David Crombie's fortunate life

The former National Farmers' Federation (NFF) president from 2006 to 2010 was named a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia in this year’s winners.

The award recognises his services to the meat and livestock industry and support for social welfare, primary producers and sporting organisations.

Mr Crombie is a past chairman of Meat and Livestock Australia (1998-2005), Meat Standards Australia (1996-98), and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (2000-2008) as well as being a GrainCorp director and deputy-chair (1995-2002).

He is currently on the board of cattle giant AACo, his former company GRM International and Alliance Aviation Services, a commissioner at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Resources (ACIAR) and president of the Australian Rugby Union.

He was also the Australian co-chair of the IndoBeef program run through the ACIAR, which started 18 months ago, before recently stepping aside.

The Australian and Indonesian governments established the IndoBeef collaborative research program to strengthen Indonesia’s community-based beef sector and improve the livelihoods of Indonesia’s rural poor.

Mr Crombie is also a grain and cattle producer at Warwick and St George in southern Queensland and said he was humbled to gain Australia Day recognition.

“I’m not sure how to describe the feeling,” he said.

“It sounds like a cliché but this recognition is totally unexpected because I’ve always enjoyed what I’ve been doing and found it to be a true privilege.

“All I can say is, when I look back on what I’ve been doing for the past 30 or 40 years, I’ve been very fortunate to do things that I live for.

“I’ve been very fortunate and if this award is in recognition of anything it’s for the contacts I’ve had and made in agriculture.

“I have a huge faith in Australian agriculture and believe in the importance of what we do in terms of food and fibre production.

“I believe we do agriculture very well in this country so anything I’ve ever done has been for a cause that I believe in, with people whom I have a high regard for and who I like very much.”

Mr Crombie said the majority of his involvement has been in commercial agriculture but he’s also had the opportunity to work in farm representation, in particular as NFF president.

“Farm representation is really about trying to influence policy settings that help set the framework for our industry and where we go in future,” he said.

“That’s very challenging because it often requires industry change and often that’s very difficult to achieve.”

Mr Crombie declined to comment specifically on the current restructure process being undertaken by the NFF.

But he said agricultural representation has its challenges and unification was critical.

“Agricultural representation is very important and if we’re going to prosper at the farm level we need the right policy settings to allow us to get on with the job,” he said.

“The NFF is extremely important because that’s the vehicle for Australian agriculture to influence policy and the only way you can do that is to have a unified voice.

“I think it’s critically important that a unified voice is achieved.”

Mr Crombie said his time at Meat Standards Australia contributed to changing attitudes which has helped safeguard the industry’s future.

“It was a quintessential moment in our industry’s history where we shifted from having a producer focus to a consumer focus,” he said.

“And we need to do that for all of our agricultural products – that’s our future.”

Mr Crombie said ACIAR’s work was “enormously important” as the agricultural, technical arm of Australia’s overseas aid program.

“I think it’s enormously important for our scientists to work with other scientists in nearby countries like those in Asia, which brings mutual benefits to our countries through co-development of agricultural technologies like improved dry land varieties of wheat, pastures and more,” he said.

Other AM recipients with an agricultural connection this year included Ivan Heazlewood, Whitemore, Tasmania, who was acknowledged for his significant service to primary industry, particularly sheep breeding, showing and judging.

Kevin McLintock, Sydney, was recognised for his service to the Australian wine industry through a range of roles including as deputy chairman of Wine Australia.

Another winner was former Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Secretary, Dr Conall O'Connell, Canberra, for his service to public administration and governance and to Australia's agriculture.

Wool consultant and developer of the Soft Rolling Skin breeding system, Dr Jim Watts was awarded an AM for significant service to primary industry, particularly wool production,

Tim Fairfax was awarded a Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his service to business and to the community including as a major supporter of rural and regional development programs.

Mr Fairfax, whose interests include 10 properties in Queensland and NSW, was also recognised as an advocate for philanthropy, a major supporter of the visual arts and as a promoter of higher education opportunities.

He has numerous ties to the agricultural industry including as a director of Stanbroke Pastoral Company for 10 years, as a long-time counsellor of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) and as a director of Rural Press, a publisher of many rural and regional newspapers including The Land, which merged with John Fairfax Holdings in 2007.