Agribusiness buzz in brief

It packages up a series of easily understood fact sheets on topics small businesses need to know, especially given the tax implications of COVID-19.

"As we all navigate the coronavirus pandemic, we completely appreciate it's a really tough time for many small businesses," said ATO assistant commissioner Andrew Watson.

"From bushfires to floods to COVID-19, we know times have been tough."

The toolkit includes fact sheets to help understand tax topics, including home-based business expenses (if business owners claim cost deductions for using their home as the main place of business); pausing or permanently closing the business; motor vehicle expenses, travel expense deductions, and the use of company money and its assets.

A new university course has launched to help bolster Australia's fast growing organic agriculture sector.

The Graduate Certificate in Organic Food and Nutrition, offered by northern NSW-based Southern Cross University, is the first course of its kind in Australia solely dedicated to organic education.

The eight-month part-time course will develop students' knowledge and practice in organic farming, sustainable and ethical food systems, the produce journey, and connection between organic food and health.

Market research group IBISWorld has tipped organic farming to become Australia's fastest growing industry growing at roughly 15 per cent annually in the next five years to be worth $3.7 billion industry by 2024-25.

Rising health consciousness and environmental awareness are also set to lift organic farm exports by 14.6pc a year over the same time frame.

Chief executive officer of peak body, Australian Organic, Nikki Ford said the course was an enormous signal of the progress the organic industry had made.

"This course will no doubt pave the way for new research and diverse opportunities."

The Red Meat Advisory Council's chief executive officer Anna Neelagama (Campbell) will leave RMAC in August after nearly five years with the peak industry company.

"Anna has been a dynamic CEO elevating the organisation's profile and overseeing the development of several key initiatives during her time at the helm," said chairman Don Mackay.

"She has made a significant contribution to RMAC and the whole red meat industry during her term.

"We thank her for her energy and enthusiasm and she will be sorely missed."

Long-time SunRice employee Mandy Del Gigante has signed off as group company secretary, replaced by Kate Cooper who took over in an acting capacity this month.

Ms Cooper joined SunRice as general counsel in 2016.

Ms Del Gigante first started work at SunRice in 1990.

Managing director Rob Gordon said she had since made a significant contribution to the company and the Australian rice industry.

"I thank Mandy for her dedication and support of our business and the SunRice board over many years and wish her all the best for the future."

More than $7 billion worth of investment in the Australian raw sugar industry - much of it from overseas - has delivered major benefits to the export economy in the past 15 years according to the Australian Sugar Milling Council.

Giving evidence to a Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth, ASMC said exports accounted for more than 75 per cent of the industry's $2b in annual revenues.

It emphasised the imperative for Australia to continue encouraging foreign investment and trade diversity in overseas markets given the uncertainty in markets caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the growing trend of trade protectionism.

Australian raw sugar is predominantly exported to South Korea, Japan and Indonesia which purchased 84pc of the sector's exports in 2018, compared with 49pc 20 years earlier.

"In all three markets we benefit from bilateral trade agreements," said ASMC chief executive officer, David Pietsch.

After a long period of sugar sector under-investment, 18 of Australia's 24 operating sugar mills were now fully, or majority foreign-owned, and the industry had benefited from a $7b-plus capital injection largely as a result of new offshore mill owners.

Milling companies and cane growers were responsible for about $4b in economic activity annually in Australia, which underpins 23,000 jobs in regional Queensland alone.

The Australian Agritech Association has appointed three new board members, representing farming interests in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

AusAgritech said the extra board members represented an opportunity to continue to progress a national agenda that supports key government bodies and major representative interest groups promoting a vibrant and proactive agricultural technology ecosystem in Australia.

The new appointments are Natasha Ayers, Western Australia; Penny Schulz, South Australia, and Jessica Fealy, Queensland.

AusAgritech seeks to align with the initiatives of the Department of Agriculture, Austrade, CSIRO, Rural Development Corporations', the National Farmers' Federation and other key industry groups to maximise the impact the agriculture sector will have as a major contributor to Australia's COVID-19 recovery.

Chairman Andrew Coppin said continued support and investment in agritech would enhance a core competency in Australia, create new jobs in high growth companies, increase productivity in existing farm sector businesses.