Business
Why Aussie consumers could soon be paying DOUBLE for beef
- Small-scale farmers warning of $56/kg rump steaks
- PODCAST: Trump round three, Musk’s breakup with DOGE – and former Denmark ambassador on the ‘smartest thing’ Greenland can do. Listen here
Australian consumers could end up paying more than $50 a kilo for steak at the supermarket as a result of Donald Trump‘s tariffs on agriculture exports, farmers say.
A kilogram of rump steak at Woolworths is now selling for $28.
But the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, representing 350 small-scale farmers, fears rump steak will end of costing Australian consumers $56 at the supermarket.
Spokeswoman Tammi Jonas, an organic beef cattle producer from Daylesford in Victoria, said the American tariffs on agricultural imports would see more countries buy Australian beef to avoid trading with the US.
‘We already know there’s high demand for Australian beef around the world and I think that’s just going to get higher,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘In a global supply crunch like this, we could see rump steak climb past $50 per kilogram.
‘That’s not a family dinner – that’s a premium luxury.’
Dr Jonas said higher export prices would see less Australian meat sold to domestic consumers.
Australian consumers could end up paying more than $50 a kilo for steak as a result of Donald Trump ‘s tariffs on agriculture exports, farmers say (pictured is a Coles supermarket)
‘I would say there’s a strong likelihood of that, yes,’ she said.
‘And even if we still have enough beef sold within Australia, the prices are certain to go up.
‘Whenever you’re in those global markets, you roll with the volatility and if they can get a really high price overseas, they’re not going to charge less for domestic sales.’
But Angus Gidley-Baird, a senior analyst in animal protein with RaboResearch, said more expensive steak at the supermarket was unlikely, given the strong supply of Australian beef with the recent rainfall.
‘We produced record volumes of beef last year, I don’t see why there would be a shortage in the domestic market that would cause prices to rise,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The exports are effectively our markets that we sell the additional production into.’
Meat and Livestock Australia data showed the US was Australia’s biggest market for beef exports in 2024, putting it well ahead of Japan, South Korea and China.
Of the beef sent to the United States, 96 per cent of it was the leaner, grass fed variety that was either chilled or frozen.
The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance fears rump steak will end of costing Australian consumers $56 at the supermarket. Spokeswoman Tammi Jonas (left) said the American tariffs on agricultural imports would see more countries buy Australian beef to avoid trading with the US
The Americans have been in the grip of a drought, and most of their beef is fattier, grain-fed.
South American beef exporters Argentina and Brazil are also dealing with a lack of rainfall, which means demand for Australian beef would continue to be strong.
Mr Gidley-Baird said the Americans, who produced fattier, grain-fed beef, would still need the leaner, Australian grass-fed beef to make hamburger patties, regardless of import tariffs.
‘The US still continues to need imported product because they’re not producing as much themselves,’ he said.
‘They’ll still need Australian beef – the drought, it’s getting better in the US but they’ve liquidated their herd and production volumes are down.
‘What Australia sends to the US complements their production system over there in that it balances out the fatter product they’re producing for hamburger production.
‘They need the product and we’re one of the biggest suppliers of it – me being rational would still say that they would still buy it.’
At the margins, strong American demand for grass-fed beef had pushed up prices for Australian lean mince, now selling for $15.50 a kilo at Woolworths.
The Trump Administration’s tariffs of up to 25 per cent on agricultural imports are coming into affect on Thursday, along with tariffs on pharmaceutical products (President Donald Trump is pictured in the White House)
‘The US market has been very strong – it’s demanding a fair amount of product which is putting a bit of pressure on mince prices, lean product prices,’ Mr Gidley-Baird said.
The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance sees mince prices more than doubling to $36 a kilo.
But Dr Jonas predicted possible tariffs of up to 25 per cent on Australian beef would see American demand plunge, despite the fact they are in drought with an undersupply of grass-fed beef.
‘I think with a 25 per cent tariff they won’t be able to afford it – Americans are in as big a cost-of-living crisis as Australians are and they can’t handle a 25 per cent tariff on top of the higher meat price of imported Australian beef,’ she said.
The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance didn’t do specific economic modelling on Australian beef prices, as a result of the Trump tariffs on agriculture coming into effect on Thursday.
But it argued China’s African swine flu in 2019 led to a doubling of pork prices, as supply fell by 40 per cent.
The alliance campaigns against agribusiness giants like JBS Foods Australia, which owns feedlots and abattoirs.
‘The local farmers like us are losing access to the facilities to slaughter,’ Dr Jonas said.
‘While that sounds like a good thing for Australia – when we think, “We can export more” – the reality of that is very few people profit from that higher export.’
The Trump Administration’s tariffs of up to 25 per cent on agricultural imports are coming into effect on Thursday, along with tariffs on pharmaceutical products.
‘If it’s a large tariff but applied to everyone, our competitive position remains the same,’ Mr Gidley-Baird said.
They follow 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminium, introduced on March 12.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed confidence in Nigeria’s security, saying he feels perfectly safe during his visit to the country. His remarks come amid ongoing reports of insecurity in various parts of Nigeria, making his statement a notable endorsement of the nation’s stability in certain regions.
Johnson made the declaration on Thursday, December 4, 2025, while addressing participants at the Imo State Economic Summit 2025 in Owerri, the state capital. He acknowledged having read travel advisories and news reports highlighting security concerns prior to his trip but said his experience has been reassuring.
He said he feels perfectly safe in the country and emphasized that the summit environment and local hospitality contributed to his sense of security. He also asked the audience if they felt safe, receiving an enthusiastic affirmation.
During his visit, Johnson commended Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Imo State Government for their development initiatives, particularly efforts to provide 24-hour electricity. He highlighted the potential of Nigeria as a hub for innovation and economic growth, noting the opportunities presented by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
While his statements have been welcomed by some as a boost to international confidence in Nigeria, analysts caution that the former prime minister’s experience reflects only a controlled and secure environment within Imo State. Several parts of the country continue to face challenges, including banditry, communal conflicts, and kidnappings.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s visit and remarks are significant, sending a positive message to investors and global observers about Nigeria’s potential for stability and progress. They also underscore the contrast between localized experiences of safety and broader security challenges across the country.
By Emmanuel Iheaka, OWERRI
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has assured Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State that his group will be one of the biggest investors in the state.
Dangote gave the assurance at the opening session of the Imo Economic Summit 2025 in Owerri on Thursday.
The renowned Africa’s industrialist urged Uzodimma to indicate his preferred area of investment and forget the rest.
Dangote described the Imo governor as a personal friend of decades and commended him for providing enabling environment for investment.
“We will be one of your biggest investors in Imo. So, please tell me the area to invest and we will invest”, Dangote declared.
He called on entrepreneurs to always invest at home, adding that foreigners cannot drive the economy of any nation more than the nationals.
“What attracts foreign investors is a domestic investor. Africa has about 30 percent of the world’s minerals. We are blessed,” he submitted.
Dangote reiterated that his refinery was set to launch 1.4 million barrels per day capacity, the highest for any single refinery in the world.
Business
Fabergé egg given as Easter gift to mother of Russia’s last emperor sells for record £22.9m
A diamond-encrusted Fabergé egg that Russia‘s last emperor gave to his mother as an Easter gift has sold for nearly £23million.
Tsar Nicholas II gifted the Winter Egg to Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1913, five years before he was murdered along with his wife and children after the Russian Revolution.
Tsar Nicholas II
Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna
The egg went under the hammer at Londonauction house Christie’s yesterday.
An unnamed buyer stumped up £22,895,000, smashing the previous global record of £8.9million that was set in 2007 when the famous Rothschild Egg was sold.
Carved from delicate rock crystal, the Winter Egg is an icy-looking orb studded with around 4,500 rose-cut diamonds, and stands at only five-and-a-half inches (14 centimetres) tall.
Carl Fabergé, the master jeweller whose creations bedazzled Russia, created 50 Imperial Easter Eggs for the then-ruling Romanov family over a 31-year period, making them incredibly rare and valuable.
They were commissioned as Easter gifts in a tradition started by Tsar Alexander III in the 1880s.
Nicholas II, Alexander’s son, had an annual standing order for two Easter eggs to be made for his mother and his wife, until the fall of the Romanovs in the 1917 Russian Revolution.
A diamond-encrusted Fabergé egg that Russia ‘s last emperor gave to his mother as an Easter gift has sold for nearly £23million
Today, only 43 of the Imperial Easter Eggs remain, with seven missing.
The ‘exquisite’ Winter Egg had a pre-sale estimate of more than £20million.
Christie’s Margo Oganesian said: ‘Today’s result sets a new world auction record for a work by Faberge, reaffirming the enduring significance of this masterpiece.’
She added the sale celebrated ‘the rarity and brilliance of what is widely regarded as one of Faberge’s finest creations, both technically and artistically’.
The imperial eggs have enjoyed renewed interest on the art market in recent decades, mainly among wealthy Russians keen to acquire a piece of their country’s history.
Beyond its opulence, it is the ‘technique and craftsmanship’ that makes the Winter Egg exceptional, according to Ms Oganesian.
‘The Winter Egg is truly one of the rarest items that you can find,’ she explained. ‘It’s really hard to comprehend how Faberge created it.’
The egg and its base are sculpted from crystal featuring diamond-encrusted platinum snowflakes.
Carved from delicate rock crystal, the Winter Egg is an icy-looking orb studded with around 4,500 rose-cut diamonds, and stands at only five-and-a-half inches (14 centimetres) tall. Inside, it contains a bouquet of flowers made of white quartz anemones held by gold wire stems, gathered in a platinum basket
The egg and its base are sculpted from crystal featuring diamond-encrusted platinum snowflakes
Tsar Nicholas and his wife, Empress Alexandra, with their five children. They were all murdered in 1918
Inside, it contains a bouquet of flowers made of white quartz anemones held by gold wire stems, gathered in a platinum basket.
Like many other Romanov possessions, the egg bears witness to Russian history. It was transferred from Saint Petersburg to Moscow in 1920 after the revolution.
As with many other Imperial Eggs, it was sold by the Soviet government to generate foreign currency and was acquired by London jeweller Wartski between 1929 and 1933, according to Christie’s.
The Winter Egg was subsequently part of several British collections but was considered lost from 1975, the auction house said in an essay attached to the sale lot online.
‘For 20 years, experts and specialists lost sight of it until 1994, when it was rediscovered and brought to Christie’s for sale in Geneva,’ said Ms Oganesian.
Eight years later, in 2002, it was sold again for a record $9.6 million in New York.
Boris Johnson Says He Feels “Perfectly Safe” in Nigeria, Praises Imo State’s Progress
Dangote to Uzodimma: Just show me where to invest
Judge rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s brother court appearance
-
Business1 year ago
US court acquits Air Peace boss, slams Mayfield $4000 fine
-
Trending1 year agoNYA demands release of ‘abducted’ Imo chairman, preaches good governance
-
Politics1 year agoMexico’s new president causes concern just weeks before the US elections
-
Politics1 year agoPutin invites 20 world leaders
-
Politics1 year agoRussia bans imports of agro-products from Kazakhstan after refusal to join BRICS
-
Entertainment1 year ago
Bobrisky falls ill in police custody, rushed to hospital
-
Entertainment1 year ago
Bobrisky transferred from Immigration to FCID, spends night behind bars
-
Education1 year ago
GOVERNOR FUBARA APPOINTS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR KEN SARO-WIWA POLYTECHNIC BORI