This week's roundup: Tools on demand, Mutton volume and price ratios, TMA, NFF welcome Right to Repair progress, Labour Softens, Markets Shift and Farmers Stay Sharp, But Pressure Hasn’t Gone Away, Angus bull sells, and more updates. Plus, fresh listings, auction dates, and more from across Australia's ag sector. Let's get into it

As machinery costs rise, James Oxenham explains how on-demand equipment hire can give Australian farmers greater flexibility, financial resilience, and access to new technology.

Back in the day, every farm shed had its own tractor, header, and baler, ready for the field at any time. We all remember the times when owning a full line-up of machinery was simply what you did, and now, that world is slowly becoming a memory. 

Today, machinery-sharing platforms and contract services are transforming how farmers access equipment, replacing ownership with on-demand access. And right now, Australian agriculture is experiencing this shift in ways that go well beyond just machinery.

Australia's agricultural equipment market reached $7.8 billion in 2024, with rental and leasing models experiencing significant growth as farms increasingly choose to hire machinery during peak seasons, rather than commit to outright purchases. This shift represents a fundamental rethinking of how Australian farmers approach their operations, and it's reshaping the industry from the ground up.

The high cost of ownership

For decades, owning equipment was non-negotiable in farming. A harvester in the shed meant security and readiness. But the reality is that modern agricultural machinery comes with eye-watering price tags that can cripple smaller operations before they even get started. A new harvester can cost upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that's before factoring in maintenance, storage, insurance, and the inevitable depreciation that begins the moment it rolls off the lot.

For many farms, particularly smaller and medium-sized operations, these upfront costs remain prohibitive. It's like being told you need to buy an entire cinema just to watch a single film. The maths simply doesn't work, especially when that machinery might only be used intensively for a few weeks each year.

Pay for what you use, when you use it

The on-demand model flips this equation entirely. Instead of shouldering massive upfront investments, farmers can access the equipment they need precisely when they need it, paying only for the period of use. Why own it when you can hire it?

This approach delivers immediate benefits to cash flow management. Agriculture is inherently seasonal, with income concentrated around harvest periods and significant expenses spread throughout the year. Equipment hire aligns costs with revenue, allowing farmers to factor in spending that ebbs and flows with their seasonal income patterns rather than being locked into hefty loan repayments regardless of how the season performs.

Building resilience into operations

Australian farmers know better than most that the weather doesn't always cooperate. Drought, floods, and unpredictable conditions can derail even the best-laid plans. When you've sunk hundreds of thousands into machinery that's now sitting idle because the weather has disrupted production, those sunk costs hurt. Equipment hire offers a buffer against this volatility, providing resilience when it matters most.

If conditions aren't right, you're not left carrying the burden of expensive assets depreciating in the shed. And when opportunities arise, such as a bumper season or a chance to take on contract work, you can scale up quickly without the lead time required to finance and purchase additional equipment.

Always accessing the latest technology

Agricultural technology is advancing rapidly. GPS-guided systems, precision agriculture tools, and efficiency improvements are transforming what's possible on modern farms. With hire models, farmers can access the latest releases without worrying about depreciation. Just as streaming services allow us to always have access to new movies and TV shows, equipment hire means you're working with current technology that can improve yields, reduce waste, and boost productivity. Next season brings new innovations? Simply hire the updated model.

Flexibility for changing needs

Farm operations are rarely static. You might need a specialised piece of equipment for one job, then something entirely different next month. Perhaps you're experimenting with a new crop or expanding into different activities. Equipment hire provides the flexibility to scale machinery up or down as needs change. This adaptability is particularly valuable in an industry facing ongoing challenges around labour shortages and the need to do more with less. The right equipment at the right time can make the difference between a successful season and a struggling one.

The future of Australian agriculture

The shift towards equipment hire isn't a passing trend. It's a pragmatic response to the realities of modern farming, where agility and financial prudence are just as important as hard work and expertise. As the agricultural equipment market continues to evolve, the farms that thrive will be those that embrace flexibility and focus their capital where it delivers the greatest return.

The online, on-demand revolution taught us that access trumps ownership when it comes to convenience and value. Australian farmers can benefit from the same lesson, with on-demand machinery transforming how they approach agriculture.

Sheep meat prices are trading at high levels anyway they are presented, with mutton well and truly holding its own. This article takes a look at supply-side factors influencing the mutton price.

The makeup of the Australian flock in the late 1980s/early 1990s was unusually skewed toward merino wool production, in relation to the flock and wool clip makeup of the 1950s through 1970s. Since the collapse of the Reserve Price Scheme in 1991, the Australian flock and wool clip have reverted in structure towards the pre-1980s model. With this trend, lamb production has risen to levels well above those of the earlier decades.

Figure 1 looks at annual Australian sheep meat production for the past four decades. It compares the proportion of sheep meat production that was mutton and the mutton-to-lamb price ratio (NSW saleyard per kg dressed weight prices used). In the early 1990s, as the Australian flock was in full contractionary mode, mutton reached a proportion of sheep meat production of 59%. At the same time, mutton fell to its lowest point at 12% of the average price for trade lamb, and below 30% for the first half of the 1990s.

From the early 1990s, the mutton ratio of Australian sheep meat production gradually trended lower through to 2012. Since 2012, mutton production has basically ranged between 22% and 32% of sheep meat production. As the proportion of mutton was falling, the mutton-to-lamb price ratio was rising.

To better illustrate the correlation between supply and price ratios, Figure 2 takes Figure 1 and splits the two series so that the price ratio is shown on the left-hand axis and the volume ratio on the right-hand axis, with the volume ratio reversed so that when the proportion of mutton falls, it better matches the rise in the price ratio to lamb. A simple linear regression shows the volume ratio for lamb accounts for around 70% of the price ratio across the 40 years, although the correlation drops to 50-60% when the series is broken into two 20-year periods. Since 2010, the mutton price ratio to lamb has averaged 65%.

There have been some wild swings in sheep meat prices since 2010, with 2023 the most recent in memory. Clearly there is some volatility in sheep meat prices and the mutton-to-lamb price ratio. Figure 3 looks at this period, comparing the mutton-to-lamb price ratio with the year-on-year change in small ruminant slaughter numbers. Slaughter numbers jump around, varying by 15-20% in volatile years. In 2013 and 2023-2024, when the mutton-to-lamb price ratio fell to below 50%, the slaughter numbers had risen by 18-20%. In a surfeit of livestock to kill, mutton gets pushed to the back of the line, with the relative price falling away. The reverse happens when slaughter numbers fall; mutton becomes more desirable, and the price ratio rises to 75-80%. A price ratio of 70% plus of a super strong lamb price delivers very high mutton prices.

In summary, a mutton price ratio to lamb of 65% +/- 15% is underpinned by mutton now accounting for around 20-30% of Australian sheep meat production. The mutton price ratio is pushed to the outer limits of this range by year-on-year changes in small ruminant slaughter numbers, which are usually driven by changes in seasonal conditions.

The late 1980s and early 1990s were an unusual period for the Australian sheep flock and its attendant wool and sheep meat production. As such, it is not a good guide to what is normal. Since 2010, mutton has settled at around 20-30% of Australian sheep meat production, with the mutton-to-lamb price ratio averaging 65%, with variations around the average of up to 15% driven by year-on-year change in slaughter numbers. That is the structure of the sheep meat market.

THE Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s release of a consultation paper seeking feedback on proposed right-to-repair (R2R) reforms for agricultural machinery.

The proposal to expand Australia’s R2R laws to agricultural machinery follows significant engagement by the TMA and its members with governments, industry, and farmers to support practical, safe and workable repair outcomes for Australian farmers.

TMA executive director Gary Northover said the TMA had long supported practical R2R outcomes that reduce downtime for farmers while making sure that agricultural machinery continues to operate safely and reliably.

“The TMA and its members have worked constructively with industry and government to advance solutions that support Australian farmers,” Mr Northover said.

“Our members are committed to supporting farmers with safe, productive machinery solutions that improve reliability and minimise downtime.

“We welcome the government progressing this consultation process and look forward to contributing constructively to reforms that improve access to repair information, strengthen competition and deliver practical benefits for farmers.”

Mr Northover said the Australian agricultural machinery industry had already been making progress toward improving right to repair access and support arrangements in line with international developments.

“This consultation is an opportunity to build on those efforts through a balanced framework that improves repair outcomes while protecting safety and equipment integrity.

“The TMA looks forward to working with governments, farmers and industry throughout this process to deliver strong and effective outcomes for Australian agriculture.”

The National Farmers’ Federation has also welcomed the Federal Government’s move.

NFF president Hamish McIntyre said the announcement reflected years of advocacy by the NFF and its members to tackle costly delays and barriers to repairing farm machinery.

“This is a win for the sector after a period of uncertainty,” Mr McIntyre said.

“Modelling by the Productivity Commission shows this reform could lift agricultural production to $97 million, and greater competition in the repair sector will lead to a $311 million increase in GDP.

“This is a step towards giving farmers more freedom to choose who services and repairs their machinery. That means less downtime, lower costs, and more control over their own businesses.

“The NFF and our members thank the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh and the Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins, and Minister for Small Business Anne Aly for listening and progressing this for farmers.”

The NFF said the consultation was a major milestone towards delivering the government’s commitment to expand R2R laws to agricultural machinery.

“We’ll continue working closely with government and industry to get these important laws implemented,” Mr McIntyre said.

For the week ending 28 August 2026, finance is back at the centre of farm planning.

The latest inflation figures showed annual CPI easing to 3.5%, down from 3.8%, but the underlying picture is still uncomfortable. Trimmed mean inflation remained at 3.6%, which keeps pressure on the Reserve Bank and has lifted expectations that another cash rate increase is still possible before the end of the year.

For farmers, that means the cash rate may be steady for now, but borrowing conditions are not relaxing. Machinery finance, overdrafts, working capital andproperty-backed lending remain expensive, and any further rate move would put more pressure on repayments.

Fuel is also back in focus. July’s inflation data showed fuel costs moving sharply higher, which matters directly on the farm. Diesel flows through nearly every part of agriculture — machinery, freight, spraying, irrigation, livestock transport and grain movement. Even when commodity prices are holding up, higher fuel can quickly eat into margins.

There has been some positive news across livestock markets. Rainfall across large parts of the country helped support cattle and sheep prices this week, with cattle yardings falling and most indicators strengthening. Wool also showed improvement, with both eastern and western indicators moving higher.

On the rural policy front, debate has intensified around productive farmland being shifted toward carbon and forestry projects, particularly after renewed attention on major Tasmanian farmland transactions. That issue is becoming more important for farmers watching land values, food production and long-term regional investment.

In this environment, Pay In Time Finance is helping Australian farmers review existing lending, refinance higher-cost debt, reduce repayment pressure, unlock equity and structure machinery or equipment finance around seasonal cash flow.

The message this week is clear: inflation is easing, but not enough to relax. Farmers who stay ahead of finance, fuel and margin pressure will be best placed for the months ahead.

In short:

A bull bred in Central West NSW has become the most expensive beef animal ever sold in Australia. Millah Murrah Wyatt W50 was named in honour of the breeder's late father.

What's next?

The bull's semen will be collected, and there has already been global interest in the genetics. An Angus bull from New South Wales has become the most expensive beef animal ever traded in Australia, selling for $420,000 at a Central West bull sale.

Wyatt W50 was just the fourth lot to sell at Millah Murrah's annual sale near Bathurst, where bidding saw the price skyrocket past the former all-breeds bull record of $360,000.

It also surpassed the all-time beef animal record of $400,000 paid for a Wagyu heifer in 2022.

The bull was named after stud principal Ross Thompson's late father, which made the sale emotional for his family.

"I did have sunnies on, but apparently you could see [the tears] streaming," Mr Thompson said.

"He was just simply outstanding and extremely hard to fault. I did consider him the best bull, on balance, that we'd ever put in the sale ring.

"I was wondering why I was selling him by the time we got to the sale."

Auctioneer Paul Dooley said it was an exciting afternoon.

"You can hear the buzz in the crowd as the numbers go up," he said.

"It certainly speaks to the confidence in the cattle industry."

Gundungarra Angus purchased the bull at Moss Vale in the NSW Southern Highlands.

In breeding terms, the bull holds genes for everything cattle farmers chase — from calving ease to strong weight gains.

"In human terms, he's supermodel-level looks," Mr Thompson said.

"He's got a pedigree that's globally very diverse and on top of that. He's just an incredibly versatile bull."

Millah Murrah retains a 20 per cent share in the bull, and will work closely with Gundungarra Angus to manage the high demand for semen sales.

Mr Thompson said semen from the bull was already attracting interest from Australia, Canada and the USA.

"It's nice to think that people from other parts of the world are looking at Australia as a potential genetic source, so it's quite an exciting moment," he said.

"The semen revenue potential in a bull like that would go into the seven-figure mark."

Mr Thompson said managing such a valuable animal could be stressful.

"I've got 250 [semen] units in the tank, so if he drops dead, we've got him genetically away," he said.

After a mass sell-off of cattle from drought-hit northern NSW, 2026 was tipped to be a challenging bull-selling season.

But Mr Thompson said the record-breaking bull was in a league of his own.

"You're talking about one particularly elite animal," he said.

(RGA26016) (REALM Group Australia Pty Ltd) The Original Australia-wide Multi Vendor Auction Group

Starts: 02/09/2026, 08:00 am
Ends: 03/09/2026, 08:00 pm

If your business has something useful to say, someone else may already have the audience for it.

When businesses think about podcasting, they usually picture themselves starting a show.

Then come the microphones, recording software, episode planning, guest coordination, editing, promotion, and the weekly commitment to keep the whole thing alive.

For many businesses, that is far more machinery than they need.

There is another way to benefit from podcasting: appear on a show whose audience already cares about what you know.

We spend a fair amount of time working around business podcasts, and the strongest guests are not always prominent names or polished speakers.

They are people who understand something properly.

An electrician knows which warning signs property owners tend to ignore. A pest manager can explain why the same treatment produces different results throughout the year. A farmer knows where promising technology struggles once it leaves the demonstration site.

That knowledge may feel ordinary when you use it every day. To the right audience, it can be genuinely useful.

The question is not, “Why would anybody want to hear about my business?”

It is, “What does my business know that could help someone understand this industry better?”

A podcast host needs a worthwhile episode. They do not need another person asking for half an hour to promote a service.

Instead of offering to “talk about what we do,” propose something specific:

Start with five podcasts already ¹speaking to your customers, industry or local business community.

Listen to a few recent episodes. Look for a subject they have not covered, or one where your experience adds a genuinely different perspective. Then approach the host with a concise idea for the discussion—not a biography and a list of services.

You do not need to become a podcaster. You need something worth saying, a clear reason for saying it, and the right room in which to say it.

If you have the expertise but aren’t sure how to turn it into a worthwhile podcast pitch, it may be worth a conversation. Shoot us a message at [email protected] 

G’day REALM READERS,

Students are getting pumped for the upcoming Ariat 2026 High School Campdraft Percentile Cup at the Pittsworth Showgrounds in QLD from 2 to 4 October, and it is shaping up to be an absolute cracker. More than 300 young riders from around 40 schools across Queensland and NSW are expected to compete!

I love how these types of events get started in the bush. This one began thanks to Emily Curr, who was then a student at school...

She told me on the phone this week...

“I was in Grade 8 in 2016 and couldn’t play touch footy or tennis, so I went to my principal with a posterboard presentation of my idea for a campdraft, and the rest is history!”

I wish I had a school principal like that! What started as one student’s idea has grown into one of Australia’s leading school campdrafting events, giving young riders the chance to represent their schools while putting their horsemanship, stock handling and teamwork to the test.

More importantly, it brings together the next generation of station hands and agricultural leaders...

RFTTE is also very proud to be sponsoring the Stand-Out Student Award, recognising a young competitor who demonstrates terrific sportsmanship, leadership, attitude and a willingness to help others. And the prize? The magnificent RFTTE trophy buckle pictured above...

We cannot wait to see who gets the 'gold in the buckle' at Pittsworth this October. 

Read more: https://rfttejobs.com/blog/high-school-campdraft-pittsworth-2026/

And Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there, you legends, keep up the good work, have a great day and lap up all the treats whilst you can!

Hooroo for now,

Hooroo for now,
Simon Cheatham
Founder, RFTTE - The Online Campfire
0417 277 488 | [email protected]

Robbie is definitely 'that guy!' He's even got his own cartoon character.