How do we stay healthy during the high cost of living? Embrace the onion, this nutritionist says
A nutritionist is encouraging more people to eat onions to boost good gut bacteria and increase their daily vegetable intake, with the added benefit that prices have remained stable despite inflation. ⌘ Read more

This neurotoxin is now suspended from use on mangoes and avocados after harvest, so why not oranges?
Dimethoate is already banned in Europe, and now Australia’s chemical regulator has suspended its post-harvest use on the popular fruits, so what’s the risk if you’ve been eating them for years? ⌘ Read more

Will living with varroa mite make Australian honey and food more expensive?
Research into varroa mite is expected to surge after Australia waved the white flag in its fight to eradicate the pest from New South Wales, a decision that is also expected to increase beekeeping costs. ⌘ Read more

Worried you won’t find cheap mangoes this summer? Here’s some other tropical fruit you can buy
The much-loved Bowen mangoes won’t be overflowing on supermarket shelves this summer due to a warmer than average winter. So, without as many mangoes on the market, what else will be in store? ⌘ Read more

Australia abandons efforts to eradicate deadly parasite varroa mite after 15 months
Australia has decided it is no longer technically feasible to eradicate varroa mite and will move to management of the pest. ⌘ Read more

Leaving city crowds behind, this couple has found contentment by flower farming in country Queensland
After swapping their demanding jobs and cosmopolitan life in inner Melbourne for a bush block in Queensland, Jennifer Nini and Ben McGuire haven’t looked back. ⌘ Read more

As sweet Philippine mangoes touch down in Australia, who is buying them?
The carabao mango, also known as the “Manila mango”, is being imported fresh to Australia for the first time in about two decades. ⌘ Read more

Vapes: health risk and ‘environmental disaster’
NSW Health has seen a 500% increase in the number vapes seized over the past three years. ⌘ Read more

Rather than fundraiser choccies some schools rely on mango sales, but this year’s small harvest could hamper efforts
The Mango Fundraiser initiative from North Queensland sends mangoes straight from the farm to schools and community organisations that need an extra boost of financial support. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s plan for ‘world-leading’ tobacco control
What does the legislation involve, and will it work? ⌘ Read more

Australia’s earliest garlic harvest has barely finished, but Joe is sowing seeds for the next generation
An Indigenous community harvesting Australia’s earliest commercial garlic crop is hoping to pass on farming skills to improve the lives of future generations. ⌘ Read more

Some winemakers are putting their best wines in casks. They say it is better than glass
Winemakers want consumers to stop the snobbery towards cask wine and embrace it as a climate-friendly and cost-effective alternative to glass bottles. ⌘ Read more

With no crop or pasture, Allie wondered if flowers were the blooming solution
Planting flowers in the middle of a drought doesn’t seem like the obvious choice to diversify but this family has said goodbye to sheep and hello to hundreds of Geraldton wax plants. ⌘ Read more

Orange industry in Australia shrinking to the point of collapse as short-term contracts, lower prices hit growers
There are fears that short-term contracts and low prices for Valencia oranges could force some growers out of the industry. ⌘ Read more

Food processor Simplot on top of potatoes
For some, it was tough to get your hands on certain veggies last year. ⌘ Read more

Murray’s 100 million bees are finally on the move after an ‘anxious’ week stuck in a varroa mite surveillance zone
After playing a crucial role in pollinating Victorian almond orchards and a week caught in a varroa mite surveillance zone, Queensland’s Murray Arkadieff and his 1,000 beehives are finally heading home. ⌘ Read more

Hold the pav. North Queensland mangoes set to be in short supply at Christmas after warm winter
A warmer-than-average winter will see fewer Queensland mangoes on supermarket shelves this Christmas, with producers warning a lower yield will lead to a reduced supply of the tropical fruit. ⌘ Read more

Millions of bees are dead as governments continue to scramble to contain varroa mite, so why is the parasite still such a threat?
With bees responsible for pollinating much of the food we find at the supermarket and green grocer, authorities remain committed to trying to eradicate the recently introduced varroa mite before it gains too much of a foothold. ⌘ Read more

Queensland beehives allowed across the border from NSW amid varroa mite concerns
Queensland beekeepers are cleared to bring their hives back home but face 12 months of increased surveillance to ensure their bees are varroa mite free. ⌘ Read more

More winemakers opting out of animal-based purifiers to meet small but growing vegan market
It would be fair to expect wine to be vegan given it’s mostly fruit, but the majority of drops are not. WA winemaker Alexi Christides says it comes down to how impurities are removed. ⌘ Read more

‘That ground is full of bacteria and not all of them are nice to you’: How to avoid consuming parasites from your fresh fruit and vege
An expert in food microbiology says washing with water may be enough to dislodge any harmful bacteria, but it’s all in the process ⌘ Read more

Others pin their hopes on trends, but Renee wants to boost supply to meet local demand for vegetables
Farmer focuses on diversity as agriculture economist says food trends contribute towards waste. ⌘ Read more

Deadly varroa mite parasite found in more beehives near Vic-NSW border
The varroa mite is detected in beehives in another almond orchard at Balranald in southern New South Wales, taking the current outbreak in the Sunraysia and Riverina to four properties. ⌘ Read more

Darwin mango season kicks off, with 2.3 million trays expected to be picked
The Darwin region is forecast to produce about 2.3 million trays this year, according to the Australian Mango Industry Association, down from about 2.6 million last season. ⌘ Read more

Brett Lee, avocados, and India: Could this trade deal prevent a future ‘avoglut’?
It’s not the first time Aussies have put all their hopes on Brett Lee, but this time it’s avocado growers hoping to get a taste of his consistency in India. ⌘ Read more

Beekeeper says eradication ‘impossible’ as varroa mite spreads through coastal region
The number of varroa mite detections in the Kempsey area of the NSW Mid North Coast has grown to 13 in just over a week. ⌘ Read more

Coffee grounds to make stronger concrete
As if Melburnians needed another excuse to enjoy a cuppa joe. ⌘ Read more

APVMA talks about dimethoate suspension
Farmers have used dimethoate for decades. So why is the APVMA looking to suspend its use now? ⌘ Read more

Queensland farmers have grown too many vegetables, but who’s to blame?
Ideal growing conditions this year have seen the volume of vegetables in one of Australia’s largest winter production regions skyrocket, leading to oversupply and low farmgate prices. ⌘ Read more

The Aussie dollar could slump below 60 US cents, bringing with it pain and gain
For foreign tourists? Great. For travellers? Terrible. For the economy? A mix. The fall in the Australian dollar has created winners and losers across the economy. ⌘ Read more

Tropical flower supply looking tight as rain dampens the north’s dry season
Lovers of Australian-grown tropical flowers could have trouble finding them as an usually rainy dry season has put Queensland growers two months behind schedule. ⌘ Read more

Meet an Australian helping Afghan farmers find an alternative to opium poppies
With the Taliban banning poppy production, this agriculture consultant from Darwin helps farmers in Afghanistan find viable and legal alternative crops. ⌘ Read more

Gardening 19 August 2023
Gardening 19 August 2023 ⌘ Read more

Rosa’s been selling produce at the Queen Victoria Market for decades, but now she fears for its future
Traders at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne say they feel “blindsided” by management’s decision to raise licence fees and hand back the cost of utilities, waste disposal and utilities to stallholders. ⌘ Read more

The NT’s mango harvest has begun
The mango harvest is underway in the Northern Territory ⌘ Read more

Chinese tariffs, changing palates see Australian wine stockpile grow to 2.8m bottles
Australian grape growers have produced a stockpile of over 2 billion litres of wine that will take years to bring back into balance. ⌘ Read more

Could this native pollinator be an alternative solution to the under-threat European honey bee?
Australia’s agricultural industry is heavily reliant on European honey bees, but scientists say native species have shown promise as alternative pollinators. ⌘ Read more

Growers warn ‘unworkable’ Pacific Islander worker changes lack critical flexibility required for horticulture
Changes to the Pacific Islander labour scheme mean workers must be guaranteed a minimum of 30 hours of work each week, but the horticulture industry says the seasonal nature of the work and weather events make that unworkable. ⌘ Read more

Border Force seizes 3 million illegal cigarettes in Queensland raids
Authorities say they have dismantled a large-scale illicit tobacco syndicate operating in south-east Queensland, seizing nearly 3 million illegal cigarettes and 380 kilograms of the drug. ⌘ Read more

How Cameron Wilson is growing vines in a district better known for grazing and spuds
During a stint as a rural reporter for the ABC, Cameron Wilson became interested in grape growing. Fast-forward 15 years, he’s now a winemaker tending vines in two states. ⌘ Read more

Could tax perks for donating ‘ugly’ or excess produce help solve Australia’s food waste woes?
Australia’s largest food relief charity wants the federal government to change its tax arrangements to make donating unwanted produce less costly for businesses. ⌘ Read more

Spinach industry rebuilds reputation for producing ‘very safe food’ after contamination event
Dino Borrato lost close to $1 million and continues to plough some of his crop into the ground as the spinach industry recovers from last year’s contamination event. ⌘ Read more

Are you missing out on the best bit of a broccoli?
Fruit Nerd Thanh Truong gives you his tips on how to choose, store and eat the most humble of winter vegetables – the broccoli. ⌘ Read more

Leading chef calls on Aussies to buy locally grown olives as a ‘fresher and better’ option
Chef Mark Best says Australian table olives offer better quality for consumers, truth in labelling and help reduce the impact of food miles on the environment. ⌘ Read more

‘We just take the good with the bad’: Farmers and rural communities optimistic as dry El Niño weather looms
Queensland farmer “Sno” Harm has seen many El Niño weather patterns in his 50 years of growing cotton. He says he “can’t really prepare” for the next drought and remains hopeful for rain. ⌘ Read more

How to brew the perfect cup of tea
While Melbourne might be considered the coffee capital of the world, there’s still a lot of debate about how to make the perfect cup of tea. ⌘ Read more

European heatwave, poor growing conditions set to drive olive oil price even higher
Domestic olive oil yields have been on the conservative side this year, which could result in a further rise to the record prices for consumers. ⌘ Read more

Tonnes of ‘beautiful’ oranges, mandarins dropped in paddocks as stockfeed
Citrus growers are struggling to produce fruit that meets market specifications and truckloads of rejected but “quality” oranges, tangelos and mandarins are being sent to feed cattle and sheep. ⌘ Read more

Tigers, gunfights and rare rambutans are part of life for the Indiana Jones of exotic fruits
Alan Carle was hunting otherworldly fruit with fluorescent tentacles and bubbly flesh that folks back home had never even heard about, much less tasted — and he was willing to risk his life to find it. ⌘ Read more

Small-time fruit growers facing ‘death by paperwork’ amid expensive fruit fly protocols
Produce from small-time Riverland growers is disappearing from supermarket shelves as soaring treatment costs for the ongoing fruit fly outbreak risks allowing bigger businesses to muscle them out. ⌘ Read more

Mango-picking robot snaps up $1 million in venture capital
A robot designed to pick mangoes and hopefully ease worker shortage issues, expected to ”create ripples through the supply chain”, has landed $1 million in venture capital. ⌘ Read more

Largest winery solar panel system in Australia switches on in the Barossa Valley
Almost 6,000 solar panels have been installed by Treasury Wine Estates, with the ability to generate more than 5,000 megawatt-hours of energy per year — the equivalent of powering around 900 homes. ⌘ Read more

Why dragonfruit plants go rogue, and how to tame it
Juicy dragonfruits have become a popular snack and garden plant, but beware — they can go rogue before you know it. ⌘ Read more

Almond growers await green light to allow NSW beehives into SA amid varroa mite concerns
The pollination season is just starting in South Australia and almond growers need more bees, but the state government is cautious about allowing hives from New South Wales, which remains under varroa mite restrictions. ⌘ Read more

Cut food waste and save money with five tips from a famous foodie
Australians each throw out a whopping 300 kilograms of food every year. But these tricks from award-winning author and broadcaster Alice Zaslavsky can help reduce your waste — and put money back into your wallet. ⌘ Read more

Cheap imports ‘decimated’ Australia’s flower industry. Could micro farms save it?
Twenty years after cheap flower imports flooded the Australian market, the focus is back on locally grown blooms as shoppers “push towards sustainability”. ⌘ Read more

Wine grape growers hit by worst disease pressures in decades raise concerns about unmanaged vineyards
Riverland wine grape growers are experiencing higher crop losses this year due to disease, possibly worsened by neglected vineyards nearby. ⌘ Read more

Waste-busting businesses save delicious fruit not up to supermarket specifications
An increasing number of businesses are using fruit that would otherwise be dumped, with one retailer attaching EFTPOS facilities to his honesty boxes. ⌘ Read more

How much is a Tasmanian wine grape worth compared to a mainland grape?
The latest vintage report for Tasmania reveals a record price per tonne for grapes grown in the cool climate region, after a drop in production of 1 per cent. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s wine grape vintage plummets to 23-year low
Australia’s vintage is well down on the 10-year average thanks to challenging weather and economic factors — but the industry hopes higher quality fruit will mean better prices for what’s sold. ⌘ Read more

Cutting onions may no longer be a crying matter as ‘tearless’ variety hits shelves
A new variety of onion that promises not to cause tears is now on sale in a major supermarket, after decades of development. ⌘ Read more

Prominent NSW winery to be sold after 40 years in business
Prominent winemaker, John Cassegrain says significant financial struggles have forced him to put the winery on the market, but he hopes the family can retain ties to the business. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s largest wine grape growing region diversifies to deal with one of the hardest years yet
South Australian wine grape growers are switching crops or walking away amid the global red wine oversupply as key local stakeholders call for more support. ⌘ Read more

American company set to takeover Costa Group
The Costa Group, Australia’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable grower, could be in American hands within months following a takeover bid by Paine Schwartz Partners. ⌘ Read more

One of Tasmania’s newest vineyards
A desire for a tree change, prompted lawyer and teacher James and Karen Stewart to set up a vineyard in the Coal Valley near Richmond. ⌘ Read more

The Wheatbelt isn’t known for wine, but one vineyard is thriving against the odds
WA is famous for wines produced in the Margaret River and Great Southern regions but hidden within the canola fields of the Wheatbelt is an unusual vineyard. ⌘ Read more

Once only for ’pavlova lovers’, Aussie passionfruit has come a long way. But the industry is under threat
Australia’s passionfruit farmers have a problem — no matter how well they care for their vines, yields of the delicious fruit are declining. But a solution could be on the horizon. ⌘ Read more

Veggie ‘oversupply’ sees 70pc price drop on some produce, farmers struggle to recoup costs
Due to an unusually warm winter in northern Australia, an oversupply of fresh produce like capsicums and tomatoes is leading to fears that farmers’ costs for growing vegetables will soon outweigh their return. ⌘ Read more

Punjabi citrus growers access information in own language for the first time
Translating agricultural information into different languages is a game changer for people like Navjot Singh’s parents who never hear it directly from the source. ⌘ Read more

A year into the varroa mite response, farmers report crop losses — but also giant vegetables
There are calls for compensation for farmers whose beehives have been destroyed in the effort to stop the parasitic varroa mite. Without enough bees to pollinate produce there are reports of crop losses and conversely huge fruit and veggies. ⌘ Read more

From Vietnam to Sydney to Darwin: The Nguyens came for a holiday and stayed 10 years
Buying a mango farm while on holiday has brought its fair share of challenges, but the Nguyen family haven’t looked back. ⌘ Read more

Varroa mite outbreak reaches ‘grim milestone’ as eradication fight continues
It has been 12 months since the bee-killing parasite was detected in Australia, but eradication efforts will continue for at least another three years. ⌘ Read more

It takes a machine to dig up 35,000 roses. But when the ground is soggy, it’s all down to the farmhands
Farmhands are digging up tens of thousands of rose plants by hand at a South Australian nursery after heavy rain has made it impossible for a machine to do the job. ⌘ Read more

Queensland’s oldest winery Romavilla destroyed in fire
Emergency crews battled flames 25 metres high at the site of the abandoned, heritage-listed Romavilla Winery in Roma last night, with firefighters only able to save the back part of its main building. ⌘ Read more

Research on many insects which can be used for pollination
Insect pests often get a bad rap for the damage they can cause to food crops. ⌘ Read more

3,000kg of avocados rejected by supermarkets saved from landfill by caring Queenslanders
Far North Queenslanders have rallied in support of an avocado producer facing the prospect of having to dump three tonnes of fruit. The avocado oversupply is expected to cause more pain for growers in the years to come. ⌘ Read more

Are Australian consumers ready for imported ‘Manila mangoes’?
Australia’s first consignments of famously sweet carabao mangoes imported from the Philippines are reportedly due within weeks. ⌘ Read more

Robots, high-density planting just some of Young Farmer of the Year’s fresh ideas
Fifth generation apple, pear and stone fruit grower Mitchell McNab says robotics will play a major role in the future to keep production costs down. ⌘ Read more

Record number of Pacific Islanders now work in Australia helping supply your next meal
This fruit picker is supporting his family in Vanuatu to recover from cyclones. He hopes changes to the Pacific worker program will help him send more money home. ⌘ Read more

A country town solution for feeding the needy gets these kids outdoors and high marks
Getting their hands dirty while helping hungry people, these Hands On Learning students see how an abundant harvest ends up being delivered free to local residents experiencing food insecurity. ⌘ Read more

Packing a gram-for-gram protein punch equal to a T-bone steak, demand for this tiny legume is booming
Mung beans are one of the world’s smallest vegetables. But there is a huge global market for this tiny — and valuable — crop. ⌘ Read more

Wine grape growers out of pocket as vintage price negotiations stall
Australia’s largest member-owned wine grape co-operative is considering legal action against Accolade Wines as growers await a final price for cabernet sauvignon and shiraz grapes. ⌘ Read more

Devastating banana disease spreads with new case on Queensland farm
The fungal disease Panama TR4, which has no known cure or treatment, is confirmed on an eighth property in the Tully Valley. ⌘ Read more

Jan is the only macadamia grower in the Riverland, but she has no desire to turn a profit
People love the macadamias Jan Cousins grows on her Paringa property, but she has no plan to capitalise on the market she has cornered. ⌘ Read more

Farmers call for rethink on Pacific worker scheme as union warns against ‘hysteria’
Fruit and vegetable growers say they’ll be forced to employ fewer workers from the Pacific when the Australian government introduces changes to its foreign labour scheme. ⌘ Read more

Coffee is consumed everywhere — even in space. How did it win over the world?
Discover what role curious goats, and religious figures trying to stay awake, have to play in the centuries’ long evolution of coffee. ⌘ Read more

It’s sweet and crunchy like an apple. So why aren’t more Australians eating persimmons?
A Queensland orchard is celebrating a record persimmon crop, but few Australians have ever tasted the fruit. Growers like Rod and Jeanette Dalton are trying to change that. ⌘ Read more

‘It made me proud to be Australian’: The fence that saved a family home from flood
When the River Murray began to rise, the Schultz family built a fence from vineyard posts, bits of tin and shade cloth to save their home — and it worked. ⌘ Read more

‘Gone are the days of boiling the life out of them’: Why we’ve changed our minds about brussels sprouts
Ever wondered how to make those green vegetables you mother boiled to oblivion taste good? Find out how this up-and-coming young chef does it. Meanwhile a couple of young farmers are using the formerly despised veggie to pay off their first farm. ⌘ Read more

Decades-old winemaker pushed into voluntary administration
A winemaker says he has a heavy heart about his business’s latest step after it buckled under the pressure of natural disasters, COVID restrictions and trade tariffs. ⌘ Read more

Australian wines are going through a ‘golden period’ — now there’s awards to prove it
Australian wines have been labelled ‘the best in the world’ after dominating a prestigious international wine awards, taking home more ‘Best in Show’ awards than any other country ⌘ Read more

Why this expert says we’ll always drink, even when we know it’s harmful for us
Australians aren’t drinking like we used to. Yet, despite parallels to tobacco use, some experts say alcohol’s history and place in society mean it’ll remain indefinitely. ⌘ Read more

Influx of foreign workers helps growers and towns ‘starting to really feel alive’
More fruit and vegetables are expected to hit supermarket shelves soon as backpackers and holidaymakers return to north Queensland. ⌘ Read more

Updated China-Australia trade list welcomed by citrus industry
Australia’s citrus industry welcomes an administrative milestone, the publication of a new list of orchards, packhouses and treatment facilities allowed to export to China. ⌘ Read more

Leafy greens, melons and berries face tighter food safety rules, but can small-scale growers afford them?
There’s concern new regulations could potentially price some small-scale growers out of business, but the peak industry group says growers — irrespective of their size — need to commit to food safety. ⌘ Read more

Does the ‘honour system’ still work? These farm stall operators say it most certainly does
Country drivers are familiar with increasingly common roadside produce stalls with bargain prices and farmers are grateful that people almost universally do the right thing. ⌘ Read more

Pink is the new orange with consumers hungry for photo-worthy new citrus varieties
New varieties of citrus like cara cara navels and blood oranges are growing in popularity, but farmers say supermarkets need to stock more to grow demand. ⌘ Read more

Tobacco industry to face tougher restrictions by 2025 under planned laws
Health warnings on individual cigarettes and new graphic images on cigarette packets are among changes the federal government plans to introduce. ⌘ Read more

When first grown in Australia, this exotic tropical fruit was little-known. Now farmers can’t keep up with demand
In the depths of South America’s Amazon Basin, the achachairú, a highly prized tropical fruit, has been cultivated for generations. But it’s on the side of the world, in North Queensland, that the fruit is grown on the greatest scale. ⌘ Read more

Australia’s first plastic credits scheme targets banana industry waste
The banana industry has welcomed a scheme that sees farmers earn credits for responsible waste disposal. ⌘ Read more