Meat and Livestock Australia said record beef production and exports in 2024 had set the scene for solid opportunities in 2025.Environmental regulations, national political fights and the impact of the Trump administration are among the issues on the minds of Australian farmers. In the land of drought and flooding rains (and the lesser-known Dorothea Mackellar verse, the fluctuating international commodities market), there’s always plenty for the Australian agriculture sector to talk about.
But there are a few key issues leading the pack. We asked farming industry leaders what they will be focusing on as we head into 2025. Uncertainty surrounding the 2025 federal election is the overriding concern for the National Farmers Federation (NFF), with major policies including changes to “With potential sitting weeks early next year and a federal budget ahead, we need to stay on the ball as all these issues have the potential to significantly affect farmers,” the NFF president, David Jochinke, said. Labor’s proposed legislation to increase tax on superannuation balances over $3m was left off the list of legislation pushed through parliament in the last sitting week of the year, and Anthony Albanese is, viewing it as politically risky. The NFF has previously referred to the proposal as a “liquidity trap” for farmers, who often hold family farms in self-managed super funds.“While we had a win … there’s always a chance the government will strike a deal if parliament sits again,” Jochinke said. Peak cropping body GrainGrowers said its pre-election wishlist included investment in regional housing, telecommunications, biosecurity funding and grain freight strategy. GrainGrowers is also concerned about the impact of the US election result on the cost of key inputs like pesticide