----- Original Message -----
From: ABC Rural Department
Sent: Fri, 28 Sep, 2007 15:24
Subject: Friday 28th September 2007: Welcome to ABC Rural's newsletter
Welcome to ABC Rural's newsletter
This week:
Edwina in Japan
The Locavore Challenge
Equine influenza outbreak
Catapult
ABC Rural reporters
Rural Reporter and Country Breakfast podcast
Rural Photos
Country Hour Podcast
Features from our website
Coming up on Bush Telegraph
Rural News Highlights
Landline
Edwina in Japan
Rural reporter Edwina Farley, was surprised and charmed by what she
discovered on a recent trip to Japan where she joined 160 colleagues
from around the world to explore some of the rural traditions practised
in The Land of the Rising Sun.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/features/ruraljapan/
Eating close to home: the locavore challenge
What happens when one rural reporter takes on the challenge to eat only
locally produced food (and wine) and all within a 160-kilometre radius
and for an entire month? http://www.abc.net.au/rural/features/locavore/
Equine influenza outbreak
ABC Rural is providing ongoing coverage of the equine influenza
outbreak. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2014199.htm
Original thinkers wanted!
ABC's Catapult website in collaboration with triple j, is scouring
Australia for young entrepreneurs, inventors and business owners who've
come up with an original idea and done something brilliant with it.
Convince us that your standout idea has legs, and you'll be anointed a
Young Gun. That means your business will be splashed all over Catapult
and triple j. That's FREE publicity.
The bar has been set high. Last year's Young Guns created businesses out
of everything from surfing first aid kits to online knitting patterns,
seduction classes, grain trading and manga cartoons. Check them out
here: http://www.abc.net.au/catapult/stories/beyondurban.htm
Rural Australia, this is your chance to show off your innovative streak.
Nominate yourself or someone else here:
http://www.abc.net.au/catapult/interact/triplej_default.htm
ABC Rural
Here at the ABC Rural newsletter station manager's quarters, we were
given to thinking, "Do our loyal readership ever wonder about our
intrepid reporters, presenters, producers and staff around the country?
They might listen to their rural reports, The Country Hour, Rural
Reporter, Country Breakfast, Resources Beat or Bush Telegraph - or catch
the podcasts from our site - but how much do they know about who
presents these great programs?"
With that in mind, we decided to feature one of our staff each week, and
this week it's Matt Brann, our reporter in the outpost station of
Kununurra in WA.
http://www.abc.net.au/profiles/content/s1933658.htm?site=rural
Rural Reporter and Country Breakfast
Rural Reporter and Country Breakfast now podcast!
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/
Rural Photos
Got a great photo of rural, regional or farming life? Or any photo you
might think is of interest to our audience? Then go to
http://www.abc.net.au/rural and follow the links to our User Upload
feature, where you can send us some of your pics.
Country Hour podcast
Be sure to catch up with all the stories you might have missed by
downloading our Country Hour podcast. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/rural/
and follow the instructions to hear the program.
FEATURES FROM OUR WEBSITE
Down and dirty with ducks
The local duck industry has been encountering a few challenges in the
past 12 months, with high feed prices and the threat of bird flu.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2045370.htm
Murrumbidgee irrigators face tough water decisions
Irrigators in the Murrumbidgee Valley are deciding what crops to water,
what to sacrifice, and if it's worth selling the resource. Those in the
Murrumbidgee are in a more fortunate position than most in the Southern
Murray Darling Basin and high security users in the Murrumbidgee have a
65 per cent allocation.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2045950.htm
Green business south of Wollongong
Wollongong and surrounding region of the Illawarra and Shoalhaven on the
NSW south coast are living the sea-change phenomenon.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2046294.htm
Blueberry wars
A north coast blueberry producer fears imports from Chile will destroy
most of the state's horticultural industry.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2046069.htm
Tokyo Agriculture University welcomes international journalists
International journalists gathered to hear why Japan is struggling to
get young people into farming.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2045107.htm
Low stress stockhandling
The art of cattle whispering was on show at Borenore on the NSW Central
Tablelands, with people used instead of cattle to show the best way of
handling livestock. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2044990.htm
Kicking against the prickles
Close to 80 people gathered at Carrum Station in north-west Queensland
recently for a Prickle Bush Busters Field Day.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2043829.htm
More drought aid flows
As the drought crisis deepens, the Federal Government has announced
another $714 million in relief for Australian farmers.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2043009.htm
Equine influenza - latest updates
Tens of thousands of doses of the horse flu vaccine are due to arrive in
Australia tonight. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2014199.htm
Crowds flock to Hay for sheep sale
A large crowd of buyers gathered in the dust at Hay in western New South
Wales to bid on more than 50,000 sheep at the annual September sale. The
lack of winter rain means there's little feed in the paddocks and many
producers are selling off in large numbers before summer.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2042493.htm
Drought affects NSW grain and cattle production
With 75 per cent of New South Wales still in drought, it is feared that
50 per cent of NSW's grain crops will fail. And cattle production has
also been affected. We travel with the NSW Country Hour reporters to the
regions to speak to farmers.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2044083.htm
Sunday roast, Tokyo style
Opening night for the IFAJ congress in Tokyo was full of surprises -
wonderful traditional music, the opening of a sake barrel and
traditional geisha. http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2041986.htm
Parkes Radio Telescope
Bruce Reynolds broadcast from the Parkes Radio Telescope, the largest
radio dish in the Southern Hemisphere.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2041787.htm
BUSH TELEGRAPH
Monday 1st Oct.
11:00: Farm buy-out: An assessment of how the public is responding to
the great farm buy back scheme... is there a backlash?
11:40: Coast and Country: A former mayor of the well-to-do Sydney suburb
of Woollahra, Susie Collett decided to start an Australian lime industry.
Tues 2nd Oct.
11:00: New climate change projections for Australia released in report,
Climate Change in Australia, by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.
11:40: Gold Squad: The Gold Squad in Kalgoolie, WA celebrates its
centenary today. The squad was was set up in 1907 in response to the
pilfering that was going on in the West Australian gold mines but gold
fever still afflicts crims today.
Wed 3rd Oct.
11:00: The Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges SA is
home to endangered species and represents unique geological features.
Owners are concerned that a proposed uranium mine inside the sanctuary
would destroy the environment and ecosystems.
11:40: Rivers as refugia. Recently we touched on the topic of how rivers
are struggling with lack of water (5/9). Today we speak with a rivers
researcher who has seen first hand how biota in creeks and waterways in
Central Victoria are dying off, and we look at the work that one
catchment management authority is doing to save remnant populations.
Thurs 4th Oct.
11:00: The Hepatitis C Council of Victoria has warned people living in
regional areas that they may be putting the health of their community at
risk by ignoring the drug culture present in most rural and regional
areas of the state.
11:40: 'If Trees Could Speak' stories of Australia's greatest trees.
Author Bob Beale, Newcastle.
Friday 5th Oct.
11:00: 'Tarcutta desperate farm wives' keeping community together.
11.40: Food on Friday: Australian honey bees blamed for mysterious
colony collapse disorder in the US.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RURAL NEWS WEEK
CHANCE FOR FARMERS TO LEAVE THE LAND
The rural sector is divided on whether the Federal Government's new
drought assistance will lead to more farmers leaving the land.
As part of a $714 million extension of drought relief, farmers can
receive exit grants of up to $150,000.
The assets threshold has also been lifted to $350,000.
While some industries say farmers will try and hang on, grain marketing
consultant Brett Stevenson says many will want to get out.
"People are just finding that being involved in the dryland cropping
business is just not getting anywhere. We have seen in terms of our
client base a few excellent young farmers leave the industry because the
financial rewards from cropping are just not satisfactory enough."
In South Australia, Riverland rural financial counsellor Max Baker says
there's already interest from both fruit growers and broadacre farmers
who are ready to go.
"These people have probably made up their mind that they've had enough
of the industry, they want to get out and at least now there is a
reasonable amount of assistance there for them to get out of the
industry and coupled with the training grant of $10,000 they'll be able
to upskill themselves to get off-farm employed."
Narrabri Mayor George Seville says it's an issue in the New South Wales
New England district as well.
"Concern for the mental health of people, the ability to cope with the
drought, the worry of farmers walking off the land. We need the
governments and the community to recognise that agriculture is an
important industry and they just can't walk away from it."
BIG CONCERN ABOUT SMALL FARMS
Farm management consultants say some of Australia's farms are too small
to survive.
The Federal Government believes small farmers in the Sunraysia and
Riverland regions, and New South Wales' central west are the most likely
to use the industry exit package.
Consultant Sandy McEachern says few dryland farms worth under $4 million
can support a family without off-farm income, but getting bigger isn't
necessarily a good thing.
"Properties tend to go one of two ways, they either go for very low cost
and they lose their productivity, they lose their intensity of
production or they've got too much cost involved in getting the extra
production."
STRONG SALES IN THE WEST
Rural property sales are healthy around the nation and the good news is
- land values are holding up.
Buyers appear to be large financial institutions and cashed up families,
who've done well in spite of the drought.
Sales volumes are strongest in WA and Queensland.
Malcolm French from Elders Real Estate in WA says he's never seen
anything like it.
"Well, we'd have probably double the listings of a normal spring season,
so that is quite a lot. Prices are holding up, there are some wonderful
opportunities out there. The drought's part of it, but mainly it really
is a change of the guard; people are retiring and so on. It's all about
environmentability [sic] and sustainability, those are the two key
words. It's an additional challenge for us, and it's one that we'll meet."
VACCINES PROTECT THE CUP
Victorian racing officials say an increase in the state's allocation of
horse flu vaccines will safeguard the Melbourne Cup.
The Australian Racing Board has increased Victoria's allocation from
1,500 shots to more than 7,000.
New South Wales and Queensland will receive eight thousand shots each.
Victoria's chief vet Doctor Hugh Millar says the immunisation program
will ensure the Spring Carnival goes ahead.
"We've hit the trifecta. We've got border security, we've got good
surveillance across the state to assure ourselves the disease hasn't
entered or we'll find it quickly and now we've got a third tranche.
Immunised horses who, should the disease come here, ought not get nearly
as ill or with any luck won't get ill at all."
STIR OVER SHEDDED SHEEP
Farmers who pen their sheep in sheds to grow ultrafine wool are being
targeted by animal welfare groups, who say it leads to stress and
boredom in animals.
Most state governments are reviewing their animal welfare codes of
practice, and the RSPCA and Animals Australia want more research into
sheep shedding.
Farmers argue they're doing the best possible job, and Dr David Hucker
from the Australian Sheep Veterinarians Association says most state
governments already have some welfare guidelines.
"Well this is produced by the government and it draws on the expertise
of a large number of state organisations, animal welfare bodies, and
certainly I would be sure there would have been veterinarians involved.
All producers that have got housed sheep, because of the expense of
them, they want every sheep to be doing well because if they're not they
won't produce. It's as simple as that."
EGG INDUSTRY REJECTS OFFER
The operators of a caged egg farm in Canberra have been offered a
million dollars by the ACT Government to convert to a barn-laid system.
The government has stopped short of banning Parkwood Eggs' battery hen
farm, but the financial sweetener has been criticised by the Australian
Egg Corporation.
Managing director James Kellaway says a million dollars won't go far enough.
Last year, according to AC Nielson data we had 73 per cent purchasing
caged eggs, 22 per cent were free range and 5 per cent were barn laid.
So why should any person, any government any entity try and persuade
businesses to go into a production system where there is reducing demand?
SKILL SHORTAGES BITE HARD
The agri-food sector is trying to find ways of attracting staff and keep
them, in the face of tough competition and a shrinking labour supply.
A national summit in Sydney has also looked at the impact of the drought
and diseases like horse flu on the industry.
Federal Minister for Vocational and Further Education, Andrew Robb, has
told delegates he understands the crisis farmers are facing, but it's
worldwide.
We're facing major skills shortages and with the baby boomer population
now moving into retirement age and then the unexpected and very profound
emergence of China and India, you put those three things together and
it's putting real pressure on the availability of labour. In
agriculture, all of that's been exacerbated by the worst drought in 100
years, so we've seen somewhere between 50,000 to 70,000 people leave
agriculture.
FISHERMEN ATTACKED
South Australia's peak fishing body says commercial fishermen are being
targeted in a series of sometimes violent attacks.
It's believed the attacks are being carried out by recreational and
illegal fishermen, who want to shut commercial operators out of local
fishing grounds.
Michelle Daw reports.
"This week, a ute parked near a shack owned by a commercial net fisher
on Eyre Peninsula was firebombed... and an anti-netting slogan painted
on it. The shack owner, Graham Harrowfield, says the attack was directed
at him...and in the past he's had boats firebombed, been forced off the
road and even shot at.
"Neil McDonald of the SA Fishing Industry Council says such attacks are
increasing... as more people shift to the coast.
"On the Fleurieu Peninsula, fishers have actually been targeted and
physically attacked in their boats by recreational fishers wanting to
move them off of fishing patches. People were actually ramming boats.
It's scary stuff."
EAT TWICE THE RICE, JAPANESE TOLD
It's like selling ice to Eskimos, but in Tokyo a museum has opened to
teach Japanese people how to cook with rice.
The Gohan Museum was set up a year ago, to try to educate the Japanese
about the country's cultural links to rice, and its economic importance.
Over the past 60 years, the amount of rice eaten in Japan has more than
halved, replaced by fast food and western diets.
The museum's chief guide, Shizuko Horita, says the resulting drop in
rice prices, and an ageing farm workforce, are major problems.
"The rice farmers are ageing and the average age is nearly 70-years-old,
and young people do not see any kind of profitability there, so young
people tend not to take that choice."
SNOWY ON SHOW
This weekend, the New South Wales high country town of Adaminaby is
marking the 50th anniversary of its relocation, to make way for the
Snowy Hydro scheme.
It coincides with a renewed community push to build a museum dedicated
to one of the great wonders of the world.
One of those who worked on the scheme, Frank Rodwell, supports the plan.
"Oh golly, this (museum) should have been done years ago. You see it was
certainly the most successful engineering undertaking at the time, and
it did so much for Australia. The power stations that turn out the power
now, people don't seem to realise it's a renewable source and it's there
at the touch of a switch."
FOOTY FEVER FAR AWAY
It's a big weekend if you're an Aussie rules or rugby league supporter,
with Geelong and Port Adelaide to clash at the MCG tomorrow, and
Melbourne Storm and Manly in Sydney on Sunday.
Fans of both codes at the Longreach saleyards in western Queensland
shared their tips with reporter Zane Bojack.
"Manly by four mate, I'll bet a 30-pack of cans on it./I will be
watching mate and I'll be backing Storm. Full of Queenslanders, they can
do it./And are you from Victoria? You're going to tell me a tip for the
AFL? Yeah mate, I got stuck in Western Australia for a few years so I
had to sort of follow the sport, but I think Port will bring it
home/That's going against most people I've spoken to, why are Port going
to win? Aw mate, they've been a strong side for many years/Don't get too
deep with him..."
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/archive/default.htm
ABC RURAL PODCAST THIS WEEK
PODCAST: COUNTRY HOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Week ending Friday September 28th, 2007.
Presenter: Tony Allan (Country Breakfast)
Producer: Tony Allan
Duration: 31'45"
RECORD DROUGHT FUNDING PLEDGED
Jane Bardon (national rural reporter)
Farmers and rural communities have welcomed the Federal Government's
major $750 million extension of its drought assistance package. With 65
per cent of Australia's agricultural land now drought-hit, the Federal
Government is covering almost all bases, extending its relief package
beyond $3 billion.
More than 23,000 farm families and 1,500 small businesses are already
being helped. But many farmers have seen the value of their assets grow
but are struggling to repay their bills and loan interest. So the Prime
Minister, John Howard, says farmers will now be able to earn $20,000 in
off-farm income, while getting payments and having off-farm assets of up
to $750,000.
Access to assistance is also being extended to many more small
businesses, with all businesses with some reliance on spending by
farmers in drought-hit towns of less than 10,000 people now eligible.
Murray Darling Basin irrigators will be able to claim $20,000 grants to
help them deal with vastly reduced water allocations this season which
will see many orchards and vineyards die and dairy herds sold off.
Farmers have also been calling for more assistance for those who want to
leave the land with dignity. The Government has doubled the exit grant
to $150,000 and farmers will be able to get access to it if they have
assets worth less than $350,000.
RUDD BACKS DROUGHT CAUSE
Robin McConchie (Brisbane, QLD)
The Labor Party also says it will implement the drought funding package
if it wins the coming Federal election. The Opposition Leader, Kevin
Rudd, has visited Walgett, in north-western New South Wales, to hear the
views of farmers affected by the drought.
VEGIE SHORTAGE CAUSES PRICE RISES
Catherine Clifford (national rural reporter)
The drought could quadruple the price of some vegetables in Australia,
but it's not all bad news for our horticulture industry. It's not just
Australia, but much of the world, that's facing a vegetable shortage,
that could be the worst since the Second World War. The Board of Ausveg,
the nation's peak body for vegetable and potato growers, met in Sydney
this week to discuss how to deal with the challenges.
BID TO BOOST RURAL SKILLS
Catherine Clifford (national rural reporter)
A national summit in Sydney is looking at the impact of the drought,
skills shortages and diseases like horse flu on the $208 billion
agri-food industry.
The sector, which employs 880,000 people, is trying to work out how to
attract staff - and keep them - in the face of tough competition from
the mining industry and a shrinking labour supply as the population ages.
Federal Minister for Vocational and Further Education, Andrew Robb, a
former boss of the Cattle Council and the National Farmers Federation,
told delegates he understands the labour crisis facing Australian
farmers, but it's a worldwide problem.
Arthur Blewitt is the chief executive officer of the Agri-Food Industry
Skills Council, which looks at training needs for 140,000 separate
Australian businesses in the agricultural, rural, food processing,
seafood, meat and horse racing industries. He says while the labour and
skills situation is especially bleak in some areas, the summit is trying
to look for opportunities that deliver more satisfying and better-paid jobs.
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE ARE NO FIREFIGHTERS
Cameron Wilson (Hobart, TAS)
Australia faces the coming summer fire season with a desperate lack of
suitable rural fire fighters. As young people leave country areas and
Australia's farmers grow older, rural fire services are struggling to
find volunteers. The problem has been discussed at a national
firefighters' conference in Hobart.
HEAVY LOBBYING ON RURAL HEALTH
Jane Bardon (national resources reporter)
The Federal Health Minister says rural Australians will never to be able
to expect the same level of health services as their city counterparts
under the Coalition. Tony Abbott has delivered the message to a rural
health alliance forum at parliament house in Canberra. But is Labor
offering anything better?
If there's a good time to get new spending commitments, it's during an
election campaign. So rural health groups have increased to fever pitch
lobbying for more money, to address what they're calling a crisis
shortage of doctors and crumbling infrastructure.
THE QUEST FOR PAIN-FREE MULESING
Caleb Cluff (Ballarat, VIC)
The Australian wool industry is continuing its efforts to reduce
criticism of its controversial practice of mulesing. Mulesing involves
cutting skin off a sheep's rear to reduce the risk of blowfly attack,
but animal rights groups say the procedure is cruel. Agricultural
information group Kondinin is providing a series of mulesing
accreditation workshops, which include the use of an anaesthetic spray
on the sheep. Caleb Cluff travelled to Glenn Ipsen's property at
Rathscar in central Victoria, to see how training is conducted, and
speak to the participants.
TEACHING THE JAPANESE ABOUT RICE
Edwina Farley (national rural reporter, in Tokyo, JAPAN)
You might think that rice is a popular and everyday dish in Japan, but
over the last 60 years most people have halved the amount of rice they
eat. As a result, rice prices are falling and young people are heading
to the cities, instead of taking up farming. Now a new national museum
for rice has been set up in Tokyo to re-educate the Japanese about
rice's part in the country's history.
THE SWEET SCENT OF SANDALWOOD
Matthew Brann (Kununurra, NT)
Ninety trees have been cut down in Western Australia's Ord Valley, in
what is the world's first major trial harvest of plantation Indian
sandalwood. The Tropical Forestry Services company says the timber will
be sent to Spain to be processed by fragrance manufacturer, Albert
Vieille. Researcher Danielle Wiseman's job is to determine whether
there'll be enough good quality sandalwood oil to make the plantation
viable.
Go to www.abc.net.au/rural and follow the links to the Country Hour
Highlights podcast.
You can see photos of some of our stories on our website –
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/features/
For information on downloading podcasts, go here:
http://www.abc.net.au/services/podcasting/
Rural Reporter
The ABC's team of specialist Rural Reporters introduces you to the
people and places that make up country Australia. Our reporters based in
regional locations across the country take you to where they work with
the sound and atmosphere of the people who live outside the nation's
major urban areas.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/reporter/default.htm
Country Breakfast
ABC Radio's Country Breakfast is an entertaining look at rural and
regional issues around Australia including a unique social commentary in
the Country Viewpoint. Country Breakfast is broadcast 6-7:00am Saturdays
on ABC's Radio National. Don't miss it.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/breakfast/default.htm
Audio is available for the following Country Hours:
VIC Country Hour:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/vic/today.htm
NSW Country Hour:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/nsw/today.htm
WA Country Hour:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/wa/today.htm
QLD Country Hour:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/qld/today.htm
THIS WEEK ON LANDLINE:
Sunday at noon, repeated Monday at 11am, 30th September 2007
Dry prospects – reporter– Tim Lee
Despite early winter rains, drought appears to have regained its grip.
Crops and horticulture have failed or verge on failing and livestock
markets are flooded with forced sales. In response to the mounting
crisis, the Federal Government last week massively bolstered its drought
aid measures. Tim lee examines how farmers are preparing for another
long dry.
Hart to heart – reporter– Prue Adams
Hart in South Australia is not even a dot on most maps yet among many
crop growers it is the place to learn about new varieties, herbicides
and machinery. The Hart field trial site is owned by the local
community and is the longest running research plot of its type in
Australia. In September the annual field day is held there and this
year Hart celebrated 25 years of delivering the latest crop information
to farmers.
Bush midwives – reporter– Kathy McLeish
The closure of maternity units across rural and regional Australia is
becoming far too familiar. Narrabri in Northern New South Wales is the
latest centre to receive the bad news. The nearest maternity service
will be now be two hours away. However one regional area is bucking
this national trend and many now see the Far North Queensland experience
as a model for the future.
http://www.abc.net.au/landline/default.htm
ABC Rural newsletter
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