March
‘It’s a lot cheaper than buying a Tesla’: low-carbon milk has arrived
Dairy producer links up with Tasmanian start-up to produce the world’s first low-emissions milk.
- Gus McCubbing
Rinehart boss blasts Labor’s ‘nature-positive’ agenda
Gina Rinehart’s business empire has hit out over what it argues are flawed plans to rewrite national environmental laws.
- Brad Thompson
Farmers have $6b sitting in tax haven accounts
Australia’s farmers have almost $6 billion sitting in tax haven accounts and most are financially secure despite a much smaller national grain harvest and big fluctuations in cattle prices.
- Brad Thompson
February
WA lobster worth more than $150m slips through China trade ban
As it celebrates the Year of the Dragon, China is being supplied with big volumes of WA-caught “lucky red” lobster through unofficial trade routes.
- Brad Thompson
Nufarm wants biofuel mandates to send agriculture flying
Nufarm chairman John Gillam says he wants government green fuel mandates to cash in on a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity for agriculture.
- Brad Thompson
January
Joe Lewis’ reach on AACo board left out of US ban
In his plea deal, the UK billionaire relinquished control over board representation of any US-listed company. Australia’s AACo has two Lewis-linked directors.
- Liam Walsh
Most farmers big winners from El Nino-defying rain
The cattle industry and summer crop producers are entering 2024 in good shape as rain continues to tumble down across the eastern states.
- Brad Thompson
‘No PC, no d---head’ policy at AACo stoked safety fears: lawsuit
The beef giant proclaims a commitment to safety, but a workplace lawsuit alleges a philosophy made famous by footy teams had the opposite effect.
- Liam Walsh
Rain to soften fall in farm export earnings from record high: forecast
The fall will be largely driven by lower crop export values as global prices for most commodities are expected to decline in 2023-24 due to higher global supply.
- Gus McCubbing
December 2023
Floods, heavy rain put squeeze on mango, sugarcane crops
The rain appears to be easing from severe floods in North Queensland, but some lingering concerns remain with agriculture.
- Liam Walsh
Rinehart to claim Australia’s truffle farming crown
Australia’s iron ore and cattle queen, Gina Rinehart, is well on her way to becoming the biggest truffle grower, and is looking to add the delicacy to menus that already feature her wagyu beef.
- Brad Thompson
Murray Cod Australia throws out a line to hook $400m fund
That would dwarf the company’s current market capitalisation of about $107 million and be used to fund infrastructure development and holding water rights.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
AACo made manager a whistleblower, then retrenched him a month later
Beef giant AACo maintains the job loss was simply due to a restructure. But a dispute has emerged about the timing.
- Liam Walsh
November 2023
Buying your steak direct from paddock to plate
These food companies are bypassing retailers altogether and selling fresh produce direct to consumers.
- Nina Hendy
GrainCorp to pay special dividend, buy back shares
Undaunted by the onset of El Nino, GrainCorp will pay a special dividend and buy back shares as it looks to Western Australia for a big agri-energy investment.
- Brad Thompson
- Opinion
- Opinion
The farm revolution that can help reduce emissions
Agriculture is receiving attention as part of the new fervour for valuing “natural capital”, but not enough focus has been on how to keep farmland productive while cutting emissions.
- Jennifer Hewett
September 2023
‘Farmers are spooked’: Why no one wants to buy sheep
Livestock prices are crashing as supply and demand dynamics pull the rug out from under the industry. And there could be more pain to come.
- Brad Thompson
Sheep prices plunge to $1 a head as farmers flood market
Farmers are scrambling to sell before summer as Australia’s sheep flock and breeding ewe numbers hit their highest level since 2007.
- Brad Thompson
GrainCorp boss has no fear of El Nino as farmers count down to harvest
GrainCorp boss Robert Spurway says the company can’t control the weather but is ready to respond to whatever comes its way.
- Brad Thompson
Farm output to shrink by $12b as El Niño strikes
Drier conditions and lower global commodity prices are predicted to push the value of agricultural output down by 14 per cent this financial year.
- Michael Read