Warwick Long
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Presenter of the Victorian Country Hour for ABC Rural. Former co-host of the Conversation Hour (VIC). Email: long.warwick@abc.net.au
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Articles by Warwick Long
Victorian farmers fined for obstructing access for planning VNI West transmission work
Farmers in Victoria's west have been fined for refusing to let authorised officers onto their properties to progress transmission line planning works. On Tuesday, 12 farmers received $814 fines in the mail from the Victorian government for not allowing workers access to their land to prepare to build the controversial VNI West project. Another six formal warnings were also sent to property owners for denying access.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Back at the office in Sydney's CBD, the data from the weather stations is used to forecast the weather.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Victorian Country Hour broadcasts live from the Shearing for Kids with Cancer at Wanalta, which brings together shearers, wool handlers, farmers, and volunteers to raise funds for children battling cancer and their families.
Vibrant canola field near Heathcote draws thousands of visitors keen to get social media snaps
Justine Longmore, Warwick Long and Nate Woodall Farmers usually try to keep selfie-seekers out of their canola crops, but in Cornella, near Heathcote in central Victoria, they are inviting them in. The canola walk at Shiraz Republic is one of the state's fastest-growing agritourism attractions, drawing 20,000 visitors last season — four times the number expected. Now in its fifth year, owner Brian Spencer said it started out as a fairly simple idea, in response to the growing social media trend.
Program: Children at risk on farms
Six children died on farms in Australia over the last year according to the latest Safer Farms Report 2026. They are places where children have a lot of freedom, but they can also be dangerous workplaces. Tractors, side by sides and quad bikes were the biggest killers making up more than a third of the 53 deaths overall. Angus Verley and Warwick Long from the Country Hour look at the latest figures and what can be done to make properties safer for children.
Dairy giant Lactalis to close Longwarry factory in Gippsland by 2027
Warwick Long and Emma Field Australia's largest dairy processor has announced it is closing a major dairy factory in the small town of Longwarry in Victoria's east. Lactalis Australia said it decided to shut down the West Gippsland site by early 2027 following a "comprehensive review" of its manufacturing network. The factory in the town of about 4,000 people is well known for producing specialty dairy ingredients and products as well as milk powders.
US global trade investigation targets Australian lamb imports
Justine Longmore and Warwick Long The United States International Trade Commission is investigating whether to impose additional tariffs on Australian lamb. It has launched a global safeguard investigation to determine if lamb meat imported from other countries, including Australia, threatens the domestic industry. Ambassador Jamieson Greer formally requested the investigation under the Trade Act on July 13.
Tea-tree oil and nanotechnology combine to keep blowflies off sheep
Justine Longmore and Warwick Long Tea-tree oil has been used to create a new biopesticide for the sheep industry. Using nanotechnology to extend its effectiveness, the essential oil treatment could provide a viable alternative to prevent and treat flystrike in sheep. The painful and costly blowfly infestation, particularly on sheep's backsides, is often treated with chemical insecticides, but resistance is growing.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
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Program: Victorian Country Hour
Victorian Country Hour broadcast live from Ballarat's Better Beef Conference.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Farmers have retained the right to use the herbicide paraquat, in a long-awaited decision released by the regulator today. Hamish McIntyre is the President of the NFF says it's a relief for farmers and the decision by the regulator will be respected The head of Parkinson's Australia has vowed to keep campaigning for paraquat to be banned in Australia. Meat and Livestock Australia has commissioned a feasibility study into developing an over-the-hooks pricing indicator.
Australian wool riding high as market surges and enthusiasm returns
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Australian wool riding high as market surges and enthusiasm returns
From doom and gloom to a mini wool boom, Australian wool is having a resurgence. After a run of tough years, the wool market has continued to climb, ending last week on the precipice of the $20 per kilogram mark. The Eastern Market Indicator (EMI) reached $19.89 per kg, $7 higher than at the same time last year. The $20 per kg mark was last achieved in the middle of October 2018.
$430m Murray-Darling water deal reignites food production, river health debate
A mega deal to sell water back to the Commonwealth has been announced on a government tender website, reigniting debate over the future of buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin. The deal involves a company associated with an Australian superannuation fund selling almost 86 gigalitres of water to the federal government for environmental use.
US-Iran agreement sparks fertiliser hope for farmers
While a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran is yet to be finalised, the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz could happen within days and farmers are optimistic about getting their hands on a reliable and cheaper supply of fertiliser. A third of the world's fertiliser passes through the strait so its closure during the conflict cut off supplies into Australia and pushed prices up.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Is war in the Middle East ending and what does that mean for Australian farmers with Rabobank's Stefan Vogel Australia is funding vaccines for Lumpy Skin Disease in Bali Alistair Parker from VicGrid talks about applications from renewable energy inside and outside Renewable Energy Zones Ag Vic is looking at miticide options for apiarists dealing with pesticide resistance
Farmers concerned new 70km Big Desert dingo fence won't do enough to stop predation
Warning: This story contains graphic photos of dead sheep. Farmers in Victoria's north-west say a new dingo exclusion fence will only push the problem of livestock predation onto their neighbours. Two years after banning lethal control of dingoes in the region, the Victorian government is subsidising 70 kilometres of exclusion fencing bordering Big Desert Wilderness Park.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Farmers for Climate Action want to change some of the rules around the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme Breakthrough research in the bee industry could give hope to those battling varroa mite We get a response to Geoff from Telopea Downs who has been battling Dingoes or Wild Dogs in his area The lobby group for dairy farmers wants more information from Saputo over its milk pricing Verity Morgan-Schmidt says farmers have long been experts on managing climate variation, and more are recognising the...
Program: Victorian Country Hour
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Program: Victorian Country Hour
Landholders are urged to report locusts, monitor populations and get them under control before they cause widespread damage to summer crops and early winter crops.
The spread of varroa is destroying hives and could impact on food production - ABC listen
As the varroa mite spreads to bees in other states, industry groups in Victoria are warning of a food crisis brought about by a lack of bees. Bee-keepers say they are losing more than half of their hives to varroa, which is increasingly resistant to the main chemicals used to control it. A report released last week suggests the sector, which pollinates a third of the nation's crops, wont have enough hives to do the job.
Australian bull semen exports to China resume after pandemic pause
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Australian bull semen exports to China resume after pandemic pause
Australian bull semen is being sent to China after a five year break as demand for premium beef in the People's Republic grows. A total of 24,000 straws of bull semen were sent in April and May this year, marking the first exports of Australian cattle genetics to China since 2021. Genetics company ABS Australia secured a major export agreement with China for Wagyu, Jersey and Holstein semen, with the potential for the inclusion of other breeds in the future.
Crop failure concerns as deadly bee parasite wipes out hives and forces beekeepers to quit
The Australian bee industry is warning of crop failures and a potential food crisis as the bee-killing parasite varroa mite wipes out at least 60 per cent of hives. The spread of the parasite through eastern Australia and South Australia since 2022 has devastated many beekeeping businesses. A new Pollination Security Status Report 2026, released by The Wheen Bee Foundation, warns of a shortfall of close to 300,000 commercial beehives for the peak pollination season in August.
1 million tonnes of fertiliser imported into Australia since Iran war began
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One million tonnes of fertiliser imported into Australia since the Iran war began
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One million tonnes of fertiliser imported into Australia since the Iran war began
One million tonnes of fertiliser has been imported into Australia since the ongoing war in the Middle East disrupted international trade. In April, the federal government streamlined biosecurity processes to make sure cropping farmers in particular had enough supplies for the nation's all important winter crop.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Broadcasting live from the United Dairy farmers of Victoria conference in Ballarat on milk price day. While waiting for dairy processors to announce their annual milk price before the 2pm deadline, Warwick Long spoke to guests about the current state of the Australian Dairy industry.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Andrew Leigh says the government is trying to address market concentration as a whole instead of sector by sector.
What do we know about how changes to family trusts affect farmers?
Half Australian farms are held in family trusts, so how will farmers be affected by the federal tax overhaul? Farmers use trusts to protect their assets, distribute income within their families and ensure the farm can be passed on to the next generation without incurring a large tax bill. The importance of trusts in managing farm finances has led the federal government to provide an exemption for primary producer income from the new minimum 30 per cent tax on trust income.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Live from Woolsthorpe for the launch of the Green Sheep Project in Victoria. This national project is aimed at helping sheep producers navigate the recording and reporting requirements of natural capital on their farms and along their supply chains, but demonstrating how it can be implemented on-farm within their businesses.
Push for carp virus trial in Victoria's Wimmera, as frustrations grow over delays and 'choking' rivers
Victoria's peak fisheries body wants the federal government to trial the release of carp herpes in Wimmera water storages, in the state's west, to progress research into management of the invasive pest. The state-owned Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) has made the proposal, as frustrations build over delays in the release of European carp herpes. The virus was set to be released in 2018, but concerns over unintended ecological damage halted plans.
Bosisto's to triple its eucalyptus oil production with new $10 million distillery in central Victoria
Australian eucalyptus oil maker Bosisto's has opened a new distillery near Wedderburn, in central Victoria. The company says the new plant will triple its oil production. Bosisto's has plans to plant more trees and further expand its operation. Australian company Bosisto's has opened a new distillery in country Victoria, expanding its local production of eucalyptus oil. The $10 million purpose-built facility near Wedderburn, north-west of Bendigo, triples the amount of oil the company can produce.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Former Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Rod Sims, weighs in after Coles was found to have misled shoppers on discounted items in bombshell Federal Court case today. A new $10million Eucalyptus Oil distillery is being opened right now at Kuracca near Inglewood and Wedderburn. The State Government has admitted it will fall hundreds of thousands of hectares short of its pest control targets.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
The Victorian Fisheries Authority wants to release the carp herpes virus in specific Victorian waterways New technology will allow the egg industry to learn the sex of chickens whilst they are in the egg A new Biosecurity platform has been launched today to make information spreading in plant industries a lot easier East Gippsland Landcare gives advice on controlling African Lovegrass Hand reaching in to collect eggs out of chicken nesting box in a backyard chicken run in Canberra.
Australian flags flown upside-down as protesters try to 'make Victoria great again'
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Program: Victorian Country Hour
GoFarm managing director Liam Lenaghan said the corporate farm business had properties in four river catchments in two states all at risk of flooding.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Approximately 500,000 tonnes of carp are currently in our river systems, devastating native fish health and populations. Guests included: Travis Dowling - Victorian Fisheries Authority CEO Helen Dalton - Independent Member for Murray (NSW State MP) Dr Ivor Stuart - Charles Stuart University,freshwater fisheries biologist, with 30 years industry experience in flow planning, river management and fish ecology.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Virtual fencing can now expand across Australia with access to Starlink The first farmer in Victoria to have virtual fencing says it's working well for him The deadline for Murray-Darling Basin Plan review is fast approaching Goulburn-Murray Water says water buybacks are leaving the irrigation system like a piece of swiss cheese
Program: Victorian Country Hour
Boat watch looks at the amount of diesel and fertiliser on the water for Australia An algal bloom is in the Gippsland Lakes The largest dairy company is now Lactalis Mainland and Michael Harvey gives a rundown of how big it is It is Chestnut season in north east Victoria
Program: Victorian Country Hour
The wine industry did not receive the relief it was looking for in the 2024 budget.
Easter tourism brings hope of economic recovery for fire-hit communities in Victoria
The rolling green hills around Yarck hide the scars of the fierce blaze that tore through the area less than three months ago. Many of the hundreds of homes and buildings destroyed in the Longwood blaze, north of Melbourne in January, are still piles of rubble. But as locals slowly pick up the pieces, Easter weekend events and tourism bring hope of recovery and renewal. "We're open for business," Alexandra community and business leader, Andrew Embling said. "We want people to come back.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
The Victoria Country Hour broadcasting live from The Basin Plan "highway to hell" forum at Barham. Guest included: Geoff Kendall Southern Water irrigator - and said a lot of people thought the MDBP was 'done and dusted' but there's still work to be done. Managing Director of De Bortoli Wine Darren De Bortoli who says he's been motivated to fight back on the water policy changes 2012 because water administrators have 'stuffed up the science'.
Program: Fertilizer Australia on stranded ships, Russian sanctions, easing terror restrictions and availability for farmers
Boats loaded with fertiliser for Australia are trapped in the middle east and the industry is looking at banned alternatives and product from sanctioned countries to try and ease supply. The outlook for one of agriculture's most important inputs has been smashed by the Iran war and farmers are fearing what will happen to their crops whilst the agricultural industry scrambles to prepare for a shortage.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
What should feta be called? Our listeners give their best ideas The Australian dairy industry will need a new name for popular cheeses under the free trade agreement with the EU A Ballarat farmer has received an Australian record price for lambs at a saleyard Australia is exporting a record amount of meat but prices are expected to remain steady Even spelling feta cheese "fetta" might not be enough to save Australian feta producers from having to change their product's name.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
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Program: Report into fuel availability and food security
The man tasked by the Federal government to identify the risks to agriculture from a diesel shortage believes the role of food in keeping the nation secure has been fundamentally undervalued and taken for granted. As part of the government's National Food Council process, Andrew Henderson a farmer and strategic policy specialist has been commissioned to write a number of reports on the risks to Australia if there is a major disruption to key farming inputs.
Labour Hire Authority links worker exploitation in the Yarra Valley to organised crime
Victoria's Labour Hire Licensing Commissioner, Steve Dargavel, has taken aim at dodgy labour-hire companies in Victoria's lush Yarra Valley and the fruitgrowers who use them, indicating some have links to organised crime. Last year, the Fair Work Ombudsman identified the Yarra Valley as one of the worst regions in the country for worker exploitation and underpayment.
Program: Victorian Country Hour
New Shadow Agriculture Minister, Darren Chester asked for the job and tells us his plan for it Callers talk about the difference they see between the Nationals and One Nation A federal government study can't find the source of a varroa mite outbreak that's devastated the bee industry Cath Oates from Western Australia tells us why she donated so many sheep to fire affected Victorian farmers Nationals member for Gippsland Darren Chester arrives for a Nationals leadership meeting at Parliament...
Program: Scaling up biofuels in Australia
It's been a difficult week for farmers when it comes to fuel and fertiliser prices, but could biofuels produced here in Australia help? The renewable fuels industry gathered in Sydney to discuss ways to scale up the sector to shore up Australia's fuel supply, but there are significant challenges.
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