News

New fruit fly crackdown means a $375 fine for anyone bringing fruit into South Australia

Fruit Fly Jan. 5, 2019



Motorists caught bringing fruit into SA will no longer receive a caution, but will instead be slapped with a $375 fine. It’s part of a zero tolerance approach by the State Government to keep the state fruit-fly free.

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Smashing success for avocados

Avocado Insect & mite control Jan. 3, 2019



The WA avocado season ends in February and the region’s growers have indicated this season fared well compared to previous years. Growers put the success down to the mild weather conditions which allowed a higher volume of produce to grow.

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Summer management for quality

Pome fruit Jan. 2, 2019



As the temperatures in the orchard start to rise, AgFirst’s John Wilton looks at how to minimise sunburn, avoid nutrition-related problems and improve colour towards lifting quality and packouts at harvest.

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Tariff cuts and better access for Aussie farmers on Jan 1

Marketing & export Jan. 2, 2019



Tariff cuts and better overseas access for Australian farmers from Jan 1, giving farmers choice when they want to sell their produce.

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Biobest and Australian company Bugs for Bugs team up through equity deal

Insect & mite control Dec. 29, 2018



Biobest Group NV and Bugs for Bugs Pty Ltd have announced on 20 Dec 2018 the finalisation of an equity transaction whereby Biobest Group NV acquires a stake in Bugs For Bugs Pty Ltd. Bugs for Bugs is a leading player in the Australian market for beneficial insects and other biocontrol products.

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Aussie avocados now exported to Japan

Avocado Marketing & export Dec. 29, 2018



AUSTRALIAN avocados are to be exported to Japan, cementing new trade relations and market opportunities for horticultural products. The “Aussie Avo” was ceremoniously launched at a high-profile event at the Australian embassy in Tokyo recently.

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Pecan nut industry expects phenomenal growth in years ahead

Nuts Dec. 28, 2018



Consumer demand for all nuts continues to grow, in part due to Asia's appetite for them, but the pecan variety in particular is set to experience strong growth in coming years. The pecan industry's peak body, the Australian Pecan Growers' Association (APGA), estimates the number of trees in the ground to increase by 500 per cent over the next five years.

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Why is Mistletoe killing our Macadamia trees?

Macadamias Dec. 26, 2018



Mistletoe, has become famous in the Australian macadamia industry but for all the wrong reasons.

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Fees to be waived for citrus fruit inspections

Citrus Dec. 24, 2018



Quarantine inspection fees will be waived for the Northern Territory’s commercial citrus fruit growers sending their fruit to interstate markets, ensuring their fruit remains competitively-priced and available interstate.

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High density – lower costs

Olives Dec. 22, 2018



Super high-density orchards could be the solution to rising labour and water costs making life tough for Australian growers working the land. Difficulties in finding suitable labour and budgeting for those labour costs are major problems in all rural areas.

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States and territories in deadlock over fruit fly management agreement

Fruit Fly Dec. 21, 2018



Despite several states experiencing millions of dollars in expenses as a result of fruit fly this year, state and territory governments are yet commit to a federal management strategy for the pest.

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Fruit fly detected on Flinders Island off north-east Tasmanian coast

Fruit Fly Dec. 18, 2018



Biosecurity authorities in Tasmania are ramping up fruit fly control measures after the discovery of another adult fly on Flinders Island.

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Almond yields hitting new highs with careful disease management

Almonds Disease & weed control Dec. 17, 2018



Careful management of its biggest cropping issues is helping Century Orchards achieve some of the highest yields in the industry at its high input almond enterprise near Loxton in South Australia.

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Fontelis registered for husk spot in macadamia

Macadamias Disease & weed control Dec. 17, 2018



Husk spot is a devastating fungal disease. Estimated to cost the macadamia industry up to $10 million per season, it causes the crop to prematurely drop to the ground. For many decades, the only option growers had to fend off the disease was to use broad-spectrum benzimidazole fungicides, such as carbendazim.

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Varieties, new methods drive citrus revival

Citrus Insect & mite control Dec. 14, 2018



When their citrus returns only covered the cost of production in 2011-12, the Arnold family let fruit fall from the trees at their Riverland orchard in South Australia. However, the adoption of a range of citrus crops and new management methods has since led a business revival.

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