20 April 2026. Belinda Callanan, AgForce South East Regional Director.
The seasonal outlook across South East Queensland continues to present a mixed and increasingly challenging picture for producers.
Dry conditions are tightening their grip across the eastern and southern Darling Downs, with many areas now experiencing a noticeable decline in pasture availability and ground cover.
Concerns are growing that we have a significant El Niño weather pattern developing and deciding how to best prepare for this swift change from flooding rain to potentially severe drought and heat, even while parts of the region still recuperate from the last flood event.
Recent weeks have delivered little to no effective rainfall, and as a result producers are actively adjusting stocking rates, implementing feed budgets, and leaning on conserved fodder far earlier than we anticipated. Confidence is becoming increasingly tied to the timing of the next meaningful rain event, whenever that may be.
Producers' dams are drying up resulting in significant de-stocking across the eastern and southern Downs, and further east at the Scenic Rim around Boonah.
Compounding this is the cost of livestock cartage caused by rising fuel prices and also the lack of fodder availability. A lot of extra hours are being spent in the office doing the figures when we are looking at purchasing anything, trying to find our way around these pressures.
On the eastern Downs, the sorghum harvest is now in its final stages. Yields have generally been good but variable, reflecting the patchy nature of what in-crop rainfall we've received.
While some growers have achieved solid results, others have seen reduced yields and lighter grain quality. As headers finish up, attention is now turning to planning for winter crops, though soil moisture profiles remain a key limiting factor..
Further north in the region, the focus remains on flood recovery. The recent deluge caused significant damage to infrastructure, fencing, and paddocks, with many producers still working through clean-up and rebuilding efforts. While the strength and resilience of these communities is evident, the scale of the recovery will take some time yet and requires continued support.
Aggravating these seasonal pressures is the recent worldwide unrest and the pressure that has put on our input costs, which continues to weigh heavily on farmers. Fuel and fertiliser prices remain elevated, and availability at critical times has added further strain to operational planning.
These rising costs are tightening already slim margins and influencing decision-making across both cropping and livestock enterprises. We acknowledge AgForce's new fuel and fertiliser taskforce made up of members and industry partners and the critical lobbying work they're doing.
In response, as conditions evolve, producers across the region are once again demonstrating their adaptability, balancing immediate challenges with longer-term planning in what remains a highly variable operating environment.
