Applications are now open for the 2018 Australian Grain Leaders Program which, for the first time in many years, is open to the full grains industry, not exclusively farmers.

Grain industry businesses are also invited to sponsor promising employees aged 21-40 who show leadership potential and who would benefit from increasing their leadership training and industry knowledge.

Cameron Parker, who grows grain and operates a hay contracting business at Boort, Victoria, with his wife, Amanda, completed the Australian Grain Farm Leaders Program in 2016.

Cameron Parker

In the same year he was elected to the GrainGrowers’ National Policy Group, representing the southern region with grain growers, Mark Hoskinson, Emma Thomas, Richard Rice and Bob McCormack.

The National Policy Group (NPG) comprises 15 elected representatives across Australia representing three major grain-growing regions: western, southern and northern. It meets up to four times a year to consider the full breadth of policy issues affecting farmers.

Policy positions are supported by research and analysis undertaken by GrainGrowers’ policy staff.

In the past 12 months this has included a survey of the true dimensions of farm machinery and transportation used in the grains industry.

Eight hundred growers responded and the data informed the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) of limitations to be overcome in the current regulations.

Mr Parker is passionate about the future development of the Australian grains industry.

He is a part of the AgriEducate team of farmers (www.agrieducate.com.au), helping to increase understanding between city and country, and represents young people in agriculture on the Victorian Farmers Federation’s Young Agribusiness Professionals (YAPs) committee.

He has also been involved in the Birchip Cropping Group’s growth, adoption, production and profit (GAPP) initiative, a discussion and learning forum for younger farmers.

Like many NPG members including Richard Rice and Emma Thomas – and GrainGrowers’ board director, Brett Hosking – Mr Parker is an alumnus of the Australian Grain Farm Leaders Program, which he completed in 2016.

He was encouraged to do the program after talking with past participants who had spoken highly of it.

“I could see the importance of working together as an industry and learning from each other. I saw the program as a fantastic opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the grains industry and discover new and exciting opportunities which I could bring to fruition with my own endeavours,” he said.

“I not only want to be the best producer I can be but also to share knowledge and expand the industry as a whole into the future.”

National grain farmer representative body, GrainGrowers, has offered the program for 10 years and in that time more than 100 passionate young people have graduated.

Applications are now open for the 2018 Australian Grain Leaders Program which, for the first time in many years, is open to the full grains industry, not exclusively farmers.

“The Australian Grain Leaders Program is the pivotal program for grain industry leadership development in Australia, driving excellence in our own industry,” GrainGrowers’ CEO, Dr Michael Southan, said.

Dr Michael Southan

“The program aims to develop the personal and professional leadership skills and knowledge of emerging young leaders in the grains industry, widening their horizons and increasing their understanding of the broader issues in the industry.

“We have widened the intake for next year’s program with the intention of attracting a mix of farmers, executives and workers from across all sectors of the industry to build greater rapport and understanding of how the industry’s different sectors can work cooperatively together to build stronger outcomes for all.”

Dr Southan said the program is unique in exclusively focusing on the Australian grains industry.

“It enables a participant to select a project for 12 months which impacts their own industry, enterprise or farm,” he said.

“Through their work, individuals seek to investigate, understand and provide solutions for an issue that will benefit not only their own enterprise but also the grains industry as a whole.

“In addition to providing unparalleled access to industry experts, stakeholders and information across the grains industry, the program aims to foster life-long networks and friendships among participants.

“Grain farmers who wish to develop their leadership skills are invited to apply for the program.

“In addition, we invite grains industry businesses to sponsor promising employees aged 21-40 who show leadership potential and who would benefit from increasing their leadership training and industry knowledge.”

Source: GrainGrowers. Further information on the program and nomination forms can be downloaded from the GrainGrowers website. Applications close at 5 pm on Friday 29 September.