Large will continue to speak up for west

Miling farmer Barry Large has been reappointed to the Grain Producers Australia board, continuing his 10-year streak with the organisation and cementing a decade as deputy.

Mr Large was one of three reappointed to the board at GPA’s annual general meeting on August 6, alongside southern region directors Andrew Weidemann and Steve Ball.

Mr Large represents GPA’s western region.

He first joined as part of the organisation’s inaugural board in 2010, when he helped to found GPA alongside current chair MrWeidemann.

“We wanted to have that link to government and represent growers for the right reasons,” Mr Large said.

“We have respect from government and we hope to represent growers fair and rightly. We are all growers and the outcomes affect us financially.

“Our representatives are there to protect the industry going forward.”

Mr Large said he stuck with GPA because it had all of the States “sitting at the table” and tried to “represent a whole-of-Australia view” when talking to government.

“We try to facilitate everyone’s views ... that is not necessarily everyone agreeing, but we develop a position that represents most growers,” he said.

A third-generation farmer, Mr Large crops at a property called Moorlands and has been farming for 30 years.

He runs a 7500ha mixed wheat and sheep farm, which is about 60 per cent cropping and 40 per cent sheep.

His happiness at being reappointed to the board was bolstered when he was “blessed by the rain gods” earlier this week, tipping 31mm out of the rain gauge.

Mr Weidemann said he was honoured to have the organisation’s continued support as leader.

“GPA continues to advocate for the needs of grain producers across a huge range of issues,” he said. Mr Weidemann was awarded an Order of Australia medal in June.