The events are once again being held at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve across two weekends.
Urban Junior State Championships will kick off on March 22 and 23. The Senior Urban, Junior Rural, and Senior Rural events are being held at the same site the following weekend, March 29 and 30.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the State Championships have always been an integral part of CFA since they began in 1874.
“The Championships are a great way to show the endurance and reliability of brigades as well as promoting leadership, mental wellbeing, and physical fitness with all competitors celebrated for having a go,” he said.
Interested brigades need to register by Sunday 16 February 2025. Nominations are online via the VFBV website: https://tinyurl.com/2025-entry-eoi
Coles offers farming grants
Australian farmers and food and drink producers seeking financial support can now apply for grants of up to $500,000 to help them transform their business, deliver market-leading products and drive sustainable operations.
The Coles Nurture Fund has helped more than 100 Aussie farmers and food and drink producers drive innovation and sustainability, with $36 million already awarded for innovative projects including the development of new products while reducing food waste, a zero-waste organic mushrooms farm and a net-zero battery-powered brewery.
“Many of our producers are small to medium family-owned businesses who take great pride in delivering outstanding products for our customers, and they might have a great idea but not the financial support to get it off the ground, which is why we want to support them through the Coles Nurture Fund,” Anna Croft from Coles.
Applications close at 5pm on Friday, February 14.
For more information or to apply, go to: coles.com.au/nurturefund
Organic loophole may be closing
Australia’s organic industry has welcomed support for the introduction of domestic regulation, with more than 95 per cent of submissions to a Senate Inquiry in favour of the move.
The Senate Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport is currently assessing the merits of the National Organic Standard Bill 2024, which was introduced to Parliament in November to define the word ‘organic’ and close a loophole that has allowed people to label products as ‘organic’ with as little as two per cent organic content.
Australia is the only nation in the OECD without this protection for consumers and for the thousands of organic producers who go through the rigorous process of certification and annual audit.
Jackie Brian, the chief executive officer of peak advocacy group Australian Organic Limited, said it made sense to require all organic producers to follow the same set of rules, which is already the case when exporting overseas.
“This would create a level playing field, which is a win for consumers who want truth in labelling and an endorsement of the robust process that certified organic producers go through,” Ms Brian said.
The Senate Inquiry was initially due to issue its report by the end of January but has been granted an extension until February 11.
Record finish for WA harvest
The CBH Group has officially marked the end of Western Australia’s 2024-25 harvest with growers across the state delivering the third largest crop in the co-operative’s history.
Despite a challenging start to the growing season, more than 20.3 million tonnes of grain were delivered into the CBH network.
This included record receivals from the Albany Zone, where 4.6 million tonnes of grain were delivered, exceeding its previous record of 4.5 million tonnes.
CBH chief operations officer Mick Daw said there had been three of the highest production years in the last four.
“With the unusual seasonal conditions this season, growers have done an amazing job delivering a crop this size,“ Mr Daw said.
Growers can have their say
GrainGrowers has commenced its Annual Policy Survey, encouraging growers across Australia to have their say on issues impacting their farms.
The survey results will assist GrainGrowers in identifying the key issues facing growers and prioritising the challenges and opportunities for the year ahead.
In addition to seeking feedback on policy issues, the survey includes some new questions around biotechnology uptake, natural capital on farm and the extent to which respondents are planning ahead for issues that may impact them in the future.
GrainGrowers CEO Shona Gawel said the survey represented an important opportunity for growers to raise issues that impact their day-to-day business operations.
Last year, 663 growers participated in the survey, identifying the top three priority areas as farm inputs, markets and pricing and labour.
Ms Gawel encouraged growers to make their opinions known. As an incentive to participate, all responses will be entered into a draw for the chance to win one of four $500 Mastercard gift cards.
The survey can be accessed via the GrainGrowers website and closes on Monday, March 3.
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