Ag Excellence News and Updates

Across South Australia, grower groups are central to helping farmers navigate seasonal variability, adopt new practices, and stay connected with the latest research. Behind many of these groups is an Executive Officer (EO), managing the governance, coordination, communication, research, and extension. When these EOs are well supported, the impact ripples far beyond the organisation and directly to farmers and their communities.

The Ag Ex EO Network recently hosted a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) session with Denise Bewsell of Scarlatti and Enablers of Change. It focused on how groups can collect meaningful data without creating unnecessary work, and how M&E can improve program design and decision-making. Below are the key takeaways I found most useful, that I think will resonate with grower groups.

As the Ag Ex and SA Drought Hub MEL Officer, most of my work centres around gathering data and stories from Hub partners across the state, so we can better understand practice change, adoption, and what projects are making a real difference.

An outstanding group of growers and industry innovators driving South Australia’s grain sector forward have been named as finalists for the 2025 South Australian Grain Industry Awards, announced today as early bird tickets go on sale.

A strong collaboration between key agricultural industry groups has resulted in the twelve month appointment of a Mixed Farming Intern with MacKillop Farm Management Group.

Phosphorus (P) is essential for maintaining crop productivity, particularly due to the vital role it plays in regulating crop physiological responses and tolerance to abiotic stressors like heat and drought. Managing P in different soil types is challenging and our understanding of the long-term effects of P applications is limited.

On 17 November BIGG hosted a pasture walk at the Pasture Trial Network (PTN) site near Angaston attracting a solid turnout of 18 farmers, agronomists and consultants.

Australian grain growers are being asked to help steer the future of on-farm automation, with Grain Producers Australia (GPA) launching its 2025 Autonomous Farm Machinery Survey to capture how producers are using, testing, and planning for autonomous equipment in the paddock.