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Potatoes Australia August/September 2016
It was wonderful to see more
than 1,500 delegates from
Australia and around the world
make their way to the Gold
Coast for the 2016 National
Horticulture Convention,
marking the highest number
of attendees to date. Held
from 23-25 June at RACV
Royal Pines, this year’s
Convention surpassed all
expectations and was deemed
to be a great success.
For the first time, AUSVEG
joined forces not only with Apple
and Pear Australia Limited, but
also with the Central Markets
Association of Australia in
partnership with Fresh Markets
Australia, Growcom, Australian
Organic, Persimmons Australia
and Onions Australia to co-host
what was a truly united event
for the Australian horticulture
industry and its members.
I would like to take this
opportunity to thank our
National Horticulture Convention
co-hosts, strategic partners,
delegates, exhibitors and
speakers for their contribution to
the overall success of the event.
A range of networking events
were also organised throughout
the Convention, culminating
in the National Awards for
Excellence Gala Dinner, where
the vegetable, potato, apple and
pear industries came together
to recognise the best of the best.
There are many hard-working
growers and industry members
who contribute greatly to the
development of the Australian
horticulture industry, and this
year, AUSVEG recognised
a former colleague of mine
who has given his absolute
dedication to advancing the
Australian vegetable and
potato industries.
Many of you may remember
Wayne Cornish, a former potato
grower from South Australia,
who was the deserving winner
We are extremely lucky that
Australia is home to some of the
best and brightest researchers
and scientists in agriculture.
These individuals play an
essential role in ensuring that
the Australian potato industry is
on the front foot of cutting-edge
R&D that will not only protect
our growing operations from
destructive pests and diseases,
but ensure they continue to
thrive into the future.
This is particularly evident at
the AgriBio facility located at
La Trobe University’s Bundoora
campus in Victoria. Opened in
2013, this state of the art facility
is a central meeting
point for R&D in the
agricultural biosciences
sector. It provides around 400
scientists with purpose-built
facilities to conduct their work,
which ranges from DNA
sequencing to plant and pest
research. Importantly, these
researchers also mentor
students who are studying
PhDs or Masters degrees,
paving the way for the next
generation of potato researchers
to enter our industry.
The Microbiology team is
led by Dr Brendan Rodoni and
Dr Fiona Constable, who are
working directly with potato
growers to develop industry
research further. This ‘on the
ground’ feedback gives the
team some guidance in terms
of the most important areas of
research to pursue.
This is undoubtedly a very
exciting space in the R&D
sphere and I would like to
thank both Dr Rodoni and
Dr Constable for allowing the
team at
Potatoes Australia
to tour the facility. I can also
assure readers that we will
be keeping an eye on future
developments at AgriBio.
Meanwhile, it was a pleasure
to attend yet another successful
of this year’s AUSVEG Lifetime
Achievement Award.
One of Wayne’s notable
accomplishments was his work
in introducing the research and
development levy for potato
growers in the lead-up to a vote,
which eventuated positively
as the National Potato Levies.
Wayne was also involved in
the creation of AUSVEG as we
know it today, becoming one of
the Founding Directors of the
company and later becoming
the President of the South
Australian Farmers Federation.
His commitment to the industry
also extended to a national
level, as he took on the role of
Vice President of the National
Farmers Federation.
We tell Wayne’s story in this
edition of
Potatoes Australia
and look back on his many
contributions to the industry,
including how he helped to
establish the name ‘AUSVEG’.
It is clear that without people
like Wayne, AUSVEG and the
broader industry would not be
as successful as they are today.
I was very pleased to
present this prestigious
award to Wayne at the National
Awards for Excellence on
the Gold Coast in June and
thank him for his selfless
contribution to the Australian
vegetable and potato industries
over many years.
2016 National Horticulture
Convention in June. A record
1,500-plus delegates converged
on RACV Royal Pines on the
Gold Coast and were drawn
to a number of insightful and
engaging speaker sessions
throughout the event.
In addition to the speaker
sessions, the 2016 Trade Show
also proved to be incredibly
popular among delegates and
industry organisations. With over
100 booths to explore, it was
great to see so many creative
displays featuring products and
services for the horticulture
industry. The information and
networking presented during the
Trade Show will no doubt benefit
industry leaders, growers and
businesses long after the event
has concluded.
Finally, we welcome two new
columns to
Potatoes Australia
,
dedicated to the processing and
certified seed potato sectors of
the industry. Both columns will
deliver a wider perspective of
the potato industry, providing
growers with practical and timely
advice to ensure they are fully
prepared to tackle the next
season efficiently and profitably.
In this edition, the Potato
Processors Association of
Australia and ViCSPA have
shared their expertise in their
respective industries and we
look forward to communicating
their R&D news with our readers
in future editions.
Geoff Moar
Chairman
AUSVEG
Simon Bolles
AUSVEG Interim CEO
Geoff Moar
AUSVEG Chairman
Simon Bolles
Interim Chief Executive Officer
AUSVEG
AUSVEG Chairman and Interim CEO messages