Emerald touts Windows Flexi at field day

The Emerald Grain team has redefined its focus to include a greater emphasis on grower service.

According to Kwinana regional manager Brad Gosling, the approach to Emerald's new grower service model is based on strong relationships with a comprehensive understanding of each grower.

Official program and field day guide and COUNTRYMAN newspaper August 22

"We are able to identify opportunities to add greater value to growers based on our knowledge of their unique circumstances," he said.

Emerald offers growers the benefits of dealing with a national company with global exposure and the payment security that comes with Australian and international financial partners. It delivers this through local representatives who have an intimate understanding of the needs of growers and their communities.

Mr Gosling, who was raised on the family farm in South Australia and has worked in the grain industry since, said his team members in Kwinana had strong roots in regional WA.

"Nadine Hayes who looks after the admin at our Kwinana office grew up in the heart of the Wheatbelt in Quairading and spends much of her spare time with her partner Bob on the family farm near Moora," he said.

"Sonia Carruthers, our Upper Great Southern grain merchant, is from Lake Grace and enjoys being an active member of the community. When Sonia is not on the road helping clients she enjoys helping out with the family farming business.

"Steve Field is our grain merchant covering the Sandplains and northern Wheatbelt. He comes from a farming background near Esperance. He has diverse ag experience and has worked for 10 years in the grain industry.

"Don Clarke spent a lifetime managing a shearing run in WA and continues to live in the community at Narembeen servicing their grain marketing needs."

Mr Gosling said Emerald's future development of services, products and systems would have a higher degree of involvement from growers.

"We are all about offering specific grain marketing solutions that meet growers' needs depending on the market climate and crop production conditions," he said.

"This means we're able to assist with their specific marketing needs thanks to our range of products and services."

Mr Gosling said Emerald's 3 Windows Flexi allowed growers to enjoy the benefits of a fixed price forward contract with the flexibility to manage their production risk.

"3 Windows Flexi provides additional flexibility to a standard fixed price multigrade," he said. "At the time of contracting, growers can lock in a fixed price for the first and second delivery window with the third window being left unpriced.

"The third window can be priced at a later date if the grower nominates this window as a result of lower than expected production or market outlook."

Emerald's well-known standard 3 Windows product is also available and can cover both production and pricing risk.

For growers who want to receive quarterly payments and paperwork against cash business, Emerald continues to guide them into the cash 'n' carry service.

This allows a grower to earn a premium for deferring payment to a later date.

"The cash 'n' carry has been a highly flexible product for growers to use, allowing them to lock in prices and earn a premium when they get paid a few months later," Mr Gosling said.

"July 2013 has been a busy time finalising all the cash 'n' carry payments from harvest 2012/13 and WA growers have all received their funds before the due date on July 15."

If you would like to talk to Brad and his team about the new focus for 2013-14 and any of Emerald's structured cash products, drop by the marquee at the southern end of the oval.

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