CBH said it would be pressing on with its Paddock Planner concept, despite a request from a joint consortium representing three WA farm organisations asking the program be put on hold.
WAFarmers Grain Council president Duncan Young, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association Western Graingrowers Committee chairman Gary McGill and WA Grains Group chairman Doug Smith requested a meeting with CBH chairman Wally Newman and chief executive officer Jimmy Wilson to present concerns about the proposed Paddock Planner program and the 50 cent a tonne incentive that growers who use the program will be paid.
The farm organisations said "because of widespread discontent, the three representatives asked CBH to discontinue the Paddock Planner program in its current form for this year and invite growers to complete 2019 production estimates in the traditional way and that CBH consult widely and in more detail with growers before further implementation of the program".
That meeting took place on Monday afternoon and while the request to put the Paddock Planner on hold for this harvest was denied, CBH has agreed to make LoadNet available immediately to growers who do not want to submit estimates through Paddock Planner.
During the meeting CBH also released submission figures to date, saying that Statewide 52 per cent of growers had already submitted their data in Paddock Planner, with 70pc of growers in the Esperance zone participating.
Mr McGill said it was a very amicable and productive meeting.
"I think there was a genuineness on CBH's part to hear us and that is good," Mr McGill said.
"Essentially what we said is that a lot of people have come to the three farm organisations and have concern about elements of Paddock Planner.
"These concerns centre around that information provision, the extent of it, the detail and the safety, security and privacy of it.
"I was at pains to explain to CBH not to underestimate the depth of feeling about it, otherwise we wouldn't be there in the fashion that we were.
"We have all individually commented about this in various ways and found ourselves in conversation last week and in agreement that there was a strong body of opinion of concerns centring around those elements of Paddock Planner.
"The feedback we continue to get from growers is that it is not passing the pub test.
"Many people were saying they didn't want to do it or weren't going to do it, so we decided that we would come together and establish that, which we did and we sought an opportunity with CBH which we got and that was carried out (on Monday).
"CBH indicated to us that they are getting satisfactory results from Paddock Planner, over 50pc and feel confident that will rise by close off date.
"They are expecting to be up about the 70-75pc level by close off and I said in that meeting 'If you get 75pc returns by August 1, your punt has paid off'."
Mr McGill said while CBH would continue with the Paddock Planner process, the request was made to offer up LoadNet as an alternative for growers who were concerned about Paddock Planner.
"We asked them to offer up an opportunity for growers who are worried about Paddock Planner but are still inclined to want to provide CBH with production estimates to help it," Mr McGill said.
"Offer that up through the LoadNet platform but on aggregate information basis of the past.
"CBH checked if that option was available and it is, so they said they would do that.
"In terms of whether the people who used that option would be eligible for the 50c/t incentive, we were asked for an opinion and our opinion was that is CBH's decision to make.
"They then advised us that they wouldn't do that."
Mr McGill said growers had conveyed their concerns about the 50c/t incentive to him.
"I have had growers telling me that they don't want to provide their estimates through Paddock Planner but when they elect not to, and those that do get a 50c/t discount, that they feel discriminated against," he said.
"The point that has been made to me is that 'Aren't we all supposed to be equal in a co-operative?'."
Mr McGill said CBH appeared to realise they hadn't sold the new concept to the grower well enough.
"The average grower is concerned about a whole range of elements," he said.
"There are too many people asking questions and expressing concern and far more extensive communication about it is required.
"Explain it to the grower to the fullest extent and allay their concerns as to why, for example, their paddock needs to be mapped."
Mr Young said there were two key things to come out of the meeting.
"CBH recognised it hasn't sold this very well," Mr Young said.
"They should have and could have done better - there are still growers out there saying why do we need to do this?
"A positive outcome is that CBH agreed to turn LoadNet back on and allow growers to have an alternative other than Paddock Planner to put in the required data.
"We did make the point that there is an impression that we are against CBH and that is furthest from the truth.
"Myself, Gary and Doug have openly stated that we are on the same side as CBH and want to help them and want them to have the best data they can possibly have.
" In our view a really high compliance is better than whatever they end up with - you are not going to get 100pc and we all agree on that, as there will be a percentage that will not doing anything regardless.
"But we would like to see it up in the 90pc range, which we think is achievable."
When asked where to now, Mr Young said all three organisations were in agreeance that it has to be the growers' choice in the end.
"Growers have to do what they feel is right for their enterprise," he said.
"We are not going to advise growers on what to do, that is not our role, we are trying to get a best outcome for them but it in the end it is up to the individual.
"LoadNet will allow growers another avenue and that is paramount to us because it is all about choice."
Mr Newman said Paddock Planner would be "the biggest change in actually delivering grain since we went from bags to bulk".
"We are not putting it off for another year, there is too much potential to save growers and the industry a lot of money and we will be paying the 50c/t for the extra work that is involved in connecting up the Paddock Planner," Mr Newman said.
"They asked us to turn the LoadNet system back on, which we agreed to but we won't be paying the 50c/t for that.
"In terms of saying we are discriminating against growers who don't qualify for the 50c/t incentive, we are treating people equitably.
"Those that have put the extra effort in to make it better for all growers, the incentive is paying them for the amount of effort they have to put in to make it work."
In terms of communicating the process to the growers, Mr Newman said "they should have been out selling this last year at grower meetings".
"That was the benefit of the old, traditional grower meetings, we could talk one-on-one to growers and get back to them and present these sorts of things," he said.
Mr Newman did point to the fact that submissions were at 52pc Statewide, which he said was well up on the same time last year.
"On current indications, it is looking like we will get between 70-80pc," he said.
"This has never been done anywhere else in world, it is a one-off and is solely for growers in WA and no one else is going to get use of it.
"If any grower has trouble setting up Paddock Planner someone from CBH will come out and help them do it, because it is just so important for the industry to make it super efficient to keep our growers viable."
