Australian agriculture is on a strong path, but “headwinds are mounting” and “downside risks” are considerable in 2019, according to anewly-released industry report.
In its flagship Agribusiness Outlook 2019, food and agri banking specialist Rabobank says Australia’s agricultural industries are set to enjoy rising offshore demand and improved market access in the years ahead, while reaping the benefits of growing investment in the sector.
However, it warns, there are “many cyclical and short-term factors” which are less favourable for Australian agriculture entering 2019, including climate and the global economic outlook. “And some headwinds are rising, while tailwinds are softening,” it says.
The report’s lead author, RaboResearch general manager Tim Hunt says the next five years will see continuing growth in demand for Australian agricultural produce in global markets, with an additional boost from improving market access.
“Barriers to China will continue to come down under the FTA and the recently-negotiated protocols for a range of products, while the trade benefits we will enjoy under the TPP, especially with Japan, will start to come into play,” he said.
“Added to this, investment which has been attracted into the sector because of these export market opportunities will further boost the sector’s productive and value-adding capacity.”
Other positives – “price will be the industry’s friend”
The report says other positive factors playing out in Australian agriculture’s favour are a weak (and falling) currency, combined with strong local price basis, which is ensuring exceptionally-high Australian dollar prices for many key agricultural commodities.
“We expect that a slowing global and local economy, combined with concerns over downside risk, will see Australian exporters enjoy the lowest annual average exchange rate against the greenback in a decade in 2019,” Mr Hunt said.
“Meanwhile, the poor 2018 grain harvest, and low beef and sheep herds, will keep the prices for Australian crops and livestock higher than usual compared with world prices over most or all of 2019.
“And with dairy and sugar markets also tightening globally, and wool markets only likely to see a slow retraction from record levels, price will be the industry’s friend in 2019.”
Mounting headwinds
But Australian agriculture also faces less favourable conditions on many fronts.
Climate factors loom as the “most obvious” problem for the sector in the year ahead, the report says.
“We have opened the year with a majority of eastern Australia in the midst of significant long-term rainfall deficiencies,” Mr Hunt said. “Murray Darling Basin water storage levels are low and pasture is in poor condition in many grazing regions.
“For winter production to return to average on the east coast this season, above-average rainfall is required in coming months. At present, climate indicators provide mixed signals as to whether that is likely or not.”
At market level, Rabobank says, the global economy is starting to decelerate after two years of strong and rising growth. Locally, Australian consumers also face rising economic pressures as “east coast housing prices enter what looks like a major correction, mortgage rates rise and wages growth remains absent”.
Mr Hunt says forecasts for global economic growth – including by Rabobank – are being reduced, to just below average. “While economic forecasts don’t look too bad, the language economists are using suggests a level of pessimism that is not yet factored into these numbers,” he said.
“What concerns us most in 2019 is not so much the likely path for the global economy –which is less favourable than 2018, but not bad – but the risk something worse may eventuate."
This includes the slowing Chinese economy and escalating international trade tensions, the report says.
“The slowdown in the Chinese economy is a particular concern for Australian ag,” Mr Hunt said, with China growing at its slowest rate since 1990 in the closing quarter of 2018.
Brexit and the risk of a “calamitous exit” of the UK from the EU was also looming large. “A no-deal departure would have a heavy impact in two key markets for Australian agricultural products,” he said.
The potential of both a worsening or a resolution of the US/China trade war also brought its own set of risks. “These include flow-on impacts on consumption from a possible US recession if the trade war escalates, or indeed a resolution that favours US agriculture at the expense of Australia,” Mr Hunt said.
Outlook
Overall, the Rabobank report says, if Australia sees a return to “something approaching average rainfall, our base case suggests 2019 will bring a decent year for Australian agriculture – with improved production conditions offsetting what we expect will be somewhat less favourable condition”.
“But Australian agriculture would do well to consider the downside market risks when planning for the next season.”
Commodities
For specific commodities, the Rabobank report finds:
Wheat – global prices will come under pressure during the second half of 2019. Coupled with the new Australian crop supply in the fourth quarter of the year, this will soften local prices, but above-average basis will persist as the local larder is restocked.
Grains and oilseeds – in an otherwise supportive outlook, a significant bear factor lurks for barley, with an anti-dumping investigation by China into Australian barley exports hanging over the industry’s head, with the potential to disrupt one of the Australian barley industry’s largest trade flows.
Dairy – ongoing pressure on supply chain margins, with hopes for a better pasture season ahead in 2019/20.
Beef – production down and prices steady as the sector waits for rain.
Sheepmeat – prices expected to stay strong, but production to ease after a high-slaughter year in 2018.
Sugar – falling 2019 production prospects in Thailand, India and the EU bring steady upside for sugar prices.
Cotton – production challenges and Chinese imports spell a positive price outlook, amid the global trade war.
Wool – supply will support strong prices, but demand outlook uncertain.
Wine – continued growth in export values expected, but more modest than in recent years, with global macro factors bringing potential downside.
Horticulture – sector’s strong 2018 performance likely to continue into 2019, but risks weighted to the downside.
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the global Rabobank Group, the world’s leading banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of approximately 8.4 million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 93 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Media contacts:
Denise Shaw
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Rabobank Australia & New Zealand
Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525
Email: denise.shaw@rabobank.com
Skye Ward
Media Relations Manager
Rabobank Australia
Phone: 02 4855 1111 or 0418 216 103
Email: skye.ward@rabobank.com