SECOND CRUELTY CONVICTION IN A MONTH
Agriculture Victoria has succeeded in its second animal cruelty offence in a month.
In its latest case, a Goulburn Valley farmer was fined $40,000 in the Shepparton’s Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to 34 animal charges.
The court heard Avenel’s Jason Chapman’s charges concerned failure to provide supervision and proper and sufficient feed to about 1500 sheep.
In the first case a former South Gippsland councillor was convicted of animal cruelty and fined $50,000 and banned for 10 years from owning or being a person in charge of any farm animal.
Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint regarding livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186.
FMD FAILURE A KICK IN THE TEETH
Australian farmers are concerned holiday hotspot Bali could be the weak spot in Australian biosecurity controls as foot and mouth disease spreads through near neighbour Indonesia.
FMD has already been detected in Bali – packed with thousands of Australians week in, week out – after first being discovered in the country during April.
And calls by peak farming bodies to install sterilising foot bath at airports for returning Bali tourists have been rejected by the Federal Government on the grounds children could fall into them, among a host of other reasons.
Farm leaders said the failure to implement foot baths showed the government wasn’t taking the threat from FMD seriously.
An FMD outbreak in Australia could cost $80 billion in damages are whole herds are destroyed to try and control its spread.
“A little inconvenience at the airport to prevent such a huge threat to our economy and our farming sector is entirely sensible, and it’s important people realise the gravity of the situation,” one of them said.
WOOL MARKET ENDS SEASON DOWN 44C/KG
The Australian wool market ended its selling season on a black note, taking its biggest hit in a year with the eastern market indicator slumping 44 cents to end 2021/22 at 1430 c/kg.
It put a sour note on three weeks of consecutive price rises.
The unexpected fall has been blamed on a fire at major Chinese wool processor, Zhejiang Redsun Wool Textile Company on China’s east coast, which saw it suspend buying orders.
Price falls hit all categories, but the superfine categories were hardest hit – 18.5 micron wool collapsed 75 cents and 17.5 microns lost 69 cents.
The total value of wool sold this season was $2.6 billion, compared to $2.2 billion last season – that’s up $372.85 million.
DAIRY FARMERS LIVING THE DREAM
The dairy industry’s rise and rise in 2022 is still going up – smashing through the $10 barrier for a kilogram of milk solids.
Bulla is the processor to first bite the bullet, but it is likely others will be following shortly.
The company has confirmed the new price – a huge step up on its March offer of $7.40-$8 – kicking off a series of offers and counter-offers.
But Bulla was hardly the Lone Ranger in the market, with numerous small processors also edging towards $10/kg before the July 1 season start date, such as Goulburn Valley Creamery upping its best offer to $9.75/kg milk solids, followed by UDC at $9.65.
One former dairy farmer said if she had known prices would ever go this high, she might still be in the business.
‘STIFF’ SAYS AUSTRALIAN CHEESE INDUSTRY
Australia’s former champagne producers might have rolled over when the French demanded only sparkling wine from its legendary Champagne region could be marketed under that brand, but it appears our cheesemakers are made of sterner stuff.
The European Union is now demanding geographic indicator regulations means Australia could no longer produce feta, parmesan, gouda, gruyere and a swag of others.
Australian Dairy Industry Council president Rick Gladigau must be aware his defence faces an uphill battle after the Kiwi cheese industry recently ran up the white flag.
“The outcome that New Zealand has given up to the EU on geographic indicators will not be accepted by the Australian dairy industry,” he said.
“We will continue to defend the right to call dairy products by their common food names.”
INDUSTRY GOES NUTS OVER WALNUT CROP
The local walnut industry has defied a difficult season to crack a crop of 13,000 tonnes.
A small rise on the previous year’s figures but an astounding result consider the weather conditions in the eastern states, seeing walnuts trying to overcome a wet summer get hit hard with disease pressures.
Australian Walnut Industry Association president Michele Valier said production was increasing rapidly as more growers entered the industry and existing growers expanded their businesses.
The walnut industry has ambitious expansion plans to produce a harvest worth $112 million at the farm gate by 2025.
He said more than 4000ha of walnut trees – about 1.2 million mature and developing trees – were under cultivation last year, and this was expected to rise to 4300ha by next year.
STOCK THEFT COSTING MILLIONS
Australia’s red-hot livestock markets have created a massive jump in livestock theft.
While police declared the smaller number of crimes an “incredibly positive” improvement it did not satisfy the farmers robbed of $2.62 million worth of stock during the year.
That’s a decade high despite the number of thefts – 236 – down 16.3 per cent.
Mildura, Swan Hill, Gannawarra and Campaspe local government regions did better than most – Mildura’s five-year average of 3.6 thefts, Gannawarra’s 2.8, Swan Hill’s 1.8 and Campaspe’s 7.8 paled by comparison with Southern Grampians’ 13.8.
Victoria’s five-year annual average is an increase of 7 per cent, with VFF livestock group president Steven Harrison describing the lack of progress as a “disgrace” and called on all sides of government to be more proactive on the issue.
