DAFFnews - Issue 177
20 April 2012
- Promoting youth in agriculture
- ABARES Regional Outlook conferences
- Growing the skills today for the agriculture jobs of tomorrow
Promoting youth in agriculture
Parliamentary Secretary Sid Sidebottom has spent National Youth Week in Western Australia promoting agriculture and holding key discussions with State Government, dairy and timber industry representatives.
During his trip, Mr Sidebottom launched an innovative new horticulture in schools project that gives students a vocational qualification and a pathway to a rewarding career in the agriculture, horticulture, conservation and land management industries.
Co–funded by AgriFood Skills Australia and the Department of Education Western Australia, the program will establish new school vegetable gardens in five high schools and provide students with new skills relevant to the nursery industry, landscape gardening and irrigation, along with career guidance and work placements."Agriculture is an exciting industry with fantastic opportunities in a whole range of careers," Mr Sidebottom said. "I'm sure this program will sow the seed that grows into a long and fruitful career in horticulture."
Mr Sidebottom met with WA Minister for the Environment and Water, Bill Marmion, to discuss West Australia's Regional Forestry Agreement and forest management planning.
He also met with representatives from the Forest Products Commission, Western Dairy and the WA Farmers' Federation and visited a dairy farm at Harvey, production facilities at Wesbeam and Brownes Dairy, and a Jarrah forest thinning trial at Jarrahdale.ABARES Regional Outlook conferences
Dates and locations for the 2012 Regional Outlook conferences have been released. If you have any contacts, connections, or are involved in projects in these areas please email ABARES Conferences to discuss collaboration and engagement with potential speakers for these regions.
Alternatively, if you have relevant stakeholders whom you would like to give an opportunity to attend, the regional outlooks provide a conference program tailored to the region. Delegates will hear commodity forecasts, discuss industry trends, access information, make new contacts in their community, be exposed to new approaches to traditional issues while gaining an understanding of global issues that affect their region.
| State | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| South Australia | Berri | 16 May |
| Northern Territory | Alice Springs | 13 June |
| Western Australia | Margaret River | 5 July |
| Victoria | Horsham | 25 July |
| New South Wales | Bega | 29 August |
| Tasmania | Burnie | 26 September |
| Queensland | Gatton | 25 October |
Feed efficiency key to reducing livestock emissions
New research has found that increasing soil and pasture quality can improve farm productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The research, funded through the Australian Government's Climate Change Research Program (CCRP), was shared with primary producers at the University of New England's (UNE's) Trevenna Field Day in Armidale this month.
The research has shown that improving soil fertility and pasture quality increases the carrying capacity of paddocks as well as improving the feed–conversion efficiency in livestock and reducing methane emissions.
DAFF Acting Assistant Secretary for Climate Change, Julie Gaglia, said UNE's Trevanna demonstration farm is one of four national trial sites involved in the Reducing Emissions from Livestock Research Program."The field day demonstrated how altered management strategies can lead to real and lasting benefits to productivity and profitability," Ms Gaglia said.
The next CCRP information sessions will be taking place in Wagga Wagga, NSW on 22 May and Wollongbar, NSW on 6 June.
For further information on the CCRP, please contact the Australia's Farming Future Hotline 1800 638 746.
06 Jun 2012