iverina senior commodity trader export Metha Praphakorn, ETG Commodities operations and support manager Peter McMeekin and Left Field Solutions principal Pete Johnston.

TRADERS, brokers and transport operators from the Queensland grain industry gathered in Toowoomba yesterday for the Queensland Agricultural Merchants (QAM) annual general meeting, where the organisation elected a new president in Scott Merson.

A senior commodity broker with RainAg and part of its Toowoomba team, Mr Merson takes over from Andrew Jurgs, cottonseed trading manager with Namoi Cotton, also based in Toowoomba.

Mr Jurgs has been QAM president since 2017, the year Queensland was plunged into drought, and became a net importer of interstate grain to supply its stockfeed and human-consumption needs once stocks ran down.

“It was great to see the season turn around in 2020, and the volume of grain QAM members is handling now is a good problem to have,” Mr Jurgs said.

Other problems have been less welcome, and included this year’s floods, when traders, brokers, consumers and transport operators were cooperating to get grain delivered  amid a network of cut roads and rail lines, and the COVID pandemic.

“Some wet harvests and the mouse plague as well gave us some issues to work out for our members, particularly on sorghum standards, so contracts could reflect what the industry was dealing with in terms of quality.”

“Let’s hope our harvests from here on in are dry ones, and I wish Scott all the best for his time as president.”

“It’s a role I’m honoured to have held.”

QAM’s 2022 AGM was held at the Spotted Cow Hotel, and included presentations from Sydney-based Grain Trade Australia CEO Pat O’Shannassy, and NAB’s Emma Brown and Ryan Johnson.

Transbulk Haulage principal Doug Short, Network Grains director Craig Dennis and outgoing QAM president Namoi Cotton cottonseed trading manager Andrew Jurgs.

Farmarco managing director Rob Imray, RainAg’s Scott Merson and AWB territory manager Tyson Hosie.

Scone, NSW, visitor John Barry, Castlegate James, with from Deacon Seeds, Karen Schmidt and managing director Mark Schmidt.

GrainCorp Toowoomba grain marketer Scott Dale and Riverina’s Brisbane-based logistics coordinator Sue Rush.

Visiting from Brisbane are Riverina CTD general manager Gareth Stapleton and Riverina logistics coordinator Dean Bichel.

GTA CEO Pat O’Shannassy with NAB corporate and institutional markets associate director Emma Brown and Ryan Johnson, NAB Agribusiness manager Toowoomba.