Trade

GrainGrowers today launched a comprehensive report shedding light on the significant implications of the upcoming United States presidential election for Australian grain growers … the report, Navigating Uncertainty: What the United States Election Means for Australia's Grain Industry addresses concerns about increasing trade protectionism and geopolitical tensions.

Western rock lobster fisher Anthony Manganaro, who operates out of the Two Rocks marina, was pleased to give federal Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell the chance to put a face to his name on Sunday. The establishment of marine parks and increasing regulations despite the WA western rock lobster fishery maintaining its ecological sustainability since it was accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2000 were just two issues mentioned…

Australian pulse production is expected to reach historically-high levels this season, as growers capitalise on strong international demand, particularly from India – a major consumer of chickpeas and lentils ... RaboResearch general manager Australia and New Zealand Stefan Vogel said the 2024/25 Australian pulse harvest … is expected to exceed last year’s volumes, due to a higher area planted and despite dry seasonal conditions in some growing areas.

This year, global grain production will be somewhere between 2.5 and 3.0 billion tonnes, of that around 500 million tonnes will be available for export ... Take your pick as to the impact of going organic, but on average, between a third and half the world starves. But what about just taking out paraquat and glyphosate—the foundation chemicals for no-till farming?

Planting is underway across much of Australia’s cotton growing regions with some crops already out of the ground in warmer climates, some growers holding back for warmer weather while some in tropical areas won’t be planting until rain begins to fall. Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray said the signs for this season are positive with Australia’s 1500 cotton growers, 90 per cent of them family farmers...

Regional Development Minister Don Punch has welcomed the first inbound Chinese wine trade mission to Western Australia since the lifting of wine tariffs earlier this year, with delegates set to tour the Great Southern and Margaret River wine regions this week ... WA will host 11 premium wine buyers from 10 Chinese companies from 29 September to 6 October 2024, with a focus on premium wines, and specific interest in wines of WA provenance.

Michelle Daw. The GrainFlow site at Maitland is one of five storage and handling sites in South Australia and western Victoria to be bought by Viterra from Cargill. The other sites are at Crystal Brook, Mallala, Pinnaroo and Dimboola. Viterra has also announced it will buy Cargill’s mobile ship loader at Port Adelaide.

Today, we are pleased to announce negotiations on the Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement have concluded. The UAE is an important partner, and Australia's largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East with two-way trade worth $9.9 billion in 2023.

Despite a good start, Australian table grape exports have declined for the 2024 season, off the back of lower demand from China, which has been consistently decreasing its imports, according to new industry research. In its just-released Table Grape Update 2024, agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank said Australian exports of table grapes were down 19 per cent for the 2024 season.

Jens Roestel. Australia imports roughly 8,800 tonnes of honey per year ... When tested in a recent study about 18 per cent of honey found on Australian supermarket shelves showed signs of alterations ... companies spend a lot of time and effort to produce fake honey.

The live export of dairy heifers – particularly to China – has been a lucrative market for Australian dairy farmers in recent years, offering significant trade opportunities and attractive prices for dairy cattle. But with Chinese demand for dairy heifers waning … and trade risks around Australia’s live export policy, the future prospects for the sector are far less certain, according to a new industry report by Rabobank.

Rural Bank’s Australian Agricultural Exports Report 2023/24 has found that the value of Australian agricultural exports fell by -8.5 per cent to $72.4 billion or $6.7 billion lower than the record high achieved in 2022/23. States with large cropping industries saw the most significant declines, with Western Australia, New South Wales and South Australia most impacted by the dip in this sector.

Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, will stand with Mallee farmers and her Nationals colleagues shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds more farmers from across the country today (September 10), in an unprecedented rally against Labor’s anti-farming ideology. Dr Webster said Labor is destroying agriculture and making life impossible for producers of food and fibre, due to endless cuts to the regions, anti-farming legislation and unnecessary red tape.

Australian agriculture is set to benefit this financial year, as the gross value of agricultural production is forecast to increase by 4 per cent. ​The ABARES Agricultural Commodities and Crop Reports show a significant growth in the sector, from $82.5 billion in 2023-24 to $86.2 billion in 2024-25.

Australia’s milk production continues to recover, as global supply is forecast to grow at a modest rate in the coming year, Rabobank says in its newly-released Global Dairy Quarterly. In the Q3 report, titled Market Narratives are Shifting, the global agribusiness bank says positive – though modest – milk supply growth is expected from the world’s major dairy-exporting regions through the remainder of 2024 and in 2025.

ARR.News was approached by PETA with "a gripping and timely opinion piece from an undercover investigator who has firsthand experience of the live export industry..." The full, frank and fearless debate on this highly contentious issue continues here on ARR.News with further responses from both PETA and Trevor Whittington, CEO WAFarmers.

An expected increase in global cotton supply in the 2024/25 season is weighing on prices for Australian producers, as export markets look to absorb large volumes from the US and Brazil, Rabobank says in a recently-released report. The agribusiness banking specialist says expectations are that world cotton stocks will rise in the coming season – largely driven by a recovery in production in the US and a potential record crop in Brazil.

SunCable has achieved another major regulatory milestone, receiving approval from the Commonwealth Government for the Australian component of its flagship project, Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPowerLink) ... "SunCable will now focus its efforts on the next stage of planning to advance the project towards a Final Investment Decision targeted by 2027" ... SunCable will be investing further in communities in the Northern Territory, Singapore and Indonesia to progress the next phase.

The Albanese Labor Government is continuing to strengthen our illegal logging regime with the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Strengthening Measures to Prevent Illegal Timber Trade) Bill 2024 currently before the Senate.  This legislation will be supported by new rules to replace the current Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation 2012 when it expires on 1 April 2025 which are now open for comment.  

Booming investments into biofuels, set out in government’s  ‘Future Made in Australia’ plan, presents a huge opportunity for Australia’s regional agricultural producers and farmers, according to Airbus. Airbus Chief Representative for Australia and the Pacific, Stephen Forshaw, recently warned that a “Future Made in Singapore”, not Australia, could be a reality if local industry does not embrace these opportunities now to tap into domestic gains. Australian Rural & Regional News interviewed Stephen and learnt a good more about just what's involved and the prospects for Australia and Australian farmers.

The Pilbara region has achieved a remarkable milestone, with a record 758.3 million tonnes of exports passing through its ports in the 2023-24 financial year. This marks the fifth consecutive year of record-breaking throughput for Pilbara Ports.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Riverland wineries to expand export opportunities would be an aim if the Liberal Party was successful at the next Federal Election, according to senior local politicians. Barker MP Tony Pasin last week toured Angove Family Winemakers, in Renmark, with federal opposition spokesperson for trade and tourism, Kevin Hogan, and Riverland-based MLC, and opposition spokesperson for regional South Australia, Nicola Centofanti.