Registrations are now open for annual Western Australian events that can assist grain growers to identify opportunities to grow the bottom line of their farm enterprises.

GRDC Farm Business Updates, featuring expert speakers addressing relevant topics, will be held in:

• Esperance on February 8,
• Goomalling on February 10
• Williams on February 11.

GRDC Western Region Panel chair Darrin Lee says good farm business management is the foundation for a successful farming operation. He says the events will assist growers, advisers and agribusiness personnel by delivering high quality information about best farm business management concepts and practices.

“Engaging and well qualified speakers have been secured to address the 2021 series of events, covering a range of issues from the broader economic picture and international markets to cost-effective machinery and farm workplace culture,” Mr Lee says.

“The aim of the Farm Business Updates is to help drive innovation and adoption of improved farm business management practices across the grains industry.

“I encourage my fellow grain growers, advisers and others working in the industry to register their attendance at these popular events and to make the most of the interesting and relevant content delivered.”

Expert speakers and their topics for the 2021 events include:

• Economics and trade (Jeff Oughton, economist)
• Land price and farm profitability analysis (Ashley Herbert, Agrarian Management and Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants (WA) president)
• Agricultural commodity markets and currency: Geopolitical impacts of China, United States election and more (Michael Every, Rabobank global strategist)
• Practical farm safety (Danielle McNamee, ProcessWorx)
• Case study: Motivating and managing your farm team (Paul O’Meehan, Borden grower)
• What is the culture of your family business? Achieving trust, communication and success (Stuart Wesley, Oasis People and Culture).

At the Esperance event, Highbury grower Ashley Wiese will also speak on the topic of adding value to farm produce, and at the Goomalling and Williams events Rob Sands, Farmanco, will address ‘cost-effective machinery’.

Each of the events will be from 9.15am to 4pm (doors open at 8.30am). To register or for more information, visit GRDC events , or ORM. Alternatively, contact event coordinator ORM on 03 5441 6176 or admin@orm.com.au.

A new GRDC video series, ‘What to ask your financial adviser’, covers farm business topics and is available on the GRDC YouTube channel. Topics of the videos relate to investment in land, soil amelioration, on-farm storage and machinery.

Farm business management resources are also available on GRDC's website.

More information: Darrin Lee, 0427 281 021, blighleefarms@bigpond.com.au