Agvise opens new office in Albany to better provide assistance to Great Southern farmers

WA agribusiness consulting firm Agvise is expanding its footprint in WA after opening its third office and appointing well-known former banker Matt Leverington to lead it. The company this month opened its Great Southern office at Unit 11, 69 Lockyer Avenue in Albany after opening brick and mortar outlets in Perth and Merredin in recent years. Also based at the Albany office is analyst Joanne Thorne, a local to the district, who will apply her analytical skills to identify growth opportunities and help businesses implement changes that assist them to reach their goals. Agvise, established in 2000 by Shane Sander, specialises in in-depth financial due diligence, risk and asset management, feasibility assessments, strategic planning, business restructuring, succession planning and board representation. It now has three offices based in Perth, Merredin and Albany, and is led by Mr Sander, with fellow partners David Mighall, Perth, and Nic McGregor, Merredin. “Agvise has a long track record working with some of the largest and most successful agribusinesses in Western Australia and has earnt a reputation for expert commercial acumen, financial rigour, hard work and consistently delivering the outcomes our clients seek,” Mr Sander said. “Having Matt at Albany means we can offer the Great Southern the same financial analysis to underpin decision-making that our clients in the regions of WA have enjoyed.” Mr Leverington and Agvise grain marketing consultant Jacinta Kelly toured farms in the Katanning, Albany, Kojonup and Gnowangerup districts recently, visiting growers to discuss needs and conditions leading into the 2023 season. “Some grain growers are already seeding flat out where they have moisture, particularly in the Williams district,” Mr Leverington said. “Others around Gnowangerup and Kojonup, where there might be mixed soil profiles, are waiting for further falls to ensure a good start to crops, particularly given the recent warm weather. “Every farm and every farmer is different in their approach to risk and whether they are bullish or more risk averse.” Mr Leverington expected a swing back to cereals this season from big canola plantings in recent years but attributed this more to rotational considerations and weed management than trade or market indicators. “Growers seem to be more interested in rotations this year after some profitable canola years and this is prompting a swing back into barley and other cereals, while maintaining canola in the mix,” he said. “The drop in canola price has reduced plantings but returning to normal rotations is the main sentiment of a number of people we talked to. “Agvise analysis shows canola to be a high profit driver in recent seasons and we expect this to continue, although perhaps to a lesser extent. “We still see canola as a profitable option and encourage our clients to continue to focus on year-to-year profitability.” Mr Leverington said growers were interested in discussing the value of establishing a financial baseline from their historical data as a launching pad for future management and financial decisions. “This gives a measuring stick from which the farm business performance can be measured and a sound footing for decision making,” he said.