India, Australia to further collaborate in agriculture and science

India and Australia are set to further their co-operation in a host of areas pertaining to the agriculture sector as well as on science and technology, including in the field of fortification of bananas.

"Prime Minister showed interest in [three projects] and these relate to agriculture. The first of these was about fortification of bananas. The Queensland University of Technology and organizations in India are working on a project in this regard," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, while briefing the media about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the university.

"In the agricultural aspect the second part was of the 'AgBot' or the 'Agro Robot'. This machine is used in Australia [due to] the shortage that they have in terms of manpower. The third was about bio fuels and this was how agricultural waste is being used to produce chemicals which in turn can be used as fuel," he added.

Akbaruddin further said that another reason for Prime Minister Modi to visit the university was because there were many projects that the Australian side wanted to demonstrate.

"The Queensland University were very keen to showcase to the Prime Minister [several projects]. There was the cube which is a technology demonstrator in terms of how science is made easy for children. The Prime Minister is a keen proponent of digital technology and this was use of digital technology for promoting science," he said.

"In addition they also indicated that since Australia is an arid country how they are using biotechnology to improve yields in chickpeas and moong. This was an additional part that they demonstrated to Prime Minister," he added.

Prime Minister Modi, who arrived in Brisbane to attend the G-20 Summit, met European Union (EU) President Herman Van Rompuy, along with the Prime Ministers of the UK and Japan.

After attending the G-20 Summit in Brisbane, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to travel to Sydney, where he will attend a community reception and address the Indian Diaspora.

The Prime Minister will then travel to Canberra and address the special joint sitting of the Australian Parliament on November 18. He will also address a community event in Melbourne before travelling to Fiji.

Source 

Australian agriculture experts call on UVAS vice chancellor

A delegation led by Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Programme Manager, Les Baxter called on Vice Chancellor of University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Professor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha on Thursday. The delegation discussed various issues of collaboration in livestock farming with VC. They also discussed functioning of Agriculture Sector Linkages Programmes and its sustainability.

The VC briefed the delegation on the training and extension programmes of the university. He said that the university had launched civic engagement programme and adopted five villages around Ravi Campus Pattoki. He said that the UVAS is also launching training programmes for meat industry workers, supervisors and managers.

While Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition of UVAS also organised a one-day Nutrition Awareness Camp of nutritional assessment and dietary counselling for the university employees and students. The main areas of activity included Body Mass Index (BMI), Energy Requirements, Ideal Body Weight, Body Composition, Balance Dietary Regime, Healthy Eating Practices and Dietary Counselling according to individual requirements.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2013

Major Consumption of Citrus; Post Harvest Losses

In a developing country like Pakistan, post-harvest losses of citrus fruits are in the range of 23-38% as against 5-10% in developed citrus growing countries like Brazil, USA, Australia, Spain, Italy and Israel. Primary factors of post-harvest losses in citrus are mechanical, physiological, pathological or environmental factors are directly responsible. Mechanical loss is caused by careless handling during harvesting, packing, transportation, storage etc. Some insects and birds are also responsible for the mechanical injury. A significant portion of losses during post-harvest period is attributed to diseases caused by fungi and bacteria. Besides attacking fresh fruits and vegetables, these organisms also cause damage to canned and processed products. Environmental factors, temperature, humidity, composition and proportion of gases in controlled atmospheric storage also play an important role. High temperature and relative humidity favors the growth of micro-organisms which cause extensive damage to the produce.

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Abbott rallies the Liberal troops

TONY Abbott may be aiming to be Australia's next prime minister before the end of the year, but at a campaign rally on Sunday it looked like the poll was this week.

The coalition launched its mini-election campaign on Sunday in Sydney's west with a speech from Mr Abbott and a series of television advertisements.

The unlikely location of the Auburn basketball centre was transformed for Mr Abbott's speech into a US-rally style convention centre complete with stage, a giant Australian flag and hundreds of supporters waving placards with the coalition's slogan Hope. Reward. Opportunity.

After striding to the stage to rapturous applause, Mr Abbott spoke from in front of a bank of tiered seating filled with Liberal party faithful, including his wife Margie.

In the speech, the federal member for Warringah pledged to scrap the carbon and mining taxes, cut red tape and secure the nation's borders, calling the upcoming federal election the most important in a generation.

Despite the event's US-style set-up, Mr Abbott embraced local vernacular in the speech.

"When I say we will deliver competent fair dinkum government you know we will because we did," he told the crowd of around 300 people.

He also stressed his family's place in Australia's "social fabric".

"We're a pretty normal family with a mortgage with bills we've struggled with the school fees we've struggled with the hospital bills," he said.

"We know what it's like to struggle."

Mr Abbott also thanked his wife for her support, and her contribution to coalition policy on child care.

"Don't I know something about child care because every other day Margie's chewing my ear about just what we need to improve the child care system," he said to laughter from the crowd.

The coalition's campaign blueprint - Our Plan: Real Solutions for all Australians - pledges cuts to the public service, and to build a "five pillar economy" by boosting manufacturing, agriculture exports, advanced services, education and mining.

Original Article Here

Giant ploughs into Australian agriculture

GLOBAL chemicals giant BASF has flagged a significant long-term investment in Australia's agricultural sector as it moves to capitalise on the nation's anticipated role as a food supplier to the fast-growing Asian region.

With forecasters tipping the world's population to swell by two billion by 2050, the German group is preparing to establish a direct presence supplying its crop protection products in Australia, bringing an end to a 10-year distribution deal with Nufarm.

Original Article Here

Farmland: best-in-class asset

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (Agriculture.com)--Farmland has a large income return and is an undiscovered asset class, an industry expert told a group of investors Thursday.

Stephen Kenney, vice president of business development at Hancock Agricultural Investment Group, says farmland is a low-risk investment with a strong return.

“Putting farmland into fixed income is a unique play because normally it’s real estate or real assets that make up that income category.”

The leasing investment group owns over 275,000 acres. Most of the land owned is in the U.S, but the company does reach out to Canada and Australia using local profits and their own resources to manage land.

Kenney shares Hancock’s views on farmland investment being basically an unexplored area that has been talked about, but not a whole lot of action undertaken for investing in crops. 

“It’s an undiscovered asset class amongst investors,” Kenney says.

Hancock agriculture invests in more conservative areas, such as the U.S., Canada, and Australia because they are fluently English and have a consistent government. In countries like Brazil, there is uncertainty about whether the structure will exist in a few years. 

“We are not in Brazil, with reports showing income return levels of 4% to 5%. You can get that in Illinois. Plus, the political situation is unstable,” Kenney says.
When trying to diversify your investment portfolio, farmland is being proven as a positive asset class.
Kenney reminds investors that farmland is a long-term investment. "You really should consider 10 to 11 years of ownership. It's not a liquid asset class,” said Kenney. “Iowa, it’s a great investment. Anytime is a good time. Ten years from now, 20, or even 50 years,” said Kenney.
Kenney says investing in farmland provides total returns at low-risk levels. It also produces competitive income in low-interest-rate environments.
"Investors can see a 4% to 5% cash return on row-crops. That is a good return on investment vs. any return on a CD at a bank," Kenney says.
When considering a farmland investment portfolio, the best mix is to have a ratio that includes 70% row crops and 30% permanent crops. This is the optimal way to invest, but Kenney suggests that some people would say the best way to invest is 50/50.
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Written by Mike McGinnis and April Allen

Original article Here

Students flock to agriculture courses

THE number of students applying to study agriculture at universities across Australia has leapt by more than 15 per cent this year, fuelling hopes the rural skills crisis may soon end.

Victorian Higher Education Minister Peter Hall announced a 14 per cent rise in the number of students offered tertiary places to study agriculture in Victoria this year.

The figures come against a backdrop of a 40 per cent decline in students taking agricultural science degrees across the country since 2000 and fears a skills shortage is strangling a nationwide agricultural boom.

Jim Pratley, secretary of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, said the good news about Victorian tertiary offers was being replicated nationally.

He said student demand for agriculture course entry at universities and colleges this year had jumped by between 15 and 20 per cent nationally.

"That's really encouraging because that's the first time we have had that for quite a few years," Professor Pratley said.

There are six jobs available for every new Australian agricultural graduate, as employers in fields as diverse as agronomy, genetics, rural finance, farm management and research and development cry out for skilled workers.

As agriculture emerges as the most likely boom industry to take the place of the mining sector, industry leaders fear the shortage of university-trained agricultural scientists, economists and managers is restricting the ability of farming industries to expand and progress.

In the 1980s, 23 university campuses around Australia provided agriculture and agricultural science degrees.

Only 10 remain, producing fewer than 750 agricultural graduates annually with the necessary skills to fill the 4000-plus advertised agriculture-related jobs each year.

Original Article Here

Agriculture head says more attention needed for the sector

The head of Australia's biggest agricultural company believes Australia could be at risk from invasion unless it makes the most of its assets to feed the region. David Farley told a business lunch the country needed to pay more attention to the agriculture sector and develop policies to help it lift production.

Original Article Here

Foreign investors in Australian farms, rash or prescient?

CANBERRA/SYDNEY: For all the willing buyers seeking tracts of Australian farm land, local investors are not among them. They wonder what all the fuss is about.

Years of weak and volatile returns and some of the harshest weather on earth suggest a wave of foreign interest in Australia’s farms and agricultural assets is on a fool’s errand.

“Overseas investors are too dumb to realise that they are not going to make money out of Australia agriculture,” said David Leyonhjelm, an Australia-based agriculture consultant at Baron Strategic Services. He may have a point.

Australian farms’ return on capital has seldom exceeded more than 2 percent in a year on average during the past decade, excluding changes in land values, according to government research bureau ABARES. That is less than half the return on stocks and less than a third compared with bonds, figures from Russell Investments suggest.

Although farm returns are volatile anyway - owing to the vagaries of the weather - the unpredictability of Australian earnings is much greater than in the United States.

In the past 30 years, Australia’s net farm income has experienced annual drops of more than 40 percent on five occasions compared to just once in the United States, data from ABARES and the US Department of Agriculture shows.

Including capital appreciation, Australian farm returns have been outstripped by Africa and Brazil. Australian farm debt has risen some 8 percent a year since 2001, almost double the pace of US farm debt.

Even when it comes to the weather, Australia seems worse off.

It has the lowest and most variable rainfall patterns of any inhabited continent, due largely to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation climate pattern that periodically bakes much of the country in hot, dry weather and intersperses it with flooding rains.

“In recent history, Australia has seen more volatility in agricultural farm output than other major agricultural producers,” said Michael Creed, agribusiness economist at National Australia Bank. “In the past 20 years alone, we’ve had a drought that lasted a decade and when the drought broke, it broke in massive way.”

Despite the weak and volatile returns, the explosion of the middle classes in Asia is attracting more offshore investors looking beyond immediate returns to an expected long-term surge in demand for high-quality food.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says the world needs to boost food output by 70 percent by 2050 to meet demand, a sobering statistic for highly populated countries such as China, where a major tenet of the Communist Party is guaranteeing food security for its 1.3 billion people.

Chinese investors have been involved in a number of high-profile farm deals, including the purchase of the country’s biggest cotton farm, the 1,000 sq km (390 sq miles) Cubbie Station.

Chinese entities are also in the running for a large dairy operation in Tasmania and a big irrigation project in Western Australia.

US firm Archer Daniels Midland last month made a $2.8 billion bid for Australia’s last major independent grain handling company, GrainCorp, spurring a 40 percent jump in its share price.

Australia lacks comprehensive data on foreign ownership but the government says the vast majority of farms are locally owned and that has not changed much over the past 30 years. But spurred by a number of high-profile foreign deals, the issue has become politically sensitive as the sector struggles to attract much-needed investment at home.

Despite local scepticism at the prospects for Australia’s farming sector, the increase in offshore interest comes at a time when returns have seldom been better and adds to other evidence suggesting the foreign investment may not be mistimed after all.

Helped by generous rains and strong global prices, Australian farmers may have enjoyed the best year in decades in 2011-12.

“For the first time in more than 30 years, all states and all industries are expected to record positive farm business profits and rates of return,” ABARES said in its 2011-12 annual crop and livestock farm performance report.

Average farm cash income jumped to A$117,3000 in 2010-11 from just A$59,470 the previous year, it said. This year is forecast to remain a strong A$116,000 - almost 40 percent above its real, long-term average.

GrainCorp, the target of Archer Daniels, last week posted a record profit of A$205 million, boosted by a bumper crop. It said the takeover bid failed to reflect the promise of the business.

Some analysts say a global rush for agricultural land is just beginning, driven by increasing concerns over long-term food and water security. With the availability of suitable farmland shrinking and productivity gains slowing when populations are growing and diets changing, supply/demand dynamics are likely to be favourable over the next 40 years, an ANZ report says.

Another study, by real estate company Savills, identifies Australia as having some of the lowest land costs for wheat production in the world and highlights the appreciation in farmland values since 2002.

Shandong Ruyi Group, which bought Cubbie Station, is taking the long view, company adviser Ian Smith said.

“They are not dictated by the short term and they also have a proud track record of maximising the assets over the longer term,” he said.

Underscoring the gap between the short and the long view, Laguna Bay Pastoral Co, an agricultural investment fund advised by US commodities trader Jim Rogers, was forced to seek investors offshore because of a lack of interest in Australia.

“We were presented to most local funds. Most Australian local pension funds don’t have agriculture assets allocation,” Laguna founder Tim McGavin told Reuters.

“We have been forced to market to overseas just because the general lack of understanding and interest in agriculture.”

Laguna secured its main seed funding from US-based Global Endowment Management, and now aims to buy and privatise PrimeAg Australia Ltd, an investor in rural property and water assets.

Australia’s vast pension funds industry, sitting on $1.4 trillion and looking for long-term diversified assets, has largely shied away from the sector. Even The Future Fund, Australia’s $80 billion sovereign wealth fund, has no direct exposure to the country’s agricultural sector.

Still, Pauline Vamos, the chief executive of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, said interest in farm assets is picking up after some ill-conceived and poorly managed project had put off local investors.

“You’ve had cotton farms built in the middle of the desert, you’ve had timber plantations built miles from any infrastructure - these schemes were never going to make any money,” she said. reuters

Original Article Here

Botanical Feed Additives Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Farm Animals

AUSTRIA - Botanical feed additives support sustainable livestock operations, thereby promoting the health of farm animals as well as reducing their impact on the environment and public health.

Recent scientific studies revealed that if all poultry and pigs in the world were fed botanical feed additives, 29 million tons of CO2 equivalents could be eliminated from the environment each year: a carbon footprint of all citizens of Spain's capital, Madrid. 

Botanical feed additives used in animal production have long been proven to have positive effects on the environment. Known as "phytogenic feed additives", the active ingredients in these products are derived solely from herbs, spices and their extracts. They help farmers raise healthy animals and reduce greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions. 

As natural foods and food-sources becoming increasingly important considerations in consumer decision making, the consumer's concerns become the concerns of feed producers, farmers, supermarkets and restaurants. Consumer choice will continue to make a difference to the quality of the food we eat. 

The family owned company DELACON is the pioneer and world's largest producer of phytogenic feed additives. From the very beginning, improved animal welfare, performance and feed efficiency while ensuring a high quality and sustainable food chain has been a main goal for the company.

ThePoultrySite News Desk

Australia's wheat output seen lower, exports to hit three-year low

Analysts and traders cut their estimate for Australia's 2012/13 wheat output to 20.47 million tonnes and said exports might shrink to a three-year low, a Reuters poll shows, as unfriendly crop weather dents yields. Both forecasts fall significantly short of most recent government estimates, with the output projection indicating a drop of more than 30 percent from last year's record harvest.

Australia is the world's second largest wheat exporter and worries about its crop at a time of lower output in Argentina and fears of export curbs by Russia and Ukraine are raising concerns about global food supplies. The fears have supported benchmark Chicago Board of Trade wheat, which is up 3 percent this week, having gained 34 percent in the last five months.

Reuters surveyed 10 analysts and traders, and their average estimate for the wheat crop came in at 20.47 million tonnes, or 9 percent below Australia's official forecast of 22.5 million tonnes reported in September. Australia's output last year was at an all-time high of 29.5 million tonnes. An earlier poll had forecast output at 21.44 million tonnes.

The poll pegged wheat exports at an average of 16.85 million tonnes, the lowest since 13.73 million tonnes were shipped in the 2009/10 season, data from the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences shows. The figure would also be about 27 percent below 2011/12's record exports of 23.04 million tonnes and fall 25 percent short of an Australian government estimate of 22.5 million tonnes. Export volumes typically include stocks carried over from the previous year.

The majority of Australian wheat is sent to South East Asia and its key consumers are Indonesia, Japan and China. Analysts said lower output was likely to boost prices of Australian wheat, which could prompt Asian customers to seek a substitute in US wheat, which freight costs usually make uncompetitive.

Copyright Reuters, 2012

Livestock department to count Australian sheep

The Livestock Department of Government Sindh is to count the Australian sheep for first time after lot of hue and cry. The case is now being considered a big livestock scandal in the country. Interestingly, sources claimed, the culling of infected animal was started without ensuring that all 22,000 sheep were present at the location. 

Though thousands of sheep have been culled so far by the authorities, the actual number of the dead and live animals was still not confirmed. The discovery of at least 3000 sheep from a private farmhouse on Thursday night was one of the developments which prove that the authorities were not aware of the actual number of dead and live animals. 

According to sources a large number of sheep were missing from the location, which raises questions about the responsibilities of the authorities concerned. Interestingly, the sheep were stationed in the premises of the importing company instead of keeping them at a separate place. 

The sheep soon after discharge from Port Qasim were directly shifted to the company's premises without a quarantine test needed to be made at the port and later the existing location was considered as quarantine station. The quarantine department which earlier used to take separate space/location on rent for the test near the port, this time ignored all the rules. 

The police and other concerned staff had left the premises on Thursday night soon after the announcement of countrywide holiday on Friday and the sheep were left there for three consecutive days without a check on the part of the government. Despite symptoms of anthrax, claimed to be found in dead sheep, by local veterinary experts, no strict monitoring of the sheep was arranged by authorities concerned. 

The sources alleged that the importing company has slaughtered a large number of sheep for export of its meat so far. However the official version could not be obtained from PK Livestock and Meat Company, which has imported the Australian sheep. However, on the directive of Sindh High Court on Monday, the officials of provincial department are going to count the imported animal to subsequently report the same to the court. 

Talking to Business Recorder, Kazi Jan Muhammad, Deputy Commissioner, District East said the culling process of the animal was temporarily halted under the directives of the SHC. Though the stay order and written directives are yet to be received from the court, the sheep were presently not being culled. He also confirmed that a team was going to count the sheep on Tuesday. 

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

Scott says agricultural sector has been static in 50 years

Vice President Guy Scott has observed that the agricultural sector in Zambia has remained unchanged for the past 50 years.

Dr Scott says agricultural sector has not moved due to the land tenure system which is customary as well as state and hoped that the Commonwealth Agricultural Conference currently taking place in Zambia will greatly benefit the sector.

The Vice President said this at the 25th Commonwealth Agriculture Conference being held in Livingstone under the theme is “Africa’s role in world food production”.

At the same occasion, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne of the United Kingdom, who is in the country, said that needs to improve food and energy by 50 per cent and provision of fresh water by up to 30 per cent by the year 2030.

Princess Anne said she is encouraged by the number of young people who are engaged in agricultural activities and hoped that they will be embedded in agriculture in order to allow the transfer of knowledge.

The Princess said Zambia has potential to develop in both the agricultural and tourism industries due to its rich soils and wildlife.

The Princess has since thanked the Zambian government and the Agricultural and Commercial Society of Zambia for its contribution to the agricultural sector.

The conference has representatives from 14 countries which include Australia, Botswana, Canada, England, Kenya, New Zealand, Papua Guinea, and Scotland. Others are United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

ZANIS

Original Article Here

Agriculture in Australia's north – now that's a plan

By David Leyonhjelm
Various people have pointed out that the National Food Plan green paper, while claiming global food security is at the heart of social and political stability and in our interests as a nation, fails to acknowledge the enormous potential for food production in Australia's north.

The government's contribution to global food security, according to the plan, is technology and expertise transfers to developing countries, trade-related development assistance, advocacy and support for appropriate policies (mainly trade), and short-term emergency food assistance.

While there are references to food producers becoming more productive and competitive, with access to new technology, there is no expectation of a significant boost to food production. Indeed, there is an assumption that a major increase is not feasible given limited agricultural land and competition from urban encroachment and mining.

As for the north of Australia, the Plan says "large-scale expansion of irrigated agriculture in northern Australia-the scale of which would be required to create a northern food bowl-does not appear to be sustainable or feasible."

This is a curious point of view. Anyone who has toured the area around Kununurra will know what is possible when there is a reliable supply of water during the dry season. Water from Lake Argyle has transformed the country from 'clapped out buffalo country' into highly productive agriculture land capable of growing a diverse range of crops.

In fact, water is the key requirement for most agriculture in Western Australia. Huge wheat crops are produced year after year from soils that comprise little more than sand, simply because small amounts of rain fall at the right time. Or perhaps more accurately, WA farmers are smart enough to plant their crops to take advantage of the rain.

The idea that northern Australia is not capable of becoming a massive food bowl is too silly for words. What is required is a reliable, consistent supply of water.

That there is enough water cannot be doubted. The country is not a desert. The amount of rainfall in northern Australia is eight times the annual runoff in the Murray-Darling basin. In fact, during the wet season there is so much water that getting around is difficult. The problem is that it only falls during the wet season and massive quantities flow out to sea.

The solution, fairly obviously, is to build more dams like the Ord so the water can be used during the dry season. There are some infrastructure improvements that would be needed as well, particularly transport, but water availability would make it feasible to address these.

Original Article Here

Dry weather puts top wheat ranking in jeopardy

CAROLINE HENSHAW 

AUSTRALIA may lose its ranking as the world's No 2 wheat exporter in the next marketing year as dry weather threatens to reduce yields of the grain, the head of trading at Cargill Australia said yesterday.

Poor rainfall in Western Australia is expected to cut national production in the year starting October 1 by about a quarter from last year's bumper crop to 22.5 million tonnes, according to government forecasts this week.

Cargill trading manager Will Reid forecast wheat exports would fall to 18-19 million tonnes in 2012-13, down from a record 24.5 million tonnes in 2011-12 and substantially below the 21.5 million tonnes official forecast by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. "Who will be the No 2 exporter is between Australia and Canada, but it's probably more likely to be Canada," Mr Reid said.

Despite the reduced volume forecasts, exporters can expect strong returns from grain.

Wheat prices have jumped 35 per cent on the Chicago Board of Trade since the end of May, fuelled by fears of a shortfall of world supplies, as drought has devastated crops in two of the world's largest producers of the grain -- Russia and the US.

Front-month CBOT wheat for September delivery closed 0.8 per cent higher at $US8.67 a bushel after the US Department of Agriculture this week lowered its estimate for world wheat production to come in 5.2 per cent below last year's level.

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Original Article Here

Australia keen to invest in energy, agriculture

Australia showed interest in the mining, energy and agriculture sector of Pakistan. The agricultural sector is one of the big players of Pakistan’s economy and Australian companies also wanted to capture these sectors.

The Australian High Commissioner, Peter Heyword while meeting with 

MOS/Chairman, Board of Investment, Saleem Mandviwalla said Pakistan proves to be an attractive destination for the investors from across the globe.

They discussed trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.

Heyword invited him to visit Australia with a business delegation, to hold investment conferences and seminars for matchmaking of the investor communities of both the sides.

Ms Melissa Kelly, First Secretary, Australian High Commission and Azhar Shah, the country manager, Australian Trade Commission also accompanied with him. 

Saleem briefed the delegation about the investment possibilities in Pakistan and also mentioned the Special Economic Zones, which is an investor friendly incentive. 

He informed the delegation about the on-going bilateral treaties between Pakistan and other countries which are being proceeded to facilitate the investment and trade prospects. He offered them to invest in the vast coal reserves of Pakistan. staff report

Original Article Here

Agriculture the 'safest of bets' for Australia's future, says Year of the Farmer director Philip Bruem

THE time for Australian farmers to stamp their authority on the world stage is now, Australian Year of the Farmer director Philip Bruem says.

The dairy, cropping and sheep farmer from Forbes, NSW, has revealed key elements of a "battleplan" for the farming sector ahead of an address to the state's agriculture industry during the Royal Adelaide Show this week.

"There is a bit of a downturn in mining but there is no downturn in the need for food production and there never will be," Mr Bruem said. "The agriculture industry is the safest of bets."

His strategy for a farming fightback comes as grain growers look ahead to stronger commodity prices due to a world shortage because of ongoing droughts and includes:

IDENTIFYING and developing genuine prime agricultural land near cities.

PROMOTING non-farm based agribusiness and employment opportunities.

SMARTENING up the farmer image.

RECONNECTING city and country communities.

BETTER product labelling to help promote Australian-made goods.

GOVERNMENT incentives for farmers to make the industry more attractive.

Mr Bruem said he "would not knock mining one little bit" because Australia needed to take advantage of the country's resources, and that included minerals in the ground as well as our ability to be world leaders in agriculture.

"It's no longer time for planning ... it's time for action," he said. "Global food production has to increase by 70 per cent in 30 years. It's a growth industry.

"The farmers that are going to be required to produce this food have been born. A failure to capitalise on this now would be one of the greatest blunders of our time."

Mr Bruem will use his visit to the Royal Adelaide Show on Thursday to further promote the Australian Year of the Farmer, which is a launchpad for the movement's One Country program.

Former cricket great Glenn McGrath, who has a farming property in NSW, will also join the Australian Year of the Farmer roadshow and will attend the Show today.

Mr Bruem said he did not subscribe to the fact that Australia was short of water, but that the resource needed to be better managed.

"We have to take a sensible approach to it and conserve some of that water that runs out to the oceans," he said.

"The biggest infringement on agriculture is urban sprawl. If you look at the good agricultural land that's already gone under urban sprawl, it is concerning.

"We've got to take greater stock of those areas that are genuinely prime agricultural land and see what we can do now to protect it.

"It makes sense, for supply chains and work forces, to use the prime land close to cities for agricultural purposes and continue to develop that for agricultural use."

Farming, however, needed to be financially attractive and government incentives were required to achieve that and reduce the urban sprawl land grab.

"There has to be incentives from government for farmers to invest," Mr Bruem said.

"The starting point is to make farming attractive. We need to smarten up our image and get away from the image that farmers are older people stricken by drought.

"The true scene is that farming is a great occupation and profession.

"We also need to show people that you can have a career in agriculture where you don't have to be a farmer ... (but) in science, banking, and agribusinesses that are not on farm."

Original Article Here

Agriculture sector roundup: UR Associates

UR Associates has come out with its report on agri sector. According to the research firm, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) will invest Rs 40 billion in next three years to ramp up its urea capacity at Thal plant near Mumbai. The selection process for lumpsum turnkey contractors (LSTK) for main plants has been completed. The project cost is expected to be Rs 40 billion and will be completed in 36 months period from the zero date.

Pulses sowing picking up

For the first time during this monsoon season, the rainfall was 6% above normal for the week August 23rd-29th. The strong rainfall has improved the deficiency situation further and has brought down the overall deficiency for the monsoon season to 12% below normal. Hence, the rainfall deficiency has come down from 19% at the beginning of the month to 12% at the month end. The deficiency in the Northwest region is the highest at 15% followed by East & NorthEast India (14%), South Peninsula (13%) and Central India (10%)

The pulses sowing has picked up quite significantly during the last one week with the gap between normal pulses acreage and pulses acreage this season coming down to 0.36 million hectares compared to 1.11 million hectares at the beginning of the week.

While rice, sugarcane and cotton are ahead in terms of acreage, coarse cereals are still lagging behind by 2.89 million hectares compared to normal sowing.

RCF to invest Rs 40 billion to ramp up urea capacity

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) will invest Rs 40 billion in next three years to ramp up its urea capacity at Thal plant near Mumbai. In a communique to the BSE, RCF said: "The Company has plans to expand the capacity of urea at Thal by setting up one single stream ammonia plant of capacity 2,200 TPD (tonnes per day) and one single stream urea plant of capacity 3,850 TPD at the existing site." "The selection process for lumpsum turnkey contractors (LSTK) for main plants has been completed. The project cost is expected to be Rs 40 billion and will be completed in 36 months period from the zero date," it said.

Maharashtra to begin 2012-13 sugarcane crushing season from November 1

Top sugar producer Maharashtra will begin its sugarcane crushing season from November 1. The state government was thinking to advance the crushing season by a month as a measure to make more cane available for crushing, which is being diverted every day for use as fodder in drought areas in the state.

Contingency plan to Tackle Drought like Situation

Ministry of Agriculture has prepared Contingency plans for 353 districts across the country for implementing location specific interventions to sustain agriculture production. Subsidy on seeds has been enhanced to partially recompense the farmers for the expenditure in re-sowing and/or purchasing drought tolerant variety of seeds. In view of deficient rainfall, states such as Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have been allocated with additional power from Central Pool. In so far as fertilizer prices are concerned, Urea is provided at a fixed Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs. 5310 per metric ton since 01.04.2010. Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Policy is being implemented on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers under which a fixed subsidy is provided based on its nutrient content. MRP is fixed by fertilizer companies. The prices of P&K fertilizers have increased mainly due to increase in international prices of fertilizers and due to depreciation of Indian rupee. However, Government provides subsidy to the extent of 50% to 67% of the delivered cost on these fertilizers.

Deepak fertilisers not to develop $350 mn plant in Australia

Indian fertilisers and petrochem firm DFPCL has abandoned plan to build a $350 million plant at Port Bonython, South Australian Mining minister Tom Koutsantonis has said. Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd has informed the state government of its intention not to go ahead with a proposed technical ammonium nitrate plant near Whyalla, said Koutsantonis, who also holds the Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade portfolio.

Dhanuka Agritech launches new products

Dhanuka Agritech Limited, a provider of crop protection solution, has launched three agrochemical products in Tamil Nadu. According to Abhishek Dhanuka, Director South Zone, one of the new products is an insecticide that can tackle sucking insects in cotton, vegetable, fruits, cashew and tea. The other, Fluid, is to fight larval insecticide in major crops, while the third one, Fuzi Super, is a herbicide for paddy. The Rs 6.5 billion company has tied up with global firms such as Dupont, Syngenta and Dow Agro Sciences to introduce international proven products in the Indian market, according to R.G. Agarwal, Group Chairman.

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Argentine mission promotes agriculture

JOINT projects to stimulate interest in agriculture careers are among the possible fruits of a visit last week by Argentinian university chiefs.

Like Australia, Argentina was big in livestock but underdone in the supply of agriculture graduates, according to the University of New England's Victor Minichiello, local organiser of the mission.

"People's understanding of a twenty first century agriculture career is often not up to date,'' Professor Minichiello said.

The visit also looked at opportunities for collaboration in IT and medical training.

The Argentinian institutions involved were the Universidad de Quilmes, Universidad Nacional del Litoral and Universidad Nacional del Sur.

Aside from UNE, the Australian institutions taking part were the universities of Sydney, Western Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, La Trobe, Swinburne, CSIRO and Victoria University.

Professor Minichiello said one possible project would be to connect schools and universities in both countries to promote careers in agriculture.

Another possibility was collaboration on global courseware in fields such as occupational therapy where language studies in English or Spanish could add another dimension.

Original Article Here

Farmers Call for Better Food Labelling for Consumers

AUSTRALIA - Grassroots members of New South Wales (NSW) Farmers’ Association today called for a better standard of food labelling so that consumers know exactly how much of their product is Australian grown, produced and processed.

Farmers from throughout NSW who are gathered at Chatswood in Sydney for their annual two-day conference, passed a motion today that current labelling practices were misleading about the country or origin of ingredients used in production.

Mr Bill McDonnell, chair of NSW Farmers’ business, economics and trade committee, said that currently all packaged food must carry a statement identifying the country where the food was produced, made or packaged.

He said that although Australian Consumer Law sets out the rules for ‘product of’ and ‘made in’, consumers could not be sure about the percentage of the product that was actually home-grown.

“If consumers had more information on this, food labelling would be more transparent and that would help them in their decision making process,” Mr McDonnell said.

At present, the country of origin labelling applied to unpackaged fresh and processed fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, fresh pork and preserved pork products such as bacon and ham. However, there are no such labelling requirements for unpackaged beef, chicken or lamb products.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is considering extending country of origin labelling requirements to these products and if it goes ahead, this will bring these meats into line with requirements for unpackaged pork.

NSW Farmers’ CEO, Mr Matt Brand, said NSW Farmers’ conference was an annual opportunity for grassroots members to represent their regions and to come together to develop policy for the organisation for the coming 12 month period.

“Now more than ever, farmers of NSW need a united voice because agriculture is facing many threats and unity of purpose and scale is extremely important for achieving outcomes for our members,” he said.

Agriculture contributed more than A$14.5 billion or 3.4 per cent to the NSW economy in June 2011. There are more than 43,500 farm businesses in NSW with farming land covering more than 72 per cent of the state.

ThePoultrySite News Desk