Flying Singapore Airlines to Milan with coach travel throughout Italy the tour itinerary encompasses firstly the Italian Lake District then Venice, Modena and Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region, Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena in Tuscany, Perugia and Assisi in Umbria, Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast, Naples, Pompeii and of course Rome.

The tour will be managed throughout Italy by Englishman Michael Barker well known as an experienced European tour guide by many Australian farmers.

Italy is a land of rolling hills, picturesque olive groves, vineyards and tomato gardens with rugged coastal cliffs. The country’s breathtaking scenery is matched only by its rich history. Italy has produced some of the greatest painters and sculptors of all time, and the legendary art cities of Rome, Florence and Venice have exquisite galleries packed with priceless masterpieces by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Donatello and da Vinci. It is one of the largest producers of wine in the world as grapes are cultivated in almost every region and there are more than one million vineyards. Italy is also a leading olive oil and vegetable producer and Chianina cattle, noted for their size, are raised for beef while Piedmontese cattle are raised both for milk and beef. Their milk is used for traditional cheese and their meat is seen as a premium product. There are over 400 Italian cheeses and gorgonzola and parmesan are familiar names to us as was Ron Barassi and Franco Cozzo. Cheese and wine play a major part of the Italian cuisine while espresso coffee is consumed everywhere along with such famous dishes as pasta, pizza, lasagne, focaccia and gelato. There are over 50 indigenous Italian sheep breeds and most are bred for milk production as there are only a few areas where meat production prevails.

The Colosseum and Pompeii still bear witness to the once mighty Roman Empire. A few historic Italian names that might immediately spring to mind are perhaps Christopher Columbus, Leonardo da Vinci, Marco Polo, Casanova, Michelangelo’s David; Galileo – the mathematician and astronomer and Marconi with his invention of radio. Or more likely Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti – one of the most famous tenors of all time, Sophia Loren, Mussolini, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Claudia Cardinale, Al Pacino and Robert de Niro. Italy is home to Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and the humble Fiat. There are dozens of Italian Fashion Houses and how could you resist buying an Armani suit, for an arm and a leg, made from ultra-fine Australian Merino wool or a trinket from Fendi, Fiorucci, Gucci, Prada or Valentino to name just a few.

As the tour includes many horticulture, viticulture and viniculture enterprises, livestock, dairying, cropping, agricultural machinery and technical visits it may well qualify as a tax deductible expense and in this regard you should have a word with your accountant or financial adviser. However, it is not all work and no play as the tour includes fabulous sightseeing and leisure time.

TOUR COST
The tour cost flying economy class with Singapore Airlines from Melbourne is $17,510, from Adelaide is $17,505, from Sydney is $17,468, from Brisbane is $17,356 and from Perth is $16,935 per person based on a share twin room in 4 star hotels with a single room supplement of $3,840. The cost includes all breakfasts, 13 lunches and 15 dinners, sightseeing, entrance fees, on-farm and technical visits and travel by luxury coach. The cost also includes gratuities to coach drivers, local tour guides, tour manager and porterage.

The tour itinerary covers the southern agricultural states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, as well as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in India’s north. Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output, with over 750 million people engaged in agriculture — the diversity is remarkable. India accounts for 10% of global fruit production and is the world’s largest producer of fresh fruit.

Although India is the second-largest global producer of wheat and rice, its population of around 1.5 billion is growing faster than its ability to keep up with production. India’s population has now surpassed China’s 1.4 billion. The country’s uniqueness lies in its extraordinary diversity of cropping patterns and livestock breeds, many of which are deeply adapted to local environments.

From spice and plantation crops in the humid south, to multi-cropping rice fields and coconut groves, and further north to drought-resistant millets and sheep-rearing in arid regions, this tour reveals how centuries-old farming wisdom blends with modern science to sustain millions of livelihoods.

Alongside farm and technical visits, the tour weaves in cultural treasures, deepening understanding of the intricate relationship between India’s vibrant communities and their land. From intimate discussions with local agronomists to exploring UNESCO heritage sites and bustling markets, the tour is designed to inspire innovation, foster partnerships and broaden perspectives on global agriculture.

Embark on this unforgettable journey through the heartlands of India’s diverse agricultural landscapes. Experience the contrast between the lush backwaters and plantations of Kerala, the rich temple towns and fertile plains of Tamil Nadu, and the historic, arid farmlands of North India. In just over three weeks, tour members will explore cutting-edge farming technologies, integrated livestock systems and sustainable cropping methods tailored to climates ranging from tropical coasts to dry deserts.

Although India has the world’s largest cattle population, as much as 70% is owned by 67% of small and marginal farmers and the landless. Around 60% of livestock farming labour is provided by women, with more than 90% of animal care work carried out by women within family households. India also holds 53% of the world’s buffalo population and 15% of the world’s cattle population, and ranks fifth globally for sheep numbers after Australia.

India is the world’s sixth-largest coffee producer; second only to China in rice production; third-largest producer of tobacco, sorghum and rapeseed; and the second-largest producer of wheat, sugarcane, tea, cashews, fresh vegetables, silk and inland fish. It is also the world’s largest producer of millets, pulses, spices, chillies and peppers, lemons and limes, cows, goats and buffalo milk.

Cricket is the most popular sport in India. English author Sir John Mandeville once wrote, “India remains a land of many diverse countries.”

As the 25-day tour includes many on-farm and technical visits, it may qualify as a tax-deductible expense. To support this, tour leader Dale Price will maintain a detailed daily diary for submission with your income tax return.

However, it is not all work and no play — the tour also includes leisure time for shopping and bargain hunting in India’s renowned bazaars, a visit to the Taj Mahal (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), an overnight houseboat stay in the backwaters, and jungle treks, safaris and a cruise in the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary to observe elephants, tigers and more.

TOUR COST
Singapore Airlines will be announcing their group airfares to India around mid-April while the cost of the land arrangements is $7,850 per person based on sharing a twin room with private facilities in mostly 4 star hotels, all meals, spectacular sightseeing in a toilet equipped Volvo air-conditioned coach with on-farm and technical visits. The single room supplement is $2,680.The tour cost also includes gratuities to coach drivers, local tour guides, tour manager and porterage.

Texans are known for their southern hospitality of being warm and friendly with an intense state pride and often described as “Texan first, American second.”Texas is the largest agriculture state in the U.S. with 247,000 farms on 127 million acres of agricultural land and contributes $32.2 billion in annual revenue.

It leads the U.S. in cattle, cotton, hay, sheep, goat, and mohair production and the key sectors are beef, dairy, cotton and winter vegetables as well as corn and sorghum.

Texas wine production although small is still a significant and growing part of the local industry. As compared to Australia where there are 87,800 farms on 912 million acres of agricultural land covering roughly 50% of our continent.

In area NSW is about 17% larger than Texas. U.S. farmers are increasingly adopting regenerative agriculture to combat challenges like extreme drought and water scarcity. Techniques such as no-till cover cropping and high-intensity rotational grazing have proven effective in maintaining green forage even during prolonged dry spells.

April is an ideal time for touring the Lone Star State and as usual we’ll get off the tourist track visiting cattle ranches, sheep and dairy farms, feedlots, horticultural, cropping properties and Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred studs as well as important agricultural research centres.

The itinerary kicks off in Dallas with the Fort Worth Stockyards then College Station, Austin, Houston (Space Centre), Corpus Christi, King Ranch, McAllen (Rio Grande), San Antonio (Alamo), Fredericksburg known for its wineries, Lubbock (Buddy Holly), Hereford, Amarillo (the Palo Duro Texas’s Grand Canyon), Oklahoma City (the world’s largest Livestock Market) finally returning to Dallas.

Texas has a cowboy culture, traditions, and sayings that are uniquely its own such as “all hat and no cattle.” The tour has been designed as a business trip and as such the cost may well qualify as a tax deductible expense.

To this end your tour leader Graham Engeman will maintain a detailed daily diary for you to submit with your income tax return. However, it is not all work and no play as the tour includes ample opportunities to enjoy the culinary delights of Tex-Mex cuisine, leisure and shopping time with sightseeing by a luxury coach.

Sightseeing includes the Houston Space Centre; the Alamo that became a fort during the 1836 Texas Revolution led by Santa Anna with the deaths of nearly all 200 Texan defenders including Davy Crockett and James Bowie while the Palo Duro Canyon State Park that can be compared to the Grand Canyon and Oklahoma City is known for its cowboy culture.

TOUR COST

There are many airlines operating from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to the United States and just to mention a few such as Fiji Airways, Hawaiian, Qantas, United, Air New Zealand, Delta, Japan Airlines etc. so please go on-line or contact Helloworld Travel, Flight Centre or simply ask your friendly Travel Agent for a quote to join the tour in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas. The cost of the land arrangements (no airfares) is $12,670 per person based on share twin rooms with private facilities in 3 star hotels throughout Texas and Oklahoma with all breakfasts 7 lunches and 15 dinners and includes sightseeing, entrance fees,  on-farm and technical visits. The cost also includes, gratuities to the manager/tour guide, local guides, coach drivers and porterage in the majority of hotels. The single room hotel supplement is $3,200.

Japan has a population of over 122.4 million people with most subscribing to Buddhism or Shinto. This estimate is based on people affiliated with a Temple as some 75% of Japanese are actually non-believers.

Japanese people are very friendly, sincere, disciplined and honest with an intolerance to drugs consequently the crime rate is very low so it is a safe country to visit. Cleanliness and tidiness are other attributes while litter and graffiti are non-existent.

Japan is located in a volcanic zone on the Pacific Ring of Fire with over 100 active volcanoes and only about 20% of Japan is suitable for cultivation and the agricultural economy is highly subsidized and protected.

Rice paddies occupy most of the countryside, whether on the alluvial plains, the terraced slopes, or wetlands and coastal bays. Non-paddy farmland share the terraces and lower slopes and are planted with wheat and barley in the autumn and with sweet potatoes, vegetables and dry rice in summer. Intercropping is common: such crops are alternated with beans and peas. Japan is primarily known for growing high-quality rice and is the second largest green tea producer in the world after China.

Japan’s meat market is valued at approximately USD 31.4 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach over USD 48.6 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of nearly 3%. The market is driven by high demand for premium products, particularly Wagu beef, alongside a growing, high-value processed meat segment estimated to exceed $20 billion by 2033.

Japanese consumers eat nearly 20% more meat than they did 20 years ago. Pork and poultry comprise 81% of the market with beef and lamb at 19%. Over the last 20 years, demand for beef in Japan has increased by 8%, but domestic production has decreased by 10%. This has created increased opportunities for imported beef, which now makes up half of the market. Australia supplies more than 50% of Japan’s total grain-fed beef imports. Demand for lamb in Japan has remained relatively flat although large Japanese retailers are starting to carry lamb in their meat sections.

Livestock raising is a minor activity except for the high-quality and high-cost Kobe beef. Fishing is most important and Japan is ranked second in the world behind China in tonnage of fish caught. Prior to 2018 Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market was the world’s largest and Japan has more than 2,000 fishing ports and is one of the world’s few whaling nations attracting international condemnation for its research whaling in the oceans surrounding Antarctica. Japan has greatly advanced the techniques of Aquaculture or sea farming. In this system artificial insemination and hatching techniques are used to breed fish and shellfish, which are then released into rivers or seas to be caught after they grow bigger.

Traditionally sumo wrestling is Japan’s national sport while baseball is currently the most popular spectator sport closely followed by soccer. Japan has one of the most successful soccer teams in Asia. Golf is also popular as is Rugby Union and their men’s National Rugby Team the Brave Blossoms is coached by Eddie Jones famously leading them to a victory over South Africa.

There could be no better time to visit Japan and the farming tour itinerary covers firstly Fukuoka, on Kyushu Island then Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Takayama, Nagano, Niigata, Yamagata, Kitakan, Nikko and Tokyo on Honshu Island.

TOUR COST

The tour cost of the land arrangements (no airfares) is $9,520  based on sharing a twin/double room with private facilities in mostly 3 to 4 star hotels, all breakfasts, 15 lunches and 11 dinners, spectacular sightseeing, on-farm and technical visits and all tipping. The single room supplement is $1,380. Return airfares from Australia to Japan with Singapore Airlines will be announced by mid-October 2026.

As the economies of Japan and Australia are both intrinsically trade linked the tour cost may well qualify as a tax deductible expense  To this end, your tour leader Don Howard will maintain a detailed daily diary for you to submit with your  income tax return. However, it is not all work and no play as the tour includes leisure and sightseeing to provide a well-rounded itinerary including many of Japan’s major tourist attractions.

The tour is limited to only 42 people and because of the popularity of previous Japan Farming Tours, all led by the charming and vivacious JTB tour guide, Keiko Arita this tour is expected to fill very quickly, so early application is most desirable.