JT Young & Sons - BEVERLEY WA
CATEGORY: COMMUNITY & PEOPLE
Duncan Young is a fourth generation farmer in the Avon Valley of Western Australia, who not only successfully manages his own complex farming enterprise but is also the president of the WA Grains Council. Duncan has been nominated in the Community & People category for his involvement in developing policy and advocating some of the industry's biggest and most challenging issues.
Duncan farms 2,800 ha and consistently achieves high yields in a sustainable manner as he considers he holds in trust the land for future generations. He is considered one of the most progressive farmers in the area and is very well respected by the WA farming community.
Duncan first joined the WA Grains Council in the early 2000s. Since then, he has been involved in issues such as the deregulation of bulk wheat exports nationally and coarse grains in WA, as well as the advent of grower choice through full commercialisation of genetically modified canola in 2010.
Duncan believes WA growers can find the answers to their farming needs by looking closely at the research and development work being done in their area. "Good research in agriculture leads to more profitability at the farm gate. We're all in business to make money and having good research and good research outcomes that actually deliver money to you is where we need to go. It all comes back to profitability,” he says.
Duncan allows and encourages a number of companies to conduct trials on his farm, as he is keen to have the ‘first look’ of new technology that could fit in the area. For the last three years the Syngenta Reference farm has been located on Duncan’s land and his unstinting cooperation and enthusiasm has greatly contributed to its success.