Category: Magazine Articles

Record keeping can be an onerous and time-consuming task for growers.  Banana growers need to record fertiliser and chemical usage for food safety accreditation and under the government reef regulations.The BetterBunch app is a free, easy to use app that has been helping growers since…

Elaine Seager, Terrain Water quality in the Tully, Johnstone, Russell and Mulgrave freshwater rivers and estuaries continues to be in ‘good’ overall condition, according to the latest Wet Tropics Report Card (July 2018-June 2019). The grades are an average across the entire year and are an…

Following ABGC’s submission to the inquiry into the impact of feral deer, pigs and goats in Australia, ABGC Deputy Chair, Leon Collins, was invited to speak at Parliament House on Tuesday 21 July. Due to COVID restrictions, Leon addressed the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee…

Panama TR4 continues to spread slowly in the Tully Valley, but escalation of the disease is always a constant threat. The number of plants confirmed with TR4, and the number of sites where these plants have been destroyed on infested farms (destruction sites), is increasing as…

When the COVID-19 health pandemic took hold earlier this year, the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) moved swiftly to ensure growers were kept abreast of the rapidly changing environment, which had the potential to seriously impact farms. A key feature of the ABGC’s COVID-19 communication activities…

Growers who employ seasonal workers, including visa holders, must have a health management plan in place to manage the risk of COVID-19. The Seasonal Workers Health Management Plan Direction came into effect on 5 May 2020, and states – “Workplace health management plans are mandatory for…

Fourth generation farmer Shayne Cini on the bank of the South Johnstone River which runs beside his banana farm at Wangan. By Lea Coghlan Just like farming, looking after the environment runs through Shayne Cini’s veins. Together with wife Blaise and daughters Kari and Eden, the fourth-generation…