THE NATIONAL Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has released a new guide for working on Australian farms which includes what to expect, what to be aware of, and who to contact if there is a problem for backpackers.

On 1 April 2017, the new Horticulture Code of Conduct came into effect. The Code replaces the old mandatory Horticulture Code established by the Trade Practices (Horticulture Code of Conduct) Regulations 2006 and is regulated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The new mandatory Code has been in effect since 1 April 2017. If you trade in horticulture produce, you must comply with the terms of the new Code. AUSVEG strongly urges Australian growers and packers to familiarise themselves with requirements under the new Code.

The Goulbourn Murray Valley Regional Governance Group would like to advise Residents in Cobram, Shepparton, Mooroopna, Tatura and Kyabram areas that they will see over the course of the next few weeks the deployment of Queensland Fruit Fly Traps in select locations throughout the towns.

The traps form part of a program to monitor fruit fly populations throughout the region in both urban and farming areas during the different season and will be strategically located in a grid referencing system to allow for the data collected over a 2year period to be monitored and actioned on.

A lack of protocols is preventing local stone fruit from finding its way into plum Asian markets, but progress may not be far away.

Goulburn Valley growers would be able to better capitalise on ripe export opportunities if the necessary protocols were more expediently developed.

Australia's lowest-paid workers will get a $22-a-week pay rise after the workplace umpire lifted the national minimum wage to $694.90.

In its annual wage review, the Fair Work Commission has lifted the wage by 3.3 per cent - an increase of 59¢ an hour to $18.29 an hour. Inflation hit 2.1 per cent in the year to the end of March according to the most recent official consumer price index.

Commission president Iain Ross said the decision would affect up to 2.3 million people reliant on minimum rates of pay.

Read more of this Sydney Morning Herald article or visit the Fair Work Commission website for more info.....

The Horticulture Code is a mandatory code of conduct that aims to create transparency around the grower-trader relationship and establish fair dispute resolution mechanisms in the horticulture industry.

There have been recent changes to the Code that strengthens the protection it provides. As a grower, you need to know how the changes affect you and what your rights and obligations are under the Code.