Agribusiness buzz in brief

However, Rabobank was trusted most by farmers with businesses generating more than $1 million in annual revenue, followed by Bendigo and CBA.

Rabo was also ranked among the top three trusted banks by NSW, South Australian and West Australian farmers.

Results were based on 1000 in-depth farmer interviews during July.

Respondents commended Bendigo Bank's community support, its long-term relationships with farmers, for providing reliable customer service, and for providing solutions locally.

Meanwhile, Woolworths was Australia's most trusted overall business brand for a second consecutive year, according to Roy Morgan feedback on trust and distrust from monthly surveys of about 2000 people in 2022-23.

The supermarket beat 19 other trusted brand category winners, including Bendigo Bank, NRMA Insurance, Fortescue Metals and Toyota.

Crop chemical and seed technology giant, Syngenta, is teaming with Queensland agricultural biology specialist, Metagen, to develop new technologies to help farmers' yields and enhance cropping environments.

Metagen's microbial solutions and soil DNA analysis business in the Lockyer Valley will complement Syngenta's crop protection and seed treatment technology expertise, with the aim of developing new products which promote sustainable agriculture practices.

Metagen has spent the past decade incorporating chemistry, process engineering, agronomy, microbiology, DNA analysis, bioinformatics and intelligent computing to develop sustainable technologies which help farm profitability and sustainability.

Syngenta's Australia and New Zealand managing director, Paul Luxton, said the two partners were excited about the potential to help farm productivity and regenerate crop environments.

Metagen research director, Neil Wilson, said the company's technologies could revolutionise agriculture by improving soil health and plant growth and looked forward to working with the Swiss agribusiness giant to benefit farmers.

Australian Grape and Wine has urged Canberra to stand firm in safeguarding the rights of Australian growers and winemakers to continue using the prosecco grape variety name.

The call comes as Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, goes into trade talks with the European Union on the sidelines of the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting in Japan this weekend.

The industry said any deal undermining the local wine production sector's right to use the varietal name domestically or overseas would be a detrimental setback for the Australian wine industry already suffering crippling trade disruptions.

Chief executive officer, Lee McLean, said growth of prosecco wine sales in Australia had been a shining light and lifeline for many producers, who had also endured the global pandemic and various weather events in recent years.

"The Albanese Government should not rush into a deal that is not in the best interests of Australia's wine producers and exports."

Woolworths is to pay out almost $1.5 million to 17 dairy farmers to fund on-farm projects as part of its latest round of Dairy Innovation Fund grants.

About $5 million has been given to almost 60 dairy farmers from the Woolworths fund in the past three years, allowing family-run dairies to invest in technology, seasonal resilience and greater efficiency.

The most recent recipients were representative of farmers preparing for the potentially extreme dry conditions forecast for the upcoming season.

Plans for improved water management, energy efficiency and dairy automation will now be supported by grants of up to $100,000 for each farm.

Woolworths' dairy commercial director, Jason McQuaid said necessity made Australian farmers very wise about investments made during good seasons to see them through the tough ones.

Former Bega Group chief executive officer, Paul van Heerwaarden, joins the board of almond grower and processor, Select Harvests at the start of November.

Mr van Heerwarden signed off at Bega early this year after a long career in financial, operational and marketing roles before becoming CEO, with previous roles at Ridley AgriProducts, Cargill and Nutrihealth.

Select chairman, Travis Dillon, noted his extensive experience in the agri-food sector and commodity cycle risk management, which included the dairy, oilseed, nut meat and grain industries locally and overseas.

SunRice Group has won the NSW Premier's Export Awards category for agribusiness, food and beverages.

The award recognised outstanding international success in agricultural product sales, including manufactured foods and beverages.

SunRice, one Australia's best known food brands, has market leading positions in 14 countries.

The south western NSW-based SunRice Group's food and livestock product range spans more than 1500 products and includes 35 major brands in over 50 countries.

Chief executive officer, Paul Serra said as one of Australia's leading value-added food exporters, SunRice's success was underpinned some the world's best rice growers, its valued customers, about 500 staff and a commitment to research and development to maintain Australia's global reputation.

The national export awards will be announced on November 30 in Canberra.

Melbourne-based citrus and mango grower and trader, Nutrano Produce Group, has paid penalties totalling $24,850 for allegedly contravening the Horticulture Code.

Nutrano copped two infringement notices from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The company operates 2000 hectares of orchards and packing houses in Victoria's Sunraysia, Queensland, southern NSW and the Northern Territory, also marketing and selling other growers' produce to supermarkets for a commission.

The ACCC investigated Nutrano's compliance with the Horticulture Code after receiving complaints from other citrus growers regarding the lack of transparency about the price Nutrano paid them for produce and the timing of final payments.

Nutrano allegedly failed to specify the price it received for produce in grower statements, as required by the Horticulture Code.

"It is a fundamental obligation under the Horticulture Code that agents must be transparent about sales prices they receive, so that growers know the market value of their produce," said ACCC deputy chairman, Mick Keogh.

The competition watchdog also alleged Nutrano traded under Horticulture Produce Agreements which did not adequately specify the quality requirements and specifications that would be used to determine the quality of the grower's produce.

The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Nutrano to provide growers with updated statements, implement a compliance program and remove terms considered potentially unfair in its produce agreements.

Central West NSW-based leader in specific organic trace minerals and probiotic additives for the stockfeed market, Austasia Animal Products has a new chief executive officer, Gerhard Oberholzer, following Chris O'Brien's retirement.

Mr Oberholzer has had an association with the Forbes company since arriving in Australia from an agribusiness background in South Africa in 2004.

He worked in the oilseed processing value-added commodities sector before moving to stock feed manufacturing.

With a bachelor's degree in engineering, masters in business administration, and project management, he said he enjoyed the challenge of value adding agricultural commodities and by-products to creating feed sources by applying scientific disciplines.

Austasia Animal Products makes high-quality specific organic trace minerals and probiotics products for animals at Forbes.

The speakers' list at next year's AgriFutures' evokeAg event will feature a host of overseas entrepreneurs, such as US founder of Sirona Ventures, Robyn O'Brien; Tamang Ventures founder, Nina Schick, from Britain; food systems entrepreneur, Abi Ramanan, and managing director of Germany's Hot or Cool Institute, Dr Lewis Akenji.

Local headline speakers will include the director of the Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, Professor Richard Eckard; insect protein industry leader and Goterra chief executive officer, Olympia Yarger, and Brownes Dairy CEO, Natalie Sarich-Dayton.

The long speaker lineup will be hosted by comedian, documentary maker and presenter of ABC television's War on Waste, Craig Reucassel.

First held in 2019, evokeAg promotes ideas and connections to develop a more resilient, sustainable, and profitable agrifood sector and value chain.

It will be at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on February 20 and 21.