It’s been another year of triumphs and heartbreak for the agricultural sector, with the return of good seasons, record profits among reseller groups and supply companies – plus the heartbreak of a wet harvest and flooding impacting communities yet again.
Hopefully, for many others in the rural supply and distribution industry, the challenges of 2022 were outweighed by surging demand for agricultural inputs, easing of supply chain challenges and continued good seasonal prospects for their rural customers.
This probably reflects in the results reported recently by Elders, Incitec and Nufarm.
There has also been a changing of the guard among some independent reseller group alliances which have ensured good competition, buying efficiencies and great levels of service to their local communities. Indeed, the farm sector has never been better served.
The agchem, agtech and seed sectors have continued to innovate with great new products to meet the challenges of improved productivity, changing climate and to counter the threat of pesticide resistance. Meanwhile CropLife continues to champion the crop protection industry’s raison d'être and also counter attacks by activist groups.
Biotechnology and agtech is continuing its foray into the ag sector and concerted campaigns from the likes of Nutrien to actively recruit IT professionals into the ag sector as a career is a clever forward-looking strategy and a real credit to them.
Major agchem supplier, FMC is also to be commended on its graduate program to attract the future leaders of agriculture into the industry and to drive diversity and inclusion.
We’ve also seen some significant changes at the head of these key organisations, with Nutrien’s Australian chief, Rob Clayton being promoted to the USA, long serving Elders CEO Mark Allison announcing his intention to retire in the coming year, and a new chief at FMC following the departure of Kristina Hermanson who oversaw a very strong culture at the company during its growth and acquisition phase.
Agriculture has been many things in 2022, but never dull – even here at Rural Business which ended the year with new owners, the McPherson Media Group (MMG) which being regionally based, has the same genuine commitment to the rural industry.
I would personally like to thank all our readers, editorial contributors and advertisers for their ongoing support and encouragement as Rural Business enters its 42nd year.
Merry Christmas and happy and prosperous New Year to you all.
David Petrikas
