RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness Australia/NZ

The Canola Files, Part 2 – Can AU Canola Capture EU Chances?

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The EU, Australia's largest canola export destination, is on track for a future wherein sustainability and chemical use are even more heavily regulate...

Yearning for Normal: How Far Are Food Sales off Pre-Crisis Levels at Home and Abroad?

07 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Hunt and Michael Harvey delve into the state of play in food retail and foodservice markets in Australia, China, and the US and cross-check the da...

The Canola Files, Part 1: Canadian Canola Riding on Biden

28 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What will Joe Biden's support for biofuels mean for US canola demand, and what are the implications for canola trade flows out of Canada? Steve Nichol...

Shaping the Next Generation of Beef Production: Australia's 2021 Beef Seasonal Outlook

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Low cattle inventory and strong producer demand are the defining characteristics for the Australian beef industry in 2021. Wes LeFroy and Angus Gidley...

Ukraine-Russia Crisis: Implications for Grains Markets

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last month, tensions in the Black Sea between Ukraine and Russia have boiled over. Troops from both sides have amassed on the border of easte...

Global and Aussie Commodities: A Super Cycle or a Super Thirst-Quencher?

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The last 12 months saw a culmination of factors disrupt the world in ways not seen for generations. At the same time, global grain prices rose and rai...

Cotton Across Hemispheres – How US Plantings Determine the Aussie Cotton Outlook

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Nicholson and Andrew Tasker join Rabobank Australia's Charlie Clack from the USA to talk cotton. It's a particularly busy time with both US plan...

Are Canola Prices Too High?

11 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Canola prices around the world hit record highs in March. Why have prices for all oilseeds risen so much, and how sustainable are they? Dennis Voznese...

Australian Dairy: In Pursuit of History

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Higgins and Michael Harvey discuss the central factors that will determine what the pursuit of history looks like for Australian dairy ahead of t...

Will Urea Suffer the Same Fate as Phosphate?

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Farmers are acquiring their nitrogen as we head into the winter season in the southern hemisphere. Does urea face the same price and supply pressures ...

Are Wool Stocks a Problem?

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird talks with Georgia Twomey and Fraser Stuart to get an on-ground assessment of current wool stocks and discuss the implications for ...

How Many Burgers Does USD 1.9 Trillion Get You?

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Christian Lawrence, Rabobank's Senior Market Strategist in the US, runs through how the Biden stimulus package will be spent, what it means for consum...

ICE #2 Cotton: On a Tear or Torn Apart?

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After being ravaged by the pandemic, demand recovery expectations coupled with unrelenting Chinese imports led ICE#2 Cotton prices 30% higher than the...

What Will Australia Do With All of Its Barley?

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Global malt demand is expected to grow by 1.3 million tonnes by 2030. Where will that demand be, and what will drive it? Dennis Voznesenski, G&O assoc...

Oceania Dairy: Is the Price Rise Sustainable?

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following the first anniversary of the WHO's declaration of a pandemic, dairy prices have gone from strength to strength. The question is: where to fr...

Rising Ethanol Capacity in Asia and Impacts on Australian Sugar

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ethanol production capacity in Asia – particularly in India and Thailand – has the potential to divert cane processing away from sugar production....

Champions Adjust – What We Learned From the World's Largest Food Companies' Latest Earnings Statements

28 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Harvey and Tim Hunt pick through the results of companies like Nestlé, Danone, Unilever, and McDonald's. They assess the pace of recovery in ...

How Fast Is the Cattle Herd Rebuilding?

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird chats with Rabobank managers Lee White and Michael Fletcher, who cover some of Australia's largest cattle producing areas, to get a...

Is It Time to Rethink When We Buy Inputs?

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the last two years, farmers have faced shortages of inputs. In 2020, at the beginning Covid-19, farmers faced shortages of herbicides, including gl...

Does the provenance of cotton matter? US, EU and the UK step up pressure on Xinjiang procurement

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Following US import restrictions on China's Xinjiang cotton, and possible future legislation from the EU and UK, Angus Gidley-Baird and Charlie Clack ...

Liquid Milk Exports to China – a Heathy Boost in Growth

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Higgins and Michael Harvey kick off the year with a look at what unfolded in 2020 and what is in store in 2021 for the liquid milk export sector.

Is the Dragon's Roar Worse Than Its Bite When It Comes to Ag Trade?

14 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

China has threatened to impede a range of Australian ag exports. Yet in December, Australia shipped over AUD 1bn of food, beverages, and fibre to Chin...

2021 Outlook for Australian Ag – Part 2

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The RaboResearch team addresses the outlook for Australian ag, focusing first on cotton and ag land values before trying their hand at answering live ...

2021 Outlook for Australian Ag – Part 1

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The RaboResearch team addresses the outlook for Australian ag, digging into beef, grains, and dairy. This podcast was recorded with an audience who ...

Can NZ Farmers Expect Another Profitable Year in 2021?

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Higgins, Blake Holgate, and Tim Hunt explain how NZ agriculture has managed to stay profitable through the worst global economic crisis since the...

Australian and Global Grains Prices in 2021

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

2020 saw a near-record winter crop harvest in Australia and trade barriers put up by a key trading partner, so why are Aussie grain prices not lower? ...

Fertiliser Demand Revival

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Global fertiliser prices have been increasing over the last three months. Will they continue to rise? Farm Inputs analyst Wes Lefroy catches up with C...

Australian Ag Prices Have Never Been This High in Late January

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Rabobank Rural Commodity Price Index sits at a record high for January, yet the world economy is weak, a bumper local crop was just harvested, and...

Crushing 2021: An Early Look at New Season Sugar

20 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Following the release of Rabobank's latest Sugar Quarterly report, Wes Lefroy and Charlie Clack discuss the 2020 crush, outline expectations for the c...

Shifting Gears in Global Dairy Trade: Cheese Reigns Supreme

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Half a decade has brought significant change to global dairy trade flows, and the period between 2015 and 2019 has been no exception. Emma Higgins and...

Under- or Overdone in 2021? The Outlook for the Global Meat Industry

13 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After the dramatic year that was 2020, what does 2021 have in store for the global meat industry? Blake Holgate and Angus Gidley-Baird chat with globa...

Harvest Hits 2020 | Tech We'll Be Watching in 2021

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How is ag tech going to further support farmers' decisions? Could buying farm inputs online impact the farm? In our final harvest hits episode, Cheryl...

A Comeback for Cotton in 2021?

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Clack and Angus Gidley-Baird assess the newly planted 2021 cotton crop, the impact of Chinese trade friction, as well as the domestic price ou...

Harvest Hits 2020 | 2021 Global Grains Price Outlook

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

2020 saw a bull run in Agri commodities that has defied all expectations. What have been the driving factors, and what does 2021 have in store for gra...

E-Commerce in China Presents a Fresh Produce Growth Opportunity

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Hunt, Sandy Chen, and Hayden Higgins discuss how e-commerce sales channels for fresh produce in China are changing the pathway to consumers. They ...

Harvest Hits 2020 | Feed Grain Forecasts

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Livestock demand was the driving force behind high local grain prices over recent years. Given that 2020/21 will bring rain and renewed pasture growth...

Harvest Hits 2020 | Getting Granular with Plant-Based Meat Substitutes

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Plant-based meat substitutes are a rapidly growing segment in an established and large consumer food market, attracting significant investments and co...

Cashing in on Sustainable Agriculture

15 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Higgins talks with Blake Holgate about his latest report on the emerging trend of sustainable finance and the opportunities this could create f...

Seasonal Milk Flows in Oceania Dairy - With a Spring in the Step!

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Now that the peaks have passed, Michael Harvey and Emma Higgins catch up to walk through how the milk production season has shaped up in both New Zeal...

Harvest Hits 2020 | Cash in or Carry

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's 2020/21 grain production recovery will rival 2016/17's record volumes, but there are a range of factors that are different from 2016/17, m...

Is China's Demand for Beef Waning?

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird speaks with Chinese analyst Chenjun Pan about that country's current demand for protein (including beef) and what the demand is exp...

Harvest Hits 2020 | Down Under Back Over

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's long-awaited grain production recovery is here. After three successive years of below-average production, Australia is on track to deliver...

Unlocking Climate Friendly Meat: Supply Chain Initiatives Will Be Key

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With growing community focus on greenhouse gas emissions, Tim Hunt, Angus Gidley-Baird, and Blake Holgate look at how the red meat supply chain is exp...

Cotton Gets Caught up in Chinese Trade Tensions

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird and Charlie Clack dissect the news that Chinese mills are being discouraged from purchasing Australian cotton. How has this announc...

To Ship or Not to Ship: NZ Dairy Heifer Exports to China

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Higgins and Blake Holgate discuss how dairy heifer exports to China have boomed this year, while taking a closer look at the drivers behind the l...

Racking up the Australian and New Zealand Lamb Industries

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blake Holgate and Angus Gidley-Baird look at some of the key factors driving the Australian and New Zealand lamb market at the moment and what they mi...

Has the Drinking-Milk Category Become a Covid Cash Cow?

23 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Hunt and Michael Harvey join up during lockdown to take a close look as to how the drinking-milk market has performed during the global pandemic.

Global Dairy Markets – A Delicate Rebalancing

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Harvey welcomes back Emma Higgins to talk through the latest analysis and views on a volatile and uncertain outlook for the global dairy marke...

What's up With AU Wheat Prices for 2020/21?

20 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A significant fall in CBOT Wheat prices in early August was followed by a strong rally higher. What was behind the volatility, and what do we expect ...

Sweet, Sweet Speculation: How Funds Are Supporting Sugar

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos Mera joins Charlie Clack to address the growing presence of speculative activity in soft commodity markets – including sugar – and the reas...

How Long Can Cattle Prices Stay High?

09 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Australian young cattle prices have been at record levels for almost 7 months. How much longer can they stay there? Angus Gidley-Baird talks with Don ...

Can(ola) Prices Hold on in Australia?

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Renewed canola supply for Australia in 2020/21 is just around the corner, and prices will come under harvest pressure. Cheryl Kalisch Gordon, RaboRes...

China Bans CBH Barley, but Damage Was Already Done

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Suspension of CBH's registration to export barley to China comes just three and a half months after an 80.5% tariff was put on Australian barley by Ch...

Unlocking Farmers' Digital Decision-Making Capacity

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How can farmers increase their reliance on tech? Who is likely to deliver these solutions to the farm? How might that impact farmers' relationships wi...

Opportunity Awaits the 'Bolled' and Brave – A Ten-Year Outlook for Cotton

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Clack joins Hayden Higgins to talk about Australian cotton and the opportunities for the industry in the coming decade. The duo talk about dem...

Has Australia's F&A Industry Passed Peak Exposure to China?

30 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Australian exports to China have surged, but the political relationship is souring. Tim Hunt and Dennis Voznesenski discuss where the industry goes fr...

Producing 6 Servings of Veg and 2 Servings of Fruit Daily During Covid

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Higgins and Tim Hunt discuss how foodservice shutdowns, changes in retail sales linked to shopping and eating habits, and the supply of labour ...

Funding the Expansion of New Zealand's Kiwifruit Post-Harvest Infrastructure

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Strong demand signals continue to encourage the rapid expansion of New Zealand kiwifruit supply. To support this, a significant amount of capital expe...

Building an E-Commerce Strategy in Wine – A 101 Playbook

16 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of a two-part series, Hayden Higgins and Blake Holgate discuss the influence of e-commerce on wine sales in the current and post-Covid-19 en...

Will Covid Curb Southeast Asian Imports?

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Harvey and Angus Gidley-Baird take a close look at Southeast Asia dairy markets to assess what is in store in the months ahead, as the region ...

Pivoting on Purpose: How Two Catalytic Events Are Encouraging Food Companies to Accelerate Their Pursuit of Purpose as Well as Profit

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Fereday explains the significant impact of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement on company statements and actions.

NZ Freshwater Reforms – What Farmers Need to Know

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In late May, the government announced its final decision on the Action for Healthy Waterways package. Blake Holgate and Hayden Higgins highlight the ...

How Are Food Giants Getting Through the Crisis?

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Harvey and Tim Hunt discuss what we can learn from the Q2 results of some of the world's largest food companies.

All Roads Lead to China. What Next for China's Imports as the Annual Milk Migration Gets Underway?

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Harvey is joined by Sandy Chen to take a close look at what to expect as New Zealand milk production hits its straps and the world's largest t...

Fairness, Equality, and Family Farm Succession Planning

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do families negotiate their way through the issues of fairness and/or equality in inheritance when their goal is to ensure continuation of the far...

Unwinding the Threads of the Wool Market for 2020/21

29 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird and Dennis Voznesenski take a look at what we think will shape the 2020/21 wool season.

Stress in the Cotton Supply Chain: Issues Growers Face in Both Australia and Brazil

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Victor Ikeda joins Charlie Clack to talk over the prospects for 2020 cotton production, logistics, and demand as a record Brazilian cotton harvest get...

NZ | How Will Nitrogen Prices Fare Heading Into Spring?

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With farmers across New Zealand preparing for spring nitrogen applications, Wes Lefroy, and Blake Holgate discuss Rabobank's latest global fertiliser ...

The US Premium Wine Market Takes a Battering in On-Premise Channels

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 1 of a two-part series, Hayden Higgins and Blake Holgate discuss the impact of Covid-19 containment measures on US wine sales in on-premise ch...

Will Grain Prices Reward Extra Urea Application this Season?

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The time for applying urea is here! Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon joins our Farm Inputs analyst Wes Lefroy to discuss whether...

External Influences on Succession in Farming Businesses

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How can markets, rainfall, risk, where you live, and what you do affect how your family approaches farm succession? Rabobank Succession Facilitator Ki...

African Swine Fever: The Backseat Driver of Global Protein Markets

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Although African swine fever (ASF) has taken a backseat to Covid-19 so far this year, it very much continues to result in reduced pork availability in...

Confident in a Crisis

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Uncertainty about the impact of Covid-19 has taken the gloss off farmer confidence, but overall, farmers remain upbeat about the year ahead. In our la...

The Recovery of Foodservice and Its Implications for Ag Exporters in NZ and Australia

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blake Holgate and Tim Hunt assess the damage Covid-19 is inflicting on the foodservice industry in China, the US, and Australia. They discuss how long...

Port in a Storm: Why Australian Ag Land Prices Will Remain Afloat

21 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Prices of Australian Ag land will largely hold firm during 2020. Wes Lefroy and Tim Hunt discuss why Ag land will pass largely unscathed through the C...

Covid-19 Changes the Horticulture Labour & Workplace Landscape

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rabobank's horticulture and fresh produce analysts, Cindy van Rijswick, Roland Fumasi, and Hayden Higgins, discuss some of the agriculture labour chal...

Global Dairy Outlook - Waiting for the Dust to Settle

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The underlying global dairy market fundamentals look set to remain very weak for much of 2020. Tim Hunt and Michael Harvey discuss whether New Zealand...

Australian Lamb Industry – Pushing Its Way Through Covid-19

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Driven by a dramatic drop in production, the Australian lamb industry has seen prices remain very strong while many commodities have seen disruption a...

Australian Grains: Movin' on Up

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All the hallmarks of an above-average Australian winter cropping season are falling into place. Good opening rains and fast planting progress across N...

Drought, Deficits, and Dealing With Covid-19 – How Will Our Sugar Customers Dictate the Outlook?

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Clack and Wes Lefroy review the latest prospects for the sugar market as our domestic crush gets underway. After a turbulent start to the year...

Swings and Roundabouts in the US Dairy Industry

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Harvey asks Tom Bailey to provide insights on the fundamentals impacting the US dairy industry, with a keen focus on where to go from here. We...

AgriTechnica: Six Months Down the Road

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last November, Wes Lefroy and Lachlan Monsbourgh attended AgriTechnica – the world's leading machinery and AgTechnology field days in Germany. In ou...

Cotton Planting Amid Covid-19: Lessons From the US

20 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The 2020 season is soon coming to a close, raising the question: how could the new 2021 season shake out amid Covid-19? Andrew Tasker joins Charlie Cl...

Has the 'Corona-Crisis' Developed as Expected for Australian F&A?

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Hunt and Dennis Voznesenski review the first four months of the crisis and its impact on Australian farmers.

Will SE Asia Look for AU Wheat and Barley in 2020/21?

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Australian winter crop production is set to surge from last year's lows. With that in mind, Cheryl Kalisch Gordon joins Oscar Tjakra to find out about...

NZ Venison Outlook

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Following very strong pricing in recent seasons, NZ venison producers are facing some challenging times ahead. Blake Holgate and Hayden Higgins take a...

Farming Families and Success in Succession

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What is important for getting farm succession right and keeping businesses viable and families happy? Rabobank Succession Facilitator Kim Lee joins Ra...

Covid-19 and the US Beef Market

03 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The US beef industry has seen a tumultuous start to 2020 as a result of Covid-19, with dramatic drops in futures prices, the closure of the restaurant...

Almond Markets in 2020: Supply and Covid-19 Bring New Dynamics

26 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Roland Fumasi joins Hayden Higgins to discuss the almond sector over the balance of 2020. Since Rabobank released US almond pricing forecasts in earl...

Sit for Victory - The Economic Cost of the Shutdown

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Every, Global Strategist, talks to Tim Hunt about the outlook for the global economy, currency, and interest rates in a Covid-19 world.

Do the Right Thing Right: Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities in the Fresh Produce Sector for a Pre- and Post-Covid-19 World

19 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Higgins is joined by Cindy van Rijswick to discuss core sustainability themes that fresh produce sector participants from across the globe high...

Global Dairy: How Bad Could It Get?

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Higgins is joined by Michael Harvey to digest the global dairy fundamentals that underpin RaboResearch's milk price forecast ahead of the 2020/...

The Risk of Farm Input Supply Disruption for Sugarcane Growers

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Increased uncertainty in the usual supply chains of global agrochemicals and fertilizers has raised worries for domestic growers, including in the sug...

Threading Our Way Through Covid-19

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird and Charles Clack discuss the impact of Covid-19 on the Australian wool and cotton markets and what it means for the short-term out...

The Great Aussie Wheat Swap Lift

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Chambers, Associate Director, Markets for Rabobank Australia and New Zealand, joins RaboResearch Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst Cheryl Kalisch G...

AU Grains Can Still Have a Good 2020 Despite Covid-19

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Covid-19 has introduced uncertainty and downside in many agricultural markets. RaboResearch Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon and...

Grain Production Profitability in a Low-Margin Outlook

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Covid-19 prevented Steve Nicholson, our US-based grain & oilseed analyst, from joining us in Australia in March, but that won't stop the messages gett...

Where's the Meat? Covid-19 and the Red Meat Industry

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Angus Gidley-Baird and Blake Holgate talk about the impact Covid-19 is having on the Australian and New Zealand red meat industries.

Global Dairy – A Coronavirus Hangover

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Global dairy markets have experienced a volatile start to 2020. Despite the elevated levels of uncertainty, Emma Higgins and Michael Harvey take a loo...

Investing to Farm Under New Environmental Reforms

22 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blake Holgate and Emma Higgins discuss how the costs and risks posed by tightening environmental regulations can be incorporated into future investmen...