Country Today - January 15th

Water allocation prices across the Murray-Darling Basin have increased by $50 per megalitre in just one week.  It was a grim start to 2026 for the Australian beef industry with China announcing quotas and tariffs of up to 55 per cent on all beef imports. So what does it mean for Australia? 2025 was an exceptionally dry year in what is considered a high rainfall zone of north east Victoria. It's forced sheep producers to change their tactics on whether to pay to hand feed sheep, or to destock.  Rising production among major wheat exporters is driving a weak global outlook and the risk of another year of oversupply, while geopolitical tensions in Iran could significantly influence markets in the coming months.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.