Storm conditions have provided welcome rainfall to areas of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales. With rainfall totals between 15-50mm in the last week and some areas receiving more than 100mm........

As we move further into November, harvest progresses at an incredibly rapid pace. Traditionally harvest would be 10% completed in the northern part of the Port Kembla zone by the end of the first week of November......

Its fair to say that a rain in spring is worth its weight in gold and last week we saw this come to fruition with reports of 15mm to 100mm+ recorded. In some regions, the rain came too late to add yield, however this one event will certainly lead to small grain size and pinched grain being a lot less common occurrence than it might have been, as crops were beginning to run out of moisture.....

As the harvest season rapidly approaches, growers are working tirelessly to complete pre-harvest tasks while eagerly awaiting the much-needed Spring rain. Once again, they find themselves struggling with a series of challenges...

The August edition of the USDA's WASDE Report was released this week. While its contents resulted in a somewhat muted response, it sets up a potentially interesting position in coming months'...

Despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the last few weeks in grain markets almost felt like we had returned to the good old days when we wrote about weather forecasts and crop conditions rather than pandemics, politics and Putin. It wasn't to last...

Future markets have found some strength recently as dry weather continues to be the order of the day throughout much of the US.

The recent announcement that the European Union is planning to reduce the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for haloxyfop on canola has been widely discussed...

As we move past another Anzac Day on the calendar, sowing across the state is at various levels of completion. Many areas are sowing into good moisture whilst there is....

As the first month of Autumn draws to a close, the weather gods have delivered some varying levels of rain across the state as our main season sowing window opens...

A long, drawn-out harvest has meant that without much reprieve the focus for most Australian growers has quickly shifted to preparations for the 2023/24 crop...

The headers' been blown down and is back in the shed, the farm mamnager is still up the coast, the kids are back at school and that post-harvest lull is here...

Whilst there are still some battling through the final stages of harvest, most New South Wales grain growers managed to finish and park the headers in time for New Year's Eve. 

Whilst our Central Queensland counterparts  are rounding the home stretch of their winter crop harvest....

The east coast of Australia has endured another brutal week on the weather front, with El Nino seemingly increasing in ferocity in its third consecutive season.

As harvest inches steadily towards us, the marketing crystal ball remains as cloudy as ever, with technical and fundamental factors all conspiring to fog up the glass. 

In the last three months across Australia, cash values for grains and oilseeds have seen way more red trading days than green. 

As we speed along into August, the New South Wales crop continues to emerge and progress in a very mixed fashion...

Never in recent history has it felt like the ag commodities market has exhibited such volatility in such a short space of time. 

Of late, it would seem, a market-moving event was a daily occurence, with both domestic and international commodity values reacting accordingly. 

The recent harvest provided a physical and emotional rollercoaster with the highlights of big yields and strong pricing counterbalanced by persistent harvest rains and the subsequent delays and quality issues.

Another week rolls by and another round of inputs into the discussion, more forcibly argued depending on the side of the fence you sit, seller or buyer. 

As the devastating situation in Ukraine continues to reverberate around the world, we saw the dramatic effect on commodity markets last week with large price swings as the market digests each headline.

With the 2021/22 harvest finally in the rear-view mirror for all but a few stragglers, the focus quickly shifts to marketing what unsold grain remains on-farm....

Australia's key atmospheric and oceanic indicators point to a continued La Niña weather pattern sticking around until at least February 2022. 

This past week has seen much of the East Coast return to its' usual December programming - warm and sunny - a welcome reprieve for those looking to complete winter crop harvest, along with summer croppers who recently became involved in aquaponics.

Harvest has commenced in most parts of New South Wales as we approach the end of November and while there was some good progress made early on,

With the Queensland cousins making a start to harvest proceedings these past few weeks, in between bouts of wild weather, New South Wales patiently waits for the crop to come in, albeit slowly given the gentle finishing conditions. 

As we move towards the end of September, one of the most important growing months for Australia's winter crop, we can almost see the finish line. Back-to-back 30 million tonne wheat crops have been on the cards for much of the year and with New South Wales experiencing a cool and wettish September, only a hot and frosty finish will spoil the party. 

Australian grain and oilseed producers continue to have one eye on the weather map, the other on the bidsheets, as prices that were considered “aspirational” only a few short weeks ago are being achieved just as the bureau adds some welcome colour to the forecast for much of the East Coast.

With July almost in the books and weather continuing to be cold, rainy and windy across most of the cropping regions of Australia, conditions couldn't be better as we approach spring...

One consideration that must be made this year, is how are we going to store the predicted large production of grain across Australia this season.

As expected, the production figures for the 2020-21 harvest and prospects for the 2021-2022 harvest are forecast at well above average, however worth noting this is not without regional variation.

Farmers marketing their grain will need look at the global picture to understand where the risk and reward may be. With the most recent World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released, it may pay to keep an eye on global supply and demand.

As we approach the end of April with rain gauges devoid of the desired monthly rainfall the New South Wales farmer continues to sow the crop, with one eye on the forecast and the other on a volatile grain market providing an entertaining distraction.

March has been eventful for NSW with floods and large rainfalls stretching through much of the cropping belt.  Whilst it may negatively impact a few farms with summer programs, most farmers are rejoicing and rethinking their winter cropping plans.

The past week has seen some handy rainfall totals down the East Coast, with Queensland and Northern New South Wales the primary benefactors. Those with later Summer crops planted, especially in northern areas and into the Liverpool Plains, are now all but assured of an above average result.

Last week we saw the Grains Industry of Western Australia (GIWA) release their 2020 final crop production estimates which across all zones and commodities was pegged at 16.63 million metric tonnes. The result was considered exceptional given the state received well below average rainfall for the growing season.

With harvest now over, and as people have had a bit of time to let the dust settle, the attention has moved to marketing unsold grain and getting ready for season 2021/22.

With a monster east coast harvest done and dusted and grain in the bin and the Christmas holiday period behind us, growers will likely start looking at marketing the next chunk of their crop.

With the 2020 harvest quickly drawing to a close, the surprises for the year have kept coming, albeit this time for most its certainly been an agreeable one with yields undoubtedly better than expected in most cases. 

Cargill Australia (Newcastle Facility) has been recognised as a leader in water management and efficiency by the Hunter Business Chamber at its recent 2020 business awards.

Due to a number factors, Europe has become the prime importer of Australian canola buying up to 80% of our exports at times...

A very eventful week or so in grain markets as harvest progresses rapidly with a string of clear days through most regions. Cool overnight temperatures throughout much of New South Wales has probably stemmed what should have been the biggest days of harvest to date...