Water

Irrigators and river communities plan day of protest

Widespread demonstrations will take place next week as basin communities, farmers and farming organisations protest the Albanese Government’s water bill.

Cattle

MLA launches new indicators with AuctionsPlus data

AuctionsPlus has partnered with Meat and Livestock Australia to release two new indicators to help market participants stay informed.

Property Roundup: $100m Border Rivers aggregation

A mammoth southern Queensland dryland and irrigated cropping portfolio is being offloaded by a Chinese investor, as another Holbrook holding hits the market. Plus a carbon investors snaps up NT cattle country. Read on to see what else has happened in property this week.

David Jochinke elected president of the National Farmers’ Federation

Victorian grain and livestock producer David Jochinke has been elected president of the National Farmers’ Federation, succeeding Fiona Simson who steps down after seven years in the role.

Fiona Simson on the future for farmers

As her tenure draws to a close, Fiona Simson has reflected on her seven years at the helm of the nation’s peak farmer lobby group.

Sustainability

'Rollout rage’: the climate battle dividing regional Australia

In August, Victoria’s Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny made a decision that could set a difficult precedent for Australia’s effort to get to net-zero emissions by 2050. The decision shocked many clean energy developers.

Podcast

LISTEN: Your network is your net worth with Richard Rains

Knowledge sharing has long been part of the fabric of agriculture, but the weave looks a little different these days.

Rural Bank's latest farmland index: See how your region is performing

Rural Bank's latest survey of farmland values has shown transactions have fallen to their lowest level in 28 years, with the lender predicting flat or declining prices going forward.

CEF success story inspires critical new partnership with AuctionsPlus

AuctionsPlus Market Operator Team Leader and Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) alumni, Millie George, has given back to the foundation that supported her through her studies, by inspiring a new partnership that will see AuctionsPlus work together to support regional and rural youth and communities.

AuctionsPlus CEO on first 2 months in the role

AgTech

Irrigating Australia’s deserts won’t increase rainfall, new modelling shows

For generations, Australians have been fascinated with the idea of turning our inland deserts green with lush vegetation.

Sponsored

Fashioning a legacy through the generations

On just over 100 picturesque acres in Victoria’s Western District, there is a changing of the guard happening.

Podcast

LISTEN: Aligning families, growing wealth & protecting legacies with Chloe Arthur

Beyond operational handovers, Ben explores the intricate process of preparing the next generation to take over the family business (or resulting wealth) successfully.

Cattle

Stud cattle sale results 28 September - 4 October

A rolling tally of cattle stud auctions interfaced by AuctionsPlus over the past week.

34 trucks on way to Upper Hunter with 1200 bales of hay

A convoy of 34 trucks are well on their way to NSW’s Upper Hunter region loaded with hay valued at $114,000 to help farmers and their communities experiencing dry conditions and recovering from fires.

Cattle

The innovative livestock financier helping producers reach full capacity

As below-average market and seasonal conditions take hold of the livestock industry, producers are being urged to remember one key point they can take to the bank - the underlying fundamentals and long-term trend of the red meat industry is incredibly positive.

Opinion: Australia is diverging from the world on carbon offsetting

We have seen significant income and impact generated in Australia both in voluntary carbon markets and under the Australian ACCU Scheme. As impressive as these results are, they also appear to be in contrast with carbon trends elsewhere in the world.

Sheep & Lamb

Govt creating a socio-economic disaster "for the sake of crumbs from the activists' table"

Farmers are losing confidence in a government that is "marching to the beat of the activists' drum", with 23 industry groups making that clear in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday.

AgTech

Soil Survey: Your help needed

The University of Sydney and the Australian Farm Institute are undertaking research to deliver a process to measure human connectivity to soil. Although this is a key indicator of soil security, there is currently no way to measure this.

Cattle

USDA to pay $2.75 billion to weather affected farmers

The US Department of Agriculture has offered to compensate farmers who lost production due to wildfires and droughts over the past three years, with $US1.75 billion to be distributed.

Stud cattle sale results 21 Sept - 27 Sept

A rolling tally of cattle stud auctions interfaced by AuctionsPlus over the past week.

Market Insights

Opinion: Is it time for farmers to work together?

Episode3 analyst Andrew Whitelaw has posed an idea that's "a bit lefty", but also "a sensible capitalist task" that could increase the resources of farmer representatives whilst potentially decreasing the impact of the cost of living for everyday Australians.

Finance

Ben Law: How listening to your intuition could save your life

Trudie Payne, with her husband Liam, manages a successful grazing operation in the heart of central Queensland. Her life took an unexpected turn in 2018 when she was diagnosed with one of the most aggressive forms of Melanoma despite being the picture of fitness, happiness, health and drive.

Cropping

What widespread Varroa mite will mean for ag

The federal government body in charge of pest control has announced Australia will abandon efforts on eradicating the Varroa mite.

Sustainability

Albanese government faces uphill road and angry locals amid renewables rollout

Fire fear is gripping many Australians, with extremely high temperatures for September.

Costa Group agrees to discounted $1.5bn takeover

Listed fruit and vegetable company, Costa Group will go private after its board accepted a revised offer from US-based private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners for $3.20 per share.

Investors see 'natural capital' impacting farmland prices, communities

One of the country’s largest landholders has warned that the massive appetitive for investment into the carbon space is putting local communities on edge and risks overwhelming food production.

Cattle

Absolute Angus sires a 'no brainer' purchase for commercial producers

Selecting and using the best genetics the industry has to offer each year is by no means a cheap endeavour, but it’s an investment that continues to pay dividends for Absolute Angus, the stud’s clients and, ultimately, the end consumer.

Sustainability

Carbon project provider GreenCollar bought in $800m deal

GreenCollar, who designs and runs carbon abatement projects on behalf of landowners, has been sold to giant Canadian pension fund Ontario Teachers.

Cattle

Stud cattle sale results: September 14 to 20

A rolling tally of all the results of sales interfaced by AuctionsPlus for the past week.

Sheep & Lamb

Poll Dorset lambs ticking boxes in all market conditions

Having a product that will stand the test of time in all market conditions is easier said than done in the agriculture industry, but it appears lambs from Poll Dorset sires are ticking all the boxes.

Ag news

Why the NFF is bringing a Dutch farm activist to Australia

Mounting pressure on emissions reductions has pushed Dutch farmers to the brink, according to National Farmers' Federation CEO Tony Mahar, who says Australians have much to learn from the pushback.

Property

Property Roundup: Historic Holbrook station in $40m listing

Storied assets, premier irrigation country and an 82,000 hectare holding are leading the property pops this week: read on to see the pick of the listings.

Cattle

Stud cattle sale results: September 6 to Sept 13

A rolling tally of all the results of sales interfaced by AuctionsPlus for the past 10 days.

Commodity prices and seasonal conditions driving industry confidence down

National rural confidence has dropped to the fourth-lowest level in two decades, as increasing concerns about lower commodity prices and the prospect of a return to drought conditions weighs on producers.

AgriFutures

Flower farmer named 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner

Flower farmer, tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Grown Not Flown, Nikki Davey has been named the 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Winner for her work in creating a digital platform and app connecting flower farmers and consumers, globally.

Cattle

How current cattle, sheep and pig prices stack up against historic values

We’ve seen some big swings in cattle prices in Australia over the past few years and with updated consumer price indicators from the ABS for the June 2023 quarter, we are able to run the numbers on deflated cattle prices to see how current levels stack up to historic values, when we convert all the older prices to a current dollar value in $/head.

People

Full list of this year's Nuffield Scholars

Nuffield Australia has announced a bumper crop of 2024 scholars, with five extra spaces added to the program thanks to the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund.

Property

Nalinga offers rare farm-buying opportunity on Flinders Island

A rare opportunity to secure prime grazing country on pristine Flinders Island has presented itself, with the listing of Nalinga.

Ben Law: The future of the beef industry with David Foote, Paul Harker & Kari Moffatt

In the latest episode of The Financial Bloke, Ben sits down with David Foote, the President of Cattle Australia; Paul Harker, the Chief Commercial Officer of Woolworths; and Kari Moffat, the Sustainability Manager of AAM Investment Group and a member of the Australian Beef Sustainability Group Steering Group.

Cattle

Indonesia lifts live export ban

Live exports of cattle to Indonesia can recommence following an agreement between Australian and Indonesian officials to resume trade.

Cattle

Cattle Australia CEO Luke Bowen to step down due to health concerns

Luke Bowen, chief executive officer of Cattle Australia (CA), has resigned from his position due to health issues. His resignation is effective immediately.

Stud cattle sale results: August 31 to September 5

A rolling tally of all the results of sales interfaced by AuctionsPlus for the past 10 days.

Cattle

Malaysia lifts suspension, Indonesia still deliberating on LSD report

Malaysia has lifted the temporary suspension of live cattle and buffalo exports from Australia, but Indonesia remains unmoved on the issue.

Biosecurity

New global report finds the cost of biological invasions is quadrupling every decade

Invasive alien species are driving biodiversity loss and extinctions in every country, all over the world.

Goat

Goat industry productivity bolstered by $3.7m genetics project

Helping goatmeat producers achieve productivity gains through informed genetic selection decisions in the same way beef and sheep producers can is among the key aims of a new $3.7 million research and development project.

Machinery

Australia's largest Case IH dealer bought by US-based Titan for $97m

Powerhouse dealer group Titan Machinery has entered the Australian market with an agreement to purchase O'Connors, in a cash deal reportedly worth US$63 million (A$97m).

Property

Blue-ribbon NSW holdings hit the market with hefty pricetags

Several high-quality holdings have hit the market in New South Wales in the past week, including the Singaporean-owned Wyuna, which is expected to attract offers in the $30 million range.

Sustainability

Farmers to start feeling pressure to report on emissions

Coles’ recent announcement that it expects 75% of its suppliers by spend to set science-based emissions targets is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the incoming pressure on ag producers to report on their carbon footprint, according to a leading fund manager.

Cattle

Why grain premiums are rising in South Queensland

It seems like the good times are coming to an end. We had two years of terrible drought, followed by three years of excellent production across most of Australia. It was only a matter of time, but it seems the times of high production are turning. ABARES is due to release an update in September; it will be for falling production.

Sheep & Lamb

'Covetable' Garnett SheepMaster parent stud hits the market

The opportunity to acquire control of the foundation genetics of a high-performing sheep breed has presented itself, with the Garnett SheepMaster Stud being brought to market.

Sheep & Lamb

LambEx returning with AuctionsPlus as major partner

Australia’s largest sheep and lamb exhibition, LambEx, is set to return, with AuctionsPlus signing on as premium digital media partner.

Cattle

Riding the market waves with top-quality progeny from Circle 8 sires

The old adage of ‘you can sell anything in a good market, but only quality sells in a bad one’ is well and truly on display in the current cattle market.

Cattle

Consumption declining, but support for red meat producers grows

Overall red meat consumption may be in decline due to cost, but perceptions about the industry are going in the opposite direction.

Cattle

Talbalba Kingswood T011 reigns supreme at $102,000

It was an emotional day at the office for Steve and Deb Reid at their Talbalba Herefords sale at Millmerran on Thursday, with the $102,000 sale of Talbalba Kingswood T011 (PP).

Cattle

Biosecurity Levy: greater transparency needed

Producers can now have their say on how the Labor government's controversial new biosecurity protection levy should be applied.

Ag news

Earnings Season: What Coles and Woolies are seeing in food

Reporting season is in full swing with some of Australia's largest companies delivering their annual results to the market. Here's what Coles and Woolworths are revealing about their operations.

Sheep & Lamb

Consistency and rapid growth drives Poll Dorset demand

As sheep meat producers seek to improve the efficiency and productivity of their operations, one breed is emerging as a key to success.

Property

Iconic Trentham hits the market in Southern Tablelands region

One of the Goulburn district’s most iconic and highly-regarded rural holdings has hit the market, after five years of significant capital works by the current owners.

Water

Opinion: What Victoria's buyback rejection means for Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Federal Minister for Water Tanya Plibersek announced a new agreement to restore Australia’s largest and most important river basin. It comes just months before the original Murray-Darling Basin Plan was to be completed.

Cattle

Argentina banned beef exports, then changed its mind

As the country faces rampant inflation amid a currency collapse, nervous officials banned beef exports for 15 days, before rolling the ban back.

Property

Big-ticket holdings hit the market as banana and pork giants sell up

The rural property market is showing no signs of slowing down, with well-known families across Far North and southern Queensland among those bringing historic holdings to market this week.

Cattle

The fine art of producing an exceptional Wagyu eating experience

Consistently delivering premium returns and an exceptional eating experience, there’s no doubt Wagyu has earned favour with producers and consumers alike.

Weather

How El Niño in SE Asia will affect commodity prices

A new report by Singapore-based investment bank DBS has concluded that an El Nino event will have a significant impact on the agricultural output of ASEAN countries, driving up food inflation.

BushAgri releases Top Studs index

Bush Agribusiness, the Toowoomba-based financial advisory firm behind the triennial Australian Beef Report, has released a new publication identifying what they believe are the country's top stud producers.

AuctionsPlus

AuctionsPlus appoints Wyn Snyman as CEO

Wyn Snyman has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of AuctionsPlus.

Cattle

Why Robert Mackenzie thinks Thunderstruck is the “bull of the century”

Robert Mackenzie surprised even himself by sending the all-breeds record into the stratosphere late last month.

Property

WATCH: Why water could go to $200 a megalitre

Irrigators have been advised to start snapping up water as nervous farmers start stressing about El Niño. Ben Williams, Principal at Aither says that if drier than average conditions take hold prices could go much higher, even after a recent surge.

Property

Rural property wrap: see the new average price per hectare in your state

Continued low transactions of rural property is pointing to strong confidence within Australian agriculture, even amid the pain of falling commodity prices and rising interest rates.

Podcast

LISTEN: The new depreciation rules affecting your next machinery upgrade

In this episode, we delve into the tax trap that will affect many farmers and graziers when purchasing new machinery.

Cattle

Outstanding Woonallee Toronto T274 hits breed record $55,000

Another breed record has tumbled, this time at the Woonallee Simmentals bull sale at Tamworth on Wednesday.

Property

Rates on hold but debt management key

Interest rates may have stayed on hold for the second straight month, but leading agribusiness advisors say there's no time to wait for a financial review and reset.

Property

Queensland Investment Corporation acquires final Packhorse Pastoral property

The last property in the Packhorse Pastoral Company portfolio has been acquired by Queensland Investment Corporation, in a deal reportedly worth upwards of $30 million.

Cattle

More bulls and lower average prices make for a buyer's market

The 'doom and gloom' cattle market and seasonal outlook doesn't appear to be putting a huge dampener on the bull market, with early spring sales off to a solid start.

Cattle

LSD detection 'no cause for concern', Indo trade remains open

The detection of lumpy skin disease in Australian cattle in Indonesia has been labelled as "no cause for concern", with government and industry groups reaffirming Australia remains free of the disease.

Opinion

The mental war on Australia's farmers

The recent Norco-commissioned National Farmers’ Federation report on National Farmer Wellbeing 2023 made me think about my own journey as a psychologist in rural Australia over the past 17 years.

Cattle

Texas Thunderstruck T383 sells for Australian all breeds record $360,000

The Mayne family has sold Texas Thunderstruck T383 for a whopping $360,000 to set a new Australian all breeds record.

Cattle

Australia lags as China dominates gene tech gains in ag

One of the world’s leading researchers into livestock genetics believes Australia, and much of the western world, is at risk of being left in China’s wake when it comes to advancing food production with gene editing.

Cropping

Wheat prices rally 18% amid Black Sea turmoil

Wheat prices have rallied back to recent highs following further tensions in the Black Sea, however analysts say the market is a lot less concerned now than it was in 2022.

Property

Outstanding properties on offer, as premier holdings change hands on and off market

A large-scale dryland cropping portfolio located in the tightly-held Avon region of Western Australia has hit the market, with expectations it will generate offers of more than $35 million.

Podcast

LISTEN: How drones are transforming agriculture

A fourth-generation grazier from north-west Queensland and the founder of SkyKelpie, Luke Chaplain's expertise in drone mustering has made him a leading authority in the field.

AuctionsPlus

Top AuctionsPlus assessors named

The assessors and their teams with the highest throughput on AuctionsPlus have been named, with the announcement of the AuctionsPlus Awards for the 2023 financial year.

Sheep & Lamb

Greater focus on lamb eating quality imperative for market growth

The strong global demand for high quality sheepmeat and a sheep flock that has reached its highest level since 2007 has analysts pointing to the huge opportunities for Australian producers, but challenges abound too.

Sustainability

US Dept. of Ag to invest $300m to track farm carbon emissions

$US300 million program to improve measurement and reporting of ag greenhouse gasses and carbon sequestration is like 'moving the deck chairs on the Titanic' unless it solves for methane and nitrogen, according to a leading expert on farm emissions.

Cattle

Young agents thrive under Nutrien training

Alkira Riley loves helping people. The Nutrien Ag Solutions agent from Leongatha was always keen to get stuck in on the dairy farm run by her parents and grandmother, and that helping-hand attitude continues to motivate her today.

Property

Aileron Station and Oolloo Farm on the market in central Australia

A large-scale cattle breeding and fodder production opportunity has hit the market in central Australia.

Podcast

LISTEN: Aligning family values for farm success

Business coach and co-founder of The Farm Owners Academy, Andrew Roberts, joined me in our latest episode for a fascinating discussion around the power of shared values in aligning families for success.

Climate change threatens to cause ‘synchronised harvest failures’

New evidence suggests climate-related changes to the jet stream could trigger simultaneous extreme weather events in multiple locations, with serious implications for global food security.

Cattle

EU trade deal stalls over beef, lamb access and naming restrictions

Pop open a Prosecco and fang on some Feta. The EU trade deal is blocatto.

Cattle

Central Queensland graziers go beyond carbon neutral

The first Australian carbon credit units generated under a digitally enabled model have been issued to the Fysh Carbon Project at Mount Tom near Gladstone.

Sheep & Lamb

Sheep flock flourishes post-drought to hit 78.75 million head

Australia’s sheep flock and its breeding ewe numbers have reached their highest levels since 2007, following three consecutive years of above-average rainfall in sheep regions.

Ag news

Attracting and retaining staff, as govt makes a ‘shambles’ of the workforce

As historically low unemployment rages on, concerns about the labour shortfall in regional Australia and how to attract and retain good staff are reaching a crescendo.

Weather

Drought preparation and fire mitigation crucial ahead of El Nino event

As Australia stares down an impending summer of below average rainfall and possible heatwaves and bushfires, producers are being warned to prepare themselves as much as possible.

Sheep & Lamb

Drought-resilient saltbush variety yielding greater wool and meat production

An elite variety of Oldman Saltbush that has yielded greater wool and meat production is being planted in the hundreds of thousands across Australia’s south-east this winter.

Cattle

Producer demonstration project exploring how soil carbon can contribute to CN30

Australia’s largest soil carbon project holder has put forward three properties for a research project looking at the viability of soil carbon farming across the country.

Cattle

Lawson Grains may convert some cropping areas to livestock

The massive Lawson Grains portfolio, with 90,000 hectares across NSW and WA, may see some of its cropping land converted to livestock production as owner New Forests looks to drive asset appreciation via natural capital improvements.

Finance

Rates on hold but more pain to come, as experts say cashflow is critical

The decision by the Reserve Bank to hold interest rates steady this month would have been a relief to many, but producers are under no illusions that we've seen the peak.

Property

Torrumbarry Farms Aggregation expected to make over $60 million

An institutional-scale irrigated mixed farming and horticultural development opportunity in the Loddon Mallee region of northern Victoria has hit the market, bringing with it significant water entitlements.

Ag news

Telstra inks deal with Starlink to improve rural connectivity

Telstra has signed an agreement with Elon Musk's Starlink in a bid to improve connectivity options for rural and remote customers in Australia.

The Murray-Darling Basin shows why the ‘social cost of water’ concept won’t work

A 'social cost of water' proposes valuing all types of water, including rain. But it is incredibly difficult to measure, let alone enforce.