AGP Executive Report

Feral pigs pressure: Farmers in NSW’s central west say feral pig numbers are “flying” in cropping areas, urging stronger incentives as the NSW Feral Pig and Pest Program reports large recent culls but hunters argue it’s not enough. Biosecurity raid: Australia seized 100,000+ illegal live cockroaches from a Bathurst breeder, including Madagascar hissing and dubia species worth about $142,000, with officials warning pet owners to use legal feeder insects instead. El Niño watch: Forecasters say El Niño is very likely to develop, with uncertainty over strength but clear implications for Australia’s weather extremes. Lentils on the rise: ABARES expects Australia’s lentil output to hit a record 2.2m tonnes (+3%), even as overall winter crop production is forecast to fall 21% on dry conditions and high input costs. Producers face legal uncertainty: AgForce warns EPBC reforms are creating approval layers and legal ambiguity that could disrupt routine farming and future investment. Beef pricing outlook: Rabobank expects tight global beef supply to keep prices firm through 2026. Community resilience: Kariong residents marked the suburb’s 80th anniversary with a big turnout and local fundraising.

R&D Tax Pressure on Biotech: Australia’s health and life sciences groups are urging Treasurer Jim Chalmers to rethink proposed R&D tax changes, warning it could take more than a decade to bring medical breakthroughs to market. Ord Valley Youth Centre Row: Farmers in WA’s Ord region question a plan for a $5.9m youth night facility near cotton properties, saying it risks undermining an agricultural precinct. Western Downs Gas Boom, Uneven Costs: In Chinchilla, coal seam gas has boosted investment, but locals say benefits aren’t evenly felt as power bills soar and small businesses adapt. Biosecurity Crackdown on Exotic Cockroaches: Authorities seized 100,000+ live illegal cockroaches from a NSW breeder, warning the pet trade could threaten agriculture and native ecosystems. Hail Risk Shifts with Warming: New research suggests damaging hail patterns may move toward cooler regions, raising winter and shoulder-season risk for farming. Market Watch: Soybeans and corn keep sliding on weather and weak export demand, while wheat is mixed amid higher input costs and global competition. Agritourism Trend: Australia’s truffle tourism is growing, with dogs sniffing and farm stays drawing visitors seeking immersive experiences.

Biosecurity Crackdown: NSW authorities seized more than 100,000 illegal live cockroaches from a Bathurst breeder in what’s described as Australia’s biggest exotic invertebrate bust, including Madagascar hissing and dubia species worth about $200,000; officials say the insects were being sold online as reptile food and warn pet owners to use legal alternatives like crickets or wood roaches. AgTech Investment: URUS’s planned acquisition of AgriWebb is being framed as a shift toward investment in agricultural data infrastructure, not just standalone farm software, with the deal positioned as part of broader consolidation in livestock genetics and operational data. Industry Leadership: Grain producers’ advocacy group GPA has appointed Duncan as its new CEO, citing 20+ years’ experience across national agriculture organisations and producer-focused leadership. Market Watch: ASX is set for a firmer open after Wall Street’s rebound, but investors remain wary of commodity weakness and iron ore pressure. Climate Risk: UN and global reporting continue to flag El Niño as a looming driver of heat and drought impacts on agriculture and food prices.

Biosecurity crackdown: NSW authorities seized more than 100,000 illegal exotic cockroaches from a Bathurst breeder, including dubia and Madagascar hissing species, worth up to $200,000, with the animals to be euthanised and penalties warned for anyone who breeds or trades them. Climate pressure on food: Dry weather tied to an expected strong El Niño is already disrupting crop planting across Asia, with analysts warning of tighter supplies and higher global food prices. Farmers adapting: An ABC report highlights growers turning to regenerative practices, but notes the real-world hurdle is getting change implemented on the ground. Drought and water rules: A NSW dryland farmer says floodplain harvesting licences have altered natural flows, leaving his cattle reliant on public waterholes and raising fears of “drought forever”. Trade risk for beef: China’s quota system has beef importers near the limit, with a potential 55% tariff looming if Australia exceeds shipment quotas. Rural community impacts: A proposed Sale alternative truck route bypass has families concerned about compulsory land acquisition and the long-running uncertainty around the project.

El Niño Food Shock Watch: The WMO says El Niño is developing with an 80–90% chance of hitting June–August 2026, raising the risk of heat and drought that could disrupt crops from Asia to Australia and push food prices higher. Fertiliser Cost Pressure: Rising fertiliser prices are being linked to global supply shocks, with trade disruptions and higher urea costs squeezing farm margins. Locust Risk in Victoria: Agriculture Victoria is urging north-west Victorian landholders to report locust activity early as adult numbers run above normal and egg-laying is underway. Faba Bean Breeding Boost: GRDC-backed work is launching a refreshed national faba bean breeding program aimed at lifting yield, disease resistance and quality as the crop expands. Beef Genetics to China: Australian bull semen exports resume after a five-year break, with ABS Australia shipping 24,000 straws as demand grows for premium beef in China. Regional Funding for SA Farmers: South Australia’s 2026–27 budget includes $8m over four years for the Primary Industries Future Forward Fund to support R&D, sustainability and resilience.

Bees in crisis: The Wheen Bee Foundation warns varroa mite has wiped out at least 60% of hives, forecasting a shortfall of about 290,000 commercial beehives for Australia’s peak pollination season in August—threatening pollination-dependent crops worth $14.2b. El Niño food risk: The UN’s weather agency says El Niño is likely to develop and could intensify, raising the odds of drought, heavy rain and heatwaves—conditions that can hit crop yields and water supplies. Central West cropping lift: May rains have revived confidence in NSW’s central west, with farmers restarting winter sowing and shifting plans as nitrogen decisions return to the spotlight. Carbon credit milestone: A NSW broadacre operation has issued Australian Carbon Credit Units using a fungal seed treatment, marking a first for broadacre cropping in the carbon market. Dairy pressure points: Rabobank says dairy producers face “break-even” conditions as fuel, fertiliser, water, labour and interest costs bite, even as some regions improve. Water security dispute: WA shires want a pause on a magnetite mine extension after concerns about groundwater access to a key potable aquifer. Trade shock watch: The US proposes new forced-labour tariffs that could include Australia, adding uncertainty for agricultural exporters.

El Niño & food prices: The UN and WMO warn El Niño is likely to return soon, with extreme heat and drier conditions raising pressure on water, crops and power—sparking fears of higher grocery bills, including in the UK. Farm inputs & production risk: Reports point to fertiliser disruption and a drier outlook affecting Australia’s winter crop prospects, while grain markets react to weather swings. Dairy uncertainty: Farmers face a tough transition as processors hesitate over taking on dairy suppliers, with capacity and market access key to any deal. Biosecurity & pests: Australia’s mouse plague continues to drive emergency responses and calls for stronger preparedness. Waste-to-resource push: WA’s Remade in WA plan backs recycling pathways for end-of-life solar panels and lithium batteries to cut landfill and recover materials. Fresh produce supplier support: NFF Horticulture Council welcomes government funding for Know Your Grocery Code training to help growers understand and enforce grocery rights. Cattle tech investment: 701x raises $10m+ to expand its cattle management ecosystem, including GPS smart ear tags and herd monitoring. Labour welfare spotlight: A Sydney case involving Pacific workers sleeping rough under a bridge raises concerns about support systems for seasonal and meat-processing workers.

El Niño Watch: The UN’s weather agency (WMO) says El Niño is likely to emerge and could be moderate to strong, raising the odds of drought, heavy rain and heatwaves across Australia and beyond—an early warning for farm planning and food security. Winter Crops & Inputs: Grain growers get a small easing in inputs, but forecasts still point to a complex winter with cost and weather risks hanging over yields. Beekeeping Biosecurity: Varroa mite resistance to pyrethroid treatments has been confirmed in north-east Victoria, with Agriculture Victoria urging regular monitoring and miticide rotation. Chemical Controversy: Outrage is growing in Australia over paraquat’s continued use despite bans in 70 countries and links raised to Parkinson’s risk. Dairy Pressure: Korea’s dairy sector faces falling consumption and rising imports, with tariff-free milk set to intensify competition. Wool Bounce: Australian sheepskins are back in demand as wool prices surge, lifting returns for merino skins. Renewables Grid Bottleneck: NSW planning approvals for solar and batteries are taking far longer than in other states, threatening the pace of farm-adjacent energy upgrades. Energy Deal with Ag Links: Macquarie and IG4 will sell a controlling stake in Brazil’s CLI port operator to AD Ports for $835m, supporting sugar and corn/soy export routes. Mango Disease: Mango twig tip dieback is spreading in the NT, with growers bulldozing thousands of trees as research ramps up.

Renewables push: Industry and states have welcomed the Albanese government’s plan to turbo-charge stalled wind and solar by expanding a capacity investment scheme from 6GW to 32GW, including 23GW generation and 9GW storage, with six-month tenders setting strike prices. El Niño risk: The UN and WMO warn a moderate-to-possibly-strong El Niño is forming (80% chance June–Aug; 90% chance to at least November), with climate change expected to intensify drought, heavy rain and heatwaves—raising alarm bells for Australian farming. Wheat squeeze: ABARES forecasts Australia’s 2026-27 wheat harvest will drop 26% to 26.7m tonnes as fuel and fertiliser costs bite and dry conditions persist, with winter crop output down 21% to 54.5m tonnes. Beef market watch: ANZ says winter conditions are improving after heavy culling, but tariffs and shifting trade—especially around China—add uncertainty for producers heading into the second half. On-farm safety: A 40-year-old worker was hospitalised after an electrocution at a Dickson Ag worksite in Queensland, with police and WorkSafe investigating. Export fodder panel: AgriFutures has appointed two new members to its Export Fodder Advisory Panel to guide RD&E investment for levy payers. Trade preferences: A new Asia-Pacific trade outlook flags preference erosion risks from LDC graduation and the shift to sustainability-linked access, urging support for productive capacity and value-adding.

Wheat crunch: Australia’s wheat harvest is forecast to plunge 26% to 26.7m tonnes as dry conditions and soaring fertiliser and fuel costs force farmers to cut planted area, with input supply and timely rain now key. El Niño watch: Farmers across NSW and beyond are bracing for a possible El Niño declaration, weighing flood risk against a likely turn to drier, hotter conditions and higher bushfire chances. On-farm pressure points: Mouse booms in parts of WA and SA are prompting emergency double-strength bait approvals, while growers also face higher input costs and uncertainty. Fuel theft response: Rural landholders are rapidly installing CCTV to protect diesel supplies after Middle East-linked price spikes. Hort innovation: A peregrine-falcon-mimicking drone trial is helping strawberry growers deter rainbow lorikeets without harming native wildlife. Policy and oversight: Victoria is setting up a mineral sands agricultural land restoration working group to tighten rehabilitation oversight. Renewables push: Queensland councils are looking to Texas for lessons on scaling wind while managing landholder and decommissioning issues. Industry partnership: Baiada has signed a full-service Omnicom Oceania marketing partnership covering Steggles and Lilydale. Bush Summit focus: News Corp’s Bush Summit is gearing up to put fuel security, fertiliser and rural neglect front and centre ahead of August talks in Dubbo.

Biosecurity & pests: The Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Program Governance Group has urged governments and councils to audit and manage fruit fly-prone host trees on public land, warning unmanaged vegetation is undermining grower suppression and driving reinfestation across orchards and communities. Bushfires: Victoria’s winter bushfire outlook flags a drier-than-usual start to the season, with El Niño developing and agencies warning burn-offs in northern areas need extra care as grasses dry earlier and fires can spread fast. Horticulture coordination: A regional push is also building around a co-ordinated fruit fly approach in the Shepparton irrigation district, covering high-value crops like stone fruit, pears and tomatoes. Water & farm productivity: In Farrer, MP Farley says restoring water and securing reliable energy and fuel supplies are key to bringing back productivity, linking irrigation storages and baseload power to farm capacity. Dairy industry: Arla Foods’ merger with DMK Group has cleared the European Commission without competition concerns, setting up a next step for the farmer-owned co-op to invest in innovation and future dairy production. Livestock trade: MLA has formed an industry taskforce to strengthen animal health and welfare, biosecurity and supply-chain efficiency for live cattle exports, with a focus on long-term market access in Indonesia. Ag-tech & infrastructure: Kurraba Group’s Eon Project in Sydney aims to create an integrated life sciences hub for biotech, medtech, agritech and energy tech, with sustainability built into lab operations. Regional business links: A Samoan CEO has been appointed to lead the Australia-Pacific Islands Business Council network, with agriculture flagged among sectors for expanding trade and investment.

Biosecurity in focus: A NSW cattle firm, Argyle Foods Pastoral, was fined $45,000 after authorities were tipped off about illegal livestock movements into Queensland, with court told the company failed to keep and provide required records. Pest pressure on farms: CSIRO and Hort Frontiers are rolling out a new Pest READI digital toolkit at Hort Connections to help growers manage pests and diseases with region-ready decision support. Agtech investment shift: Investors are increasingly backing “picks-and-shovels” agtech that cuts fuel, fertiliser and labour costs through embedded farm infrastructure, with livestock automation a standout draw. Energy and agriculture link: Google’s Mulwala solar farm is nearing grid connection to power data centres, while ACEN secured government-backed revenue support for its Birriwa solar-and-battery project in NSW—both raising the stakes for farm-adjacent energy planning. Market volatility: Grain trade remains jittery as geopolitics disrupt shipping, with El Niño risks flagged for Australian wheat yields.

Mouse plague hits WA farms: Farmers in Western Australia say a severe mouse outbreak is chewing through grain and forcing costly replanting and baiting, adding to already tight fuel and fertiliser conditions. Biosecurity pressure: A new push argues Australia is underprepared for rising zoonotic risks, warning that frontline biosecurity needs urgent attention as rodent-borne threats grow. Water governance: Nominations are open for the Murray-Darling Basin Community Committee, with the basin plan review still underway and new three-year tenures due from April 2027. Beef price squeeze: Record-high beef prices are being blamed mainly on shrinking cattle numbers after drought-driven herd losses, not just general inflation. Rural women’s connection: Rural Women’s Day coverage highlights events focused on resilience and support for women in regional communities. Trade watch (India–Oman CEPA): India and Oman’s CEPA kicks in from June 1, expanding duty-free access and market access for sectors including agricultural goods.

Fuel Security for Farmers: Australia extends exceptional measures to release more petrol and diesel from domestic reserves, including an extra 40 million litres for bottlenecked Queensland supplies, aiming to keep fuel moving to regional service stations and agriculture. Farmers Push Back on Policy: Queensland farmers warn Canberra’s budget cuts and policy uncertainty are compounding shortages and price volatility across the supply chain, from fuel and fertiliser to plastics. Beef Price Pressure: Experts link high beef prices to drought-driven cattle herd shrinkage and steady demand, suggesting sticker shock could persist for years. Drought and Heat Outlook: El Niño risks are flagged as a threat to farming and hydropower across Asia and Australia, with dryness likely to worsen energy and food pressures. On-Farm Disease Watch: A wheat grower reports unusually high barley yellow dwarf virus symptoms and is considering switching back to resistant varieties. Global Trade Link: An international delegation tour in Victoria highlights growing interest in Australian food exports and partnerships, including visits to SPC and Kalafatis Fresh Produce.

Diesel Supply Relief for Farmers: The Albanese government has secured an extra 40 million litres of diesel for bottlenecked Queensland supplies, with distribution to regional and independent service stations from June, alongside a three-month extension to relaxed petrol and diesel stock rules. El Niño Threat to Agriculture: Scientists warn a Super El Niño could deepen Asia’s energy strain and worsen drought, with knock-on impacts for farmers and water-dependent industries, including Australia. Winter Outlook for Growers: The Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range winter forecast points to milder days and warmer nights for much of southern Australia, but below-average rainfall for large areas—raising dry-season planning pressure. Wheat Disease Watch: A farmer’s account of record barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) symptoms highlights how late-season infections and limited control options are pushing growers to consider resistant varieties again. Soil Health Research: Australian and South African teams are studying soil nematodes as a biodiversity “health check” to track how ecosystems respond to climate change. Feral Rabbit Gene Drive: University of Melbourne researchers are developing a gene-drive approach to reduce feral rabbit breeding, aiming for a more targeted biological control.

COP31 Diplomacy: Türkiye and Australia have outlined shared climate priorities for COP31 in Paris, including clean energy, low-carbon industry, sustainable agriculture and food security. Cambodia Coffee Boost: Australia-backed work is helping Cambodian coffee companies and smallholders lift yields, quality and consistency, aiming to grow resilient, inclusive jobs. PFAS Legal Action: Australia has filed a billion-dollar PFAS lawsuit against 3M over “forever chemicals” from firefighting foam at defence bases, alleging withheld risk information. Bee Industry Alarm: NSW Nationals are urging faster action against the escalating varroa mite threat, warning it could become a food security crisis ahead of almond pollination. On-Farm Inputs Under Pressure: Growers are scrambling for nitrogen alternatives as fertiliser disruption bites, with new products pitched to improve nitrogen-use efficiency. Horticulture Water Tech: SOCO is showcasing soil hydrogel solutions at Hort Connections 2026 to help horticulture and turf cut irrigation and manage drought stress. Regional School Impacts: WA’s mouse plague is damaging regional schools, with hygiene measures and a taskforce response as infestations disrupt learning and facilities. Prime Farmland Politics: Pauline Hanson demands a total ban on foreign ownership of Australian farmland, backing a push to protect prime agricultural land.