It may be messy work but for these boisterous beetles their dedication to keep soil healthy is making a big difference!

The main benefits of dung beetles

They can:

1. Sequester carbon in the soil, assisting producers to reduce emissions;
2. Improve soil health in grazing systems;
3. Reduce the spread of diseases and insect pests, including flies and parasites;
4. Increase pasture health and productivity and;
5. Reduce nutrient run-off into waterways.

There are many species of dung beetle introduced in Australia. Each plays an important role depending on the time of year and in different parts of the country.

To find out which species are near you, use this interactive map.

If you spot a dung beetle and are struggling to identify which species it is, download this app and report your observations!

For more information on the work done by dung beetles, visit Meat & Livestock Australia

The post The little beetle packing a ‘dung’ big punch appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

No matter your age, milk, cheese and yoghurt has an important role in your diet.

Dairy Australia breaks down the recommended dairy intake for your age group:

• Dairy for children

Providing children with a diet including foods from the five food groups will help kids get the range of nutrients and fuel they need.

Dairy products are best known for providing calcium to help build strong bones which grow rapidly during childhood. But there’s more benefits to dairy than just calcium. Other essential nutrients including protein for growth and development, zinc for brain function and vitamin A for healthy eyes are all found in dairy foods.

Depending on their age and gender, children need between one-and-a-half and three serves of dairy foods every day.

Most Aussie kids aren’t meeting the recommended serves of milk, cheese and yoghurt and/or alternatives every day. By including dairy products in kids’ meals, they will become familiar with the delicious taste and creamy texture of dairy foods and build good habits for life.

• Dairy for teens

As one quarter of adult bone mass is built between the ages of 12 to 14 for girls and 13 to 15 for boys, it’s important to eat enough calcium-rich foods, get enough vitamin D and do plenty of weight-bearing exercise like running, jogging or jumping to optimise bone growth.

Most Australian teenagers fall short of their recommendations for calcium, largely because they don’t have enough milk, cheese and yoghurt.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend 3.5 serves of dairy for teens every day. A serve is 250ml (one cup) of milk, 200g (3/4 cup) of yogurt or 40g (two slices) of cheese.

In addition to calcium, dairy foods provide a natural source of nine other essential nutrients including potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, carbohydrate, protein, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and zinc. These nutrients are important for healthy blood and immune systems, eyesight, muscle and nerve function, healthy skin, energy and growth and repair in all parts of the body.

A healthy and varied diet will ensure teenagers get the nutrients they need to support growth:

• Eat a wide variety of foods from each of the five food groups.
• Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast. Eating breakfast can reduce cravings for unhealthy snacks later in the morning.
• Snack foods like chocolate and chips can be high in calories and low in nutrients. Instead, try a fruit smoothie, fruit toast with ricotta or dried fruit and nuts.
• Limit soft drinks and energy drinks. Milk and even flavoured milk are healthier drink choices.
• Swap sports drinks for flavoured milk – which has the added benefit of protein to support muscle recovery, as well as natural electrolytes to help rehydrate.

• Dairy for adults (19 – 50)

Foods from the dairy food group are lacking in the diet of most Australians, and it’s estimated 8 out of 10 Australian adults are missing out on the minimum recommended serves of milk, cheese, yoghurt and/or alternatives.

Maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle can have many benefits for now and later in life such as:

• increased energy levels
• achieving a healthy weight
• reducing the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

A healthy, balanced diet includes a variety of foods from across the five food groups:

1. plenty of vegetables varieties, legumes and beans
2. fruit
3. grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley
4. lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans
5. milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly reduced-fat varieties.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines explains more on the foods and amounts that make up a healthy diet.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends at least 2.5 serves a day of milk, cheese, yoghurt and/or alternatives for most adults aged 19-50. A serve from the dairy food group is a cup (250ml) of milk, three-quarters of a cup (200g) yoghurt, two slices (40g) of cheese, half a cup (120g) of ricotta cheese or appropriate alternatives.

Replacing some or all ‘junk foods’ with more nutritious alternatives like fruits, vegetables and dairy foods is one strategy on the way to a healthier diet. Junk foods are usually high in kilojoules but low in nutrients.

A healthcare provider can provide more information about ways to improve diet quality.

For more information about Australian dairy, or to explore a range of Dairy recipes visit the Dairy Australia website.

The post How much dairy should I be consuming? appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Australia’s dairy industry contributes $3 billion to Australia’s economy with the average size of a dairy farm herd increasing from 93 cows in 1985 to 261 cows in 2017.

Today there are approximately 1.5 million dairy cows in Australia and in the last year, Australian dairy cows produced approximately 9 billion litres of milk.

But how exactly is milk made?

How milk is made depends on a number of different technologies – all designed to make the process more efficient. 

Cows are milked using vacuum cups which are attached to the cow’s teats. The milk is sent through stainless steel pipes to large refrigerated vats, then stored at 5°C or less. Within 48 hours, milk is taken in tankers to a milk factory where it’s pasteurised and homogenised.

Pasteurisation

This technique heats milk to 72°C for no less than 15 seconds, then cooled immediately to destroy any harmful bacteria and micro-organisms. This also extends the shelf life.

Homogenisation

Milk is put under pressure through fine nozzles, which evenly disperses fat globules. This stops the cream separating and rising to the top, allowing a more consistent texture and taste. Some manufacturers produce unhomogenised milk for people who prefer the cream to separate and rise to the top of the bottle.

Today’s farm technology, cattle management and factory methods allow for greater consistency of milk, and milk composition can be adjusted for year-round consistency. Milk composition is standardised so elements like fat content are made consistent no matter the season or breed of cow the milk comes from.

The composition of milk is governed by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. These standards are consistent with international standards – milk consumed in nearly all developed countries will have very similar standards.

The Code allows manufacturers to add or withdraw milk components to standardise the composition of milk sourced from dairy farms, as required, to produce nutritionally consistent and safe products. Under the Code, the standard for packaged full-fat milk requires that it contain at least 3.2% of fat and 3.0% of protein 

Centrifugal separation

This removes some or all of the cream to make reduced-fat, low-fat or skim milk. Skim milk solids can be added back to improve the test and texture, and increase nutrients like protein and calcium. 

Ultrafiltration
This moves milk across a membrane under  moderate pressure, which holds back protein, fat globules, and a large amount of calcium complexes.

Water and lactose (the sugar in milk) pass through, leaving behind a very protein and calcium-rich product. The fat content can be adjusted to suit consumer preference.

Reverse osmosis

This is very similar to ultrafiltration, but the membrane holds back most of the milk solids and only lets water pass through. Lactose remains in the product. There is no impact on flavour.

Ultra osmosis

This is a combination of ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, but it holds back milk solids and allows both water and salt to pass through.

Spray drying

This removes water from milk in order to make powdered milk products. Milk’s nutritional value remains the same.

Permeate

In order to standardise milk year-round, some manufacturers use a process called ultrafiltration where a membrane filter separates certain elements from milk (just like in the descriptions above). Milk is passed through a very fine filter, and the lactose (milk sugar), vitamins and minerals that filter through are referred to as “permeate”.

Permeate is a technical term which applies to all membrane filtration processes used across food production and other industries. For example, when producing apple juice the fruit is put through a similar filtration process where permeate is the clear juice we end up buying and consuming.

In milk processing, the word “permeate” does not refer to anything added which was not already part of milk.

That filter helps milk producers make milk with consistent properties, which helps it conform to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

For more information about Australian dairy, and to explore a range of dairy inspired recipes visit Dairy Australia.

The post The milk making process explained appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

If you’re headed to the shops to pick up a carton of eggs to assist in all your culinary needs, keep these handy tips in mind to help keep your eggs fresher for longer.

According to Australian Eggs, when buying eggs one should consider the following points:

• Choose eggs with clean, uncracked shells

• Don’t buy out of date eggs

• Choose the size most useful and economical for your lifestyle

Keep reading to find out more about how best to store and handle your eggs:

Why should eggs be refrigerated?

Avoiding temperature fluctuation is critical to egg safety. A cold egg left out at room temperature can sweat, facilitating the growth of bacteria that could contaminate the egg. Refrigerated eggs should not be left out for more than two hours.

What’s the best way to store eggs?

The best way to keep eggs is to store them in their original carton in the refrigerator as soon as possible after purchase. Cartons reduce water loss and protect flavours from other foods being absorbed into the eggs. Storing eggs loose, or in specially designed sections of the refrigerator is not recommended as this also exposes eggs to greater risk of damage.

How long do eggs last?

Fresh eggs can be kept refrigerated for up to 6 weeks but always check the use by date displayed on the carton. It is best to put eggs in the fridge as soon as you get them home.

I’ve had a carton of eggs in my fridge for a few weeks. Can I still use them?

Yes. Older eggs are ideal for baking cakes, quiches and frittatas. They are also perfect for hard-boiling, scrambling, and making omelettes. When hard-boiling, it’s actually better to use eggs that are a little bit older because the white is less likely to stick to the shell. Fresher eggs are better for poaching and frying because they hold their shape.

How can I tell if an egg is still fresh?

A quick and fun test for egg freshness is to pop them in a bowl of water. Fresh eggs will stay at the bottom of the bowl while older eggs float because of the large air cell that forms in its base.

Why do hard-cooked eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs?

When shell eggs are hard cooked, the protective coating is washed away leaving the pores in the shell open for bacteria to enter. Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and used within one week.

For more information about Australian eggs, and to explore a range of egg related recipes visit the Australian Eggs website.

The post Everything you need to know about storing eggs appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

Known for its next to skin softness, Australian wool is a popular fibre of choice for many. We’ve broken down five of our favourite facts about Australian wool from the recently launched Trust in Australian Wool handbook.

1. Four countries (China, India, Italy and South Korea) account for 90% of all Australian wool exports

Due to the high profile of Australian wool, the vast majority of wool produced in Australia is exported overseas, primarily in raw wool form.

The reason why Australia exports wool in raw form is due to the fact that our domestic processing industry is relatively small.

In fact, the last remaining domestic processing plant is located in Launceston, Tasmania and has been producing high-quality wool textiles since 1874.

Averaged across the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, Australia exported the equivalent of 259 million kilograms of raw wool which contributed $3.5 billion to the Australian economy alone in 2018/19.

As an export dependent commodity, Australia has a number of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in place that ensure Australian wool can be exported tariff-free.

2. Between 1.5 and 2 million bales of wool are produced in Australia each year, across more than 37,000 sheep production enterprises

The total value of the wool clip to the Australian economy in 2018-19 was AU$3.4 billion with around 200,000 people employed in the Australian wool industry.

Since the first sheep arrived in Australia in 1788, wool production has extended through six states, from high rainfall pastureland to semi-arid regions.

Just over half of that production occurs in New South Wales and Victoria. However, production can vary greatly from year to year, with the greatest influence being seasonal rainfall. For example, large parts of eastern Australia recently experienced a severe drought which saw Australia’s total wool production drop by 16% in two years. Australian Wool Innovation has detailed information of sheep numbers by state.

3. A typical Australian wool bales weighs 178 kilograms

Clip preparation is critical to the quality of wool entering the wool supply chain. There are more than 16,000 registered wool classers in Australia.

Typical Australian wool bales weigh 178 kilograms and around 1.5 million bales are produced each year.

Clip preparation involves the handling and subdivision of individual shorn fleeces in the shearing shed, and their allocation into lines of wool for sale.

Australian clip preparation standards aim to maximise the quality and predictability of each line of wool prepared for sale, while minimising purchase risks for wool buyers and processors.

Australian clip preparation standards are defined in the industry Code of Practice for the preparation of wool clips, and regulated through the AWEX as an integrated wool quality system.

This system encompasses the training and accreditation of wool classers, wool pack standards, standardised descriptions for classed wool, and continual performance auditing.

All wool offered at auction in Australia is audited by AWEX clip inspectors to detect lines of wool prepared below the minimum standard, and inspection results are reported to classers.

4. Around US$80 billion per annum is spent on wool apparel at retail

Australia is the leading global supplier of wool and the world’s largest wool export nation, producing 39% of global wool exports.

Given the dominance of fine Merino production in Australia, typically Australian wool is retailed as high-end fashion and lightweight knitwear.

Globally, consumers spend approximately US$80 billion per year on wool apparel with the majority of consumers coming from the US, Japan, China, Germany, UK and Italy.

These markets account for around 70% of the global consumer spend on wool garments with Australian Merino wool typically retailed as either high-end fashion or lightweight knitwear.

Known for its next-to-skin softness, Merino wool is used for a number of knitted products such as woven suits, jackets and trousers as well as t-shirts, underwear and ski-wear.

The remaining 10-15% of produced wool is typically converted into carpets and other interior textiles.

5. Around 1.5 million bales are sampled and tested before sale each year in Australia.

In 1970, Australia embarked on the Australian Objective Measurement Program, to modernise the manual ‘hands and eyes’ wool valuation and sale methods applied at the time.

Since that time Australia has been an integral contributor to the development of the global system for trading greasy wool, based around International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) test certificates.

Nearly all Australian wool is bought and sold with an IWTO test certificate. Each bale of wool is independently weighed, sampled and tested, and the resulting certificate reports the total number of bales tested, the yield of each bale, the characteristics of the wool and its mulesing status. While there may be minor differences in reporting systems between countries, almost all are now aligned using the IWTO system.

The typical Australian sale lot is sold at auction with 23 individual quality specifications, comprising of both objective and visual characteristics.

The post Our 5 favourite facts about Australian wool appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the popular weed killer RoundUp, and about 500 other herbicide products. It’s widely used by farmers, gardeners and other land managers. When applied, glyphosate prevents weeds from making the proteins they need to grow.

Why is glyphosate important?

Glyphosate allows farmers to control weeds from above the ground – doing away with the need to plough or till the soil. Reducing tillage maintains soil nutrients and improves water use efficiency.

Healthier soils mean higher yielding crops – a win for farmers and the environment.

Glyphosate is also used to control aggressive, noxious weeds such as serrated tussock and African lovegrass. If not controlled, these weeds can rapidly take over a landscape – at the expense of native pastures and biodiversity.

Why is glyphosate under pressure?

In September, a Californian jury found in favour of a plaintiff who alleged exposure to RoundUp, manufactured by Monsanto, had resulted in terminal non-Hodgkinson Lymphoma.

The jury drew on a study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which identified exposure to glyphosate, as well as activities such as drinking hot drinks, frying food, and hairdressing, as ‘probable carcinogenic’ activities.

In 2016, the APVMA evaluated the IARC report and other contemporary scientific assessments as part of an established chemical review nomination process. The APVMA concluded that glyphosate did not pose a carcinogenic risk to humans and that there were no grounds to place it under formal reconsideration. The APVMA is a globally recognised, science-based regulator.

What does the science say?

No other agricultural chemical has been tested to the extent that glyphosate has.  The scientific evidence supporting glyphosate’s safety is clear and overwhelming.

In the past three years alone, regulatory authorities in the European Union, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States have publicly reaffirmed that exposure to glyphosate does not cause cancer.

More than 800 scientific studies and reviews, including numerous independent regulatory safety assessments, have informed and confirmed these regulators’ stance.

A recent longitudinal study by the United States’ National Institute of Agriculture followed  57,000 farmers and registered applicators of glyphosate for more than 20 years. The study found no connection between cancer and glyphosate.

Farmers take these issues seriously

Australian farmers are renowned across the world for producing high quality, safe, sustainable produce. It is a role they take very seriously.

Farmers put their faith in the regulator (the APVMA) to only approve for use products that are are safe for the environment and human health.

Farmers care about their own health and that of their families, farm workers, communities and consumers.

Busting the myths on glyphosate.

The post What you need to know about glyphosate appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

According to the The Australian Snakebite Project, snakes are found in every state and territory of Australia and most snake attacks occur near houses, not in the bush. Bites primarily occur while people are out walking, gardening and trying to catch a snake.

There are around 3,000 reported snakebites each year in Australia, resulting in 500 shospital admissions and an average of two fatalities.

In those attacks in which the snake was positively identified, the brown snake was the most common biter (41%), followed by the tiger snake (17%) and red-bellied black snake (16%).

Common symptoms of a snake bite include an unexplained collapse, vomiting and abdominal pain, bleeding or paralysis, which is why it is extremely important to act quickly.

Important dos and don’ts for snake bites

• Do NOT wash the area of the bite or try to suck out the venom. It is extremely important to retain traces of venom for use with venom identification kits.
• Do NOT incise or cut the bite, or apply a high tourniquet. Cutting or incising the bite won’t help. High tourniquets are ineffective and can be fatal if released.
• Do bandage firmly, splint and immobilise to stop the spread of venom. All the major medical associations recommend slowing the spread of venom by placing a folded pad over the bite area and then applying a firm bandage. It should not stop blood flow to the limb or congest the veins. Only remove the bandage in a medical facility, as the release of pressure will cause a rapid flow of venom through the bloodstream.
• Do NOT allow the victim to walk or move their limbs. Use a splint or sling to minimise all limb movement. Put the patient on a stretcher or bring transportation to the patient.
• Do seek medical help immediately as the venom can cause severe damage to health or even death within a few hours.

More information on the treatment of snake bite can be found here.

The post The Do’s and Don’ts of dealing with snakebites appeared first on AustralianFarmers.

The reality is that Australia’s support for farmers is among the most meagre in the world, second only to New Zealand in the OECD.

This is an incredible fact, remembering that Australia is one of the world’s largest agricultural exporters – competing in markets where farmers receive whopping handouts.

How does Australia compare?

The report found that Australia’s ‘Producer Support Estimate’ (PSE, an estimate of public money which flows to primary producers – not necessarily as cash) was one of the lowest in the OECD, with PSE constituting only 1.4% of gross farm income (read on to see what this consists of).

By contrast, if you’re a farmer in the Iceland, Norway or Switzerland – more than half your farm income is delivered via government support measures!

What subsidies do exist for Aussie farmers?

The OECD study of farm subsidies found that Australia made no payments for commodity production (which is how other OECD countries dish out their payments). Instead, the bulk (42%) is channeled into programs to help manage seasonal variability.

Given Australia’s variable climate – prone to crippling drought and flood events – the Government has established schemes whereby farmers in need can access concessional loans, to reduce the burden of interest payments in difficult times.

Rather than being a handout, this scheme is a genuine loan – and farmers are expected to pay back every penny with interest over an agreed period.

This is similar to programs available to households to switch to solar panels, or energy efficient light bulbs – just on a bigger scale!

We also have frameworks like ‘Farm Management Deposits’ which help farmers save money in good years to help them weather downturns when they come.

The bulk of the remainder of our ‘subsidies’ takes the form of environmental programs. Given farmers look after 70% of Australia’s landmass, they play an important role in making sure our natural resources are protected for all Australians.

In turn, the Government works with farmers through Landcare, the Murray Darling Basin Plan and other programs to help implement positive environmental changes. This is similar to programs available to households to switch to solar panels, or energy efficient light bulbs – just on a bigger scale!

The verdict

Farmers relying on handouts is a myth! The next time you hear that being peddled, you can say that Aussie farmers are among the least subsidised on the planet. And they still manage to make a buck in a tough global marketplace, which is anything but a level playing field.

Is this a claim you hear thrown about? Log in and leave us a comment below with your thoughts on the matter!

The post Farm subsidies in Australia: The facts appeared first on AustralianFarmers.