Potatoes Australia_June July_2017_Web

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R&D | ECONOMIC UPDATE |
CONTRIBUTORS
Angelica Cameron
Dr Kevin Clayton-Greene
Dr Nigel Crump
Adrian Dahlenburg
Dr Paul Horne
Stu Jennings
Scott Mathew
Jessica Page
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: AUSVEG
Phone: 03 9882 0277
Fax: 03 9882 6722
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography by Kim Shirley.
ADVERTISING: Marc W. Wilson
Gypsy Media
Phone: 0419 107 143
PRINT
RA Printing
Geoff Moar
AUSVEG CHAIRMAN
James Whiteside
AUSVEG CEO
Shaun Lindhe
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Dimi Kyriakou
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER/EDITOR
Michelle De’Lisle
WRITER/JOURNALIST
Claire Pini
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
All research and development projects have been
funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using
the national potato research and development levy
and/or voluntary contributions from industry, and
funds from the Australian Government. Potatoes
Australia is produced by AUSVEG Ltd and is free for
all national potato levy payers.
Disclaimer: Any information or advice contained in this
magazine is general in nature and has been prepared
without taking into account readers’ individual objectives
or circumstances. Readers should not act or refrain
from acting or alter any business practices on the basis
of opinions or information in this magazine without
first carefully evaluating the accuracy, completeness,
appropriateness, currency and relevance of the
information for their purposes and obtaining appropriate
professional advice relevant to their particular
circumstances (including any decision about whether
to consider acquiring any product).
All information, expressions of opinion and
recommendations in this magazine are published on the
basis that they are not to be regarded as expressing the
official views and opinions of AUSVEG, unless expressly
so stated. AUSVEG, authors and all persons involved in
the preparation and distribution of this magazine are not
to be taken as giving professional advice and hence do
not accept responsibility for the accuracy or currency
of any of the opinions or information contained in
the magazine. AUSVEG accepts no responsibility for
errors or misstatements, negligent or otherwise, and
is not obliged to correct or update the information or
opinions expressed in this magazine. The information in
this magazine may be based on assumptions and may
change without notice. AUSVEG specifically disclaims
any loss, damage, claim, expense, cost (including legal
costs) or other liability (whether based in contract,
tort, strict liability or otherwise) for any direct, indirect,
incidental or consequential loss or damage arising out
of or in any way connected with access to or reading
of this magazine, including (but not limited to) any loss
or damage whatsoever caused by a reader’s reliance on
information obtained from this magazine. AUSVEG does
not accept any liability to advertisers for the publication
of advertisements which may be held to be contrary to
law. Material published in this magazine is copyright
and may not be reproduced without permission.
Special care should be taken with agricultural
chemicals which may have been used experimentally
but are not yet registered for commercial use.
Clarification should be sought from the researchers
or chemical manufacturers.
Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation)
makes no representations and expressly disclaims all
warranties (to the extent permitted by law) about the
accuracy, completeness, or currency of information
in Potatoes Australia. Reliance on any information
provided by Hort Innovation is entirely at your own
risk. Hort Innovation is not responsible for, and will
not be liable for, any loss, damage, claim, expense,
cost (including legal costs) or other liability arising in
any way, including from any Hort Innovation or other
person’s negligence or otherwise from your use or
non-use of Potatoes Australia, or from reliance on
information contained in the material or that Hort
Innovation provides to you by any other means.
© Copyright AUSVEG Ltd and Horticulture Innovation
Australia Limited 2017
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted
under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be
reproduced by any process without prior permission
from AUSVEG. Requests and enquiries concerning
reproduction and rights should be addressed to AUSVEG
at: PO Box 138, Camberwell, Vic, 3124.
ISSN 1834-2493
They say that two heads are better than one, and the truth in
this statement was brought to life at Hort Connections 2017.
For the first time in Australian horticulture history, AUSVEG
and the Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand
joined forces to merge the National Horticulture Convention
and PMA Fresh Connections, and bring industry members a
one-stop convention and trade show.
This partnership was strengthened through the support
of eight industry co-hosts that ensured further segments of
horticulture were represented at the event, including irrigation,
onions, certified organics, wholesalers, nurseries, potatoes and
Queensland horticulture.
There is unlimited potential for industry collaboration in
Australian horticulture, as greater collaboration allows voices
to unite on issues that matter and extend knowledge and new
ideas to the largest audience possible.
The feedback received from Hort Connections was
overwhelmingly positive, with many delegates noting that
such an event was long overdue for the industry. It is
understandable – there are many important events that are
held throughout the year, from large conferences to
smaller, regional farm visits. Despite the size of the event
itself, it demands participants to invest valuable time and
money away from their businesses to open their minds and
develop their networks.
Regardless of where you sit in horticulture, there are certain
issues that can have a ripple effect on growers and supply
chain members – from catastrophic weather events to political
decisions or pests and diseases that affect a variety of crops.
It is easy to become so entrenched in your own business
or sector that you forget to step back and look at the bigger
picture. Something as simple as understanding that there are
others who experience the same challenges, or have come
up with a solution that can be applied to multiple industries,
is made all the more easier in an open forum where people
of varying backgrounds, experience and knowledge come
together to build a better future for the horticulture industry.
Understandably, Hort Connections takes pride of place in
this edition of Potatoes Australia and we have included wrap-
ups of the overall event as well as the Potatoes South Australia
luncheon and Potato Industry Extension Forum (page 14), and
launch of the Growcom Fair Farms Initiative (page 35).
Hort Connections 2017 was a great starting point to further
industry collaboration, and we are already working hard to
ensure that next year’s offering in Brisbane from 18-20 June
builds on the value and success of this year’s event.
@ausveg #infoveg
Potatoes Australia is always on the lookout for local
and international potato R&D projects, leading
growers and industry news to profile in the magazine.
If you have a great idea for a potential article, let
us know! Send an email to
or call 03 9882 0277.