Call for growers to lead the way

Speaking before appearing at a GRDC event in Geraldton last week, Eneabba grower and GRDC deputy chairman Kim Halbert outlined a strong future for Australia's grain growers.

While the GRDC focused on increasing profitability through many measures, he said growers were the ambassadors of their importance to the country's economy.

Mr Halbert said the GRDC was there to increase profitability for grain growers but to do that they needed to spread the message.

"But we don't only need to get it out to growers we need to get it out to the community in general," he said.

Mr Halbert said events such as the GRDC's national series of four events across the country, focusing on 'Farming, the key to Australia's future', were just one way of achieving this.

"The idea of these events is to raise the profile of agriculture so we can get more uni students wanting to study ag, so we can increase our capability right across the spectrum," he said.

"The idea of this is to lift the profile so people become aware of ag outside the farming industry.

"Most farming people know about what we do, it's a major business but what about everyone else?"

With grain contributing a significant amount to the economy every year, Mr Halbert said the writing was on the wall.

But he said the reality was many didn't understand the significance of what is beyond the town or city limits.

"Now days the link is broken, everyone used to have a link to the rural communities and ag, but towns are getting smaller and the farms are getting larger so there are less farmers," he said.

"Making people understand how important ag is and it's second behind mining as a major industry in this country.

"If we can lift the profile and make people aware of it, they'll understand there's careers and a future in ag and how important it is.

"It's important the average grower is proud of what they do and that they tell people what they do."

Mr Halbert said every interaction was an opportunity for agriculture and growers were the best ambassadors.

"When they interact with people in Perth they understand how important the ag industry is," he said.

"They may go to Perth and stay with relatives and be able to sell the message that this is the future, it's sustainable and it's going to be the future for the next 100-plus years."