Sellers of Australian farm land will have to demonstrate they've given local buyers a chance to purchase it under new foreign ownership rules, Moves to establish a directly-elected representative body for the grass fed cattle industry may have suffered a blow with the recent shock withdrawal of the peak industry council, but the process will continue, Small companies who rely heavily on Thomas Foods International for income can now access business help, to help them continue operating until TFI rebuilds its Murray bridge abattoir, Photographs of naked Australian farmers are being used to promote awareness of agricultural industries and rural mental health issues.

Wine and wool are tipped to lead the way in a year of forecasted growth across the farm sector according to Rabobank's latest outlook, Dry conditions in cattle heartlands and the ongoing efforts to rebuild the national herd, is expected to create a tight beef supply in 2018 according to MLA, The chair of the 2018 WoolPoll Panel says it's not the panel's roll to decide if the levy wool producers pay, which is currently 2 per cent, needs to be changed, A $3.7 million agricultural research centre has opened in Clare, previous facilities in the region no longer provided the capability required to meet research needs

Biosecurity Queensland has confirmed it is now investigating three more cases of Queensland fruit fly being found in mangoes sent to South Australia, after the recall of 8000 trays late last year, Biosecurity SA says it has stepped up export rules for mangoes coming into the state from Queensland, due to a spate of recent incursions of Queensland fruit fly, Graziers around Broken Hill are battling drought conditions, and are having to destock and pipe water long distances, In a win for animal welfare the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has agreed to allow bigger B-Doubles from Western Australia to cross the South Australian border.

South Australian Vic Patrick awarded an OAM for his work in the wine industry, A researcher who has developed new strains of wheat to cope with drier conditions has been recognised as the Senior Australian of the Year, Big Moo Poo for charity in the South East, The prospect of sealing the Strzelecki Track has been the talk of farmers and truck drivers who rely on the track, A major aspect of the so-called 'post-conflict period' in Colombia is convincing farmers to stop growing coca - the essential crop for cocaine - and instead grow crops for food.

The Bureau of Meteorology says that the next three months will be wetter than average for most of WA, small patches in the tropical north, and the far southeast of the country, The state's peak livestock body, Livestock SA, has put out it's wish list for the upcoming state election, The hot summer is creating headaches for some dairy farmers and milk processors - affecting the ability of milk to froth, An Eyre Peninsula oyster-hatchery is set to expand to help counter a shortage of spat due to a disease hitting Tasmanian-growers.

The Australian farm sector hopes the absence of the US from a new trade deal will give them a competitive advantage in key markets, This week the Indian government of the major export partner agreed to give the Australian Grains Industry forewarning of future tariffs, but have not budged on the surprise 30 per cent tariff on imports of chickpeas and lentils applied one month ago, An increase in wild dogs has been seen across the Far West with some graziers reporting killing up to ten dogs a day, Leigh Creek Energy has responded to critics who say the proposed coal gasification project at Leigh Creek could cause too much damage to the environment.

Premier Weatherill is on a tour of South Australia ahead of the election, and says his government is not ignoring rural SA despite comments last year, Grain Producers SA release their election wish list, with a focus on supply chain and better infrastructure, Teys Australia has unveiled plans for a green energy upgrade to their Naracoorte facility which has been brought forward to accommodate staff and cattle displaced by the Thomas Foods International Murray Bridge fire.

The State Government, opposition and SA Best have all committed funding to seal the Strzelecki Track, The National Farmers Federation is lobbying the government to finalise new free trade agreements in Asia and Europe, The Victorian water minister Lisa Neville has dismissed an independent report that says an extra 450 gigalitres of water could be returned to the Murray-Darling basin with no ill effect, A Port Lincoln apiarist says it is frustrating to hear that more bee hives have been stolen in South Australia and it is a big issue in the bee keeping industry, It's been over five years since the State Government introduced Marine Parks around the state, in an effort to preserve biodiversity, representatives are adamant the parks are good for fishing, but some stakeholders don't agree.

Irrigators are being forced to ramp-up up their irrigation practices as the second day of extreme temperatures hit regional parts of the state, The State Government is playing down media reports that a foreign owner wants to buy the Port of Adelaide, It's been discussed in both honey and wine, and now Australia's olive industry is the latest to potentially be impacted in a debate around geographic identification, Crop scientists have welcomed proposed changes that would see some genetic engineering technologies de-regulated in Australia.

If elected in March the Liberal Opposition says it will invest 10 million dollars to fix the worst mobile black spots across regional South Australia, The Chairman of China's biggest wine producer says he expects Australia to surpass France as the largest exporter of wine to China, An Australian fine wool apparel brand says wool producers need to play a bigger role in the fibre's manufacturing process and this will help in the long run if the bottom drops out of the wool market.