Grain Producers Australia (GPA) and Operation Grain Harvest Assist (OGHA) are again placing former Australian Defence Force members into grain harvest jobs - and building a permanent pipeline of skilled Australian workers for agriculture. The partnership connects former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with grain producers, offering an Australian answer to the workforce shortages confronting growers as the 2026 harvest begins. With headers rolling in northern cr

Grain Producers Australia (GPA) welcomes the announcement by the Federal Government today to prioritise migration for key sectors including agriculture, although it is cautious about the broader impact on the upcoming harvest. During his presentation to the National Press Club today in relation to the Government's overhaul of the migration system, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that he will update a ministerial direction to prioritise migrants who have skills Aust

By Grain Producers Australia Chair Matthew Madden The detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in wild seabirds in Australia has understandably placed the poultry industry on alert, but the implications extend much further across agriculture. While there have been no detections in Australian poultry production systems or the broader livestock industries, the presence of H5N1 in wild birds is a reminder of how closely connected our production systems are and why eve

Bird flu is drawing attention to biosecurity across Australian agriculture, but the risks grain producers manage extend beyond any one disease or sector. New Grain Producers Australia (GPA) Independent Director Kristy McSweeney discussed what bird flu could mean for grain growers, particularly those with dams, wetlands and mixed farming operations in an interview with News24. She also spoke about the continuing cost of mouse damage and the work underway to help growers manage

Grain Producers Australia (GPA) questions the Senate’s decision to launch an inquiry into the continued use and regulation of paraquat less than three months after the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) completed its extensive scientific review of the chemical. GPA Research, Development and Extension spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said the grains industry did not agree with every restriction imposed through the final decision, but respected the AP

Grain producers are invited to join an online question and answer session examining global grain markets, price movements and the factors to consider when making grain marketing decisions. GPA Deputy Chair and South Australian grain producer Mark Schilling will be joined by Andrew Whitelaw from Episode 3 for a practical discussion about what is happening across international markets and what it could mean for Australian growers. The session will look at the global factors inf

Grain Producers Australia has today announced the appointment of Kristy McSweeney to its Board. This appointment is part of an ongoing renewal process for Australia’s peak grains industry advocacy organisation that has recently appointed Northern Region Director and Moree grain grower Matthew Madden as Chair. Mr Madden said Ms McSweeney would be an asset to the Board as it embarks on a new era of representing grain growers across Australia in a time of changing agricultural

Grain Producers Australia Chief Executive Officer Duncan Bremner caught up over coffee this week with Ian Waring, who led the Australian Wheatgrowers' Federation (AWF) during one of the most testing periods in the industry's history. The AWF, registered federally in 1930, was the national voice of Australian wheat growers for half a century. Its hardest test came in 1969, when a record harvest met collapsing export markets. Silos overflowed and the Australian Wheat Board cou

It has been a busy month for GPA, with plenty of opportunities to hear directly from growers, meet with government and keep work moving on some of the practical issues affecting grain businesses. CEO Duncan Bremner and I met with Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins to discuss the priorities of Australian grain producers. Meetings like this give us the opportunity to put the realities of running a grain business directly in front of government and explain how decisions

Australia’s heavy reliance on imported fertiliser is back in focus as suppliers move early to secure phosphate for next season. The Weekly Times reported that retailers are looking beyond traditional sources after China suspended phosphate exports, while growers remain exposed to high prices and global supply disruptions. Grain Producers Australia Research, Development and Extension Spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said this year had shown how quickly international events could

Countryman has highlighted growing concern across WA agriculture about changes to visa processing priorities as harvest and other peak seasonal work approaches. The article points to the grains sector’s heavy reliance on working holiday-makers, with growers warning that fewer available workers could add further pressure to farm businesses already dealing with high input costs and seasonal risk. Grain Producers Australia Chair Matthew Madden said many growers depend on working

Australian cricketing great Brad Hogg will be at the Dowerin Machinery Field Days this week, taking Grain Producers Australia’s (GPA) Farmer Mates Mental Health Initiative to growers across the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Mr Hogg, the initiative’s National Ambassador, will be joined on 26 August by GPA Western Region Director and WA grain producer Barry Large, catching up with growers, families and others from across the supply chain and encouraging people to check in with

This National Biosecurity Week, Grain Producers Australia (GPA) is reminding Australians that protecting the nation’s $26 billion grains industry starts with simple decisions, including staying out of picturesque canola crops flowering across the country. National Biosecurity Week, held from 24 to 30 August, highlights the role everyone plays in preventing, preparing for and responding to biosecurity threats. GPA Chair and Moree grain producer Matthew Madden said biosecurity

Sheep Central has highlighted the growing risk of Australian plague locust activity across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria as spring approaches. The article outlines the potential for hatching from mid-September, the importance of early surveillance and reporting, and the need for coordinated monitoring across farming regions. Grain Producers Australia Chair Matthew Madden said the developing risk needed a coordinated response. “Locusts do not respect farm or st

Grain growers across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria are being urged to keep watch for Australian plague locusts as conditions point to an increased risk this spring. Grain Central reported on GPA's warning, with hatching expected to begin in parts of south-eastern Australia from mid-September and the potential for damaging numbers to coincide with critical stages of winter crop development. GPA Chair and New South Wales grain producer Matthew Madden said the de

With harvest less than a month away in parts of Queensland, concerns are growing that delays in processing working holiday visas could leave grain growers and contractors short of skilled workers. Farm Online reported on the industry's reliance on international workers to operate machinery and support harvest logistics, with some contracting businesses sourcing up to half their workforce from working holiday visa holders. Grain Producers Australia Chair and New South Wales gr

Farm Online has reported growing concern that slower processing of working holiday visas could disrupt the upcoming grain harvest, with contractors warning backpackers can account for up to half of their seasonal workforce. Skilled overseas workers are particularly important for operating modern harvest machinery, with delays potentially leaving workers unable to arrive when crops are ready. Grain Producers Australia Chair Matthew Madden said the changes presented a real risk

Attention is turning to how growers will manage the transition to new paraquat use conditions following the APVMA's final decision in June. The Weekly Times reported on the two-year period allowing existing stocks to be used under current labels, and the work now needed on withholding periods, extension and alternative chemistry before the new requirements fully take effect. Grain Producers Australia Research, Development and Extension Spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said GPA w

Victoria’s decision to delay new workplace exposure limits for phosphine has increased calls for a nationally consistent approach. Farm Online reported the proposed limit would fall from 0.3 parts per million to 0.05ppm, with Victoria now delaying implementation until December 2029 while further work is undertaken. Grain Producers Australia Chair Matthew Madden welcomed the decision and urged other jurisdictions to follow Victoria’s lead. “GPA is deeply committed to safe work

Grain Producers Australia (GPA) is deeply concerned by the Federal Government’s confirmation that it is slowing the processing of working holiday visa applications. In the months leading up to harvest, GPA is alarmed by policy settings that undermine working holidaymakers as part of the seasonal workforce mix that risks undermining critical harvest capacity. As reported over the weekend, the Federal Government had paused applications for working holiday visas from 24 countr