Rural

Farmers in Carnarvon have been quick to act on the Department of Water's decision to allow unrestricted pumping.

A Top End trial of genetically modified bananas will begin in a few months after a five-year trial received approval from the gene technology regulator.

Dry conditions, a natural disaster and poor market prices combined to make 2016 a shocker for the Coffs Harbour banana region on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

Two years after the NT's banana freckle eradication program forced growers to destroy their crops, Pinata is preparing to plant bananas.

Banana grower Craig Buchanan estimates he has lost one-third of his crop, west of Innisfail, after hail and wind felled 15,000 bunches.

Farmers in the Northern Territory are planting bananas again after being forced to pull out every plant they had a few years ago.

Dennis Howe has never been afraid to take risks on his far north Queensland farming enterprise, but he's still getting used to the idea of being named a "farming legend".

Every single Cavendish banana plant worldwide is genetically identical. This vast monoculture sets them up for disastrous disease outbreaks. But researchers have ideas on how to protect the crop.

Banana plants will be destroyed on the farm recently purchased in response to the Australian industry's worst biosecurity outbreak.

The Australian banana industry heaves a collective sigh of relief after negative Panama TR4 test.

Researchers in Australia and around the globe are trying to breed new varieties of Cavendish in a bid to protect supply of the world's most popular banana as the threat of a damaging fungus spreads.

A Queensland banana-growing family say they have felt completely alone since a devastating fungus outbreak on their property 18 months ago, and are looking forward to the day they sell their farm.

The planned buyout of a north Queensland banana farm is on hold as authorities investigate another suspected case of the plant fungus, Panama tropical race 4.

Queensland farmers welcome an end to uncertainty about the Federal Government's ill-fated backpacker tax policy, but some are worried the damage is already done.

Since lifting a ban on growing bananas following the banana freckle outbreak in northern Australia earlier this year, vital research on Panama disease has resumed.

Queensland scientists are striving to develop new banana varieties to keep Australia's most popular fruit on the menu for years to come.

Banana growers across Australia vote in favour of a levy increase to fund the buy-out of the farm at the centre of the Panama disease tropical race 4 (TR4) outbreak.

It is crunch time for the Australian banana industry as growers vote on whether to buy out the Queensland farm infected with Panama tropical race four.

Banana growers may turn to technology already in use for crops such as sugar cane, wheat, cotton and peanuts.

They are more than 1,600km from the main fight against a devastating banana disease, but New South Wales growers are being asked to chip in to stop its spread.

Growers are being asked to fund a buyout of Queensland's only known Panama TR4-affected farm

Far north Queensland banana farmers are being forced into a costly and highly regulated regime to halt the spread of Panama disease, as researchers seek a banana variety resistant to the soil-borne fungus.

Banana growers are facing the grim reality of oversupply as supermarkets slash prices to clear a glut of fruit.

Carnarvon banana growers in Western Australia are anxious consumers could be duped in the supermarket.

More accurate data is needed to overcome the 'disconnect' between farmers and scientists on Great Barrier Reef water quality.