Name Jock Leys 
Twitter Jock2073
Age 41
Location Sydney, NSW
What part(s) of the industry do you work in? Crop Protection and Seeds – Global Agribusiness
Job title Marketing Manager – ANZ
What does your company/ business do? Crop protection, Seeds and Solutions
Describe your job on the average day Forecasting, strategy, catching up with growers and advisors, trying to understand what technologies can help improve productivity and sustainability for Australian and NZ growers.
How did you get involved with agriculture? Grew up on a farm at Gunnedah in Northern NSW and loved it.
Education High School, Ag Science degree and MBA
If you studied/ trained in agriculture, why did you choose that degree/ certificate? Love of agriculture, seeing crops and animals grow .
What are/were you plans after school/TAFE/university? My plans post Uni were to work as an agronomist (which I did, among other things) but eventually I see myself going back to farming.
Job history
Family farm, CSIRO, Colly Cotton, Elders, Syngenta
What are your interests? Grain production would be my number one interest but I also love other industry segments such as cotton production, beef and wool.
What is your favourite thing about the industry? The connection to the land and the food we eat.
Best experience in agriculture? Growing your own crop through to a productive yield or raising your own animals is very satisfying.
Worst experience in agriculture? Droughts can be challenging but they are also excellent opportunities to learn and do things differently.
What do you think will be the biggest challenges of the agricultural industry in the future?
In the near future I think the competition for people with the mining industry is a major challenge aswell as the competing interest around land use with the mining industry.
Long term I think the biggest issue is around food security and our ability to feed the worlds population. GM will be critical.
Why do you think less people are becoming involved in agriculture? Miss-understandings about Agriculture and what an interesting career it can be.
What advice do you have for people thinking about getting into agriculture? Do it. You wont look back.
How important do you think an agricultural background is to become involved in the industry? Not critical at all.
What do you think is the most common misconception about agriculture? Backward. It is a very progressive industry and is always changing.
