While marginally below the record set in 2022–23, the forecast is 45% above the 10-year average, underlining the state’s continued productivity.
Neither of the parties has revealed the financial terms of the transaction yet.
Australian analysts say feedlots allow operators to manage the country’s sharp swings between wet and dry seasons.
Conditions such as obesity, allergies, gastrointestinal disease and chronic illness are increasing across companion animals.
The initiative targets countries where livestock plays a vital role in food security but remains constrained by inefficiency and climate pressures.
From October 31, 2025, ASC-certified farms will be required to only use ASC-certified feed to maintain their own certification status.
This clarification marks a turning point for hemp stakeholders, who have long struggled against the blanket assumption that all hemp contains cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, which can have psychoactive or drug-like effects.
The findings come just weeks after Guardian Australia exposed shocking cases of animal mistreatment linked to the nation’s export abattoirs, including the unpunished hypothermia deaths of 103 sheep during transit.
Baiada Group has also agreed to purchase the Wasleys feed mill in South Australia from Ridley Corporation Ltd. for AUD22 million (US$14 million).
The Wasleys facility, which generated US$2.24 million in EBITDA over the past year, has sold more than 90% of its output to Baiada.