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ABC News
19 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Australian growers aim for 'specialty coffee' status as price of international beans rises
In homes and cafes around the country, millions of Australians start their day with the same morning ritual: a strong cup of coffee. Over the decades, the culture has shifted towards quality and specialty blends. But still only a tiny fraction of the six billion cups of coffee Australians consume each year is produced at home. Growers believe that can change. "Australia — and tropical north Queensland specifically — has a lot of the variables needed to grow great coffee," Queensland coffee farmer Jemal Murat said. "I think the market has a curiosity about what we're doing now, and they can taste it. "The proof is in the pudding." Far North Queensland accounts for 85 per cent of Australia's coffee production. Mr Murat's 70-hectare Arabica coffee farm is in Mareeba, in the Tablelands region. The Tablelands produces about 800 tonnes of coffee beans a year. To put it in perspective, Brazil — the world's largest coffee-producing nation — grows almost four million tonnes of beans annually. "We're not getting ahead of ourselves. The scale of our production is tiny compared to the level of imports Australia receives," Mr Murat said. The Tablelands grower is working with Griffith University's School of Environment and Science to elevate Australia's domestic coffee industry. Researcher Dr Fawad Ali believes Queensland could become as renowned for its coffee as southern Australia is for its wine. "We need to upgrade the coffee industry to the level of the wine industry, where flavours can play a significant role in broadening the market for Queensland-produced coffee," he said. The project helps local producers improve bean quality to achieve "specialty coffee" status, a shift that could dramatically increase the value of their crop. Although much of northern Australia is within the global "coffee belt" — between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn — the Tablelands has the rich soil, elevation, and reliable rainfall that's ideal for growing coffee. Dr Ali is developing new coffee varieties tailored specifically for this region. He's also looking for less resource intensive ways to grow coffee and enhance its flavour. "We're seeing a serious impact from climate change on major coffee-producing regions around the world, including Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, and Vietnam," he said. As coffee prices rise, Dr Ali believes improving domestic production could make Australian-grown beans more competitive — especially in the specialty market. Rod Greenfield is the CEO of a Melbourne specialty coffee roaster that supplies beans to hundreds of cafes around the country. All their beans come from overseas, but Mr Greenfield can see that changing. "We've been interested in Australian coffee for a long time," he said. "I did my first trip to a coffee farm in northern Queensland over a decade ago … realistically, the coffee wasn't specialty enough at that point." Mr Greenfield's company has been working closely with growers in the project to improve the flavour of their beans. In March, they showcased a small selection from the Tablelands at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo. "They blew people away with the flavour of coffee that's now able to be produced in Australia," Mr Greenfield said. "At that show, we were voted Australia's favourite coffee roaster … and I'm pretty sure that the Australian coffee we showcased had something to do with that."
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
New COVID variant emerges as vaccinations hit five-year low
A surge of COVID cases and the emergence of a new variant ahead have raised concerns from health authorities, with doctors warning vaccination rates in Queensland have fallen to a five-year low. Figures show more than 15,000 COVID cases have been reported in Queensland since January, with nearly 3000 people hospitalised with the virus. At the same time, fewer than 250,000 Queenslanders have received their free booster jab this year, which Mater hospital's director of infectious diseases Professor Paul Griffin said was the lowest since COVID vaccines were introduced five years ago. 'We have dropped the ball with COVID-19 vaccinations, but this disease is still very prevalent in the community and poses a serious threat to high-risk patients,' Griffin said. The figures arrived as NB.1.8.1 – a sublineage of the Omicron variant – emerged, which Griffin said was driving up infections and hospitalisations, particularly in Asia and Western Australia. Loading 'The best way to protect yourself and your family, is to get the newest booster which provides very good coverage, is safe, and will reduce the severity of your symptoms if you contract COVID-19.' Griffith University virology and infectious diseases expert Associate Professor Lara Herrero said preliminary data regarding NB.1.8.1 – designated a 'variant under monitoring' by the World Health Organisation last week – suggests the virus can attach to host cells and evade antibodies slightly 'stronger' and 'better' than other variants. 'From other places that have sequenced this variant, we can see that there are mutations that are accumulating in the virus's spike protein – that's the outer shell protein that the virus uses to attach to our cells,' Herrero said.
The Age
3 days ago
- Health
- The Age
New COVID variant emerges as vaccinations hit five-year low
A surge of COVID cases and the emergence of a new variant ahead have raised concerns from health authorities, with doctors warning vaccination rates in Queensland have fallen to a five-year low. Figures show more than 15,000 COVID cases have been reported in Queensland since January, with nearly 3000 people hospitalised with the virus. At the same time, fewer than 250,000 Queenslanders have received their free booster jab this year, which Mater hospital's director of infectious diseases Professor Paul Griffin said was the lowest since COVID vaccines were introduced five years ago. 'We have dropped the ball with COVID-19 vaccinations, but this disease is still very prevalent in the community and poses a serious threat to high-risk patients,' Griffin said. The figures arrived as NB.1.8.1 – a sublineage of the Omicron variant – emerged, which Griffin said was driving up infections and hospitalisations, particularly in Asia and Western Australia. Loading 'The best way to protect yourself and your family, is to get the newest booster which provides very good coverage, is safe, and will reduce the severity of your symptoms if you contract COVID-19.' Griffith University virology and infectious diseases expert Associate Professor Lara Herrero said preliminary data regarding NB.1.8.1 – designated a 'variant under monitoring' by the World Health Organisation last week – suggests the virus can attach to host cells and evade antibodies slightly 'stronger' and 'better' than other variants. 'From other places that have sequenced this variant, we can see that there are mutations that are accumulating in the virus's spike protein – that's the outer shell protein that the virus uses to attach to our cells,' Herrero said.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
New COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 'pretty much everywhere' in Australia
Australians are being urged to get their COVID-19 booster as a new coronavirus variant drives up infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the new NB.1.8.1 strain as a "variant under monitoring" and it's now the dominant variant in China and Hong Kong. Griffith University virologist Associate Professor Lara Herrero said the new strain could possibly overtake others in Australia too. "The new strain is now the dominant coronavirus strain in China and Hong Kong and, in Australia, we're seeing it pretty much everywhere. "There is a prediction that this might start taking over other strains, but it's early days, so we'll just wait and see." Currently the new variant makes up more than 40 per cent of total COVID cases tested in Victoria, around 25 per cent in Western Australia and New South Wales, around 20 per cent in Queensland and less than 10 per cent in South Australia. "We're seeing a lot of cases in the community coming through the [emergency department] but it's likely we're heavily under-reporting because COVID reporting is no longer mandatory," Dr Herrero said. More than five years since COVID was declared a pandemic, Australia is still experiencing regular infections and Dr Herrero said case numbers had been slowly rising since May. In the past six months, only 6.6 per cent of adults have received a COVID vaccine, according to federal data. "This new strain is a sublineage of Omicron and descends from the JN1 variant, which is what the current vaccine protects against," she said. "The flu is nasty this season too so I'd very strongly recommend everyone get their yearly flu vaccine and JN1 COVID booster — it's the best way you're going to be protected if you haven't had COVID in the last six months. "As the virus mutates, it gets a little sneakier and better at evading our immune response and antibodies. Australian Medical Association NSW chair of public health Dr Michael Bonning said early reports showed the variant had a higher infection rate, but that existing vaccines were still effective. "Individual variants are probably less important than overall societal factors such as whether people are keeping up to date with boosters," he said. Dr Bonning said respiratory infections were up nationally. "We are expecting a spike in cases over the coming weeks with an expectation of a particularly difficult winter respiratory season because of what we have seen in the northern hemisphere," he said. "In New South Wales, in the past week there was an increase of 29.2 per cent in COVID-19 notifications, an increase of 25.9 per cent in influenza notifications, and an increase of 9.7 per cent in RSV notifications." According to WHO, NB.1.8.1 was first detected in January. It was declared a variant under monitoring earlier this month. "That is not done with every variant — not at all — it's ones that have specific mutations or if we have extra data that it might evade the immune system or transmit better," Dr Herrero said. "In this case, we've got mutations in the spike protein that seems to be making it easier for this virus to attach to our cells and it seems to be making this virus evade our antibodies better." Dr Herraro said there was no evidence to suggest the symptoms of the new strain were worse than other variants. "We're still seeing the same symptoms like fevers, cough, runny nose, headaches, some people are getting whole body aches and some are getting gastro symptoms," she said. "We're probably all getting tired of these sorts of messages but I'd just say to people, just be vigilant before you get sick because that's how you protect yourself. "Wash your hands, don't go out in public if you're sick and spread it to everyone, get your vaccines if you want them. If you've got a cough or cold I'd wear a mask because you don't want to share that with other people."
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
New Covid subvariant NB.1.8.1 hits three popular holiday spots and these are the symptoms
New Covid subvariant NB.1.8.1 hits three popular holiday spots and these are the symptoms The highly-infectious new Covid strain - officially named NB.1.8.1 - has been detected in multiple countries, including Australia, the US and possibly the UK Some travellers may be affected The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a surge in Covid cases, with a new variant now accounting for more than 10% of all infections. But is says that no travel or trade restrictions are needed. The WHO has labelled the new strain NB. 1.8. 1 as a 'variant under monitoring' due to concerns about the sharp increase in cases. By the end of April, 2025, NB.1.8.1 made up approximately 10.7% of all submitted sequences – a significant rise from just 2.5% four weeks previously. It is already the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China. Lara Herrero, associate professor and research leader in virology and infectious disease at Griffith University, said that thanks to multiple mutations, the new strain 'may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains', reports the Mirror. The strain has been identified in several countries, including Australia, the US and potentially the UK. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. "However, importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants," Lara Herroro said. "Common symptoms include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." A WHO report explains: "SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and between January and May, 2025, there were shifts in global SARS-CoV-2 variant dynamics. "At the beginning of the year, the most prevalent variant tracked by WHO at the global level was XEC, followed by KP.3.1.1. In February, circulation of XEC began to decline while that of LP.8.1 increased, with the latter becoming the most detected variant in mid-March. Since mid-April, the circulation of LP.8.1 has been slightly declining as NB.1.8.1 is increasingly being detected." The update also highlighted that the emerging strain is finding traction especially in the eastern Mediterranean, covering popular holiday spots such as Egypt. It's gaining ground too in South East Asia, hitting destinations like Thailand and the Maldives. The WHO pointed out upward trends in other regions including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. "WHO recommends that countries remain vigilant, adapt to evolving epidemiological trends, and leverage COVID-19 management strategies to strengthen systems for all respiratory disease threats. Member States should continue offering COVID-19 vaccines in line with WHO recommendations. Article continues below "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions."
