This week's roundup: Bosisto's to triple its eucalyptus oil, Australian Commodity MAY Update, Safety protection on Quad Bikes, Mid-Month Pressure, and more updates. Plus, fresh listings, auction dates, and more from across Australian ag. Let's get into it →

Australian company Bosisto's has opened a new distillery in the state of Victoria, expanding its local production of eucalyptus oil.

The $10 million purpose-built facility near Wedderburn, north-west of Bendigo, triples the amount of oil the company can produce.

Eucalyptus oil is extracted from the leaves of blue mallee trees native to the area, using steam.

Bosisto's executive director, Tegan Abbott, said the new distillery is modern and efficient.

"We did previously have a distillery here, but [it was] pretty old and a little bit ancient," Ms Abbott said.

"We wanted to really set things up for new modern manufacturing capabilities, increase efficiencies, increase productivity, and also improve safety."

Eucalyptus oil has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.

Pharmacist Joseph Bosisto pioneered the eucalyptus oil trade, establishing a commercial plantation and distillery in Victoria in 1852.

While Australia once supplied all of the world's eucalyptus oil, the local industry has declined in recent decades.

Bosisto's is now trying to reverse that. "There's growing demand for eucalyptus oil out there," Ms Abbott said.

"Back in about 2011, we made a real investment to produce more eucalyptus oil, which required more eucalyptus trees.

"We embarked on quite a big project with Melbourne University to create high-yielding blue mallee trees, a bit like a super tree that could produce more oil."

Five million trees were planted in central Victoria as part of that project.

"That's a lot of what we call leaf biomass that we want to distil … so we've built a new, a purpose-built facility for eucalyptus oil distillation," she said.

Ms Abbott said the new distillery will not only boost production by 300 per cent but also has sustainable features.

"We extract the oil from the leaf via steam distillation, and then that leaf biomass is actually used as fuel later on once it's dried out to stoke the boiler and create steam," she said.

"It's got off-grid capacity, so we've installed about 2,000 solar panels up here in order to power up the distillery, and then we're reusing a lot of water."

The trees also re-grow after they are harvested.

"We cut a couple of centimetres from the ground … so we almost give them a haircut effectively," Ms Abbott said.

"We don't use pesticides or fertilisers. It's just rain, sun and the soil, and they continue to grow back up again."

Local manufacturing

The new distillery project was supported by the Victorian government through its Manufacturing Growth Program.

"Bosisto's is a long-running success story for regional Victoria," the Regional Development Minister Michaela Settle said.

"I'm thrilled that we've been able to support the next chapter, which will see a boost to regional production."

The Loddon Shire Council mayor, Dan Straub, said the investment was a vote of confidence in the region.

"Bosisto's have been a part of our strong local community for many decades," he said.

"[The facility] brings advanced manufacturing technology, new jobs and indirect economic activity for local businesses and suppliers."

At least seven new ongoing jobs have been created through the project, including five on-site.

Family legacy

The Bosisto's company has been owned by the Abbott family for 50 years.

Ms Abbott said her father, Peter Abbott, dreamt of seeing the Australian eucalyptus oil industry prosper before his death in 2022, aged 92.

"He was just really passionate about bringing it into the 21st century and modernising it," she said.

"When he first got involved, there were still horses and carts cutting trees.

"It feels like an accumulation of a lot of hard work, not just from him, but from our whole team."

The family plans to plant more trees and expand the business.

"That really is the plan … we'd love to see it continuing to grow," Ms Abbott said.

Agriculture continues to face the challenges of adverse weather conditions and elevated input costs in Australia and globally. Such risks are driving grain markets higher, though most growers remain focused on sowing at present. Livestock prices slipped over the last month on the back of drier weather conditions, though a smaller national flock is limiting further downside to lamb and mutton prices. Demand for Australian wool remains robust, while cost-conscious shopping behaviour here at home may partially limit the rise of dairy retail prices.

New research has found rollover and crush protection on quad bikes is leading to a reduction in farm deaths, particularly in Victoria.

A preliminary report published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health examined whether mandatory rollover protection introduced in 2020–21 had improved safety.

The lead author, honorary associate professor Tony Lower from AgHealth Australia, said the figures showed that fewer people were dying.

"Of course, we'd like to see it at zero; but all being said, it is headed in the right direction, which is a really fantastic effort," Dr Lower said. 

"Farming as a workplace is one of the deadliest places in Australia for injuries and deaths at work."

The research shows that 161 people died in work-related quad bike deaths in Australia between 2001 and 2024, averaging seven fatal crashes a year.

Nearly all deaths happened on farms, and 65 per cent of them were the result of rollovers.

The data shows that work-related quad bike deaths peaked in 2016–17, but dropped by 2024 after the new safety measures were introduced. 

"Rule changes like this can have significant outcomes on people's lives," Dr Lower said.

"It addresses a long-term issue with the stability of quad bikes and the potential if they do roll over to prevent crush and asphyxiation injuries."

The figures revealed a significant reduction in work-related quad bike deaths and rollovers in Victoria in recent years.

Deaths in Queensland also went down, but the numbers rose slightly in New South Wales.

"In Victoria, there's been a larger requirement for enforcing the fitting of those operator protection devices," Dr Lower said.

"They've also worked with farmers to ensure that things like helmets and the vehicles are in good maintenance.

"So it's a whole package of approaches that actually make the reduction."

Felicity Richards, chairperson of Farmsafe Australia, said it was heartening to see a reduction "even if that is only small nationally".

"We're really hopeful that quad bikes will ultimately follow that trajectory of tractors … with the introduction of rollover protection, there's been incredibly significant improvements in outcomes," Ms Richards said.

Ms Richards said it would be interesting to see if further research could confirm that regulatory enforcement was making a difference.

"Our focus has been on encouraging people to create a culture where they are doing things like always having (operator protection devices) on the bike, always assessing the terrain and the training of the person using it, and always wearing the helmet," she said.

Dr Lower acknowledged that more research was needed into quad bike deaths since the safety changes, particularly around enforcement.

"One of our recommendations is to actually look exactly at what Victoria's done, why it's worked, and look at that in more depth," he said.

As we move through the middle of the month, Australian farmers are continuing to navigate a challenging mix of rising costs, tighter finance conditions and unpredictable operating pressures.

Interest rates remain one of the biggest talking points across rural businesses. With borrowing costs sitting at elevated levels, many producers are feeling the impact through higher repayments, reduced cash flow flexibility and stricter lending conditions. At the same time, fuel, freight and maintenance costs continue to hold well above long-term averages, keeping pressure firmly on margins.

But despite the tougher environment, activity across the sector hasn’t slowed.

Farmers are still investing — just more strategically. Across cropping, livestock, and mixed operations, there’s a stronger focus on equipment and infrastructure that improves efficiency, reduces downtime and lowers long-term operating costs. Reliability is becoming more valuable than expansion.

Another clear trend this week is the rise in refinancing and debt restructuring activity. More producers are reviewing existing loans, consolidating facilities and using available equity to improve liquidity and regain breathing room while conditions remain tight.

The goal isn’t simply to reduce debt — it’s to create flexibility and maintain control.

In this environment, Pay In Time Finance continues working alongside Australian farmers to help restructure lending, reduce repayment pressure where possible, and align machinery, vehicle and equipment finance with seasonal income cycles.

Conditions remain demanding, but the businesses making proactive decisions now are putting themselves in a stronger position for the second half of the year.

A cloud of dust billows around a cattle truck as it rattles onto a parched farm in south-west Queensland.

Bill Plant has ordered the truck to take the last of his family's weaners to sale, as part of a destocking program driven by dry conditions on their Meandarra property, about 380 kilometres west of Brisbane.

His herd of about 1,000 cattle has been reduced to fewer than 400.

"In the last three months, we've sold about 640 cattle, and of that, 70 per cent would be forced sales, cattle we weren't planning to sell. But yeah, we've had to," he said.

Mr Plant said the strategy was to offload most of their stock to preserve feed for their breeding herd, with paddocks almost down to "bare dirt".

"When it gets to these dry conditions, what we are keeping are the best-performing cattle because they'll cost us less to maintain in the drought," he said.

Mr Plant said he learned the approach during the record-breaking 2019 drought, along with digging deeper dams and preparing more silage, but there was only so much producers could do.

With less than 50 millimetres of rain falling on the family's property in the first four months of the year, traditionally the wet season, he said it felt like after six good years, the "tap has been turned off" again.

The Bureau of Meteorology does not have a rain gauge near the Plants' property, but figures from across southern Queensland show some sites are experiencing their driest start to the year on record.

Leyburn, about 60 kilometres south of Toowoomba, typically records an average of 314 millimetres of rain between November and April, but has received just 89mm this season.

Old Cashmere, north of St George, has recorded 131mm less than its mean over the same period, while Glengallan Creek, just north of Warwick, is down nearly 300mm.

Mr Plant said he believed conditions warranted a drought declaration.

"There are plenty of people within 100 kilometres of us in a similar situation, and down south, there are plenty of dry areas. It probably should be called," he said.

Such a declaration would unlock targeted support, including electricity rebates, water licence fee relief, and the possibility of emergency drought assistance loans.

"I think it's bad enough now that we could be declared because we haven't got very much feed left, not very much grass, and our water supply is getting low as well," Bill's father, Malcom Plant, said.

"The outlook for rain is very slim. That's another big factor."

Queensland Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said the government would monitor conditions and work with local drought committees throughout May, with the "possibility of declarations shortly after".

Livestock agent Harry Grant said there were "a lot of people" being forced to sell cattle.

The price for young cattle has fallen by about $300 a head from its peak in December last year and is now averaging around $1,240, according to Meat & Livestock Australia.

Mr Grant said prices were relatively strong despite the drop.

"There is definitely still value in cattle at the moment if you have the feed," he said.

"A lot of cattle are going into the western region, where they received significant rain earlier in the year."

Every deal starts costing you before it starts paying you.

We were a few weeks into one of those conversations with a business that wanted to automate parts of how they handled incoming work. Good fit, engaged from the start. The kind of client you think is worth the effort.

Then what they were actually asking for started to change. A few tweaks here, a few extra asks there. We adjusted, of course. Absorbed more than we'd planned. What’s a couple of concessions if it helps get the deal over the line after all? Then from them: nothing. 

They just disappeared. And that’s when you remember something worth keeping in mind.

Every Deal Has a Pursuit Cost

Before a deal closes, you’re already spending money. Not always in cash, but in hours, attention, and mental bandwidth.

The pitch and the proposal are the parts you can see. What's harder to account for is everything that stacks on top. Most businesses don't add this up until something goes cold. By then, it's already gone. Whether a deal closes or not, the pursuit cost was real. 

The meter was running the whole time. 

Watch the Early Concessions 

Don’t get me wrong, some clients are worth going further for. If they’re serious, responsive, and clearly building toward something, it can make sense to stretch a little. Don’t turn away good business just because it asks for a bit more. 

But there’s a difference between leaning in and getting bent out of shape.

A small concession here and there is part of the dance. The trouble starts when each adjustment becomes the new starting point.

Worth Counting

Before the next adjustment, tally what the pursuit has already cost. Not just hours — the preparation, the goodwill, the revised terms, the energy of keeping it alive. If the number surprises you, that's useful information. 

If you're working through something like this in your own operation, worth a conversation. 

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G’day REALM Readers,

I thought I’d share this cracking story from Canadian Peter Tierney. It all started with a beer at Expo ’88 and two North Queensland ringers... leading to a cattle station adventure, a Canadian flag, and a promise that took 38 years to fulfil. Over to you, Pete...

'38 years ago, I travelled to Brisbane, Australia, for an AIESEC business internship working at Morgan Investments during World Expo 1988. One evening at the German Beer Hall, I met two cowboys/jackaroos from Northern Queensland… Billy and Andy Fordyce.

During our conversation, I mentioned that one of my dreams was to work on a cattle station. Their response was simple:

“No worries, mate, come on up and work with us.”

And that’s exactly what I did.

I spent time working on their cattle station (Wyena Station near Clermont) and experienced firsthand the incredible hospitality, friendship, and generosity that Australians are known for.

Before I left Australia, Billy and I made a deal: I would leave him with a Canadian flag, and one day he would return it to me in Canada when he came to visit.

Fast forward 38 years.

Last week, Billy and his wife Margot travelled all the way from Australia to Saskatoon, Canada, to fulfil that promise. And in a moment neither of us will ever forget, Billy returned the very same Canadian flag I had given him nearly four decades ago.

It was emotional, meaningful, and a powerful reminder that relationships truly matter. In business and in life, the connections we make, the promises we keep, and the friendships we nurture can come full circle in ways we never expect.

A reminder to always network, stay connected, and value friendships… because you never know when life will bring great people back into your life again.

Well said, Pete... It’s a great example of how the people you meet along the way can leave a lasting mark on your life.

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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.