General News
16 January, 2025
Hosking wants inclusivity for VFF
What Brett Hosking wanted most of all for Christmas arrived a few days early with his naming as the Victorian Farmers Federation's (VFF) new president.
Mr Hosking went into last year's two-way duel for leadership of the state body saying he aimed to help shape the VFF into "an organisation we all want to join".
On December 20 he was confirmed as the successful candidate, having defeated Werribee egg producer and former VFF vice-president Danyel Cucinotta.
A fifth-generation mixed farmer, Mr Hosking grows wheat, barley, canola, lentils and vetch hay and runs Merino ewes and cattle at Quambatook.
He served as VFF vice-president in 2016–18 and VFF Grains Group president in 2013–17 and has been a VFF grains councillor for the eastern mallee and president of the VFF's Kerang-Quambatook branch.
Mr Hosking is also heavily involved with Birchip Cropping Group, GrainGrowers (including as chair in 2018–22), Farmers for Climate Action and Grains Australia.
He and his wife Jane have four daughters: Grace, 23; Lily, 21; Isabelle, 18; and Amelia 13.
"My passion for our VFF is to partner directly with members to create the best advocacy and farmer leadership for Victoria," Mr Hosking said.
"It's my ambition to work alongside each member representing the issues that matter most."
Mr Hosking said he believed the VFF's greatest opportunities would come from "strong members, branches and commodity groups aligned together under stable and inclusive leadership where informed and enthusiastic voices combine to create greater outcomes for all farmers".
He said agriculture was "under enormous pressure" and faced competition for land use from mining, energy and transmission.
The industry was also at "unprecedented risk" due to biosecurity threats, encroaching land regulation, the demands of chemical regulatory compliance and failing telecommunications, he said.
Livestock producer Peter Star from Tallangatta in North-East Victoria was elected as vice-president.
The Wimmera Mallee's previous VFF president, David Jochinke of Murra Warra, who held the position in 2016–20 with Mr Hosking as his deputy for two years, took on the presidency of the National Farmers' Federation in October 2023.
