By Grain Producers Australia Chair Barry Large
Grain Producers Australia (GPA) continued to work hard for grain growers nationwide this year, delivering strong leadership and forthright advocacy, across industry and government.
And 2025 will be another big year, with the Federal Election looming and the need to manage ongoing issues for growers and any new challenges that arise.
Throughout 2024, GPA provided strong and stable leadership yet again, advocating outcomes through our various industry roles, representing all Australian grain producers.
GPA ensures the grass roots voices of grain producers are represented on the issues that matter, with strong national advocacy that’s backed by State Members.
This provides a strong and collective legitimate voice as State Grains leaders step up and represent the grass roots voices of their paying grain producer members, to empower authentic decision-making, at the GPA Policy Council.
Grain producer directors from the major cropping regions, and independent skills-based directors, empower the GPA Board, which further strengthens our strategic direction and goals.
We’re proud to have appointed Cindy Cassidy to the GPA Board this year, as our third independent skills-based director. HERE Cindy joins Peter Bridgman and Mitchell Hooke AM, as independent directors who add vital expertise and knowledge, to support our grower directors.
GPA’s reputation for ‘punching above our weight, delivering a strong voice for all Australian grain producers, was further strengthened in 2024, as we again put our collective shoulders to the wheel, to address important policy and advocacy matters.
Firstly, we led the way coordinating submissions on the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority’s (APVMA) proposed regulatory decisions for paraquat and diquat use.
GPA has consistently advocated for an independent, evidence-based and scientifically focused regulator. HERE
GPA RD&E Spokesman, Andrew Weidemann, has provided his forthright leadership and advocacy, with vital expertise and experiences on these matters.
Andrew reinforced why regulators, and the general public, need to understand the facts – especially in reinforcing GPA’s core message that paraquat and diquat herbicides are integral to modern farming systems and weed management. HERE
GPA also coordinated the industry stakeholders needed to ensure accurate data and evidence were central to informing our APVMA submission, guided by expertise and evidence.
This advocacy also included calling out the lack of scientific rigor in sensationalist media reporting, with activist style campaigning and disinformation, linking paraquat use to the incidence of Parkinson’s Disease. HERE
GPA was able to utilise the expertise of Peter Arkle (Applebox Insights) to drive this work forward, whilst coordinating the scientific substance with grower views, for our APVMA submission.
We plan to maintain a close watch over these matters, with a final regulatory decision expected by mid-2025.
Pete was also appointed Interim GPA CEO in late July, after our Colin Bettles suffered an unfortunate, shocking injury, whilst in the USA, during a work trip. HERE
Pete stepping into this role was invaluable for not only maintaining GPA’s busy schedule of policy and advocacy priorities, while also overseeing the APVMA review processes.
GPA will continue to press a strong case on these matters in 2025, to protect growers’ interests and maintain access to the important tools needed, in our farming production systems.
At the start of 2024, GPA continued our strong advocacy opposing the Federal Government’s Biosecurity Tax. GPA’s ‘Scrap The Biosecurity Tax’ campaign included inquiry submissions and positive engagement, meeting with Federal MPs and Senators of all persuasions. HERE
This ultimately led to defeat of the proposed legislation after all Federal MPs and Senators, apart from Labor, chose to vote against this fundamentally flawed policy proposal, to hit growers with a new levy (tax).
This successful advocacy was also sharpened and strengthened by GPA’s review of grain levy-rates. HERE
As per our legislated representative responsibilities for all levy-paying grain producers, this review process, which started in mid-2022 and is not yet formally concluded, has involved asking the core policy question – are the current grains levy-rates fit-for-purpose?
A central tenant was inquiring – can these grains levy-rates be re-allocated, to strengthen biosecurity protections, rather than increasing the overall total?
In support of this positive objective, which serves the greater good of growers and shared beneficiaries, the Australian Grains Industry Biosecurity Plan was launched at the Australian Grains Industry Conference, in July. HERE
GPA is proud of our work leading this collaboration, to achieve these shared outcomes and benefits, working with GRDC, Plant Health Australia and other stakeholders.
Whilst disappointed the Biosecurity Tax proposal interrupted our grains-levy review process, which also suffered delays caused by other challenges HERE, these experiences have only sharpened our resolve –whilst strengthening the core policy development and advocacy.
This review process is set to continue in 2025, with the spotlight now clearly focused on the core value proposition – can we spend grains levies better, to deliver better outcomes for growers, along with shared benefits to others; industry, economy, environment and communities?
In 2025, GPA will also continue progressing other vitally important policy matters, including; stronger biosecurity protections; improved farmer wellbeing and mental health; better access to farm labour; improved supply chain efficiencies/reduced freight costs; protecting access to crop protection products; more reliable access to essential farm inputs/reduced costs; progressing grains sustainability/market access and certification schemes; and contributing to the Wheat Port Code Review process, to ensure fair market competition and transparency, to protect growers.
GPA GRAINS INDUSTRY PRIORITIES IN 2024
GPA’s Farmer Mates Mental Health Program, with National Ambassador, Brad Hogg, continued to grow in strength, to help make a difference by breaking down stigmas and increasing awareness of mental health and suicide prevention. This initiative, featuring a number of events and field days and with community groups, was again supported by key partners; especially Nufarm Australia, RuralAid, Lifeline, GrainGrowers and the GRDC. HERE
GPA, Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia and Society of Precision Agriculture Australia launched a new three-year partnership to progress development of the Code of Practice for Agricultural Mobile Field Machinery with Autonomous Functions in Australia and the technology’s future adoption in Australia. HERE
GPA coordinated another grains industry leaders’ event, the Australian Grains Industry Showcase, at Parliament House in Canberra. HERE This event was once again hosted by Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Primary Producers – Meryl Swanson MP and the Hon Nola Marino MP – and attended by Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Julie Collins.
GPA welcomed the appointment of The Hon. Julie Collins as the new federal Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry – supported by the new Assistant Minister The Hon. Senator Anthony Chisholm – and acknowledged Murray Watt’s service in this important ministerial role along with Emergency Services, since the 2022 election. HERE
GPA’s Policy Council held meetings in March this year, in Canberra, in July in Melbourne with the GPA AGM, and online in December. This adds to regular meetings held by different GPA Sub-committees, such as Policy Managers, Biosecurity and Pesticides and Technology. HERE
In March, we said farewell to grain producer and industry champion and character, Ray Marshall, who passed away, and acknowledged his incredible service and selfless contribution. Ray was a Pingelly farmer and GPA Western Region Grower Director from 2015 to 2019. This was one of many senior industry leadership positions he held during an extensive career representing growers in various roles over a career spanning more than 30-years. HERE
John Woods stepped down, after holding the role since October 2016, as Chair of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and was replaced by Sharon Starick. Sharon’s appointment was welcomed by GPA, and John’s serviced acknowledged. HERE
Throughout 2024, GPA continued to actively maintain representation of grain producers' biosecurity interests through its membership in Plant Health Australia (PHA) and as a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD). GPA's responsibilities encompassed biosecurity planning and implementation at both on-farm and national levels, liaising with state and federal governments on trade issues, funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives, and participating in national committees and response efforts during emergencies through the National Management Group and related committees.
GPA’s continued efforts to protect market access and promote Australia’s reputation for producing safe, high-quality grain through the National Residue Survey (NRS) delivered consistent results this year. The NRS is managed by the Australian Government to monitor chemical residue levels in grain exports, supporting trade and market access. Grain producers contribute to the NRS through levy payments, which fund independent testing and analysis of residue levels in Australian grain. GPA represents growers’ interests in ensuring these levy funds are used effectively. In 2024, the NRS survey results once again confirmed that Australian grain complies with domestic and international standards for chemical residues. HERE
GPA Grower Policy Priorities survey in early 2024, helped to inform discussions by grain producer leaders, at the GPA Policy Council Meeting in Canberra. This included important discussions about renewable fuels, and the importance of proper land access arrangements and consultation with farmers, with the development of renewable energy projects. End Point Royalties and need for buyers to collect at the first point of sale via an auto-deduct system, was also a key topic of discussion, along with biosecurity and GPA’s review of grain levies. HERE
GPA also continued playing an important role during 2025, and will continue next year, assisting the coordination, management and delivery of industry minor use permits that help grain producers control various pests, weeds and diseases more effectively. These permits are issued by the APVMA under the national regulator’s minor and emergency use program. They give growers timely and strategic access to the tools they need to manage damaging pests, weeds and diseases, and ensure their farming businesses remain profitable and sustainable. GPA’s coordination role as the permit holder is managed with Grains Australia – and the GRDC also plays a key role investing in research and development that informs technical expertise and generates data for the issuing and maintenance of these permits. HERE
GPA Policy Council – State Farming Groups
• Agforce Grains
• Grain Producers SA
• NSW Farmers Association
• Victorian Farmers’ Federation Grains Group
• TasFarmers
• WAFarmers Grains Council
• WA Grains Group
GPA Board.
• Barry Large Chairman: Western Region Director
• Duncan Young: Western Region Director
• Andrew Weidemann AM: Southern Region Director
• Mark Schilling: Southern Region Director
• Matthew Madden – Deputy Chairman – Northern Region Director
• Brendan Taylor: Northern Region Director
• Independent skills-based directors: Cindy Cassidy, Peter Bridgman & Mitchell Hooke AM
This article was first published on Farm Weekly, 8 January 2025: HERE
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