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Ag Newsletter - 3 July 2026

Megan Boote

— 4 min read
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Ag Newsletter - 3 July 2026

Industry Events:

LambEx26 to Unite 1,500+ Delegates and Champion Future Ag Leaders - The Australian sheep and wool industry is gearing up for its premier biennial event, LambEx26, set to take over the Adelaide Convention Centre next week from July 7–10. Organisers expect to draw over 1,500 producers, processors, advisors, and students from across Australia and internationally. Operating under the theme "Telling Our Stories," this year's massive 80-speaker program features the largest producer line-up in the event's history.

Crucially for regional workforce development, LambEx26 places a massive emphasis on youth and early-career pathways. Signature initiatives like the Coles Trailblazers program and the Junior Jumbucks platform will provide critical networking pipelines, connecting ambitious ag-students and young professionals directly with corporate pastoral leaders and tech innovators. In a major move for accessibility—and to accommodate busy farming operations—organisers have also introduced a virtual ticket for the first time, ensuring that operators who can't leave the farm can still access the industry's forward-looking discussions on sustainability, economics, and workforce recruitment. Source: LambEx Official

Livestock Markets:

Leongatha Store Sale Posts Strong Gains Under Intense Local Demand - Southern cattle markets recorded a highly competitive start to July at the EVLX Leongatha store sale, where a reduced yarding of approximately 3,170 head (down 1,530 head week-on-week) triggered a jump in prices. According to the latest MLA market reports, overall quality was mixed but a strong selection of heavy yearling steers was keenly sought after by feedlotters. With a massive crowd and full representation from local agencies, intense local competition drove light-weight cattle up to $50/head dearer, while heavy-weight feeder lines also edged dearer.

At the Thursday, July 2 sale, top-end weaner steers performed exceptionally well, peaking at 605¢/kg ($2,420/head) for 400kg Angus lines, while lighter 309kg Angus drafts hit a premium of 615¢/kg. The heavy yearling steer market was aggressively contested, averaging a solid 593¢/kg (or $2,886/head for 487kg), with a heavy 583kg pen topping the category at 573¢/kg ($3,340/head). The heifer market also saw consistent clearances; weaner heifers reached a top of 547¢/kg for 371kg black baldies, while heavier yearling lines averaged a firm 533¢/kg. Source: Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) / NLRS

Cropping:

North-West Queensland Sorghum Harvest underway after big wet - A record 18,000-hectare sorghum harvest is officially underway across North-West Queensland, following a massive summer wet season that delivered over a meter of rainfall. While the intense downpours caused widespread waterlogging and yield losses in low-lying country, growers report excellent results on well-drained paddocks. Richmond Shire Council recently harvested 1,300 hectares at its Maxwelton Common, averaging roughly 2.5 tonnes per hectare ($2.5\text{ t/ha}$). Aside from early moisture damage, northern broadacre growers are currently managing isolated but destructive locust populations. Local agronomists note the pests are directly targeting and consuming the grain head, prompting targeted spraying campaigns across thousands of hectares to preserve remaining grain quality. Source: Grain Central

International Trade:

UK Signals Intent to Adopt EU-Style Deforestation Regulations - Australian red meat exporters face a potential new regulatory hurdle following indications that the United Kingdom is planning to align its import frameworks with the European Union’s Deforestation Regulations (EUDR). While the EU recently faced intense global pushback regarding its stringent compliance timelines, the UK's move signals a broader shift toward mandatory geographic traceability.

For Australian beef and sheepmeat producers utilising the hard-fought UK Free Trade Agreement, this policy development means that robust data collection, land-use transparency, and digital property mapping will likely become baseline requirements for accessing the British market, mirroring the stricter supply chain pressures building on the Continent. Source: Sheep Central

Climate:

BoM Upgrades 'My Climate View' Tool - The Bureau of Meteorology, in collaboration with CSIRO, has launched a major update to its digital climate information product, My Climate View. Released on June 30, the new feature is designed specifically for farmers, agronomists, and agricultural professionals to better understand localised drought risks. Drawing on 60 years of historical data paired with localised future climate projections, the tool allows producers to evaluate how drought conditions have historically impacted their specific properties and commodities, while forecasting future climate shifts. Funded by the Future Drought Fund, the update aims to help farm businesses make informed, long-term strategic decisions to build operational resilience. Source: BoM Media Release

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