OUTBACK PEOPLE
A passion for farming
Ask Rod Manning what sort of agricultural business he's involved
in and he will reply that he is a 'grower of grass'. It's all part of his
passionate commitment to change the way Australian farmers are viewed - and
how they see themselves.
Story Sue Neales Photos Stephan Miechel
Cattleman, agricultural
consultant and former district veterinarian Dr Rod Manning loves nothing better
than watching his grass grow; passionately, of course. In a country best known
for its laidback style, it's not easy to find a cutting-edge farmer like Rod
who admits to being passionate. But not only is Rod proud of his passion,
he is also convinced it is the way forward for Australian agriculture. He
believes farmers should be passionate about their industry and its future,
and flexible and enthusiastic about the changes and challenges ahead. He also
believes farmers must be "passionately prepared" to turn into strategic
businessmen who are continually "thinking outside the cube" if they
want to remain in the top rank of Australia's producers.
"It's no good anymore just talking about the farm, the rain and that
the cows are looking a bit poor in condition - that's not rigorous enough
thinking to run a business in the agricultural sector in Australia today,"
says the 53 year-old, who last year sold his Mansfield vet practice after
28 years to devote himself fully to the cause of better and more progressive
farming. "If you consider that, totally outside the individual farmer's
control, terms of trade for agriculture have decreased at the rate of three
percent every year over the last three decades, that means that even if every
farm improved their sustainable productivity by two percent a year, they would
still be going backwards. So it is quantum leaps in thinking and production
that are needed now if producers want to stay in the sector. And that means
a whole new way of thinking about the business."
Full story Issue 31, Aug - Sep 03
