Thursday, December 25, 2025

Business & Farming

2026 outlook

Conditions favourable for Australia’s livestock sector –Rabobank 2026 outlook

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture
Export market demand has supported elevated prices for Australian lamb, mutton and beef through much of 2025, with favourable market conditions expected to continue into the new year, according to agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank. In its Global animal protein outlook 2026, the bank’s RaboResearch division says high cattle inventories will maintain elevated Australian beef production, while sheepmeat production takes time to recover.

Forestry

State Forest pine brings festive cheer to Government House: Forestry Corporation of NSW

Contributor, ARR.News
Forestry
A radiata pine grown in a Southern Highlands State forest is taking pride of place in the foyer of Government House continuing a grand NSW Christmas tradition. For decades, real Christmas trees selected from State forest pine plantations have delighted guests and visitors at the Governor’s residence ... Forestry Corporation has also supplied a 3.5-metre pine to feature at Vaucluse House.

Wine

Call to love Riverland wine this summer

Murray Pioneer
Food & Beverages
A Riverland MP is urging locals and visitors to show their support for the region's wine industry while enjoying the summer holiday season. Member for Chaffey Tim Whetstone launched his Local Labels campaign last week, highlighting the range of Riverland wines available from wineries, liquor stores and venues like hotels, clubs, cafés and restaurants. "This summer is the perfect time to celebrate and the exceptional wines that our region produces, while also sending a clear message that this is an industry worth fighting for," Mr Whetstone said.

Wheat - Kaniva

Kaniva A&P Society – Wheat Crop Competition 2025

The Kaniva A&P Society conducted another successful crop competition in November attracting a good variety of entries from across the district ... There were 21 crop entries: 3 Durum, 7 Heavy, 8 Mixed, and 3 Light. The judging covered a wide area, from Lawloit through to the Border, ensuring full representation of the district.

Wild beef - Cape York

Bush Beef to raise $10 million for ethical wild food

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture
Normanby Aboriginal Corporation and Esparq Ventures have announced they have raised $600,000 as part of their mission to raise $10 million to commercialise, launch, and nationally scale their innovative and sustainable enterprise, Bush Beef ... ethical, climate-friendly food sources are in growing demand ... ARR.News found out more from Dominiqe Bird of Esparq Ventures.

Ag labour - Pt 2

Success in America is being an immigrant

Pavel Kuliuk, ARR.News
Agriculture
For its 250-year history, the United States has been the largest immigration centre in the world. As of 2024, the country was home to 52,375,047 immigrants ... The concentration of illegal immigrants in the agricultural sector in some states is so high that it raises the question, "Are authorities truly combating illegal immigration, or is illegal immigration officially encouraged as a supplement to legal immigration?"

Leadership & You

Eight truths I learnt about leadership in 2025

David Stewart, RYP International
Business
I feel 2025 has been one of the most instructive leadership years I can remember. We have seen plenty of leadership lessons and styles on the world stage, much of it on what not to do! Many regional and rural businesses have faced uncertainty, skill shortages, rising expectations from staff, rapid shifts in technology, and the everyday pressures of running operations that never stop. Yet it has also been a year where I’ve watched extraordinary leadership rise from ordinary circumstances.

Compliance

Riverina growers face penalties following Fair Work inspections

Five Riverina growers and one labour hire provider have been issued compliance notices following surprise inspections by the Fair Work Ombudsman, with combined back payments totalling $5,710 ordered for four employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman conducts unannounced workplace visits across Australia to verify that employers are paying correct wages and overtime rates, issuing proper pay slips and providing information about employee rights.

Talking rural and regional

Manufacturing - WA

Gemco Rail establishes wagon manufacturing in Karratha

Contributor, ARR.News
Business
Gemco Rail is proud to announce that wagon manufacturing is now established at our Karratha facility, marking a major step in bringing rollingstock capability into the Pilbara and closer to our customer operations.

Australian Stock Horses

51st Dalby Australian Stock Horse Sale shatters records with $8 million milestone: Ray White Livestock

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture
Historic sale achieves $170K mare, equal Australian record $110K gelding, and exceeds $8 million for first time. The 51st Annual Dalby Australian Stock Horse Sale has cemented its position as the world's premier Stock Horse sale, delivering a historic weekend that shattered records and exceeded $8 million in sales for the first time in the event's history.
ASH Gelding

Research

Droughts lasting longer across Australia, study shows: UNSW Sydney

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture

Leadership & You

Gratitude — A little thing that has a big impact

Gratitude may seem small, but in the hands of an authentic leader it becomes a powerful force that strengthens trust, lifts performance, and keeps regional teams connected, committed, and thriving.

Retail

Co-op switches focus to online model

Mark Collins, Corryong Courier
Business
Five years after establishing a community-driven food system in the Upper Murray, the Acres & Acres Co-op paused operations at its retail outlet ... to review the business. Following a trial period, Acres and Acres is now operating under a new model and a new board ... "The new model has already allowed us to reduce the price of many products in-store as our markups are very low.

Interview - soft plastic recycling

Australia’s first large-scale product range made from recycled soft plastics hits retail shelves

After years of uncertainty over what happens to household soft plastics, a new Australian partnership is proving they can be recycled, and reused, locally, and at scale ... ARR.News interviews Matthew Holloway from the Holloway Group and Danial Gallagher from iQRenew.

Outlook

Arkona Silo Art

Bendigo Bank Agribusiness: Outlook broadly positive for Australia’s farmers heading into 2026

Contributor, ARR.News

Data

Energy Estate Digital announces Tasmanian data centre hubs and digital infrastructure plans: Energy Estate

Contributor, ARR.News
Business
Energy Estate Digital is developing state of the art subsea data cable networks between Australia and New Zealand and key global hubs including California, Japan and India. These new networks are designed to support the growth of the AI economy and connect global hubs with new regions with access to the abundant land, energy and water resources.

Talking rural and regional

Outlook

Australian almond outlook – “cracking growth” beyond 2030: Rabobank

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture

Regional capital

A big week as Gosford forges ahead

Coast Community News
Business
Terry Collins. It's been a huge week for Gosford, with the opening of the long-awaited Archibald Precinct on the site of the former Union Hotel and a hugely successful open day at the new Gosford campus of The University of Newcastle, which is set to open next year. Business NSW Central Coast Regional Director Scott Goold said with more major developments in the CBD well underway, the longed-for reactivation of the regional capital was finally becoming a reality.

International

Kerang mill’s Pacific trip turns into cattle mission

Contributor, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
Agriculture
Gus van Hart. For Kerang operator Michael Sommerville, a four-day visit to Samoa in November showed how a small, family-run business in northern Victoria could build deep ties with Pacific workers and end up advising the nation's Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo.

Farm crime

WFI Insurance reveals concerning rural crime statistics impacting Australian farmers

WFI Insurance today shared concerning rural crime statistics in conjunction with the University of New England Centre for Rural Criminology, revealing 90 per cent of NSW farmers have experienced crime on farms, with around 30 per cent victimised 7 or more times. The crime statistics from UNE’s National Rural Crime Survey were highlighted on a special WFI rural crime podcast which aims to help farmers reduce their risk of being targeted by criminals.

Gold

Works restart at Maldon’s Union Hill Gold Mine

Michelle Dorian, Tarrangower Times
Business
The owner-operator of the Union Hill Gold Mine and nearby gold processing plant, Kaiser Reef Ltd, held an information session for Maldon residents ... to advise of current and future works planned for its Maldon sites. ... Kaiser Reef Ltd, which is listed on the ASX, has operated in Maldon since 2021 after an acquisition agreement with Golden River Resources Pty Ltd.

Gold

Vet of the year

John’s pawsome service awarded

Murray Pioneer
Life
Madison Eastmond. A long-serving Riverland veterinarian has been awarded as the best practitioner in Australia. Recognising close to 50 years of animal care, and 40 years of service to the local pet population, Riverland Veterinary Practice (RVP) principal vet John Hammond received the 2025 Australian Small Animal Veterinarians (ASAV) Roger Clarke Practitioner of the Year Award in August.

Bees

Riverina’s beekeeping industry under threat as Varroa Mite takes economic toll

Kimberly Grabham, Back Country Bulletin
Agriculture
The beekeeping sector across the Riverina is experiencing an unprecedented financial crisis as the region grapples with the ongoing challenge of varroa mite management, placing critical agricultural pollination services at risk.

Beef

Graph

Stronger export markets accommodate record Australian beef production: Rabobank

Contributor, ARR.News

Report

2025–26 shaping up as a landmark year for Australian agriculture: ABARES

Australia’s combined agriculture, fisheries and forestry production is on track to reach a record-breaking $106.4 billion in 2025–26, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) December quarter reports.

Fishing - WA

Rock lobster whites active with run to ramp up any day

Anita McInnes, Yanchep News Online
Aquaculture & fishing
Rock lobsters are active now in waters off Two Rocks with the annual whites run expected to ramp up any day now. Earlier this week Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) scientists predicted the annual whites run of three-and-a-half to four-year-old western rock lobsters would occur at the usual time from about Friday, November 28.

Christmas shopping

All you need is local

Michelle Dorian, Tarrangower Times
Business
You’ve no doubt heard the phrase: ‘Shop Local’ but have you really thought about why it matters? As we head into the summer months and the festive time of year, there’s a lot of pressure to spend money on gifts, entertaining and looking our best; let’s be thoughtful about where and how we part with our hard-earned bucks. You don’t need to go very far to make a difference.

Dung beetles

Research

Farms could be our secret climate weapon, QUT-led study finds: QUT

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture
The world’s farms could become one of the most powerful tools in the fight against climate change according to a new international study led by QUT. Published in Plant Physiology, the paper lays out a framework to assess how plant agriculture and synthetic biology innovations can help mitigate climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon storage.

Ag show

Local show kicks more goals

Mark Collins, Corryong Courier
Community
After being in danger of folding several years ago, the Corryong Show underwent a revamp and a change of date which has revitalised the community event, culminating in it being named the Corryong Event of the Year at this year's Australia Day ceremony.

Co-operative

Narrandera

Bendigo takes out main award

Narrandera Argus
Banking
Liz Lawrence. Narrandera Bendigo Bank branch took out the main award, Best Business any size, at the Narrandera Rotary Club and Narrandera Business Group Annual Business awards formal dinner last week.

Horticulture

New report reveals Queensland horticulture pumps $6.06 billion into the economy and supports nearly 45,000 jobs: QFVG

Contributor, ARR.News
Agriculture
Queensland’s horticulture sector is doing far more than feeding the nation – it’s contributing more than $6 billion to the state economy each year and supporting almost 45,000 jobs, according to a new report released today by the Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG).

Seasonal ag labour - Pt 1

The hidden side of seasonal agricultural labour

Pavel Kuliuk, ARR.News
Agriculture
Seasonal legal and illegal labour migration in agriculture compete with each other despite serving the same goals. These goals are increasing food availability and agricultural efficiency. This competition arises because villagers and politicians prefer different paths to achieving these goals. These different paths magnify the impact of seasonal labour migration.

Podcast

He knows his way around the bush, Kevin Bloody Wilson gives his advice for a great outlook on life, in between swear words :)

Kevin Bloody Wilson, gives his top 5 tips for a great outlook on life. Plus! We cover your local news with Fiona L Fox from ARR, Local Legend Ben Boekeman joins us from the central Wheatbelt for a Harvest report, plus Jessica Lingard joins us from the BOM for your weekly farming weather.

Classic car tourism

Vintage cars descend on Allora

Mim Rogers, Allora Advertiser
Community
Saturday morning saw vintage car enthusiasts arrive in Herbert Street for a show and tell ... Mary Poppins House - the perfect backdrop for Lester Diggles with his Model A Ford 1928 on the left and Alwin Chalk with his 1928 Chevrolet on the right.

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