AUSVEG Chairman John Brent announced today that the Northern Territory Horticultural Association (NTHA) had joined AUSVEG as a corporate member, meaning the National Peak Industry Body which represents over 9,000 vegetable and potato growers around the nation, now has its full complement of grower organisation members.

The announcement follows the appointment in September of the TFGA’s nominated representative to the AUSVEG Board, Tasmanian vegetable grower David Addison, and will enable AUSVEG to better represent rural farming families throughout Australia.

“This is an important achievement for AUSVEG which can now truly represent all vegetable and potato growers nationally with the help and assistance of its full state and territory membership base. We will be working to strengthen our communication with our members even further in 2011 to ensure that this unified collaborative approach continues to bring about results and accountability for growers,” Mr Brent said.

Mr Brent said that now with a full complement of peak grower bodies on side, AUSVEG would be able to more comprehensively represent growers’ varying interests throughout Australia, providing better national representation for vegetable and potato growers in the Northern Territory and Tasmania, and indeed all states of Australia.

“In the 18 months since CEO Richard Mulcahy was appointed, we have been able to create a united front at AUSVEG, with the key vegetable grower bodies in every state as well as the Northern Territory now on board,” Mr Brent said.

“For vegetable and potato growers, this will mean better representation, improved communication between state and territory bodies and their national peak industry body, and most importantly more people working together with the critical mass required to achieve positive outcomes for Australian growers,” he said.

“Through our involvement with the Horticulture Taskforce and our own public affairs program, every member’s input becomes valuable and instructive. AUSVEG welcomes the NTHA as a corporate member and I’m certain they will be a valuable contributor on the key national issues affecting the industry.”

The Northern Territory Horticultural Association joins AUSVEG’s existing members: the New South Wales Farmers’ Association; Vegetable Growers Association of Victoria; Victorian Potato Growers Council; Grow SA; Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association; Growcom; vegetablesWA and the Potato Growers Association of WA.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Hugh Tobin, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, AUSVEG
Phone: (03) 9822 0388, Mobile: 0431 939 920, Email: hugh.tobin@ausveg.com.au.