Fresh from a meeting with China's ambassador to Australia, the former deputy prime minister is visiting north western Victoria's state seat of Mildura supporting Nationals candidate Jade Benham. He tells Flow listeners the Prime Minister of Australia is 'terrorising farmers and regional communities' rather than helping them contribute to the food security task he told the G20 summit Australia wants to assist with. The former water minister also says emergency powers may need to be activated to upgrade or build dams for flood mitigation, criticising state governments 'of all persuasions' for their inaction for instance on the Wyangala Dam

Inundated crops are affected anticipated grain and canola supply and quality, but farmers in the western half of the nation largely are in the box seat to get their crops off with decent quality to get good prices - if everything else remains stable - as the Ukraine-Russia grain deal faces a critical deadline on Saturday

25% per cent of big businesses are taking over 4 months - 120 days - to pay small business invoices, according to the latest analysis by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman - we speak with ombudsman Bruce Billson about the data, how long the trend has been running and what it spells for the future of small business

The shadow assistant minister for regional development and National MP for Mallee in north-western Victoria talks with Flow listeners about the impact debates in Canberra have on local communities in industrial relations, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and sourcing farm labour

From changing the recognised Israel capital from Jerusalem to locking up more regional land in national parks, the regional South Australian Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey discusses recent revelations in federal parliament on Labor's secret election pledges now being delivered upon - and the local implications of changes to industrial relations laws.

Michell Wool's Andrew Partridge discusses this week's trading activity at the Australian Wool exchange with Flow's Country Viewpoint program with prices still falling for wool producers while the Australian dollar has a slight upturn

Farmers at times can only get a few hours' work done in the paddock on getting the crop in before conditions turn sour, Grainwise's grain broker account manager Fabian Devereux tells Flow listeners.

We catch up on the latest export numbers and local trade in cattle and sheep with Episode 3's Matt Dalgleish, as he warns a labour shortage in meat processing may be looming

We discuss with the NSW Irrigators Council's Claire Miller the latest in floodplain harvesting regulation and metering, the prosecution level from the relatively new Natural Resources Access Regulator in NSW and the status of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan with nature providing cause for pause on thoughts about buybacks versus efficiency measures

... responding to claims about her voting record in her first term in office representing the north western Victorian seat of Mildura, Ali Cupper talks with Flow about advocating for a greater share of state and federal funding for two regional councils in her electorate faced in one case with 90 roads needing repair. We also discuss the Murray Basin Rail Project and past inertia from the major parties on this priority project for north western regional Victorians.