Farmers are anxious, but still in a pretty good paddock

While Australian primary producers are understandably unsettled by wars and tariffs, they are now enjoying extraordinary prosperity, as Alan Austin reports.

LABOR STRATEGISTS possibly regretting the decision not to join Farrer next Saturday? byelection? Latest economic data shows that rural communities are the country’s biggest beneficiaries of the Albanian government’s revival of the economy in general and exports in particular.

Could Labor have a chance? We will come back to this topic.

Agricultural production is booming

Livestock sold for meat for local consumption and export set new records in almost every category last fiscal year. According to these data launched By the Bureau of Statistics last Tuesday (ABSs).

The value of slaughtered cattle increased by 33.7% compared to the previous year, reaching 17.1 billion dollars. Sheep sold for lamb increased by an impressive 37.7% to $5.1 billion. Total livestock sales, including pigs, poultry and other animals, increased 27.0% to $28.4 billion. Farmers also did well with milk, wool, grain, and many other products. See the table below.

Wheat, barley, oats, lentils and chickpeas were planted on record or near-record land in the last fiscal year. Many of these achieved record tonnage and revenue.

Register overseas buyers

ABSs export data We confirm that recently re-established trade relations have greatly benefited primary producers.

Total meat exports in 2025 reached $24 billion, an increase of 23.4% compared to the previous year’s high. By comparison, the highest amount during the ill-fated Coalition period was $16.9 billion in 2020.

Dairy products and eggs generated record revenue of $3.5 billion last year, surpassing the previous high of $3.23 in 2022. The previous record was a staggering $3.16 billion in 2002.
Trade in fruits and vegetables increased by 84.3% in 2021, up 35.3% compared to the previous year.

According to independents authoritiesThese results are the result of collaborative efforts to increase efficiency, maximize water use, and improve sustainability through innovations in plant science.

Detailed analysis Bendigo Bank reports that agricultural exports currently account for 15.1% of Australia’s total exports:

‘This is the fourth consecutive increase in terms of percentage of total goods exported for agriculture, falling to an all-time low of 12.5 per cent in 2020/21.’

As the war drags on, pressure increases

Of course, as farmers well understand, past results do not guarantee anything in the future. Seasons change, prices change, mice or carob plagues suddenly appeared hurricanes And forest fires.

And now, the extraordinary madness of the mentally declining isolationist US President has endangered the supply of fuel and fertilizer needed by primary producers. This is on top of destructive tariff policies.

Fortunately, the Australian Government has managed to ensure that all basic needs are met. So far. newest ABS import data shows that quantities are lower and prices higher than last year, but that’s enough units they are still coming.

Most fuel outages in rural towns panic buying and stockpiling in bins rather than inadequate imports.

No need for alarm yet

This column showed that the current media narrative that Australians are having a hard time making it in both cities and bushes is not supported by any data.

Was it true that consumer confidence was at an all-time low? Financial Review And ABC News If it persists, consumer spending will decrease.

Not. Australians won 12.5 million foreign trips In 2025, this will be the highest level ever. Fee-paying private schools now hold record recordsIncluding the children of thousands of families working on rural estates across the continent.

Latest ABS household expenditures reportIt reveals that household spending for February continues to rise and is 4.6% higher in February 2026 than in 2025.

According to ABS business head statistics Tom Lay:

‘Discretionary spending rose 0.5 per cent in February, driven by higher spending on entertainment and cultural activities for concerts and musicals, as well as air travel and accommodation services.’

While Australians nod despairingly when polled about the state of the economy and agree with the stereotypical farmer who says “we’ll all be like that” drunk”, they are essentially living their best life ever. Which brings us back to the Farrer by-election and who should be running the show.

Choice test in the forest

If Labor strategists had decided to contest the seat, the outcome might well have been different to what transpired next weekend. It is extremely unlikely Labor will win, given it received just 15.1% of the primary vote in the 2025 General Election. But it was much more than One Nation’s 6.6 per cent, three times the Greens’ 4.9 per cent and not far below the independents. Michelle MilthorpeIt is 20%.

The latest poll, without Labor standing, shows the two leading candidates are Milthorpe, a teacher and business owner who is running again, and One Nation’s candidate. David Farley. As Two Barriers observed Last week saw two candidates, neither from a major party, vying for seats for the first time.

Most reasonable Australians hope Milthorpe will beat Farley, but that is far from certain, especially with the Liberal Party do not prefer One Nation finished third behind the Nationals, with Family First third.

If Labor was as respected in the regions as data from the ABS and elsewhere suggest, Labor could sway preferences away from One Nation.

No Australian parliament will ever serve the country with more anti-immigrant, anti-indigenous, anti-science, far-right conspiracy theorists.

Farrer’s electoral division was named William FarrerHe is an innovative agriculturist and a pioneer farmer of both sheep and wheat. He would be very happy with the state of primary production at the moment.

And as an immigrant from England, being married to the daughter of Italian settlers would have been horrified in One Nation.

Alan Austin is an Independent Australian columnist and freelance journalist. You can follow him on Twitter @alanaustin001 and Bluesky @alanaustin.bsky.social.

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