R[0]="1940";

T[0]="New way with old man saltbush";

A[0]="By ... Editor";

Dn[0]="20070304";

Dt[0]="Sunday 4 March 2007";

Acats[0]="a32a84";

B1[0]="      The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is investigating a novel way to integrate saltbush into mixed farming systems to help lift ";

B2[0]="productivity and profitability across the NSW wheat-belt on the southern, central and northern slopes and plains... ";

B3[0]=" ";

B4[0]=" ";

B5[0]=" ";

S1[0]="      The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is investigating a novel way to integrate saltbush into mixed farming systems to help lift ";

S2[0]=" productivity and profitability across the NSW wheat-belt on the southern, central and northern slopes and plains.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A trial at the Condobolin Agricultural ";

S3[0]=" Research and Advisory Station has been funded by Grain & Graze to explore the benefits of alley farming with old man saltbush (OMSB).<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S4[0]=" &nbsp; NSW DPI research agronomist, Richard Maccallum, said rows or alleys of OMSB were planted over 20 per cent of the paddock with grain and ";

S5[0]=" pasture crops grown between the alleys.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'We're measuring the costs and returns of crop production, animal performance, soil health, hydrology effects and ";

S6[0]=" improvements in biodiversity and comparing those results with paddocks that haven't been planted with saltbush alleys,' Mr Maccallum said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Rather than just ";

S7[0]=" looking at the individual grain or grazing side of mixed-farming, we're combining the two to help farmers lift productivity and profitability.' Farmers can find out ";

S8[0]=" more about the trial and see how the Chase family use saltbush to boost beef production at an OMSB field day this Thursday, March 1 ";

S9[0]=" at 'Waitara' north of Tottenham.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The NSW DPI trial consists of 15 sets of paired paddocks which will have a five-year cyclic ";

S10[0]=" rotation of cropping for two years and pasture phase of medics and lucerne for three years.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mr Maccallum said OMSB can fill ";

S11[0]=" the feed-gap in summer and autumn when pasture is not on hand by providing high protein, green feed for sheep and cattle but their nutritional ";

S12[0]=" needs must be managed.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'It's not a stand-alone feed so stock need additional dry grass in the paddock or grain to maximise ";

S13[0]=" production,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; OMSB is drought tolerant with deep roots taking advantage of groundwater and reducing salinity.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It also ";

S14[0]=" allows regeneration of native grass in the alleys and boosts biodiversity.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Information about saltbush establishment and management will be available and Yanco-based ";

S15[0]=" NSW DPI livestock officer, Geoff Duddy, will discuss animal nutrition at the Graze & Graze OMSB Field Day... ";

R[1]="1713";

T[1]="Hay exporters meeting export demand";

A[1]="By ... Editor";

Dn[1]="20061130";

Dt[1]="Thursday 30 November 2006";


Acats[1]="a08a32a70";

B1[1]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Northern Territory hay producers are taking advantage of the drought across the rest of the country to meet export demand.... ";

B2[1]=" ";

B3[1]=" ";

B4[1]=" ";

B5[1]=" ";

S1[1]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Northern Territory hay producers are taking advantage of the drought across the rest of the country to meet export demand.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S2[1]=" &nbsp; Five containers of hay are on their way to Korea and Japan.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Territory's Agricultural Association spokesman, Mal Bishop, says transport ";

S3[1]=" costs have stopped them developing an interstate market but there is strong interest in their tropical varieties.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'This year is a really ";

S4[1]=" good year to be pushing it because of the dry season down south and in the eastern states,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'There is ";

S5[1]=" a big shortfall of hay down there, so they're looking outside their area for other options and we can grow hay up here every year, ";

S6[1]=" no dramas at all.'.. ";

R[2]="1626";

T[2]="Call for Australian farmers to heed the need for feed";

A[2]="By ... Editor";

Dn[2]="20061108";

Dt[2]="Wednesday 8 November 2006";

Acats[2]="a32";

B1[2]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Changing world population and income dynamics offer opportunities for Australian feed grain producers and manufacturers and signal a potential for change in ";

B2[2]="the mix of Australian grain production... ";

B3[2]=" ";

B4[2]=" ";

B5[2]=" ";

S1[2]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Changing world population and income dynamics offer opportunities for Australian feed grain producers and manufacturers and signal a potential for change in ";

S2[2]=" the mix of Australian grain production.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Speaking at the GRDC-supported 'Focus on Pulses in the Feed Industry' symposium, Rabobank's Ingrid Richardson painted ";

S3[2]=" a picture of a mature old world market and a rapidly developing Chinese and southern Asian market offering fresh opportunities for Australia.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S4[2]=" Ms Richardson told the symposium that with birth rates in the developed world in decline, global population growth would be centred on developing countries.<BR> &nbsp; ";

S5[2]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; 'That doesn't automatically result in a proportionate increase in demand but the combination of population growth and rising gross domestic production in countries ";

S6[2]=" like China and India will lead to a significant increase in demand for dairy and meat products,' she said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'China in particular ";

S7[2]=" shows the greatest combination of population and income growth.' At present China is our third-largest agricultural export market, while Indonesia holds fifth place.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S8[2]=" &nbsp; Saying that China and east Asia were the markets of the future, Ms Richardson said that the increasing demand for food would not be ";


S9[2]=" centred on grain but on higher-value products such as oil, meat and sugar.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This demand would have to be satisfied, she said, ";

S10[2]=" without a significant increase in the availability of arable land.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Expect the production of animal protein, particularly poultry, to grow,' she said.<BR> ";

S11[2]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'It's the higher value foods such as meat that are most responsive to changes in income.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'In developed countries ";

S12[2]=" animal production accounts for more than half of all agricultural production.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In developing countries it's only a third but already Brazil and ";

S13[2]=" China are leading the push to increase poultry production.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Any global growth in animal production will have to be matched by a ";

S14[2]=" growth in demand for feed grains and that offers opportunities for Australia.' Suggesting that a global trend towards biofuels would also impact on the feed ";

S15[2]=" grain market, Ms Richardson said that within the next five years as much as 25% of the United States corn crop would be diverted to ";

S16[2]=" the production of ethanol.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The knock-on effect would be rising grain prices, pressure on the US beef and dairy industries and the ";

S17[2]=" opening of world feed grain markets once the preserve of the US... ";

R[3]="1473";

T[3]="Stock feed, this year and next";

A[3]="By ... Editor";

Dn[3]="20061002";

Dt[3]="Monday 2 October 2006";

Acats[3]="a32";

B1[3]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pastures in the South West have responded to good growing conditions in August, producing a lot of dry matter in the last ";

B2[3]="month... ";

B3[3]=" ";

B4[3]=" ";

B5[3]=" ";

S1[3]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pastures in the South West have responded to good growing conditions in August, producing a lot of dry matter in the last ";

S2[3]=" month.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  Department of Agriculture and Food development officer Bill Smart said although the growth comes from a very low feed base, ";

S3[3]=" there was still potential this season for average production and yield.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  Mr Smart said cattle producers who depended on pasture feed ";

S4[3]=" and conserved fodder should budget feed requirements from now until after the next break of season.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'If a feed budget has ";

S5[3]=" been done for the herd, producers may get through, but probably with no feed in reserve,' Mr Smart said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'Fodder will ";

S6[3]=" be in short supply and at high price next summer and autumn.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There is unlikely to be a lot of hay for ";

S7[3]=" sale in the South West, no lupins on the commercial market and probably very little cereal grain.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'Export hay might be ";

S8[3]=" available, particularly if rejected for export.'  Mr Smart said it was now time to maximise pasture production and fodder conservation and consider increasing the ";

S9[3]=" area cut for hay and silage.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'Producers need to grow as much forage as possible and consider using spring fertilisers containing ";

S10[3]=" nitrogen, potassium and sulphur, depending on results of soil or tissue tests,' he said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'It is probably better to invest now ";

S11[3]=" in growing feed with some certainty and having feed supply assured, rather than carrying the funds forward in the hope that feed can be purchased ";


S12[3]=" next autumn.'  Mr Smart said pasture should be cut at the most nutritious growth stage (about 30% head emergence of grasses) to give stock ";

S13[3]=" more feed value from high quality conserved feed.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  He said topdressing grazing pastures would encourage more green feed, allowing a smaller ";

S14[3]=" area to be grazed and a larger area to be cut for conserved feed.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  Under good spring growing conditions 1 kg ";

S15[3]=" of nitrogen should grow at least 15 kg of dry matter.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'Nitrogen should be applied to selected paddocks that are not ";

S16[3]=" overloaded with clover nitrogen, have good growth potential and are still in the vegetative growing phase,' Mr Smart said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Be prepared to ";

S17[3]=" wait up to a month for the full growth benefit.'.. ";

R[4]="1433";

T[4]="Feed testing service to help farmers through drought";

A[4]="By ... Editor";

Dn[4]="20060927";

Dt[4]="Wednesday 27 September 2006";

Acats[4]="a32a84";

B1[4]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A comprehensive feed testing service has been set up that will help the State's farmers manage drought by accurately measuring livestock feed ";

B2[4]="quality... ";

B3[4]=" ";

B4[4]=" ";

B5[4]=" ";

S1[4]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A comprehensive feed testing service has been set up that will help the State's farmers manage drought by accurately measuring livestock feed ";

S2[4]=" quality.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Feed Quality Service, based at Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, is another tool farmers will be able to use to help ";

S3[4]=" their livestock through the ongoing drought.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Developed by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), this new service allows livestock producers to compare ";

S4[4]=" feeds on their nutritional value and value for money.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This is especially important during drought when livestock producers are buying in significant ";

S5[4]=" amounts of fodder at a high cost.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Feed costs account for a high proportion of total input costs in many livestock enterprises, ";

S6[4]=" so they are therefore a major driver of profitability.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Testing of animal feeds is an essential element in livestock management to minimise ";

S7[4]=" costs and maximise profits.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The NSW DPI had been promoting the laboratory testing of feedstuffs through programs like Prograze and TopFodder Silage ";

S8[4]=" for many years as part of standard management practice.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This becomes even more important as our livestock systems intensify, and use of ";

S9[4]=" supplementary feeds increases.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The NSW DPI has developed a range of packages that are tailored to the producer's needs, whether he or ";

S10[4]=" she is using pasture, hay, silage, grains or mixed rations.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; This new service is competitively priced and will provide a rapid turnaround ";

S11[4]=" for results, generally within five working days.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Feed Quality Service can be contacted 02 6938 1999... ";

R[5]="1044";

T[5]="Climate change disrupts fisheries";

A[5]="By ... Editor";


Dn[5]="20060708";

Dt[5]="Saturday 8 July 2006";

Acats[5]="a32a42a89";

B1[5]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tasmania's fisheries and agriculture industries are in jeopardy because of climate change, says a report released yesterday.... ";

B2[5]=" ";

B3[5]=" ";

B4[5]=" ";

B5[5]=" ";

S1[5]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tasmania's fisheries and agriculture industries are in jeopardy because of climate change, says a report released yesterday.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The report ";

S2[5]=" warns warming ocean waters could threaten Tasmania's abalone and rock lobster industries as well as farmed and wild fish stocks.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  Temperature ";

S3[5]=" rises could also hit the state's dairy farms, vineyards and orchards.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The report by climate change expert Melanie Fitzpatrick, commissioned by the ";

S4[5]=" Australian Greens, shows climate change is already affecting Tasmania's environment and economy.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Greens Senator Christine Milne said all sectors of the state ";

S5[5]=" needed to focus urgently on how to adapt to the changes and to minimise their impacts.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The report, The Impact of a ";

S6[5]=" Changing Climate on Industry Sectors, warns that the $150million abalone industry is in jeopardy because rising water temperatures along the East Coast has introduced the ";

S7[5]=" long-spined sea urchin, which is devastating kelp forests needed by abalone.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The report says the East Coast has already seen a 1C ";

S8[5]=" rise in surface ocean temperature since 1940, and further rises could hurt the Atlantic salmon farming industry... ";

R[6]="848";

T[6]="Aflatoxin warning on feeding drought affected peanut hay to animals";

A[6]="By ... Editor";

Dn[6]="20060607";

Dt[6]="Wednesday 7 June 2006";

Acats[6]="a03a32";

B1[6]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Continuing dry times in the Burnett is leading the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries to issue an alert to livestock owners ";

B2[6]="on the dangers of aflatoxin poisoning of animals from some baled peanut hay... ";

B3[6]=" ";

B4[6]=" ";

B5[6]=" ";

S1[6]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Continuing dry times in the Burnett is leading the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries to issue an alert to livestock owners ";

S2[6]=" on the dangers of aflatoxin poisoning of animals from some baled peanut hay.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DPI&F principal development extension officer Greg Mills said producers ";

S3[6]=" purchasing baled peanut hay to feed livestock are advised to read the DPI&F note 'Avoid aflatoxin poisoning of livestock' to ensure they were aware of ";

S4[6]=" the dangers of feeds which may contain high levels of aflatoxins.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Aflatoxin is a serious problem in rain-fed peanut crops in the ";


S5[6]=" Burnett region and one which the industry minimises in nut production by advanced growing, harvesting and drying practices plus price penalties and stringent grading.<BR> &nbsp; ";

S6[6]=" &nbsp; &nbsp; 'However aflatoxin contamination increases in drought periods when plant defences are weakened.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Livestock owners should be aware of the risks ";

S7[6]=" of providing feeds from baled hay from failed peanut crops affected by continuing dry conditions.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  'We don't want to restrict any ";

S8[6]=" farmer's incomes from trying to recover the costs of a failed crop through hay sales, but purchasers need to be aware of the risks to ";

S9[6]=" their livestock from aflatoxin contamination,' Mr Mills said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He said peanut hay derived from higher yielding irrigated peanut production will have little ";

S10[6]=" or no incidence of aflatoxins if grown to maturity and harvested under favourable conditions.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Aflatoxin is not produced in stems and leaves ";

S11[6]=" of peanut crops but attached pods in the peanut hay are the major source.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Any practice to get rid of pods in ";

S12[6]=" hay should result in a significant reduction of aflatoxin risk.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mr Mills said aflatoxin in feed can poison livestock if enough is ";

S13[6]=" consumed and low concentrations can produce residues in milk and meat.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Drought and high temperatures can increase aflatoxin content of peanut by-products, ";

S14[6]=" maize and sorghum and contamination increases rapidly if these are not kept in dry storage.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He said livestock owners who are purchasing ";

S15[6]=" grain or mixed feeds or peanut by-products should seek a written assurance from suppliers that the material meets regulated standards for aflatoxin and any chemical ";

S16[6]=" residues.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mr Mills said to minimise the risk of residues in milk, peanut meals and peanut hay (where as many pods as ";

S17[6]=" possible have been removed during thrashing) should comprise no more than 10 per cent of the total diet of dairy cows.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S18[6]=" If the hay is to be fed to mature beef cattle, it is not wise to exceed 25 per cent in the total diet and ";

S19[6]=" feeding to cattle within two weeks of slaughter should be avoided... ";