We get the latest from the Wagga Thursday sheep sales with James Tierney from Riverina Livestock Agents and whilst there's positive news there, Monday's cattle sales were in the doldrums. Why? We pick James' brain on what might be going on and where there might be positives for livestock producers in the region during 2023.

Senior climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology Dr Andrew Watkins updates FlowFM listeners in south-eastern Australia particularly farmers and other regional listeners on what their current long range forecast is indicating concerning the recently dominant La Nina and negative Indian Ocean Dipole pattern and what the Bureau is observing in long-term changes in those dominant weather systems due to climate change.

A lot of the hot topics from 2022 are still with us in early 2023 including the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and high input prices, but as Episode3.Net's Andrew Whitelaw explains, it's a mystery why some international easing on input price costs doesn't necessarily flow straight through to Australian producers. We also discuss the high cost of diesel squeezing returns for Australian cropping farmers.

Tracing sheep and lambs using electronic identification got a leg-up during 2022 due in no small part to the concerns Foot and Mouth Disease could find its way into Australia via Indonesia, and the implementation work continues involving Sheep Producers Australia's CEO Bonnie Skinner. We talk about where the costs of that plan might ultimately be borne, what the peak body has been supporting in research and development into preventing lamb mortality, discuss potential processing bottlenecks due to a backlog of visa processing ... and did Bonnie get some lamb on her fork during Australia Day celebrations?

The member for Flinders in South Australia's west already had a lot on his radar as a local MP including growing antisocial behaviour concerns in Ceduna, but with new shadow responsibilities for policing Sam Telfer talks with FlowFM about alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour concerns in Coober Pedy, the encouraging SA population growth data reported recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and why he's pushing for an additional Doppler radar in the Eyre Peninsula 'black spot' so local farmers and emergency services can better prepare for and respond to adverse weather conditions.

We speak with the shadow agriculture minister Mick Veitch MLC on the extent to which NSW Labor's pledges for a fully independent agriculture commissioner would match what the NSW Farmers Association are seeking this election, but how they would stop land use conflicts such as those seen in Gunnedah recently between farmers and miners, and with the HumeLink project.

From the Wagga aerodrome improvements to a tourist-attracting light show, the deputy premier was in Wentworth sharing a host of government announcements investing in the south western NSW town in the electorate of Murray, held by independent Helen Dalton. We discuss with NSW National Party leader Paul Toole (pictured centre) where the NSW Nationals are at on pokie reform and how - and why - that differs from their coalition partner, the NSW Liberals.

With a state election on 25 March 2023 we speak with the member for Albury Justin Clancy, his electorate includes the Federation Council and we discuss the impacts of local flooding, the impending likely recess of the Corowa Rutherglen Football and Netball Club for 2023 due to flood damage, and grants received and now available for community groups, councils and others to improve community facilities and programs.We also discuss the challenging cropping harvest farmers have been completing, the potential for mouse numbers to rise again and when it comes to roads, ensuring they are built back to a better standard a.k.a. 'betterment' so they don't go out during the next flood.

The South Australian Liberal Party's shadow cabinet is visiting the South East based in Mount Gambier this week and we caught up with the shadow minister for regional health services, ageing, preventative health and wellbeing about her new portfolio roles, mental health and suicide prevention. We discuss the potential hidden mental health struggle under the recent record grain harvest, the New Year change to the Patient Assisted Transport Scheme rebate and what regional South Australians are telling her their health policy concerns are.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (and SMS service 0477 13 11 14) Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 - www.beyondblue.org.au

The Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific speaks with local broadcaster in his Riverina electorate, FlowFM the morning of the comments by the Australian Foreign Minister in The Guardian in a thinly veiled attack on his former government's diplomatic efforts in the Indo-Pacific. Michael McCormack, member for Riverina (pictured centre) talks about the state of local roads, farewells a local footy icon and says local business owners should be very worried about federal treasurer Jim Chalmers' recent essay to recast the federal government's approach to the economy.

Read more: https://www.flownews24.com.au/post/mccormack-defends-coalition-s-indo-pacific-diplomacy-after-wong-s-dig