Grains

The decision by China to remove duties on Australian barley is welcome and opens the way to rebuild a $1.2 billion annual trade flow, grower representative body, GrainGrowers, said on 4 August 2023. GrainGrowers said dialogue between the Australian and Chinese governments had delivered an outcome in the longer-term interests of both countries and Australian growers.

A groundbreaking animal growth and welfare monitoring, detection and notification system has been awarded the annual AgriFutures Research Award for 2023 ... the runner up, DryRice research, focused on enhancing rice genotypes and ensuring sustainable development in the rice industry.

Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has entered a strategic alliance with plant nutrition company RLF AgTech, financing an innovative pilot program that aims to generate soil carbon credits ... RLF AgTech, a specialist in plant nutrition, has launched a soil carbon pilot program with Australian farmers who will utilise its Accumulating Carbon in Soil System (ACSS) technology.

Grain producer groups have unified to oppose a flawed planning application which would diminish export capacity for the nation’s grain supply chain and wealth generation for rural communities and the national economy. Grain Producers Australia and GrainGrowers have backed calls by the Victorian Farmers’ Federation Grains Council to reject the Planning Application submitted by the Hamilton Group, to build office space at the Geelong Port.

CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) wheat prices soared eight per cent overnight, after Ukrainian ports were hit by Russian missiles and Russia’s Ministry of Defence warned that all vessels travelling to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports will be considered as potential carriers of military cargo. This was the highest trading level of CBOT wheat since a spike in mid-June and previously in February this year, Rabobank senior grains analyst Dennis Voznesenski said.

Transitioning agriculture to low-emission vehicles will take time and requires a coordinated, strategic and responsive approach, with collaboration across the supply chain, GrainGrowers CEO Shona Gawel said. The comments follow discussions on Transport of the Future at the Innovation Generation event in Adelaide, with presentations from John Deere, Viva Energy and Aclimate Partners.

Global grain prices will continue to be volatile until the market is able to decipher the end impact of Russia withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, according to Rabobank senior grains analyst Dennis Voznesenski. The deal – which has allowed wartime Ukraine grain exports across the Black Sea – expired overnight Australia time after Russia confirmed it would not agree to its renewal.

Climate change is having an impact on Australian agriculture, with farmers having to contend with higher temperatures and lower winter rainfall ... The latest ABARES figures show climate adjusted productivity in Australia’s broadacre industries grew by 0.6 per cent per year on average between 1988–89 and 2021–22.

New analysis released by ABARES examines Australian Agriculture’s extensive sustainability credentials—and the importance of demonstrating them to consumers and investors in the future ... “Compared to other significant agricultural producers, Australian farmers use less fertiliser, have better nutrient balances on their land and use more sustainable cropping practices”: ABARES Executive Director Dr Jared Greenville.

Brett Jewell of Kaniva said, "Our sowing program is nearly done with about 100ha to go, haven’t got much in the ground this week due to the wet weather, but we won't send that away. Canola and beans are up and the first of the wheat is coming through now. We have double-knocked most of the weeds this year which has done a great job but has required a lot more time on the sprayer."

When we say Noel Graham has dedicated a lifetime to the rice and general agricultural industry, we mean it. He almost had no choice given his family history, but luckily, Noel is just as passionate about agriculture and rice as his forebears ... Concurrently, Noel also held roles within SunRice and Murray Irrigation.

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.

A new barley variety launched by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis is being touted as 'the one' to take Australian barley production to the next level. The high-performance variety named Neo - the Greek word for new - is set to increase yields by 10 per cent, generating a potential $110 million per annum boost to the value of the national barley industry.

Two consecutive wet seasons in southwest Western Australia have put a renewed focus on waterlogged crops ... Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investments, led by South Coast Natural Resource Management (South Coast NRM) and Stirlings to Coast Farmers, are exploring the potential return on investment of subsurface water management options for waterlogged areas at four sites in the Esperance and Albany port zones.

The devil’s in the detail of the federal budget’s announcement of a new 10 per cent Biosecurity Protection Levy ... Federal Agriculture Minister, Murray Watt, has proposed raising $47.5 million per year across all producers from the added 10 per cent levy, as part of a ‘sustainable’ funding model for biosecurity protections ... we don’t know what the value proposition is for grains and if it will actually deliver better protections.

The nation is on track to plant an impressive 23.48 million hectare winter crop this year – up slightly on last year’s crop area – Rabobank says in its newly-released 2023/24 Australian Winter Crop Outlook ... overall harvest totals are forecast to be lower than last season, with expectations of drier growing conditions due to the likely transition to an El Nino climate cycle, the specialist agribusiness bank says.

Did you know: If you poured all the grain—canola, lentils, hay and silage—produced each year in the Buloke Shire into the MCG it would overflow? The BCG Buloke Farm Tours, launching this August, are a new initiative to showcase the produce, passion and dedication of farming communities in the Buloke Shire. 

So far in May, the S&P GSCI Agriculture Index has declined a modest 0.6% amid the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) and ample grain and oilseed supplies ... Losses across most G&O markets (-2.6% on average) were largely offset by gains across softs (+2.2%).

Last Friday in Allora, Jenco launched a new era in the company’s journey as it transitions from Jenco Feeds to the Millstone Group ... A powerhouse trio of leading industry brands - Jenco, Allora Grain & Milling and Running Cool has been brought together to create the all-encompassing Millstone Group.

Researchers have made a scientific breakthrough which could significantly advance understanding herbicide resistance in Ryegrass, with the new information set to help combat the weed for Australian grain growers.

The federal budget has delivered a mixed result for rural Australia, with GrainGrowers expressing disappointment and calling for additional work in a number of areas ... While welcoming the steadfast commitment to maintaining Fuel Tax Credits and the extra attention to childcare, GrainGrowers said the government had missed a range of valuable investment opportunities for grain growers.

If ever you thought crop farming was easy, a visit to Pacific Seeds Field Day would soon show you the wealth of knowledge our farmers possess and the amazing behind the scenes research and development carried out at Pacific Seeds in an endeavour to give our farmers the latest in seed innovation to help them adapt to changing climatic conditions.