The future of agriculture on the agenda in Canberra at NFF National Congress

A record 355 leaders and stakeholders from across the agricultural supply chain have gathered in Canberra this morning to discuss the future of the industry and how it can be one of the powerhouses of the Australian economy.
The National Farmers’ Federation Congress, which will run over the next two days at the Australian Institute of Sport, will feature some of the country’s most prominent business leaders and policy makers, with a focus on embracing innovation to boost the prosperity of the sector.
NFF President, Brent Finlay, said the Congress, which is held every two years, had built its reputation to be considered one of the most important agricultural policy and economic discussions in the country.
“We have business leaders including Andrew Forrest and Anthony Pratt, the Deputy Prime Minster, and a range of other key politicians as well as some of the best minds in innovation and science speaking this year to a record crowd of delegates from across the agricultural supply chain,” Mr Finlay said.
“We know Australian farmers and other agriculture supply chain participants are some of the best in the world but by developing, investing in and embracing technology and innovation we can even more strongly position our industry as a global market leader for premium quality food and fibre.
Mr Finlay said key policy areas including telecommunications, digital infrastructure and innovation would be the focal point of the next two days.
“These are key factors for rural and regional Australians and we want to discuss robust policy which provides a basis for strong performance in the sector,” he said.
“Our two political panel discussions will be televised nationally on Sky News and will be a strong debate of these issues and what industry expects from its political leaders.”
Mr Finlay said he also thanked the sponsors of the event who, through their investment in the event, showed they were committed to the future of the industry.
For the full NFF National Congress program go to www.congress.nff.org.au/
Follow on Twitter #nffcongress
Congress Sponsors: Coles Group Ltd, Vodafone, Prime Super, Shell Australia. Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Visy, McDonalds, Findex/Crow Horwath, Ridley Corporation Limited, Bayer CropScience Pty Ltd, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Ruralco Holdings Limited, Bureau of Meteorology, Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia, Soils for Life, HR Assure, NBN Co, CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australian Farmers, Regional Wellbeing Survey, GrainGrowers Limited, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Farmers for Climate Action, Australia China Primary Industries Council, Meat and Livestock Australia, ASA 100, Sky News.