As another strong harvest approaches, GrainGrowers has released a report identifying Australia’s priority grain freight routes and key infrastructure bottlenecks slowing the movement of millions of tonnes of grain. The report, Australia’s Priority Grain Freight Routes, highlights the critical role of local and regional roads, ageing bridges, and gaps in freight networks that reduce efficiency and increase costs for growers.

A new study by Federation University has revealed the growing mental strain faced by farmers in Victoria’s Wimmera and Southern Mallee regions as energy and mining developments expand.

Australian producers of genetically modified (GM) canola will now have access to a key export market in Pakistan, following ongoing lobbying and market support from the Australian government.

South Australian grain growers are being urged to stay alert for increasing mouse activity as numbers continue to rise across key farming regions.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has expressed concerns regarding a proposed $300 million hot chips processing facility slated for Victoria’s west - saying its success relies on protecting the farmland that will supply it.

A grassroots mental health initiative addressing suicide prevention in Australia’s shearing industry has been recognised nationally, with its founder—registered nurse, shearer, and mental health advocate Carol Mudford—named the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award national winner.

Livestock SA has welcomed the opening of the new Cooper Creek Barge, describing it as a critical lifeline for South Australia’s pastoral industry and outback communities.

The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award has marked its 25th anniversary, celebrating a quarter-century of recognising women making a difference across rural and regional Australia. The milestone was celebrated at a gala dinner in Canberra’s Parliament House, attended by more than 540 guests from across the country.

The Albanese Labor Government has launched a new program to strengthen social resilience to drought across regional and rural Australia. Funding has opened for the Future Drought Fund’s $36 million Communities Program, which will be delivered through the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Australian grain growers are being asked to help shape the future of on-farm automation, with Grain Producers Australia launching its 2025 Autonomous Farm Machinery Survey.

The Royal Automobile Association is warning that South Australia is “on the road to ruin,” following revelations of a record $2.1 billion road maintenance backlog.

Australia’s world-leading natural fibre industries - wool and cotton - were in the global spotlight last month as Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Cotton Australia joined forces to champion the sustainability of Australian fibres at World Expo Osaka.

CSIRO researchers are warning farmers across eastern Australia to stay alert, with signs pointing to an impending mouse population boom. Recent trapping has revealed high numbers of pregnant females in cropping regions of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.  

Following a national consultation with growers, GrainGrowers is preparing a proposal on the future of the grain levy system and the performance of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). The consultation, held between September and mid-October, sought feedback on research priorities, levy settings and governance.

Victoria is boosting its defences against H5N1 bird flu with one point seven million dollars in new federal funding as part of a one hundred million dollar national biosecurity package. The funding will equip Victoria with rapid testing tools, decontamination trailers and field response equipment to strengthen emergency preparedness.

The way South Australian grain producers measure harvest fire safety in the paddock will remain unchanged going into the 2025–26 grain harvest, following confirmation from the Minister for Emergency Services.

Australia’s vegetable industry has warned that labour shortages are worsening across rural and regional areas, despite data suggesting an increase in backpacker arrivals.

The National Farmers’ Federation has called for a practical and flexible approach to Australia’s Model Work Health and Safety laws, which are currently under national review.

Farmers in the path of the controversial VNI West Transmission Project have condemned the issuing of Section 93 notices, which grant compulsory access to private farmland without landholder consent.

The National Farmers’ Federation says regional worker shortages are threatening the productivity and long-term sustainability of Australian agriculture, with a new report warning that workforce gaps must be urgently addressed to secure the sector’s future.