In the first week of September, nine grain grower and research leaders who form the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Southern Panel together with GRDC staff will tour rural Victoria to connect with growers, researchers and industry.

The GRDC Southern Panel is one of three regional panels that provide advice to GRDC on how to invest in research, development and extension activities that best support the enduring profitability of grain growers.

During the tour, the group will meet growers, advisers and researchers to extend their industry relationships and expertise. It’s important the panel and GRDC staff are well connected to local and regional conditions and issues.

Incoming GRDC Southern Panel Chair Mr Andrew Russell says the best part of a panel tour is meeting growers and stakeholders in their own environment.

“Interacting with growers in the paddock and gaining first-hand knowledge of the southern growing region improves our understanding of local constraints and emerging issues,” says Mr Russell.

“Having the opportunity to inspect field trials and other experiments with the researchers running them also enables us to keep up with the latest results and developments.

“This all helps us give more educated advice about proposed investments.”

Starting in Mildura in the low-rainfall Mallee region, the tour will interact with growers managing large farming operations, before proceeding through the medium-rainfall Wimmera and Central Victoria regions where there are many producers of high-value pulses. The tour will then conclude in the high-rainfall region of Southern Victoria dominated by cereal and canola production integrated with livestock.

All three areas are having an excellent season so far.

Panel members and accompanying GRDC staff will visit properties, trial sites, research facilities and other industry enterprises.

The panel will tour diverse growing areas and operations which will help them gain a fuller picture of the associated challenges and opportunities growers face, and the research underway to support them.

Early career growers and researchers are a focus of this year’s tour, which will include a visit to PhD students and supervisors at Agriculture Victoria, Horsham, and students at Longerenong and Marcus Oldham Colleges.

Members of the Mallee Sustainable Farming and Southern Farming Systems will also meet the panel, plus there will be an event to support improved engagement with women in agriculture.

The 2022 spring GRDC Southern Panel tour will run 4 to 9 September. Media are welcome to meet and or interview panel members during the tour.

Read more about the GRDC Southern Panel and its members.