What’s shaping Australian agriculture this week
Beef exports are at a record with tighter market access ahead, wool prices have had their sharpest fall of the season, and South Australia is making room for a record harvest. Here’s where things stand.
Beef exports hit a record, but 2027 market access looks tighter
Australia shipped 1.21 million tonnes of beef and veal in the first nine months of the year, up more than 7 per cent on 2025, The Weekly Times reports, with the US the standout market as its own herd sits near a 50-year low. But the Australian Meat Industry Council says three of the top five markets have been closed or heavily restricted since mid-year: exports above China’s 205,000-tonne quota now face a 55 per cent duty, South Korea’s quota was exceeded in July, triggering tariffs of 24.5 per cent, and Indonesian volumes are down more than 45 per cent under import permit limits. Rabobank expects the China quota to be filled even earlier next year, leaving seven or eight months of product to redirect rather than six.
Why it matters: Strong US demand is holding prices up for now, but more beef will have to be sold into fewer open markets next year, with Brazil also competing harder in the US, Japan and Korea. Rabobank warns a dry turn could bring a wave of turnoff on top of that, so producers watching their stocking rates and market options will be better placed.
South Australia clears the way for extra grain storage
The South Australian Government has changed planning rules so temporary grain bunkers, weighbridges and related works can be installed at existing storage sites and designated areas without development approval. Industry now estimates the state’s harvest could reach 13 to 14 million tonnes, above PIRSA’s standing estimate of 11.6 million tonnes, and the Government expects the change to stop about $70 million of grain spoiling. Nationally, the Australian Oilseeds Federation has lifted its canola forecast to a record 8.59 million tonnes.
Why it matters: Storage and receival capacity decide how quickly headers can keep moving. The temporary sites must be removed within 12 months unless approval is sought, so the longer-term question of storage for big seasons remains open.
Wool market has its sharpest fall of the season
The Eastern Market Indicator fell 62 cents last week and has now dropped in 12 of the last 14 selling days, losing 170 cents across that run, according to AWEX. In Fremantle the western indicator fell 90 cents, its largest drop since 2020, and 51.3 per cent of wool offered was passed in. Nationally, growers passed in 27 per cent of bales, the highest rate since May 2023. Australian Wool Innovation notes the EMI is still about 22 per cent above the same sale last year.
Why it matters: Growers are holding wool back rather than accept lower prices, which supports the market for now but delays cash flow. Broader microns have fallen furthest, so the price gap between fine and broad wool has widened sharply this year.
South Australia sets out a path to reopen snapper fishing
South Australia could begin easing its snapper ban from July 2027, almost eight years after it was imposed, ABC News reports. SARDI research shows stocks on the West Coast, Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent have recovered to more than 20 per cent, and the ban will start to lift if assessments this summer confirm that and show enough young fish coming through. Under PIRSA’s rebuilding plan there would be quotas and mandatory catch reporting, but some charter and commercial fishers have questioned the data and how the fishery will be managed.
Why it matters: Reopening would help coastal businesses that have gone without snapper since 2019, but the rules on quotas and reporting will decide who benefits. The Government is also weighing a possible licence buyback for marine scale fishers, with no decision made yet.
Bega asks Far North Queensland dairy farmers for more milk
Bega Group wants Atherton Tablelands farmers to lift deliveries to its Malanda factory by 20 to 30 per cent, ABC Rural reports, so it can rely less on milk trucked from Victoria. The tablelands currently supply about 30 million litres a year, and Bega is also building cold storage in Cairns. Dairy advocacy group eastAUsmilk welcomed the request but said growth of that size would likely need a price rise of at least 10 cents a litre, starting with reinstating a diesel levy.
Why it matters: A processor asking for more milk is a clear price signal in an industry that has been shrinking. Whether farmers respond will depend on price and on new entrants, while some farmers in south-east Queensland are still struggling to find a home for their milk.
Vegetable supplier admits cartel conduct over Aldi prices
Perfection Fresh, described as Australia’s second-largest fresh vegetable supplier, has admitted to cartel conduct after an ACCC investigation. The ACCC alleges prices of broccoli, cauliflower and iceberg lettuce supplied to Aldi in New South Wales were fixed on 11 occasions in 2019 and 2020. Perfection Fresh and the ACCC will jointly propose a $12 million penalty, which the Federal Court will decide on, and the company says it takes full responsibility and has strengthened its governance.
Why it matters: Competition between suppliers underpins fair prices through the whole fresh produce chain. The case shows the regulator’s attention on supply chains extends beyond the supermarkets themselves.
New national livestock tracing database pushed back to late 2027
Meat & Livestock Australia has set a revised go-live date of late 2027 for NLIS 2.0, the replacement for the national livestock identification database. The project began in 2023 with a $22.5 million Government grant and was originally due by June 2026. MLA says the delay follows a review of the delivery timeline, with scope unchanged, and that the current database will keep running in the meantime.
Why it matters: Producers can keep using the existing system, including for sheep and goat electronic identification. The upgraded database is meant to make traceability faster and more secure, which matters most in a disease emergency.
On the Horizon
Locusts. The Australian Plague Locust Commission says swarms are likely to develop from late October across inland eastern Australia, including SA, Victoria’s Mallee and western NSW, with migrations possible from early November. It rates the likelihood of a widespread spring infestation as moderate to high and asks landholders to report activity to their local biosecurity authority or the APLC on 1800 635 962. Department of Agriculture
Carbon offset rules. The Federal Government is reviewing whether to limit how many carbon credits, or which kinds, big emitters can use under the Safeguard Mechanism, The Australian reports. Industry groups warn a cap could force closures, and farmers who earn credits from soil carbon or revegetation say it would shift the goalposts on projects that run for 25 years. An estimated half of all credits are now generated on rural land. Draft changes are due in early 2027, and the Energy Minister’s office says no decisions have been made. The Australian
Worth your time
Water arrives in the Northern Midlands. After a near ten-year wait, Tasmania’s Northern Midlands Irrigation Scheme is delivering water in one of the district’s driest springs, and farmers are already planning higher-value crops. A useful look at what reliable water does for a region. ABC News
PaddockFM. Where Australian Agriculture Listens