R[0]="1758";

T[0]="Pacific Seeds Chosen by EGA as Preferred Partner";

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

Dn[0]="20061206";

Dt[0]="Wednesday 6 December 2006";

Acats[0]="a83";

B1[0]="      Wheat-breeding joint venture Enterprise Grains Australia (EGA) has signalled Pacific Seeds as the preferred commercial partner to support a national wheat breeding ";

B2[0]="program that accelerates the delivery of superior varieties to Australian farmers, with a particular focus on New South Wales and Queensland wheat growers... ";

B3[0]=" ";

B4[0]=" ";

B5[0]=" ";

S1[0]="      Wheat-breeding joint venture Enterprise Grains Australia (EGA) has signalled Pacific Seeds as the preferred commercial partner to support a national wheat breeding ";

S2[0]=" program that accelerates the delivery of superior varieties to Australian farmers, with a particular focus on New South Wales and Queensland wheat growers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S3[0]=" &nbsp; The decision follows a call for expressions of interest from companies which share EGA's objective of delivering elite varieties to growers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S4[0]=" EGA is a partnership between the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Grains Research and Development Corporation ";

S5[0]=" (GRDC).<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  EGA Chairman, Professor Beth Woods, said discussions have commenced to determine details for the alliance.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'The proposal ";

S6[0]=" is for EGA to license germplasm to Pacific Seeds to bolster the uptake of varieties released by the partnership', Professor Woods said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S7[0]=" 'EGA already has an excellent scientific and technical base in existing government partners in both NSW and QLD,' Professor Woods said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'The ";

S8[0]=" inclusion of a commercial partner will allow EGA to focus on the strategic investment in the pre-breeding development of important agronomic and quality traits for ";

S9[0]=" Northern and Eastern Australian growers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  Pacific Seeds began Australian operations from Biloela in Queensland in 1962, and has since expanded nation-wide ";

S10[0]=" and developed a significant export business.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pacific Seeds Wheat Business Manager, Dr.Brian Hare, said the company is willing to make a long-term ";

S11[0]=" commitment to the alliance.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'We have the experience and expertise in plant breeding, seed production, marketing and distribution to deliver EGA's new ";

S12[0]=" varieties to growers more effectively and efficiently.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'A joint management committee will be set up, which will allow for on-going consultation on ";

S13[0]=" the development of new varieties,' Dr.Hare said... ";

R[1]="1744";

T[1]="Seed trading announcement for crop varieties";

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

Dn[1]="20061206";

Dt[1]="Wednesday 6 December 2006";

Acats[1]="a83";

B1[1]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Department of Agriculture and Food has opened the seed trading arrangements for several varieties for Western Australian growers.... ";


B2[1]=" ";

B3[1]=" ";

B4[1]=" ";

B5[1]=" ";

S1[1]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Department of Agriculture and Food has opened the seed trading arrangements for several varieties for Western Australian growers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S2[1]="  Department commercialisation officer Tresslyn Walmsley said open trading in WA was now permitted for the following varieties:  <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Wheat ";

S3[1]=" - EGA Castle Rock, EGA Eagle Rock, EGA Jitarning;  <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * Canola - Tranby; and  <BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; * ";

S4[1]=" Lupins - Mandelup, as previously announced in August.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  Ms Walmsley said Western Australian growers were now able to undertake farmer to ";

S5[1]=" farmer trading.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Eastern States growers are still required to purchase seed from the relevant Eastern States licensee,' she said.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ";

S6[1]=" 'Growers are reminded of the biosecurity risks of purchasing seed.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Under the Seeds Act all seed sold must be accompanied by a ";

S7[1]=" seed analysis statement.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; These can be obtained by submitting a sample to Department's AGWEST Plant Laboratories.' Ms Walmsley said that end point ";

S8[1]=" royalties were payable on these varieties at the point of delivery.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;  For the trading status of other varieties, growers should check ";

S9[1]=" the Department website under Crops, or contact commercialisation officer Tresslyn Walmsley on 0404 819 543... ";

R[2]="557";

T[2]="Challenges and prospects for the seafood industry";

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

Dn[2]="20060302";

Dt[2]="Thursday 2 March 2006";

Acats[2]="a08a10a83";

B1[2]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The OUTLOOK 2006 session discussing challenges and prospects for the Australian seafood industry was opened in Canberra today by Senator the Honorable ";

B2[2]="Eric Abetz, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation... ";

B3[2]=" ";

B4[2]=" ";

B5[2]=" ";

S1[2]="&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The OUTLOOK 2006 session discussing challenges and prospects for the Australian seafood industry was opened in Canberra today by Senator the Honorable ";

S2[2]=" Eric Abetz, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ABARE speaker Peter Gooday described to delegates the current economic situation the Australian fishing ";

S3[2]=" industry finds itself in.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Edmund Barton Building Macquarie Street Barton ACT 2600 'Recent movements in fuel prices and exchange rates have shown ";

S4[2]=" how susceptible the Australian fishing industry is to changes in variables that are outside the control of managers and fishers.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; However, for ";

S5[2]=" many fisheries the key to lowering costs will be implementing effective fisheries management.' Mr Gooday reported that despite the present low profitability of many wildcaught ";

S6[2]=" fisheries, the outlook is brighter.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'The value of fisheries production is forecast to increase to $2.15 billion in 2005-06, and this is ";

S7[2]=" likely to increase further over the medium term as the Australian dollar weakens and export markets grow.' Favorable movements in key variables will coincide with ";


S8[2]=" new management arrangements for many fisheries.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paula Shoulder, AFMA, outlined the short to medium terms objectives of the management authority following the ";

S9[2]=" unprecedented Government directive of December 2005 to improve the ecological and economic viability of fisheries resources.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'We must move quickly to address ";

S10[2]=" overfishing and minimise the impacts of fishing on the marine environment.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The cornerstone of our approach to sustainability is the development and ";

S11[2]=" implementation of a Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy with clearly defined targets and reference points,' Ms Shoulder told delegates.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ms Shoulder warned delegates ";

S12[2]=" to expect the new management arrangements to be 'fairly confronting for the commercial fishing industry, not only in regards to the changes to fishing practices ";

S13[2]=" and possible reduction in catch levels, but also because the timeframe is expected to be relatively short.' Uncertainty about the state of Australia's fishing industry ";

S14[2]=" makes lending to some fishers difficult for banks, according to Bill Cordingley, Rabobank.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 'Forecasting production, sales and profits in fisheries is hard ";

S15[2]=" because these tend to highly variable and contingent on so many things.' Mr Cordingley also identified the lack of strong asset backing in some fisheries ";

S16[2]=" as causing concerns about loan security for banks.<BR> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mr Tony Smith, CSIRO, outlined the recently developed Harvest Strategy Framework and its application ";

S17[2]=" in the southern and eastern scalefish and shark fishery saying it 'provides much more certainty in the decision making process, improves incentives for industry to ";

S18[2]=" reduce discards, and also provides a clearer incentive structure for investment in monitoring and research.'.. ";