Agribusiness

Quintis subsidiary Arwon Finance has won a Supreme Court ruling against its former chief executive Frank Wilson requiring him to repay a $13.2 million loan taken out in 2014.

The former chief executive of the Potato Marketing Corporation and another senior public servant have been slammed by the Corruption and Crime Commission for a consulting arrangement where one allegedly used their position for enrichment at the state's expense.

Perth has notched another success amid international efforts to improve the health of the world's oceans, with Martin Exel chosen to lead a global movement supporting sustainable fisheries.

Kalium Lakes is a step closer to a final investment decision on its Beyondie sulphate of potash project, after it received a credit-approved offer from German KfW IPEX-Bank for around $102 million.

Kalium Lakes has awarded Shell Energy the gas supply contract, and APA Group the gas transport contract, for its Beyondie sulphate of potash project.

The state government has announced new regulations to help boost lamb exports, which hit a record $306 million in 2018.

The ACCC is examining whether a proposed takeover of Ruralco Holdings by a Canadian fertiliser giant could reduce wholesale competition and lead to discrimination against some independent retail stores.

Heavy rainfall over the past few days will be good news for WA's farmers; however, most have already cut back their expected cropping area due to dry weather conditions in recent months.

The fishing industry says it is disappointed by the state government's backdown on a local lobster supply deal, with a planned international lobster festival to be one of the casualties.

SPECIAL REPORT: As land and population pressures drive the need for more productive farming, WA finds itself at the centre of a new mining race.

Bulk grains handler GrainCorp says it will not pay shareholders an interim dividend after it swung to a $59 million half-year loss following severe drought conditions and trade disruptions.

ORIX Australia has won a tender to become the outsourced fleet management and leasing provider for agribusiness giant CBH Group.

Revenue at agribusiness Heytesbury Holding dropped 14 per cent to be $47.7 million in the year to December, but sales income was steady.

Andrew and Nicola Forrest's agricultural investment company, Harvest Road Group, has reported a big surge in annual profit to $7 million after a restructure combined the family's expansive pastoral stations with their Harvey Beef business.

The state government will outlay $131.5 million of additional funds for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in the upcoming budget.

CBH Group has awarded six of the nine contracts for its $150 million Network Strategy Expansion project, including four to local contractors WCP Civil and Georgiou Group.

A WA-based engineering company has built one of the first mobile abattoirs for processing premium meat, addressing farmer and animal welfare concerns by eliminating the need to transport animals.

Major WA agribusinesses plan new investments to create scale and efficiency, while smaller operators are cooperating to access new markets with niche products.

Local timber businesses have about $100 million of investments in planning as they hope to benefit from demand for environmentally friendly products.

Malaga-based Eneco Refresh, formerly Refresh Group, has used its stronger balance sheet to expand into the Northern Territory with the purchase of a bottled water factory in Darwin.

Farmed prawns producer Seafarms Group has raised $20 million via a share placement, and will conduct a share purchase plan to raise up to $4 million along with a $3 million debt-to-equity conversion.

Graincorp's plans to demerge its global malting business and list the new company on the ASX have been greeted warmly by investors.

Agtech startup Laconik has received a federal government grant, the only Western Australian-based business out of 15 across the country to receive a portion of a $5.3 million round of funding.

Wellard has sold its Wongan Hills feed mill, and Baldivis Pre-Export Quarantine lease in Western Australia, as well as its Condah Pre-Export Quarantine facility in Victoria, to Ausvision Rural Services.

Bremer Bay-based 888 Abalone has accused Ocean Grown Abalone of breaching a supply agreement by planning a future development for a hatchery.

A plant scientist from UWA has won a prestigious award for her research into the canola industry, aimed at slashing rates of crop disease.

Western Australian farmers remain the most confident in the nation, but they are entering 2019 with lowered expectations following last year's bumper season, according to the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence survey.

Australia's visa rules have been relaxed to make it easier for farmers to hire skilled seasonal workers. The new rules also apply to tennis coaches, artists, dentists and anaesthetists among a handful of other professions.

Five years after being the subject of high profile police raids and multiple charges, the legal saga facing three Perth business people is over due to failures of the prosecution deemed “totally unacceptable” by the judge.

Woolworths has become the first national supermarket chain to dump its $1/litre milk range, with farmers saying Coles and Aldi must follow if they want Australian dairies to survive.

Wellard has posted a $2.9 million profit for the six months to December, up from a $7.4 million loss in the previous corresponding period, and its first profit since listing on the ASX over three years ago.

The state government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation have signed a $48 million scientific partnership for research into Western Australia's grainbelt soils and boosting grain production for local growers.