'Cropping in the New Environment' is the theme of the 2001 Conference of the Grains Council of Federated Farmers of New
Zealand.
The Grains Conference will be held at the Sudima Hotel Grand Chancellor, Memorial Avenue, Christchurch, on Wednesday 20
and Thursday 21 June.
Wednesday 20 June will begin with the United Wheat Growers AGM at 8:30am. At 2:30pm the Herbage Seedgrowers; Maize
Growers Subsection will hold their AGM. Following at 3:00pm, there will be a Herbage Seed Industry Forum featuring
Dudley Knox (PGG), John McKenzie (AgriCom) and Keith Widdup (AgResearch).
The Grains Council AGM will be held at 8:30am on Thursday 21 June. Tony Zwart, Lincoln Univeristy will introduce an
industry forum on Opportunties for Cropping the New Environment at 10:30am. This forum will encompass key issues facing
arable farmers in the rapidly diversifying New Zealand domestic market.
Karel Adriaens, Coupland's Bakeries; John de Ruiter, Crop and Food Research and Alistair Body, DFNZ will present at
11:00am in a session titled Identification of End Users of Arable Crops.
Paul Tocker, Bill Griffin, Katherine Carman and Tim Lindley from Crop and Food Research will report on Arable Food
Industry Research at 2:00pm.
Richard Grigor, Chairman of the Grain and Seed Trade Association, John Paton, Wool Net and Cambel Ferguson, Netfarmer
will address the conference about the Marketing of Arable Food Products at 3:00pm.
Neil Barton, Chairman of the Grains Council acknowledged the generous support of key sponsors Crop and Food Research and
Ravensdown, and the contributions of Pyne Gould Guiness, Wrightsons and Rabobank. "We are looking forward to the Grains
Conference which will bring together a stimulating and informative forum that will benefit the future progress of the
New Zealand Arable Industry" said Mr Barton.
ENDS