Australia
July 31, 2012
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has come to the rescue of time-poor grain growers seeking the latest industry information and resources.
The GRDC today launched its new website which provides growers and other industry stakeholders with easy-to-access grains-related news and a comprehensive package of cutting-edge information.
The website, www.grdc.com.au, was launched today at the Australian Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne where GRDC Managing Director John Harvey spoke of the importance of the effective delivery of timely and relevant facts, data and intelligence.
Mr Harvey said grain growers and the professionals who service them operated in an industry that was subject to constant change and progress.
“It is therefore critical that growers and others in the industry have electronic access to information that is up to date, of value and pertinent to their enterprises and farming systems,” Mr Harvey said.
“As a global leader in the delivery of grains industry-related research, development and extension, GRDC has an obligation to provide Australian growers with the information they need to keep abreast of developments in the grains sector.”
Mr Harvey said the new-look GRDC website was more visual, user-friendly, user-relevant and easier to navigate than its predecessor.
“An enormous amount of work and effort has gone in to its development and I strongly encourage all people within the grains industry to make use of this new facility.
“The website remains a work in progress and we will constantly be adding to the materials available via the site. We welcome any constructive feedback from users to assist us in refining and improving the site.”
GRDC’s Manager of Delivery Platforms, Tom McCue, said the new site offered a range of innovative features to enhance the offering of information and to streamline the search for that information.
“The site provides the latest industry insights into “hot topics” which are currently impacting on growers’ farming systems, and enables growers and other industry personnel to discuss those issues through online forums,” said Mr McCue.
“The geographical-based functionality of the site is also an important feature. By inserting their postcode, users will automatically be provided with their local weather details and updated grain prices.
“The news and article content is also geographically-driven to ensure a direct route to the information that matters most to individual users.”
Mr McCue said mobility of the site was an additional attribute: “A modified version is compatible with smart phones and tablets, increasing the versatility of the site, which is really important for growers and consultants who spend long hours away from home and the office.”
With social media becoming an increasingly important mechanism for communications in the rural sector, the website also provides Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn and RSS feeds integration.
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