GRAINGROWERS CONVENES INDUSTRY TALKS AMID COST SURGE

Industry group GrainGrowers has convened a series of industry roundtables as grain producers grapple with rising fuel and fertiliser costs linked to ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Representatives from the finance, freight and supply chain sectors met last week to discuss the immediate challenges facing growers and identify ways to strengthen industry resilience.

The organisation says soaring input costs and constrained access to key supplies since February have placed significant pressure on farm cash flow and influenced decisions around this year's cropping program.

Chief Executive Shona Gawel says growers are now operating in a more complex risk environment, with geopolitical uncertainty becoming an increasingly important factor in farm business planning.

Participants in the finance roundtable highlighted tightening margins, increasing working capital requirements and growing expectations from lenders for detailed business strategies and risk management plans.

The discussions come as RaboResearch forecasts an eight per cent decline in Australia's winter cropping area this season, reflecting the combined impact of global instability and ongoing dry conditions, with GrainGrowers saying the outcomes of the meetings will help shape its future advocacy efforts on behalf of growers.