77
the australian farmer
will be driverless. Hence, also, improved farmer lifestyle. Farmers such as those like me who produce grain are also very scientifically and commercially focussed in the way we run our businesses in using new technologies. This means there’s great opportunity to be innovative with what we do to solve current and future problems, across the agricultural industry as a whole, not just on- farm. This extends to the work we do to not only improve production output and farm returns, but to do it in a way which also improves sustainability. 1MG: Are there some model country towns that have the ideal agricultural talent mix? AM: Horsham in western Victoria seems to have a good balance and is a key agricultural town. Dubbo ap- pears also to have the right mix as a much larger centre. COVID-19 has seen a demographic shift to rural areas – in particular smaller towns of below 1000 people but it’s putting a serious shortage of housing under more pres- sure again. The community bank model of the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has been looking at this situation and trying to get support for building affordable hous- ing accommodation. COVID-19 has also seen a major deficiency in building products and high prices in steel up some 40% on 2 years ago. Andrew Weidemann AM is former Chairman of Grain Producers Australia. He is also a third- generation farmer from Rupanyup in Victoria’s Wimmera Region.
ers, and seeding equipment; machinery maintenance (mechanic skills); header operators; welding; testing and export certification skills; and accountancy (bookkeep- ing skills). General engineering, welding and mechanic (repair and maintenance) skills are also key attributes for any farming business in remote areas where key ser- vices and machinery dealers are scarce. 1MG: What else can be done? AW: Investment in skills, and related strategies such as incentives for on-the-job training by the private sec- tor and retiring tradespeople who re-invest their time in training the future, is now an imperative for Australian agriculture. Bad news around agriculture, such as bush fires, floods, and plagues, deters people from entering what can be a truly exhilarating career path with so many aspects of skills that can be used. 1MG: How else can we get more people to work in agriculture? AM: For all of my agri-political career, spanning 30-plus years now, I have always sought to change the percep- tion of farmers in the general public eye – historically the stereotypical Australian farmer has been portrayed as having straw in their mouth while wearing dirty overalls and the kelpie by his side. Today, thanks to remarkable technological advancements in the last decade or so, the more tech-savvy Australian farmers spend much of their time on the smart phone checking on tractor operations and equipment performance from the comfort of their home – which incidentally, in the not-too-distant future,
Back to Contents
Powered by FlippingBook