The head of the Australian Wool Innovation has express-posted a letter of apology to farmers he secretly watched in the so-called 'Man in the Mirror' scandal, farmers received the letter in recent days, as AWI prepares to appear before Senate Estimates in Canberra on Tuesday

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has ruled that the potato bacteria Dickeya Dianthicola, which was first detected in June in a crop north of Perth, is manageable, but cannot be eradicated

Perth based exporter of agricultural goods Michael Connolly has begun exporting high quality fodder to the Middle East, which is not a traditional grains export market, and has had a great response from buyers in the region

A public relations professor says Australia can expect more fake agricultural news, as big business exploits a weakening media; Professor Jim Macnamara says there are often genuine intentions behind multi-million dollar announcements, but no money to back them up

Australia's competition regulator says mobile phone blackspots will not be solved by allowing telecom companies to roam onto Telstra networks, a report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has found that roaming would deter investments by major telcos Telstra and Optus in improving coverage

Farmers are still recovering emotionally and financially from the Waroona-Yarloop Bushfire that burned for 17 gruelling days in January 2016, and with many in the community still struggling, the Red Cross was in Waroona at the weekend to ask people how they are coping

The Waroona-Yarloop Bushfire devastated pastures across the farming region, but an agronomist based in the south west of the state says scorched seedbanks can often recover after about two seasons; Sam Taylor recently toured the region and says conditions have been quite good and pastures are looking healthy this year

Volunteers from Perth travel to Kununurra to pick and pack mangoes to raise funds for the Ruma Abedona Hospice, a palliative care centre they sponsor in Kolkata, India

An on-country Federal Court hearing at Wooleen Station has formally recognised the Native Title Rights of the Wajarri Yamatji people after a 22 year legal process; it is the first claim to be determined in the Mid West region

Pastoralists and Graziers Association president Tony Seabrook says Alannah MacTiernan is the most motivated Minister responsible for pastoral lands reform that the state has ever had, after it was announced she would take over the responsibility of pastoral reform from Lands Minister Rita Saffioti

New West Australian Senator Slade Brockman has given his maiden speech this week and made mention of the fact his family was the first to grow wheat in WA; and he has also used his first week to show his support the Federal Government's Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) Bill

But Labor, the Greens and Senators David Leyonhjelm and Cory Bernardi are all opposed to the RIC; Greens spokeswoman for agriculture and rural affairs Janet Rice says the 'Ag Bank' section of the RIC could not be held accountable to government and that was why they would seek amendments

West Australian planning minister Rita Saffioti has officially opened stage one of the Onslow Marine Support Base, which was the first project to be backed by the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund and will help to service the offshore oil and gas industry and create up to 200 jobs

CSIRO scientists say a mobile gold processing plant would reduce costs for junior miners and could create a modern gold rush

A Grenache from Turkey Flat Vineyards in South Australia's Barossa region has just taken out the most prestigious red wine award in the nation, the highly coveted Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, which is the first time a Grenache has ever won the award in its 56 year history

Many farmers in New South Wales have gone to extensive lengths to ensure their wool is the softest in the world and they pride themselves in keeping the operation local but the NBN could force their rural business in to the city

This year marks the centenary of the charge of the Australian Light horse brigade at Beersheba and former rural reporter Emma Brown has a personal family connection to the Battle of Beersheba and the horses that were part of this battle, which is why she is presenting this story on Landline this Sunday

West Australian pastoralist David McQuie is calling for better regulation of prospecting permits due to the large number of grey nomads coming on to his land; he has found up to 50 caravans on his property at one time, but the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety says there are no limits

Goldfields Nullabor Rangelands Biosecurity Association executive officer Ross Wood says the issue of pastoral is larger than just disrespectful prospectors, he says it is about the violation of landholder rights

Minister for Regional Development and Agriculture Alannah MacTiernan has taken over responsibility of pastoral lands reform from the Lands Minister Rita Saffioti and says she will work closely with pastoralists and adhere to recommendations about improved ecological maintenance outlined in a recent auditor general report

Department of Fire and Emergency Services in the Pilbara are seeking more information on a fire that authorities believe was deliberately lit near Tom Price, 280 kilometres south east of Karratha

The long awaited review by the Economic Regulatory Authority into the West Australian Emergency Services Levy (ESL) has been tabled in parliament today, and it recommends an independent organisation should advise the State Government on how the ESL money should be spent

Mine rehabilitation expert Jack Shiner has spent 30 years harvesting seeds from the Pilbara, Goldfields, and Great Victorian Desert to replant them on mine sites right across Western Australia

Scientists say Russian Wheat aphid has spread and is affecting farmers in multiple states; some farmers have had success with seed treatments at planting, but lack of rain has seen the aphid take over vulnerable crops in the later stages

The new Federal Government energy policy, the National Energy Guarantee, has recognised biomass as a reliable, dispatchable energy, in the same league as coal, but biomass is also a recognised renewable energy source; WestGen director Richard Harris says the policy firms up his position to sell biomass energy to retailers

Growth in Chinese demand for stainless steel and emerging demand for nickel, copper and cobalt and for electric vehicle batteries, and a recovering price is driving investment into the Australian nickel industry

Mining giant Rio Tinto has renewed a $7.7 million dollar partnership with the City of Karratha to provide services to the region, but the investment has come under scrutiny as Rio is simultaneously being accused of owing $447 million in unpaid taxes

Pilbara miner Kalium Lakes believes it has found one of the largest deposits of potash in Australia, 160 kilometres southeast of Newman and managing director Brett Hazledon says he wants farmers to realise the benefits of sulphate of potash, as opposed to the cheaper muriate of potash

Some retailers are dropping the price of the new Bravo apple variety in an attempt to push sales through until the end of the year, but Jenny Mercer, who represents the apple marketer WA Farm Direct believes shoppers will be prepared to pay a $15/kilo premium in its second season as export markets open

The price of beef for one of Australia's biggest trading partners has just become more expensive after Australian beef to Korea reached its quota last week, but beef analyst Simon Quilty says the market should absorb the rise

Senators are debating the future of the Federal Government's $4 billion Regional Investment Corporation and the 'Ag Bank', the signature Coalition policy that promised more money for dams, drought relief, dairy support and a blueprint to grow agriculture

It's Bushfire Awareness Day and Yandanooka farmer Steve Fowler was on holiday when fire burnt through 70 hectares of his barley crop, but his neighbours stepped in to control the blaze

High value "fancy yellow" diamonds could be once again mined out of the Kimberley; a trial mine operation has been confirmed for next year after a historic mining agreement between Perth-based POZ Minerals Limited and the Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation on Monday

The National Farmers Federation has been campaigning for more reliable and affordable energy for farmers with many turning to diesel generators to save on soaring bills and says early details of the Federal Government's new energy plan look promising

A GrainGrowers survey has found that grain producers could be missing out on better internet connectivity because they do not realise the sky muster system, which connects to the NBN, is for them

A Scaddan grain grower has welcomed the news that canola prices have increased in time for harvest as his canola production covers two thirds of his cropping program this year

Some West Australian grain growers are growing concerned there could be long delays at grain receival sites this season after a turnaround in the amount of grain expected this coming harvest, but CBH operations manager David Capper says he confident his team can organise everything with limited delays

Minister for Agriculture Alannah MacTiernan has defended a decision to relocate department staff to regional offices and has not offered any clarity on whether those being asked to move will be offered redundancies, after she was questioned by Greens member for South West Diane Evers during a budget estimates hearing on Monday

One of the Western Australian dairy farmers who was left stranded without a milk contract last year has decided to get into manuka honey production; Graham Manning was one of several WA farmers dropped by processing company Brownes due to an over-supply of milk on the local market

The world's largest owner of commercial Indian sandalwood plantations Quintis, has terminated its agreement for the supply of Indian sandalwood with its biggest customer in China

Trials of a mobile phone app for mental health in the workplace have thrown thrown up some unexpected results about the fly-in fly-out mining, oil and gas workforce and the developer says although she was surprised by some of the gender and age-based results, it highlights that a one-size fits-all approach is doomed to fail

The canola price has lifted with futures for November are up $33 on Monday; prices are up partly due to the fact US soybean yields have fallen short of expectations, according to the US Department of Agriculture on World Supply and Demand Estimates

Harvest has begun in the Geraldton Port Zone with more than 400 tonnes of canola delivered to Geraldton at the weekend and Duncan Grey from CBH says harvest in the northern agricultural zone should yield higher than expected earlier in the season

The Grains Industry of Western Australia has increased its grain production estimates for this season by 12 per cent, estimating an expected state total of 11.5 million tonnes across all the port zones and crops, which is close to average

The food and grocery sector fears thousands of job could be at risk amid soaring energy prices, despite a big boost in employment last financial year and concerns have prompted calls for a new code of conduct for energy retailers

Supermarket demands for unblemished fruit has led to a high level of waste in the tomato industry after a University of the Sunshine Coast study found 70–84 per cent of undamaged, edible tomatoes are being left in the field because they do not meet retailers' expectations

Embattled Indian sandalwood producer Quintis controls over around 51,000 megalitres of water, which is more than any other agricultural or industrial entity in the Northern Territory, but its allocations are coming under greater scrutiny as the NT government begins a review into all licences granted by the previous government

WAFarmers delegate to Wool Producers Australia Steve McGuire says grower are not concerned about the so-called Australian Wool Innovation "man in the mirror" scandal, but he says the behaviour of AWI chairman and board is concerning and he does not think levy funds are being spent wisely

The Australian Wool Exchange will soon be trialling radio frequency identification for wool bales in Western Australia, which will see the RFIDs built into the wool pack to improve traceability

For the past 40 years Australian horse trainer Jim Willoughby has travelled with his horses from his farm in South Australia to film productions across the country; he is currently stationed at Western Australia's remote East Kimberley, to work on the ABC's six-part crime series Mystery Road, a spin-off from Ivan Sen's film in 2013

Grains Producers Australia is still pushing for commercial grain storage companies to reveal grains stocks information, it wants the Federal Agriculture Minister to implement recommendations from a Wheat Industry Taskforce review that suggested stocks information should be more transparent

The State Government has introduced amendments to the Animal Welfare Act that will see those transporting livestock in WA held accountable to federal animal welfare laws; the amendments include a new class of animal welfare inspector with greater powers to enter farms, stockyards and vehicles to check for welfare compliance

Native Title claimants are appealing a ruling by the Federal Court over a proposed mineral sands mine in the Kimberley after it recently ruled in favour of miner Sheffield Resources in a dispute over whether the company had acted in good faith in its negotiations

The future management of pastoral lands in Western Australia is under the spotlight in a new report from the Auditor General, but pastoralists say it does not provide any real new information

Western Australia's main grain handler, the CBH Group has reported that it has set new rail and shipping records for the largest amount of grain moved by the co-operative over a 12-month period

Volunteer rural firefighters describe difficulties they have faced in fighting large, destructive bushfires in recent years and the issues they hope to overcome with the new Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm

The new WA Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm has had a career as a firefighter and he has worked in the fire and emergency services sector for more than two decades. He has indicated his support to improve existing rural firefighting structures rather than implement a stand-alone rural fire service

Severe frosts and low grain prices dragged Western Australian farm profits down last year despite the best crop ever recorded, the annual Planfarm Bankwest Benchmark report analysed data from 550 broadacre farm businesses and found frosts were most severe in southern inland regions, which generated the lowest cash returns

The Pastoralists and Graziers Association says it broadly welcomes improvements to animal welfare, but it has indicated it is wary of planned State Government amendments to the State Animal Welfare Act

Debate is brewing in the West Kimberley region over a proposed mineral sands project, which has received approval from the Federal Court, but has met some opposition from the Native Title holders

Police in Western Australia's Great Southern region are appealing to the public to find a criminal who "knows what they're doing with a knife" after 10 lambs were shot and butchered on a Gnowangerup farm over the course of a month

Community members have argued that sheep can be killed and butchered if the hide is left under "miners rights", but Perth-based lawyer and sheep farmer Johnson Kitto says there is such a thing as miners rights, but it does not apply to killing and butchering livestock, which he says is clearly "breaking a number of laws"

Fruit production in Western Australia has increased rapidly in the past four years, up 60 per cent mostly due to increased production of avocados for eastern states markets and export strawberries

The Liberal Party room voted to support a disallowance motion in the Upper House which has effectively killed off the Labor State Government's proposed gold royalty increase

Agriculture has been identified as the deadliest industry to work in as a Safe Work Australia report found fatality rates in the farming, fishing and forestry sector outstrip all other industries by almost two to one

Jasmyn Allen, a grain grower from Yuna in the West Australian Wheatbelt is advocating for an industry backed, human resource management program to improve farm efficiency and safety

Thieves in the Great Southern and Wheatbelt regions are targeting antique machinery on properties and police are urging farmers to take caution

A man regarded as the "Godfather" of wagyu genetics, Japanese breeder Shogo Takeda, is assisting Singaporean businessman Bruce Cheung in his pursuit of a "billion dollar Pilbara wagyu industry"

A major upgrade to the Onslow Port will be the first project supported by the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund, but environmentalists have labelled the funding a "subsidy to the fossil fuels industry"