Cropping & Soil
12 October, 2024
Quambatook grain grower announces he's seeking the VFF presidency
A former VFF vice-president announces his tilt for president
Grains industry leader Brett Hosking has nominated for the presidency of the Victorian Farmers Federation.
Mr Hosking, a Quambatook grain grower, has had a long-standing involvement across the Australian grains industry.
He's held past positions as chair of GrainGrowers, president of the VFF Grains Group and been the organisation's vice-president.
Mr Hosking said the VFF had seen a great deal of change in the last few years.
"What we see, now, is the need for the VFF to consolidate around that change, to re-connect with its members and with some of those who are feeling uneasy about the change that has occurred," he said.
"Now is the time to refocus and actually get on with the job of advocacy.
"Our goal is to get out and connect with members, to hear their voice, to hear about the things that are affecting them, their communities, their businesses, their families."
It was about making sure farmers had a voice and a platform to be heard, he said.
"If they have a transmission line going through their property, they want a platform, they want support to have their voice heard, that's where VFF can help and advocate beside them."
He said it was time to put constitutional change to one side, after members "sent a really strong signal at the last annual general meeting they weren't comfortable with the constitutional change, that was proposed and they way it was developed".
He flagged the potential to revisit the matter, "at a later date," after working with members to find out what they wanted the VFF to look like.
Mr Hosking identified key issues as the ongoing drought in the south-west, biosecurity, animal welfare, renewable energy and mineral sands projects.
"This is going to be a really, really tough season for a lot of farmers," he said.
"We need to look at how we support those farmers to rebuild, and hope and pray next year is a more positive season, for all of our Victorian farmers," he said.
Mr Hosking joins Werribee egg grower and current VFF vice-president Danyel Cucinotta in standing for the top job.
VFF Livestock Group vice-president and Tallangatta farmer Peter Star is standing for the vice-presidency, on a ticket with Mr Hosking.
He said the main reason for standing for the vice presidency was that the VFF was a great organisation, "that needs to be put back on track".
"I think it needs to be put back in a position where those members and the broader community need to be able to trust the organisation - we need to establish genuine consultation with our members, commodities and committees."