Rabobank

Australia has the opportunity to cement itself as one of the key beef suppliers into South- East Asian markets – as the appetite for beef continues to grow among the region’s consumers, according to agribusiness specialist Rabobank.

While the wider implications of a new US administration under President Trump for Australian agriculture will only become apparent over time, there are a number of key watch factors for the sector, particularly for grains and oilseeds, Rabobank says in newly-released commentary.

While overall headline inflation eased in the latest quarter, the annual rate of food price inflation held fast at 3.3 per cent, the latest quarterly Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, has shown. The September 2024 quarter data … saw overall annual food price inflation – comparing prices with the September 2023 quarter…

Australia is looking towards harvesting a "marginally larger" winter crop this season, despite significant weather challenges experienced in a number of key grain-growing regions throughout the year, Rabobank says in its just-released 2024/25 Australian Winter Crop Forecast. The agribusiness banking specialist says the nation is on track to produce an estimated total winter crop of 47.1 million tonnes…

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.

Skyrocketing cocoa prices are putting strong pressure on chocolate producers around the globe, who will likely pass on the burden to consumers, according to a new international report by food and agribusiness banking specialist, Rabobank. In the report Soaring Cocoa prices: The worst is yet to come, the bank says the main impact of the cocoa crisis still lies ahead, as companies hedge prices and supply contracts up to a year in advance.

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.

Confidence has returned to Australia’s farming sector following a mid-year dip in sentiment, as more favourable livestock markets and beneficial rain in some cropping areas fuel renewed optimism. The quarter three Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey ... found sentiment among the country’s agricultural producers had rallied heading into spring, although farm sector confidence remained just shy of net ‘positive’ levels...

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.

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.