LISTENING, LEADERSHIP AND LONG-TERM FOCUS FOR GRAIN PRODUCERS

By Grain Producers Australia Chair Barry Large 

This year reinforces why a strong, independent national voice for grain producers matters. 

As 2025 draws to a close, it is worth taking stock of what has been a busy and constructive year for Grain Producers Australia (GPA) and for the growers we represent. 

It also highlighted the importance of staying focused on the long game. Sound policy, good governance, strong biosecurity and practical innovation do not happen overnight. They are built through sustained effort, consultation and collaboration, and that has been the hallmark of GPA’s work throughout 2025. 

A year shaped by grower engagement 

At the heart of GPA’s work is a simple principle, which remains the same as it was when GPA was founded 15 years ago this year. HERE Decisions affecting grain producers should be informed by grain producers themselves and this continues to guide everything we do. 

One of the most significant pieces of work this year was GPA’s national grains levy consultation. HERE For the first time, grain producers were asked in a structured, independent way for their views on how compulsory levies should be set and allocated. 

More than 400 growers participated in the survey, conducted by Australian Regional Insights. HERE The feedback was clear, with around three quarters of respondents supporting a reduction in the research and development component of the levy, paired with a modest increase in the biosecurity component. That message was not ideological or political, it was practical.

Growers want levy settings that reflect current needs, accumulated reserves and the growing importance of biosecurity risk. 

The value of this process was not just the result, but also it was the credibility of the process to collate and communicate growers’ views. GPA presented the findings directly to the Federal Agriculture Minister, the Assistant Minister and key stakeholders, ensuring that grower voices were not filtered or diluted along the way.

While we wait for feedback from the Minister and Assistant Minister, rest assured our commitment to evidence-based advocacy will continue to guide our approach. 

Strengthening biosecurity leadership 

Biosecurity remained a central focus for GPA in 2025, reflecting both the risks facing Australian agriculture and the responsibilities that come with being a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. 

This year marked several important milestones for the national biosecurity system. Plant Health Australia celebrated 25 years of operation, and the Plant Industry Forum reached marked its 40^th meeting, representing two decades of structured industry collaboration under the Deed.

GPA was proud to be part of those discussions, representing the interests of grain producers at member meetings and committee forums throughout the year. HERE 

Our involvement was not symbolic. GPA continued to contribute to national conversations around preparedness, diagnostics, funding weight accuracy and industry capability. These issues may not attract headlines, but they matter deeply when a new pest incursion occurs and rapid, coordinated decisions are required.  

Biosecurity also featured prominently in GPA’s 2025 federal election priorities. HERE Growers understand that prevention is cheaper than response, and that well-funded, well-governed systems protect not just production, but market access and community confidence.

GPA was also a party to the response following a detection of khapra beetle in imported goods as a part of its legislated representative role for the industry. HERE 

Looking ahead through innovation and automation 

Another major focus for GPA in 2025 was guiding the future of on-farm technology. 

The pace of change in agricultural machinery, automation and digital systems continues to accelerate. Grain producers are already adopting autonomous and semi-autonomous technologies, often ahead of formal policy or regulatory frameworks. HERE 

GPA recognises the need to better understand what is happening on the ground and continues a partnership with the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia (SPAA) and the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia (TMA) which involved conducting the Autonomous Farm Machinery Survey for the second year. The aim is to capture and map real-world information on how growers are using automated equipment, what barriers they face, and what support they need as technology evolves. HERE 

The results will help inform future policy discussions, safety considerations and investment decisions, ensuring that innovation remains practical, safe and fit for Australian conditions. We expect to release the results from this work early next year. 

This work reflects a broader theme that ran through 2025. GPA is committed not just to responding to current issues, but to preparing the industry for what comes next. 

A strong production backdrop 

While GPA’s role is not to manage production outcomes, the broader context of the year matters. 

Nationally, the 2025–26 winter crop outlook pointed to another strong production year, with forecasts of around 62 million tonnes, making it one of the largest winter crops on record. Barley and lentil production were expected to increase significantly, while wheat volumes remained well above long-term averages despite a slight easing from recent peaks. 

Favourable seasonal conditions across large parts of the country, including in Western Australia, Queensland and northern New South Wales.

While growers in other parts of the country are still feeling the long-term effects of drought conditions. These production outcomes underpin the economic contribution of the sector and highlight why policy settings around trade, infrastructure and biosecurity remain so important. 

Strong seasons do not remove risk, but they do provide opportunity. GPA’s role is to help ensure those opportunities are supported, not constrained, by policy and regulation. 

Representing growers where it counts 

Throughout 2025, GPA continued to represent grain producers across a wide range of forums. That included direct engagement with government, participation in national committees and ongoing collaboration with State Farming Organisation members. 

This work is often quiet and incremental. It involves submissions, meetings, follow-up discussions and long-term relationship building. It is not always visible, but it is essential. 

Whether the issue is chemical regulation such as the review on key herbicides HERE, biosecurity funding, tax settings HERE or levy governance, GPA’s approach has been consistent and focused on listening to growers, even when views differ. That approach has helped GPA maintain credibility with decision-makers while staying grounded in the realities of grain production. 

This work also involves a collaborative approach with industries and organisations that have shared interests, which included GPA’s Australian Grains Industry Showcase, co-hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Primary Producers in October. This initiative is highly regarded as a unique opportunity for elected representatives to connect with industry leaders. HERE  

Supporting people as well as policy 

The year 2025 also reinforced that a strong grains industry is about people, not just tonnes and dollars. 

Mental health and wellbeing remained an important part of GPA’s work, particularly through the continued development of the Farmer Mates Mental Health initiative with the instrumental support of our founding partners Nufarm, Rural Aid and Lifeline WA and supporting partner Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). HERE 

The program’s focus on peer connection, leadership and practical support reflects feedback from growers themselves.  

These efforts sit alongside GPA’s broader advocacy work, which in 2025 involved joining a cohort of 50 groups to a joint call to the Federal Government to support and improve mental health and wellbeing in farming communities. HERE Strong businesses rely on resilient people, and GPA remains committed to supporting initiatives that recognise the pressures faced by farming families and rural communities. 

An ongoing commitment 

Looking back, 2025 was not defined by a single announcement or campaign, instead it was defined by steady, purposeful work across multiple fronts. 

This involved grower-led levy reform discussions, practical biosecurity engagement, forward-looking technology work and ongoing representation in policy forums. Each piece of work matters on its own, and together they reflect GPA’s ongoing commitment to serving grain producers. 

As Chair, I am grateful to our State Farming Organisation members, our Policy Council, our committees and the GPA team for their contribution throughout the year. Most importantly, I thank the growers who took the time to engage, respond to surveys, attend meetings and share their views. 

The challenges facing agriculture will not disappear in 2026. But neither will the opportunities, and GPA will continue to focus on clear priorities, credible advocacy and practical outcomes, ensuring that grain producers have a strong voice and a secure future. 

ENDS

Further Information: 

GPA Chair Barry Large: 0427 549 023

GPA Executive Officer Communications Rachael Oxborrow: 0416 705 193