Mitchell Fromm is one of five new graduates that will start work in regional areas across the state under Agriculture Victoria’s Agronomist Development Program.

The program runs for 18 months and graduates will take up positions at Hamilton, Bendigo, Mildura, Ballarat and Horsham and do intensive placements with leading grower groups and agribusiness.

Program leader James Nuttall said the new graduates were the fourth intake under the program, which was established to build grains industry capability.

Grains Research and Development Corporation and Agriculture Victoria fund the program. Dr Nuttall said to date, the program had targeted grains research and development for the medium and high rainfall zones.

He said however, an expansion into low rainfall zones meant that several of the graduates would be doing placements that focus on production systems and networks in the Mallee.

GRDC grower services southern manager Craig Ruchs said the aim of the program was to provide a wide industry exposure to the graduates.

“The ability for each graduate to work across the three areas of agricultural research with agri-business, Agriculture Victoria and a farming systems group will provide them wide exposure to future employment directions,” he said.

“The program will equip the next generation of information providers with a diverse skills base, ready to provide this information for future generations.

“Previous Agriculture Development Program graduates are now all working in the agricultural sector.”

Mr Fromm grew up on a South Australian farm at Orroroo, about three hours north of Adelaide.

“We have about 5000 acres with about 1000 ewes and also crops including wheat and barley,” he said.

Mr Fromm said he always knew he wanted to work in agriculture.

“Agriculture has always been an important part of my life, so I knew I wanted to stay in the industry,” he said.

As part of the program, Mr Fromm will focus on pulse agronomy in the Mallee.

“It will be a learning curve for me because we don’t grow pulses at home – the soil isn’t right for them,” he said. “So this will be something different.

“Most of my work will be in Horsham and Mildura.”

Mr Fromm said he would complete work placements at Southern Pulse Agronomy and Moodie Agronomy.

He said he was looking forward to the program and learning new things.

Other graduate agronomists completing the program with Mr Fromm are Stephen O’Connor, Kate Finger, Alexander Clancy and Rachel Coombes.

For Mr O’Connor, Ms Finger and Ms Coombes, their 18 months will include intensive placements with leading grower groups and agribusinesses.

They will gain experience in key areas including seasonal risk management; nutrition and pathology; trial development and management; pest, weeds and disease identification; and crop protection options in a regional context; as well as developing communication packages to support research adoption.

These positions will be based in Hamilton, Bendigo and Mildura.

Mr Fromm, along with Mr Clancy will work in targeted areas.

Mr Clancy will focus on precision agriculture working with Agriculture Victoria’s remote sensing specialists at Bendigo and with agribusiness Precision Agriculture in Ballarat.