Capacity building for grain growers Practice changes and key metrics Growers recognise the additional knowledge and skills they need to fully understand, adapt and adopt the outputs of RD&E and optimise their benefits. Growers and their advisers participate in relevant training and skills development and apply the knowledge gained to on-farm decisions and practices. At least 65% of growers and advisers undertake at least one activity each year to learn more about opportunities to improve farm profit or sustainability. Growers apply skills on farm to increase profitability and sustainability. Targets Achievements Increased number of growers regularly use the The GRDC-funded study Optimising the Future of support of a skilled adviser to assist with cropping Australian Grains Industry Extension Systems decisions. found that the demise of front-line extension services in the public sector has led to more growers seeking advice from fee-for-service and retail agronomists. A survey conducted by the Australian Farm Institute, as part of the study, found that the majority of 700 Australia’s service agronomists had an average of 30 clients each. An increased proportion of growers and advisers The GRDC identified improved data collection are undertaking further education, training and processes for extension-based activity. As a skills development to enable them to make better result, the number of projects assessed use of RD&E outputs. increased from 60 in 2012–13 to 118 in 2013–14. The GRDC supported field days, workshops, training sessions, and updates where presentations were provided to 21,849 growers and 9,198 advisers in 2013–14. This compares with 11,906 growers and 3,313 advisers in Table 21 Theme 6 performance against portfolio budget statements measures Key performance indicator Target Result Each year Nuffield scholars include At least three Achieved. The GRDC supported four scholars people from the grains industry. in the 2014 cohort. Growers and advisers undertake at 70% In the 2013 GRDC Grower Survey, 67% of least one activity each year to learn growers reported that they (53%) or another more about opportunities to improve person from their farm (14%) had undertaken farm profit or sustainability. at least one activity over the past year to learn more about opportunities to improve farm profit or sustainability.
Capacity building for grain growers Practice changes and key metrics Growers recognise the additional knowledge and skills they need to fully understand, adapt and adopt the outputs of RD&E and optimise their benefits. Growers and their advisers participate in relevant training and skills development and apply the knowledge gained to on-farm decisions and practices. At least 65% of growers and advisers undertake at least one activity each year to learn more about opportunities to improve farm profit or sustainability. Growers apply skills on farm to increase profitability and sustainability. Targets Achievements Increased number of growers regularly use the support of a skilled adviser to assist with cropping decisions. The GRDC-funded study Optimising the Future of Australian Grains Industry Extension Systems found that the demise of front-line extension services in the public sector has led to more growers seeking advice from fee-for-service and retail agronomists. A survey conducted by the Australian Farm Institute, as part of the study, found that the majority of Australia’s 700 agronomists had an average of 30 clients each. An increased proportion of growers and advisers are undertaking further education, training and skills development to enable them to make better use of RD&E outputs. The GRDC identified improved data collection processes for extension-based activity. As a result, the number of projects assessed increased from 60 in 2012–13 to 118 in 2013–14. The GRDC supported field days, workshops, training sessions, and updates where presentations were provided to 21,849 growers and 9,198 advisers in 2013–14. This compares with 11,906 growers and 3,313 advisers in Table 21 Theme 6 performance against portfolio budget statements measures Key performance indicator Target Result Each year Nuffield scholars include people from the grains industry. At least three Achieved. The GRDC supported four scholars in the 2014 cohort. Growers and advisers undertake at least one activity each year to learn more about opportunities to improve farm profit or sustainability. 70% In the 2013 GRDC Grower Survey, 67% of growers reported that they (53%) or another person from their farm (14%) had undertaken at least one activity over the past year to learn more about opportunities to improve farm profit or sustainability. service