2016 National Horticulture Convention pulls record numbers to the Gold Coast!

AUSVEG, along with industry co-hosts Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL), the Central Markets Association of Australia in partnership with Fresh Markets Australia, Growcom, Australian Organic, Persimmons Australia and Onions Australia, have hosted the most successful Convention in Australian horticulture history.
More than 1,500 growers and industry members made their way to the Gold Coast to attend the 2016 National Horticulture Convention at RACV Royal Pines from 23-25 June.
Distinguished Convention guests included Australian and international horticultural producers, buyers, supply chain members and AUSVEG’s Strategic Partners, without which the event would not have been such a stellar success.
The Convention and its associated events received extensive media coverage, with the ABC’s Queensland Country Hour, hosted by Craig Zonca, broadcasting live on-site on Friday 24 June, as well as broadcast and print media covering most of the speaker sessions, seminars and the capstone event, the National Awards for Excellence.
AUSVEG would like to thank all industry co-hosts for their partnership in hosting this year’s Convention, as well as the delegates, speakers, Strategic Partners and exhibitors who attended for their support.
 

Horticulture’s best and brightest recognised at the 2016 National Awards for Excellence

Australia’s leading growers, dignitaries and industry representatives were treated to an evening of entertainment and well-deserved recognition at the 2016 National Awards for Excellence, held on Saturday 25 June at RACV Royal Pines.
The 2016 National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner.
Queensland grower and Kalfresh Director Rob Hinrichsen was recognised for his hard work and dedication to the industry with the coveted AUSVEG Grower of the Year Award, proudly sponsored by Syngenta.
Industry stalwart Wayne Cornish from South Australia was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the Australian vegetable and potato industries, including his role as President of the South Australian Farmers Federation, Vice President of the National Farmers Federation and his role in the establishment of the National Potato Levies.
Wayne Cornish (left) receiving the AUSVEG Lifetime Achievement Award, alongside AUSVEG Chairman Geoff Moar.
Please see below for the full list of 2016 award winners:

Trade Display of the Year (Single booth)
Toro

Trade Display of the Year (Multi-booth)
Yara

Syngenta Grower of the Year
Rob Hinrichsen (QLD)

Coles Rising Star of the Year
Jacob Parrish (QLD)

Dow AgroSciences Young Grower of the Year
Thang Hoang Le “Aussie Kev” (SA)

Visy Industry Impact Award
Jill Briggs (VIC)

DuPont Community Stewardship Award
Greg Owens (NT)

Boomaroo Innovation Partner Award
Bayer

Bayer Researcher of the Year
Dr Lucy Tran-Nguyen (NT)

Central Markets Association of Australia Innovative Marketing Award
Kalfresh (QLD)

Steritech Women in Horticulture Award
Sharron Windolf (QLD)

Netafim Environmental Award
Tony Croft (VIC)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Wayne Cornish (SA)

AUSVEG would also like to congratulate the APAL award winners who were also recognised for their achievements on the night.

AUSVEG would like to thank all delegates for attending the 2016 National Awards for Excellence, and looks forward to recognising the industry again in 2017 and beyond.

 

Horticulture’s biggest Trade Show lights up the Gold Coast

The 2016 National Horticulture Convention Trade Show was a great success, with delegates flocking to this year’s extensive array of exhibits at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.
The Trade Show was a fantastic networking opportunity for growers and industry members and also provided information to raise awareness about some of the industry’s levy-funded programs.
Attendees were also treated to a special appearance from RIPPA, an automated farm robot which has been commissioned by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government and produced by the team at the University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Field Robotics.
Convention emcee Peter Daicos and Mark Calleija from the Australian Centre for Field Robotics discussing the Hort Innovation funded RIPPA farm robot at the 2016 National Horticulture Convention Trade Show.
Returning Convention emcee Peter Daicos also visited stands throughout the Trade Show, entertaining delegates and telling stories of his stellar career, while also promoting the horticulture industry.
Congratulations to all the exhibitors that contributed to the Trade Show, making it such a diverse and engaging event.

 

 

Speaker sessions engage Convention delegates

An exciting line-up of Speaker Sessions, held as part of the 2016 National Horticulture Convention, provided delegates with an informative and often entertaining look into the industry and beyond.
An array of speakers, including Managing Director of Dow AgroSciences and Keynote speaker Rob Kaan, Assistant Commissioner for the Australian Taxation Office Scott Parkinson, award winning journalist and Founder of the Genetic Literacy Project John Entine and President of Vessey & Co Jack Vessey, presented on topics of national and international importance over two days of insightful speaker sessions.
Footage from the 2016 speaker sessions will be made available on the AUSVEG website shortly.
AUSVEG would like to thank all participants in the events.

 

 

Aussie produce takes centre stage during Reverse Trade Mission

The 2016 Reverse Trade Mission (RTM) has been hailed as a tremendous success, with trade partnerships between foreign buyers from Asia and the Middle East and Australian vegetable producers already being established.
The RTM, which ran from 19-26 June, brought over 40 buyers from Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand to Australia to learn more about the Australian vegetable industry and meet with Australian vegetable growers interested in exporting their produce.
The itinerary for the delegation was jam packed, with buyers meeting leading producers and government trade officials in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, as well as visiting wholesale markets and growing operations. Buyers received a first-hand look at the high quality and innovative production methods within the Australian vegetable industry and were hugely impressed with our growers and their operations and the high quality of the food they produce.

The delegation also met with Australian vegetable growers during a Produce Display event held on the Gold Coast as part of the 2016 National Horticulture Convention.

The Reverse Trade Mission was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

 

 

Country of Origin Labelling update

The following is an update from the Country of Origin Food Labelling Taskforce.
A Country of Origin Labelling online tool for food has been launched. This tool is easy to use and will assist in choosing an appropriate label for a food product planning to be sold in Australia. The tool will help you determine if you need a label, and if you need a standard mark that features graphics as well as text. It will then find, customise and download an appropriate label for your food product. Once you’ve downloaded an appropriate label, you can then save it, and print or manipulate it before affixing it to your food product prior to sale.
A link to this online tool is available from www.business.gov.au/foodlabels.
The tool has been tested by internal and external stakeholders and any further suggestions you may have to improve it are welcome.
The Country of Origin Food Labelling Taskforce would also like to inform that section 22 of the Information Standard does not fully reflect the policy adopted by Australian governments for a very narrow range of foods – namely those made in a single overseas country with at least some Australian ingredients that were subsequently packed in Australia. A detailed notice is available here.
Please contact originlabelling@industry.gov.au for any further information about these or any Country of Origin Food Labelling reforms.

 

Soil Wealth Farm Walk on Thursday 7 July – Victoria

 

 

Bulmer Farms at Lindenow, near Bairnsdale, Victoria, is one of the Soil Wealth/Integrated Crop Protection demonstration sites aimed at helping growers enhance soil health and sustainability by improving production practices. The Lindenow site is focused on reduced tillage and the use of cover crops. The techniques aim to reduce the impact on the natural environment (especially relevant in the Lindenow Valley regarding the Gippsland Lakes) while improving profitability.

 

The Soil Wealth team is holding a farm walk on Thursday 7 July for growers and advisers. This farm walk follows on from last year’s event, and will be followed by a BBQ and a few drinks.
The flyer for the event can be found here.

 

Click here for more information or contact Stuart Grigg 0400 860 763. Please RSVP to stuart@sgaghortconsulting.com.au by Monday 4 July.

To find out more about the Soil Wealth project visit the website, or join the Community of Practice online. You can also follow the project on Twitter @SoilWealth.

The Soil Wealth project is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

 

 

Potato feature story: A new discovery in the fight against Late blight

A team of scientists in the United Kingdom has developed a new method to accelerate the isolation of potato Late blight resistance genes, which could ultimately improve potato yields, reduce the crop’s environmental impact and lower production costs.
Plant pathogens such as Late blight can evolve rapidly to overcome resistance genes. Professor Jonathan Jones and his colleagues from The Sainsbury Laboratory have pioneered the SMRT RenSeq technique, which they believe will significantly reduce the time it takes to define new resistance genes to Late blight.
SMRT RenSeq makes the process of finding, defining and introducing genetic resistance quicker and easier by combining two sequencing techniques: ‘RenSeq’ (Resistance gene ENrichment SEQuencing) and ‘SMRT’ (Single-Molecule Real Time sequencing).

The technique consists of two main steps:
1. A sub-set of DNA sequences are “captured” using a method that selects for long DNA molecules that carry a sequence that is commonly associated with resistance genes.
2. These DNA molecules are sequenced multiple times to make sure the code is determined as accurately as possible using the novel long-read SMRT technology.

This process results in a very reliable DNA sequence for each candidate resistance gene.
More information on the SMRT RenSeq technique can be found here.
This topic is covered in further detail in the June/July 2016 edition of Potatoes Australia.

This communication was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Potato Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

 

 

Aussie growers shown the way of the future at Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar

The 2016 Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar was held on Thursday 23 June at RACV Royal Pines, with attendees receiving updates on the latest innovations in global horticulture.
Speakers at the seminar included Emmy award-winning journalist and founder of the Genetic Literacy Project, Jon Entine, who spoke on the controversial topic of genetic modification in horticulture, and Dr Amos Albert, who spoke on robotic technology, saying that the future of robotics in agriculture will feature inter-connectivity and information sharing between on-farm machinery, leading to more informed and smarter farming.
Videos and presentations will be made available online in the coming weeks.

The 2016 Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

 

 

Practicalities for Exporting Vegetables Symposium gives growers ground rules for exporting

The 2016 Practicalities for Exporting Vegetables Symposium was held on Sunday 26 June following the National Horticulture Convention. Delegates who attended the Symposium were provided with a practical overview of the export process and insights into building their export capabilities.
The Symposium included experts from across the export supply chain, representatives from Austrade and the Australian Government, as well as vegetable growers sharing their experiences of the export process.
Video footage of all the presentations from the Symposium will be made available on the AUSVEG website shortly.

 

The 2016 Practicalities for Exporting Vegetables Symposium was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

 

 

Minor Use permits – extension

The following permit has been extended as Version 2 by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA):

Permit ID Description Date Issued Expiry Date Permit holder
PER13035
Version 2		 Clethodim (Select Herbicide) / Radish / Control of grasses including silver grass and winter grass 27-Sep-11 30-Sep-21 Growcom

All efforts have been made to provide the most current, complete and accurate information on permits. However, AUSVEG recommends that you confirm the details of any permits at the APVMA website.
Users are advised that while the pesticide can be applied legally under the APVMA minor use permit, there can be a significant delay until the maximum residue limit (MRL) gazetted by the APVMA is adopted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Until this occurs the MRL may not be recognised and a zero tolerance may be imposed for residues of the pesticide resulting from its use according to the APVMA permit.
Please be aware that in the absence of a MRL in the Food Standards Code, the use of the pesticide according to the permit may result in the suspension of the produce in the marketplace. Please check the FSANZ website or the Australian Government ComLaw website to confirm if there are MRL established by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Please consult APVMA documentation before applying any product to your crop. For more information contact the APVMA on (02) 6210 4701 or Growcom on (07) 3620 3880.
If an adverse experience occurs as a result of using the permit, please fill out a Non-Performance Reporting Form for Horticultural Pesticides and return to jodie.pedrana@horticulture.com.au. To download a Non-Performance Reporting Form for Horticultural Pesticides, please click here.
Minor use plays an integral role in the Australian vegetable industry. Please register your details on the Minor Use Database. For more information, please contact the AUSVEG Minor Use and Agronomy Coordinator Scott Kwasny on (03) 9882 0277 or email minoruse@ausveg.com.au.

The Minor Use and Awareness Program is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

 

 

AUSVEG in the media

Media from across the country provided extensive coverage of the 2016 National Horticulture Convention this week. In addition to the Convention, several AUSVEG-related activities also gained significant media traction.
The 2016 National Horticulture Convention hosted a live on-site broadcast of the ABC’s Queensland Country Hour on Friday 24 June, which featured many Convention speakers and leading growers. Broadcast and print media also covered most of the speaker sessions, seminars and the National Awards for Excellence.
Recipients of AUSVEG awards at the National Awards for Excellence were widely reported through various print and broadcast media, promoting the positive impact that the award winners have had on the Australian vegetable and potato industries.
Convention speakers were also featured on online and broadcast media. Martin Kneebone from Freshlogic discussed the latest trends in vegetable consumption, in particular the increased trend towards snacking food options, while Scott Parkinson from the Australian Taxation Office discussed “phoenix behaviour” of rogue labour hire companies.
The Reverse Trade Mission, which brought over 40 Asian and Middle Eastern buyers to the Gold Coast for one-on-one meetings with growers, was also featured in broadcast media, as was the 2016 Practicalities for Exporting Vegetables Symposium.

Communication of levy funded R&D activities is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy, National Potato Levy and funds from the Australian Government.