The state government has increased fees and charges for firearm owners, dealers and repairers by 7-15 per cent. Is that fair?

Australia's banks are now obligated to take extra care with farmer customers in extenuating circumstances. Is that happening? The banking code of practice is being reviewed and Australian Banking Association wants your feedback.

Is it a big deal to stop a grain ship from berthing at a WA port based on COVID concerns?

Genetically modified safflower could soon be grown all over Australia to produce biodegradable engine lubricant.

Speed camera technology is being used to fight weeds. The light detection scanners map the surface of crops and track where weeds will pop up.

The Western Australian government is offering up to $100,000 to help landholders overcome financial barriers to entering the carbon market.

Australia's wheat exports for May reached a record value. Today grain market analyst Malcolm Bartholomaeus offers his thoughts on why and what the future holds for grain prices.

Challa Station in WA's Murchison region is having a wet winter for once and the owners can't stop smiling.

How to add value to the honey industry is the key focus of this week's Australasian Honey Bee Conference. The two day event was due to be held in Perth and was set to be one of the largest gatherings of honey researchers in Australasia. But COVID restrictions changed those plans and the conference was held online. DPIRD says when it comes to honey exports, WA punches well above its weight.

Australian Wool Innovation has a new chair at the helm with the appointment of Jock Laurie. He's been on the board since 2015, is a past president of the National Farmers Federation and the NSW Farmers Association and farms at Walcha on the Northern Tablelands in NSW.

Key players in the farm sector believe labour shortage issues are about to get worse, with changes to the working holiday maker visa. Under the changes, from March next year, visa holders can extend their stay for a second or third year by taking on a job in tourism or hospitality in remote parts of the country.

If you haven't locked in all of your fertiliser, you've probably noticed the price of urea has skyrocketed, and some long wait times to get your hands on some product. It's all due to the ongoing freight and logistics challenges for sea freight, high coal and gas prices, which are used to manufacture urea and the very strong demand.

A team of international scientists has found a way to possibly increase barley yield in hot, dry conditions using genome editing.

The WA grains industry says the worker shortage has farming families stretched to the limit and there are real concerns about the health and safety of staff working around the clock to maintain the crops through to harvest.

Tight global supplies and strong demand won't be enough to drive canola prices back to recent record highs. That's the view of Senior Grains and Oilseeds analyst at Rabo Research Cheryl Kalisch-Gordon.

WA Premier Mark McGowan says the government will support an inquiry into the safety of women working on mine sites. It comes after two BHP workers were charged with sexual penetration over separate incidents, and FMG revealed it was assisting police investigating an incident of alleged indecent assault.

The future of the proposed Southern Forests Irrigation Scheme is now uncertain with the CSIRO saying the water modelling that underpins the scheme is outdated and falls short of today's scientific understanding of climate change. The CSIRO review was an election commitment, by the McGowan Government, in response to ongoing community concern about the project. The $70 million proposal involves damming a tributary of the Donnelly River near Manjimup, about 300 kilometres south of Perth, in a bid to increase food production in the region. Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan says the government is now reviewing the report to decide whether the scheme will go ahead as is, be reworked, or scrapped.

WA grain growers are concerned about the damage they're seeing in some crops ... and believe it's the result of spraying with the new pre-emergent herbicide Overwatch. The growers say barley crops have been hardest hit although there's also damage to off-target crops such as lupins and some pastures. Despite the concerns, WA grain growers are backing Overwatch, saying it's a brilliant product.

Robust debate over a couple of agricultural issues in the legislative council at parliament house in Perth yesterday. The opposition questioned the government about its commitment to developing three business cases for the tier three grain lines in WA. The other hot topic of debate was about amendments to the Agricultural Produce Commission Act. The APC allows producers to form committees and charge a "fee for service" which can be used for a range of things like compensation in a natural disaster, to control pests and diseases, research and to expand markets. Up until now it's mainly been used by the horticulture industry and broadacre and pastoral areas are excluded. Under the amendments, as recommended by lobby group WAFarmers, broadacre will now be included, with an opt out clause.