Rural Aid launches Tax Appeal to support farmers under pressure
Australian farmers are facing mounting pressure as drought, fires, floods and rising costs continue to impact communities across the country.
Rural Aid is calling on Australians to stand with farmers and their families, as many continue to recover from recent disasters while managing the rising cost of keeping their farms running.
Drought, fires, floods and cyclones have hit farming regions in quick succession, leaving many communities still recovering while preparing for what comes next. At the same time, soaring costs for essential inputs like diesel and fertiliser are making it harder to maintain day-to-day operations.
Bendigo Bank Agribusiness: Australian farmland values hit new record, but growth cools to 12-year low
The Australian farmland market climbed 2.8 per cent to a new national record median price of $10,516 per hectare in 2025, with 6.3 million hectares of land traded, says Bendigo Bank Agribusiness’ 2026 Australian Farmland Values Report.
However, the market is now showing clear signs of cooling, with the annual growth rate the slowest in a 12-year run of consecutive growth.
The Report indicates a significant shift in the market from the double-digit growth seen between 2018 and 2022 and heralds a landscape where buyers are becoming increasingly selective, said Bendigo Bank Agribusiness Senior Manager Industry Insights, Eliza Redfern.
Counting down to the Australian Beef Industry’s Biggest Week
Beef Australia marks 12 months to go until Beef 2027, our award winning, week-long showcase of the beef industry, taking place between the 2nd and 8th May 2027.
Beef Australia Chair, Adelaide McDonald says it is wonderful to be celebrating we are 12 months away from the opening of Beef 2027.
“Since its beginnings in 1988, Australia’s Bicentennial year, the Beef Australia Expo has continued to showcase all facets of the Beef industry to people across the nation and the world.
“The Board of Directors and I are looking forward to welcoming over 120,000 guests to what is Australia’s greatest festival of all things Beef,” Ms McDonald said.
Beef Australia is built by people, passion, and legacy. Beef 2027 will be the place where industry connects, shares opportunity and evolves.
Food price inflation remains entrenched above three per cent
While headline annual inflation rose sharply in the March 2026 Consumer Price Index (CPI), the re-acceleration in inflation was not, at this point, food led, with food price inflation remaining similar to levels recorded since mid-2025.
The latest CPI data, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today, found headline inflation rose 4.6 per cent year‑on‑year in March 2026, accelerating sharply from 3.7 per cent in February and reaching its highest annual rate since September 2023.
New data shows rural Medicare reforms are working
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) welcomes new data from the Cleanbill 2026 Blue Report released today, showing gains in bulk billing access in rural and remote Australia following the November 2025 Medicare changes.
However, ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin says the data highlights both the impact and the limits of incentive-based policy.
“This data tells an encouraging story about what targeted Medicare investment can achieve,” Dr Martin says.
“But it also shows how much work remains.
“Incentives can shift behaviour — but they don’t build a workforce or make it viable to run a clinic in a rural, remote, or First Nations communities.”
