VA-MarApr2017lr

Geoff Moar

Chairman

AUSVEG

James Whiteside

CEO

AUSVEG

With the news that Tomato-potato psyllid (

Bactericera

cockerelli

) has been detected for the first time in Western

Australia, it is imperative that growers are aware of the potential

implications of the detection on their businesses.

Tomato-potato psyllid is a tiny insect – approximately 3mm

long – and a significant production pest in countries where

it is present, including New Zealand and the United States. It

attacks a range of plants in the Solanaceae family including

potato, tomato, eggplant, capsicum, chilli and tamarillo, along

with sweetpotato.

The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia

(DAFWA) is currently undertaking surveillance in commercial

crops and backyard gardens in the Perth area and a member

of the AUSVEG biosecurity team, Callum Fletcher, is currently

on the ground in Western Australia sharing his expertise and his

experience of dealing with this pest in New Zealand.

As the psyllid is also capable of carrying the bacterium that

causes Zebra chip, testing is underway to determine whether

the bacterium is present in the psyllids found in Western

Australia. However, the bacterium has not been found in any

samples taken to date.

AUSVEG will continue to work with industry and government

stakeholders to ensure effective management of this pest. In

the meantime, domestic trade restrictions are also in place, so

I urge all growers to contact their state department of primary

industries for more information.

Growers are asked not to spray or disturb suspected plants

at this time. Any suspect detections of Tomato-potato psyllid

can be reported to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on

1800 084 881 or using DAFWA’s MyPestGuide reporting app

in Western Australia.

On a more positive note, the vegetable and wider

horticulture industries have some exciting events to look

forward to in the months ahead, with the town of Lindenow in

Victoria hosting the East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days

from 3-4 May. Less than two weeks later, we will head across

to Adelaide for Hort Connections 2017.

The Innovation Days are a major event for the East Gippsland

Food Cluster as part of the levy-funded National Vegetable

Extension Network. More than 600 local and international

industry members are expected to attend the two-day event,

where there will be plenty of opportunities to network,

exchange ideas and view the demonstration sites on display.

The AUSVEG team is looking forward to continuing these

important discussions at Hort Connections 2017, a joint event

hosted by AUSVEG and PMA Australia-New Zealand with

support from Fresh Markets Australia, the Central Markets

Association of Australia, Potatoes South Australia, Growcom,

Irrigation Australia, Australian Organic, Onions Australia and

Nursery and Garden Industry Australia.

Hort Connections will be held at the Adelaide Convention

Centre from 15-17 May, and I am very much looking forward

to attending this premier event in horticulture and meeting our

industry members as well as delegates from the vast array of

industries that have joined as co-hosts in 2017.

Following many years of campaigning on behalf of Australian

vegetable growers, AUSVEG has welcomed future reforms to the

Horticulture Code of Conduct, which the Federal Government

announced recently in response to an independent review.

This code of conduct has been in need of reform for many

years and we are pleased that the government is taking the

review’s key recommendations on board and committing to

increasing transparency and accountability under the code.

The amendments include a requirement for traders to

generate and keep records on their transactions, along with

records of all growers they deal with. The announcement of civil

penalties also means there are now greater recourses available

for all parties who have suffered from behaviour that breaches

the obligations laid out by the code.

The reform process brought all stakeholders to the table,

and AUSVEG appreciates the work of Assistant Minister for

Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston,

in taking a hands-on role to ensure that the reformed code is

stronger and more effective for Australian growers.

In other news, the Department of Agriculture and Food,

Western Australia (DAFWA) is undertaking surveillance in

commercial crops and backyard gardens in the Perth area,

following the confirmed detection of Tomato-potato psyllid.

DAFWA is working closely with the horticulture industry,

including AUSVEG, vegetablesWA and the Potato Growers

Association of WA to respond to and minimise the impact of the

psyllid. At the moment, DAFWA is undertaking surveillance in

metropolitan and regional areas to determine the spread of the

pest, as well as liaising with other state jurisdictions, the federal

department and industry through the Consultative Committee

on Emergency Plant Pests.

AUSVEG is supporting DAFWA in its response, and our

Biosecurity Coordinator Callum Fletcher has been on the

ground in Western Australia since the early days of the outbreak,

travelling widely throughout the state advising DAFWA and

growers on surveillance and control options.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the 18 participants chosen

to undertake the Growing Leaders National Vegetable Industry

Leadership Program, a vegetable levy-funded project facilitated

by Rural Training Initiatives. The participants hail from all around

Australia and represent a wide range of industry sectors,

including AUSVEG, with our own Environment Coordinator

Andrew Shaw among the participants.

This program helps to develop the skills of new and emerging

leaders with a mix of theory, practical industry-based visits and

discussion panels with industry experts. One of the Growing

Leaders workshops will be held in conjunction with Hort

Connections 2017, allowing participants to meet and network

with members from across a vast array of horticulture industry

bodies during this exciting event.

Growing Leaders enables participants to have a positive

impact on their business and the wider industry by giving them

the tools to achieve their leadership goals. This, in turn, will

benefit not just the individual, but the entire Australian vegetable

industry heading into the future.

| MESSAGES FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO |

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