QUAMBATOOK grain and livestock farmer Brett Hosking has thrown his hat into the ring for president of the Victorian Farmers Federation.
A former vice president of the peak farm body and respected agriculture leader and advocate, Mr Hosking said he was running for president of an organisation he holds in high regard as an essential voice for all Victorian farmers.
“There are so many issues and challenges facing agriculture at the moment, whether it’s renewable energy, transmission lines, animal welfare legislation, biosecurity issues or mineral sands mines, and we need to be on the front foot to engage with government on behalf of farmers,” Mr Hosking said.
“It’s important that Victorian farmers have a strong, united, respected voice at the table.”
Mr Hosking acknowledges the VFF had been through a challenging period in recent years, but was confident the organisation and its members could be united.
“The VFF has been through significant changes recently and it’s time for us to come together,” he said.
“It’s time for us to look forward, to look at what’s next.
“If elected president, I will make sure the VFF becomes a place for all voices, where all commodities are represented and their leaders can share their expertise to drive change.
“We need to reconnect with members, and reengage with industry and government.
“My leadership style is collaborative and I will make sure people feel empowered to contribute.”
Mr Hosking has been a vocal critic of the VFF, which just last week split from the National Farmers’ Federation, citing the latter’s unilateral support for a rally focused on the phase-out of live sheep exports, policy development “by press release” and diminished value for Victorian farmers.
Mr Hosking tried to move a resolution to seek an extraordinary general meeting last year to remove the VFF board and spill all elected positions, including president Emma Germano and the commodity group presidents on the board.
Mr Hosking said members were frustrated at the lack of communication from the VFF leadership and they felt they were not being listened to.
“I’m not hearing from the (VFF) leadership, they are not speaking to rural branches,” he said.
The “mass decline” in VFF membership, the poor financial state of the organisation, and the VFF leadership’s “disengagement from the State Government”, were other reasons grassroots members were pushing for change, Mr Hosking said.
Mr Hosking spent six years as a director at the VFF, including two years as vice president, and was chair of the national grower group GrainGrowers for four years.
He is now a director of the Birchip Cropping Group, chair of Grains Australia Trade and Market Access Council, and a director of Farmers for Climate Action.
While running his grain and livestock farm in Quambatook with his wife, Jane, and their four daughters, he has dedicated much of his time to representing farmers at a local, state and federal level, playing a role leading change in the agriculture industry.
Mr Hosking was instrumental in the development of the Grains Sustainability Framework (Behind Australian Grains), worked with GRDC to develop baseline measurements of carbon emissions from grain production, and helped reduce payment times for Australian grain farmers.
He has participated in overseas trade missions alongside federal ministers to work with new and existing markets, and has led growers through geopolitical trade disruptions and climate-related impacts to farming business.
In 2023, Mr Hosking attended the inaugural United Nations FAO Sustainable Livestock Conference in Rome.
Mr Hosking has joined forces with Peter Star, VFF livestock council vice president, who is seeking election as the vice president.
Voting for the VFF elections opens on November 25 and closes on December 6.
