The week’s top stories (week ending 01/10/19)
Every week, AUSVEG rounds up the top stories on issues affecting the Australian vegetable industry. Here are this week’s most important news items:
- Wineries fear ACCC report will crush competition, viability (Andrew Marshall, Good Fruit and Vegetables)
- Expansion of Australia’s working holiday visa scheme faces Senate hurdle (Rosemary Bolger, SBS)
- #88daysaslave: backpackers share stories of farm work exploitation (Sarah Martin, The Guardian)
- Backpackers prepare for life on the farm amid growing demand and working holiday visa surge (Mark Bennett, ABC Great Southern)
- Have your say: Mandatory traceability for stock, crops and hort (Mike Foley, Good Fruit and Vegetables)
- Farmers and drought-affected communities to receive an extra $100m in federal funding (Lucy Barbour & Kath Sullivan, ABC News)
- Queensland farmers’ vision to transform the south-east into Australia’s largest urban farm network (Katherine Feeney & Rebeka Powell, ABC Landline)
- Avocados won’t be an earner for years for hail-affected growers who saw trees stripped, crops destroyed (Michael Cavanagh, ABC NSW Country Hour)
- African swine fever on Australia’s doorstep, with outbreaks confirmed in Timor-Leste pig farms (Matt Brann, ABC Rural)
- Could gene drive technology help control weeds in Australia? (Stephanie Smail, ABC Radio National)