New edition of Vegetables Australia now online!

The July/August edition of Vegetables Australia magazine is now available!

In this issue, we profile 2017 Grower of the Year award winner Anthony Staatz, 2017 Women in Horticulture award winner Lisa Brassington and young grower Earl Yandall.

The edition also features an overview of Hort Connections 2017, the pumpkin edition of Veggie Stats and a look at the recent Reverse Trade Mission.

To read the issue online, please click here. To subscribe to receive hard copies of the magazine, please email communications@ausveg.com.au.

Seed potato certification update from ViCSPA

ViCSPA is the seed certification authority in Victoria, South Australia and northern New South Wales, providing accreditation for all mini-tuber production and laboratory facilities in Australia. In the latest Potatoes Australia magazine, Dr Nigel Crump provides an update on ViCSPA and the seed potato industry.

Checking seed
When receiving certified seed, the buyer should immediately assess a sample of the seed to make sure that it meets their quality conditions and expectations. Any issues or concerns should be reported to the seed supplier and/or the seed certification authority.

Tracking information
The traceability of certified seed stocks is of critical importance. To assist with traceability, ViCSPA has developed the CERTMASTER database, which tracks and stores information for all seed plots, generations and varieties. The database manages all the certification labels, providing unique reference numbering and Quick Response (QR) codes.

Staff training
ViCSPA staff perform seed certification and auditing activities to a high standard, and their attention to detail and experience make them highly regarded and valuable to the industry. The organisation conducts internal training of all seed certification officers in Australia and a training program will be offered in 2017-18 (details will be available soon).

For a more detailed look into ViCSPA processes, please see page 34 of the latest Potatoes Australia magazine.

New economic data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released new datasets covering agricultural production in 2015-16, including information on the vegetable industry and economic data for key vegetable crops.

These datasets are available to the public online:

AUSVEG will provide detailed analyses using this data in upcoming Veggie Stats snapshots and in other economic activities for the Australian vegetable industry.

New R&D reports available on InfoVeg

InfoVeg is a comprehensive database that has been designed to bridge the gap between researchers and growers. It acts as a resource for growers to easily access technical information and research funded by strategic investment of the vegetable and potato research and development levies.

The following reports have been published recently on the InfoVeg database:

  • VG16031 – VegWHS Training Resources
  • VG13097 – Vegetable Industry Market Access and Development Program

Please click here to access the InfoVeg database.

The InfoVeg database is funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable and fresh potato research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

VegPRO training – Last chance to register!

Registrations for VegPRO’s Negotiations + Influencing Course close on Friday 21 July.

The course is ideal for those who deal with staff, suppliers, transport companies, wholesalers and supermarkets, and will assist participants in improving the outcomes of discussions and meetings, leading to a greater confidence in everyday business dealings. This course is not limited to numbers per business and is free for levy payers and industry members.

To register for the event, please click here.

Webinar – Precision agriculture technology in vegetable production systems

VegNET will run a webinar on precision agriculture on Wednesday 2 August 2017.

Precision agriculture uses a combination of new technology and existing agronomic knowledge to maximise farm efficiency. This webinar will explore current and future precision agriculture technology in the horticulture sector, and how these relate to vegetable production systems.

The webinar will run from 12:30pm – 1:30pm AEST. To register, please click here.

AUSVEG seeking National Tomato Potato Psyllid Program Coordinator

AUSVEG is seeking a coordinator of the National Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) Program (MT16018), for the potato, nursery, vegetable and processing tomato industries.

The primary function of the role will be ensuring that research, development and extension and management efforts across the various industries and jurisdictions affected by TPP are coordinated, prioritised and strategic.

For a full position description, please email employment@ausveg.com.au. For more information, please see the job advertisement.

Applications close COB Friday 21 July.

MT16018 is funded by Hort Innovation using the potato, nursery, vegetable and processing tomato industries’ research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

National Farm Safety Week

National Farm Safety Week is held each year to raise awareness of farm safety issues across Australia. This year’s event will run from 17-21 July, with the theme Creating a resilient, safe and healthy ag community.

This week is a great opportunity for growers to assess and address potential safety risks on their farms, and to ensure a safe working environment is maintained.

On-farm safety resources have been developed for the vegetable industry in the strategic levy investment project Develop vegetable industry occupational health and safety resources (VG13053) as part of the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund. For more information on this strategic levy investment, click here.

To find out more about National Farm Safety Week, please see the Farmsafe website.

Use a partial budget to assess practice change on vegetable farms

Will a potential change to soil management increase profit? How do we assess whether a change we’ve already made was profitable?

One way to answer these questions is to use a ‘partial budget’. A partial budget assesses:

  • additional revenue and reduced revenue; and
  • additional costs and reduced costs

to work out the net change in profit. A partial budget only includes items that change.

Download this fact sheet and use the spreadsheet to learn more.

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

Soilborne Disease Masterclass Tasmania

The team delivering projects VG15010 and 15009 are pleased to present the third Master Class on soilborne disease management in Tasmania.

This two-day Master Class will explore the latest biological, cultural and chemical options for managing soilborne disease in vegetable crops and, most importantly, provide tools for implementing these options within a risk-based approach on-farm.

Watch the video to hear vegetable growers and advisors from the 2015 Master Class discuss how they have changed the way they manage soilborne diseases and influenced their business.

The Master Class will be held on 30 and 31 August in Tasmania at the Devonport Convention Centre.

With only 30 places available, please register your interest early with Sandra Marques on 02 8627 1040 or at sandra.marques@ahr.com.au.

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

Veg Trace Australia – A Growing Leaders project

The Growing Leaders program of 2017 engages 18 developing leaders from throughout different components of the Australian vegetable industry. As part of the program, the group is working on a series of projects they believe in, based on a broader vision and mission for the industry.

One project, Veg Trace Australia, aims to give retailers and consumers the ability to trace their vegetable purchases so they can better understand the quality of the Australian horticulture industry.

The group hopes that in the future, retailers and consumers will be able to trace a range of information about the origins of their vegetable purchases, including broad information about the grower and specific information directly related to their purchase.

By creating this technology, the group hopes to create further exposure around the quality of Australian produce and lift the demand for Australian vegetables to increase export opportunities for Australian growers.

For more information, please contact the participants working on this project: Andrew Moore, Darren Wood, Sina Niakansafy, Jamie Alabakis and Kim Phan.

Wind-dispersed pests and diseases surveillance workshop

A surveillance workshop looking at wind-dispersed pests and diseases will run on Thursday 24 August in Cairns.

The workshop will look at the potential for pests and diseases to enter North Queensland by long distance wind dispersal, strategies to trap pests and tools for identifying exotic pests and diseases.

Date/time: Thursday 24 August, 9:30am-1:30pm
Location: NAQS, DAWR, Building 114, Catalina Crescent, Airport Business Park, Cairns Airport, Cairns, QLD

Please RSVP to kyla.finlay@ecodev.vic.gov.au. For more information, please see the flyer.

Queensland Farmers’ Federation biosecurity survey

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has released a short survey to help better understand the biosecurity needs and concerns of Queensland’s growers.

The short survey (around five minutes) will enable the QFF to continue to advocate and represent on behalf of the state’s farmers.

For more information, please click here. To complete the survey, please click here.

Current project opportunities with Hort Innovation

Hort Innovation advertises opportunities to become a delivery partner on research, development and marketing projects for Australian horticulture on its website and on tenders.net.

Join Hort Innovation’s delivery partner mailing list to receive email notifications of new opportunities by registering through its delivery partner registration form.

The relevant documentation for each opportunity is available on tenders.net. To access this information, you will need to become a member by registering on the tenders.net registration page.

Please find below a table of current project opportunities directly relevant to the Australian vegetable and potato industries. For more details on any of the projects, or for information on other project opportunities across horticulture, please visit tenders.net.

Request for proposal Vegetable business benchmarking 5pm (Sydney time)
Thursday 3 August 2017
Request for proposal Foodservice education around vegetable usage in older adult populations 5pm (Sydney time)
Wednesday 16 August 2017
Request for proposal Australia Fresh Collaborative Market Development Program 5pm (Sydney time)
Friday 26 April 2019
Request for proposal Asian market intelligence & data insights 5pm (Sydney time)
Tuesday 30 July 2019

 

Communication of levy-funded R&D is funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable and potato research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

New Minor Use permits

Permit ID Description Date Issued Expiry Date Permit Holder States
PER82904 Actives: Fenhexamid
Crop: Snowpeas and sugar snap peas
Disease: Grey mould and chocolate spot		 11-Jul-2017 30-Jun-2022 Hort Innovation All states except VIC
PER82136 Actives: Difenoconazole
Crop: Brassica leafy vegetables
Disease: Ring spot		 13-Jul-2017 30-Sep-2020 Hort Innovation All states except VIC

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 MRLs 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.

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.

AUSVEG in the media

AUSVEG National Manager – Public Affairs Jordan Brooke-Barnett appeared on radio this week discussing the ongoing issues with labour hire across multiple industries. Mr Brooke-Barnett noted that there needs to be a national approach to the issue, and said that AUSVEG is working with the National Farmers Federation on a national labour hire scheme.