GRAINS Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) managing director John Harvey and chairman, Keith Perrett, have met with the head of iCropAustralia, Paul McKenzie, to discuss Mr McKenzie's recent criticism of the organisation.
Mr McKenzie, a Toodyay grain grower and agricultural consultant, established iCropAustralia, which he believes will enable growers to have their say on the worth of the GRDC levy paid by all grain growers.
He said he established iCropAustralia in a bid to increase the level of transparency around where grower levies were being distributed and whether growers are in fact benefiting from GRDC's involvement.
The meeting between Mr McKenzie and the GRDC took place last Thursday and came a week after a radio interview Mr McKenzie conducted with ABC Mid West.
According to Mr Harvey, there were statements made by Mr McKenzie during the radio interview that were extremely incorrect.
He said claims by Mr McKenzie that GRDC had lost significant funds were completely inaccurate.
"We completely refute his suggestion that investment has been catastrophic," Mr Harvey said.
"Paul even suggested that we've increased levies but they have been 0.99 per cent since the early 1990s.
"Sure, there has been an increase in the revenue raised, but that is because more grain is being produced."
Mr McKenzie argued that GRDC needed to stop speaking about percentages and show growers true return on investment.
During the meeting, Mr McKenzie said it was claimed that for every dollar GRDC spent on research and development, there was a $5 benefit to growers.
"I struggle to see that based on the figures I have looked at," Mr McKenzie said.
"If a business is spending $30,000 to $40,000 on levies, and was receiving a $5 return for every dollar then we'd start paying a great deal more in levies.
"I want GRDC to publish the true benefits to farmers so we can see the material impact of levies.
"After all GRDC is only an administrative entity, it doesn't actually do any research and development itself."
Mr Harvey said GRDC had ramped up engagement with growers so it could see first hand what areas needed attention and where it needed to invest funds.
He said the benefits of both engagement and research could be seen in the paddock.
"I was speaking with Andrew Dobbs, who farms in Dowerin, last week," Mr Harvey said.
"Now Andrew has not only adopted new technologies but is seeing huge improvements on his dry cropping operation.
"We see cases of this all the time and each year when our national survey goes around to assess grower sentiment about the work done by GRDC, we consistently get positive results."
Mr Harvey and Mr Perrett spent time speaking directly with growers at the Dowerin GWN7 Machinery Field Days last week.
The assessment, according to Mr Harvey, was that most people understood the benefits of research and development.
"Because if it didn't exist they wouldn't have the tools, the new varieties and management options," he said.
Mr McKenzie said while he supported ongoing research and development, he wanted to see proof of real return on levy investment.
"Return on investment implies a return of the sum initially invested, plus an earnings component," he said.
"However, with levies the initial sum invested will never be recouped.
"And this is at a time when at an operating level there are significant increases in input costs of fertilisers, chemicals, fuel and labour."
An online survey has been established on the iCropAustralia website to gauge whether growers feel they are getting adequate return for the levies they pay.
According to Mr McKenzie the results will be collated in coming weeks and will determine how he will proceed.