Next month’s Outlook conference marks 80 years since ABARES was first established as a research organisation.
Insights at ABARES Outlook
With the theme ‘Insights for Action: Fostering Growth in a Changing World,’ next month’s ABARES Outlook 2025 conference will bring together influential Australian and international speakers — including industry leaders, government representatives, and experts — to discuss the future of agriculture in the face of global shifts.
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Taking place in Canberra and online on March 4 and 5, the conference will feature 12 sessions exploring key issues such as uncertainty around the future of trade, sustainable productivity and net zero, the evolving role of data, Indigenous agricultural enterprise, farm input security, capital investment and workforce.
ABARES executive director Jared Greenville will deliver the Economic Outlook for Australian Agriculture on opening morning.
Dr Greenville said this year also marks 80 years since ABARES was first established as a research organisation.
For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be streamed online, allowing a broader audience of industry stakeholders to participate remotely. Registration is now open for both in-person and online participation.
Hosted by Citrus Australia, the 2025 Australian Citrus Congress will be held in Griffith and Leeton from March 18 to 20.
“This year, we’re putting resource efficiency at the core of everything — from our speaker sessions to live demonstrations,” Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said.
“It’s all about farming for the future, tackling today’s challenges while harnessing tomorrow’s technology.”
The program will feature expert panels and speakers on economics, labour efficiency, crop protection and the latest technology.
For the first time, there will be a dedicated field day, hosted by G2 Netting at Moricom Orchard, Leeton. Growers will get up close to the latest in crop protection structures, precision irrigation, autonomous machinery, and pest management technologies.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority has removed 532 unregistered agricultural and veterinary chemical products from online stores between July and December, 2024.
APVMA chief executive officer Scott Hansen said under Australian law, all agvet chemical products must be registered or approved by the APVMA.
“All agvet chemical products sold in Australia must display an APVMA registration number on their label. If that isn’t there, the product is unregistered,” he said.
“Consumers have a right to know that the products they buy are legal, safe, and effective. If a product is unregistered, it hasn’t been assessed by our scientists and there’s no guarantee it meets this standard.”
The sale of unregistered products creates a serious risk to human health, animal welfare, or environmental safety, and this is reflected in the penalties associated with this unlawful activity, he said.
New water recycling infrastructure in Horsham will support Victoria’s agricultural research.
The $11.8 million Horsham SmartWater and Integrated Water Management project, including new water recycling infrastructure at the Horsham Wastewater Treatment Plant, will provide more recycled water to the region.
The project included construction of a new network of pipes throughout Horsham, with connections to green spaces such as parks, ovals, the cemetery and the racecourse, providing up to 126 megalitres of recycled water for irrigation per year.
It also means Horsham SmartFarm researchers have access to better quality water for research to irrigate their crops, thanks to the installation of a reverse osmosis plant.
Purified wastewater will be used to irrigate more than 50 hectares of grain, oilseed and legume crops.
The two projects were jointly funded by the state and federal governments.
Can IVF save marsupials?
The first kangaroo embryos produced through in-vitro fertilisation could pave the way for other marsupial species, such as koalas and wombats, to be saved from extinction.
The achievement has provided valuable insights into the potential for assisted marsupial breeding for conservation, University of Queensland researchers say.
“Our ultimate goal is to support the preservation of endangered marsupial species like koalas, Tasmanian devils, northern hairy-nosed wombats and Leadbeater’s possums,” veterinarian scientist Andres Gambini said.
The study assessed the development of kangaroo eggs and sperm in a laboratory before embryos were produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
“Because eastern grey kangaroos are overabundant, we collected their eggs and sperm for use as a model to adapt the embryo technologies already applied to domestic animals and humans,” Dr Gambini said.
The research team hopes the first marsupial birth through IVF could happen within a decade. But it said this would require further scientific collaboration, funding and technical advancements.
