Riverine Plains Blog

Key messages

• optical spray technology can offer dramatic savings in chemical, diesel and labour use
• green-on-brown (fallow) and green-on-green (in-crop) technologies are proving themselves with Australian farmers and can have a fit for all cropping operations
• low-cost options are available, with drones also having the capability to map and spray weeds across large areas

Key messages

• monitor now for fungal diseases including stripe rust, septoria and sclerotinia
• despite predictions for a drier-than-average spring, disease outbreaks could still occur 
• rotate fungicide groups to reduce the risk of resistance developing and investigate the potential of new fungicide products

 

This week’s blog has been contributed by Riverine Plains Signature Partner, Belmores Chartered Accountants 

Key messages

• understanding rules around asset depreciation could help farmers with tax planning this financial year
• farmers could be eligible to deduct the full cost of depreciating assets costing less than $20,000 for multiple assets
• applies to assets first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024

Key messages:

• always have a clear purpose for collecting on-farm data and understand how it can be used to make decisions, for example informing fertiliser strategies, livestock breeding programs and soil amelioration
• good quality data is critical to making informed decisions
• ensure that you will be able to access your data, even when changing consultants or machinery suppliers

What does ESG mean for farmers?

Key messages:

• environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is a framework that covers business practices and data capture
• national and international market access requirements are changing, driven largely by consumers and shareholders demanding transparency around environmental and ethical farming practices
• farmers will increasingly have to collect and present data to prove their ESG credentials to maintain market access and potentially access finance in future
• more work is needed to understand the types of ESG data that are important across the value chain
• awareness of coming changes will help farmers proactively manage their future business needs