G'Day Got a Minute, with Lachlan Sutton

Tell us about yourself Lachlan…

I grew up on a mixed sheep and wheat property in the Far West of New South Wales before moving on to Yanco Agricultural High School in the Riverina to complete my high school education. I completed a Bachelor of Agribusiness through the University of New England whilst working full time for Elders in varying wool roles across eastern Australia before moving into horticultural management at Southern Cross Farms based in Mildura.

I have just completed my Master of Agribusiness through Marcus Oldham College and am actively involved in a small mixed farming enterprise.

What was it like studying at Marcus Oldham College?

I really enjoyed all of my tertiary education but completing my Master of Agribusiness through Marcus Oldham was incredibly enlightening. I got access to industry experts who were more than open in discussing their thoughts and opinions on everything from commodity marketing to human resource management and business strategy.
Being able to complete my research into agricultural investment and be questioned over my ideas was a great experience and it has been incredibly beneficial to tie theory to real world applications.

Why did you join the FFN Board & what do you love most about the organisation?

I joined the board for a number of reasons, I am incredibly passionate about agriculture and have enjoyed the opportunity to help promote the industry. I enjoy working with other board members and partners who I consider some of the best and brightest in the industry and am excited as to what future we as a team can help create.

In your experience in agriculture as a whole, what are some of the biggest challenges facing the next generation?

I think our challenge will be getting the right people with the capacity to change quickly and adapt to the dynamic changes we face not only on farm but throughout agricultural supply chains and agribusiness.

I have been so fortunate to work in and observe sheep, grain, cattle, wool, almonds and pistachios, wine grapes, table grapes and avocados as well as travel throughout Asia and Europe to meet with customers and a number of the major challenges we face and will face are shared across all of these industries. However I am quite positive that with the experience we have in industries coupled with those looking to enter agriculture with new ideas we are set for a great future.

You recently travelled overseas to Spain and Germany looking at orchards – any takeaways you can share with us?

I recently with Southern Cross Farms, got the chance to travel through Europe to gain more of an understanding of fruit markets and citrus production. Although I learnt an enormous amount about these industry specialisations, the shared challenges we have across the globe in agribusiness in things such as labour, the environment and consumer expectations really hit home.

What excites you about the future of agriculture in Australia?

The people we have wanting to get into agriculture will help set us up for the future. Looking at the board of directors of FFN we have everything from farmers to those involved in investment to legal professionals all wanting to help agriculture and agribusiness advance.