• Vic farmer dies after being run over by tractor
• Tax bills up to $300,000 hit diversifying NSW farms
• China halts Irish beef imports after Bluetongue detection
• Global livestock antibiotic use falls
• Tiger kills 12 cattle in two months

Vic farmer dies after being run over by tractor

A man has died after being struck by a tractor on a farm at Beech Forest, Victoria, on the Australia Day weekend. It is believed the 64-year-old was using the tractor and an attachment to bale hay before he was found on a track in a gully with severe injuries to his legs and pelvis around 11:30pm. WorkSafe Victoria investigators responded and will determine whether further action is required. The death is the second confirmed workplace fatality for 2026. There were two work-related deaths at the same time last year.

Tax bills up to $300,000 hit diversifying NSW farms

NSW Farmers has warned family farms with agri-tourism ventures, cellar doors and fruit stands are being hit with crippling new land tax bills, with some reportedly charged up to $300,000. The group says farmland traditionally exempt from land tax is now being reclassified when farmers diversify into small-scale farmgate sales. NSW Farmers Business Economics and Trade Committee chair John Lowe said producers were being punished for adapting to drought, floods and rising costs. With farm input costs forecast to rise another five per cent in 2026, NSW Farmers is calling for urgent changes to land tax laws to protect family farms and value-adding on farm.

China halts Irish beef imports after Bluetongue detection

China has again suspended beef imports from the Republic of Ireland, just two weeks after reopening the market, following the detection of Bluetongue Virus (BTV) in four cattle herds in County Wexford. Irish beef exports to China had only recently resumed after a 2024 suspension triggered by a BSE case. While Bluetongue poses no risk to human health and cold weather is expected to limit its spread, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture confirmed it notified Chinese authorities under export protocols. Surveillance and tracing are ongoing, with movement restrictions and limited financial support in place for affected farmers. A vaccine has been approved in Ireland. More information on BBC website here 

Global livestock antibiotic use falls, but “trade shifts problem abroad”

Global use of antimicrobials in livestock has fallen sharply since peaking in 2013, but wealthy nations are increasingly shifting the problem overseas through trade, a major new study suggests. Research led by University College London and published in Nature Sustainability found global livestock antimicrobial use dropped nearly one-third to 84,000 tonnes by 2020, driven largely by cuts in China and the United States. However, richer countries continue to import food and animal-derived products from emerging economies with higher on-farm antibiotic use. As a result, the share of antimicrobials embedded in traded goods has risen, undermining global efforts to curb drug resistance. More information here

Tiger kills 12 cattle in two months

A tiger has killed 12 cattle  near the Kampung Selendang Tiga and Kampung Selendang Lima forests in Rompin, Malaysia, over the past two months, heightening fear among local settlers. The latest attack four cows, following eight earlier deaths. Village leaders say this is the first such incident since the settlements were established. The livestock graze in newly cleared areas adjacent to oil palm plantations, which are in close proximity to the Kampung Selendang Tiga and Kampung Selendang Lima forests. Wildlife authorities have set traps and installed camera monitors to track the animal’s movements. Residents have been advised to exercise caution, particularly at night, as monitoring continues. More information here