ANNUAL gatherings for eastern Australia’s state-based grain organisations wound up on Friday with the Grain NSW event in Sydney.

It followed the Queensland Agricultural Merchants’ (QAM) annual general meeting on Thursday in Toowoomba, and the Grain Industry Association of Victoria (GIAV) annual lunch on 6 September in Melbourne.

All three state organisations represent grain traders, brokers, rural supplies, logistics, storage and associated businesses, and report strong support from their members, despite drought in southern Queensland and most of NSW reducing regional supplies and reshaping logistics pathways.

“We had 105 members from across NSW at our social gathering which followed our AGM, a good result considering the year we are in,” Lachlan Commodities Forbes-based trading manager and Grain NSW re-elected president Andrew Cogswell said.

“We’re getting some younger people coming through to take up roles on committees, and more financial institutions as members, which shows we are changing with the times.”

Mr Cogswell said demand for grain in NSW showed no sign of abating, but reduced local stocks as a function of drought, and limited water for NSW irrigators, would continue to see the state look to grain grown beyond its borders to shore up supply.

“We’re hoping Victoria manages to pull out a good crop.”

GIAV secretary Colin Peace said the organisation re-elected Adrian Murphy from Riordan Grain Services as president at its annual gathering, which attracted 103 people.

Mr Peace said the get-together included an “intense panel discussion” on conditions of crops from Junee in southern NSW to Hamilton in western Victoria.

“Crops between the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers are normally stamped with a Victorian mark, but they might be heading north again this year because of the drought in NSW,” Mr Peace said.

At the QAM AGM, John Francis stepped down as secretary, and his replacement will be announced shortly.

Societa Cofica’s Deacon Seeds general manager Mark Schmidt, Dalby, and Toowoomba-based Emerald Grain merchant Scott Merson are new additions to the QAM management committee.

Grain NSW president Andrew Cogswell welcomes members and guests to the association’s industry gathering in Sydney following the AGM.

Milton Bromwich, Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR), Sydney, Lena Price, Grainforce, Bathurst with Graham Coker, SSR, Brisbane and Shane Mair, SSR, Sydney.

Riley Vernon, ASX, Sydney and Lee Shilvock, AmSpec, Port Adelaide with Ole Houe, Ikon Commodities, Sydney.

Greg Carroll, Croker Grain, Wagga with Ron Arnold, Manildra Group, Sydney, Chris Kelly, Kelly Grains, Finley and Ian Brown, Canowindra Produce Co, Canowindra.

Peter De Bock, Paccon Logistics, Sydney, Andrew Cogswell, Lachlan Commodities, Forbes and John Matthew, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Sydney with Upeksha Patel, MSC, Sydney and Lex De Bock, Paccon Logistics, Sydney.

Joe Hallman, Agracom, Quirindi with Lily Clifton, AgriDigital, Sydney and Richard Perkins, Agrisk, Sydney.

Michael Roche, FC Stone, Sydney with Olivia Paul, Robinson Grain, Sydney, Stefan Meyer, FC Stone, Sydney, Mal Berry, Ooma Enterprises, Forbes and Tom Nixon, Arrow Commodities, Sydney.

Stuart Clarke, Lemarc Agromond, Sydney and Michael Roche, FC Stone, Sydney, with Robert Lean, CL Commodities, Orange and Charles Lockyer, GrainCorp, Sydney.

Tom Nixon, Arrow Commodities Sydney, Mal Berry, Ooma Enterprises, Forbes and Olivia Paul, Robinson Grain, Sydney with Stefan Meyer, FC Stone, Sydney and Michael Roche, FC Stone, Sydney.