As a recipient of this letter you are either already a member of PULSE AUSTRALIA, or if not, your business most likely benefits from the growth and vitality of the pulse industry, so please treat this an as invitation to become a member.
Why be a member of Pulse Australia? In short, because the benefits far outweigh the costs. Australia’s pulse industry is thriving; we are coming out of two successive record chick pea and lentil crops, record exports in both bulk and containers, strong regional businesses in pulse packing and processing, rail and road freight, and all the associated export-related activities at container terminals and ports.
At Pulse Australia, we are sticking to our four core pillars to support this growth for everyone in the supply chain. A glimpse of what we’ve been up to over the last six months:
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This work by Pulse Australia is largely “unseen”, but it happens. It’s the lubricant in the pulse supply chain which everyone needs but often take for granted. Over the last few months our members have News & Views resoundingly told us they value the services of Pulse Australia, AND they want Pulse Australia to do more. More things like regional field days, a national conference, providing market intelligence and insights, working with the Australian government to reduce trade barriers of importing countries, advising shipping lines on crop forecasts and thus container requirements, etc, etc. To deliver these services, we need to grow the funding base and membership of Pulse Australia to include all who benefit from the above range of services through the supply chain. Today, this load is borne by too few members (about 30 to be precise, when most would say the numbers in the supply chain should be well in excess of 100 businesses) and there are too many “free-riders”.
The good news is that every existing PA member wants to stay and pay. They just want more of their friends and business partners to take up the challenge and join Pulse Australia to make it stronger – because without a Pulse Australia, everyone’s business will suffer. The directors of Pulse Australia (all volunteers) have committed to a membership drive to deliver what the members need to run their businesses. It means embracing membership from farmers ($500pa), regional merchants and processors, through to large traders and packers at $20,000pa
– a model for fair sharing of the load to deliver what the members want. The more members, the lower the cost.
Member quotes:
“One late set of documents can cost me $30,000 in a day. Having Pulse Australia is the best insurance policy I’ve got!”
“Standardised, national Pulse Australia standards, means wherever I buy or sell pulses, I can trade with confidence on GTA contract terms.”
“Getting advice on what to spray at the right time, saved my chick pea crop.”
In recent weeks both myself and Pulse Australia CEO, Nick Goddard, have been visiting as many of our members and potential members as we can to:
1) thank them for their support and seek their continued membership in 2017/18 (which as I have said has been very, very encouraging), and
2) build a wider membership base from all businesses in the pulse supply chain. If we have not met up with you personally as yet, I apologise, but please accept this invitation to call us and become a member of the “pulse family”.
You may be familiar with one of our directors listed below, so please feel free to contact any of them for a discussion re membership. We want to hit the ground running on 1 July 2017, with our existing member base secure and on board, and a growing band of new members who benefit from Pulse Australia.
Feel free to contact either Nick or myself or the directors below to arrange membership for 2017/18.
Pulse Australia
Disclaimer: The opinions or views expressed in this publication are those of the authors or quoted persons. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Global Pulse Confederation or its members.
