Agriculture

Dairy profits bounce back, but farmers say recovery is far from over

Average earnings rose more than $2 to $3.31 per kilogram of milk solids, but farmers say coming back from the financial damage of drought is a long game.

Agriculture

West Vic farmers say EU trade deal falls short, but cutting emissions is paying off

Local producers have questioned the free-trade agreement, but their concerns extend beyond quotas to the climate policies that could shape their access to overseas markets.

Agriculture

Fifth-generation Otways farmer faces weather and cost unpredictability her parents never did

“It used to be consistent, we knew when the rainfall would come and when it wouldn’t."

Colac Otway

West Vic farmers vent over visas, as immigration crackdown threatens viability of growers and dairies

“When you mess with that cycle, all blueberry farms will be affected ... you're going to end up with fruit not being picked.”

Agriculture

Canola is booming in West Vic. Where does it go?

Growers are being paid about $800 a tonne for seeds, and the Iran war could see this spike back to $1,000.

Agriculture

Western Victoria produces a fifth of Australia’s milk. Farmers say the processors who own it need to start putting them first

Karrinjeet Singh-Mahil and Brian Schuler have farmed since 1997. They've watched processors claw back payments, buy each other out, and reshape the industry.

Agriculture

Wind farm approved, Mayor turns to One Nation: Welcome to West Vic’s energy complexity

Wind farms and transmission line installation in Western Victoria is a major topic of debate in farming communities.

Agriculture

“A sensible policy”: How the expansion of a solar rebate scheme could cut costs for West Vic farmers

“Larger systems are what you need on a farm to be economically viable.”

Agriculture

The H5N1 bird flu virus has been detected near Portland. Now what?

Agriculture Victoria confirmed a positive test for the disease on Thursday.

Portland

Farmers hosting wind turbines take their case to parliament

“We’re trying to make our farm strong for the future, they’re trying to get reelected.”

Agriculture

Meet the French expat starting an escargot farm from scratch in West Vic

Starting with fewer than 1,000 snails, Beech Forest farmer Coralie Schaff hopes to prove the food has a future in the region.

Profiles

Weather whiplash sees farmers turning to native plantings for protection

“The wind is coming from the north, and you want to stop [it] from taking the moisture out of our soil.”

Profiles

Shrinking sheep, booming market: What’s causing the surge in Australia’s wool prices?

Historic lows in the national flock and renewed overseas demand are pushing wool prices to their strongest levels in years, offering producers a welcome boost.

Agriculture

West Vic farmers urged to monitor dams ahead of drier-than-average spring forecast

Agriculture Victoria is advising producers to keep track of water levels, with farmer Jamie Pepper already making contingency plans if significant runoff doesn't arrive by the end of July.

Agriculture

West Vic farmers who cut emissions to combat extreme weather are reaping the benefits

“The combination of rotational grazing and changing animal management has surprisingly helped us build soil carbon.”

Agriculture

As El Nino predictions loom, a West Vic landcare course is teaching farmers to prepare their soil for drier conditions

A $5,000 farming resilience program is being delivered for just $300 a place, with training in soil health, grazing and water management on offer.

Agriculture

Ballarat farmers prepare for looming El Niño declaration

An El Niño event would mean extreme heat and drier weather, potentially leading to drought across the country.

Ballarat

“No fat in the system”: West Vic dairy farmers brace for tight year as processors hold opening milk prices steady

Average numbers currently sit between $8.80 to $9.95 per kilogram of milk solids, a slight increase from previous years.

Agriculture

Future of Camperdown Saleyards site unclear as council votes to decommission 50-year-old facility

The centre closed in 2024 due to low livestock numbers being sold at the yards.

Agriculture

Post-drought hope: West Vic farm profitability tipped to rise despite major challenges

Confidence across the dairy sector has lifted, with local farmers more optimistic about profits after a difficult year of weather and cost pressures.

Agriculture

Twelve months on from West Vic’s drought, Warrnambool Landcare has a plan to “bring life” back to local farmland

A new long-term environmental program aims to plant a million trees, restore hundreds of hectares, improve drought resilience and reconnect native habitats across Warrnambool and Moyne.

Warrnambool

Eastern Barred Bandicoots have returned from near-extinction on a Mortlake sheep farm

“Everything you find out about them is quite surprising”.

Wildlife

“We’ve got to seriously consider this”: How rethinking soil and farming systems could help West Vic farmers pivot from fuel and fertiliser

The Brolga spoke to Deans Marsh sheep farmer Andrew Stewart at last week’s Grounded Festival to hear his thoughts.

Agriculture

“Don’t forget us”: Skipton locals say lack of bushfire reporting leads to slow recovery and investment in wrong areas

In the wake of a fast-moving blaze, locals felt forgotten and ignored.

Agriculture

The regenerative farm that proved its philosophy off the paddock

Brooklands Free Range Farm is a success story in both sustainability and community spirit.

Profiles

Agriculture

Dairy profits bounce back, but farmers say recovery is far from over

West Vic farmers say EU trade deal falls short, but cutting emissions is paying off

Fifth-generation Otways farmer faces weather and cost unpredictability her parents never did

West Vic farmers vent over visas, as immigration crackdown threatens viability of growers and dairies

Canola is booming in West Vic. Where does it go?

Western Victoria produces a fifth of Australia’s milk. Farmers say the processors who own it need to start putting them first

Wind farm approved, Mayor turns to One Nation: Welcome to West Vic’s energy complexity

“A sensible policy”: How the expansion of a solar rebate scheme could cut costs for West Vic farmers

The H5N1 bird flu virus has been detected near Portland. Now what?

Farmers hosting wind turbines take their case to parliament

Meet the French expat starting an escargot farm from scratch in West Vic

Weather whiplash sees farmers turning to native plantings for protection

Shrinking sheep, booming market: What’s causing the surge in Australia’s wool prices?

West Vic farmers urged to monitor dams ahead of drier-than-average spring forecast

West Vic farmers who cut emissions to combat extreme weather are reaping the benefits

As El Nino predictions loom, a West Vic landcare course is teaching farmers to prepare their soil for drier conditions

Ballarat farmers prepare for looming El Niño declaration

“No fat in the system”: West Vic dairy farmers brace for tight year as processors hold opening milk prices steady

Future of Camperdown Saleyards site unclear as council votes to decommission 50-year-old facility

Post-drought hope: West Vic farm profitability tipped to rise despite major challenges

Twelve months on from West Vic’s drought, Warrnambool Landcare has a plan to “bring life” back to local farmland

Eastern Barred Bandicoots have returned from near-extinction on a Mortlake sheep farm

“We’ve got to seriously consider this”: How rethinking soil and farming systems could help West Vic farmers pivot from fuel and fertiliser

“Don’t forget us”: Skipton locals say lack of bushfire reporting leads to slow recovery and investment in wrong areas

The regenerative farm that proved its philosophy off the paddock

STAY CONNECTED