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Rebate to assist eID equipment costs

THE State Government will see reduced costs in transitioning to electronic identification (eID) tags for sheep and farmed goats under a recent rebate announcement. Livestock agents could receive a 75 per cent rebate on eligible essential equipment...

Next steps in preparing SA for varroa mite

SOUTH Australia’s preparedness for the possible incursion of varroa mite and its future management has taken the next step as the SA Varroa Detection Response and Transition to Management Plan has been approved by industry and is now available...

Need for Feed travels to South Australia

A large convoy of trucks carrying emergency fodder from Victoria to Murray Bridge passed through Lameroo recently, stopping for a poignant moment in front of the main street’s silo artwork, featuring a depiction of a farmer warming his hands, or...

Export market reaches record high

SOUTH Australian exports to China reached an all-time high in the year to August 2024, up 46 per cent in the past 12 months to reach $4.27 billion, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Included in that figure is the $680 million...

Water research seeks to boost grain yields

RESEARCH is underway in South Australia to push the limits of water productivity in cereal yield potential across low (LRZ) and medium rainfall zones (MRZ). National science agency CSIRO and Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) have...

Crop rotation study yields important results

LONG-TERM research across Victoria’s Mallee region is highlighting the impacts different crop managements on soil carbon and nitrogen. Agriculture Victoria (AgVic) has been conducting a research trial, dubbed MC14, at Walpeup since 1985 to...

Highlights from the 2024 Australian Almond Conference

A RECORD crowd of 600 delegates attended the Australian Almond Conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre in October. The event is held every two years and again provided a great opportunity for those in the industry to network and learn...

SA’s agriculture research and innovation to drive net zero by 2050

RESEARCH into lowering greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices will be spearheaded by South Australia through an $8.4m commitment alongside partnerships between the State and Federal Governments and industry. Led by the South Australian...

Silo health crucial as harvest nears

Mallee grain growers are being encouraged to ensure storage silos have a ‘clean bill of health’ as attention turns to winter crop harvest. The advice comes from the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) Grain Storage Extension...

Horticulture

Transforming Riverland turmeric into a sought-after delicacy

NESTLED on Barmera’s south side, the 70-acre property looks unassuming, but once you realise what a husband-and-wife team are farming and how they are doing it, everything you see starts to dazzle the eyes. Barmera’s Peter and Anne Brooke are...

Sebastian Calderon

Mother and daughter duo a buzzing success

A MOTHER and daughter duo has been converting people across South Australia into honey lovers with their unique and sweet infusion creations. Since its beginnings mid last year, Sweet Honey Fusions has been experimenting with a huge variety of...

The lentil way

MORE lentils are being sown into the ground this year, with many local dryland farmers seeing the benefit of the crop in their rotations. After finding success with lentils last year, Taldra grain producer Travis Flight said he has doubled the...

Stephanie Thompson

Breeding quality Angus cattle on the Barossa’s doorstep

SITUATED at Mount Crawford is a small but thriving Black Angus producer with a focus on breeding high-quality cattle that will go the distance. Barossa Angus began more than 20 years ago, when Julian and Jane Maul made the move to South Australi...

Weather & Water

Weather & Water

Record environmental flows for SA show Murray-Darling Basin Plan back on track

THE environment, irrigators and other River Murray water users are benefiting from record environmental water releases being delivered under the reinvigorated Murray-Darling Basin Plan. More than 1650GL of water for the environment was provided to...

Weather & Water

Brackish groundwater can be used to irrigate crops in the Riverland

A NEW chapter in groundwater treatment and resource allocation started a couple of months ago, aiming to improve the potential use and benefits of groundwater. A small reverse-osmosis (RO) plant was installed on September, in a small plot of land at...

Sebastian Calderon

Weather & Water

Diving into a new era at Banrock Station

DESPITE the fact that the Riverland flooding event of 2022-23 finished nearly two years ago, its devastation is still being felt around the region. Banrock Station, located just 20km northwest of Barmera, has been no different, but with water...

Weather & Water

Making every drop count

A RENOWNED Riverland horticultural specialist says South Australian primary producers must adapt toward sustainable farming practices to combat growing water supply constraints. Renmark-based Ian Tolley has consulted in horticultural regions around...

Hugh Schuitemaker

Cropping

Weather & Water

Brackish groundwater can be used to irrigate crops in the Riverland

A NEW chapter in groundwater treatment and resource allocation started a couple of months ago, aiming to improve the potential use and benefits of groundwater. A small reverse-osmosis (RO) plant was installed on September, in a small plot of land at...

Sebastian Calderon

‘Great day for all’ at 2024 Brown’s Well Crop Comp

DESPITE the extremely dry 2024 season, about 40 farmers and industry representatives enjoyed an amazing day at the recent Brown’s Well Crop Competition. Numerous crops were judged to be exceeding 2t/ha despite receiving less than 90mm of growing...

Saving moisture for a ‘grainy’ day helps growers

THE agricultural industry is breathing a sigh of relief after stats showed South Australian grain harvests were still strong last year despite limited rainfall in a number of areas and late frost. According to the Department of Primary Industries...

Grain growing starts again after record-breaking year

IT was a tale of ups and downs for Riverland collaborative grain producer Bulla Burra’s last harvest. On the positive end, the business completed one of its “best ever years” for growing, with yields high and prices strong according to general...

A bit of rain can’t stop a bumper harvest

NOVEMBER was touch and go for EzyBale’s Corbin Schuster, as he stared down the threat of water-logged and diseased crops amid record-breaking rainfall. But a late harvest was his saving grace as many of his crops came away unscathed to produce...

Kayla Den Hollander

Wine

Winter handed the Kies to the castle

WHEN Jake Winter made the decision to press pause on a promising professional cricket career in the late 2010s, few people, including himself, could have predicted where the next half-decade would take him. At 26 years old and working in the...

Burge wines showcase the best of the Barossa on the world stage

THE Burge name is a Barossa legacy, through and through. Take a drive through the region’s winding roads, and you’ll find their vineyards dotted all across the Valley’s sprawling landscape. But their passion transcends state borders and...

Kayla Den Hollander

Industry Expert: Adrian Hoffmann - WGCSA Region Two chair

Our second industry expert from our autumn 2023 edition of SA Farmer. Wine Grape Council of SA Region Two chair, Adrian Hoffmann, speaks about the 2023 vintage, grower optimism and fruit quality. Will it be a later vintage in the Barossa this year?...

Wine industry among business groups concerned about IR Bill

THE wine industry is among a group of South Australia’s leading business organisations calling for the Senate to reject controversial parts of a federal industrial relations Bill. Last Friday, November 11, the House of Representatives passed the...

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