![Global orange juice production has been squeezed by disease and drought. File photo. Global orange juice production has been squeezed by disease and drought. File photo.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/a8213c39-3f94-46e3-8406-277edff2dbae.jpg/r0_0_1604_1040_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Juicy Aussie orange outlook
Peak industry body Citrus Australia is assuring consumers there is no shortage of locally produced orange juice, amid rising alarm about global supplies.
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Brazil, which produces about 70 per cent of global orange juice supply, is forecasting a 24pc production slump next financial year after enduring drought conditions, including heat stress during the citrus flowering period.
Brazil also faces increasing problems with the bacterial disease citrus greening, contributing to what will be its worst harvest in almost 40 years.
The disease has also hit orange production in the US and other key growing regions.
Citrus Australia's Olivia Tait said while Australian juice producers used imported concentrate in some products, they had access to fresh, locally-grown juicing fruit.
"We might see a move towards more juice blends with a reduced percentage of orange juice in the mix, but as far as we can see, there will continue to be a consistent supply of fresh juice available to Australian consumers," she said.
Meanwhile, Australian orange prices had "recalibrated, but not over-corrected" in 2024, after five years of rock bottom returns for many growers who had struggled to break even.
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![Farm (formerly Drought) Angels founder, Natasha Johnston. Photo supplied. Farm (formerly Drought) Angels founder, Natasha Johnston. Photo supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/bd921240-9d84-4d62-8156-4f67923edc11.jpg/r0_194_7950_4893_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Farm helpers rebrand
Queensland-based national charity, Drought Angels, has rebranded itself as Farm Angels to better reflect the broad range of services and support the organisation undertakes.
It assists farming families no matter the challenge they face.
Farm Angels chief executive officer, Jason Law, said it was business as usual for the charity which had raised over $24.1 million, supported 10,000-plus primary producers and their families in 1300 rural communities.
Founder and 2021 Queenslander of the Year, Natasha Johnston, commenced the charity a decade ago in response to hearing about how many farmers' lives had been claimed by the overwhelming stress of drought conditions.
"As history has shown us, every drought eventually yields, which unfortunately often makes way for floods which are equally devastating," she said.
"Our rebrand to Farm Angels better represents the extensive range of support we provide and signifies our commitment to stand by our farmers, no matter the challenge."
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![Victa mowers, part of Australia's lawn landscape since 1952, have been made by Briggs and Stratton since 2008. File photo. Victa mowers, part of Australia's lawn landscape since 1952, have been made by Briggs and Stratton since 2008. File photo.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/10d80bfa-730f-450d-b355-41370550eb58.jpg/r0_140_3920_2580_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
New Victa owner wanted
US-based small engine maker, Briggs and Stratton is looking for a buyer of its Australasian division, which includes the iconic local lawnmower brand, Victa.
The Victa mower, chainsaw and leaf blower business, representing more than 40 per cent of Briggs and Stratton's Australian sales, has been part of the US company's stable for 16 years.
The latest ownership development follows Briggs and Stratton closing its North American retail business last year as it simplifies its global operations.
Its Australasian activities are run from Sydney and include sites in Melbourne, Auckland and Kuala Lumpur.
Any sale will include exclusive local distribution rights to other brands in the Wisconsin engine maker's stable, including Ferris ride-on mowers, and the rights to third party brands Echo, Shindaiwa and Oregon.
Victa lawnmowers were first built in Sydney in 1952.
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Scam software alert
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is warning of a recent rise in losses to remote access scams by thieves urging people to download software or an app over their smartphone.
Financial criminals used sophisticated emails, web-based pop-up messages and phone calls to impersonate well-known companies such as Microsoft to deceive people into thinking there wee problems with their account, computer or phone which needed fixing.
Australians recorded losses of $15.5 million in reported remote access scams in 2023, but losses in the first quarter of 2024 increased by 52 per cent compared to the end of last year.
This trend, identified by the National Anti-Scam Centre, contrasted with most other scam types showing a decline in reported losses over the same period.
"We are very concerned scammers are draining entire bank accounts, with average losses to remote access scams now in the tens of thousands," said ACCC deputy chair, Catriona Lowe.
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![Japanese wine trade visitors at Beechworth, Victoria. Photo supplied Japanese wine trade visitors at Beechworth, Victoria. Photo supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/32XghFRykTWK8psrWNhdBMC/ed453a11-6e98-40f8-9d1b-864ffe70fe16.jpg/r0_269_3602_2536_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Asian wine experts on tour
Wine Australia has been hosting high-profile sommeliers and hospitality professionals from Japan, South Korea and Vietnam in an effort to promote local wine regions and the diversity of Australia wine.
The combined regional visits, supported by the Australian Government's Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation program, included activities in Tasmania; Beechworth, King Valley, Yarra Valley in Victoria; the NSW Hunter Valley, and in South Australia's Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, and visits to more than 50 wineries.
The Japanese group included three renowned sommeliers, one being beverage director for three Michelin star restaurant L'OSIER, while the South Korean and Vietnamese contingent represented hotel chains, major restaurants, department stores and bottle shop chains.
Wine Australia's marketing general manager, Paul Turale, said the impact of these visits was significant given guests of this calibre tasting such a diverse range of wines would help build sustained demand for our exports.
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Drone sampling success
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's Innovation Pilots team has successfully used drones to collect environmental DNA samples from waterways.
The department and project partners analysed the samples collected to confirm the presence of feral deer in the Ginninderry area in the ACT.
Research and innovation director, Jessica May, said the project paved the way for a faster, safer, more cost-effective, and targeted method of DNA sampling.
It took just 15 minutes to collect the water needed using the drone, whereas previous access to the same locality by foot, over tough surrounding terrain, took more than an hour to retrieve a single sample.
Compared to water's edge sampling, extracting from the middle of a water body also provided a better opportunity for a less contaminated sample.
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Grassland Society revival
The Grassland Society of Southern Australia's annual conference will help farmers sort fact from fiction when it returns to Bendigo for the first time in more than 25 years on July 17 and 18.
The GSSA's annual general meeting will be part of the program, including a discussion about the future of the society.
GSSA confirmed the conference would go ahead after securing an upswell of support from members and sponsors.
Earlier this year president, Tim Prance, penned a "call to arms" to current and former members and other supporters to get behind the conference.
The society has connected farmers, scientists and agricultural consultants for 65 years and president Tim Prance said a successful annual conference was vital to its future.
This year's conference theme, Evidence-based decision making, aimed to help producers make informed decisions that were right for their enterprises.