South Australian Country Hour

The CFS attending to several fires across regional SA during a day of scorching heat, a new safety reminder issued after several deaths in SA in recent years involving quad bikes and ATVs, and a NSW farmer reflects on his experience of training his livestock with virtual fencing technology.

A second official government review finds the dairy code is operating as intended, the algae bloom forces some SA oyster growers to remain closed during the busy Christmas period, and an iconic South Australian brandy label celebrates its 100th distilling season in 2025.

Grain receival sites remain busy as harvest continues right up to Christmas in some regions, South Australian seafood in high demand in the lead up to the festive season, and graziers around Broken Hill celebrate some much-welcome rain ahead of Christmas.

The Federal Government announces it'll introduce a new mandatory code of conduct for wine grape purchases, Australia to have a gas reservation scheme operating on the east coast from 2027, and a new initiative to highlight the challenges regional South Australians face accessing health care.

The SA Government announces an extra $24.5million for its Drought Support Package, the SA Small Business Commission sees increased demand for its farm debt mediation service, and Australia's wool clip forecast to drop a further 13% on last year's record-low production.

Rabobank's latest farmer confidence survey shows sentiment holding reasonably steady in SA.A new study finds droughts are lasting longer across Australia.Gun laws debate highlights the need to ensure firearms remain available for feral animal control.

Farmers welcome the opportunity to rollout virtual fencing in South Australia, hundreds of soil samples to be collected across SA for the National Soil Monitoring Program, and a survey of EP farmers finds succession planning, water security, and a lack of services as key concerns.

The State Government announces virtual fencing has been legalised in South Australia, calls for urgent reforms to address skyrocketing port charges imposed by the nation's stevedores, and many farmers close to finishing harvest across South Australia.

Australia beaks the record for most amount of beef exported in a calendar year, a surge in global dairy production and softer prices expected over the next six months, and the Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Company awarded for its agritourism business.

Farming groups react to the new Regional Investment Corporation loans announced by the government, the sighting of an invasive bird species near Adelaide raises biosecurity concerns, and NSW becomes the latest state to legalise virtual fencing for livestock.

A new Drought Hardship Loan for farmers announced under changes to the Regional Investment Corporation, the Bureau of Meteorology unveils further changes to its controversial new website, and new research into the growing consumption trends for no and low alcohol wines.

A parliamentary inquiry hears from the state's oyster industry about the impacts of the algal bloom, concerns boarding school students heading home for school holidays could be isolated by the social media ban, and an SA-created Facebook page celebrating harvest time reaches 100,000 followers.

The new National Food Council meets for the first time to start developing Australia's food strategy, an SA company launches a new non-terrestrial 5G network for industries such as farming and mining, and SA researchers win a grant to study how soil microbes could help tackle antibiotic resistance.

Two operators of farm firefighting units suffer burns while helping the CFS fight a fire in the mid-north, mixed views from grain growers surveyed about the R&D levy currently paid to the GRDC, and a new calculator to help wine grape growers work out how much their grapes cost to grow..

Supersized strawberries will be in stores due to the extra rain this season, the Australian Pesticides and Vet Medicine Authority warns approvals for ag chemicals and medicines will probably be slow for another 6 months, and the Country Hour looks back at the classic serial Blue Hills.

Country Hour 80th birthday celebrations continue as ABC Rural legend Ian Doyle shares memories from his time as a rural reporter, the Bureau of Meteorology again defends spending nearly $100million on its controversial new website, and the CFS reminds farmers to check temperatures of hay stacks ahead of hot conditions.

We celebrate the 80th birthday of the Country Hour — Australia's longest running radio program — with a live broadcast from the Lush family's grain farm at Malalla. Guests include long time listeners, past presenters, and members of the South Australia ABC Rural team around the state.

Beekeepers concerned about future access to pollination services as varroa mite spreads across SA, an exploration company hopes to extract helium and natural hydrogen on the Yorke Peninsula, and we revisit the origins of the ABC's Country Hour program ahead of tomorrow's 80th anniversary.

The cool and wet spring delays the ripening of much of the Adelaide Hills cherry crop, concerns over the future of pollination services as varroa mite continues to spreading in South Australia, and some grain growers receive decent late-spring rainfall too late to help with this year's crop.

Oyster harvesting & sales resume in Franklin Harbour four months after being closed due to brevetoxin in the waters, South Australia's Varroa Industry Advisory Committee meets following multiple confirmed outbreaks of varroa mite, and the APVMA again delays its decision on the future use of paraquat and diquat in Australia.

Beekeepers dismayed as more varroa detections confirmed across South Australia, an average season forecast as recent rain eases the bushfire risk for SA in summer, and we cross live to SA's Agricultural Town of the Year — Lameroo.

The Country Hour celebrates 80 years with a special broadcast from Parliament House in Canberra, South Australia launches a new new mobile biosecurity laboratory to test for H5 bird flu, and the first box of South Australian new season cherries fetches $65,000 for charity at auction.

Crop yield estimates have gotten a boost following rainfall during October in parts of the state, and BOM working through 350,000 pieces of feedback on new website following the revelation that the site cost $96.5 million, about 20 times higher than the previously stated $4.1 million price tag.

A second case of the deadly bee parasite Varroa Mite has been detected in South Australia, and residents remember the Pinery bushfire 10 years on, which burned 86,000 hectares of land resulting in the tragic loss of 2 lives, and 50,000 livestock.

Henschke Wine becomes the only vineyard in Australia to make the 2025 World's 50 Best Vineyards Ranking, while Helen Strachan announced as the new chair for Australian Grape and Wine, and optimism bouncing back in the wool industry as prices rally and SA Ram sales results prove better than expected.

Meat and Livestock Australia are in Adelaide hosting its annual updates event where over a dozen speakers are sharing insights about some of the latest insights from the organisation, further north there are concerns about a new round of the Southern Murray Darling Basin buybacks from market analysts, and a group of Eyre Peninsula farmers have gotten their gear off for a good cause launching a calendar to raise money for local projects. 

Rural news and events from South Australia and the nation.

The CFS responds to criticism over its online portal to register farm firefighting units, concerns land won't be able to be rehabilitated for farming after the closure of an SA mineral sands mine, and SA's Fat Farmers joining forces with fellow health organisation Active Farmers to help grow its program.

Farmers frustrated by lengthy delays in being able to register their farm firefighting units, Elders repots a full year profit increase of 12% on the previous year, and South Australian wool grower George Millington elected the new chair of AWI.

A new national record for first-cross ewes set at Naracoorte's annual breeding sale, Australian Dairy Farmers push to have dairy processors removed as Group B members of Dairy Australia, and grain producers launch a harvest fire safety campaign as harvest begins across SA.

Farmers concerned over changes to the state's mining act to extend exploration tenures, irrigators shocked by news of a new round of voluntary water buybacks in the Southern Murray Darling Basin, and Rural Aid reports continued demand for drought support from SA farmers.

SA farmers urged to check their security measures after incidents of farm trespass reported, dairy farmers angry over imported butter being sold in Australia in green and gold packaging, and the farm chemical regulator suspends the registration of dimethoate for use on berry crops.

Grain growers highlight the urgent infrastructure investments needed across the state's roads, calls for wider testing for potato mop top virus on the Australian mainland, and Ceduna the latest region to be declared free of Mediterranean fruit fly.

The potato industry fighting to keep mop top virus from spreading to the mainland from Tasmania, grain growers hang hopes on a formal resumption of Australia's canola trade to China, and South Australia's Jo Collins elected president of the exclusive Global Wine Capitals network.

South Australia's exports to the United States hit an all-time high, an Australian shipment of canola heads to China for the first time in 5 years, and Swan Reach the first town declared fruit fly free since the Riverland outbreak began.

The Mallee town of Lameroo named the winner of the 2025 Agricultural Town of the Year, calls for greater compensation for farmers who host power transmission lines on their property, and an SA wine label makes history as a finalist for an export award recognising First Nations businesses.

The state's horticulture industry lobbies for changes to South Australia's Local Nuisance Act.Scientists identify a little-known algal species linked to SA's devastating algal bloom.Grain producers push for the re-registration of double strength mouse bait.

The Bureau of Meteorology outlines changes to the radar on its new website following a backlash, recent monitoring highlights key SA cropping areas at risk of an explosion in mice numbers, and SA grain farmers vote for their favourite harvest songs in the 4th annual Harvest 100.

Nearly $70,00 worth of oysters destroyed as a blockade halts relocation in SA waters, funding to help primary producers manage kangaroos numbers during drought, and a survey finds 7% of reported bees losses in SA last year were due to starvation.

Authorities respond to oyster growers angry about the movement of oysters from waters impacted by the algae bloom, ferry services for livestock producers begin today across the flooded Cooper Creek, and South Australian egg farmers report an oversupply as eggs flood in from the eastern Australia.

The owners of the world's biggest cattle station charged over allegedly building illegal dams, Eyre Peninsula oyster farmers upset at plans to relocate oysters from an area currently closed due to the algal bloom, and a continued push for global standards of extra virgin olive oil.

The Bureau of Meteorology told to make changes to its new website after a refresh sparked backlash from users, a new state of the industry report finds SA is producing around 20% of Australia's total vegetable value, and sHedway founder Carol Mudford named the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award National winner.