Rural
Kallee Buchanan
Kallee Buchanan has worked as a journalist and presenter at the ABC since 2009 working in stations in Orange, Rockhampton and Bundaberg. In 2010 she won a Queensland Media Award (Clarion) for Best Radio News Report, and in 2016 she was again nominated in the category. She is currently the rural reporter for ABC Wide Bay. You can follow her on twitter at @Kallee.
Irrigators switch to solar to reduce power costs
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Farmers across Australia make the switch to solar powered irrigation pumps to reduce power costs.
Topics: irrigation, solar-energy, thorpdale-3835, childers-4660
Rural trainer develops new way to train and employ farm workers
Posted
A Queensland labour contractor says employment programs need to be more flexible if they want to tackle the shortage of worker in rural industries.
Topics: rural, regional-development, education-industry, unemployment, rural-youth, beef-cattle, farm-labour, community-development, agricultural-policy, mount-isa-4825, maryborough-4650, boulia-4829
Brendan Condon says job agencies need a better understanding of the needs of rural employees, and employers. Audio
Audio
Posted
Trainer Brendan Condon says more flexible agricultural training programs are needed to combat farm worker shortages.
Topics: rural, regional-development, education-industry, unemployment, rural-youth, beef-cattle, farm-labour, community-development, agricultural-policy, maryborough-4650, boulia-4829, mount-isa-4825
Plan to improve government monitoring of scallop numbers
Posted
The Queensland Government is working on a proposal to monitor the state's scallop stocks, after it permanently closed replenishment areas due to falling biomass.
Topics: rural, fishing-aquaculture, agricultural-policy, crop-harvesting, bundaberg-4670
Vets say delay in response to Hendra virus vaccine report hampers education for horse owners
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Equine veterinarians say the Queensland Government's decision to delay its response to a report into the Hendra virus vaccine for horses is hampering their efforts to educate horse owners.
Topics: rural, government-and-politics, livestock, veterinary-medicine, equine-production, qld
Sue Jenkins discusses growing citrus in Laos Audio
Audio
Posted
Sue Jenkins says establishing a citrus industry in Laos is challenging, but fun.
Topics: rural, international-aid-and-trade, farm-labour, community-development, fruits, fruit, mundubbera-4626, bundaberg-4670
Australian woman builds citrus industry in Laos from scratch
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A Queensland citrus grower takes on the extraordinary challenge of helping develop a brand new citrus industry in the South-East Asian nation of Laos.
Topics: rural, international-aid-and-trade, farm-labour, community-development, fruits, fruit, mundubbera-4626, bundaberg-4670
Queensland council makes timber first preference for building projects
Posted
A Queensland council becomes the first in the state to adopt a wood encouragement policy that will see it prioritise timber in its construction projects.
Topics: housing-industry, building-and-construction, environmentally-sustainable-business, forestry, timber, maryborough-4650, bundaberg-4670
Paul Schembri discusses the future of the TPP Audio
Audio
Posted
Canegrowers chairman Paul Schembri says the industry will be disappointed if the United States pulls out of the Trans Pacific Partnership
Topics: rural, agreements-and-treaties, globalisation---economy, economic-trends, sugar, international-aid-and-trade, trade, bundaberg-4670
Sugar industry holds out hope Trump will accept trade deal
Posted
Cane growers say they will be disappointed if the United States pulls out of the Trans Pacific Partnership, which gives them new access to a lucrative market.
Topics: agreements-and-treaties, globalisation---economy, economic-trends, sugar, trade, bundaberg-4670
Queensland's largest milk processor is sent to arbitration
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A dispute between Queensland dairy farmers and the largest milk processor in the state over milk prices has been sent to arbitration.
Topics: rural, food-processing, industry, business-economics-and-finance, food-and-beverage, dairy-production, qld
Farmers with a disability are being encouraged to reach out to their peers Audio
Audio
Posted
Kerri-Lynn Peachey from AgrAbility Australia and farmers Bob and Vickie Chaffey discuss the resources and support available to farmers returning to work after illness or injury.
Topics: rural, safety, disabilities, sustainable-and-alternative-farming, beef-cattle, farm-labour, community-development, agricultural-machinery, dubbo-2830, tamworth-2340, bundaberg-4670
Innovation and ingenuity helps farmers with a disability get back to work
Posted
Australian farmers with a disability are being encouraged to connect with their peers to aid their return to work, but their support services are struggling to find funding.
Topics: rural, safety, disabilities, sustainable-and-alternative-farming, beef-cattle, farm-labour, community-development, agricultural-machinery, dubbo-2830, tamworth-2340, bundaberg-4670
Good citrus exports end tough year on the domestic market for growers
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Queensland citrus growers are expanding their plantings of export varieties off the back of good prices that outperformed domestic markets.
Topics: rural, regional-development, trade, fruits, fruit, agricultural-marketing, agricultural-prices, mundubbera-4626, gayndah-4625
Calls for the federal government to be proactive on backpacker tax Audio
Audio
Posted
Lobby group Growcom's chief advocate Rachel Mackenzie says the federal government needs to be more proactive in educating employers about changes to the backpacker tax.
Topics: rural, vegetables, fruit, farm-labour, tourism, bundaberg-4670, ayr-4807
Farmers urged to register for backpacker tax rate or risk having to withhold higher rate
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Businesses that employ backpackers are being urged to register with the Australian Tax Office to take advantage of the new tax rate.
Topics: rural, vegetables, fruit, farm-labour, tourism, bundaberg-4670, ayr-4807
Sugar mill reliability frustrates growers as the crush drags
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Cane growers in Sarina end their crush with about 5 per cent of the crop unharvested, while growers around Mackay express their frustration at mill performance.
Topics: rural, rainfall, crop-harvesting, sugar, sarina-4737, mackay-4740
Holiday motorists warned to watch for cane trains as the crush continues into the new year
Posted
Wet weather has again pushed back the end of the sugar crush, prompting a warning for Christmas motorists to watch out for cane trains.
Topics: rural, tully-4854, mackay-4740, bundaberg-4670, townsville-4810
A Big Country: Dragon fruit puts on exotic flower show Audio
Audio
Posted
If you want to see an exotic flower show then visit a dragon fruit orchard. Thousands of blooms open up on cue overnight putting on a luminescent show. Read more
Topics: crop-harvesting, fruit, bundaberg-4670
Bruce Wallace takes you inside the secret sex life of dragon fruit Audio
Audio
Posted
Bruce Wallace says dragon fruit only flower once, only at night, and only for eight hours.
Topics: rural, beekeeping, crop-harvesting, flowers, fruits, fruit, bundaberg-4670
Inside the secret, fleeting sex life of tropical dragon fruit
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A Queensland dragon fruit grower invites visitors to view a one-off flowering event that lasts just eight hours.
Topics: rural, beekeeping, crop-harvesting, flowers, fruits, fruit, bundaberg-4670
Mary Valley growers count cost after wild storms lash region
Posted
Farmers in Queensland's Mary Valley report total crop losses after the region was battered by a series of violent storms.
Topics: storm-event, sustainable-and-alternative-farming, vegetables, fruits, fruit, gympie-4570, kandanga-4570
Queensland avocado farm the first acquisition of Costa and Macquarie joint venture
Posted
A Queensland avocado farm becomes the first acquisition by a new joint venture between the Costa Group and Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management.
Topics: rural, takeovers, regional-development, small-business, company-news, fruits, fruit, kumbia-4610, childers-4660
Anthony Rehbein says about 100 tonnes per day of watermelons are shipped through his packing shed. image
image
Posted
Topics: rural, fruit, fruits, bundaberg-4670
A Big Country: Peach surprise in Childers Audio
Audio
Posted
Theresa and Joe Winkler are confounding the experts by growing stone fruit like peaches and nectarines on their property at Childers in sub tropical Queensland. Read more
Topics: fruit, crop-harvesting, childers-4660
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