Dubbo MP Dawn Fardell voiced her concerns in Parliament this week raising awareness of the extraordinary stresses caused by the drought affecting the country and the increase in suicide. She said deciding to speak out about the drought s incredible impact on rural and farming families was difficult, but necessary, in order to encourage people just to talk about how they were feeling. Mrs Fardell later told the Daily Liberal that weekly, she and her office were hearing of local suicides due...

Early concerns about worker shortages did cause stress, but in the end, there were enough people to make it happen. Fullmer called the yield above average, noting it s still higher than the five-year average of 21. Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. Staffing shortages continue as the campaign cranks into full processing mode. The rain caused a loss of about four days, but all in all the harvest went smoothly. One...

The draft form of the legislation would require scrap dealers to record each seller's home address, license plate number and a copy of their driver's license. Catching the thieves in rural areas is difficult, so farmers may go after the scrap metal dealers. Next month, the Missouri Farm Bureau will decide whether to make legislation creating greater oversight of the scrap metal industry a priority. The developers sold about 56 acres to another developer, and state officials say that...

Department of Agriculture's monthly cattle-on-feed report Friday generally was considered neutral and possibly slightly bearish for live and feeder cattle futures markets, market analysts said. Cattle Network - Connecting The Beef Industry Worldwide www.CattleNetwork.com - Connecting the Cattle Industry Worldwide CattleNetwork.com - Connecting The Cattle & Beef Industry Worldwide. Senate on Friday failed to approve a cloture motion that would have forced a vote on the 2007 farm bill,...

Despite federal government pushing for GM releases most states in Australia have backed moratoria and are seeing their farmers and food producers benefit from being able to a supply the massive market for GM-free ingredients. Jeffery Smith's new book documents the problems and unknown risks posed by GMO's and raises serious questions about the environmental and health impacts of these crops. The decision by Goodman Fielder follows on from a large smoothie company 'Innocent' also confirming...

Of course we must continue to monitor for adverse effects, but that does not mean we should bury our heads in the sand, ignoring the enormous potential of GM products. Besides crossing species, the scientists cross kingdoms, inserting viral and bacterial dna into plants and animals. One can easily imagine prehistoric "activists" bemoaning the dangers of a new, untested technology like fire or the wheel. Things "mutate" naturally over time anyway, right? Whats the harm in helpin the process...