Economic Perspective 14 August 2026
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
The Latest Trending Economic News Curated for You by Balmoral Group Australia
Hello Dear Readers,
This week we're focusing on agricultural updates. A 2022 CSIRO report that assessed the options and costs of a livestock gene bank model was released to the public and may incite new innovations if a value proposition can be established. Meanwhile, it was announced that JBS is selling 25% of its Australian and New Zealand business to Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund in anticipation of growth in the Southeast Asian markets. Additionally, a discussion on the varying types of crop production models touches on possible climate adaption in horticulture, and a new government grant may increase the adoption of on-farm technology, such as drones and sensors. I've also attached a figure of drone market value, showing that agriculture is the second largest market segment for commercial drone use.
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Happy reading and have a lovely weekend!
Unreleased CSIRO report proposed a hybrid livestock gene bank model
A CSIRO report completed four years ago recommended Australia establish a livestock gene bank as insurance against the impact of exotic disease incursions or natural disasters, which has recently been released made public. The gene bank would include a centralised bank (registry and storage) and decentralised storage, with annual running costs of $1,400,000-1,720,000. This investment would protect Australian livestock against disease incursion, although adequate value proposition is essential if such as project were to succeed. Read more here.
What does JBS’s sale of 25pc of its Oz/NZ business to Indonesia’s sovereign fund mean?
JBS announced last Friday it's plan to sell 25% of its Australian and NZ business (a A$3.57 billion equity contribution) to Indonesia's Danantara sovereign fund. JBS sees enourmous growth potential in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, and the venture would deliver an additional A$3.57b of incremental investment capacity to JBS to fuel acquisitions, greenfield and brownfield investment throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia, along with expanding pork in Australia. Read more here.
Fields, greenhouses or vertical farms: what is the best way to grow food in a changing climate?
Each of these systems has pros and cons, with different scales and levels of environmental control. As the climate warms, moving low-intensity horticultural crops inside can protect against harmful weather, and advanced systems can drastically improve water and space efficiency. However, large-scale commodity crops still typically require inputs from natural sun and rain to remain productive. Read more here.
Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) unlocks $1.4 million agtech program for Central-West farmers
Farmers in the Central-West Orana REZ will soon be able to apply for grants to purchase agricultural technology under the "smart farming" program. Grants can cover up to 70% of installation costs with a maximum value of $35,000. Solutions can include soil and water sensors, drones, livestock and crop monitoring tools, electric fencing monitoring, site security platforms and fuel tank sensors. Overall, the grants are targeting productivity and operational efficiency measures. Read more here.
Distribution of UAV Market Value by Industry
Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAVs), often called drones, have broad civil application, but this Figure from a 2022 article finds that agriculture is the second largest market segment for commercial use.
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