Unpacking Ag

Its been another big few weeks in global trade news, as Trump’s 1st of August deadline for trade deals to be finalised has come and went. In this episode, we unpack the trade deals that have been established, as well as discuss what possible impacts we may see in the coming months.  Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and market updates tailored for your agribusine...

An unpredictable geopolitical environment, mixed seasonal conditions and shifts in labour availability have seen an increase in price volatility across a range of key farming inputs. In this episode, we explore the broader price trends and expectations across several farming input costs including fertiliser, water, fuel and labour markets. Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis...

The first half of 2025 has brought with it significant challenges for the agriculture industry, with varied seasonal conditions and the ever-changing geopolitical environment keeping the sector on edge. In this episode, we unpack our 2025 Mid-Year Outlook Report, taking a look at the supply, demand and price expectations across six key agricultural commodities through the remainder of the year. In...

With the price of electricity becoming a more significant cost input for many agricultural businesses, investing to reduce exposure to electricity prices is an increasing focus for many within the agricultural sector. In this episode we take a high-level look into the rapidly evolving world of agrivoltaics. We unpack both the economic opportunities and challenges that farmers face while also explo...

It's been a big few weeks in agricultural markets, while large areas of the country have recently received some much-needed rainfall.  In this episode we unpack how the different commodity groups have performed, as well as how the different ag regions are faring from a soil moisture perspective as we approach the midpoint of the year. Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis...

Australian farmland values continued to strengthen in 2024, although the rate of growth has slowed over the past two years compared to the rapid growth we saw in the three years prior. In this episode we take a look at the main drivers of farmland values, examining how they’ve shifted over the past 12-18 months, as well as how they are positioned as we move through 2025. Insights reports: Di...

The Bendigo Bank Agribusiness 2025 Farmland Values report has just been released.   In this episode we unpack the results from the report, looking at the performance of farmland as an asset in 2024 at a national, state and regional level. We also discuss how the trends in farmland values have changed over the longer term. Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and market up...

Global trade has seen significant volatility in recent weeks following widespread tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who later announced a 90-day reprieve for all countries except China. In this episode, we explore the implications of these tariffs for Australian agriculture and the global trade landscape.   Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and mar...

Australian ag production has been impacted in challenging ways over the last 12 months in several key areas due to below-average rainfall, warm weather, and frost damage. In this episode, we chat about the results of the 2024 winter season before checking in on several regions hit by drought conditions last year and looking ahead to what farmers might see next season.   Insights reports: Disc...

Times have been hard for Australia’s wine sector, which struggles against shifting economic conditions and the loss of the Chinese market, resulting in a domestic oversupply. In this episode, we unpack how changing consumer preferences have impacted market conditions and what that means for Australian growers and wineries. We also discuss the 2025 vintage and where grape prices are expected...

Biosecurity is a significant challenge in the increasingly connected ag community, and steps must be taken to mitigate risks to the health of Australian agriculture through global trading. In this episode, we identify the short, medium, and long-term biosecurity risks facing Australian agriculture. We also discuss the cost of effective biosecurity protocols and the processes producers can apply on...

Global ag markets continue to respond as tariff announcements become a regular feature of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term. In this episode, we discuss the tariffs that have been announced as of recording, how the market has reacted, and what could happen in global ag as Trump’s presidency continues.   Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and market u...

The Australian agricultural landscape has grown increasingly volatile in the past couple of years, so it is more important than ever for producers to know and understand the input costs to operate a successful farming enterprise with strong yields and healthy margins. In this episode, we examine the broad price trends Australian farmers can expect to see in key input cost markets such as fuel, fer...

Over the last few years, Australia’s goat industry has been quietly thriving, seeing record production and export volumes in 2024. In this episode, we break down the Australian goat meat industry by examining the industry’s performance and different production systems before looking at the outlook in 2025.   Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and market upda...

We’re welcoming a new member to the team in 2025. Neil Burgess is the Senior Manager of Industry Affairs here at Bendigo Bank Agribusiness, and he brings over 30 years of experience in agriculture to the show. In today’s episode, Neil and Sean break down the new mandatory climate reporting requirements and how they affect Australian businesses.   Resources and links: 2024 Climate...

We’re getting into the holiday spirit at Unpacking Ag and looking at two of Australia’s festive favourites: pork and cherries. In this episode, we dive into how both industries have done in 2024 and what 2025 has in store for them.   Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and market updates tailored for your agribusiness: Subscribe to the Rural Bank Insights rep...

The Australian beef industry saw significant growth in its 2024 exports thanks to factors like reduced competition in major markets and increased Australian processing rates. In this episode, we examine how beef exports performed in 2024 and what is expected in 2025.   Insights reports: Discover more with free expert analysis and market updates tailored for your agribusiness: Subscribe to the...

In an increasingly turbulent global ag market, it is more important than ever to understand the driving forces behind the market and how supply, demand, and price dynamics impact Australian ag businesses. In this episode, we examine what is having the highest impact on ag markets and discuss the latest findings from the Agriculture Outlook report for 2025. We unpack how the six primary agricultura...

Seasonal conditions play a pivotal role in agriculture production and planning. Australian seasonal conditions have been mixed across the country this year, and some areas received some of the lowest growing season rainfall totals on record. In this episode, we explore the regions most impacted by dry conditions in 2024 and discuss what to expect in the coming months.   Insights reports: Discover...

Variable weather conditions have created a challenging season for some regions around the country, leading to mixed expectations for the production and quality of the winter crop harvest. In this episode, we discuss how these conditions have led to the latest production and quality expectations for the winter crop and their impact on demand and pricing heading into 2025.   Resources and links: Cro...

In our last episode, we explored how Australian farmland values have changed over the past 12 months, moving from a strong growth period into a plateau. In this episode, we unpack the three main drivers of changing farmland values: seasonal conditions, commodity prices, and interest rates. We explain the effect these drivers have had on the market recently and what’s ahead for Aussie farmland valu...

What has twelve months of variable rainfall in Australia’s ag regions and fluctuating commodity price trends done to farmland values across the country? In this episode, we unpack the trends in farmland values in the first six months of 2024 by exploring how values performed at a national, state, and regional level.   Resources and links: Australian Farmland Values 2024 report   Connect: Rural Ban...

Spring has sprung in Australia, with dairy farmers entering their busiest period and milk production expected to peak in the coming months. In this episode, we examine seasonal conditions for prime dairy regions, assess production and pricing expectations for the remainder of the season, and look at the current state of Aussie dairy for farmers and processors.   Resources and links: Dairy insights...

Global ag markets have a significant effect on the demand for Australian products. To understand the drivers of commodity prices, we first need to look at how Aussie ag exports perform overseas. In this episode, we dive into the trends in Australian ag exports in the last financial year by unpacking the commodities and markets that experienced growth and those with some weaknesses. We also share o...

As the world increasingly looks for alternatives to fossil fuels, Australian farmers have the opportunity to embrace biofuel production as it gains ground globally. In this episode, we explore the biofuel industry and the opportunities available to Australian farmers with demand growing domestically and internationally. We also discuss sustainability challenges for the biofuel industry and how fee...