04 Sep 2023
Truth or dairy: are milk prices going up or down?
Michael Whitehead |
Dairy products such as butter, cheese and yoghurt could get more expensive in coming months, but not for everyone.
Agriculture
08 Jun 2023
Winter is coming for the agri commodity price cycle
Michael Whitehead | Executive Director for Agribusiness Industry Insights, ANZ
As Australia’s agricultural sector heads into the winter period, ANZ’s agri infocus assesses an autumn for the price cycle.
22 Feb 2023
Light at the end of the tunnel for New Zealand agriculture
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
For New Zealand agriculture, inflation remains a worry but China reopening brings hope.
23 Nov 2022
Future of Australian agriculture ripe for the taking
Michael Whitehead | Executive Director for Agribusiness Industry Insights, ANZ
A decade after ANZ’s first Greener Pastures report into the future of Australian agriculture, a second edition reveals Australian agri has performed better than forecast and highlights the sector’s opportunities and challenges.
06 Sep 2022
Feeding the world sustainably
Soni Kumari, Susan Kilsby and Daniel Hynes | Commodity Strategist, Agriculture Economist & Senior Commodities Strategist, ANZ
The opportunities in the agricultural sector are enormous, but population growth, environmental challenges and climate change mean it needs to be done in a more sustainable way.
06 Jul 2022
Export bans a bump in the road for agri
Michael Whitehead & Natasha Kemp | Head of FBA Insights & Acting Head of FBA, ANZ Institutional
A growing number of agricultural export bans are creating complications for growers. But will the bans have their intended impact?
10 Jun 2022
Global food stocks consumed by shortage
Soni Kumari & Susan Kilsby | Commodity Strategist & Agriculture Economist, ANZ
A perfect storm of issues is leading to increased food insecurity. And this global crisis will get worse.
16 May 2022
A berry good outlook for Aus growers
Madeleine Swan | Director of FBA Insights, ANZ
Solid growth in domestic consumption and increased production capacity will bear fruit for Australia’s berry industry.
29 Apr 2022
Aus agri: expanding relationships in India
Mark Bennett & Michael Whitehead | Head of Aus Agribusiness and Head of FBA Insights, ANZ
The newly signed free trade agreement between Australia and India will create opportunities for growth in parts of the local agri industry.
28 Feb 2022
Balancing the outlook for agriculture
Mark Bennett & Michael Whitehead | Head of Aus Agribusiness and Head of FBA Insights, ANZ
While prices for agri commodities may start to level after some of the extraordinary peaks of 2021, they remain historically very high across the board.
31 Jan 2022
Season looking good for food, beverage and agribiz
Ian Hanrahan | Head of FBA Australia, ANZ
The food, beverage and agribusiness sectors must prepare for a number of remaining challenges in 2022. But opportunities are there for those who prepare well.
14 Oct 2021
Farming’s family tree: branching out
Bryony Callander | Associate Director of Agribusiness Research, ANZ
The future of family farms may look a little different as women step up as highly qualified, technology-focused successors.
08 Sep 2021
Rural land prices: finding the right fertiliser for growth
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Growth in rural land prices is increasing at huge pace. But what is actually causing this surge and can it be sustained?
20 Jul 2021
Aus farmland brimming at the highs
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australian farmland prices have been surging as commodity prices go from strength-to-strength and demand remains high.
18 May 2021
Aus beef: lots at steak
Ian Hanrahan | Head of FBA Australia, ANZ
There’s good news for Australia’s cattle industry, even after a difficult year for some in the sector.
01 Mar 2021
Aus agri cautiously optimistic for 2021
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australia’s agricultural sector emerged from 2020 relatively unscathed and is looking to build on that confidence in the new year.
12 Jan 2021
Plant variety key to agri future
Helen Macpherson & Alanna Rennie | Partner & Lawyer, Baker McKenzie
As the global population continues to accelerate, a focus on food supply security and plant breeding is vital to stay on top of demand.
08 Dec 2020
The outlook for Australian agri in 2021
Mark Bennett & Madeleine Swan | Head of Agribusiness & Associate Director Agri Research, ANZ
Australia’s agri industry had a surprisingly strong year in 2020 despite fires, drought and a global pandemic. The outlook for next year too is positive.
26 Oct 2020
More than a grain of hope as winter crops begin harvest
Mark Bennett & Madeleine Swan | Head of Agribusiness & Associate Director Agri Research, ANZ
As harvesters fan out across Australian paddocks, the outlook is bright for an industry strongly rebounding from prolonged drought, COVID-19 and bushfires.
15 Oct 2020
Cultivating female talent in Aus agri
Madeleine Swan | Director of FBA Insights, ANZ
Women in Australian agriculture have historically been under the radar. Opportunities in education and employment are seeing this trend shift.
04 Sep 2020
Focusing on future agri opportunity
Michael Whitehead & Madeleine Swan | Director Client Insights, ANZ and Associate Director Agribusiness Research, ANZ
Although Australia’s agriculture industry has continued to perform well throughout the pandemic, foreign investment may not be so steady.
03 Aug 2020
Australian grains remain competitive in crisis
Michael Whitehead & Viveka Manikonda | Head of Agri Insights and Senior Associate, Institutional at ANZ
Despite global headwinds, Australia’s grains industry is predicting a bumper crop in the next harvest.
07 Jul 2020
Agri wakes up to a new world
Madeleine Swan | Director of FBA Insights, ANZ
The global outlook for agriculture commodities is a bright light in the midst of gloomy pandemic-ridden economies.
11 May 2020
True or false: panic buying surges food prices
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
New data show a run on supermarkets during the onset of COVID-19 restrictions could have led to increased food prices.
21 Apr 2020
Agri commodities: uncharted water
Madeleine Swan, Alanna Barrett & Michael Whitehead | Associate Directors Agribusiness Research & Director Client Insights, ANZ
Australia’s agriculture industry is bracing for the impact of COVID-19. So far, the farming business has been comparatively resilient.
17 Apr 2020
NZ agri: facing new challenges
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
Economic growth rates in New Zealand have been hit hard as Kiwis hunker down to combat COVID-19.
17 Feb 2020
Aus dairy’s flow-on effect
Madeleine Swan | Director of FBA Insights, ANZ
The dairy industry has changed a lot in 10 years. What does the next decade hold for Australian producers?
14 Feb 2020
NZ agri braces for coronavirus contagion
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
New Zealand’s agriculture industry is watching the flow-on effects of the coronavirus closely as produce begins to pile-up.
14 Jan 2020
Food prices: up, up?
Madeleine Swan | Director of FBA Insights, ANZ
Long periods of drought and tough competition have seen food prices increases steadily over the last few years. Will that continue in 2020?
28 Nov 2019
Aus agri: the path to $A100 billion - part 2
Mark Bennett & Madeleine Swan | Head of Agribusiness & Associate Director Agri Research, ANZ
New capital and a focus on export risk underpin the likelihood for Australia’s agri industry to reach $A100 billion by 2030.
21 Nov 2019
Aus agri: the path to $A100 billion - part 1
Mark Bennett & Madeleine Swan | Head of Agribusiness & Associate Director Agri Research, ANZ
Will Australia’s agri industry reach its ambitious target of $A100 billion by 2030? Delve into the details in this two-part series.
10 Oct 2019
Brexit: lambs to the slaughter
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
New Zealand’s lamb industry is watching closely as the UK tries to herd Brexit.
07 Oct 2019
South Australia: the state making a statement
Steve Radeski & Cherelle Murphy | State Agribusiness Manager, SA & Senior Economist, ANZ
Australia’s driest state has endured ups and downs but the agri industry and broader economy are heading north.
10 Sep 2019
ANZ Board Minutes: from the farm to the bank
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
John Macfarlane has run banks, farms, shopping centres – what’s the link?
28 Aug 2019
NZ wine: dry white
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
Adverse climate conditions have impacted a number of NZ’s wine growing regions, says ANZ Research.
01 Aug 2019
Gains in grains
Michael Whitehead & Viveka Manikonda | Head of Agri Insights and Senior Associate, Institutional at ANZ
The outlook is positive for Australia’s grains and oilseed sector, with added benefits for trading companies.
08 Jul 2019
The Green Revolution needs more colours
Jane Grace | NZ Content Manager, ANZ
The next food revolution needs to be a shift away from monoculture, according to a renowned food futurist.
03 Jul 2019
Cold storage in a warming world
Andrew Malcolm | Agribusiness Manager at ANZ
Investing in renewable energy sources is good for both the environment and the bottom line, according to one family business owner.
18 Jun 2019
Kiwi trees a green army
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
With almost half of New Zealand’s carbon emissions coming from agri, can forestry help the nation meet its climate change goals?
05 Jun 2019
More than just apples in Apple Isle agriculture
Alanna Barrett | Associate Director Agribusiness Research, ANZ
There are fewer, larger - yet stronger Aussie farms - what does this mean for communities and for the small island state of Tasmania?
21 May 2019
Australia’s place on the Asian menu
Staff writer | Institutional, ANZ
Australian agri exports to Asia are benefitted by geographical proximity and strong demand.
08 May 2019
How to understand China’s economy
Zhaopeng Xing & Raymond Yeung | Markets Economist and Chief Economist, Greater China at ANZ
The debate surrounding whether China is over-reporting its GDP is starting to heat up again. Here’s how the numbers work.
06 May 2019
China-Australia trade: knitted together
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australia’s high-quality sheep and wool production is being bolstered by strong demand from Chinese markets.
09 Apr 2019
NZ-China macro-economy: value-adding
Raymond Yeung | Chief Economist Greater China, ANZ
Major structural reforms in China may lead to agri and trade opportunities for New Zealand.
26 Mar 2019
Australian sheep: shear opportunities ahead
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Seasonal conditions may have been tough for Australian sheep farmers but it’s a much better season for prices.
07 Feb 2019
NZ agri: up at the crack of dawn
Susan Kilsby & Sharon Zollner | NZ Agriculture Economist and NZ Chief Economist at ANZ
New Zealand’s primary agriculture sector is doing well at the moment, according to ANZ Research.
23 Jan 2019
The future of farming is big - literally
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
The size and shape of Australia’s farms is changing rapidly at a time when competition is ramping up. A new report offers a glimpse of the future.
15 Nov 2018
Bright times ahead for Sunraysia agri
Jason Marr | Regional Executive North West VIC, ANZ
Industry collaboration is starting to improve the bottom-line profitability of farmers in the Sunraysia region.
22 Oct 2018
Light at the end of the drought
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Drought is not new and neither is the strength of Australia’s farmers.
18 Oct 2018
Farmers supporting each other through the drought
Jason Wadley | Regional Executive, NSW South West, ANZ
Positivity in Henty despite growing pressures on the farming community.
16 Aug 2018
Laos: bright business opportunities ahead
Vignarsone Mounalard | Implementation Manager ANZ, Laos
Landlocked Laos is overcoming its challenges, reforming, restructuring and opening itself to opportunities for investors.
14 Aug 2018
Agri sector ripe for picking in APAC
Anna Green | CEO Philippines, ANZ
Conditions in the Philippines and broader APAC region are perfect for further agriculture M&A.
30 Jul 2018
The need to make NZ farming cleaner and greener
Mark Hiddleston | Managing Director Commercial & Agri ANZ NZ
Environmental compliance is an ever-growing consideration for agri businesses in NZ.
20 Jul 2018
Future bright for top-end agri
Simone Stella | bluenotes contributor
Australia’s northern agriculture frontier is “a great place to have a go”.
06 Jul 2018
The king of the north
Bernadette Shaw | Regional Executive Business Banking NT, ANZ
It’s easy to overlook the agribusiness prospects offered by Australia’s Top End.
03 Jul 2018
Capital idea for top-end agri
Brendan Rinaldi | State Manager, Business Banking SA & NT, ANZ
Northern Australian agriculture has enough fruits, not enough funds, research shows.
14 Jun 2018
What’s up, brew?
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
The home of New Zealand’s rock-star hops was hit by two tropical cyclones this year. Does this signal a sour note for beer drinkers?
30 May 2018
The reforms SA business owners need
Alan Read | SA Corporate Agriculture Director, ANZ
We chat with a panel of experts on the impact of South Australia’s state budget on business conditions in the region.
28 May 2018
The new capital landscape for NZ agri
Mark Hiddleston | Managing Director Commercial & Agri ANZ NZ
Where will the much-needed investment in NZ agri come from? Here are four potential sources.
21 May 2018
What’s holding beef back?
Jason Taylor | Regional Executive, Central Queensland, ANZ
ANZ’s Mark Bennett shares trade themes from the ground in Beef Week.
10 May 2018
For beef, some good news in uncertain times
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Moves by China to restrict US exports could ultimately benefit Australia.
30 Apr 2018
Peak milk?
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
Stable cow numbers and performance improvements should see an increase in milk production in 2018-19.
13 Apr 2018
Australian exports: ripe for picking
Leanne Giles | Brand performance expert, ANZ
Demand for Australian wine exports is getting better with age, according to Zonzo Estate.
11 Apr 2018
Conscious consumption: Kiwis heat up the food scene
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
Producing food for health-conscious consumers who want - rather than need - to eat is changing the face of the NZ food.
09 Apr 2018
Designer foods
Simone Stella | bluenotes contributor
Advances in technology means consumers may soon be targeted based on nutritional requirements.
04 Apr 2018
The future of agtech is connected – and sustainable
Madeleine Swan | Director of FBA Insights, ANZ
Agtech makes farming more sustainable. We speak to growers on the ground about how technology is changing practices.
28 Mar 2018
Everyone wants a slice of China
Ben Barrett | QLD Director, Corporate Agribiz and Emerging Corporate, ANZ
Market access in China is the first step towards export opportunities for Australian agribiz.
21 Mar 2018
Tassie cherries on China’s echeckout
James McKeefry | State Agriculture Manager, Victoria and Tasmania, ANZ
China’s JD.com sold 160 tonnes of cherries in one day in 2017. The size of the opportunity is mind boggling.
20 Mar 2018
Asia’s middle class set to drive Australia’s export success
Isaac Rankin | Managing Director Commercial and Private Banking, ANZ
Asia’s middle class is an even bigger opportunity for Australian exporters than expected.
16 Mar 2018
Plum opportunities ahead for horticulture
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australian fruit and nut exports to China increased by 500 per cent in the past four years.
05 Feb 2018
Ice cream of the crop
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
We chat to two entrepreneurs looking to bring a new ice age to NZ.
29 Jan 2018
Kiwifruit envy
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
The success story for NZ kiwifruit is remarkable – and ongoing. We speak to a grower about what’s next.
23 Jan 2018
NZ wine tourism ripe for the picking
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
NZ’s wine industry is going from strength to strength and tourism looms as the next big growth opportunity.
16 Jan 2018
Two must-read observations on NZ foreign investment
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
The debate on the pros and cons that foreign investment provides for some of NZ’s key sectors is set to intensify in 2018.
11 Dec 2017
The new order for NZ food
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
A new generation of consumers is changing the game when it comes to food – not just what we’re buying but how we’re buying it.
19 Sep 2017
The outlook for soft commodities
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Spring is here and all eyes turn to forecasts for wheat, beef, dairy and more.
19 Sep 2017
Bitter butter battle brewing in NZ?
Sharon Zollner | Chief Economist New Zealand, ANZ
High European prices due to falling product and low inventories are affecting the domestic market.
12 Sep 2017
Singapore: New Zealand’s open gateway to ASEAN
David Green | CEO Singapore and Head of South East Asia, India & Middle East, ANZ
New Zealand and Singapore have strong economic ties – but their joint ties to the region are vastly greater.
08 Sep 2017
From backroads to Beijing in regional Australia
Greg Earl | Writer, editor and consultant
Regional governments across the country are creating their own tailor-made connections in Asia.
07 Sep 2017
Can Aus afford to be choosers on foreign investment?
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Resistance to foreign investment in agriculture Australia risks costing the country on the global stage, expert suggests.
05 Sep 2017
Big food goes off
Dr David McKinna | Principal, agrifood consultancy McKINNA et al
Big brands have long dominated the food industry but the time of the smaller, premium, specialist brand is arriving.
29 Aug 2017
Smorgon: the key to successful family succession
Brendan Rinaldi | State Manager, Business Banking SA & NT, ANZ
Only open and honest communication will work when it comes to succession in family business, PwC exec says.
29 Aug 2017
VIDEO: for agri innovation, look to farmers
Carina Parisella & Greg Szopa | bluenotes contributors
Entrepreneur and fourth-generation farmer says growers are best-placed to offer innovative insights to the sector.
14 Aug 2017
From farm to fridge, give or take 8000km
Guy Thompson | BlueNotes contributing editor
Bulla CEO Alan Hood talks to bluenotes about milking the opportunities for Australian dairy in Asia.
08 Aug 2017
VIDEO: the agtech revolution starts with people
Simone Stella | bluenotes contributor
Agriculture faces a generational opportunity as the next wave of farmers come from a deeper technological background.
27 Jul 2017
A new way to cultivate capital for farming’s future
Sam Marwood | Co-founder at Cultivate Farms
An ag startup aims to rejuvenate Australia’s farming communities by match-making young and existing families.
24 Jul 2017
Aus agriculture’s multi-sided China opportunity
Simone Stella | bluenotes contributor
Australian produce is embedded in the premium end of China’s retail market – but there are opportunities all along the supply chain.
24 Jul 2017
The accumulative benefits of agtech
Reina Webster-Iti | bluenotes contributor
Modern technology saves time and energy on the farm – and leads to better outcomes.
11 Jul 2017
The tech tidal wave building for NZ agri
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
Producers should expect more tech-driven change around traceability, food quality, animal welfare and environmental issues.
07 Jul 2017
Aus agtech: fast, nimble & taking on the world
Isaac Rankin | Managing Director Commercial and Private Banking, ANZ
The nature of Australian agricultural technology gives players the ability to take on the world.
03 Jul 2017
Sprouting through gaps in the market
Reina Webster-Iti | bluenotes contributor
For Kathryn Fleming, the success of her start-up stems from perseverance.
27 Jun 2017
Success on the hop in NZ
Briar McCormack | New Zealand editor
The craft beer explosion has led to a renaissance for its key ingredient – and those who produce it.
20 Jun 2017
Podcast: Drones for good
David Lewis | Australian business professional and founder of The Mentor List
Catherine Ball argues drone technology is underutilised In the Mentor List’s latest podcast.
20 Jun 2017
Work needed to fulfil agtech promise in Aus
Simone Stella | bluenotes contributor
Infrastructure needed to support AgTech has the potential to provide huge cost and efficiency savings.
20 Jun 2017
NZ agri: there’s an app for that
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
A technology tsunami is upon the primary sectors. What are the apps which will help?
16 Jun 2017
VIDEO: Japan’s maturing premium market
Simone Stella | bluenotes contributor
Australian agriculture’s prospects are only growing in Japan, ANZ’s Grant Knuckey says.
08 Jun 2017
Agtech: not just another buzzword
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
On-farm technology will play a major role in helping Australian farmers reach higher levels of productivity - and profit.
31 Mar 2017
Five key habits of growing SMEs
Tania Motton | ANZ General Manager, Business Banking Australia
Small businesses are not just the lifeblood of growth in Australia and most economies, delivering true innovation and higher employment, their experiences can offer lessons for businesses of all sizes.
28 Mar 2017
Regional Aus: ready for the Asian trade horizon
Christine Linden | General Manager, Regional Business Banking, ANZ Australia
Agriculture has long been a cornerstone of Australia’s economy. As the sector again surges - or “saves our economic bacon” - after 28 per cent growth in 2016 and high expectations for 2017, we’re again reminded of its key place in our economic mix.
21 Mar 2017
Harvest time for NZ forestry
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
New Zealand’s forestry sector is experiencing a period of strong returns fuelled by a combination of steady Chinese demand, restrictions in export markets on native-forest harvesting, low shipping costs, a local building boom and a supportive NZ dollar.
20 Mar 2017
Livestock, supply and social responsibility
James MacPherson | Head of Regional Business Banking Queensland, ANZ
Australia is working hard to set global benchmarks with livestock exports and the animal welfare obligations which come with being one of the world’s largest exporters of live cattle and sheep.
06 Feb 2017
Two sectors facing a new economic global order
Khoon Goh | Head of Asia Research, ANZ
In January Xi Jinping became the first Chinese President to address global political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum, defending free trade and outlining China’s intent to play a greater global role as the United States turns its attention to home soil.
13 Dec 2016
The new crop of NZ cropping success
Angela Barnett | BlueNotes contributing editor
A Taihape farm in the heart of sheep and beef country is an unusual place to start cultivating and harvesting a 4000-year-old grain. But that’s exactly what Dan and Jacqui Cottrell started doing on the family farm.
12 Dec 2016
A new paradigm of synthetic food
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
Technological disruption comes for all in the end and a new wave has appeared on the horizon for the food and beverage sector. It’s synthetic food which is promising to completely transform the production of food – even though there is a way to go.
06 Dec 2016
Innovation and the gentle touch in NZ
Kathryn Boyde | BlueNotes contributing editor
Being called out at all hours of the night to perform an emergency c-section on a distressed cow is all in a night’s work for Ursula Haywood.
22 Nov 2016
Darwin and the saltwater people
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Darwin’s strategic location as a trading port is no secret to the Larrakia people, the original custodians of the land and waters around the Northern Territory capital.
17 Nov 2016
Farming for funds: How do we pay for Australian agriculture?
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australia has a globally competitive position in agricultural production. We produce high value products. But that position may not last long.
14 Nov 2016
Luck of the lobster in NZ
Sophie Speer | BlueNotes contributing editor
Koura, also known as crayfish or rock lobster, is big business for Ngati Kahungunu. For the past decade, Kahungunu has leased its crayfish quota to Fiordland Lobster Company, the largest and most-profitable live lobster export company in Australasia.
02 Nov 2016
Kiwis milking the tourism boom (as well as cows)
Sharon Zollner | Chief Economist New Zealand, ANZ
For some time now New Zealand has ridden on the Friesian’s back as the country’s dairy industry helped the nation prosper. Now, for the first time in over five years, tourism has taken back the mantle as the country’s biggest export sector.
17 Oct 2016
What agribiz needs to learn from mining
Kerryl Bradshaw | WA Branch Manager, Advisian
Whether the percentage of foreign ownership revealed in the Register of Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land is too high or too low depends on your point of view. Emotions run high around land ownership – inevitably, it evokes primal food security concerns.
07 Oct 2016
What Asia’s food boom means for Australia
Zilla Efrat | Freelance journalist
Asia’s ballooning middle class is opening up huge opportunities for Australia to switch its exports to the region from mining to dining. But the challenge is not demand, it’s supply – and more pointedly, resourcing supply.
27 Sep 2016
From mutton to lamb: the outlook to 2040
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
It would be an understatement to say the Australian sheep industry has been through some tough times since the 1990s. Today, the sector is back on its feet and times ahead look even better, with a new report forecasting a surge in demand for lamb over the coming decades.
20 Sep 2016
The differing outlooks for NZ agriculture
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
The diverging outlook across key agricultural sectors in New Zealand is expected to continue as a variety of conflicting forces shape the outlook. As the 2017 fiscal year heats up there will be challenges and opportunities across the agri scene.
13 Sep 2016
In vino veritas (and profits) in NZ
Con Williams | Rural Economist NZ, ANZ
Is there further upside for New Zealand’s booming wine sector? The answer is yes. An export industry which has experienced strong growth in recent years, NZ viticulture has played an important role in providing a new source of grow for the country’s agribusiness sector.
08 Sep 2016
Waiter, is this caviar Beluga, Sevruga or Vietnamese?
Luke Hunt | Journalist & Asian correspondent
In the exotic dining stakes, Vietnamese cuisine has built a reputation based on its culinary history, the fusion of tropical herbs and European, particular French, influences – like banh mi (baguette) and pho (pot au feu). Now though the Southeast Asian state is succeeding with even less-traditional fare. Locally produced caviar is hitting the shelves and it's becoming an unlikely success for the communists in Hanoi.
01 Sep 2016
The new climate for the dairy sector
Lauren Hull | Former Communications Coordinator, University of Melbourne
Twenty years from now, dairy farming will look and feel different. By 2040, farmers will have to deal with warmer temperatures and more extreme weather events, while more variable rainfall will see seasons shift and feeding strategies altered.
25 Aug 2016
Keep your non-polyester shirt on: the strong outlook for cotton
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Like the shirt on a farmer’s back, the cotton industry is tight. It’s an industry with its act together, with collaboration and connections all the way from industry leadership to the integration of production, ginning and marketing.
11 Aug 2016
IN PICTURES: One family, one farm and 150 years
Sarah-Jane Bashford & Marise Hurley | BlueNotes contributing editors
It’s a rare and remarkable thing - a farming family who can claim a century on their farm thanks to an ancestor who also played a major role in developing what is now New Zealand’s largest bank.
19 Jul 2016
The mood doesn’t match the facts - and promise - of Townsville
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
From Castle Hill, the 300-metre pink granite monolith looming over Cleveland Bay and spectacular Magnetic Island, the city of Townsville looks a like it should be a flourishing economic centre.
14 Jul 2016
Three key ingredients in growing the food bowl
Stuart Hancock | Head of Regional Business Banking NSW, ANZ
Australia's innovation and productivity in agriculture already leads the world in many aspects. But how do we better commercialise this expertise and transform agriculture into a major export industry for the country?
29 Jun 2016
Brexit may be good for Australian farmers
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Brexit has a long way to run but from an Australian agricultural perspective there’s cause for some optimism alongside the strong case for caution – while we wait for the prevailing volatility to dissipate in favour of a truer political and economic picture.
27 Jun 2016
Australian lamb: back on the sheep’s back?
Andrew Roseby | Agribusiness regional executive, ANZ
In the 1950s, Australia’s prolific global reputation as a world-class wool producer united a country and we rode on the sheep’s back into post-war economic prosperity.
14 Jun 2016
Asia’s underrated markets for NZ agribiz
Cameron Bagrie & Con Williams | Chief Economist & Agri Economist New Zealand, ANZ
Opportunity is not the whole story. New Zealand knows the Asian opportunity: Asia makes up a quarter of global GDP and ANZ expects this to rise to over 50 per cent by 2050. That’s a big playground.
20 May 2016
The short and long-term outlook for Australian dairy
Christine Linden | General Manager, Regional Business Banking, ANZ Australia
Agriculture has long been a critical sector in Australia both economically and socially, and its success has played a important role in the country’s prosperity. But farming can be a tough industry to be in, with cyclical market conditions creating forces difficult to endure.
16 May 2016
Three insights: what do Chinese farmers want from Australia and NZ?
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Growing, wealthier populations in China and Vietnam are demanding more and more agricultural imports but quality expectations and the strength of the competition is very high.
05 Apr 2016
Five key agri themes from on the ground in China and Vietnam
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
How far is it from Beijing to Ho Chi Minh City? They could be planets apart if you ask attendees from our recent ANZ grains delegation from Australia and New Zealand.
01 Apr 2016
Data: the fertiliser for agribiz growth
Michael Whitehead | Executive Director for Agribusiness Industry Insights, ANZ
Big data and analytics are big news. The opportunities data analytics present for the global agricultural sector are astonishing yet in many ways they are just the next step in a process which has been happening for centuries.
21 Mar 2016
The digital future of food
Mara Bun | Company director, consultant & moderator, Tallebudgera Valley
Remember the days when newspapers and TV decided what was news and consumers responded accordingly? Just as the news value chain splintered into a world where people create and share media, the food industry also confronts a changing landscape.
04 Mar 2016
Germination in Aus grain industry
Christine Linden | General Manager, Regional Business Banking, ANZ Australia
The resurgence of rural and regional Australia is real. We are seeing fresh evidence of renewed confidence almost every week.
02 Mar 2016
The five meatiest grains themes for 2016
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australia's grains industry is fundamental to the agribusiness sector. Not only does it create value in its own right but supports revenue growth in domestic and export markets across Australian agribusiness.
22 Feb 2016
Why agriculture funding is a hard row to hoe
Jan McCallum | Freelance business journalist and former China correspondent
Rural Australia needs capital. Asian investors have an appetite to fund a food boom. It sounds like a perfect match.
12 Feb 2016
Quality, quality and other secrets to export success in Asia
Tania Chapman | Chair, Citrus Australia
Australian food is high quality but with quality comes heightened production and exportation costs. Indeed, Australia has some of the highest costs of production anywhere in the world - but you get what you pay for.
02 Feb 2016
Hot food in a market of opportunity
Michael Whitehead | Executive Director for Agribusiness Industry Insights, ANZ
Over the decade to 2013, global investments in the food, beverage and agriculture (FB&A) sectors grew three-fold, topping $US100 billion in 2013. In that time, total return to shareholders of 100 major FB&A companies increased by an average of 17 per cent per annum.
15 Dec 2015
What else is China buying in Australia?
Jerry Ge | BlueNotes contributing editor
The composition of Chinese investment in Australia is changing. Fast.
11 Dec 2015
The big, big data of bees
Helen Clark | Freelance journalist & former Asian correspondent
We've had an internet of things for a decade and pretty soon we'll have a big data set of everything, too. Combine those with insects and you get a particularly ambitious and impressive Australian CSIRO-led global project essentially studying the big data of bees. Why? Because they continue to die in record numbers and we still don't know why.
30 Nov 2015
The future of sustainable agriculture
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Food and water are two of the most basic essentials for human existence. Under pressure, we may well learn to live without the internet again but without food, water and acceptable air to breathe, we cease to exist.
10 Nov 2015
Sustainable food is big business
Tom Cropper | Freelance Social Enterprise Journalist
First some bad news: it's getting harder and harder for the world to get the stuff it needs. Food, water and natural resources will all be harder to access over the next few decades and, what's worse, almost everyone will be affected somewhere down the line. The answer? Sustainability.
05 Nov 2015
The four waves of Australia's Asian ties
Tim Harcourt | Author, The Airport Economist
Nearly half a century ago, Geoffrey Blainey's The Tyranny of Distance argued Australia's geographic position shaped our psychological attitudes. The long distance between Australia and our colonial forebears in Europe and the United States made us unsure of our future economic prosperity.
27 Jul 2015
The changes Australian agriculture needs
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
Australia's agricultural sector faces the pressure of expectation as mining investment winds down and the country looks north to Asia's growing demand to provide the next great boom.
08 Jul 2015
The sweet meat of the TPP
Andrew Geczy | Former CEO International and Institutional Banking, ANZ
The ambitious Trans Pacific-Partnership (TPP) is a step closer after Barack Obama secured US House of Representatives approval for the Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation which offers aid and training to US workers impacted by the trade deal.
01 Jul 2015
The future of free trade with Australia
Lisa McAuley | CEO, Export Council of Australia
When it comes to trade, the world is getting smaller. A spate of free trade deals between Australia and its Asian neighbours is linking economies and opening up avenues for commerce like never before and there's more action on the horizon.
09 Jun 2015
Unravelling the Asian textile supply chain
Mark Ganz | Director Client Insights, ANZ
The Australian textile industry is at a vital turning point. With up to 70 per cent of Australia's retailers now sourcing directly from overseas, understanding the upstream dynamics of fabrication and distribution have never been so important.
25 May 2015
Aussie beef - in a good paddock despite the challenges
Mark Bennett | Head of Aus Agribusiness, ANZ
The world wants to eat more. And there are more of us. Global population growth means the food revolution is underway.
25 May 2015
BlueNotes Podcast: Four signs an ASEAN boom is on the horizon
Glenn Maguire & Tammy Medard | Former Chief Economist South Asia, ASEAN & Pacific & Head of Diversified Industrials and Global Subsidiaries, ANZ
South East Asia is on the cusp of a boom as the ASEAN region looks set to emerge as not just a production hub but a domestic consumption hub as well. At ANZ, we think ASEAN will become as important for the global economy and for Australia and New Zealand over the next decade as China is now.
08 May 2015
Breaking down NZ fences
Lindy Nelson | Executive Director, AWDT
From dairy to red meat, New Zealand agribusiness is undergoing a profound transformation. The expanding markets of Asia bring both new opportunities as well as challenges.
14 Apr 2015
Happy cows = happy staff
Anouk De Blieck | General Manager, Human Resources, ANZ
Happy cows make great pictures. They're also more productive. But there's a fascinating extra dimension to animal welfare: farm staff are happier. And that's a virtuous circle as it leads to higher engagement by the employees, who in turn look after their animals better – from both a welfare and productivity perspective.
03 Mar 2015
Under the blazing blue
Elizabeth Hayes | Dairy farmer
I miss the days when waking up to the sun brought the promise of fun, watersports and picnics. Now as the sun rises over the Hakataramea Valley, I see my husband wince as it teasingly shines on the greenish-grey, struggling grasses of our once-fertile and lush dairy farm. As a 'reformed' townie, it's taken some time to realise the full impact of what I used to call “The Perfect Summer".
09 Jan 2015
Unlocking the potential of NZ’s red meat
Cameron Bagrie & Con Williams | Chief Economist & Agri Economist New Zealand, ANZ
Not all cows are alike. Nor sheep. Nor deer. Over the last two decades the gap between the top 20 per cent of red meat farmers in New Zealand's and the rest has doubled.
27 Nov 2014
MoleHill to Mountain: What lies ahead for northern Australian agriculture?
Paul Deane | Former Senior Agricultural Economist
The mining investment boom has peaked. Not so agriculture, which for many is the “next boom”. Consumption of agricultural produce will not reach its peak in Asia for another 40 years. And the implications for the future of farming in Australia are huge.
10 Nov 2014
Fieldays: a major player in assuring New Zealand’s economic future
BlueNotes reporter |
NZ Fieldays has become an unrivalled platform for showcasing NZ agricultural expertise and world leadership as well as demonstrating quantifiable economic impact.
06 Nov 2014
Australia and South Korea: Seoul mates
Tim Harcourt | Author, The Airport Economist
As the G20 approaches in Brisbane, it is important to recall that the G20 leaders meetings were the initiative of South Korea and Australia, when Kevin Rudd was Prime Minister and the world was facing the biggest economic crisis since the Great Depression in the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). The leaders acted swiftly and the G20 arrived as a major international economic institution.
03 Nov 2014
Asia’s forgotten giant: the sun rises again in Japan
Shane White | Content Manager, Institutional, ANZ
For nearly half a century, Japan was Australia’s number one trading partner. It is still number two. But you wouldn’t know that from much of what you read.
09 Oct 2014
Inflation still a challenge for Modi: ANZ Research
Glenn Maguire & Devika Mehndiratta | Former ANZ Chief Economist South Asia, ASEAN & Pacific & Former economist, ANZ
The lack of ‘big bang’ reforms initiated by the new Modi government in India means the price of food and other goods is unlikely to come down. Without a majority in the upper house of the Indian parliament, the government is only able to deal only with ‘low hanging fruit’, and even then, these smaller scale reforms will take time to progress. More significant issues such as food supply and distribution will have to wait.
05 Sep 2014
Phil Ruthven: Five things to think about Asia
Phil Ruthven | Futurist and Founder, IBIS
Futurist and IBIS Founder Phil Ruthven gave ANZ’s Opportunity Asia Insight Series function in Melbourne five critical insights
04 Sep 2014
Aus agri sector already a winner but big questions remain
Grant Mitchell | Director, Port Jackson Partners
Released in 2012, the “Greener Pastures” Insight report outlined Australia’s “next boom”, agriculture, an opportunity which is now firmly on the national agenda – in business and politics.
03 Sep 2014
Ten top steers on the Chinese beef market
Michael Whitehead | Executive Director for Agribusiness Industry Insights, ANZ
Beef has traditionally been sold through wet markets but the percentage of beef sold through 'organised retail’ is forecast to grow from 2 per cent in 2010 to 40 per cent in 2020.
29 Aug 2014
White Gold or Dirty Dairy – will environmental worries hobble New Zealand’s dairy boom?
Bernard Hickey | Publisher at Hive News
It seemed like a marriage made in heaven that would produce a never-ending boom.
04 Aug 2014
The NZ multi-national that started off spooking the horses
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
Maybe for some, the leap from electric fences keeping herds of animals under control to security at Buckingham Palace is not really such a huge one. It’s still a pretty good story though and one that in essence captures the nature of one of New Zealand’s most successful multi-national corporations, Gallagher.
01 Aug 2014
Huge China ag demand key to new Aus-China brand
Michael Whitehead | Executive Director for Agribusiness Industry Insights, ANZ
Mining magnate and philanthropist Andrew Forrest has long had an interest – now commercial – in re-energising Australia’s agricultural potential, particularly given the “food bowl to Asia” goal.
24 Jul 2014
What does Tasmania have that New Zealand dairy farmers want?
Nicole Franklin and Danielle Entwistle | BlueNotes contributing editors
Cheryl McCarty, the chairman of Tasmania’s dairy industry, made the shift across the ditch from New Zealand 18 years ago. Today many of her fellow Kiwis are looking to follow suit.
22 Jul 2014
Kiwi red meat really starting to sizzle
Graham Turley | Managing Director, Institutional Australia
When the first shipment of red meat sailed from Dunedin in 1882, it was a turning point for New Zealand’s economy. Now the red meat sector faces another turning point having lost out to dairy as NZ’s star export.
09 Jul 2014
Capital, smarter land use and technology vital for NZ agri business to grow
Graham Turley | Managing Director, Institutional Australia
Profitability is vital to a healthy industry but, as we all understand, agri businesses have to be sustainable as well as profitable.
23 Jun 2014
New Zealand’s Bull – or Cow – Rush
Andrew Cornell | Past Managing Editor, bluenotes
In the huge produce hall at Fieldays in Hamilton New Zealand, the southern hemisphere’s largest agricultural trade fair, a sausage and small goods maker was lamenting how difficult he was finding it to secure supplies of top quality beef and lamb.
30 May 2014
Farm entrepreneurs to drive agri-sector growth
Nicole Franklin | BlueNotes contributing editor
Agriculture in Australia: The Asian Food Bowl is real – but it can be harder to reach than many companies think.
09 May 2014
How Aussie farmers can find the Food Bowl
David McKinna | Principal, MCKINNA
There is an apparent disconnect between the optimism around the Asian dining boom and the pessimism of many Australian farmers, at least as it is portrayed in the media.
08 May 2014
7 ways to solve the NZ agri capital deficit?
Graham Turley | Managing Director, Institutional Australia
Agri-business is New Zealand’s most productive and successful business sector yet it struggles to attract investor capital.
24 Mar 2014
Unleash the Tiger
ANZ Corporate Communications |
A more rapid and broader development of financial markets in Asia is increasingly important to support economic growth in the region. ANZ Research projects 10 key Asian economies will together come to dominate global finance. The importance of Europe and the US will shrink. That will mean the emergence of multiple financial centres, increasingly sophisticated financial products and firms which invest in them. Asia will increasingly finance Asia. ANZ estimates the region’s financial system could be as large as $US200 trillion by 2030. This would make it about four times the current size of the Asian financial system and more than twice as big as we project the US financial system to be in 2030.
13 Mar 2014
From wet market to supermarket
Tania Motton | ANZ General Manager, Business Banking Australia
China’s sprawling “wet” markets dominate the sales of fresh produce – but they are not where the opportunity for primary producers lay. Growing wealth is sending Chinese shoppers to supermarkets. Packaging, distribution and marketing are critical challenges if Australian and New Zealand companies want to grow their role in “feeding the dragon”. As a China-Australia Free Trade Agreement becomes more likely, new strategies are required.
15 Oct 2013
'Bold Thinking'
ANZ Corporate Communications |
The fourth report in the ANZ insight series, ‘Bold Thinking: Imagining PNG in the Asian Century’ was released on 15 October 2013.
19 Oct 2012
'Greener Pastures'
ANZ Corporate Communications |
The third report in the ANZ insight series, ‘Greener Pastures: The Global Soft Commodity Opportunity for Australia and New Zealand’ was released in October, 2012.
06 Oct 2012
'Quality Matters'
ANZ Corporate Communications |
The second report in the ANZ insight series, ‘Quality Matters: A Progress Report on Australia’s Natural Resources Export Opportunity’ was released on 6 October 2012. The report provides an update on Australia’s progress in capturing the commodity opportunity created by a developing Asia. It follows the release in 2011 of the first ANZ insight report, ‘Earth, Fire, Wind and Water: Economic Opportunities and the Australian Commodities Cycle.’
Digging in to dirty data
Helen Clark | Freelance journalist & former Asian correspondent
The cult of analytics seems a million miles removed from dirt, but data management is being used to map and categorise soil in the hope it will lead to greater food security, better soil health and long-term benefit to the global agriculture sector.