Farmanco Facts - March 2026

Mar 17
3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Thanks to the Farmanco teams for contributing to the March edition of Farmanco Facts.

Key points to articles are below.

Remember, to subscribe to our monthly newsletter Farmanco Facts, visit our Website store, contact your Consultant or their Admin Support, or email admin@farmanco.com.au.

Introducing Jonathan Uphill

Farmanco Management Consultant, Wagga NSW

Jonathan joined Farmanco in January, as a Farm Management Consultant, based at Wagga, NSW.
His focus is helping growers and businesses in southern NSW, make confident, well‑informed decisions, through:

o Clear Analysis

o Practical Strategy; and

o Solutions that drive long-term business performance.

Looking for a Farm Management Consultant around Wagga Wagga, NSW - contact jonathan@farmanco.com.au

Watch Out for Take-All

David Cameron (Agronomy Consultant)

Two successive wet winters has increased Take-All inoculum in soils.
Rotation is the key driver for controlling this disease.
Summer rain will help reduce the inoculum.
In-furrow and seed applied fungicides can improve crop performance

Take-all is a root disease of grasses including cereals (especially Wheat). It is a wet environment disease, where the top 10cm of soil is constantly damp.

When Energy Policy sets Canola Prices: Biofuels Outlook 2026

Don McTaggart (Grain Marketing Consultant)

Biofuel policy, not just supply and demand, is now driving global vegetable oil markets.
US, EU and Asian mandates are tightening feedstock competition and reshaping trade flows.
SAF growth is adding a new structural demand layer for vegetable oils and ethanol.
Understanding biofuel policy is now essential to understanding canola price risk.

Biofuel markets are no longer a niche influence on grain pricing. In 2026, they sit at the centre of global vegetable oil demand and increasingly shape canola price direction.

Pre-Season Mice Alert

David Cameron (Agronomy Consultant)

Summer rainfall, combined with abundant food (grain) and shelter (stubble), creates ideal conditions for mouse populations to build in many areas.
Only the less effective 25 g/kg zinc phosphide baits will be available going forward.
These baits perform best when background food levels in the paddock are minimal.
Be more proactive with these weaker baits by spreading after seeding and again before spring. Try to get the whole district involved

Mice numbers are building on the back of two good seasons. While not widespread, there are already areas with significant numbers of mice in paddocks.

Building your Superannuation. A Guide for Cropping Farmers

Samantha Hamilton (Key Choice Financial Solutions)

Cropping income is highly variable—making superannuation contribution flexibility especially valuable.
Unused concessional contributions (CCs) can be carried forward for up to five years if your total super balance (TSB) is under $500,000.
Non concessional contributions (NCCs) allow you to move after tax wealth into the low tax super environment.
A coordinated approach using CC and NCC strategies can materially reduce tax and build long term off farm wealth.

Farmers face a unique financial landscape. Income can swing dramatically depending on rainfall, frost events, input costs, grain quality, and commodity prices … many farmers underutilise superannuation … superannuation remains one of the most tax effective and flexible tools available to primary producers.

How Can We Afford New, Expensive, Machinery?

Ben Curtis (Farmanco Management Consultant)

There are three common rules of thumb to consider when undertaking machinery investment.

o Annual Machinery Capital less than 10% of farm turnover.

o Total Machinery Value less than 80% farm turnover; and

o Machinery Value $/ha.

Machinery value relative to income has nearly doubled.
Replacement cost is now often greater than annual depreciation

Farmanco consultants are continually being asked about ever increasing machinery costs and what it means for farming businesses. The new price of machinery outpaces farm income, which creates challenges. There are several ways to tackle this, but it’s probably good to look at the hard data.