Elders is pushing ahead with plans to upgrade its hands-on efforts in farm sector research and commercialisation, launching the Thomas Elder Institute plus a user-pays consultancy also named after the company’s founding father.
Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC) will operate in addition to advisory services already offered to the crop and livestock sectors by technically qualified staff at Elders branches Australia-wide.
TEC has just begun recruiting agronomists and livestock sector specialists to make up a team of about 20 advisors it hopes to have in place nation-wide by late next year.
The service promises a premium whole-farm management consultancy covering agronomic production, business management, production planning, strategic farm plans and livestock strategies.
The fee for service structure will depend on customer advice needs and farm enterprises involved, with options to include hourly rate charges, cropping area charges, or one-off consultation fees.
Hourly rates for private agronomy advice in the farm sector today can currently range up to $200/hour, although Elders says its TEC fees will flex with the sort of feedback and management customers require.
The company expects to allocate a further $3 million to fund its new service in addition to the $20m a year it already spends in research time, product and other in-kind commitments to extension work.
A real need exists for cross-industry collaboration, increased investment in R&D and a greater focus on farm adoption of new technologies
- Karen Ross, Elders
Meanwhile, the Thomas Elder Institute (TEI) formalises existing partnerships Elders has with universities, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, product suppliers and regional farmer research groups.
It is led by former southern region technical services boss with Elders, Dr John Evans, whose background spans pasture management and variety development, nitrogen fixation research, agronomy and animal production.
With a likely $15 million annual budget, the TEI flagship will also establish new research partnerships, including profit sharing arrangements for commercialised products and plant varieties.
“A real need exists for cross-industry collaboration, increased investment in R&D and a greater focus on farm adoption of new technologies, knowledge and practices,” said Elders innovation, digital and brand general manager, Karen Ross.
“Agricultural productivity growth in Australia has generally been flat since the 1990s.
“The sector is facing an investment void in research, development and extension running counter to the revolutionary change transforming Australian farms and agribusinesses.”
Ms Ross said the institute would tackle these challenges head on, putting Elders at the heart of agricultural collaboration, supporting research and extension with “an interdisciplinary approach to deliver agronomic solutions and productivity gains for farmers”.
The two new services are named after the company’s founder who arrived in South Australia from Scotland in 1854 joining the trading business established by his older brothers.
Thomas Elder expanded Elder and Company into the Elder Smith partnership and became a significant pastoralist, mining investor, philanthropist and state parliamentarian.
Managing director, Mark Allison said Elders’ research and consulting “technology triangle model” would ensure sustained support for agribusiness and farming clients.
“The new offerings build on and complement Elders’ extensive and well established retail network of advisors,” he said.
Ms Ross said the company’s technical services staff – the base of the new triangle model – would continue providing outstanding technical advice to clients and there would be no change to the service to farmers.
“This will remain the largest advisory group, our direct client touchpoint, and a vital link between our clients, the branches and the products and services we deliver,” she said.
It’s also about helping to make our staff the best they can be, and providing an interesting and attractive career path
- Mark Allison, Elders
Elders has put a call out for potential recruits to join its new consulting division, which also falls under the leadership of technical services boss, Graham Page
“To any agronomist or consultant interested in joining our TEC team, if you’re passionate about agriculture and helping farmers extract the most from their farm enterprises, we’d love to hear from you,” he said.
Any researcher, research institution or organisation looking to partner with Australian agribusiness through TEI was also invited to make contact with Elders.
Mr Allison believed the expanded and diversified technical services offering would cultivate a best-in-class culture across the business.
“It’s also about helping to make our staff the best they can be, and providing an interesting and attractive career path with an array of opportunities.”
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