Adam McClure was an all round larrikin of the western District - not only a shearer but a singer songwriter, past boxer, footy player and devoted Dad to two beautiful Girls Annabelle and Frankie. Adam sadly passed away on the 3rd of December in a tragic car accident near Beaufort and  his friends, family and the community of Coleraine in the Western District have rallied behind his girls to set up a trust. February 19 at the Coleraine showgrounds a quick shear and Music night will be held to raise money and also mourn Adam. Emma Clark spoke with family friend Ashley Lambert about Mr McClure and the kind of all round great bloke he was and the reason for the event.

The last 50 stroke event

More fossilized footprints have been found along the Great Ocean Road. An Apollo Bay couple, Tim and Kate Wagstaff, made the discovery at Skene's Creek, with the Melbourne Museum now working along the coast to gather more information. Country Today's Kris Seabert spoke to Apollo Bay Marine Biologist and author Tim Godfrey.

Fossilised dinasour print found on Great Ocean Road

The National Wild Dog Action Plan has set its strategic direction for 2023 but there has been a call for more industry support. VFF representative on the National Wild Dog Action Plan Peter Star spoke to Libby Price.

Call for MLA to give more funding for wild dog control

With heavy rain forecast in the next week and storage dams at capacity, farmers in the southern basin fear heavy flooding is inevitable. NSW Farmers Conservation and Resource Management Chair Louise Burge farms on the Edward River near Deniliquin. The property experienced catastrophic flooding in 2016. But, Louise Burge told CT's Andrew Johnston, this year looks to be even worse with authorities not having done enough to mitigate the risk of flooding.

Warning floods could be worse than 2016

The United Nations climate change conference, COP27 has concluded with many commentators saying it’s been a disappointing win for the big oil exporting countries. Professor Jim Falk Honorary Professorial Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne (and Senior Fellow, Melbourne Climate Futures) spoke to Libby Price.

COP27 a big win for oil producing nations

As we’ve heard on Country Today, some of the renewable energy projects are not winning favour with farmers. There’s mounting opposition to large scale solar farms, and to renewable energy transmission lines running through properties. And it’s confirmed by a new study showing that strong community bonds can hinder rather than help environmental initiatives. University of Sydney’s Associate Professor Petr Matous led a study examining local community opposition to such projects.

Strong communities hinder green projects

You may have felt the need to take a second glance when you paid for your last coffee, and you're not alone. Coffee agronomist Jonas Ferraresso joins us on the program, from the heart of coffee production - in Brazil. He told Country Today's Jade Egan why prices continue to climb.

Global coffee bean shortage

Australia's wool production has fallen by just over three per cent in the past year. Country Today's Daniel Brewer spoke with Chairman of the Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee Stephen Hill.

Wool production and sheep numbers to fall

Country Today spoke with the winner of the Victorian AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award at the ceremony in Melbourne earlier this year. Six months later and Grace Larson has been given the title of National Runner-up. She spoke with Jade Egan about how her work is impacting child mortality rates in rural and remote areas.

Victorian runner-up in Rural Women's' Award

The problem with wild dogs attacking livestock, particularly sheep, and often slaughtering several just for the fun of it, is very real for many farmers, particularly those close to State and National Parks. So it’s with a huge amount of stress for farmers to hear that the State Government may end wild dog control on public land. Libbie Paton is a beef cattle producer in the Mitta Valley in north east Victoria. She spoke to Libby Price.

Farmers fear ban on wild dog control

The pre-election promise of an Independent Agriculture Commissioner for New South Wales, will be brought into legislation next month. Jade Egan spoke with New South Wales Farmers President Xavier Martin, who has welcomed the announcement.

NSW to appoint Agriculture Commissioner

Sheep producers in Victoria’s south west can expect lower lambing percentages due to the record dry winter. But those who chose to start feeding ewes earlier will fare much better. Livestock vet Dr Jane Gaussen works in the Western District and into South Australia’s south east. She spoke to Libby Price.

Lambing percentages down due to dry winter

After a drier than average autumn and winter, many regional areas are facing an increased fire risk leading into summer. Country Today's Daniel Brewer spoke with Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent about the  Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring,

Increased fire risk this summer

On the eve of the Keep the Sheep farmer rally in Canberra we ask Australia's largest exporter of live cattle Fremantle based Wellard Limited if the live cattle trade on its way down a similar path to live sheep exports?  Country Today’s Jade Egan spoke with Wellard Limited’s executive chairman John Klepec.

While live cattle follow the sheep ban- Wellard?

Farmers and truckies from around the country are heading to Parliament House in Canberra this morning for the Keep the Sheep rally. The campaign started in opposition to the live sheep export ban, but has grown to reflect general dissatisfaction with the Albanese Government's approach to agricultural policy generally. Sam Collidge spoke to  Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster about Nationals joining the cause.

Nationals support Keep the Sheep

The Henty Machinery Field Days are regarded as Southern Australia's single biggest agricultural event, showcasing the latest in agriculture and tech. The Field Days are on until Thursday this week. Country Today's Kathryn Hallinan spoke to Henty Machinery Field Days CEO Belinda Anderson.

We're going to the Henty Field days!

Let’s take a look at the outlook for fertilizer prices, and Rabobank is predicting a volatile year ahead. RaboResearch agriculture analyst Paul Joules spoke to Libby Price.

Volatile year ahead for fertilizer prices

We've reported on frost damage on Country Today, but now farmers' worst fears are being realised with significant frost damage in pulse crops in the Mallee and southern NSW.  Libby Price spoke to Frontier Farming agronomist Jason Brand.

Heavy losses to frost damage in pulse crops

Time is of the essence with the season still drier than average. Libby Price spoke to Seasonal Risk Agronomist with Ag Victoria, Dale Grey who hasn't got much good news.

Big dry continues in Victoria's Mallee

A large water entitlement in Victoria's Goulburn Valley is expected to attract strong bidding interest from farmers when it goes to auction on Thursday (October 10).  Country Today's Tom Hughes caught up with Matthew Tolmachoff from Colliers Agribusiness.

Large water entitlement hits the market

On Country Today we've recently reported on frost damage to crops in Victoria. Farmers are now able to assess the extent of the losses, and in Victoria's Mallee entire crops have been stripped completely bare. Grain growers are now having to decide if they cut their losses and cut crops for hay.  Jade Egan spoke with Rupanyup farmer and Grain Producers Australia Southern director, Andrew Weidemann, who says it’s the worst he’s seen in roughly 10 years.

More crops ruined by frosts

Crop insurance assessors are busy looking at hail damage in Western Victoria, with estimates of damage in the tens of millions of dollars. Wimmera farmer and VFF grains president Craig Henderson spoke to Libby Price. He also announced his backing of Brett Hosking as the candidate for President in the VFF election next month, with Peter Star as Vice President.

VFF Grains Group report on hail, and voting for new president

The resumption of Australia's lucrative lobster export market to China should be in time for the Chinese New Year. Four years ago, China put an overnight ban on Australian Rock Lobsters which accounted for  98% of our total exports. Prices plummeted in less than 24 hours. China has gradually lifted tariffs on barley, wine, coal and beef … BUT the Australian rock lobster industry remained in the dark. Jade Egan spoke with the CEO of AsiaLink Business, Leigh Howard.

Lobster to make it to China's new year

Keep an eye out for the latest TV ad promoting the sustainability of wool. It’s pretty spectacular. There’s no dialogue. It’s just people trying to travel through a city having to dodge what looks like ghosts in synthetic clothing in a wild wind storm.  That’s its title,  wear wool not waste, and it’s produced by Australian Wool Innovation subsidiary, Wool Mark. Libby Price spoke to AWI CEO John Roberts.

Wear Wool Not Waste campaign

The weekly Weekly Times report. Libby Price spoke to editor James Wagstaff about funding cuts at Parks Victoria and a fall in price for store cattle.

The Weekly Times report

If you're passionate about making a difference in agriculture, the Zanda McDonald Award applications for 2025 are now open. The award provides opportunities for future leaders from Australia and New Zealand to experience a tailored mentoring program, learning from the best in the industry. Jade Egan reports.

Zanda McDonald awards

Australia is looking towards harvesting a “marginally larger” winter crop this season, despite significant weather challenges. In its winter crop forecast, Rabobank says the nation is on track to produce an estimated total winter crop of 47.1 million tonnes, up one per cent (0.5 million tonnes) on the previous season, but down a significant 13 per cent on the five-year average. Conrad McLean spoke to RaboResearch analyst Vitor Pistoia.

Winter harvest well below 5 year average

It's no secret that farmers in the southwest district have been having a tough year, but one agronomist from the Hamilton area says there's reason to be optimistic. Conrad MacLean spoke to Gabby Redpath, a pastures agronomist at Elders in Hamilton to find out more.

Plentiful rain predicted after record dry

Is Australia too reliant on China for our agricultural exports? Episode 3 analysts  have gone through a decade of various commodity export figures. Libby Price spoke to Matt Dalgleish.

Is Australian agriculture too reliant on China?

With mounting opposition to  solar and wind farms being built on prime farming country, the NSW Government has responded by announcing a $1.3 million dispute resolution service which will be conducted by the Energy and Water Ombudsman. But does that mean projects could be stopped? Country Today's Kathryn Hallinan spoke to NSW Farmers Energy Transmission Taskforce chair Reg Kidd.

NSW Energy Ombudsman to resolve renewables disputes

The Victorian Farmers Federation president, Emma Germano, is yet again being accused of making a unilateral decision and not consulting the organisation's own commodity groups. The VFF 'Submission to the Victorian Transmission Plan Guidelines', includes a map, highlighting the farmland that should be protected and avoided...in red. But the entirety of North West Victoria, which is the farmland controversial VNI west will be going through, hasn't been included in the red zone. Jade Egan spoke with VFF Grains Group vice-president, Ryan Milgate.

VFF members at odds over "red zones" for transmission lines

 To solar farms, and a rather different take. A study of sheep grazing under solar panels on a large scale solar farm in NSW shows an improvement in wool quality. Stud merino producer Tony Inder says the benefits of running his sheep under solar panels are a lot better than he anticipated. He farms at Gollan east of Dubbo. He spoke to Libby Price. 



Sheep grazing under solar panels perform better

 How do farmers quantify their greenhouse gas emissions? Farming systems scientists at the University of Tasmania, Matthew Harrison has just produced a video Carbon cycling, climate change and practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.





New video explaining carbon emissions and ways farmers can measure them

The Female Phenomenon, the book by kelpie breeder Tim Austin says the dam gives more genetically to the offspring than the sire. Tim Austin speaks to Nick Brown.​

The Female Phenomenon

Portland widow Jean Maling turned 86 the day she sold more than 300 angus steers at the Hamilton weaner sales on Tuesday.

86 and still farming

The wool market fell further this week to below the magic $20 kg. Libby Price spoke to wool technical officer with AWEX, Kate Brann.

Wool falls below $20 kg

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas: the smell of many thousands of Christmas pines coming from the Dandenong Christmas Tree Farm at Nar Nar Goon.  CT's Greg Allen is speaking to Father Christmas-Tree himself, Neil Cranston.

Starting to smell a lot like Christmas

There’s optimism Wednesday’s emergency meeting of the nation’s agriculture ministers will get seasonal workers back onto farms along the NSW/Victorian border. Eddie Summerfield spoke with Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud.

Ag Ministers to solve border closures problems

Grain growers are being warned to choose their grain trader carefully, after several have gone bust in the past couple of years. Libby Price spoke to Thomas Elders analyst, Andrew Whitelaw.

Libby Price

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