A BUMPER crowd has heard how the grains industry needs to engage with consumers and better sell its message at the Queensland Country Life Food Heroes event at Toobeah, west of Goondiwindi today.
Jeff Bidstrup, Bidstrup Farming, said Australian farming was world leading in terms of its clean and green credentials, yet he said broadacre cropping was often villainised in the metropolitan media.
He said it was up to farmers to correct mistakes they saw.
“Don’t leave it to the farming organisations, people will just say it is their job to lobby, do it yourselves and you will get the best impact.”
The event, held at the Woods family’s property ‘Coorangy’, also featured a crop walk where hosts Dave and Alice Woods answered questions.
Currently, conditions are reasonable due to a recent rainfall of 25mm, but Mr Woods said further rain would be required to cement average yields for the winter crop.
He said the business had this year sown slightly more chickpeas than average due to high prices, but added that for the most part a strict rotation was adhered to.
In terms of planting the chickpea crop, he said handling the residue of the massive 2016 crop had been the major difficulty.
The crowd heard how chickpea prices for the upcoming season would be set by a combination of the Aussie crop and prospects in the subcontinent.
Another speaker was Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) chairman and local farmer John Woods.
Mr Woods spoke on the role of innovation in the grains industry.
- More stories and photos online soon.