It was exciting and encouraging to hear the great insights presented during the conference and the discussions sparked as a result. From a crowd favourite at our conferences – the State of the Industry presentation by Alan Kirstin to the interesting statistics and insights on online used equipment sales from Carsale’s Brian Sullivan.
Alan Kirstin reported that June 2017 was the best on record since 1985 for machinery sales, including sprayers and mowers. His overall report was positive, looking forward into the future. Also, Westpac’s Senior Economist, Justin Smirk had positive reports across the board too.
Though things are generally looking up, our industry is not without its challenges. Two key challenges we’re facing, as noted in some of the presentations are around technology and youth.
- How can we attract new talent into our industry?
- How can we keep the workforce trained in line with the rapid pace of change resulting from technology?
There was some great discussion in the dealer panel about the need for agri to move away from its old perceptions and prove that we can operate as a business in a business landscape on both a local and international level.
Looking to the future, we need to promote the positive side of our industry and the people who make it such a success. We need to self-promote and be seen as a forward-thinking industry, driving revenue, profit and positive impacts on our communities and the national economy.
If you would like to get a copy of the presentations made at this year’s conferences, please click here.