Guest Speakers

Robbie Katter is the Leader of the Katter’s Australian Party in Queensland and the State Member for Traeger, covering a large part of regional and remote North Queensland.

Known for his strong advocacy on behalf of regional communities, Robbie has consistently pushed for policies that strengthen Australian industry, protect productive agriculture and support the long-term sustainability of rural economies.

With family connections to the Kingaroy region, he also brings a personal understanding of the importance agriculture plays in keeping regional communities strong.

Robbie joins a panel titled "Learning the tough lessons; what the peanut industry's decline can teach every industry about safeguarding farmers, regional economies and food security".

Derek Baker is Professor of Agribusiness and Value Chains at the University of New England in Armidale and has 30 years’ experience in supply chains, agribusiness and regional development.

Originally a farmer and farm consultant in New Zealand during the pro-market reforms of the 1980s, Derek has worked in over 40 countries in the public and private sectors and for more than 20 years in commercial consultancy.

Derek was formerly Program Manager for Value Chains and Trade at the CGIAR’s International Livestock Research Institute, and Program Manager in Food Chain Innovation at The Food, Resource and Agricultural Research Institute in Denmark.

He is active in innovation brokerage along supply chains, and R&D design, governance and management.

Derek will discuss the impact on farmers of commodity markets and global developments, competitiveness and conduct in supply chains. He will also discuss the impact of compliance burdens, the role of story telling in the agrifood sector and his thoughts on risks in the supply chain - are farmers being forced to manage other people's risks as well?

Robbie Katter

Professor Derek Baker

Josh Gadischke has spent a career in the food-manufacturing sector developing and expanding the sales and processing capacity of several operations. Josh and his wife own and operate Plenty Foods, an agriculturally based edible oil production company in Kingaroy supplying domestic and international companies.

Plenty Foods is a leading manufacturer of specialty edible oil including macadamia oil, almond oil and several other specialty types. Plenty Foods has recently developed a Protein Nut Powder plant specialising in nut protein powders made from almonds, peanuts and macadamia nuts.

Plenty Foods employ 40 staff and exports to 14 countries whilst also maintaining a strong domestic presence. National and international supermarket chains and several listed companies form part of Plenty's value customer chain. This includes several private-label brands which are supplied and packaged through Plenty.

Josh will share his insights and stories about building a global business from regional Queensland and juggling the challenges of supporting his community in a global market.

Graeme Wright has worked as a research scientist in the Australian peanut industry for 40 years, both in the public and private sectors. Graeme is currently working as a private crop consultant, specialising in peanut R&D.

Responsible for the breeding and development of high yielding, high oleic, disease resistant, market acceptable cultivars for commercial release in Australia and overseas, Graeme has extensive experience with national and international collaborative agricultural research projects over the past 25 years, including in Australia, India, Indonesia, Vanuatu, PNG, USA and S. Africa.

He is passionate about Australia's peanut industry and believes the industry can have a bright future.

Graeme joins a panel titled "Learning the tough lessons; what the peanut industry's decline can teach every industry about safeguarding farmers, regional economies and food security".

Josh Gadischke

Graeme Wright

Ben is the Executive Director of the Institute for Agriculture, Climate and Environment at the University of Southern Queensland.

Based in Toowoomba he spearheads efforts to enhance productivity, climate adaptation and profitability across a vast and vital region.

Before his current role, Ben led a multi-university and government partnership focused on future-proofing rural economies through innovation and strategic research. Ben has worked extensively across the North and South Burnett catchment in recent years looking at the challenges and opportunities the region faces with local regional organisations and primary producers in the region. Ben also brings two decades of professional experience in post farmgate supply chains predominately in China, Japan, Europe and South East Asia.

Ben will discuss "rural and regional economies – Why our Australian industries are so important to regional economies and Australia’s future".

Ben Lyons

Peter Howlett is a third generation farmer based in the Kumbia region of Queensland.

Peter and his family have watched many agricultural industries in his region come and go and is fed up with farmers not being suitably rewarded for their hard work and risk.

Peter's family have been involved in the Kingaroy region's once flourishing navy bean industry and peanut industry. Peter now grows soybeans and duboisia.

Peter will chair a panel discussion with Mark McGovern, Robbie Katter and Graeme Wright titled "Learning the tough lessons; what the peanut industry's decline can teach every industry about protecting farmers, regional economies and food security".

Dr Mark McGovern - Senior Lecturer with the School of Economics and Finance at Queensland University of Technology.

Dr Mark McGovern lectured in international economics, industry analysis, finance for international business and many other subjects at QUT.

Research projects have included work for Queensland Main Roads on Financing Transport Infrastructure and for South West Natural Resource Management on Agricultural Viability.

Mark’s long term research interest is in industry and regional development in open economies. He has particularly researched debt-income links and financial crisis dynamics in recent years and actively engaged with industry and government on these issues.

As an applied economist with experience over many industries and districts, he draws from theoretical areas of regional, industry and international economics; impact analysis; and economics more generally.

Mark joins a panel titled "Learning the tough lessons; what the peanut industry's decline can teach every industry about safeguarding farmers, regional economies and food security".

Peter Howlett

Mark McGovern

Carl Rackemann is the MC for the forum.

While the rest of Australia knows him as a handy cricketer, Carl’s reputation in the Wide Bay-Burnett region is based around his agricultural business and his outstanding commitment to his community.

Carl works closely in his community for the betterment of the region and is a strong advocate for local agriculture. Carl and his family have been farming for 128 years and he is pleased to see the Ag Horizon Forum working to get profitability of agriculture and securing viable futures for regional economies on the agenda.

Carl will set the agenda for the forum with a brief opening session titled: Why this forum? Why now?

Carl Rackemann

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info@aghorizonsforum.com.au

Contact

Email:-

info@aghorizonsforum.com.au

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