Agriculture

First fruit coming off trees

THE first olives are being harvest in Loddon groves with crews starting on Tiverton Rothwell’s Orana property last week. Seven harvesters are part of the month-long harvest that sees crews working alternating shifts 24 hours a day near Borung...

28 Apr 2025

BREAKING NEWS: Water rationing lifted

Rationing restrictions are being lifted for Goulburn Murray Water (GMW) customers in Dingee, Calivil and Boort after a significant decrease in irrigation demand. Following heavy rainfall across the Loddon Valley Irrigation Area on Friday many...

28 Apr 2025

Fiery Flat farm passed in at $3.1 million

A 773-ACRE Fiery Flat farm has been passed at an online auction last Thursday. But while the property did not sell after a vendor bid of $3.15 million, agent James Nevins said an offer had since been made and negotiations continued. “It was the...

27 Apr 2025

Letters to the editor: Levee bank, energy

Levee bank question Sir, Thank you for the very enlightening article about the Boort levee bank project (Loddon Herald, April 10). It is inexcusable that Indigenous approval delayed the project by three years as protection from flooding the township...

22 Apr 2025

Saleyard roof pledge from Littleproud

THE push for a roof over selling yards at Bendigo Livestock exchange had a boost this week with Nationals leader David Littleproud’s $3 million election campaign commitment. Stock agents and City of Greater Bendigo was the upgrade of the...

22 Apr 2025

Network spearheads new farm initiative

LOCAL farmers on Monday sho-wed there was strong interest for the newly-funded climate-positive farming initiative spearheaded by Loddon Plains Landcare Network and backed by the North Central Catchment Management Authority. The meeting...

22 Apr 2025

Flushing little lake boosts irrigators’ water access

THE flushing pump has been turned on to send water from Little Lake Boort into the the Number 3 Channel. Little Lake Boort committee member Paul Haw said the extra channel water could be used by irrigators. “In a small way this helps the farmers...

21 Apr 2025

We’re still talking, says wind turbine company

VIRYA Energy will start environmental and planning assessments for a 164-wind turbine project with a battery energy storage system near Boort this year. The company has been criticised for failing to consult with some landholders for its Meering...

21 Apr 2025

Levy fight: Unanswered questions on new tax, writes Mayor Dan Straub

EMERGENCY Services and Volunteers Fund Levy - a new tax. Who is really asking for it? As the conversation continues, escalates, erupts, we are still wondering where the push is coming form to effectively enforce an equivalent of a 24.7 per cent hike...

Levy fight: Four-point action plan from VFF

THE State Government should fix a broken fire services levy instead of “piling on new tax” as the Victorian Farmers’ Federation ups pressure against the new levy. The VFF four-point plan released on Friday by president Brett Hosking wants...

Levy fight: Volunteer firies raise double-hit spectre

VICTORIA’S peak organisation for volunteer firefighters say they will be forced to rattle more tins and keep driving an ageing fleet of trucks. “Just 22 per cent of $1.8 billion (new levy revenue is year two) is going to volunteer agencies. You...

New tax gets big fat NO from readers

PREMIER Jacinta Allan has been accused of “bleeding the cow until it can’t deliver milk” as anger rises against the State Government’s new emergency services levy. An exclusive Loddon Herald online poll shows hardly a trace of support for...

Policies are wasting water

Bad decision impacting farm economies, writes Geoff Kendell FARMERS across the Murray-Darling Basin — the lifeblood of Australia’s food and fibre production — are under increasing pressure. Government changes have reallocated 3200 gigalitres...

16 Apr 2025

Locally-grown olives will help Cobram as US tariffs imposed

A MAJOR olive grove invested by Cobram Estate in California will buffer the company from new US tariffs. Joint-CEO Leandro Ravetti said that while the purchase of 1340 hectares close to its existing Californian groves had not been made with a view...

15 Apr 2025