ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – The board of Grain Producers SA on Jan. 17 appointed policy and communications expert Brad Perry as the organization’s new chief executive officer.

Perry brings experience in politics and journalism, recently working as senior adviser to South Australia’s past two Ministers for Primary Industries and Regional Development, as well as a newspaper editor and journalist in regional South Australia.

GPSA Chair Adrian McCabe said Perry’s long association with regional South Australia and agriculture made him an ideal fit for the position.

“Brad has been very close to industry policy and decision-making over a number of years, which means he has a deep understanding of the key issues, from grassroots right through to broader-scale agribusiness and sector-wide issues,” he said. “Through his previous positions, Brad is familiar with the issues facing the grain industry, such as labor shortages and supply chain disruptions as a result of the pandemic. These issues have been a strong focus of the GPSA board and Brad will be working through the related policy ahead of the upcoming State and Federal elections. We are excited to have Brad on board with his wide networks, including leaders and decision-makers from politics, industry and not-for-profit organizations.”

Perry said he was looking forward to working with the GPSA board to develop policy and initiatives that would lead to improved profitability and productivity for South Australian grain growers.

“I am excited about being part of such a professional and well-respected industry organization,” he said.

Perry said he was passionate about working with industry and stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for growers.

“My immediate focus will be to finalize and implement GPSA’s strategy and priorities for the 2022 State and Federal elections,” he said. “The foundations of the grain sector’s policy priorities are outlined in the SA Grain Industry Blueprint, which has a target of lifting the industry’s value to $6 billion by 2030. Working closely with the South Australian grain sector, it is important to deliver on the targets outlined in the blueprint and assist grain growers to realize untapped opportunities.

“It has been a challenging period with farmers facing restrictions due to COVID-19, severe weather events and loss of market access and now more than ever, it is crucial to provide strong advocacy and leadership to keep the grain supply chain moving.”