After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the GROWING SA Conference is back in 2022 – and registrations are open today.

GROWING SA 2022’s theme is sustainability and the conference program focuses on requirements integral to achieving this on-farm such as innovation, taking advantage of opportunities, planning for challenges and building skills for a prosperous future.

Hosted by Grain Producers SA and Livestock SA, the 2022 event will be held over two days at the Adelaide Hills Convention Centre, Hahndorf, on Monday 29 August and Tuesday 30 August.

With the full program due for release next month, special guests at the event will include Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Hon Clare Scriven MLC, National Farmers’ Federation President Fiona Simson, Food Agility CRC’s Dr Madeline Mitchell and Australian Farm Institute’s Katie McRobert.

GPSA CEO Brad Perry and Livestock SA CEO Travis Tobin encouraged producers to take part in GROWING SA to gain valuable insights at a time of continuing global disruption for agriculture.

“Events of recent years such as drought and global disruption have tested the South Australian economy, yet agriculture has continued to thrive,” Mr Perry said.

“GROWING SA 2022 will explore how agricultural industries and individual producers can adapt and respond to the many challenges we continue to face, through strategies such as effective advocacy, situational awareness, and sustainability planning and practice.”

Mr Tobin said the conference’s return was a great opportunity for all producers and industry stakeholders to reconnect around key themes in advocacy and policy development.

GPSA and Livestock SA will host their annual general meetings on the Monday, followed by a conference dinner in the evening which will provide networking opportunities with producers and industry representatives from all industries across the state.

Tuesday will offer a full day of plenary speakers, attracting local and national guests to stimulate discussion and introduce new ideas.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) returns as the GROWING SA event partner and Regional Investment Corporation is platinum sponsor. Grains Research and Development Corporation is gold sponsor and Bayer, Telstra and Department for Environment and Water are silvers sponsors of the event.

Registration is now open for all producers and industry stakeholders, visit the Growing SA website.