What is happening in grain farming in Eastern Europe and how does it apply to Australia?

Take home messages

• Execution of the plan; make sure three keys are executed timely- plant on time, spray on time and harvest on time. If these three keys are executed well you will limit risk.
• Identify your most expensive assets and make sure they are maximized to the fullest.
• Employees – structure, instructions, training, engagement, initiative, empowerment and motivation are crucial to success.

Introduction

I have spent six and a half years in the Ukraine and have expanded my management and consulting work through Global Farming Solutions to multiple countries including Canada, countries in Africa, and operations in Iowa, USA. In the Ukraine I have developed three different farms from fallow land to full scale production operations.

A native of Iowa, USA, I grew up working for the family farm, Bruchside Farms and I am still actively involved with the family farming operation. In the year 2000 I completed my BS in Agronomy from Iowa State University and went on to work for Animal Health companies, managing multi-million dollar territories. In 2007 I completed my MBA from California State University, Fresno and moved to the Ukraine to found Global Farming Solutions (GFS).

My strong business background and experience with large corporations provided the foundation needed to become the CEO of GFS. I have developed leadership and people skills that enable me to train and manage a largely self-employed workforce and to establish cross-cultural relationships in diverse and often remote environments with significant communication barriers. 

GFS’s business philosophy

• Maximization of equipment and equipment usage to cover as many acres with as little equipment as possible.
• Limit purchases that depreciate in value ( equipment, vehicles, trucks, computers, etc).
• Focus efforts on support for field operations to reduce down time and provide high capacity for delivering water, seed, fertiliser and service for equipment ( i.e. like a race car team changing tyres, it’s got to be fast and accurate).
• Build plans in advance for field operations (i.e. who is going to do them, what equipment will be used and when, so that targets can be set on paper to achieve them operationally).
• Execution of the plan, making sure three keys are executed timely- plant on time, spray on time and harvest on time. If these three keys are executed well you will limit risk.
• The day you pour the seeds into the seeder is when those seeds have their maximum yield potential. Everything we do thereafter is to limit yield loss against things we can control. Think outside the box of what everyone else does; try new crop mixes, test new methods, try new products and have test plots of new varieties. Also try this on a small acreage each year to try and make improvements for the next year.
• Ukraine is a country in which change is very difficult for people to accept due to the old communist mindset. It’s always hard for Ukrainians to be different from their neighbour’s farm, but your neighbour’s farm won’t pay your bills.
• Identify your most expensive assets and make sure they are maximized to the fullest. If it’s a combine, or grain elevator, or a sprayer, then make sure it’s a high priority to utilise it to its fullest extent possible.
• Employees – structure, instructions, training, engagement, initiative, empowerment and motivation are crucial to success.
• Budget-know your costs and know your breakeven price. Have a target yield and stick to your budget.

Contact details

Justin Bruch
justin.bruch@gmail.com