Protestors confronted West Australian Premier Mark McGowan and his cabinet ministers in Bunbury yesterday over controversial plans to explore for gas in the south west, with farmers fearful exploration could devalue their property, the Premier says he will not ban all mining, but fracking has been banned in the region

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union has hit back at a proposal by mining giant BHP to introduce "smart caps" that monitor brain waves and fatigue; it says BHP should improve its culture, rather than rely on technology to alert workers

One of the largest prawn farms in the world, Project Sea Dragon, has taken another step closer to construction on Monday with the Northern Territory Government issuing a non-pastoral use permit for stage one of the $2 billion project, which sits on Legune Station on the WA-NT border

A pastoral family in the Murchison region has almost finished building a 150 kilometre wild dog proof fence on their property; the family hopes the fence will allow them to once again run sheep, which at the moment is too high risk due to the prevalence of wild dog attacks

When Queensland Country Hour recently shared photos of tonnes of tomatoes left rotting in a field because they were not perfect enough to sell to supermarkets, there was an outcry from hundreds of people, which culminated in one woman setting up an online platform for people to share, swap, or sell spare farm and garden produce

Veteran firefighter of 60 years experience, Ravensthorpe Chief Bushfire Control Officer Rod Daw says modern, automated agricultural machines could be lulling drivers into a false sense of security and resulting in more frequent header fires

Great Southern Superintendent for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Wayne Green says he does not want to see a repeat of last year when there were 15 header fires in the Great Southern

Brett Lewis Jackson is a rodeo rider with big dreams; he is trying to get to the US to get the sort of training and guidance required to be a pro cowboy and he is currently being supported by the Australian Bushman's Campdraft and Rodeo Association to compete in events around the country

Pastoralists in the north of Western Australia say the fire season in the region is the worst it's been in a decade due to the strong wet season, which left a lot of fuel for fires around the Kimberley region

A $7 million processing facility for citrus was officially opened at Bindoon today, West Australian stone fruit set for a good season, a seven million dollar research and training glass-house has been built by the University of Western Sydney, Water run-off from irrigated farms in Kununurra is being blamed for the death of around 30 fish in the Ord catchment creeks, prawns a plenty in 2017 but size will be smaller, the wool market hits a record high, young West Australian agricultural researcher received tall poppy science award, returning to hedges; re creating Australia's earliest forms of livestock fencing, AWI trip costs revelations and stud ram breeders reap benefits of high wool prices.

A vet consultant based in Indonesia describes the situation for live cattle importers and feedlotters as 'diabolical' due to current high prices for Australian cattle and the availability of much cheaper Indian buffalo

Cattle exporter Patrick Underwood from the North Australian Cattle Company sends stock to Indonesia and does not think the outlook is as bleak as the picture Dr Ainsworth has just painted, but he admits the Indonesian feedlotters are struggling

Long-standing Australian Wool Innovation director David Webster has backed the embattled leadership of the peak marketing and research body amid accusations of a toxic culture and has rejected farmer calls for an overhaul of the grower and taxpayer funded group

In an unprecedented move this week, lobby group WAFarmers has publicly backed two nominees for the AWI board; in a clear sign of frustration with how things are being run, the group is supporting two of the candidates that have not been endorsed by the current board

New CBH Group CEO Jimmy Wilson says grower shareholders can expect him to deliver simplicity, reduced costs and "a much more focussed" organisation as he sets out on his first few months into the role

Australian grain production is down 40 per cent in 2017, year-on-year due to the dry start and frost, a new report from rural lending specialist Rabobank details

Long standing Perth-based Australian Wool Innovation director David Webster has rejected outright the claims that AWI has a "toxic culture" and says the inroads the organisations marketing campaign in China has resulted in steady pricing and demand for growers

One of Western Australia's largest wool producers is fuming after being sent a letter by the Australian Wool Exchange asking to provide proof he has used pain relief when mulesing lambs, but a spokesman from AWEX says the check up is just standard procedure

West Australian renewable energy company EMC Solutions says there is a growing appetite among pastoralists to go off the grid for more reliable and efficient power and is set to start a micro-grid trial with 10 cattle stations in the Pilbara and Kimberley

The Western Australian office of consumer protection is investigating reports that an independent auditor for the Gascoyne Water Cooperative resigned just before handing down his annual report

The first cargo of liquefied natural gas has been shipped from Chevron's Wheatstone project in the Pilbara, bound for Japan; the project is worth US$34 billion and at full capacity will export 8.9 million tonnes of LNG a year to Asia

School of the Air parents say they have been forced to fundraise aggressively in order to be able to fund basic services like camps and teacher home visits due to funding cuts and there are some families are choosing to leave the system altogether

Drought and wild dog attacks have crippled the wool industry in western Queensland over the past six years, but as prices rise, so too does the optimism among producers, many of whom were considering leaving the industry

This year the wool market has exceeded all expectations, with record high prices and many in the industry are hoping this could be the start of another golden era

Queensland Nationals senator Matt Canavan was sworn back in on Friday to resume control of the Resources and Northern Australia portfolios, and has rejected suggestions his party is at war with their Coalition partners, the Liberals

A leader in the Tongan Australian community has wept as she described the atrocious conditions of seasonal workers on farms in Australia during a forum at Mildura that coincides with the Parliamentary hearing into tackling modern slavery

Pilgangoora lithium mine is yet to start production, but the operator Pilbara Minerals has signed an off-take agreement with China's Great Wall Motor Company for 75,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate over five years

A farming community near Busselton cut and baled silage for a local dairy farmer who, at just 45, has just found out he has prostate cancer; his mates wanted to help out and raise awareness

Hay bales might not seem dangerous, but in recent years they have increased dramatically in size and are heavy enough to kill in a split-second if they fall on top of you, which is why many are trying to raise awareness

Western Australia's rodeo community has banded together to save a popular event after the organiser lost his wife to leukemia and felt he couldn't continue on his own, but a new team will allow it to continue

About 250 sheep died in a truck accident this morning near Dandaragan in Western Australia's Mid West region; it is understood the driver is okay, but almost half of the 660 stock the B Double was carrying were badly injured and had to be put down

A new caesium mine, 30 km north of Norseman will become only the third project of its kind once it is up and running in the next six months; the rare metal is used to lubricate oil and gas drilling equipment and is often found in the same deposit as lithium

The Yougawalla Pastoral Company, based in the Kimberley, has found a new owner in Hong Kong based businessman Hui Wing Mau, in a deal thought to be worth $70 million that covers Yougawalla Station, Bulka Station and Margaret River Station

The ban on beef from six Australian abattoirs entering China has been lifted with the Federal Government announcing the ban, which began back in July, will now cease and exports from some of Australia's biggest beef traders can resume

There has been mixed reviews to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's decision to take on the agriculture and water portfolios as Barnaby Joyce seeks re-election, with some welcoming the change and others saying it relegates the important regional ministries to second rate considerations

The Ord River District Cooperative says a new $3 million federal grant will help growers establish a "game-changing" cotton industry, with the grant helping to fund an $11.7 million research project that looks at growing commercial scale irrigated cotton, grain and forage crops in the Ord Valley

Embattled Indian sandalwood company Quintis has once again requested its voluntary suspension from the stock market be extended, this time through to November 30

Fremantle Dockers player Hayden Ballantyne usually does his best work on the footy field, but he has now been recognised for the performance of his livestock with his Speckle Park heifers taking out a 2017 Grand Champion prize in at the Brunswick Agricultural Show

The only commercial trout fishery in Western Australia is about to start selling fresh fish to Singapore after customers who by the operation's marron began asking for trout as well; there is a hope that proximity to Asia will play in its favour

Boutique garlic grower Ian Rowland from New South Wales says he is trialling many different varieties through markets

South east New South Wales wool grower Fred Whitby is 94-years-old and reflects on his life in the industry; he was there in the boom years in the 1950s, and he was there when the industry hit rock bottom in the 90s

Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Nationals Barnaby Joyce has been disqualified from Parliament after the High Court delivered its decisions on the fate of Mr Joyce and six senators today due to questions over their eligibility to sit in Parliament due to their citizenship status

Europe is on the cusp of deciding whether to extend the licence for the herbicide glyphosate, or whether to phase it out over a period of five years, but University of Western Australia professor Stephen Powles says farmers in Australia should be concerned about the effectiveness of campaigns calling for it to be banned

A new Australian Manuka Honey Association is fighting against a renewed push by New Zealand to trademark "manuka honey", the group formed off the back of a meeting in Melbourne last month, as New Zealand producers began to apply for exclusive trademarks for the manuka name in five countries, including Australia and China

After weeks of speculation, Australian dairy processor Murray Goulburn has accepted a takeover offer from Canadian company Saputo for $1.3 billion and the decision is now up to shareholders and suppliers to decide whether they will accept the offer or fight to keep the Australian owned co-operative

The Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen's Association conference has attracted pastoralists from right across the northern cattle industry this week and, as Courtney Fowler reports, producers are learning about effective feedlot performance and the potential for a significant cotton industry in the region

The Minister for Agriculture and Food Alannah MacTiernan was also in the Kimberley on Friday to hand over a finalised lease agreement to the company developing stage two of the Ord Irrigation Scheme; it is a significant development for the project that has been five years in the making

Former prominent Northern Territory cattleman Peter Sherwin has ventured back into the Top End cattle market with the purchase of a station in the Gulf of Carpentaria at 93 years of age

Europe has delayed a decision on whether or not to ban the use of the herbicide glyphosate just a day after members of the EU Parliament voted for a phase out over five years

It has been a slow start to harvest for the Kwinana Zone and things are yet to pick up in the Geraldton Zone, but they certainly got busy in Esperance towards the end of last week and at the weekend

The Federal Department of Agriculture has no way of knowing how many sheep died on an Emanuel Export livestock ship on a voyage to the Middle East last year, despite a formal investigation

Western Australia's wild caught abalone industry has just received Marine Stewardship Council accreditation, which makes it the first abalone fishery in the world to receive MSC approval for sustainability

Avocado exporter from the south west of Western Australia, Jennie Franceschi, has been named the 2017 Telstra Western Australian Business Woman of the Year, which puts her alongside alumni like Australia's wealthiest woman Gina Rinehart

The State Government will contribute $550,000 to help enclose a vast swathe of country, in a wild dog proof cell fence as part of the Murchison Regional Vermin Cell

The Minister for Agriculture has also announced the Potato Growers Association of WA will direct its members to accept their share of Potato Marketing Corporation funds that were recovered from a legal trust after actions against Perth businesman Tony Galati

Digital technology is transforming the mining industry so quickly, that many in the sector is fearful there will not be enough qualified people for the new jobs that are created, and it has prompted mining giant Rio Tinto to try to come up with a course that will fill the gap

Nationals senators are calling for major reforms within all levels of the Australian wool industry after Australian Wool Innovation leadership faced a grilling in Senate Estimates because they say AWI has lost the trust of the farmers and tax payers who fund the organisation

Kalgoorlie's annual Diggers and Dealers mining forum has new owners; after 27 years of being run by the Stokes family, it has sold its shareholding to Sharon Giorgetta and Myles Ertzen

A man has died after being crushed by a tractor he was trying to fix in what has been the fourth farm death in six months in Western Australia; police officers believe the tractor rolled forward and crushed the 54 year old farm-worker

Safe Farms WA chairman Mike Norton says safety is not prioritised highly enough on farms and that the agriculture sector needs to improve its safety record

Australian Wool Innovation chairman Wal Merriman has face a grilling during Senate Estimates in Canberra on Tuesday and used his opening statement to apologise for swearing at an ABC journalist and his participation in the so-called 'Man in the Mirror' scandal, where he secretly observed a focus group without participants knowledge

Fishermen are being reminded to check the rules before dropping a line, after seven men were fined for illegally fishing in a restricted area along the Ningaloo coast where they took about 46 kg of clam meat from a reef at Point Quobba, just north of Carnarvon

A pastoralist in the West Australian Murchison region says he is seeing unusually low numbers of wild dogs on his property at the moment, which gas surprised him because wild dog predation over the past few years has pushed many people out of running small stock in the region

The Wine Makers Federation of Australia has sent a letter of support to the Californian wine industry, after deadly and ongoing wildfires tore through the well-known wine producing regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma have been under clouds of smoke for the past ten days

Telstra has welcomed the decision made by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission not to allow other telecommunication companies to roam onto remote and regional Telstra networks

The Lake King Farm Tractor museum has a collection of hand-made machines, cobbled together by local farmers in the 1970's and 80's as a cheap way to get more horsepower

A seventh broadleaf weed has been confirmed glyphosate resistant, after tests in Carnarvon vegetable crops; willow-leaved lettuce collected in the Gascoyne was found to be twice as resistance to glyphosate as the same weed collected in non-cropping areas

In world news today, the European Parliament has voted to ban glyphosate by 2022 because of fears it causes cancer; the resolution is not binding but EU states are voting on Wednesday on whether or not to extend the licence for glyphosate for another 10 years and the EU Parliament hopes to influence the outcome

The pressure is mounting on Australian Wool Innovation chairman Wal Merriman after a probing Senate Estimates hearing aired claims of bullying and inappropriate behaviour at the research and marketing body

Australian wool growers levies provide AWI with $50 million in funding each year, and Moora sheep and cropping farmer Julian Gardiner says AWI needs to do more to support the grass roots of wool production for the money they are paid

Representatives from a West Kimberley indigenous organisation, Nyamba Buru Yawuru, recently visited Indonesia looking for future trade and investment opportunities

The corn harvest has just begun in the Kimberley region and a shipment of corn is due to leave Wyndham for South Korea after growers in the Ord struck up a successful trade partnership with the Asian nation for the first time last year and sent 10,000 tonnes of corn

Alexandra Henderson, 19, died just three months ago when she struck by a bull in a set of cattle yards at the farm where she worked, west of Esperance; her parents, farmers Dorothy and David Henderson say they hope their daughter's death doesn't discourage other young people from striving for a career in agriculture

The owners of Western Australia's only commercial green tea operation in Northcliffe say they are determined to make it work, despite a tough first year sales; Maria and Ron Kemp have been growing their tea for a decade but just began selling it a year ago

Australian farmers continue to celebrate the frozen berry scandal where hepatitis was found in imported frozen berries because consumers are now buying more and more fresh product every year, but local growers are seldom investing in freezing technology and imported blueberries and raspberries dominate major supermarket freezers

A new $1 million dollar grant will help pay for an air-drop operation of thousands of cane toad sausages at sites across the Kimberley as part of a project to train endangered native animals such as northern quolls, king brown snakes, flood plain goannas and northern blue tongues