Speakers 2015

9 December

Part 1 & 2

Farm Writers Christmas Lunch and announcement of the 2015 NSW Farmer of the Year. Our Patron, the Hon. Niall Blair, MLC - NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Lands and Water provided an overview of the previous twelve months and the Government’s agenda for 2016.

27 November

Part 1 & 2

Growing the Gourmet Pie: How consumer preference is shaking up the agri-food sector" - Gary Dawson the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Food and Grocery Council addressed the Farm Writers.

23 October

Part 1 & 2

Australian grain industry: the view from within" - GrainCorp Managing Director and CEO, Mr Mark Palmquist addressed the Farm Writers Lunch on Friday October 23. Mark's speech focused on diversification and consolidation, supply chain investment and the fight for customer relevance.

12 October

“Why Australian? – Innovation from Fork to Farm” - Monday October 12. This event was hosted by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists and the Rural R&D Corporations at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. The panel included Mick Keogh, CEO - Australian Farm Institute, Edwina Beveridge - Pork Producer, Blantyre Farms, and Member, NSW Primary Industries Ministerial Advisory Council, Dr Ben McNeil - Founder and CEO, Thinkable.org, Markus Rediger - President, International Federation of Agricultural Journalists, Georgia Twomey - Rabobank, Commodity Analyst, Dr Robert Fitch - University of Sydney.

31 July

Part 1, 2 & 3

Matt Brand, CEO of NSW Farmers addressed Farm Writers about how a unified and streamlined model of farmer representation in Australia would look.

5 June

Part 1 & 2

What do the new Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) rules mean for purchases of agricultural land and agribusiness. Panel included Fiona Simson (President - NSW Farmers), Malcolm Brennan (Partner - King & Wood Mallesons), Nick Gill (Director - Agricultural Real Estate – Funds Management, Challenger Limited). Panel discussion was facilitated by Andrew Marshall (Associate Editor - The Land).

13 May

Part 1 & 2

Senator the Hon. Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture discussed what was in the Federal Budget for Agriculture. A transcript of the Senator's speech can be viewed on his website by clicking here.

2 March

Part 1 , 2 & 3

2015 NSW Primary Industries Portfolio Debate. The Hon. Katrina Hodgkinson, MP Minister for Primary Industries went head to head with The Hon. Steve Whan, MLC Shadow Minister for Resources and Primary Industries on who has the best plans and policies to make agriculture prosper in this state. The Debate was facilitated by Peter Fray, Deputy Editor, The Australian.