GrainGrowers continuing to add to its Grains100 'influencers' group

Christine Plant, Manangatang, Russell Hocking, Prairie, Ryan Milgate, Minyip and Stewart Hamilton, Inverleigh, are among the latest group of participants in the program, which brings the total to 60.

GrainGrowers chief executive Shona Gawel said Grains100 was a vital program for ensuring the sector had strong advocates on issues that mattered to producers.

"The issue of social licence - the ongoing acceptance of our industry's standard business practices and operating procedures - is an increasing focus of attention by industry participants and the general public alike," Ms Gawel said.

"As an industry, we need to be aware of this and be prepared to talk about how we operate and explain why we operate in the way we do."

She said the nominated focus of attention for incoming participants was grain freight and supply chains.

"This issue was identified in our 2023 Policy Survey as one of the top industry priorities," she said.

"Having Grains100 support discussion in this area will allow grower participants to explain why issues impacting grain freight and supply chains are critical to their farming operations."

Ms Plant said she accepted the nomination to be part of the program as she hoped to have a positive effect on the industry, by improving things for growers.

"I hope to improve my skills so that when I am advocating on behalf of growers I can have more impact," Ms Plant said.

"I am looking forward to meeting some switched on farmers because I think you can always learn from what others are doing."

She said many of the state's local roads and freight routes were in a "treacherous condition", which would lead to more accidents and potentially loss of life.

"I want to highlight these problems as well as issues further down the supply chain such as inefficiencies in the rail network and the ports," she said.

"More roads and bridges need to be gazetted for Higher Productivity Vehicles, rather than having pinch points, such as the situation where a road, but not a bridge, is gazetted."

Ms Plant said that was the case on the Robinvale-Sea Lake road (Robinvale bridge) and Mallee Highway (Tooleybuc bridge).

Mr Milgate said he hoped it would help him "build networks of like minded people".

He said he hadn't many preconceived ideas about what the eight week course might hold.

"I don't think you ever stop learning, when it comes to leadership," he said.

"My understanding is that it is to help us with advocacy and leadership," he said.

"I am hoping I can bring a farmer perspective, a user perspective, to the table - I spend a fair bit of time in the truck.

"I kind of see it from the steering wheel side, as well as the business side.

"GrainGrowers are doing a lot of work on the supply chain, we can bring those state based issues to the table."

Ms Gawel said to have an impact and make a difference, GrainGrowers wanted participants to consider issues holistically, taking into account what the general public needed to know to come on board in support.

Ms Gawel said Grains100 was building an influential group of 100 growers and industry leaders who were appropriately equipped to share a vision of a modern, sustainable industry with the grains sector and the wider community.

"As the group grows, the connections develop, and so does the ability for participants to get messages out there about some of the great things that individual growers and the wider industry are actively involved with," she said.