Lucinda Jose
Lucinda Jose is a Rural and Resources Reporter who has been based in the Geraldton bureau in various roles for more than a decade. Local to the Mid West she is committed to informing and entertaining regional people and bringing these stories to wider audiences.
Latest by Lucinda Jose
Farmers in WA's Wheatbelt still without power nearly a week after 'tornado'-like storm
A Wheatbelt farmer says a storm that tore through the region last week, leaving thousands without power or communication for days, created damage that will take at least a year to repair.
Friends mix cultures, local ingredients for refreshing gazpacho
Two friends — one from Spain, the other from Mexico — find the perfect ingredients for cold tomato soup in Western Australia's Midwest.
Driest year on record for parts of WA's Gascoyne region, as pastoralists face dire drought conditions
Livestock producers in northern WA are bottle feeding calves and cutting back their herds, as devastating drought and market conditions collide.
Regional brigades say government-supplied fire trucks 'glorified water carters' not fit for purpose
Regional shires are often at the front line of firefighting, but some say WA government-supplied vehicles are not suitable for the state's largely sandy terrain.
Police charge man over Midwest fires that tore through 2,000 hectares
A farmer says it is beyond him how firefighters were able to control a series of fires that police allege were deliberately lit at the weekend.
New jumbo blueberry varieties behind farm's big expansion plans
The biggest blueberries in the world are grown in Western Australia and export markets love them. Demand for the berries is driving one farm to quadruple in size.
Genetically modified biofuel crop sold off as bird seed as developer's finance stalls
Touted as a new-age biofuel by its promoters, a safflower harvest has been sold as birdseed after a lawyer found an alternative market for farmers who had been contracted to grow it.
Steak may still be a luxury, but in WA beef producers are considering shooting cattle as drought prevails
Drought-hit pastoralists say a bottleneck is preventing their beef getting to market at a reasonable price, and must be fixed.
Why a crop heralded as an alternative to petroleum is sitting idle in farm silos
Promoted as an oilseed alternative to petrochemicals, safflower is left sitting uncollected in silos across the country with its exclusive developer unable to pay contracted farmers.
WA abattoir shuts unexpectedly, leaving workers, farmers and animals in limbo
Just over 12 months after a celebrated re-opening, industry sources say Esperance's Shark Lake is unlikely to re-open, shocking farmers and workers.
Why 'Alfie' the crop-spraying robot is the answer to this farm's most tedious job
With a few beeps and a slight rev of the engine, Alfie, the autonomous sprayer, sets off to work. He may be the best new recruit on this farm.
Cheap WA gas a factor in cancellation of green hydrogen project, energy company says
One of the world's largest green hydrogen projects planned for WA has been shelved, partly due to the state's cheap cost of natural gas.
Grain handler CBH spends big on new trains to future-proof supply chain
Western Australia's main grain handler will make its biggest purchase of rail infrastructure in preparation to move big crops in the future.
WA government stands firm on Aboriginal heritage reforms despite growing calls for delay
WA's Aboriginal Affairs Minister says concerns raised by farmers and landholders about the state's post-Juukan Gorge heritage reforms are misplaced.
Eggs are getting pricey and hard to find — here's why
Hard boiled with soldiers, poached, fried, or scrambled, whichever way you have your eggs, you'll be paying more for the privilege.
BP pays $23 million for WA cropping property to pursue green energy, hydrogen plans
The gas and energy giant purchases Daisy Downs in Western Australia's Mid West region, but says existing agricultural operations will be able to coexist with its wind and solar energy generation.
WA government scraps $10m fish nursery plan expected to create 1,000 jobs
The government says there is "no point" in proceeding with the project because Tasmanian company Huon has not moved forward with its plan to use a lease in the Geraldton area.
Hope rises for vaccine to protect sheep from being eaten alive by maggots
CSIRO researchers are creeping closer to developing a vaccine to protect sheep from devastating flystrike, after positive lab results.
Special firearms licence likely for WA farmers as state rewrites gun laws
The police minister acknowledges primary producers "require a firearm to make their living" and appoints a special advisory board to consult with them, as Western Australia moves to ban high-powered weapons.
Lawyers warn of inexperienced 'cowboys' locking farmers into complex renewable energy contracts
Farmers are urged to seek legal advice before getting locked into renewable energy projects that look good in the short term.
Lobster fishers call for cargo ships to be restricted to deeper waters off WA
Operators in WA's Western Rock Lobster fishery say they are losing significant amounts of catch and equipment due to cargo ships straying from established shipping lanes.
Why this gene is a game changer for Australian wheat farming
Genetic material will be embedded into Australian wheat crops as part of a $12.7 million research program to help farmers better predict when a crop will germinate and flower.
This rural property just changed hands for $100 million. Could WA farmers be sitting on a gold mine?
Experts say the state's farmland could be significantly undervalued, following a surprise nine-figure sale in the Great Southern region.
Europe's largest port eyes WA green hydrogen as source of renewable power
The WA government will take part in an international study to determine how to fast-track hydrogen exports from Oakajee, north of Geraldton, to the Netherlands and Germany.
WA Department of Primary Industries tracing sheep movements after virulent footrot discovered in state
Animals that travelled in the same truck as a ram infected with virulent footrot are being traced across Western Australia.