AgWatchers

This week on AgWatchersX, Matt and Andrew cover a fairly hectic mix of global politics, red meat trade and football hope. The pair unpack the end of the Iran conflict and what calmer conditions in the Middle East could mean for markets, before turning to China where Australia’s beef quota appears to have been unofficially filled, raising fresh questions about trade flows, pricing and where product goes next. They also look at the Bureau of Meteorology’s declaration of El Niño and what that could mean for Australian agriculture as the season unfolds. Then, in a very serious piece of football analysis, they assess the World Cup chances of Scotland and Australia, with only a small amount of national bias involved.

Andrew and Matt are joined by Sian Fenner, Senior Economist at Westpac, for a wide-ranging discussion on the Australian economic outlook. Topics covered: CPI & Inflation: April's CPI came in at 4.2%, below expectations, but underlying pressures are building across building costs, freight, and hospitality Strait of Hormuz: How ongoing shipping disruptions are flowing through to energy and fertilizer prices, and why full normalization isn't expected until mid-next year Fuel & Trade: Australia's fuel import positioning, government contingency funding, and the fragmented global trade environment US-China-Australia Trade Tensions: Agricultural deals, tariff exposure, and what the Trump administration's agreements mean for Australian commodity exporters RBA Rate Outlook: Westpac's forecast for two further hikes in August and September, taking the cash rate to 4.85%, with GDP growth expected to slow to 1.1% by year-end Commodity Markets: Outlook for wheat, canola, and beef, including El Niño risks Federal Budget: A detailed breakdown of the Labor government's tax reforms, including the permanent $20K instant asset write-off, carry-back loss provisions, and changes to capital gains tax and discretionary trusts

We cover off on the big news in grains, fert and livestock.

On this episode of the AgWatchers Podcast, we’re joined by Julie Collins to unpack the forces shaping Australian agriculture. From Canberra to the Middle East, we explore how geopolitical tensions are influencing fuel, fertiliser and food production and why events unfolding thousands of kilometres away are being felt at the farm gate. As instability in the Middle East rattles global energy markets, Australian producers are once again grappling with rising diesel prices, volatile fertiliser costs and mounting uncertainty across supply chains. When shipping lanes tighten and oil prices surge, the ripple effects are immediate, pushing up the cost of planting, harvesting and transporting food and fibre. For farmers, it’s a stark reminder that geopolitics can have as much influence on profitability as rainfall and commodity prices. Julie Collins shares her insights on regional Australia, agricultural policy and the role government plays in supporting producers through an increasingly complex and unpredictable global landscape. Together, we examine the challenges facing rural communities, the policy decisions shaping the sector’s future and the resilience required to navigate an era defined by uncertainty.

We have a chat with Lola Rauch, who works for the German Ag Society, who is now working in Australia to bring an offshoot of the famous Agritechnica conference to Australia - the future ag expo in Melbourne in July.

Food is one of our favourite topics. The two of us love to go out and eat a good meal, and meat is usually the centre point. We invited Professor Peter McGilchrist onto the podcast to talk about what makes meat so great to eat. We talk about the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that drive the taste of meat. Warning: Do not listen to this podcast when you are hungry.

In this podcast we talk about the new tariffs announced over the weekend and due to go into action as of tomorrow.

We have a chat with Leighton Wilksch of Agbyte. We discuss the possibilities and the value that farmers get from localised weather information through having IoT-enabled weather stations on the farm. We also learn about the signal that allows weather stations to continue working on 4G, whilst all our other services seem to fail. We then talk about his Cows for Cambodia trip, which he is running in September, a charity event where you get to learn about farming in Cambodia, and also give something back to those who are more in need. If you want more info follow this link

On this podcast, we have Emma Kealy MP, the deputy leader of the Victorian National Party, and shadow minister for agriculture and mental health. We discuss the recent heatwave, fires, the CFA levy, renewables and a whole lot more.

On todays podcast, we have a chat with Jared Greenville of ABARES. In this discussion we discuss the 100bn target, the value of ag, the risks to ag and the new updates on the Australian crop. We also discuss the March ABARES conference, which we recommend attending - either online or in person. Find out about the conference by clicking below:https://www.agriculture.gov.au/event/abares-outlook

Our fortnightly market update. We talk about grains, cattle, sheep and wool - and the new Trump deal.

In this podcast, we have Jack Gough, the CEO of the Invasive Species Council. We learnt a lot from this podcast about the various species invading Australia, how to control them, and the strength of the hunting lobby.

We had a chat with Tyson Cattle, who runs his own consultancy (Salmon Haven), but for years has been behind the scenes in the agripolitical space. Tyson is undertaking a Nuffield project, which aims to review advocacy strategies in the agricultural industry. Tyson is independent, like EP3, and provides us with a good update on what is happening, where we are excelling, and where we are falling short as an industry.