The New Agricultural Playbook: 7 moves reshaping Aussie farms    

1. Optimise herd distribution and pasture health with virtual fencing

Craig Piggott (below), founder of virtual fencing, monitoring and herding solution Halter, grew up on a dairy farm in New Zealand and understands well the pain points of managing livestock. His AgTech innovation –solar-powered smart collars that hang around the necks of more than750,000 cows across Australia, New Zealand and the United States –reduces labour and physical input costs and is a powerful data-driven adviser for regenerative farming practices and other sustainability initiatives. The collars communicate via proprietary on-farm mobile towers, allowing farmers to use the Halter app to move animals with sound and vibration cues, creating invisible virtual fences and reducing the need for real ones, particularly inside properties.

AI-powered algorithms (they call them “cowgorithms”) translate real-time behavioural data into deep insights, monitoring animal welfare, predicting optimal breeding windows and even managing pasture by helping farmers optimise rotation and track real-time cover. Halter’s promise to let producers “farm the way you’ve always wanted” is paying off for it, too: in March 2026 the company was valued at $2.9 billion. 

2. Deploy a smarter, quicker method to weigh livestock

Frustration with the hassle of getting cattle in to weigh them was the lightbulb moment for Bill Mitchell, who runs a grass-finishing operation with wife Jacqui in northern NSW. “In order to make the right decisions, we rely on knowing where the cattle are,” he says. “But we couldn’t get them into the yard often enough.”

When Mitchell began “chipping away” at an in-paddock scale in 2019, he discovered that cattle would put two feet on a weighing platform to reach a lick block. From that, they could reliably calculate the full body weight. The result is Optiweigh, which won the AgTech Breakthrough Herd Management Solution of the Year in 2025.
The portable, solar-powered and Australian-made unit allows farmers to weigh cattle stress-free in the paddock affording improved decision-making about nutrition and sales and unlocking a competitive advantage, says Mitchell. “Easy access to more real-time data helps boost productivity and address the cost-price squeeze.”

“Easy access to more real-time data helps boost productivity and address the cost-price squeeze.”
– Bill Mitchell, co-founder, Optiweigh

3. Turn world-class animal welfare into sustainable farm wealth

For the Shaw family, investing in animal welfare was a strategic choice that has paid off in premium returns. At their Elbow Valley property on the Southern Downs in Queensland, 10,000 Wagyu cattle live in “fully shedded” environments designed for maximum comfort and good airflow (courtesy of curved Ridgeback rooflines). Beyond the specialised housing, a unique feed blend – including orange pulp – creates a distinct flavour profile that sets their Sir Harry Wagyu Beefapart. “Restaurants put our brand on the menu and customers want to know it’s there,” says Chris Shaw. “The decision to invest in the sheds was more about welfare than revenue but revenue has flowed as a consequence.”

“The decision to invest in the sheds was more about welfare than revenue but revenue has flowed as a consequence.”
– Chris Shaw, Founder, Elbow Valley Beef

4. Capitalise on the growing global appetite for high-quality protein

The US has long been a key market for Australian beef exports and despite the recent tricky trade tariff landscape, that’s not changing. “The US cattle herd is at multi-decade lows,” says CommBank’s Sustainable and Agricultural Economist Dennis Voznesenski. “But what’s unusual is while US beef production has gone down, consumption has stayed very high.” In fact, beef consumption in the US rose 2 per cent in 2025. “In the past two years the import price of Australian beef into the US has risen 62 per cent,” says Voznesenski. Meanwhile, domestic consumption of red meat is on the rise, too – and cattle farmers are well-placed to take advantage of it.
The 2025 Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) consumer sentiment survey found that 78 per cent of metropolitan Australians were eating the same amount of or more red meat over the past year, the first time in 15 years there’s been an uptick. “Australian beef has also hit its highest ever score on ‘worth more than what you pay for it’,” says MLA’s Nathan Low.

5. Formalise succession to protect the family’s greatest asset

It’s a difficult conversation that too many families avoid but talking about succession early – and often – avoids bitter division and potentially saves millions of dollars. Dave and Gordon Brownhill are two years into a five-year transition for their four sons to take over their Gunnedah, NSW, cotton and cropping business, now operating as a new company, Merrilong Agricultural Company Pty Ltd. “My brother and I are now employed by our sons and nephews,” says Dave, adding that the four male cousins decided to keep the business as one, with separate provisions for his daughter.
The whole plan is the result of years of meticulous planning and frank family discussions and a hard-and-fast rule that big decisions require a unanimous vote. “You need to get the best advice,” says Dave. “We also have a paid advisory board.”

The Brownhills’ succession planning is working to preserve family harmony as much as the legacy of their business. “It’s about keeping the family together – it’s all about Christmas time,” says Dave. “What’s the point if you don’t get on with your family? It’s all wasted.”

6. Leverage natural capital to drive gains in productivity

Natasha Greenwood, General Manager Agribusiness at CommBank, neatly sums up the power of natural capital. “You can’t invest in green if you’re not in the black,” she says. “Natural capital plays a really important role in helping farming businesses to be productive, profitable and resilient.” Australian farmers manage our soils, trees, waterways alongside their own animals, pastures and crops, she says. “These natural assets are being valued in the same way as other asset classes.” In 2022, Black Angus beef producer Macka’s Pastoral began a program to understand how they could become carbon neutral without using offsets or taking land out of production. They started with 1400 soil samples across eight properties on the NSW Mid North Coast.

“We did this for the market, for our family and for our community. But the benefits have been multiplied many times over.” says fourth-generation producer and managing director Robert “Macka” Mackenzie. By adopting recognised practices to sequester soil carbon, they have increased on-farm productivity and achieved carbon neutrality. “We’re producing more resilient, productive pastures with improved groundcover, stronger weight gains in our cattle, and greater water retention across the farm. Erosion is now virtually eliminated, emissions have been reduced, and our team is more engaged than ever. This steady sustainability journey continues to deliver, lifting the viability of our operation by 5–10 per cent each year through consistent one per cent gains”

“You can’t invest in green if you’re not in the black,” she says. “Natural capital plays a really important role in helping farming businesses to be productive, profitable and resilient.”
 – Natasha Greenwood, General Manager Agribusiness, CommBank

7. Build a high-performing culture for a competitive advantage

Glen Arden Cattle Co. runs upwards of 5000 cattle across more than 18,000 hectares north of Roma, Queensland. When John and Angela Frith joined his parents, Charlie and Liz, in 2009, they brought a generational mindset shift that has helped take the successful operation to a new level. “We’ve got a high focus on increasing productivity and sustainable enterprises,” says John.
The Friths have introduced a range of progressive practices but it’s bringing in the right people that’s moved the needle the most. “We put so much time and effort into the language we use when we’re recruiting,” says Angela. “It’s not just another generic job ad.”
They keep the recruitment bar high, even in a tight labour market. “We’re patient in hiring, which can be bloody hard when you’re screaming out for people,” says John, who says his time as a professional rugby league player made an impact on his leadership.
“I was exposed to a lot of constructive feedback from coaches and you’re always looking for ways to improve. You get comfortable with reflecting on yourself and that’s how I approach the business, which flows on to the culture of our staff. We attract people who are chasing that sort of environment.” The staff doing operational work “are superstars”, he says.
“We approach culture like high-performance sport in how we look after them. We educate them, build them up and hopefully give them a great mission and purpose.”

“We approach culture like high-performance sport in how we look after our team. We educate them, build them up and hopefully give them a great mission and purpose.”
– John Frith

Australian agriculture is in the midst of an exciting transformation, led by inspiring producers who are blending technology and cutting-edge science with high-performance leadership practices to deliver on sustainability and productivity initiatives that ensure profitability and resilience. From data-driven herd management to welfare-led production, smart succession planning and unlocking the immense value of natural capital, these farms prove that innovation doesn’t replace tradition, it strengthens it.