CRDC's Board of Directors went on farm in Griffith this week as part of their visit to the region for their Board meeting.
The Directors, and CRDC's management team, visited the IREC site, where they met with local cotton grower and IREC Chair, Rob Houghton; IREC Executive Officer, Iva Quarisa; IREC Deputy Chair and CottonInfo Regional Extension Officer for Southern NSW, Kieran O'Keefe; and new NSW DPI pathologist and CottonInfo Disease Management Technical Lead, Tim Green. While at IREC, the CRDC team saw their cotton RD&E investments in action, through the automated irrigation infrastructure that CRDC has supported on site.
The group then visited brothers Richard and Tim Commins, of Commins Enterprises, where they were joined by Southern Valleys CGA chair, and CRDC-supported Australian Rural Leadership Program participant, John Durham. The group looked at paddocks impacted by black root rot - one of the major RD&E priorities for the region, and as a result, a key investment priority for CRDC. While on farm, the group also had the opportunity to view the Commins' fish farming production: a recent addition to their enterprise.
The CRDC group was also joined by two guest speakers during their visit: Sarah Nolet, founder and CEO of AgThenic and venture capitalist group, Tenacious Ventures; and Dr Sanjay Mazumdar, CEO of the Data to Decisions CRC. The board tour was followed by a dinner, where CRDC hosted local cotton growers and industry representatives, and the CRDC board meeting, where Directors considered CRDC's investment portfolio for the 2019-20 year.
Pictured: CRDC's Acting ED Ian Taylor, CRDC Director Liz Alexander, cotton grower Richard Commins, and CRDC Chair Richard Haire.
