Western Australia Moves to Optional Ear Marking and Branding
Sheep Central reports that the ear marking of sheep, and the ear marking and branding of cattle, are set to become optional in Western Australia in 2022 following consultation with WA producers and industry stakeholders. Currently branding is only compulsory in WA, Queensland and the Northern Territory. A report released by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) indicated that 64% of the 574 consultation survey respondents supported ear marking and branding becoming optional. More information is available here.
2021 National Landcare Conference Offers Free Registration
This year’s National Landcare Conference , to be held from 5-6 August, will be hosted entirely online with FREE registration to all events. Four conference streams will be available including sustainable agriculture, environment and climate change, community partnerships in action and landcare impact. For more details and to register go to nationallandcareconference.org.au.
2021 Grassland Society of Southern Australia Conference Goes Virtual
The GSSA will be holding their Annual Conference as a Virtual Event in 2021. Sessions will be held every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30pm EST from 28 July – 18 August and will include the themes of Managing Pastures for Profit; Changing Climate, Changing Pastures; Regenerative Agriculture and Maximising Profit from Pasture. For more details check out the conference website.
Are You Ready for a Cyber Security Attack?
Cyber attacks are something that every business will encounter at some stage. It may be something quite simple like an email attempting to launch a virus or a sophisticated malware attack attempting to steal information to disrupt business operations. How ready are you to respond to such an event? AgriFutures Australia recently commissioned a report to identify rural industries’ cyber security vulnerabilities and to provide information on appropriate responses for producers, industry and agribusinesses of all sizes. Read more at https://www.agrifutures.com.au/news/cyber-security-the-time-to-act-is-now/.
Rain in WA’s Rangelands
ABC Rural News has recently reported on promising rainfalls in the Southern Rangeland regions of Western Australia. In the Gascoyne, substantial rain has fallen leading pastoralist Hamish McTaggart from Bidgemia Station to remark “It is a season that I possibly might never see again in my lifetime.” In a later article, the ABC reports that the two-decade wait for winter rain is also finally over for some pastoralists in the Murchison region. Following the rain, water birds such as black swans and ducks have flown inland to make their homes on the temporary lakes and hopes are high for a bumper wildflower season. An article looking at why WA and much of the rest of Australia may see a wet winter and spring can be read here.
Senate Inquiry into What Defines Meat
A Federal Government Senate Inquiry into the Definitions of Meat and Other Animal Products will take place in upcoming months as a direct response to the Australian meat industry calling for action on meat category branding terms, such as “meat-free mince”, “sausage made with plants”, and “vegan bacon”. Beef Central reports that Councils representing the Australian meat industry and manufacturers of alternative protein products are both looking forward to the Inquiry. Get the full story here.