Ten emerging grains professionals have been given a unique professional development opportunity through their selection in the Australian Grain Leaders Program.
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The year-long program, run by peak grains representative body GrainGrowers, offers professional development training for growers looking at future leadership roles in the grains industry.
In our region, the 2024 Australian Grain Leaders Program (AGLP) participants are: Jock Binnie from Bungeet in north-east Victoria; Thomas Moloney from Jerilderie in southern NSW; and James Russell from Lilliput in north-east Victoria.
GrainGrowers chief executive officer Shona Gawel welcomed the new program members and said she was excited by the possibilities within the group.
“The long-standing intention with the program is to develop the capacity of young growers and agricultural professionals to help shape the future of Australian grains,” Ms Gawel said.
“Each new cohort represents potential and possibility, and I am encouraged by the passion and enthusiasm they all bring to the table.”
To maximise impact, the course is highly customised and includes: face-to-face group workshops, field visits, coaching sessions and training and integration with industry participants and events.
Ms Gawel said participants undertake a project addressing a specific challenge in one of GrainGrowers’ six priority areas: trade and market access; grain freight and supply chains; workforce; biosecurity; carbon and climate; and farm inputs.
Jock Binnie
Jock Binnie is a fifth-generation grower based on a family-run farm at Bungeet, near Yarrawonga, with another property in the Riverina in southern NSW.
Mr Binnie and his family predominantly grow canola, wheat, vetch and faba beans.
He is interested in improving on-farm efficiencies to get the most out of people and equipment.
Thomas Moloney
Thomas Moloney from Jerilderie, NSW.
Thomas Moloney is a fifth-generation grower from Jerilderie.
He currently works on his family’s southern Riverina and central-west NSW properties where they grow a variety of winter and summer crops, on both dryland and irrigation.
Post secondary school, Mr Moloney attended university to study business and finance.
Following his studies, he was employed in the NAB Melbourne Corporate Agribusiness Team. His time in the finance industry, in conjunction with his current role as a farm manager has allowed him to develop an in-depth understanding of the financial challenges growers can be faced with.
He hopes to use his time in the AGLP to research unfavourable market conditions that growers may be exposed to and provide strategies to assist in the mitigation of risk brought about by unfavourable market conditions.
James Russell
James Russell from Lilliput, Victoria.
James Russell is a fifth-generation grower from Lilliput, on the outskirts of Rutherglen.
He recently completed a dual degree in Agribusiness and Farm Production. Following this, he has ventured into the world of corporate banking, embarking on a new career path in the rural finance sector.
This transition has provided Mr Russell with fresh perspectives on the agricultural industry, enriching his knowledge in anticipation of his return to the family farm in the coming decade.
His personal fervour lies in the growth and prosperity of the agricultural sector. As a result, he has actively engaged with various agricultural extension organisations.
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