issues.  

“It is a very important global initiative. In addition to supporting the Farming for the Future program, the Macdoch Foundation has been a key voice for Australian agriculture in the TNFD process,” says Dr Ogilvy.  

“This includes making sure that farmers are not burdened with the cost and responsibility of all the reporting when many of the benefits are beyond the farm gate.” 

Dr Robyn Leeson, a consultant for the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework has also been monitoring the development of the TNFD.  

Dr Leeson suggests it may follow a similar path to the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). 

The TCFD developed a framework designed to solicit decision-useful, forward-looking information that reports the financial impacts of climate change on a business. 

“Investors are rapidly lifting their expectations of top ASX companies across the board on sustainability, and nature appears to be the next big issue on the agenda,” Dr Leeson says. 

“Banks are expected to look at their various portfolios, including agriculture, in terms of nature-based impacts and dependencies as well as risks and opportunities, who they’re lending to and for what purpose. 

“Significantly, most of the impacts and dependencies, risks and opportunities for banks and large corporate customers are in their value chain and on the land. So, this is likely to be felt in the food and agriculture sector before the TNFD matures and the regulators get around to issuing a domestic nature-related financial disclosure standard for business.” 

Dr Leeson says for beef industry interests, knowing the specific locations of your value chain will be critical. 

“The food businesses at the end of the value chain will want to know the location of their impact on nature at source,” she says. 

“So that will mean using tools such as geospatial analysis to find out where their beef is coming from and what impacts and dependencies that location reflects when it comes to nature, as well as the risks and opportunities.” 

Accounting for natural capital 

A mix of 130 livestock and wool farmers from across Australia can head to the accountants armed with natural capital figures after taking part in the Farming for the Future Program.  

“We had to have robust and reliable measurements of natural capital and it had to be down to the paddock level so that it is relevant for farmers,” says Dr Ogilvy.  

“We needed to have farms that represented the bulk of the livestock sector, so we excluded very large operations and small farms.” 

The sample set of farms in NSW ranged between 600 and 5,000 hectares. 

“The participating farmers can use the information and data that we collected about the natural capital as part of their reporting to supply chains and accountants. The data we collected is the same that is required for ESG reporting. 

“What we are trying to do enables farmers and the people that support to respond to this new world of ESG by understanding the value of natural capital to agricultural operations. 

“We are also trying to make sure that the supply chain and financial services industry are sharing the cost and responsibility of natural capital management. All roads lead to agriculture when it comes to natural capital.” 

Dr Ogilvy says measuring natural capital on farms is not a simple process.   

“We used a combination of satellite imagery analysis and machine learning, complemented with field observations. Most farmers are aware that present satellite imagery is not accurate enough yet at a paddock level. It will be in the future, but for now field work by ecologists is a critical part.” 

Dr Ogilvy says the different ecosystems on farms can represent forms of natural capital. 

“A farm ecosystem could be a broadacre cropping soil, or a perennial pasture or orchard through to a grassy woodland and native vegetation. Each of the natural capital pieces can deliver ecosystem services through biodiversity or carbon storage. 

“It’s really important that as initiatives like the TNFD are adopted that farmers have good quality measures of natural capital that are suited to Australian conditions. One of the next questions for the Farming for the Future program is how to ensure farmers are fairly compensated for collecting natural capital data and providing environmental benefits for the wider community.” 

The prevalence of price premiums, or bonus payments, attributed directly to on farm environmental and social outcomes in Australia are few and far between. Advances in soil carbon monitoring and management are generating ‘environmental’ income for farmers, but the NFF and NSW Farmers are calling for a wider range of incentives including sustainability linked finance, insurance discounts, tax benefits and support for the uptake of methane reduction products like seaweed additives.  

“We are also going to put more effort into including what we have learned so far helping to develop the field of natural capital accounting, and also to influence things like future developments from the TNFD,” says Dr Ogilvy. 

“I do think that we will see a world where farm accountants are adding natural capital to the financial accounts. Accountants will be vital in this process and we are already talking to the Australian Accountants Standards Board and CPA Australia.  

“For smaller farms, it’s also important we investigate ways of providing a basic set of natural capital accounts alongside something like the local rates notice.” 

Dr Ogilvy has had the benefit of working closely with world leading researchers of natural capital accounting from the CSIRO and La Trobe University. Her research over the past decade has focused on adapting and extending ecosystem accounting concepts and standards to enable farmers to include natural capital as part of their asset base. 

“I think Australia is leading the way on this, but we don’t know it and we don’t talk about it,” she says. “The EU are taking a strong lead on sustainability reporting, but we are leading the agricultural pathway with research and programs like ours and others from the CSIRO, the NFF’s Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework and commodity specific schemes, and I think Australian farmers will stack up pretty well on the natural capital front.” 

Initiated by philanthropic foundation, the Macdoch Foundation, Farming for the Future is industry led and supported. Funding for the first phases came from a broad network of supporters, including philanthropists, government, banks, and industry bodies including Meat & Livestock Australia and Australian Wool Innovation. 

Dr Ogilvy is encouraging more farmers from NSW to get involved in the program, with expressions of interest for the next round of mapping and data collection coming out in early 2024. 

 “We do want to add more farms to the data set and expand into cropping, horticulture and viticulture,” she says. “By working hand-in-hand with farmers and their advisors during the research to understand what information would be useful, we can start to develop the tools and benchmarks to inform decisions about investment in a farm’s natural capital and the opportunity for improved financial performance.”  

CSIRO lends a natural capital hand 

Natural capital accounting is gaining momentum as a way to quantify and integrate the value of nature into decision-making processes for a variety of businesses and organisations.  

Lead author of the CSIRO’s Natural Capital Handbook, Dr Greg Smith says the failure to account for nature in decision-making has led to environmental decline over time and is increasingly recognised as a material risk to business.  

“While nature underpins our economic growth, the value of nature is excluded in dominant financial analysis tools and not always factored into decision-making by businesses,” Dr Smith says.   

“This is now being recognised as a critical component in helping to reverse environment decline, and in future, is expected to become a mandatory requirement for businesses globally.”   

The handbook harmonises resources, frameworks, and indicators to help Australian businesses across all sectors measure, track and manage their natural capital assets.  

“How companies track and measure their impacts and dependencies on nature can be challenging,” Dr Smith says.  

“Currently, there is a lack of practical guidance that brings together the many different standards, frameworks and example approaches that have been developed in natural capital accounting, impact, dependency, and risk/opportunity assessment.” 

Are oyster farms carbon neutral?  

The humble oyster leads the fresh food pack when it comes to meeting the ‘E’ targets in the emerging world of ESG accounting.  

Its plusses for the ‘E’ ledger include providing aquatic habitat for other species and improving water quality through the removal of pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, and there are no methane emissions or high-energy usage to pile onto the minus side. 

NSW Farmers is now looking to add another green tick to the plus ledger through a project examining the carbon balance sheet for oyster farmers and the industry as whole.   

“Oyster farming is a great example of a nature positive industry,” says NSW Farmers’ Oyster Project Officer Andy Myers, “and there is a belief that many oyster farms would be close to being carbon neutral already.” 

Electricity and fuel usage are the principal components on the negative side of the carbon balance sheet for oyster farming businesses.  

“It’s only really the energy required to run grading machinery in the oyster shed and fuel used for oyster punts at a farm level,” Andy explains.  

“The offset solutions to those can be quite simple, like installing solar panels on the shed. There are also some developments in the electric outboard market, mostly overseas, but I am sure that this technology will be commonplace in Australia soon.” 

On the plus side, oyster shells sequester carbon, with approximately 12 per cent of the calcium carbonate shell, being composed of carbon. 

“Given that oysters respire, and shells can dissolve under some conditions, the 12 per cent figure is not set in stone, and it’s a bit unclear on what percentage can be used in carbon calculations.  That’s one reason why it will not be included in the Australian Government Emissions Reduction Fund any time soon, but it may be acceptable to be used in carbon neutral accreditation calculations. 

“Unlike land farmers, there won’t be opportunities for oyster farmers to receive offset payments, but we can get prepared for future market demands for sustainably produced food and to use the environmental credentials for marketing fresh oysters.” 

The audits will be conducted on 30 large, medium and small oyster farms.  

“For oyster farms, we will be taking the cradle to gate approach and assessing the carbon usage and sequestration throughout the oyster’s life,” says Andy. “If the numbers are good, the farmer can then pursue third-party certification at their own cost.” 

“Working with NSW DPI, through this project we ultimately want to extrapolate this sample data for the whole of the NSW oyster industry. Growers can then make an informed decision on whether they’d like to push forward with an industry-wide approach to carbon neutrality.”  

This NSW Farmers project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

To read more about the importance of natural capital, click here.

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Each of this year’s recipients are taking different career paths into a wide range of sectors, demonstrating just how diverse a career in agriculture can be.

This year’s tertiary scholarships recipients include Bega’s Amelia Whyman, who is studying a Bachelor of Animal Science, Megan Seis from Dunedoo, who is studying a Bachelor of Veterinary Science, aspiring Occupational Therapist Tiarna Burke from Jerilderie, Sam Johnston from Forbes, who is studying a Bachelor of Property Valuation, and Annabelle Shannon from Bugaldie, who is studying a Bachelor of Arts. Scholarships are based on academic performance, commitment to agriculture and rural communities, and all-round ability including leadership qualities and communication skills.

Applauded by industry

NSW Farmers’ CEO Pete Arkle said the scholarship program rewards students for dedication to their studies and goals to advance agriculture and regional communities.

“The program is a fantastic opportunity for students who have a genuine interest in agriculture and rural communities,” Pete says.

“The scholarships are not just about recognising the value of education to the future of agriculture. Like this year, many of the past recipients have dedicated their studies to support rural communities through a diverse range of disciplines.”

NSW Farmers Rural Affairs Committee Chair Deb Charlton said since its inception in 1993, the scholarship program had shown the Association’s commitment to fostering the future of farming. 

“There is a wealth of opportunity in agriculture, and it’s incumbent on us as an industry body to both highlight and help improve access to these opportunities,” Deb says.

“Opportunities in agriculture will only grow more exciting as the sector enjoys a boom period and as technology and innovation drive greater variety and dynamism in agricultural careers.

“The sector has huge potential, and the future success of agriculture truly lies in the hands of the talented younger generation coming through.”

Deb Charlton says the scholarships had a proven track record of helping the younger generation find their passion in agriculture, and she is confident this year’s contingent would go on to achieve great things.

The post Investing in the future: 2023 tertiary scholarships awarded appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

NSW Farmers advocacy led to some key state government funding announcements during the Annual Conference, including $13 million to boost feral pig control programs.

NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty also announced $38 million in joint State-Federal funding to support the sheep and farmed goat industry in the implementation of mandatory individual electronic identification (eID) across NSW. Red fire ants and the varroa mite were also in the firing line, with more support provided for control and eradication programs.

There were some serious and important Feeding the Future debates, but like a day at the races, there were also plenty of good times to be had.

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That’s according to a study from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) that compared environmental sustainability and agri-environmental indicators amongst developed nations.

Australia’s emissions intensities are below average for cattle, specialist beef production, and grains compared to major developed country producers and exporters, and Australia has reduced agricultural emissions more than most developed countries in the last 30 years.

Merriwa beef producer and NSW Farmers cattle committee member Tony Hegarty says the report was a good news story for the Australian beef industry and Australian agriculture.

“It shows that we are progressing well without subsidies. The report reflects the advancement in Australian agriculture in looking at our problems and actually dealing with them.”

“That’s more than just reducing methane emissions, farmers have has also achieved efficiency improvements in fertiliser and water use.”

“The report also recognises that we do need to continue improving.”

Reduced emissions of methane, the largest contributor to Australia’s agricultural emissions, due to falling livestock numbers have been the key driver behind Australia’s reduction in agricultural emissions.

“From agricultural point of view, methane is the one that we have to continue to work on. We can’t stop on this and the best thing we can do is show continuous improvement.”

NSW Farmers Cattle Committee Member Tony Hegarty

Cattle Australia chair, David Foote agrees, saying there is an expectation that Australia will continue to improve.

“We have always known Australia is a world leader, and this backs up cattle producers across Australia,” he says.

“This does not mean the job is done and the cattle industry will continue to work hard on improving our systems so we can continue our global leadership in providing safe, wholesome and sustainable beef.”

“Australia is leading the way for good reason, and we have knowledge and experience that is valuable to other countries as they look to improve their production systems.”

The ABARES Environmental sustainability and agri-environmental indicators – international comparisons insights report was published this month.

Country vet shortage a growing concern

It’s getting harder and harder to find large animal veterinarians, farmers say, amid calls for increased training and targeted skilled migration.

Shane Kilby, a cattle producer from Dubbo, will take the issue to the NSW Farmers Annual Conference next week.

“As a livestock producer it’s vital to have a good relationship with a large animal veterinary practice so you can get the care you need, when you need it,” Mrs Kilby says.

“Vets are indispensable for us, whether it’s pregnancy testing, calving or even just looking in on a sick animal.

“Sadly, we’re seeing a decline in the number of large animal vets across the state and while those that are around do their best to fit you in, we can’t let the numbers continue to slip.”

While the number of registered vets had increased on average by 3 per cent each year, they were overwhelmingly moving into small animal practice as pet ownership increased.

Mrs Kilby says a motion from the NSW Farmers Dubbo Branch to the Annual Conference would call for investment in a range of measures such as financial incentives to get vets into western NSW, ongoing tax incentives for vets to work in rural areas, and more training places targeting large animal vets training places.

“If we could get the same sort of HECS forgiveness for vets that teachers, doctors and nurses can access, we might get more vets into western NSW,” Mrs Kilby says.

“We would also like to see increased migration of skilled vets to plug the gaps in the short term, and really do more to train more vets for the future, maybe by reviewing the selection criteria for entry into veterinary science.”

More on the NSW Farmers Annual Conference here.

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Reg Kidd, chair of the NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group, said the cost of securing the state’s electricity supply was being borne by farming families.

 “There has been an abject failure to properly plan for a transition away from coal-fired electricity, and the pressure is now on the new state government to make things right,” Mr Kidd said.

 “We’re now racing to build forests of turbines and solar paddocks to keep the lights on, and the resultant regional uproar comes from the failure to understand the issues and plan to avoid them, not just dealing with them when they occur.

Transport of renewable energy infrastructure is also emerging as an issue for regional councils, along side the reality of thousands of kilometres of overhead transmission lines traversing farms.

The Daily Telegraph reported this week that ‘massive upgrades to regional roads were urgent’ to handle the transport of huge wind turbine blades to Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) in NSW. The blades are up to 90 metres long and 7m in diameter and will need to be transported from the Newcastle Port.  

Mr Kidd said there had been a lack meaningful engagement with the people who would be most impacted by these projects.

“The government faces a challenge in moving transmission from existing locations to new sources of power located predominantly in farming regions.”

“To date we’ve seen a trashing of rural amenity across the state on a scale never seen or anticipated, and simply not communicated to the people who live there.”

 “If EnergyCo and other parties had simply come to people in the first place and said, ‘this is what we want to do, how can we do it?’ we’d have saved a lot of hassle.

 “At the end of the day you need the right thing in the right place, but it has to be done in the right way or it will never work,”

NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd

 “EnergyCo are tasked with meaningful engagement with communities, but the rising groundswell of opposition to transmission lines and the cumulative impact in some areas of renewable energy generation is a demonstration this is not working,” he said.

“While it may be convenient to say this needs to get done with haste, in regional NSW the cheap and reliable power for urban areas is coming at a real cost. Communities see a lack of planning, threats – not benefits – to rural jobs, road chaos, shortages of accommodation and a legacy of iron and wires across pristine landscapes.”

Federal review of renewable energy planning

National Farmers Federation Vice President David Jochinke said farmers were sick of energy companies seeing productive farmland as a blank canvas for their projects.

“The transition to renewable energy means thousands of kilometres of new transmission lines on farmland yet farmers are often left in the dark about these projects,” he said.

“Farmers feel powerless when energy companies announce their plans with little to no consultation. Our sector wants to work with energy companies to ensure the best possible outcome.”

The NFF last week welcomed a Federal Government review into community engagement practices for renewable energy infrastructure as a step in the right direction.

The review aims to improve planning and community engagement when new transmission lines and renewable energy zones are proposed.

“Farmers recognise the benefits of bringing new renewables into the grid as they too bear the weight of rising energy prices,” Mr Jochinke said.

“They’re also an important tool as we move to cleaner, greener energy to mitigate climate change, a challenge farmers are working on every day.

“Energy projects can benefit agriculture and regional Australians, but not at the detriment of food production at a time when food security and rising food prices are a top priority.

“It just needs to be done right, in a fair and transparent way to ensure valuable farming land isn’t lost and our ability to produce food and fibre isn’t depleted.

Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner (AEIC) Andrew Dyer will lead the Community Engagement Review, which will report to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy in December 2023.

Should more energy transmission lines go underground? Read more here.

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NSW Farmers has put the Farm Innovation Fund (FIF) in the spotlight as a key measure in building drought resilience through co-investing with farmers in farm infrastructure and natural resource management.

The new Labor government did commit to supporting the FIF during the campaign, but have not provided any pledges yet to bolster its balance, which was $169,622,050 in May.

The fund, which is managed by the Rural Assistance Authority (RAA), was last boosted in 2020 with $350 million following NSW Farmers’ advocacy, making it into a $1-billion-dollar fund.

The RAA has issued $840 million to farmers and seafood producers since the fund’s inception in 2014. NSW Farmers Policy Director Kathy Rankin said farmers had used the FIF to identify and address risks to their farming business, improve permanent farm infrastructure, and adapt to changes in seasonal conditions.

“Farm businesses need to be profitable to survive, but they are abnormally exposed to external factors such as climate variability, high energy and input costs, and labour availability – many of which have come to a head over the past year,” Kathy said.

“The fund is about government partnering with industry to strengthen their farm business operations and growing the food and fibre that feeds and clothes us.

“Allowing for small improvements to cut costs or to expand key operations will improve productivity, efficiency and supply chain management.

“We know that every dollar invested in boosting farm productivity delivers a dividend of $12 for the economy.”

What is the Farm Innovation Fund?

The Farm Innovation Fund is a long-term, low interest rate loan scheme for NSW farmers for permanent on-farm infrastructure.

Farmers can borrow up to a maximum of $1 million per project, with a total of $1 million outstanding at any one time to build on-farm infrastructure to improve farm business resilience and natural resource management.

The repayments currently stand at an interest rate of 2.5 per cent, and can be repaid over a maximum of 20 years, depending on the applicant’s ability to pay. All works must be completed within 12 months of the loan approval.

It has four main categories for eligible projects: drought preparedness, environment, farm infrastructure and natural resources.

Eligible projects under the drought preparedness include stock and domestic water supply, capping and piping of bores in the artesian basin, refurbishing ground tanks and planting of perennial species.

Tapping into water security at Hay

Hay district sheep producers Mark and Michelle Schiller used a co-investment with the Farm Innovation Fund to install a drought-proofing pipeline and stock watering system.

The Schillers produce wool and lamb from Merinos and Dorpers on their 12,000-hectare property, Woolamie, 50 kilometres west of Hay. The generational family farm is on a floodplain and traditionally used a channel scheme off the Murrumbidgee River to fill eight dams once a year.

More than 25 kilometres of poly pipe installed in 2020 has transformed the property and vastly improved livestock water security and confidence to face the next drought.

While there has been water aplenty in the last two years with above-average rainfall and floods, Mark said the project was a must for the farm’s long-term sustainability.

“We went from full-on drought to having two floods in the last two years. It’s been frustrating, but we’re getting through it,” Mark said.

“We would normally run about 2,500 Merinos and 5,000 Dorpers, but we had to reduce carrying capacity to 2,500 Dorpers and 500 Merinos due to the impact of drought.”

Mark Schiller

Floods in the last two years held back Mark’s flock rebuilding phase, but he says numbers are now back up to 3,000 Dorpers and 2,500 Merinos.

“It has been hard to find fresh paddocks for the sheep,” Mark added. “We moved sheep up to near Adelong on the Lachlan, and then it flooded up there too, so we had to bring them home.

“Now we have a tonne of feed. We also had a lot of summer rain – which we don’t like – but it finally warmed up and the dams are still sitting at 80 per cent.”

The third-generation farmer said the $150,000 Farm Innovation Fund loan used to purchase the pipeline and watering system would more than pay for itself through improved farm efficiency and drought resilience.

“Security of water supply will be the key benefit,” Mark says. “With the addition of solar pumping, it’s nearly foolproof in knowing that you can get water into the dams anytime.

“If there is no stock in the paddock, we don’t need water, and if there is stock, we can make sure water is available. It’s a very reassuring feeling, and it means we don’t have to move or sell stock because of a lack of stock water in a paddock anymore.

“At least next time we don’t have to panic as much. With the pipeline, stock and domestic water is always available.

“We can also manage our grazing system the way it should be managed, without being disrupted by any stock water shortages.”

The Schillers have also invested in a small on-farm feedlot to finish lambs and capitalise on a strong market for sheep meat. They also diversified into growing barley last year.

“It has been viable to finish lambs with grain,” Mark says. “It has worked out well in helping the farm business recover from the drought.”

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6,151 primary school students from 106 schools right across the state: these are the key numbers behind the success story of the Kids to Farms project.

Its chapters include visits to 25 farms, farmers visiting schools and adapting to a global pandemic with virtual tours, as well as thousands of food and fibre education packs for schools.

Born in March of 2021, the NSW Farmers-led project has achieved the aim of bringing farms into the classroom and teaching children about where food and fibre comes from.

NSW Farmers Projects Manager, Georgia Campbell said the project’s popularity with schools secured more than $820,000 in funding from the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (now known as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry).

“2022 was a busy year for the project, with more than $57,000 in funding for almost 2,600 students to help them visit farms across NSW,” Georgia said.

“It has helped simplify how farm produce gets from paddock to supermarket shelf for students and teachers – knowledge that is more in demand following major disruptions to supply chains over COVID-19.”

The Federal funding has come to end, but the Kids to Farms project will continue its momentum through the Kids to Farms website, which allows teachers in NSW to connect directly with farms who are able to host school groups for syllabus-linked excursions.

Schools can contact farms directly through the website, which lists farms that have complied with NSW Department excursion requirements, to arrange trips to working farms which will provide their students with real-world experiences.

“The project is simply too important and has proven its worth in paddock to plate learning. It also provides a conduit for farmers who want to connect more with schools and showcase the agriculture industry.

“It’s been the same for the teachers involved in terms of opportunities to understand more about agriculture and farmer and how to incorporate it into the classroom.

“That’s why we will be advocating government to fund projects and initiatives that ensure students have access to farmers and the agriculture sector.”

Diverse learning menu for Blayney students

Apples, cherries, grain, wool and lamb featured on the paddock to plate learning menu for primary school students from St Joseph’s School in Blayney.

Teacher Jane Webb said students embraced the ethos of the Kids to Farms ‘2 by 12’ program, which is to have two farm-related by the age of 12.

“We have had a fantastic experience with Kids to Farms,” Jane said. “Both our incursions and excursions have been well planned and prepared to maximise student engagement and address key learning outcomes in the classroom.”

The incursion was a school visit from NSW Young Farmers committee member Charlotte Groves to learn about all aspects of sheep and grain farming, and the excursion was an education adventure at BiteRiot farm’s apple and cherry packing facility near Orange.

“Our students loved being able to learn about aspects of farming they can relate to within their own lives, with many coming from or having some connection with the land.

“The ability to access funding as well was a huge assistance for a small school like ours. It ensured our students are still able to engage in a variety of learning experiences outside of the classroom.

“We are very thankful for the experience of Kids to Farms and look forward to our next on-farm adventure.”

Feedback from the Kids to Farms frontline

“We were really impressed with the authentic farming experience provided for the children. They were engaged and asked many questions throughout the day and in the weeks following.”

Year 1 Teacher, St Patrick’s, Gosford.

“I was actually surprised at how engaged our students were. A few students said afterwards ‘that was the best day ever!’” Kindergarten

Kindergarten Teacher, Mt Victoria Public School.

“We were very happy, especially with the hands-on aspects of the excursion.”

Stage 1 Teacher, St John’s Baptist School, Freshwater.

“We were extremely pleased with the day. Great organisation that kept the students engaged and learning.”

Stage 3 Teacher, St Joseph’s, Blayney.

Check out a sample of Kids to Farms success story here.

The post A new chapter for Kids to Farms project appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The win comes on the back of NSW Farmers Walcha branch member Michael Taylor winning the prestigious title last year for progressing a sustainable farming legacy that began in 1839.

The Herbert farming family story is almost as long, with this year marking 150 years of local food and fibre production at Gundamain Pastoral Co near Eugowra.

Tess and Andrew are the current custodians, managing 6000 head cattle feedlot, 6500–7000 ewes for lamb and wool production, 5000 hectares of cropping, hay silage and pasture, and around 400ha of remnant vegetation.

“It was a surprising win. We would like to think that’s it’s a recognition of the business as a whole rather than an individual award,” Tess said.

“Our staff are very important and are committed to the business. Some of them have been here for a long time.”

Gundamain has 20 employees and Tess and Andrew’s daughter, Caitlin Herbert, is also part of the team, which will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Gundamain in September. 

The celebrations will be much deserved after the family business survived drought, a pandemic and a devastating flood event in November last year.

“There was a wave of water that hit town after it went through one of our farms. Our river country was also impacted with another flood a day later.”

Tess Herbert

The Herbert’s feedlot escaped the worst of the flooding, but their cropping and grazing operations were smashed.

“It was daunting at first and we will be in recovery mode for a few years yet. All the fencing is nearly done, we’ve rebuilt roads, pastures have been replanted and we’ve started cropping again.

“Fortunately, the water did not get into the feedlot and it could keep operating, meaning we could keep some cash flowing, and we used that to rebuild the herd and sheep flock and plant pastures and crops.”

Innovation impresses judges

The Herbert’s are early adopters of technology, utilising software systems for individual animal management, cropping and pasture management, human resources and safety.

“The feedlot is tech intensive. We measure everything through some innovative software and remote monitoring and are now expanding that out to our other operations as well. That will include our watering systems, fencing and as a management tool for our sheep,” Tess said.

Ben White, Kondinin Group’s General Manager of Research, said Tess and Andrew were outstanding recipients of the 2023 Award.

“The Herbert’s innovative mindset has put them in a significant position to successfully navigate business and environmental challenges while maintaining a passion for farming,” Ben said.

“Their extension to lot feeding, investment in infrastructure, use of technology across multiple areas of the farm and their involvement within industry and their local community is substantial and deserving of praise.”

“The Herbert’s approach to integrating technology into their day-to-day business has enabled them to farm productively and efficiently,” Ben said.

“Their use of tech to negate issues such as labour shortage and energy production is inline with issues many farmers are facing, and their proactive management demonstrates how tech can be a positive inclusion in a farming enterprise.”

Number one rural consultant

Agriculture and sustainability specialist and NSW Farmers member Ingrid Roth, was awarded Rural Consultant of the Year as part of the 2023 Australian Farmer of the Year Awards.

Ingrid has supported rural industries, research organisations and communities around Australia over the past 25 years with her practical knowledge and expertise.

Ingrid works with rural industry peak bodies, rural research and development corporations, research providers, and individual farmers and farm advisors in establishing research strategy, sustainability frameworks, communications, leadership, extension, and evaluation metrics.

In the last few years, Ingrid’s clients have included Horticulture Innovation, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, AgriFutures Australia, the Australian Nut Industry Council, Sugar Research Australia, CANEGROWERS, Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.

Additionally, Ingrid co-owns and manages a successful 7000 tree cherry orchard and agritourism venture with a loyal following in Mudgee.

Barradine farmer and agromonist Tony Single won the award for Excellence in Innovation on his family’s 4500-hectare cropping enterprise.

All the winners

The Australian Farmer of the Year awards celebrate and applaud the outstanding achievements of those individuals and families making a significant contribution to Australian agriculture. The ABC co-founded the Farmer of the Year Award with the Kondinin Group in 2010. The 2023 winners are:

Australian Farmer of the Year- Tess and Andrew Herbert, Eugowra, New South Wales

Young Farmer of the Year, sponsored by McDonalds Australia- Mitchell McNab, Ardmona, Victoria

Rural Community Leader of the Year- Jackie Elliott, Byaduk, Victoria

Rural Consultant of the Year- Ingrid Roth, Narrabri, New South Wales

Agricultural Student of the Year, sponsored by AgriFutures Australia- Jay Elliot, Perth, Western Australia.

Award for Excellence in Innovation- Tony Single, Barradine, New South Wales

Award for Excellence in Technology, sponsored by New Holland– Ray Taylor, Amiens, Queensland

Award for Excellence in Diversification and Sustainability, sponsored by Corteva Agriscience- Mark Foletta, Benalla, Victoria

Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research, sponsored by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research- Dr Robert Magarey, Tully, Queensland

The post NSW farmers win Australian Farmer of the Year appeared first on The Farmer Magazine.

The inquiry will focus on new transmission lines required to get power to the grid from the multiple renewable energy projects proposed or under construction in regional areas. It is estimated that more than 2,500km of new transmission lines are needed to accommodate new renewable energy generators and interconnection between regions, renewable energy zones and states.

“NSW landowners are a key part of locating the renewable energy transition away from centralised coal fired power to a vast network of renewable projects and gridlines,” says NSW Farmers Environment Policy Manager Nick Savage.

“To date this has been largely ignored and lines on maps drawn regardless of the impacts on farmers in all states. This approach has alienated many landholders and this inquiry will demonstrate the lack of regard paid to rural landholders and regional communities,” Nick said

He said NSW Farmers has supported a more inclusive approach and will be assisting the inquiry with a submission and encouraging impacted members to tell their stories.

NSW Farmers Energy Transition Working Group chair Reg Kidd agreed, saying landholders are too often ignored by the big developers.

“We support a robust inquiry, because it will find that there are places where undergrounding wires is a win-win for production and community amenity that has not been addressed to date,” Mr Kidd said.

“Until now undergrounding has been ignored or dismissed as too expensive, not because of a cost/benefit analysis, but rather through the lack of will to fully investigate the impacts of huge infrastructure on rural communities.

“There has been a lot of just drawing lines on maps and justifying route selection in order to minimise cost and get onto the next project, and the real impacts of above ground infrastructure have not been assessed, and this is what this inquiry will reveal.”

While proponents say overhead powerlines were cheaper than running lines underground, Mr Kidd said, those claims did not stack up when compared to the damage caused by bushfires.

According to a Wollongong University study, there was strong evidence the consequences of fires caused by transmission were worse than fires from other causes, and that fires caused by electrical faults were more prevalent and burned larger areas during elevated fire danger conditions. The total economic cost of bushfires was set to almost double in the next 40 years, according to a conservative estimate from Deloitte, to about $1.3 billion per year by 2060. For context, the damage from the Black Summer fires alone was estimated at $230 billion.

“We have lost hundreds of people to these horrific bushfires, and the economic cost is in the hundreds of billions,” Mr Kidd said.

“We need to improve the understanding of disaster risks – such as from overhead transmission lines – and then collaborate and coordinate to build resilience and address the long-term costs of natural disasters.

“Underground power lines might cost more now, but we would argue that if they save lives and improve firefighting efforts then that is money well spent.”

Mr Kidd said balancing the cost of underground power lines against the potential risk and losses caused by overhead power lines was vital to getting a full understanding of the situation.

“The imposition of compulsory hosting of towers and wires that severely impact operations on many properties and diminish their value can be addressed through thoughtful planning, including underground placement where appropriate,” Mr Kidd said.

“Put simply, we have heard from a number of members that they believe they are being asked to accept what would never be considered for city residents.

“We need an urgent remedy for the planning mistakes of the past and said there must be greater consideration of the lifetime costs and benefits of undergrounding power lines from the outset of every project to protect communities.”

According to the Minister for Energy, Penny Sharpe, the Legislative Council inquiry report will have particular reference to:

• the costs and benefits of undergrounding;

• existing case studies and current projects regarding similar undergrounding of transmission lines in both domestic and international contexts;

• any impact on delivery timeframes of undergrounding, and

• any environmental impacts of undergrounding.

Public submissions are open until 14 July 2023, with hearings to follow in late July 2023. A final report is due on 31 August 2023.

Further information about the inquiry, including the full terms of reference and lodging a submission, is available on the committee’s website.

Read more on undergrounding debate here.

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