Ag Newsletter - 7 July 2026
Out of the gates for LambEx!
The Drover Ag team have arrived in Adelaide for the start of LambEx 2026. The Australian sheep and wool industry’s premier biennial event officially opens today at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Running from July 7 to 10, the flagship event is set to unite over 1,500 producers, processors, researchers, and supply chain leaders from across the globe.
Operating under the theme Telling Our Stories, the 2026 program is heavily focused on on-farm realities, with primary producers making up an unprecedented 50 % of the 80-plus keynote speakers.
Key Program Highlights for Delegates:
- The AMPC Carcase Showcase: The largest lamb carcase showcase and feedback exercise from a single cohort globally. Experts and producers will dissect live carcase data on stage to link on-farm genetics directly to market signals and eating quality.
- Virtual Access: For producers unable to leave the farm, a new virtual ticket allows live streaming of the plenary stage today and tomorrow, with on-demand access for 90 days.
- Targeted Breakfast Sessions: Facilitated sessions diving into practical farm finance, workforce recruitment (featuring Drover Ags own, Bec Vickers), and the growing role of genomics in driving profitability.
For those on the ground in Adelaide, the week also features the Coles Trailblazers program, Twilight Trade & Tastes, and culminates in the Elders Grandslamb Gala Dinner on Thursday night. For the full schedule, visit the official program at lambex.org.au/program.
Keep up to date on the Drover Ag Socials
Sheep Markets:
Unprecedented Highs Amid Severe Supply Squeeze - The national sheep market has entered uncharted territory, driven by critically low yardings, widespread flock rebuilding, and several processors beginning winter maintenance shutdowns. National sheep slaughter plummeted 38% week-on-week to just 45,935 head—the lowest weekly throughput recorded since July 2020.
Record-Breaking Mutton Prices - The National Mutton Indicator shattered previous records, lifting to 928¢/kg carcase weight (cwt) and crossing the 900¢/kg threshold for the first time in history. With national sheep yardings falling by 14%, local competition was fierce. At the July 2 sale in Wagga Wagga, NSW, mutton averaged close to 980¢/kg cwt, with heavy ewe lines surging past the 1,000¢/kg cwt mark.
Lamb Categories Hit New Benchmarks - Despite a lighter national yarding (down 3% to 111,646 head), lamb categories also experienced aggressive buyer competition:
- Merino Lambs: The Merino Lamb Indicator reached a new all-time daily record of 1,156¢/kg cwt as strong wool returns incentivise on-farm retention.
- Restocker Lambs: Intense competition from producers looking to put lambs back onto green feed kept the restocker indicator firm at 1,217¢/kg cwt. The July 2 sale in Wagga Wagga, NSW captured massive premiums in this category, peaking at 1,303¢/kg cwt.
- Light Lambs: The light lamb indicator lifted 2% to 1,183¢/kg cwt. Quality was highly rewarded at the July 1 sale in Hamilton, VIC, where a tight offering of light lambs hit a top of 1,280¢/kg cwt.
Outlook - With processing capacity constrained by winter shutdowns and producers actively holding breeding stock, near-term mutton and lamb prices are expected to remain heavily supply-led and strongly supported at the saleyards. Source: MLA Prices & Markets
Dairy Supply & Markets:
Lactalis Mainstream Lifts Minimum Opening Farmgate Prices
Competition for the southern Australian milk pool intensified on Thursday after dairy processor Lactalis announced an immediate 15¢/kg MS upward adjustment to its opening farmgate price parameters for the 2026–27 season. The revision lifts the processor’s active payment range to $8.80–$9.60/kgMS.
According to breakdown metrics from the Milk Value Portal, the increase incorporates a 12¢/kg lift for butterfat and an 18¢/kg lift for milk protein. The adjustment follows a broader stabilization in seasonal milk volumes, with Dairy Australia's latest data showing national milk output creeping up by 0.2% year-on-year, heavily anchored by a late-season 6.7% production surge across Victorian dairying regions. Source: Milk Value Portal / Lactalis Australia
Pest Control:
NFF Strongly Opposes Proposed APVMA Restrictions on Rodenticides - The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has formally lodged a submission opposing an Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) proposal to declare second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) as Restricted Chemical Products. The regulatory change would limit access to products containing active ingredients like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, and flocoumafen.
While acknowledging non-target wildlife exposure risks, the NFF argues that adding onerous regulatory barriers would severely compromise on-farm biosecurity, grain storage integrity, and intensive livestock hygiene. The peak body stated it cannot support the declaration unless the APVMA explicitly guarantees unburdened, cost-effective access for primary producers. Source:National Farmers' Federation (NFF)
Ag Employment & Workforce:
Extension Programs Targeted to Combat Young Dairy Workforce Burnout - Dairy Australia's Young Dairy Network (YDN) has launched a targeted regional training initiative to address early-career retention and structural communication gaps on farms. Highlighting the initiative, 19-year-old North-West Tasmanian dairy worker Jenna Fielding detailed how recent professional psychology workshops led by Dr Nollaig Heffernan are being used to transition regional farm hands into long-term industry professionals.
The extension focuses on "employee of choice" methodologiesand on building non-technical skill sets such as workload negotiation, stress modulation, and team communication frameworks. The program addresses the high rates of burnout among under-25 agricultural workers by explicitly teaching young staff how to manage on-farm pressure and foster calmer corporate work environments. Source: Dairy Australia
Farm Safety & Risk:
Corporate Farm Fined $555,000 Following Fatal Quad Bike Accident - An Industrial Court ruling handed down in New South Wales serves as a stark warning to primary producers regarding workplace health and safety (WHS) compliance. Wumbulgal Agriculture Pty Ltd was convicted and fined $555,000 following a SafeWork NSW prosecution over a fatal quad bike accident at Yenda in the Riverina.
The court heard that an 82-year-old worker was mustering sheep when the quad bike struck a dirt mound and rolled; the vehicle lacked rollover protection (an Operator Protection Device) and the worker was not wearing a helmet. Crucially, evidence showed the business had previously accessed safety program rebates for safety equipment but failed to enforce its use, prompting the judge to order mandatory, documented side-by-side competency training for all remaining staff. Source: SafeWork NSW
Agricultural Jobs:
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