GrainCorp harvest casuals sampling grain at GrainCorp’s Geelong laboratory to GTA standards. Photo: GrainCorp

GRAIN Trade Australia is holding two courses next week open to members and non-members with all levels of industry experience and built on the industry’s Code of Practice.

“GTA training and development programs are an important part of the industry stewardship provided by GTA and its products and services,” GTA CEO Pat O’Shannassy said.   

“Improving industry capability, through specific training conducted by experienced industry experts, helps the participants in developing their own careers, and industry at large by stronger capability across the sector.” 

The Grain finance and risk management workshop on the topic will be presented by Malcolm Finlayson on zoom and in person in Sydney, and the Grain Trading Standards workshop on the topic will be presented on zoom by Gerard McMullen.  

Rich content

Being held on Thursday October 25, the Grain finance and risk management workshop is designed to improve the skills of people whose tasks may include working with a grain position, P&L reporting, and back-office function.

The workshop aims to engage financial controllers, accountants, trader managers, grain traders and their support staff in the specific requirements for the financial and risk management demands of the domestic and export grain trade.  

In the workshop, Mr Finlayson will explain financial reporting for grain trading and how to report market-to-market accounting for grain trading, and describe managing and reporting on several components of risk.

He will also cover incorporation of hedged contracts.  

A well-trained finance and management veteran, Mr Finlayson has spent half his life in grain work managing finance and risk control, and can therefore convey to course participants his experience of season and market cycles.

The Grain Trading Standards workshop is being held on Friday 26 October, and Mr McMullen will take participants through the application of relevant standards for cereal grain, oilseeds and pulses as well as procedures for operating a receival site and storage facility.

These procedures include grain classification, weighbridge operation, documentation and guidelines for safely receiving and storing grain, as well as correct use of equipment and assessment techniques.  

Mr McMullen is an experienced practitioner in standards, grain classification and storage, and readily shares his knowledge of decades through the workshop.

Contact [email protected] to enrol and receive course material.  

About GTA  

GTA is a national trade association and is the focal point for the commercial grains industry within Australia.

Its role is to provide a framework across industry to facilitate and promote the trade of grain.

GTA has more than 270 members drawn from all sectors of the grain value chain from production to domestic end users and exporters.