Go-between appointed to help Queensland farmers negotiate supermarket prices
Vegetable grower Carl Walker says farmers are worried the new commissioner’s powers won’t go far enough. He says farmers just want a “fair price for a fair day’s work”. ⌘ Read more

Pineapple is an iconic Australian fruit but its undersupplied market may be ripe for imports
The federal government is undertaking a biosecurity risk assessment after India and Indonesia applied to export pineapples to Australia under their free trade deals. ⌘ Read more

This $18,000 bottle of Australian wine sold out before it was released
Ultra-premium wine collectors have snapped up a new commemorative bottle of Penfolds, but what is driving the hefty high price tags for luxury drops? ⌘ Read more

The new technology helping Vietnamese coffee farmers adapt to a changing climate
The way farmers manage soil health could soon become cheaper, easier, and better for the environment thanks to artificial intelligence. ⌘ Read more

Growing taste for pick-your-own farms as people turn away from supermarket shelves
Pick-your-own farms are becoming increasingly popular with both Australian growers and customers, allowing farmers to be price makers instead of price takers. ⌘ Read more

Almost 500,000 black market cigarettes, 380kg of ‘chop chop’ seized in Queensland raids
Health officials and police are cracking down the sale of illicit vapes, cigarettes and “chop chop” tobacco in Queensland. In the Wide Bay area alone sellers are estimated to have avoided paying about $1.2 million in tax. ⌘ Read more

Return of beloved local iceblock soured by fact it’s now made overseas
A fruit iceblock once made in the Victorian town of Mildura from local oranges is back on shelves, but the manufacturer’s decision to make the product in Argentina has left devotees of the sweet treat feeling “let down”. ⌘ Read more

Pumpkins are a winter favourite, but here’s why you may pay more this season
Patchy pumpkin supply across Australia leads to higher prices at the check-out, while some growers say returns are poor. ⌘ Read more

Banana splits and tomato relish, here’s how this tiny town made the most of truck spills on ‘fruit salad corner’
A notorious bend in this Queensland highway brought many trucks unstuck — and locals still remember the free fruit and veggies they scooped up after the drivers’ misfortune. ⌘ Read more

Why fruit and veg sales are soaring in this remote community
It’s been a long time since people in this remote corner of Australia have been able to buy locally grown fruit and veggies. A new farm has changed that. ⌘ Read more

Fresh food for Arnhem Land
It’s fresh and it’s cheap. Can this farm inspire other remote communities? ⌘ Read more

Avocados are likely to stay cheap for years, but farmers are getting smashed
Once considered a luxury, avocados have stayed cheap throughout the cost-of-living crisis. But while consumers are cheering, farmers are looking to other markets to absorb an oncoming glut. ⌘ Read more

After 70 years of farming this grower is selling his water to the government, but the big end of town won’t
Bob Vale is one of many small-scale farmers expected to sell up after the federal government opened the biggest water buyback scheme the southern Murray-Darling Basin has seen in years, but big irrigators are unlikely join in. ⌘ Read more

Farmer goes all in on ‘ugly lemon’ restaurants can’t get enough of
Stephen Reiffer is keen to show everyone that yuzu is so much more than just a little, yellow citrus fruit as chefs seek it out for everything from crayfish butter sauce to margaritas. ⌘ Read more

Heat on olive oil producers after a difficult season as growers offer consumers an important tip
A patchy growing season across Australia is affecting an already tight market with olive oil prices expected to stay high. So should consumers buy up now before further price rises? ⌘ Read more

Family’s kilometres of hand-built dry stone walls and gravity-defying structures a lasting legacy
The Mulligan family of Maaoupe has spent 50 years building dry stone walls and sculptures from unique stone quarried on their own farm. ⌘ Read more

From chasing thieves to working 16-hour days, former tobacco farmers have rich memories of life on the land
A fortnightly gathering over the past four decades has slowly rolled these former tobacco farmers — once isolated, a world away from their Italian homes — into a family. ⌘ Read more

Ed Carr honoured at International Wine Challenge
Tasmanian winemaker Ed Carr named the Sparkling Winemaker of the Year ⌘ Read more

White wine on rise as chardonnay tops shiraz to be Australia’s most popular variety
More chardonnay grapes were crushed across Australia in the past year than any other variety, pushing the country’s white grape crush ahead of red for the first time in a decade. ⌘ Read more

This alternative to supermarkets can help you save on groceries, but most people don’t know it exists
Families and neighbours shopping through informal co-ops are saving hundreds, but the business model could help apply major competitive pressure to the major supermarkets. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s plant royalty system is broken, putting more than just new tomato varieties at stake
A flaw in Australia’s plant-breeding rights system could mean the fruits, vegetables and grains needed to feed the world and combat climate change are never developed. ⌘ Read more

Police seize tonnes of illegal tobacco after raids in Victoria linked to organised crime gangs
Police say more than three tonnes of illegal tobacco have been seized in raids on properties in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Police allege the properties are linked to the leader of an organised crime syndicate. ⌘ Read more

Instant coffee prices set to increase as crops in Vietnam suffer yield loss
Instant coffee could become even more expensive as Vietnamese producers fear farming land in the country could be halved by 2050 due to climate change. ⌘ Read more

‘Up-and-coming Barossa Valley’ pushes back against large solar farm
Residents in the regional Victorian community are concerned a proposed 665-hectare solar farm would change the microclimate of the renowned grape-growing region and drive away tourism. ⌘ Read more

From tobacco to cauliflowers to timber, where this WA town heads next is the million-dollar question
The small WA town of Manjimup has long struggled to find an identity that sticks and, after the state government’s timber industry shutdown, locals are asking: “What’s next?” ⌘ Read more

Wasps cause damage to grapes
Grape crop destroyed by hungry wasps ⌘ Read more

Making agritourism developments easier to navigate
New cellar door at Bream Creek proving a success ⌘ Read more

They may be ugly and wonky but this is what natural carrots look like
Theresa Scholl says many visitors to her farm have no idea that “normal” supermarket carrots are the result of centuries of selective breeding, farming techniques and careful curation. ⌘ Read more

You may not have heard of this berry, but these Victorian farmers are determined to change that
While elderberry can be found in everything from cordial to cosmetics around the globe, in Australia its health benefits and potential are only just beginning to be realised. ⌘ Read more

Bartering for backyard produce, this Tasmanian restaurant is championing regenerative tourism
An armful of salad greens in exchange for a restaurant dinner is what’s on offer for local backyard growers at a northern Tasmanian hub where ‘ultra seasonal’ is the fare. ⌘ Read more

Tributes flow for ‘fun-loving, passionate patriarch’ and wine label magnate Peter Teakle, who has died aged 72
Businessman Peter Teakle transformed his family’s wine label printing business into a global multi-million-dollar company before opening a winery and restaurant. ⌘ Read more

Small Australian wineries record ‘mind-blowing’ wins at Decanter awards in London
At the prestigious Decanter wine awards in London, Australian has “retained its status amongst the major global players” after recording a series of impressive medals. ⌘ Read more

Iconic walnut farm snapped up by major wine producer as cool climate grapes in demand
The wine glut in parts of Australia is not deterring developers from forging ahead with planting new vineyards in Tasmania. ⌘ Read more

International farm workers armed with cameras capture everyday lives for photography exhibition
A photography projects offers new insight into the lives of seasonal fruit pickers, including the lighter parts of a job known for its tough working conditions. ⌘ Read more

Colourful varieties of kitchen staple win praise for packing healthy punch
A nutritionist says purple sweet potatoes have higher antioxidants than the more popular gold variety and are a cost-effective food for families. ⌘ Read more

Adam’s family has been growing wine grapes for 28 years. He’s now facing the ‘heartbreaking’ decision of pulling out his vines
Since the imposition of hefty Chinese tariffs on Australian wine in 2020, wine grape growers have barely broken even and the federal government has signalled it will not fund growers to exit the industry. ⌘ Read more

The chemical-free veggie garden that sprang to life on an arid salt pan
A community supported agriculture enterprise is supplying chemical-free produce grown on Whyalla’s arid salt pans and offering alternatives to the big supermarkets. ⌘ Read more

Water surety needed in the Coal River Valley
Vineyard expansions depend on water surety ⌘ Read more

New jobs program aims to help farm workers like Nina settle into a new life in on the land
Timor-Leste national Nina Goncalve is happy with her job picking strawberries, but visas are a challenge. A new employment initiative for migrant workers might be just what she and this WA community need. ⌘ Read more

End of ‘go-to’ harvest trail farm labour program a big loss, farmers say
Backpackers fear a rise in exploitation on Australian farms after the government axed a 26-year-old jobs program, which farmers fear will also increase costs and threaten harvests. ⌘ Read more

Big Pineapple shining bright as state’s big thing is back on show
Visitors will soon be able to ride the Plantation Train again, which once carried then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana around the grounds. ⌘ Read more

India goes for ‘green gold’ as Australian avocados grow in popularity in massive new export market
From Melbourne to Mumbai, demand for avocado is on the rise in India, creating a big opportunity for Australian farmers who might otherwise dump fruit due to oversupply. ⌘ Read more

SPC cuts canned fruit production by 40%
Shepparton based company says Aussies are buying less home-grown products amid the cost-of-living crisis. Nationals MP Sam Birrell said fruit businesses needed help to be competitive. ⌘ Read more

Irrigation answers needed
Why was the Greater South East Irrigation Scheme not included in the Federal Budget ⌘ Read more

Fruit growers urge shoppers to buy local after major processor SPC cuts canned fruit production
One of Australia’s largest food processors says it has reacted to shoppers buying cheaper imported food amid the cost-of-living crisis. ⌘ Read more

We’re going to pay more for OJ in the near future, and we might need grape growers to juice things up
Citrus Australia estimates international orange concentrate imports halved this year as the result of a huge global shortage, and it might see mandarin and even disgruntled grape growers step up. ⌘ Read more

Orange juice may soon be missing from supermarket shelves. Here’s why
The world’s orange juice supply is facing a severe squeeze, with Brazil at the epicentre. ⌘ Read more

Rising Star of fruit
The installation of a drip irrigation system on a Tasmanian orchard has helped a young fruit grower win the Apple and Pear Australia Rising Star Award, presented last night in Melbourne at the APAL Conference. ⌘ Read more

Tiktok sommeliers and Keira Knightley articles: how the online wine culture is shifting
Amid stories of doom and gloom in the local wine industry, an “exciting” cultural shift is taking place on and offline in how wine is being consumed and talked about. ⌘ Read more

From red flesh to star-like spots, apples are getting a makeover to tempt fruit buyers
A rosy-skinned, red-fleshed apple named Kissabel is one of several new styles set to tempt fruit lovers back to eating an apple a day to revive the fruit’s market share. ⌘ Read more

Dial slowly moving for female participation in wine
The gender pay gap and female participation in the wine industry are still wide despite a report showing progress for women. ⌘ Read more

Fake cigarettes, firebombs, and a flourishing black market: Australia’s war on smoking hits dangerous tipping point
The black market for cigarettes has exploded in plain sight, costing Australia billions in revenue. Some experts say the high price of cigarettes is to blame. ⌘ Read more

Mango grower’s biggest planting of new varieties Yess! AhHa! and Now! in the NT
One of Australia’s biggest mango growers, Manbulloo Limited, has planted its largest ever patch of new varieties in the Northern Territory. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s largest wine grape growing region rejects ‘mean’ buy-out offer
Wine grape growers in the region supplying more than 10 per cent of Australia’s crush have rejected an offer to sell their red wine contracts for $4,000 per hectare to multinational company Accolade Wines. ⌘ Read more

Mystery disease killing thousands of Darwin mango trees and looms as NT election issue
An agronomist says the dieback is the single biggest problem threatening the sustainability of the Darwin mango industry, especially those growing Kensington Pride mangoes. ⌘ Read more

What’s causing thousands of mango trees near Darwin to die?
Mango twig tip dieback is effecting thousands of Kensington Pride trees around Darwin and the industry has no way to combat the disease. ⌘ Read more

Supply down, costs soar for fruit and veggies as growers battle fruit fly measures
Shoppers wondering why capsicums, especially red ones, are so expensive can blame the weather at one end of the country and a single tiny fly at the other. ⌘ Read more

Wine grower warns regional communities at risk of collapse without aid for sector
Wine industry representatives say they will fight for financial assistance after this week’s federal budget left them disappointed. ⌘ Read more

Paper bags make a comeback for fruit as retailers swap out plastic net bags to reduce waste
Small and big retailers alike are looking to adopt new recyclable packaging for mandarins, saying it would avoid the use of 11,700 kilograms of plastic in one year. ⌘ Read more

Flower farmer’s final harvest reveals the challenges of a shrinking industry
Up to 90 per cent of flowers sold this Mother’s Day will be imported as domestic production lags far behind demand. ⌘ Read more

Younger people aren’t drinking wine, and there’s too much for sale
Too much wine might not seem like a problem, but take a drive through Australian wine country and you’ll quickly see how a global glut has created a crisis. ⌘ Read more

Picking veggies can be dangerous, and a new program is out to help protect multicultural workers
Training with visual aids, less text, and targeted translation is helping vegetable growers keep their overseas workers safe. ⌘ Read more

Months after the smoke cleared it’s still a long road to recovery for Perth fruit growers
Five months on from a devastating bushfire, fruit growers north of Perth are walking a long road to recovery. Heat-damaged trees will not bear fruit this season, but farmers are also counting their blessings. ⌘ Read more

Crickets and cabernet, anyone? Winery launches edible insect wine tasting
A South Australian winery is turning the tables on wine tastings by pairing gourmet crunchy critters with cabernet to celebrate its focus on sustainability. ⌘ Read more

How an outback olive oil landed on the tables of Sydney’s top restaurants
A group of Broken Hill olive oil enthusiasts planted a grove in the heart of town that went on to supply Bill Granger’s restaurants and win international awards. ⌘ Read more

Seedless mangoes could be around the corner, but are shoppers willing to pay for them?
Demand for seedless fruit is growing and the technology needed to create new varieties is improving rapidly, but some in the industry say “the price point just hasn’t been there” to convince farmers to grow them. ⌘ Read more

Outback blogger’s creative outlet away from farm life strikes chord with foodies
What started as blog posts centred around her thoughts, recipes and life on a remote sheep station more than a decade ago has become a popular creative outlet for Jane Smith. ⌘ Read more

Farmers seek protection from ‘mafia tactics’ of big supermarkets
Fruit and vegetable growers are expected to give evidence behind closed doors, out of fear of retribution, about supermarket price gouging and low farmgate prices. ⌘ Read more

After nearly 20 years in refugee camps, this Bhutanese community is giving back with vegetables
After nearly two decades confined in camps, these Bhutanese families find a unique way to help build a new life in Australia, from the ground up. ⌘ Read more

Trailblazing ‘pick your own’ strawberry farmers call time after decades of sweet success
Now a well-worn stop for tourists at the top end of the Sunshine State, Ballantyne’s Strawberry Farm is known for its early adoption of agritourism. ⌘ Read more

Man turns mammoth 400kg prize-winning pumpkin into a canoe, paddles it down river
A fan of shenanigans and the unnecessary, the former commodore of the Tumut Canoe Club donned a captain’s hat and pipe to paddle the biggest pumpkin grown in Australia this year down a river, Popeye style. ⌘ Read more

Bhavik’s Top End tropical fruit wonderland
Who wouldn’t want 200 varieties of tropical fruit at their place? ⌘ Read more

Australians are consuming less fruit, vegetables and milk — here’s what that looks like
Australians are eating less of all major food groups, with fresh produce leading the decline, says a new report. ⌘ Read more

‘Geez, that’s a bit heavy!’ Jumbo jackfruit stuns farmer in Far North Queensland
Jackfruit usually weigh between 5 and 15 kilograms, but a grower south of Cairns has just harvested this “impressive” 45-kilogram monster fruit. ⌘ Read more

How do you know if extra-virgin olive oil is really extra-virgin?
Australia relaunches an olive oil monitoring program amid concerns consumers are purchasing inferior or fraudulent products. ⌘ Read more

Frangipani trees in Darwin ‘hammered’ by exotic pest. Can ladybirds stop it from spreading south?
Since its discovery last year, the papaya mealybug has spread across Darwin, impacting a range of host plants such as papaya, hibiscus and frangipanis. ⌘ Read more

It’s now loved all over the world, but who really invented the flat white?
This is the little-known story of how Italian sugar growers in the Sunshine State are said to have inspired the “invention” of the flat white — a drink that would go on to become a global sensation. ⌘ Read more

Is ditching the city for a country vineyard as romantic as it sounds?
Leaving the city and buying a vineyard in the country sounds romantic – the fresh air, drinking wine from the grapes you’ve cultivated, working your own hours, and raising a family in wide open spaces. But does the reality live up to the narrative? ⌘ Read more

Think $5.50 is too much for a flat white? Actually it’s too cheap, and our world-famous cafes are paying the price
Our recent survey of Australian capital cities found the average price of a small takeaway flat white at speciality venues is $4.78. But in some international capitals, it’s almost double this, even after adjusting for local purchasing power parity. ⌘ Read more

Wine grape growers rip out vineyards after historic low prices blamed on oversupply
Prices have been below the cost of production with estimates of losses of up to $2,000 per hectare on some grape varieties. ⌘ Read more

‘Great Friday’ for winemakers ready to ‘instantly’ resume shipments of China-bound drops
While wine authorities say getting Australian exports to China back to pre-tariff levels could be “a matter of years”, many in the industry are not only rejoicing, but getting set to resume shipments. ⌘ Read more

The town that chocolate built: How a global cocoa crisis poured money into these remote PNG villages
Over the last few years, a peculiar change has taken place in Papua New Guinea’s north-west, with remote, traditional villages modernising at a rapid pace. Here’s how the price of cocoa is fuelling development. ⌘ Read more

Listen back to the Queensland Country Hour
Listen back to the Queensland Country Hour for March 28. ⌘ Read more

Victorian Premier says tobacco shop licensing will roll out by end of year
Victoria will finally set up a tobacco licensing scheme, more than two years after it was recommended, as part of a crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade that has sparked a spate of fire bombings. ⌘ Read more

Adelaide Hills’ garlic farm’s honour-system shut down after thieves steal cash
Haaesford Farms Garlic in the Adelaide Hills is temporarily closing it’s ‘honour system’ garlic shed after thieves stole hundreds of dollars in cash. ⌘ Read more

Tens of thousands of vapes seized in Queensland
Queensland Health has issued hundreds of fines in its attempt to rid the state of illegal vapes and tobacco products, as the government calls for even tougher laws. ⌘ Read more

Grape grower by day, DJ by night: The ‘blockie’ who’s played the same festivals as The Prodigy
With the wine industry in crisis, Andrew Sarakinis is glad his career in music allows him to provide for his family financially and still honour his” blockie” roots. ⌘ Read more

Developer looking to merging homes, farming into ‘agrihoods’ to ease food, housing pressures
Ever wanted to quit the city and run away to start a farm? Welcome to the agrihood, where you can have town living in a rural setting. ⌘ Read more

Fruit growers facing difficult future as key WA dam dries up
Water in Glen Mervyn Dam, 200km south of Perth, has dropped by 80 per cent in a year, prompting calls for growers to future-proof their orchards. ⌘ Read more

Wong set to press China’s foreign minister over Yang Hengjun death sentence during high-profile meeting
The first official meeting between Penny Wong and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi since 2022 comes at a sensitive time in relations between the two countries. ⌘ Read more

The history of winemaking in Australia
Over three lavishly illustrated volumes Andrew Caillard, renowned in Australian and international wine circles for his work as a wine auctioneer, expert, and writer, tells the stories of the people and events that have shaped the wine industry in Australia. ⌘ Read more

Growing watermelons in outback NSW is ‘all about water’ access, young family says
Growing watermelons in NSW’s Far West to the scale the Gebert family planned had never been done before, but where there is a will, there is a way. ⌘ Read more

Tank farms show stark reality of Australia’s wine industry crisis even if China drops tariffs
Chinese authorities have announced an interim decision that tariffs of 220 per cent on Australian wine are not longer necessary, but the industry doesn’t see a return to the market fixing its crisis. ⌘ Read more

Fruit, veg growers say biggest customer ‘is the rubbish bin’, as millions of tonnes of food is wasted
Fresh produce growers scramble to meet “forecast” supply deals with supermarkets, but every year millions of dollars of surplus food goes to waste. So what’s going on? ⌘ Read more

Beijing on cusp of removing crippling tariffs from Aussie wine
Beijing appears to be just weeks away from removing tariffs that have crippled Australia’s wine industry since 2020, with an interim decision by China’s authorities reporting that the duties are no longer necessary. ⌘ Read more

Fruit collector’s favourite time of year arrives as obscure figs come into season
A South Australian farmer wants to see more of the thousands of fig varieties become more widely available to consumers. ⌘ Read more

Newly announced wine taskforce to spotlight glut as industry reaches crisis point
Very low prices for wine grapes and low demand is putting excessive pressure on the wine industry, leading to the formation of a taskforce to report on the challenges faced by Australian growers and winemakers. ⌘ Read more

Sunburnt fruit getting ‘cooked’ on the tree as dry spell continues in WA
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts below average autumn rainfall across the South West, with drought conditions across parts of the North West also set to stretch on. ⌘ Read more

Fruit fly outbreak worries SA growers as restrictions imposed
Producers say the detection of the pest could lead to an increase in costs for consumers and impact supply. ⌘ Read more

Nothing to cheer, as two-billion-litre glut of red wine sparks calls for halt on new vine plantings
With the equivalent of more than 860 Olympic swimming pools worth of wine in storage and growers being paid 1970s prices for grapes, the industry is in a crisis bordering on catastrophe. ⌘ Read more