EU tariffs
THERE is speculation the European Union may place tariffs on US agricultural products followed protracted trade negotiations between the two economic heavyweights.
The two had been trying to renegotiate their trade arrangements this year but progress has been glacial.
At present Europe is buying up cheap US soybeans and corn to meet feed shortages caused by the European drought but that will change if a tariff is put in place.
RWA marches north
Russian wheat aphid has been confirmed in northern New South Wales, more than 400km north of the previous detection site.
The NSW Department of Primary Industry (DPI) confirmed the discovery of RWA in a wheat crop in the Coonabarabran region, on the border of the Central West and North West Slopes and Plains last week.
Prior to this detection, the most northern point where RWA had been detected was Lake Cargelligo, 400km further south.
SA harvest underway
THE FIRST grain receivals have started dribbling into the Viterra system in South Australia.
Viterra reported it had received 3,142 tonnes into its system last week bringing the total receivals for the 2018/19 season to 3,360 tonnes.
The Western region received its first load on Friday, with grain delivered into the Cowell site on the Eyre Peninsula.
New wheat
A new dual-purpose, high yielding APH wheat is the first variety to be launched out of AGT’s recently established winter breeding program based at Wagga Wagga.
Launched last week, Illabo is a dual-purpose grain and graze line, designed for farmers in mixed farming systems.
Illabo was bred with the specific intention to offer cropping and livestock farmers an improved version of Wedgetail, which is the main parent of Illabo.
The variety has already attracted significant interest from farmers given its potential to produce significantly higher grain yields than EGA Wedgetail, while maintaining dry matter production.
“From central NSW down to Victoria, mixed farming plays a big role in many businesses, so to provide a high yielding winter wheat that allows for both grazing and high quality grain production is really exciting,” said AGT marketing manager, James Whiteley.