Welcome back to Getting the Upper Land, where senior journalist Denis Howard and livestock editor Rebecca Nadge give a rundown of some of the stories featured in the paper. Making news this week:
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across the nation
Many producers fear the Department of Planning and Environment's first survey on domestic and stock water may lead to restricted rights and excess metering. The department says the review is to get a clearer understanding of how water extracted under these rights is being used, and whether any changes are needed to improve the way it is regulated. But NSW Farmers water committee chairman, Richard Bootle, Nyngan, is concerned producers will be asked to put a meter on their windmills and domestic bores.
Farmers in the Riverina were the first in NSW to welcome this week's much-anticipated wet change. Overnight falls on Tuesday included 60 millimetres at Finley, 72mm at Deniliquin, and 50mm at Hay. The western districts gained a rare drop from the developing system with Pooncarie recording 20mm while Fowlers Gap north of Broken hill got nearly 9mm.
A Glen Innes couple have achieved one of the highest scores in a decade after their olive oil won a gold medal at this year's Royal Agricultural Society's Sydney Royal Taste of Excellence. Tom and Judy Hartmann, Glen Olives, established their olive grove 22 years ago. Their Frantoio oil was judged the champion single varietal extra virgin olive oil (commercial volume) for 2023, scoring 92.33 out of 100 points.
Lucerne seed has begun to ease off its record high prices of the past 12 to 18 months as conditions that caused prices to double in a period of just five years begin to shift. In South Australia, farmgate prices reached $8.50 a kilogram, twice that of five years ago. This year, Australian seed companies have said public varieties were sold out a couple of months ago, or only had small volumes of carry-over remaining.
Saputo has announced plans to halve the number of processing plants it has in Australia. The company will cut its number of processing sites to five, the company's chair and chief executive officer Lino Saputo said. One other plant would be retained as a collection facility for milk, but would not manufacture products. The 'right sizing' of the Australian operation would be completed by the beginning of next fiscal year.
The cost of land is a barrier for many young people trying to enter the dairy industry, but a share farming arrangement in Dorrigo is proving beneficial for both parties. It comes as many dairy farmer make the switch to beef - driven in no small part by labour shortages - but those who are share farming say it can work for everyone.
