Farmanco Facts - Volume 45: January 2026
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Heat and floods and cost of living pressure—welcome to 2026!
Issue 1 of Volume 45 means 45 Years of Farmanco Facts, I believe. That is many years of commitment and dedication to knowledge in the Australia Ag Community.
Since December in 2025, our Management Consultants have been on the road completing post‑harvest seasonal reviews. They cover quite an area of Australia between them, as far north as the Gascoyne in WA and of course across the continent to NSW and Victoria.
Our Grain Marketing team can finally lift their heads from their computer screens and look around at the world again.
Our Agronomists are out and about in acreage with our clients, planning for the upcoming seeding season.
And still team members found time to contribute their knowledge and professionalism to our monthly publication—Farmanco Facts.
New Service: Finance Brokerage for Farm Businesses
Heath Cowden (Premium Capital Solutions)
Farmanco is pleased to announce a new partnership with Premium Capital Solutions (PCS) expanding the support we offer through dedicated finance brokerage services. This collaboration helps farming businesses secure competitive finance solutions without the stress or time burden that often comes with renegotiating banking arrangements.
See this article featured on our NEWS page.
Thoughts from a Grumpy Consultant
Eric Nankivell (Farm Management Consultant)
Many farm input and service markets rely on branding, relationships and convenience, not just product performance.
As farm businesses grow and get busier, cost discipline can quietly erode.
Better outcomes come from being inquisitive, informed, and commercially aware—without damaging key relationships.
As businesses mature, we come to rely more heavily on advice, which is absolutely the right way to go, but it's about the awareness of the advice and what the sale process is in the background.
AgriBalance Project Strengthens Mental Health Support Across WA Agribusiness
Cassandra Mansell (Project Officer)
Over the past two years, the AgriBalance Project has equipped more than 200 agribusiness professionals across WA with vital skills in mental health management and suicide prevention.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive:
99% of participants reported improved communication skills, confidence in supporting distressed clients, and greater knowledge of mental health and suicide prevention.
99% said they would recommend the training to colleagues.
In December 2025, Cass departed Farmanco after 10 great years with us. We wish Cass the very best in whatever she does next, which will include her devotion to her baby animal farm.
WA Harvest Review—2025/26
Mae Connelly (Grain Marketing Consultant)
The 2025/26 WA grain harvest was the largest on record, topping 27 million tonnes.
Low malt percentage didn’t mean tight supply. The sheer size of the crop ensured ample malt availability.
Wheat quality skewed heavily to lower protein, yet lower-grade spreads still narrowed over and after harvest, as they typically do.
WA canola remains GM-dominated (70%+), keeping the GM discount wide.
This article looks at the size and quality of the 2025/26 WA grain harvest, the key seasonal and pricing issues at play, and how deliveries stack up against history.
Barley Leaf Scald
Brent Pritchard (Agronomy Consultant)
Barley leaf scald has increased in virulence in southern and central WA.
The widely grown Maximus CL is now behaving more like a susceptible variety.
Rotation, delayed sowing and fungicide use can help manage the disease.
Increased use of fungicides for scald could inadvertently lead to more resistance in net-blotch
Barley leaf scald has had a name change, and a change in virulence since it was last a disease of widespread concern in Western Australia. The research community now refer to the pathogen responsible for causing scald as Rynchosporium graminicola rather than Rhynchosporium secalis.
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