Farmanco Facts August 2025

tnankivell
Aug 3
2 min read

Carbon On-Farm Workshops: Understand, Measure & Manage it Profitably

Upcoming events:

Esperance Carbon Workshop on 11th September
Jerramungup on the 12th September; and
Yarrawonga Carbon On-Farm Workshop on 16th October.

Follow Farmanco socials for more information.

Visit Eventbrite to RSVP.

Thanks to these Farmanco consultants for their contributions Farmanco Facts, August edition: Mae Connelly (Esperance), Rob Sands (Perth), Brent Pritchard (Albany) and Ben Curtis (Esperance).

Not all Grain goes on a Boat: Why Domestic Demand Matters

Mae Connelly (Grain Marketing Consultant)

Around 30% of Australia’s grain is consumed domestically, with demand set to rise due to population growth and increased demand for grain-fed meats.
Feedlots and poultry drive grain demand, with cattle-on-feed numbers and days on feed both increasing steadily.
Western Australia and South Australia remain key grain exporters and supply backup during eastern droughts.
Rising east coast domestic grain demand supports WA prices, even if the link isn’t direct

On average, around 30% of the national crop is used within Australia each year — and that demand is expected to grow.

Grain Weevils: The Time to clean up is Now!

Brent Pritchard (Agronomy Consultant)

The best time to clean up storage pests is now.
Stored grain insect pests are not limited to farm storages and can be caught flying across the wider rural landscape.
Major pests can fly at least 1 to 2 km searching for grain.
Although small, grain beetles can live and reproduce for several months.
Finding five adult beetles in 1L of sieved grain means there could be as many as 450 pests in that 1L. We simply cannot easily see the egg, larval or pupal life cycle stages.

For controlling agricultural pests, the more we understand their ecology, including life cycles and what conditions enable them to multiply and thrive, the better able we are to identify their weaknesses.

Understanding Farm Carbon Emissions: Why it Matters more than Ever

Ben Curtis (Farm Management Consultant)

Carbon emissions are becoming increasingly important in Agriculture
The science behind emissions is complex.
The tools used are still evolving.
Understanding your emissions is essential, in a changing landscape.

Carbon emissions are becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation in agriculture — and for good reason.

What Makes a Top Performing Ag Business?

Rob Sands (Farm Management Consultant)

Understand the profit drivers of their farming system which increases their WUE.
They are uncompromising on getting the right timing, rate, and product for every situation.
They get the job done more quickly, more efficiently, and at a lower cost.
They keep a tight control on all costs.
They own and lease more land, buy land on performance and don’t focus on rainfall alone.

The 2025 Profit Series Top 25% has been determined by ranking on their five year average Return on Assets Managed (ROAM) — as a percentage of Productive Assets (Land – Owned and Leased or Share farmed; Infrastructure; Livestock and Machinery). The return is the Operating Profit (earnings before Interest, Lease and Sharefarm Costs, and Tax).