BARMEDMAN grower John Minogue officially becomes the northern panel chairman of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) today, September 1.
The agriculture consultant who runs a 2000-hectare mixed farming and broadacre cropping operation in southern NSW replaces James Clark from the Hunter Valley, who has been panel chairman since 2008 and a panel member since 2005.
The handover was announced to assembled growers at the GRDC breakfast at AgQuip.
Mr Minogue had been a long-standing southern panel member and Mr Clark quipped they hadn’t always seen eye-to-eye, but were now united. The northern panel now comprises the growing regions of NSW and eastern Queensland.
“With my farming background, as well as my time serving on both the southern and northern panels I not only understand how the GRDC works, but also have an insight into growers’ needs,” said Mr Minogue, when his role was announced earlier.
“For many years I’ve helped take the research message and deliver it to the farmer in an easy-to-understand and easy-to-implement way so the grower can undertake practice change on farm. I’m looking forward to many opportunities of bringing this understanding to and travelling around our region as panel chair, hearing from growers and researchers and being able to communicate their research needs and priorities to the GRDC.”
