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Geoff Moar
Chairman
AUSVEG
James Whiteside
CEO
AUSVEG
After many months of hard work and planning, AUSVEG and
the Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand
(PMA A-NZ) are excited to welcome delegates and the wider
horticulture industry to Hort Connections 2017, which is being
held from 15-17 May at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
This joint event is supported by eight industry co-hosts
and their inclusion makes Hort Connections a truly unified
horticultural event. We would like to thank 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 for their assistance in organising this event.
I am confident that many delegates from the vegetable
industry will make the most of the opportunity to attend two
thought-provoking, levy-funded seminars which are being
held during Hort Connections. The Exporting Vegetables
Symposium on 15 May will provide a detailed insight into the key
considerations for growers who are looking to export produce
to international markets. Meanwhile, the Global Innovations
in Horticulture Seminar on 16 May will bring together a range
of local and international speakers who will share the up-and-
coming technologies making their mark in global horticulture.
Another highlight of Hort Connections is the Women in
Horticulture event, which will take place at the InterContinental
Adelaide on 17 May. This year’s theme focuses on getting
involved and adding value to your business, and will be
headlined by Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water
Resources, Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston. Celebrity chef
Geoff Jansz will also perform a cooking demonstration using
fresh local produce sourced from the South Australian
Produce Market, while Horticulture Innovation Australia
Relationship Manager Christian Patterson will also discuss
levy-funded projects.
Hort Connections will conclude with the National Awards
for Excellence Gala Dinner, where we recognise the best of
the best in the horticulture industry. I wish all of the nominees,
particularly those in the vegetable industry, good luck and
congratulate them on their achievements and contribution
to the industry so far.
In other news, the National Management Group (NMG)
for tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) – comprising all Australian
governments, affected industries and Plant Health Australia –
has agreed that TPP is no longer technically feasible to eradicate.
Fortunately, surveillance has not shown any evidence of
Candidatus
Liberibacter solanacearum (CLso), which causes the
serious exotic disease ‘zebra chip’ in potatoes.
At the time of writing, a transition to management plan was
being prepared, and AUSVEG will continue to keep industry
informed of any further updates as they come to light.
As TPP holds the potential to cause significant damage to
Australia’s vegetable and potato industries, it is imperative that
industry and community members remain on alert and report
any suspected detections of TPP to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline
on 1800 084 881.
AUSVEG has been working closely with our state members
Growcom and NSW Farmers, and other grower groups including
the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association and Lockyer Valley
Growers, to get the best outcome for growers affected by
Cyclone Debbie, which caused significant damage and flooding
to key agricultural areas in Queensland and New South Wales in
March.
Members of the local agriculture, mining and grazing
communities in Queensland are facing a long road to recovery
after the storm flattened crops and caused major damage to
buildings, transport and infrastructure. This also resulted in
subsequent floods further south, extending as far as northern
New South Wales.
It is an extremely difficult time for growers and the wider
agricultural industry, and this was evident when I witnessed the
damage first-hand at Kalbar and Logan, west of Brisbane, last
month. These areas are key vegetable growing regions and
experienced extensive flooding following Cyclone Debbie.
Given the extent of the damage, we were pleased that Category
C assistance was made available to affected primary producers
in Queensland under the National Disaster Relief and Recovery
Arrangements. It is imperative that both the federal and state
governments provide the maximum level of assistance to those
primary producers and communities that have been devastated
by this storm to help them clean up, rebuild and recover.
AUSVEG and our state members will continue to advocate
on behalf of those affected – many Queensland growers have
already submitted estimations of the damage caused to their
businesses, which will help Growcom to identify the level of
funding needed in those regions affected by Cyclone Debbie.
Meanwhile, AUSVEG has called on the Federal Government
to ensure that Australia’s rural and regional industries are not
neglected by the recent announcement to abolish the 457
skilled migration visa and replace it with a new multi-stream
temporary visa.
Skilled foreign workers play a critical role in regional
industries, including the vegetable and broader horticulture
industries. It is vital that growers continue to have reliable
access to skilled and unskilled labour throughout the year to
cater for the peaks and troughs in seasonal workforce
demand. This will ensure that Australia’s regional industries
can remain productive, profitable and internationally
competitive in an increasingly globalised market.
There has never been a more important time for
collaboration in the Australian horticulture sector, and this is
evident with the staging of the inaugural Hort Connections
2017 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Hosted by AUSVEG
and the Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand
(PMA A-NZ) from 15-17 May, this cross-sector collaboration
will benefit delegates as all sectors of the industry come
together to exchange ideas and network.
I am very much looking forward to attending Hort
Connections, and meeting both our industry members as well
as delegates from the vast array of industries that have joined as
co-hosts, making this the biggest event in Australian horticulture.
| MESSAGES FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO |
Your Crop Nutrition Partner
Come and join us at Hort Connections 2017. The Yara team are looking
forward to welcoming delegates at our stand (167 & 168) this year.
There will also be a draw, make sure to enter at our stand for your chance to
win...
Your Crop Nutrition Partner
Come and join us at Hort Connections 2017. The Y ra team are looking
forward to welcoming d legates at our stand (167 & 168) this year.
Th re will also be a draw, make sure to enter at our stand for your chance to
win...
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