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The Generator news service publishes articles on sustainable development, agriculture and energy as well as observations on current affairs. The news service is used on the weekly radio show, The Generator, as well as by a number of monthly and quarterly magazines. A podcast of the Generator news is also available.
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  • Sheep numbers lowest since 1924

    The severe impact of the drought on Australian farms has been confirmed by the 2006-07 agricultural figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

    The report shows that sheep and lamb numbers dropped to their lowest level in over 80 years.

    Major crops fell to less than half the previous year’s production.

    However, less severe conditions reported in some northern regions saw meat cattle numbers hold steady overall, despite drops in other regions.

    Livestock:

    Sheep and lamb numbers for 2006-07 fell to 85.7 million head, the lowest since 1924.

    Meat cattle showed little change at 25.4 million head.

    Milk cattle fell by 4pc, to 2.7 million head due to continued dry conditions.

    Pigs fell by 5pc, to 2.6 million head, with producers reporting increased feed costs as a factor.

    Crops:

    Wheat production for 2006-07 fell by 57pc, to 10.8 million tonnes, with drought in many areas.

    This followed near-record levels the previous year.

    Barley production fell by 55pc, to 4.3 million tonnes, with drought in many areas.

    Cotton fell by half, to 282,000 tonnes, the smallest crop recorded since 1988 and smallest area planted since 1987.

    Growers reported a lack of water and unfavourable growing conditions.

    Rice production fell by 84pc, to 163,000 tonnes, with growers reporting a lack of water for irrigation as the reason for this decline.

    Horticulture:

    Tomato production fell by 34pc, to 296,000 tonnes, again due to lack of water.

    Orange production fell by 7pc, to 471,000 tonnes, with dry conditions reported in the major growing areas in NSW and Victoria.

    Banana production increased by 14pc, to 213,000 tonnes, as the industry recovered from the effects of Cyclone Larry in early 2006.

  • Agribusiness calls for relief on fuel prices

    “And businesses will not thank governments for further complicating GST calculations by removing it from the excise component.

    Fuel excise was brought in originally to ensure that fuel was priced at a level which ensured that Australian motorists paid ‘world’ price and that proper conservation of the resource occurred.

    The tax was also intended to encourage more efficient fuel use and support the development of viable alternatives.

    “When the GST was introduced, excise was reduced, in part, to compensate for the new tax, and, in part, to replace the state fuel taxes,” he said.

    Mr Crosby said various Governments have rationalised the tax mix in many ways over the years, including making road-users pay their way.

    “The problem with this logic is the value of the excise has grown to some seven times the value of expenditure on our roads,” Mr Crosby said.

    “A reduction, or even elimination of the excise can be justified on the grounds that the world market for fuels has passed any reasonable level that may have previously required some Government intervention to check demand or encourage alternatives.”

  • Media misses the point with Fuel Watch fiasco

    “Fuel Watch at best could make a difference of one or two cents. If we can increase transparency and get rid of uncompetitive practices, reducing the price by one or two cents, then it is worth doing. The Greens are open to being convinced that it will do so.

    “But Fuel Watch, fuel excise and the Cabinet leaks are a major distraction. They are chicken feed compared with the underlying driver of the rise in oil prices.

    “People out in the real world realise that Brendan Nelson and the Prime Minister’s initiatives were both overtaken in a single day by the oil price rise last week. If oil goes to $150-$200 a barrel, one or two cents is not going to make an iota of difference to those struggling to pay fuel costs to get to work.

    “The only thing that will make a difference in the real world is providing alternatives to driving. Until other options are available, Australians will have to keep paying through the nose for polluting fuels to keep them stuck in traffic.

    “Mr Rudd, Dr Nelson and everyone else should be looking at investing serious funds in mass transit, fuel efficiency and alternative fuels, not just having a political brawl in Canberra.”

  • Small, organic farms the future says Peak Oil analyst

    Among the implications for agriculture he identifies the following.

    • Gigantic highly petro-chemical dependant, broad-acre monoculture farming will slowly disappear from the agricultural landscapes of the world.
    • The European, Japanese and Korean opposition to including there own agriculture in free-trade negotiations will be vindicated as international food trade declines in the face of rising fuel cost and slower less reliable transportation.
    • Real cost of food will rise.
    • Total world food production thence supply will fall!
    • Despite all the best good-will in the world, less practical / food aid will not be available to famine victims around the world, because there will be just less food, and with slowing transportation getting relief quickly in quantity to any given destination will inevitably become implausible.
    • The growing of cereals will switch from the strategy using a monoculture of some annual crop variety (plants that only last one season, then must be replanted the next year again from seeds) to fields growing a permanent mix a few different perennial (plants that produce for a number of consecutive seasons) crops simultaneously.
    • Farm sizes will decrease to smaller more manageable family size concerns.
    • Organic farming will grow in popularity as petro-chemical input cost rise.
    • Altogether new (perennial) plant species genetically engineered by public universities in the developing world will be tightly targeted to roles like;- fighting desertification, food provision on marginal land or hostile tropical climates.
    • Australia’s live sheep trade to the Middle East will decline as;- fuel cost rise, slower shipping necessitates more en-route cost to maintain animal health during longer voyages.

  • Farmer of the year reveals secret

    He said the competition had opened many doors for himself and “Yulgilbar”.

    “While I was the one recognised in this award, I remain indebted to the family that is ‘Yulgilbar’ – the people who keep the operation going on a daily basis,” he said.

    Mr Sinnamon made the comments when introducing “Yulgilbar’s” division managers, stockmen, maintenance workers and handymen at a field day at the property last week.

    The third-oldest operating Santa Gertrudis stud in the country, “Yulgilbar” is owned by Sarah and Baillieu Myer, of the Melbourne-based Myer department store fame.

    It was the relationships between property owners, their manager, and staff, that made Mr Sinnamon’s entry stand out in a competitive field last year, according to NSW Farmers Association president, Jock Laurie, who also spoke at the field day.

    The $10,000 competition is promoted by four organisations that aim to move agriculture ahead in NSW: the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the NSW Farmers Association, the Royal Agricultural Society and The Land.

    Mr Laurie said the competition highlighted “terrific industry stories out there in NSW”, allowing people in the city to appreciate where their world class food and fibre products came from.

    He said successful farmers were not uncommon, but while it was “easy to be confident in your own kitchen” it was those able to succeed in a new environment and “get out there and sell their ideas” who were the greatest benefit to the industry, he said.

    More than 200 people turned up for the “Yulgilbar” field day, which featured trade and stock displays and speakers on everything from equine influenza to making silage.

    Entries for the 2008 Farmer and Young Farmer of the Year close on June 9. Application forms are available from www.dpi.nsw.gov.au or www.nswfarmers.org.au.

  • Egg producers crack under fuel price pressure

    From The Land 
    Victorian egg producers have warned that egg prices will have to rise if fuel costs continue to soar.

    The Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group president, Brian Ahmed, said rising fuel prices were eating into egg producers’ earnings.

    Mr Ahmed said the egg industry was already a victim of the factors leading to rising food prices.

    “Producers have been forced to absorb much of the historic highs being experienced with grain prices, which represent over 50 per cent of input costs,” Mr Ahmed said.

    “Now on top of that we are being hit with these fuel price increases.

    “Something has to give or egg production just won’t be viable. Unfortunately consumers may be facing an increase in egg prices sometime soon if fuel prices keep going the way they are.”

    Mr Ahmed said the drought continues to pressure primary producers throughout Victoria and it seems the increased cost of fuel will have to be passed on at some stage to consumers.

    “The alternative is we will have very limited numbers of farmers left and that is in no one’s best interest,” Mr Ahmed said.