Countryman

“A BIG HELP”Fiji fathers help family back home with WA farm work

For the past three years, Fijians Kaurasi Etike and Rocky Fereti have been travelling to the State’s South West to work among the grapevines.

Shannon Verhagen

HARVEST HELPTwo more planes of Pacific workers to land by April

As of late this afternoon, more than 300 workers from Vanuatu will have been deployed to farms and agricultural operations across the State, from Mt Barker and Pemberton to Gingin and Harvey.

Shannon Verhagen

HELPING HOMEFarm work helping Vanuatu families with school, food

“For me, to have this opportunity I’m very glad to be here.”

Shannon Verhagen

VISA APPEALFrustration as WA farmworker denied sponsored visa

Visa red tape could force a long-term WA farmworker to leave the country when thousands of harvest jobs go begging, despite her employer wanting to sponsor her to stay.

Shannon Verhagen

farm heistYarloop Gran has $30K jewellery stolen in farm burglary

A Yarloop grandmother has lost $30,000 worth of jewellery and heirlooms after her farmhouse was ransacked in a callous burglary just days after Christmas.

Briana Fiore

TREE CHANGENarrogin farmers ‘loving’ life on the land

In the late 1990s, Barbara and Jefferson Harris were looking for a change.

Shannon Verhagen

GROWING DEMANDWA passionfruit farmers turning seconds into pulp

And it is helping local growers reduce “waste” and get more value from their crops.

Shannon Verhagen

Beyond the SaleyardsSupport up for mutton prices

WA lamb prices eased last week with BRM lowering the bid by 20¢ to 700¢.

ROB KELLY

Mt Barker Sale$17,000 top for Simmental at Mt Barker Saleyards

A Denmark Simmental stud set a sizzling record pace with a $17,000 top price at the first bull sale of the year held last week at the Mt Barker Saleyards complex.

Bob Garnant

Mt Barker SaleSouthden heifers to $4050 top at Mt Barker saleyards

Redmond dairy farmers set a new record top price for their first cross pregnant heifers at the Mt Barker Saleyards last Tuesday.

Bob Garnant

Organics AdvisoryWA winemaker to drive organic industry changes

One of the State’s best-known winemakers is the sole WA representative in a new national group hoping to revamp domestic regulation of the organic industry.

EXCLUSIVE Cally Dupe

Shearing RecordNZ woman shows her shear class and sets record

A New Zealand shearer has smashed the women’s world record for the number of lambs shorn in nine hours, notching up 661 and inspiring female shearers worldwide.

Cally Dupe

Wool quotaChina’s wool quota import could signal easing tensions

China’s decision to lift its quota for wool imports by 5 per cent — or more than 15,000 bales — could be the first hint the Asian superpower may be prepared to repair ties.

Cally Dupe and Bob Garnant

Wool MedalNational prize for WA wool legend

Legendary shearer Kevin Gellatly has been awarded the industry’s greatest accolade — the Australian Wool Industry Medal — on Saturday.

Cally Dupe

New marketsMexican wave for malt

WA malt barley could soon be used to make beer after CBH Group struck a deal to export 35,000 tonnes of the grain to Mexico.

Cally Dupe

Royal ShowRoyal Show best continue on traditional grounds

Farmers who exhibit livestock at Perth Royal Show have labelled Zempilas’ proposal to move the historic event an “unrealistic” pie in the sky idea.

Bob Garnant & Charlotte Elton

Foreign labour$6000 farm work bonus a bust as just 350 sign up

Australia’s Agriculture Minister has all but given up on trying to convince young and unemployed people to move to the bush for farming jobs.

Daniel McCulloch

Opportunism claimsFalse claims shearers underpaid

Agriculture lobby groups have lashed back at false claims that an increase in the shearing award rate is a quick fix for wool shed staff shortages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bob Garnant

WA electionNationals ‘open’ to siding with Labor as rift grows

The Nationals are ‘open’ to preferencing Labor over the Liberals at the WA election, according to a party candidate as the rift between the conservative parties deepens.

Peter Law

Sheep shockLive sheep exports dive in 2020

WA live sheep export volumes fell almost 40 per cent last year to their lowest levels in recent history, amid tougher regulatory export requirements and rising sheep prices.

Jenne Brammer

Election pledgeKirkup’s $900m plan to save lives on regional roads

Liberal leader Zak Kirkup has promised $900 million to lessen the ‘horrific death toll’ on regional roads - a plan he argued would save 2100 people from being killed or injured over the next decade.

Charlotte Elton