What Elders does

Elders Limited (ASX: ELD) is a publicly listed Australian agricultural services company founded in 1839 and headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia. It serves Australian farmers and primary producers across livestock, cropping, wool, grain, water, rural property, and financial services through an extensive nationwide branch network and digital platforms. Core offerings include farm supplies (animal health, crop protection, fertilisers, fencing, water management, PPE from 200+ brands), livestock services (auction, private treaty, stud stock, genomic testing) delivered by over 350 livestock agents and 200+ support staff, wool handling and selling with world-first automated facilities in Melbourne (22 AGVs, 60,000+ bale capacity) and Perth, grain marketing via the Clear Grain Exchange (300+ buyers, $7.7B settled), water brokerage across 170+ zones, rural real estate, and referrals into Elders Finance and Elders Insurance. The Elders MyAccount portal (launched 2024) and the Elders Trading Account provide the digital and credit backbone, supported by integrations with AuctionsPlus (#1 listing share in 2021), BPAY, and NAB PayByWeb.

The company's revenue model is dominated by transaction-fee and commission economics: livestock sales commissions across auction and private treaty, wool handling commissions across multiple selling options, grain transaction facilitation via CGX, water broker fees across temporary, permanent, forward, carryover, and lease trades, and real estate transaction fees. Recurring elements include Elders Trading Account interest (15.95% default on overdue amounts), the Rural Products Prepayment Program (5.5% p.a. reward), StudPlus funding (up to $200,000), and referral-based financial services and insurance. Go-to-market combines an enterprise field-sales motion (specialist livestock, wool, agronomy, real estate, and water teams) with direct-to-consumer self-service via MyAccount, AuctionsPlus, and CGX, plus channel partnerships with AuctionsPlus, CGX, Elders Finance, and Elders Insurance. Customer segments are primarily Australian livestock, crop, and wool producers, segmented vertically by use case across Livestock Farmers, Crop Producers, Wool Growers, Grain Producers, Water Market Participants, and Rural Property Owners, served predominantly through SMB and individual farmer relationships with selected enterprise clients such as Jumbuck Pastoral.

Name

Elders

Legal name

Elders Limited

Website

https://elders.com.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Elders Limited (ASX: ELD) is a 185-year-old publicly listed Australian agricultural services company providing farm supplies, livestock sales, wool handling, grain marketing, water trading, real estate, and financial referrals to Australian farmers through a nationwide branch network, automated wool facilities, and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Services

NAICS

Farm Product Warehousing and Storage (493130)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Herd Handling, Sorting & Restraint Services (Chute Work, Weighing, Tagging) (AFACAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Livestock Performance Monitoring Services (Weighing Programs, BCS, Data Capture) (AFACAEAL), Hoof Care & Livestock Husbandry Services (Trimming, Dehorning, Castration Support) (AFACAEAJ)

Keywords

• Agricultural services
• Livestock marketing
• Rural supplies
• Wool handling
• Farm advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Farm and Rural Product Sales: Sale of agricultural inputs including animal health products, crop protection, fertilisers, fencing, water management equipment, PPE, shearing supplies, and general merchandise through the extensive branch network and Elders Trading Accounts.
2. Livestock Sales Commission: Commission-based livestock sales through auction (saleyard, online via AuctionsPlus, on-farm) and private treaty. With over 350 livestock agents across Australia, the company facilitates sales of cattle, sheep, goats, and stud stock. Award-winning auctioneers deliver sales results.
3. Wool Sales and Handling: End-to-end wool service including wool handling, certification programs, and selling through multiple options: live auction, auction forward, AuctionsPlus Wool (WoolTrade), Guaranteed Minimum Price Contracts, and Niche Orders. Commission-based model through strategic facility investments in Melbourne and Perth.
4. Grain Selling: Partnership with Clear Grain Exchange enabling farmers to sell grain directly. Elders facilitates access to over 300 buyers with secure settlement. Revenue generated through transaction facilitation and potentially referral arrangements.
5. Water Trading: Specialist water brokers facilitating Temporary Water Trades, Permanent Water Trades, Forward Water Trades, Carryover Water Trades, and Long Term Leasing across over 170 zones in NSW, Queensland, SA, and Victoria.
6. Real Estate: Rural, residential, and commercial real estate services across Australia through Elders Real Estate. Services include property sales, buying, and leasing.
7. Financial Services: In partnership with Elders Finance - providing livestock funding, stud stock financing (StudPlus up to $200,000), commercial finance, home loans, term deposits, Farm Management Deposits, wool cash advances, and Rural Products Prepayment Program with 5.5% p.a. reward.
8. Insurance Services: Farm insurance, general insurance, livestock in-transit delivery warranty, wool in-transit delivery warranty through referral to Elders Insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Elders is Australia's oldest agricultural services company (founded 1839), providing farm supplies, livestock sales and advisory, wool handling and marketing, grain selling, water trading, real estate, financial services, and insurance through a national branch network of more than 350 livestock agents. Headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia and listed on the ASX (ELD), the company delivers integrated end-to-end rural services to Australian primary producers.

Product overview

Elders is a diversified agricultural services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to Australian farmers. The core offering includes Farm Supplies (animal health, crop protection, fencing, water management, PPE from 200+ brands) and Livestock Services (cattle, sheep, goats, with trading, stud stock, and genomic testing). Key sub-brands include Elders Wool (end-to-end wool service with automated handling facilities), Elders Market Insights (market intelligence), Seasons Publication, and Livestock Now. The company operates Elders Trading Account and Elders MyAccount (customer portal with 2FA security) for account management. Crop services cover broadacre, horticulture, viticulture, cotton, and seed potatoes (20+ varieties). Additional services include grain selling via Clear Grain Exchange, water trading (170+ zones), financial services, insurance, real estate, and agricultural technology solutions. The portfolio is delivered through an extensive branch network across Australia with specialist advisors in agronomy, livestock production, and wool.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elders Wool: State-of-the-art wool handling business providing end-to-end service from farm gate to market, with facilities in Melbourne and Perth.
• Elders Water Trading
• Livestock Now
• Seasons

Products and services

• Farm Supplies Retail and wholesale supply of farm inputs including fertilizer, agricultural chemicals, seed, and animal health products, sold to Australian primary producers through the Elders branch network.
• Livestock Services Sales agency, marketing, and on-farm advisory for cattle and sheep, delivered by more than 350 livestock agents across Australia, including integration with the AuctionsPlus digital livestock marketplace.
• Wool Handling and Marketing Wool receival, classing, marketing and sale services for Australian woolgrowers, supported by Elders' proprietary automated handling facility built around automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
• Grain Selling Grain marketing and brokerage services for Australian grain growers, leveraging integration with the Clear Grain Exchange (CGX) digital platform to access competitive buyer pools.
• Water Trading Brokerage and advisory services for the trade of water allocations and entitlements in the Murray-Darling Basin and other Australian water markets, helping producers manage climate-driven water risk.
• Rural Real Estate Sales, purchase and valuation agency services for rural, pastoral and agricultural property, supporting succession planning, expansion and divestment by farming families and corporate agribusinesses.
• Financial Services Rural-focused finance products such as loans, leasing and asset finance tailored to the seasonal cash flow cycles of Australian primary producers.
• Insurance Services General insurance products tailored to farms and rural businesses, including crop, livestock, property and asset cover, distributed through the Elders branch and agent network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.4 million sheep and 1.6 million cattle sold in FY21
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and regulatory.

• Clear Grain Exchange (CGX)coreTechnology or IntegrationElders invested in and partnered with Clear Grain Exchange to provide farmers with access to an online grain selling platform. Farmers can set their own prices, access 300+ buyers, and benefit from secure settlement with payment within 7 business days. The partnership enables Elders to offer integrated grain marketing services to its farmer customer base across Australia.
• AuctionsPluscoreTechnology or IntegrationAuctionsPlus is Australia's market leader in providing online and real-time livestock auctions. Elders has a national team of AuctionsPlus qualified assessors enabling farmers to access this growing platform and reach previously unavailable markets. Elders was ranked Number One for listings on AuctionsPlus in 2021.
• Australian Wool Innovation (AWI)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian Wool Innovation (CEO John Roberts quoted) recognises Elders' commitment and innovation in the wool industry through its investment in the automated wool handling facility. The partnership supports the broader Australian wool industry's future through infrastructure and supply chain improvements.
• ATO (Australian Taxation Office)regulatoryOthersElders obtained a ruling from the ATO that the Rural Products Prepayment Program prepayment is tax deductible in the year it was paid under certain conditions. This provides certainty for farmers participating in the prepayment program.
• Elders Finance PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorElders refers customers to Elders Finance for financial services including livestock funding, commercial finance, home loans, Farm Management Deposits, wool cash advances, and the Rural Products Prepayment Program. Elders Finance offers dedicated products for Elders customers.
• Elders Insurance PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorElders refers customers to Elders Insurance for farm insurance, general insurance, livestock in-transit delivery warranty, and wool in-transit delivery warranty. These insurance products protect farmers' livestock and wool investments throughout the supply chain.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GrainCorp: Leading Australian grain handling, storage, and marketing business. Competes with Elders' CGX grain selling platform and competes for grower origination across eastern Australia.
• CBH Group: Australia's largest grain co-operative handling bulk storage, transport, and marketing. Competes with Elders' grain selling and Clear Grain Exchange offering, particularly in Western Australia where Elders operates its Perth wool centre.
• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Australia's largest rural retailer and ag services provider (formed via Ruralco and Landmark acquisitions). Direct competitor across farm supplies, livestock, wool, agronomy, and financial services with an even larger branch footprint.
• Australian Wool Handlers (AWH): Major wool handling and broking competitor with extensive saleyard-style wool operations. Directly comparable to Elders Wool in the post-farm-gate wool supply chain.
• Namoi Cotton: Australian cotton ginning and marketing co-operative with growing ag services exposure. Comparable regional ag services player competing for cotton grower relationships that Elders also serves.

Broad incumbents

• Nufarm: Australian-listed crop protection and seed company supplying many of the same herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides that Elders distributes through its branch network. Comparable as an upstream supplier into Elders' farm supplies value chain.
• Cargill Australia: Global agribusiness giant with significant Australian grain origination, oilseed processing, and animal nutrition operations. Overlaps with Elders' grain selling and farm supplies categories but at much larger scale.

Others

• AuctionsPlus: Online livestock and wool auction platform and Elders' key digital channel partner. Listed here as a peer given how central it is to Elders' livestock and wool go-to-market, rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Webster Limited: Australian-based diversified agricultural business focused on walnuts, cotton, and southern broadacre. Regional competitor in southern Australia for agronomy, crop protection, and farm supply services.

Emerging players

• AWB (now part of Cargill/AgriDigital): Australian wheat export and grain pool heritage brand now evolving through AgriDigital's blockchain-based commodity settlement platform. Emerging digital competitor to Elders' CGX grain selling value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EldersRuralServices
• Facebookfacebook.com/EldersRuralServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eldersruralservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/eldersruralservices
• TikToktiktok.com/@eldersruralservices
• Xx.com/elderslimited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elders