Brightening prospects for wool and cotton
WHILE much of the focus in recent years has centred on strengthening demand for food commodities, much less has been said about the fibres that have an equally positive story to tell. According to the Westpac-NFF Commodity Index global prices for cotton and wool during the last six months have escalated by 4.9% and 18% […]
Agriculture’s exclusion from CPRS coverage provides greater certainty to food and fibre producers
RESPONDING formally to Minister Wong’s announcement yesterday that agriculture would not be covered under the CPRS, but farmers would able to be part of the solution through alternate means, NFF President David Crombie said NFF was “very encouraged” and looked forward to further discussion on the details. “This is a victory for common sense. Credit […]
Banks warned not to be too eager to raise rates
TODAY’S official Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) interest rate hike of 0.25% will be a bitter pill for Australian families, made all the harder to swallow for mortgagees and small businesses should the banks be over-zealous in passing on the full rise to customers, according to the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF). “With the RBA taking […]
Pastoralists of West Darling join the NFF
FROM today, the Pastoralists’ Association of West Darling (PAWD) is the newest addition to the swelling ranks of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) – officially joining the peak farm body as an Associate Member. Under its new membership structure, which came into effect on 1 July 2009, the NFF has expanded its representational approach beyond […]
Corporate farmers combine to join the NFF
TODAY the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) welcomes the Corporate Agricultural Group (CAG) as its newest Associate Member. CAG is an unincorporated group whose members include Auscott Ltd, Twynam Pty Ltd, Australian Food and Fibre Ltd, PrimeAg Australia Ltd, Paraway Pastoral Fund, Wyalong Rural Investments, Warakirri Agricultural Trusts and Clyde Agriculture Pty Ltd. Under the NFF’s […]
Coalition’s agriculture amendments make good policy sense
THE National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is calling on the Rudd Government to respond favourably to the Coalition’s proposed agriculture amendments, saying they make economic and environmental sense for the country, not just farmers. “Let’s be clear, the objective is to reduce emissions. Farmers and agriculture are part of the solution,” NFF President David Crombie said. […]
Lessons to be learnt in the lead up to harvest
FLUCTUATIONS recorded by the Westpac-NFF Commodity Index have highlighted why managing risk is an increasingly important part of farm business. In the last six months the index has shown global prices for wheat, barley and canola have decreased by 31.9%, 8.3% and 13.8% respectively. If left unaddressed this equates to a significant loss of potential […]
National Water Commission report a wake-up call to Govts
“WHEN it comes to water reform in Australia, governments have failed to do what they said they would do – and it is irrigators and regional communities are hurting as a result,” National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) President David Crombie said today as the National Water Commission (NWC) released its report card on the progress of […]
NFF-initiated on-farm water project hits the ground
THE National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) today welcomes the launch of the Federal Government’s $300 million on-farm water efficiency project for the Southern Connected Basin and Lachlan Valley. Co-launching the project with Minister Wong in Sydney today, NFF President David Crombie explained that the NFF had called on the Government to accelerate delivery of water infrastructure […]
Farmers look for spring rains to lift prospects
THE onset of spring has refocused farmer’s attention to the domestic seasonal conditions during September, often referred to as the ‘money month’. The Westpac-NFF Commodity Index moved slightly down during August, recording a drop of 2.5% for the month. While international commodity markets fluctuate and can underpin confidence levels in the sector, it is the […]