The Launceston Regional OUTLOOK conference, on Wednesday 4 July, is a valuable forum to access market assessments and forecasts for a range of agricultural industries, with local and ABARE speakers presenting on these issues.

The conference"s opening address will be delivered by Senator the Hon Eric Abetz, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation.

In the opening session ABARE Executive Director Phillip Glyde will deliver the global commodity overview, and NAB"s Rod Fraser will explore on-farm risk management.

Delegates at session two – opportunities and challenges in agriculture – will hear from Vince O"Donnell, ABARE commodity OUTLOOK manager on OUTLOOK and farm performance; Mark Ferguson from the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research on benchmarking for business improvement; and Paul Amourgis, Somerford, discussing diversification to maximise farm profitability.

Session three focuses on resource management and climate change, with Ian Barnes-Keoghan, Bureau of Meteorology on weather and climate trends; Mark Wootton of The Climate Institute exploring from adaptation to mitigation: a farmer"s perspective; and the CSIRO"s Leanne Webb discussing the impacts of climate change on viticulture.

The conference concludes with session four that looks at exporting and value adding in the region. Speakers include Ron Cullen from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on creating opportunities in a competitive global market; Ziggy Pyka, 41degrees South Aquaculture on new opportunities in the region and concluding with Simon Kang from Ta Ann Tasmania on exporting value added forestry products.