THE 2017 Australian Grains Industry Conference kicked off in Melbourne today under the theme “Global trends – Is ‘quality’ Australia’s Trump card?”.

Pulse Australia chairman, Ron Storey, Melbourne, PT Cerestar Flour Mills representative, Hondro Widjaja, Banten, Indonesia, and AGG Co-op managing director, Bruce McDonald, South Australia.

Over the two-day event, the technical program features global and Australian expert speakers, panel sessions and debates, the ever-popular CEOs in Conversation session and this year, concurrent sessions return to enable the conference to better meet the needs of all sectors.

A line-up of international and local speakers will address a range of topics that includes:

• Grain, pulse and oilseed markets – outlook and prices
• Key market insights, including for China and India
• Australian success stories, including the story behind Australia’s largest regional airport at Toowoomba
• CEOs and their perspectives on Australia’s place in global markets and the role of quality
• Domestic feed market, with specific focus on the feedlot industry
• Agricultural investments in Australia
• Growth of the craft beers, including beer tasting

Southern Stockfeeds representatives, Peter Wardell and David Jemmett, Bridgewater, Victoria.

Eyre Peninsula Integrated Commodities (EPIC) representative, Steve Willis, Kimba, with Grain Producers SA representatives, Dion Trezona, Eyre Peninsula, and Adrian McCabe, Hamley Bridge, South Australia.

AGT Foods Australia CEO, Peter Wilson, Toowoomba, Qld, and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport developer, John Wagner.

Toowoomba based AGT Foods Australia senior grain merchant Hannah Castle, and grain merchants Mitchell Elks and Millie Bach.

South Australian visitors, PIRSA grains account manager Dave Lewis, EPIC field officer Mick Cousins, Elders grain manager Lachlan Allen.

GIMAF executive manager Tony Russell, Melbourne, and Pioneer Seeds national canola product manager Clint Rogers.