The week’s top media stories
Every week, AUSVEG rounds up the top stories on issues affecting the Australian vegetable industry. Here are this week’s most important news items:
- Visa rule changes for backpackers, others (Colin Brisden, The Courier)
- Growers welcome visa extensions to prevent “fruit rotting on trees” during pandemic (Business News Australia)
- Coronavirus: Hong Kong and Singapore are hungry for Australian produce, but why can’t they get it? (John Power, South China Morning Post)
- Farmers enjoy fivefold rise in food sales as coronavirus drives more people to avoid supermarkets (ABC News)
- Fruit and veg ‘should be focus of Covid-19 fight’ (Michael Barker, Fresh Produce Journal)
- Food waste costs agriculture billions (Kim Chappell, Good Fruit and Vegetables)
- Fresh food exports, medical supply imports assured by $170 million Government COVID-19 rescue package (Kath Sullivan, ABC Rural)
- Coronavirus panic bypasses ag – farmers feel upbeat about prospects (Andrew Marshall, Farm Online)
- SPC Ardmona says it’s running out of tomatoes as panic buyers strip shelves (Tom Elliott 3AW)
- Farmland’s good yields at 13pc in drought lure ASX punters to ag (Andrew Marshall Farm Online)
- Fall armyworm outbreak in Northern Territory and Western Australia a sign invasive pest has traversed multiple regions (Daniel Fitzgerald, ABC NT Country Hour)
- Horticulture ramps up pressure on feds over visa extension amid coronavirus (Ashley Walmsley, Farm Weekly)
- Sunscreen made from mushroom waste may help create sustainable industry, researchers say (Isabella Pittaway, ABC Rural)
- Government launches $50m ag job seeker plan (Bryce Eishold, Stock & Land)
- Farmer trials attracting bugs to protect his vegetable crops rather than relying on pesticides (Tim Lee, ABC Landline)