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Livestock Farming

New group cracks down on rural workplace safety after 32 deaths on Australian farms in a year

Farmsafe Australia wants all agriculture workers to have first aid and trauma response training, saying it can be the difference between life and death in remote areas.
a man stands near a ute with the contents of a first aid kit on display

These tiny, fluffy cows have a cult following, but behind the scenes a debate on the ethics of breeding them rages

Sales of miniature highland cows have jumped by 30 per cent in a year, but a veterinarian says breeding smaller-than-normal animals prioritises looks over quality of life.
close up cows

'Invasive animal' or 'sacred native'? The fight to save the dingo is heating up

Traditional owner and fourth-generation grazier Joshua Henry was raised to see dingoes as a threat to cattle. Now his views have changed and he's adding his voice to calls to ban the killing of dingoes.
A golden dingo looking towards the camera with its tongue out, surrounded by shrubs and grasses.

Why young women are trading in city life and sushi bars for cattle stations and pub meals

Swapping urban apartments for life in the outback working with livestock, these 20-year-old first-generation agriculture students have no regrets.
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Three young girls at a cattle yard all smiling at the camera, with one sitting on the fence

Are dingoes precious native wildlife, or a pest?

Dingoes are routinely trapped, shot and poisoned across Australia to protect livestock but in some parts, that's about to change.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 11 minutes 27 seconds

Abattoir receives 'slap on the wrist' after government investigation into 1,400-tonne carcass dump

Piles of slaughtered animal waste were exposed on Yeeda Station, near the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia's Kimberley region. The culprits are to receive a letter of warning.
ABC News Current

Outback graziers relieved after rain event fills dams and revives stock feed

Far west NSW graziers have renewed confidence in the condition of their livestock and country after a single rain event brought falls of up to 70 millimetres.
A rainbow in a cloudy sky over an outback roadhouse

Fallout from live sheep export ban continues as door left open on more support for those hit

In an interview with Stateline WA, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt insists the federal government's $107 million transition package is "significant", but says discussions will continue with the state government to determine what is needed. 
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sheep pic

Laws to ban live sheep exports by 2028 pass parliament following lengthy debate

Laws to phase out Australia's live sheep export trade by 2028 pass parliament, despite last-ditch attempts by opponents to put the brakes on the legislation.
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A pen full of merino sheep with one looking directly at the camera.

'Working with nature since 1912' is the Lyons family motto and here's why it's paying dividends

Fourth-generation graziers Michael and Michelle Lyons are the driving force behind a trial that succeeds in striking a balance between managing the land properly and also making a profit from their cattle.
Michelle Lyons in a red shirt and Michael Lyons in a beige shirt smile at camera in front of old homestead

WA farmers 'egged' Gough Whitlam in the 1970s — now they are being called on to take a convoy to Canberra

Farmers have been told to stand "shoulder to shoulder" after the federal inquiry into phasing out the export of sheep by sea recommended the bill be passed.
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 A truck carrying hay bales with the words 'support rural, keep the sheep,' in spray paint

Bull-riding is a controversial sport, but it's only banned in one Australian jurisdiction

Bull-riding is a hugely popular sport in Australia, known for large crowds, big hats and plenty of close calls. But what many spectators don't see is what goes on at properties across the country to prepare the bulls for their time on the big stage. 
A bull rider in full flight at an outback rodeo.

'Bit of a big deal' as Australian woman first to be elected deputy of world farming body

Fiona Simson was first elected to the board last year, and was elevated to vice-president during a general assembly meeting in Rome this week. 
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A middle aged woman with blonde hair and a blue collared shirt stands in a field with cattle in the background.

The Queenslanders beating America at their own game

It's one of Australia's most iconic brands, yet on every RM Williams product is something very American.
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Texas Longhorn 'Jake' with twisting horns

Rock art dating back 17,000 years nominated for World Heritage tentative listing

Parts of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula are elevated to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list, but experts warn what many regard a coup, could be a double-edged sword.
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Rock art of a person andanimals in Quinkan Country.

These jumper-clad rescued lambs highlight a deeper issue facing WA farmers

A statewide feed shortage, off the back of a brutally dry summer, is seeing an increasing number of sheep orphaned across the state's farming regions.
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siblings with lambs

Farmer shocked after 'amazing' merino ewe gives birth to six lambs

Ian Rowett's sheep stud at Marrabel is the second farm in South Australia to have recorded a sextuplet lamb birth this year, an event vets say is "incredibly rare".
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A merino ewe with her six marked lambs

Farmers 'frustrated beyond words' over live sheep export debate as inquiry hears emotional testimony

WA farmers impacted by the proposed ban have had their say in Northam today, after a Canberra hearing heard from animal activists and industry leaders earlier this week.
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A woman holds a sign saying minister watt TF

From shearing to teaching the Nutbush, young Aussies shine as sheep skills tested in France

Forget the Paris Olympics, two young people from the Australian sheep industry have claimed prizes at the World Young Shepherds competition held in France.
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A woman with a pony tail shearing a sheep

Biosecurity foot mats removed from airports as Indonesia's foot and mouth disease outbreak 'stabilises'

Livestock groups say they're "disappointed and concerned" to hear news the government has removed biosecurity foot mats from airports and cruise terminals after installing them in 2022 after animal disease outbreaks in Indonesia.
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An adult and child walk over a mat designed to kill foot and mouth disease at Perth Airport.

Australia's biggest saleyard loses $1.7m a year. Why is the council that owns it being pressured not to sell?

Some producers fear potential fee hikes at the Dubbo Regional Livestock Market as privatisation is considered by council.
A sheep looks at camera through a fence. Many other sheep crammed near them.

Australian beef exports to China can resume after trade war suspension, minister says

Five major Australian beef exporters suspended from exporting meat to China can now resume, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt has confirmed.
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Meat in a butcher's window with Chinese labels

'It shows there is gouging': Farmer finds Australian beef selling cheaper in Japanese supermarket

On a recent visit to Tokyo, a New South Wales farmer was shocked to find Australian beef selling for less than you can find it in Coles and Woolworths.
beef packaged in Japan

How the 'Yellowstone effect' is making cowboys 'even cooler' in Australia

The streaming series Yellowstone has become a worldwide phenomenon, and Australians are not immune as they open up their wallets to buy expensive horses, pushing up the demand for trainers.
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A man in a brown hat and black vest stands beside a black horse.

The mates who unexpectedly found themselves owning the only butcher shop left in town

Corporate mates Wal Stranger and Max Benaud never planned to own a butcher shop. But it was a love of meat and livestock that led the 20-somethings into a world of retail that was new to them.
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Two men in butcher outfits standing in front of a butcher shop