Farmers’ confidence edges higher but the mood is still gloom
Australian farmers still worry about commodity prices and input costs but a survey has revealed they’re feeling a bit more confident about the future and one state is leading the comeback.
Agribusiness
Penfolds owner in 1000ha vineyard sell-off
Penfolds owner Treasury Wine Estates is looking to offload more than 1000ha of vineyard properties across SA amid a wider cost-cutting and restructuring push.
Ripping yarn: How Australia grew a $4bn cotton industry
Australia’s cotton industry is booming and now instead of exporting the entire crop there is a push to revive the local textile industry.
Hill-Smiths launch new wine scholarship
The celebrated Hill-Smith wine family is looking to give back with a new scholarship designed to allow recipients to learn from their international peers.
El Nino to end record-breaking agricultural sector run
The end of the record-breaking La Nina years and the start of a dry spell will lower the overall value of the Australian agricultural sector but not all producers will be suffering.
Elders CEO gets $1.5m pay rise to stay on
Amid a volatile time for agribusiness, Mark Allison has agreed to ditch his retirement plans and stay on, steering the ASX-list farm services and rural property giant.
‘Live exports delay the fault of graziers’
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says graziers, not the government, are responsible for delaying a settlement to the live cattle export class action.
Higher costs, changing tastes wilt tea plantation
Australia’s biggest tea producer is about to shut the gates on its plantation and factory.
Sailing into wind and on the other side of the world
Hobart and the Alaskan coast are as probably as far apart as you can get with a lot of water in between. And this sailor is on his way.
Hills – the downfall of an Aussie icon
Hills once turned out millions of its iconic Hills Hoists, becoming a manufacturing giant in the process. The company is now a shell of its former self and fighting to survive.
CBA plants cash in native seed supplier
The bank has partnered with Greening Australia to expand its native seed production in a move aimed at meeting demand in reforestation and carbon credit markets.
La Nina blows Select Harvests to $96m loss
Almond grower Select Harvests has blamed La Nina climatic conditions for producing poor crops in 2022 and 2023 that saw it sink to a loss and cancel its interim dividend.
Chinese demand subdued
It is critical to look at longer-term trends in food buying by Chinese consumers.
Rinehart’s $80m spend following Strachan death
Gina Rinehart has expanded her Wagyu cattle empire with the acquisition of two stations that were part of an investment portfolio that hit the market following the death of Tom Strachan.
Chinese ready to reap Aussie agriculture
Chinese investors are taking a fresh look at Australian agricultural investments now the FIRB has partly reopened the door, says Kidder Williams’ David Williams.
Treasury Wine shows China repair is a long road
Australian exporters will continue to be cautious as they slowly rebuild their relationship with China.
Wealthy Chinese shoppers still want our goods
Australia’s strong brands and reputation as a clean and green producer of food and wine are still desirable traits sought after in China.
Infrastructure key to luring workers out of cities
The local boss of confectionery and pet foods giant Mars Wrigley says it is a challenge to entice skilled workers from the cities to the bush, but greater regional infrastructure will help.
Live cattle exports can be safer than grass fed
The nation’s biggest privately-owned producer says cattle can be safer on ships than being raised for sale on grass, and is confident the government will continue to back the industry.
‘Don’t let your local post office die’: Holgate’s rally cry
Team Global Express chief Christine Holgate says ‘we must fight for the postal system’, telling The Australian’s Global Food Forum regional areas are under threat.
Costco flags showcasing Aussie food producers to the world
Costco believes it can showcase great Australian food and grocery producers to the world, from oats to beef and honey, as Costco shoppers in Asia increasingly look for ‘made in Australia’.
Chewing the fat? Beef up your meat with AI
Want to know the fat content of your steak? A new AI smartphone app can help.
Watt warns against reliance on China market
The frosty trade war with China is showing signs of thawing but Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says Australia should never again become so reliant on one trading partner.
‘Aim for $100bn in food exports’
Australian food exports should reach $100bn and the industry must continue to engage with China while also building new relationships in India and the United Kingdom.
CSIRO’s game plan to future-proof food security
The race to modernise Australia’s agribusiness sector will be led by a new CSIRO plan buttressing food security, slashing waste and emissions and boosting productivity via emerging tech.
Wool industry to spin stronger ties with China
China is the biggest single buyer of Australian wool, now taking 82 per cent of the annual clip, an export trade which escaped any fallout from political tensions.
Navigating a new China
While India holds promise as a market for Australian agricultural exports, trade with China remains prized.
Best cab sav in the world yours for under $40
A Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon has been named the best in the world, and you can – soon – pick it up for less than $40.
Brazilian giant lines up for Tassie salmon farming tussle
Salmon farmer Huon, now owned by JBS Foods, says it’s ready to invest hundreds of millions in Tasmania if it can get clarity and certainty from the state government’s long-awaited industry plan.
Qld leads way as carbon farming takes off
The Carbon Market Institute has released its latest carbon farming scorecard report, revealing gains but mixed results across Australia’s states and territories.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/agribusiness/page/15