My friend Trevor Johnston has a great ability to succinctly communicate in his regular ”Cotton Wires”. People often ask me about agricultural land values. But I am an out of touch “has-been”. I liked the clarity of this- Australian farmland values continued to grow rapidly in 2021, with the national median price per hectare increasing by … Continue reading Land Values →

The NAB's February Agribusiness View contains an interesting article written by Simon Talbot, Chief Executive Office of the National Farmers’ Federation, noting that in 2014/15, farm gate incomeincreased by 8 per cent to $57 billion, and this is expected to rise to about $105 billion by 2030.This prompted him to comment: "We need to establish … Continue reading A Man Talking Sense on the Big Picture-Three NZ’s →

The Harvard Business Review recently ran an interview with Robert B. Shapiro, chairman and CEO of Monsanto, on the subject of sustainability.Sustainable development is the term for the dual imperative—economic growth and environmental sustainability—that has been gaining ground among business leaders since the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As Shapiro puts it, … Continue reading Food for Thought →

I don't think I have read a better "run-down" on Australian Agriculture. A real gem from Mick Keogh.http://www.farminstitute.org.au/_blog/Ag_Forum/post/optimising-australian-agricultures-comparative-advantages/

This article in the Sydney Morning Herald by well respected journalist Paul Sheehan, really "got up my nose". So much so I sent off the following letter to the Editor. Sadly he/she didn't see fit to publish it."Paul Sheehan's perception of modern agriculture is severely flawed  (''We'll reap what we deserve'', February 18).  Instead of relying on some credibility … Continue reading Modern Agriculture →

Last week I attended the annual Agricultural Outlook Conference in Canberra for the umpteenth time. I attended my first in 1975 and have only missed two or three since, so perhaps I have been to 40! One of my workmates once pointed out that nearly every year I would say that I wouldn't bother going, yet still … Continue reading Outlook Conference and Water →

A quote worth remembering-"Perhaps more than any other parts of the Australian economy, farmers understand uncertainty. They live with uncertainty about rainfall and growing conditions. They live with uncertainty about the costs of their key inputs. And, of course, they live with uncertainty about the world prices for their outputs. It is this ability to … Continue reading Uncertainty →

I am deeply concerned at the turmoil caused in Northern Australia by the suspension of the live cattle trade to Indonesia.Nobody would condone the animal cruelty witnessed in the Four Corners programme. And nobody would contend that what we witnessed was representative of the whole Indonesian abattoir scene. The cruelty must be stopped, but to … Continue reading Live Cattle Exports →

Remember, farmers feed us allPaul MyersApril 3, 2009If there's one industry in Australia that needs some decent PR, it's agriculture.There are 175,000 farmers who feed Australia and contribute significantly to global nutrition. But they have lost the hearts and minds of the people who depend on them. Their status has sunk to an all-time low, … Continue reading Remember, farmers feed us all →