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SPECIAL REPORT: ANNUAL CONFRENCE
FEEDING AND CLOTHING THE FUTURE IN INTERESTING TIMES
Nearly 300 farmers from all corners of NSW will gather as delegates at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse for the NSW Farmers Association Annual Conference on 18-20 July 2023.
- Words DARREN BAGULEY
SW Farmers is Australia’s largest state agricultural organisation, representing the interests of its farmer members. As a result, the event is a highlight of the agricultural calendar and brings farmers and industry thought leaders from across the state to Western Sydney, the event’s new home for 2023, for three days of discussions, networking, presentations and exhibitions.
An ancient Chinese curse says ‘May you live in interesting times,’ and the times have been interesting indeed for Australian primary producers. The worst effects of bushfire, flood and the COVID pandemic may be behind us but as anyone wanting to buy a new tractor, ute or other piece of farm machinery knows, global supply chain issues continue to put a brake on farmers’ productivity.
Supply chain issues, coupled with war in the Ukraine, continue to drive inflation that in turn leads
to higher prices for fuel, energy and other inputs such as fertiliser and other agricultural chemicals. These and other issues promise to be the source of lengthy and lively discussion as delegates debate around 100 motions on agricultural and rural affairs.
Some of the major topics of deliberation are set to include biosecurity, a perennial topic brought into sharp focus by the Varroa mite incursion and federal government changes to funding arrangements; energy transition, another highly relevant topic in the light of skyrocketing energy bills; land planning; livestock traceability; and the management of pests, weeds and water.
AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS
Just as at previous conferences, 2023’s event will offer an impressive array of speakers providing insight on a broad range of industry, corporate and government issues. The NSW Premier, Chris Minns will attend the conference and there will be presentations from companies and organisations including Bayer, WaterNSW, AWI, NBN Co, Telstra, ARTC Inland Rail, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust and the GRDC.
Our annual conference brings together the who’s who in agriculture for three days of in-depth discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing our food and fibre future.
- PETER ARKLE NSW Farmers CEO
NSW Farmers CEO, Peter Arkle, says it is exciting for the conference to be at a new venue in the geographical centre of Sydney. “NSW Farmers is the voice of farmers in New South Wales. As a grassroots organisation, our policies are made by farmers, for farmers. From paddock to parliament, we advocate on issues as broad and varied as biosecurity, water and environmental reform, infrastructure, regional health, and farm resilience,” Peter says.
“Our annual conference brings together the who’s who in agriculture for three days of in-depth discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing our food and fibre future. Australia needs strong farms to feed the future, but they’re facing a range of challenges – from the cost of doing business to climate change and a highly competitive global market. It is vital to have a strong agricultural sector and robust supply chains that can stand up to these challenges, and this will be highlighted in our ‘Feeding the Future’ panel on Monday 17 July at the conference venue.”
A WORKFORCE FOR THE FUTURE
As with all industries, finding the workers of the future is a major challenge for agriculture. One organisation dedicated to meeting that challenge is the Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA).
Formed through a collaboration between the Australian Government, primary industries organisations and the education sector, PIEFA is the one-stop source for educational information and resources about agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food and fibre within the school system.
In past years the value of food and fibre production was top of mind in the national psyche. Australia’s prosperity rides on the sheep’s back, and PIEFA aims to rekindle this vision through a variety of web-based and real-world resources. Its Primezone web portal delivers hundreds of curriculum-aligned, high quality, food and fibre teaching resources for students from Foundation through to Year 12; while the PrimeZone Academy eLearning portal allows students to undertake free, interactive courses.
PIEFA’s national Farmer Time program allows students to ask questions, take a virtual tour of a farm and participate in live sessions with primary producers, while the Career Harvest online portal provides students with a one-stop resource for career options, information on career pathways, scholarships and other opportunities.
With building costs increasing, inflation hitting our shores and assets prices growing, farmers who are not annually reviewing their insurance coverage are finding themselves underinsured with potentially devastating impacts in the event of a total loss.
–WFI
One of the many challenges farmers face is finding an insurer who truly understands their business. WFI is one such insurer. For example, an unexpected or less understood challenge farmers face is underinsurance. According to WFI’s spokesperson, “with building costs increasing, inflation hitting our shores and assets prices growing, farmers who are not annually reviewing their insurance coverage are finding themselves underinsured with potentially devastating impacts in the event of a total loss.”
To help farmers address this risk, WFI prioritises clear and transparent communication with its policyholders. “At the time of policy renewal and review, we ensure that farmers are promptly notified of any policy changes that could impact their coverage,” WFI’s spokesperson says.
“Furthermore, we understand that each farm and business have unique circumstances, and a one-size fits-all approach may not be suitable. As a result, we offer a face-to-face model where our team can visit the farm or business to conduct thorough assessments and identify areas where policyholders may need to consider additional coverage. This personal interaction allows us to have in-depth discussions with farmers, understand their specific needs, and provide tailored insurance solutions that address their individual risks effectively.”
LOOK UP AND LIVE
While electricity prices and reliability are top of mind for farmers; exhibitor Essential Energy is focused on avoiding preventable accidents involving farming equipment and machinery encountering powerlines. The company looks after the poles and wires that deliver electricity to 95 per cent of NSW and parts of southern Queensland.
According to a company spokesperson, the greatest electrical safety risk on farm is machinery such as augers and harvesters encountering powerlines and power poles. The company is urging agribusinesses to take the steps necessary to protect the safety of themselves and their employees when working near powerlines and poles.
We offer a face-to-face model where our team can visit the farm or business to conduct thorough assessments and identify areas where policyholders may need to consider additional coverage.
–WFI
These measures include actively identifying the electrical safety risks present when starting work each day, installing aerial powerline markers and using the ‘Look Up and Live’ app. The app is a tool that includes information such as the location of overhead powerlines and imagery via an interactive geospatial map. The free app can be accessed by anyone from their computer, tablet or smartphone.
