In today's National Rural News:  

**  Hope on the horizon for the nation's grain growers - with welcome rain amid costs that are dangerously close to production for several crops'

** A dead whale south of Sydney tested for H5 bird flu,

** The trucks watchdog uses a court injunction to stop a operator and their fleet in Queensland.

Plus the latest from the markets and more. 

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High voltage transmission lines have been making farmers and country firefighters angry for a long time.

With a line proposed that would connect Windfarm electricity to Melbourne and beyond, Rural reporter Gabrielle Hodson caught up with Jason Barratt - who farms at Gre Gre and is captain of the Traynors Lagoon CFA.

He says there's "no way in hell" he'd sent crews in to battle a blaze on a property where there's a massive tranmission line.

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In today's National Rural News:  

**  13 nutrition experts and social media influencers from around the world are meeting with red meat producers from Monday, with fears there's not enough focus on iron-rich foods - especially for women,

** South Australia approves the state's  first  virtual fencing company,

** Police say pregnant ewes are the latest hot target for farm thieves.

Plus the latest from the markets and more. 

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Why would someone steal sheep from a farm? 

Sadly, sheep theft on the rise - and they're stolen in bigger numbers in the one offence - which means police believe many thieves have a detailed knowledge of the industry - and have access to the trucks and equipment to make whole flocks disappear.

Rural Reporter Gabrielle Hodson caught up with Victoria Police Inspector Paul Hargreaves, who's talking on the subject this weekend at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show in Bendigo.

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In today's National Rural News:  

** New Zealand cops its first H-5 bird flu case. with a mystery WA case classified positive as a "precaution", 

** Calls for more cash to fix, strengthen and build crumbling country bridges,

** Plans to help rural and remote mechanics with issues such as EVs by using smartglasses,

Plus the latest from the markets and more. 

Subscribe to the National Rural News podcast: http://bit.ly/RuralNewsPodcast

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Do you have an old, weak or damaged bridge that's causing transport headaches? 

What happens in a bushfire - when increasingly heavy fire trucks can't cross it anymore?  

Rural Councils Victoria wants serious cash splashed on country bridges.

Rural Reporter Gabrielle Hodson caught up with deputy chair Kate Makin, who's also the Mayor of Corangamite - a south-west Victorian shire that has some seriously damaging rainfall.

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In today's National Rural News:  

** Relief in Queensland as a sick migratory bird found at Noosa tests negative to bird flu. 

** CropLife fears Australia will scare off chemical companies, under proposed cost-recovery changes to the pesticides and animal medicines agency.

** Sellers of fertilizer cope with enormous losses, as cheap urea floods in.

Plus the latest from the markets and more. 

Subscribe to the National Rural News podcast: http://bit.ly/RuralNewsPodcast

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Are we scaring off ag chemical and animal medicine compnaies? 

Unlike many OECD countries, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is not funded from general tax revenue - and has to come up with its own cost-recovery from industry.

They've come up with a proposal - with submissions due in September - but CropLife Australia CEO Matthew Cossey says it'll cause chemical companies to take their new products to bigger nations first - potentially leaving smaller markets like Australia years behind.

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In today's National Rural News:  

** $1.5 Billion is handed to investors and irrigators after water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin. 

** Farmers and truckies say Australian agricultural exports are at risk from the poor state of Victorian country roads.

** Urea for fertilizer could soon be made from old tyres - with plans to start processing in Queensland from 2029.

Plus the latest from the markets and more. 

Subscribe to the National Rural News podcast: http://bit.ly/RuralNewsPodcast

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A new foundation is aiming to help prevent families from leaving rural and remote areas - for the sake of their kids' education.

The Spirit of the Bush foundation will look at educating parents about boarding schools in the 21st century, as well as their options.

Rural reporter Gabrielle Hodson spoke with founder Amanda Ferrari about how unlocking the secrets of great boarding schools can help country communities survive and thrive.

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