Dairy

Australia’s dairy import and export mix is "slowly trading places" – with export volumes falling sharply in recent years while imports have spiked, Rabobank says in a newly- released report.

Australia’s agricultural sector is "moving confidently into 2024", with an overall positive outlook for the nation’s farmers and agribusiness industries in the year ahead, Rabobank says in its newly-released annual outlook ... while agri commodity prices are "well down on the highs seen over the previous two years", the bank’s price forecasts point to "continued positive farm margins in key agricultural sectors in 2024"

Scenic Rim producer collective launches the Towri Growers Market – time to make farmers famous, and bring your family and your fur babies ... where a full monthly shop can be done direct from the farmers, on the farm at Towri Sheep Cheeses just outside Brisbane, near Beaudesert in the Scenic Rim on the first Saturday of each month, commencing February 3.

For the first time in thirteen months, the NAB Rural Commodities Index saw an increase in November, with cattle prices being the single greatest driver. NAB’s December Rural Commodities Wrap ... reports the Index increased 3.5 per cent month-on-month in November, retracing its October fall to be slightly above its September level.

For 60 years the Mullins have been farming in the Goomburra Valley but this came to an end on Tuesday 12th December when the Mullins family held a dispersal sale of their Holstein Dairy herd.

Australia’s farmers are approaching the end of the year with a hint of improving optimism as rural confidence levels nudge slightly higher in the latest quarter. The Q4 Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, found net level farmer confidence across the nation edged up marginally…

The December 2023 Situation and Outlook Report from Dairy Australia forecasts milk production to remain steady over the 2023/24 season despite the anticipated impacts of the El Niño weather event ... "High production costs, Australia’s price competitiveness of dairy products and economic constraints on consumers are emerging risks": Eliza Redfern.

After being wiped out in Lismore’s biggest flood in living memory, the Norco Ice Cream factory reopened last Friday following a $100 million dollar rebuild. Challenges faced during the rebuild included securing electrical equipment due to global supply chain shortages...

Australian chickpea, dairy and lamb prices recorded notable increases in October, partially offsetting the downward pressure on the NAB Rural Commodities Index* from declining cattle prices ... NAB’s November Rural Commodities Wrap reports the Index fell 1.8 per cent in October...

The removal of tariffs on Australian barley by Chinese authorities has seen barley prices trend higher since the start of August, according to NAB’s September Rural Commodities Wrap. The NAB Rural Commodities Index* fell 1.6% in August and is now 30.7% lower compared to when Australian rural commodity prices peaked in June 2022.

Dairy farmers from across Queensland and New South Wales converged on Pittsworth a couple of weeks ago for the annual general meeting of the advocacy body eastAUSmilk, which formed in 2021 following the merger of Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation and Dairy Connect.

Rural Bank’s Australian Agricultural Exports Report 2022/23 has found that export values reached a record high in 2022/23, driven by the 2022 winter crop. Australia’s top 13 export markets recorded year-on-year growth with the top 12 all achieving record highs, led by China, with Japan and the US retaining their places as Australian agriculture’s second and third most valuable markets.

South-East Asia presents a "bright spot" for Australian and New Zealand dairy exporters in an "increasingly lethargic global economy", Rabobank says in a recently-released sector report. The specialist agribusiness bank says "better times lie ahead" for the dairy markets of the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam...

With more than 40 years of experience, Murribrook ET & Recipient Services stands as one of the foremost names in cattle embryo transfer management in Australia. Our dedication to successful results has earned us a reputable position in the market.

Oaten hay is more than a simple source of fodder fibre, and new research is backing up this well-known theory. A study from the University of Melbourne has shown that high-quality oaten hay could improve animal production, especially in dairies and feedlots, and support the sustainable development of dairy production both in Australia and overseas.

Australian agricultural commodity prices experienced a mixed month in July, with wheat and cotton prices edging up, while dairy and barley prices eased, and cattle prices tracked sideways. The movements are reflected in the NAB Rural Commodities Index* which declined 2.1 per cent in July.

The latest agricultural lending statistics provided by the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) show an increase in aggregate lending to the farm sector of 9 per cent in 2021–22. ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville said the cumulative value of loans outstanding has increased from $100.7 billion at 30 June 2021 to $109.9 billion at 30 June 2022.

South-west Victorian dairy farmers have learnt about the potential benefits of virtual fencing to manage herd grazing and movement, during a New Zealand study tour. Farm consultants Angus Drummond and Fiona Smith organised and led the tour of the SW Farm Business Discussion Group (SW FBDG) to Christchurch, New Zealand.

Rural Bank’s Australian Agriculture Mid-Year Outlook 2023 report finds that favourable seasonal conditions and strong production over the first half of 2023 ensured strong winter crop establishment and pasture growth, particularly on the east coast, but despite a positive start to the year, softening commodity prices are now impacting Australian farmers following several seasons of strong prices.

Signs of weakening demand for dairy are spreading across markets. According to a new report from Rabobank, the cumulative effects of high food price inflation over the past 24 months, along with slowing economic activity in 2023, have translated into lower dairy demand in developed and emerging markets.

Australian farmer confidence has improved marginally thanks to easing concerns about commodity prices and input costs, however it remains in negative territory overall. The latest quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, released on 13 June 2023, saw confidence lift nationally from -25 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 (the lowest level since late 2018) to now sit at -22 per cent.