Staff Management can be overwhelming for those who are running small businesses and for this reason we have put together some information that may assist AFSA members with this process.

Poultry litter, pig manure and compost containing these manures are regarded as Restricted Animal Materials (RAM) and therefore have particular requirements when used as organic soil amendments on pastures grazed by ruminant animals.

The purchase of lime is a large upfront cost for growers and understandably they want to feel confident that their choice of lime is a good one and will ameliorate any acidity. Lime quality is a major factor that affects the extent of pH change and the time frame in which pH is changed.

From October 2017, all Australian red meat producers are required to have a Farm Biosecurity Plan in place and implement best-practice biosecurity practices as a requirement of the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) program.

The Australian Soil Fertility Manual has been prepared to help fertilizer dealers, extension workers, consultants, teachers and others concerned with the profitable and environmentally safe use of plant nutrients to give sound agronomic advice to farmers and graziers.

The New Zealand GFA conference was attended by Sara Rogers (TAS) and Emma Holdsworth (WA) on behalf of AFSA. 

Sara and Emma have provided the following report on their time in NZ - they were very sad to say goodbye to new friends from across the pond. 

Encourage farmers to ask "Is your agronomist a Fertcare Accredited Advisor?

Fertiliser and its application play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity and providing the required food to meet current and future demands.  However, it is also a significant input cost which makes it vital to ensure that you are able to get the best return on your dollars invested.

Incitec Pivot, Koch Australia, Impact Fertilisers and Wengfu have all come on board and are financially supporting this community driven initiative

Gallaghers have provided us with a simple 5-step plan to get your insurance planning on the right track:

Freight containers

The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) sets out the obligations for operators, drivers, consignors and consignees about the handling of freight containers and the requirements for container weight declarations (CWD).
Safety risks of transporting overweight loads.

Do you know the licensing requirements when spreading mouse and snail bait and fungicide on fertilizers as a contractor (or for reward) compared to when a farmer applies this on their own property? 

Soil analysis is slowly moving from the complex laboratory physical and chemical analytical procedures to the field by adapting rapid and simple spectroscopic methods. Recent developments in spectroscopic instrumentation have reduced the cost and size of instruments, with the newest and cheapest instruments costing only a few hundred dollars.

Why are change and competition an important part of your business?

This is a timely warning to all involved in fertilizer transport and handling to reduce the risk of fertilizer spills and waste.