AUSVEG Weekly Update – 19 September 2017

In this edition

Workshop: TPP update and on-farm biosecurity (Forthside, TAS)
Grower case study: Stuart Jennings bringing Young Potato People together
Nielsen data highlight: New reports now available!
Resource: New events calendar for the Australian vegetable industry
Resource: New Hortlink updates on levy-funded activity
Farm walk: Low-cost protected cropping options (Griffith, NSW)
SPONSORED: Renewable deal cuts power prices in half
AUSVEG update: Board meeting held in Sydney
Workshop: Food waste and extrusion technology (Walpa, VIC)
Workshop: Agrichemical pest management – Leeks and celery (Clyde, VIC)
Industry update: ‘Taste Australia’ launched at Asia Fruit Logistica
Project update: 2017 Women’s Industry Leadership and Development Mission
Economic update: Veg-centric consumption and food innovation
Hort Connections 2018: QAAFI sign up as sponsors
Industry update: Submission to visa reform consultation
Award nominations: 2018 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
Award nominations: Shine Awards 2017
Industry update: Export legislation consultation
Survey: CSIRO food loss mapping investigation
Resource: FSANZ food safety newsletter
Industry update: Changes to the Seasonal Worker Program
Minor Use permits
Hort Innovation project opportunities
The week’s top stories
AUSVEG in the media

Vegetable feature article

Workshop: TPP update and on-farm biosecurity (Forthside, TAS)

As part of the VegNET program being delivered in Tasmania, a workshop is being held in Forthside to provide an update on tomato potato psyllid (TPP) and share information about on-farm biosecurity management and planning.

This event, which is part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, will include presentations from Andrew Bishop (Biosecurity Tasmania), Dr Jessica Lye (AUSVEG), Tania Jensen (DPIPWE) and Raylea Rowbottom (Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture).

Time/date: 2:00pm–4:30pm, Tuesday 3 October 2017
Location: Forthside Research Station, 124 Forthside Road, Forthside TAS

An event flyer is available here. For more information, or to register for the event, please click here. Interested growers can also contact VegNET Industry Development Officer Emma Egan on 0448 214 745 or at emmae@rmcg.com.au.

Potato feature article

Grower case study: Stuart Jennings bringing Young Potato People together

Thorpdale-based potato grower Stuart Jennings is working to bring the next generation of potato growers together – both to strengthen the industry into the future, and to support each other through the challenges and successes of potato growing.

Stuart says that when he attended a levy-funded study tour coordinated by AUSVEG to the World Potato Congress in 2012 (PT10702), it struck him that an ongoing forum for the growers to stay in touch, work together and bounce ideas off each other could help make a huge difference to the industry.

That’s why he founded the Young Potato People (YPP) networking group, an interactive online forum that uses Facebook and Twitter to help build better relationships and stronger communication lines between growers around the country. YPP also has a column in every edition of Potatoes Australia magazine, supported by ADAMA.

Stuart’s work on YPP was profiled in the 2016 edition of Grower Success Stories: Real results from the potato R&D levy. He was also recently profiled in The Weekly Times.

Nielsen data highlight: New reports now available!

Hort Innovation has engaged Nielsen to carry out consumer research to allow the Australian vegetable industry to better understand the shopping habits of Australians. The results of the commodity-specific data collected aim to assist growers to better understand consumer preferences and deliver products that best meet consumers’ needs.

Reports including data up to August 2017 are now available for levy-paying vegetable growers! These reports offer detailed, in-depth sales information about a range of vegetables, including Asian vegetables, beans, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, fresh salad, lettuce, pumpkin, sweet corn, sweetpotato, and zucchini.

Key highlights from these reports include:

NSW and Victorian buyers are the biggest eggplant purchasers by location; by demographic, the biggest buyers are senior couples and small households.
Asian vegetables are being purchased more frequently by adults under 35 years old without children, who are also picking up on average 160gm more per purchase than they were a year ago.
Fresh salad has gained +13% in sales volume and +12% in sales value. As a result of this fast growth, it has also gained 0.4% in value and volume share of the entire vegetable category. Established couples and bustling families are the heaviest buyers.
Sweet corn is purchased quite often by families with kids, who represent 41% of total consumption by volume.
Sweetpotato sales value (+11%) grew at more than five times the rate of sales volume (+2%). Household penetration for senior couples increased by 1.7pts vs last year, and this life stage now makes up 26% of volume, compared to 23% this time last year.

Nielsen Homescan electronically records 10,000 demographically and geographically representative Australian households’ purchases of all take-home grocery goods (fresh and packaged).

Growers interested in these reports can contact AUSVEG via e-mail by clicking here. Let us know which commodity reports you’d like from the list above (or if you’d simply like all the latest reports) and we’ll send them through!

Resource: New events calendar for the Australian vegetable industry

AUSVEG is proud to launch a new online calendar of events for the Australian vegetable and potato industries! This calendar brings together information on industry workshops, webinars, conferences, and any other event aimed at Australian vegetable and potato growers and other industry stakeholders.

You can filter the calendar by state/territory by using the highlighted categories, or search for key topics. Use the menu on the right of the page to switch between the whole-month view, looking at the list of events for a specific day, or simply seeing a list of all upcoming events.

For more information on any event in the calendar, click on the event’s name to go to its dedicated page. From here, you can click the export buttons to add the event directly to your computer or phone’s calendar!

This calendar will be updated regularly with new events, so be sure to keep an eye on it. If you have an event you want to see on the calendar, please e-mail AUSVEG at info@ausveg.com.au, or use the contact form on the AUSVEG website.

Resource: New Hortlink updates on levy-funded activity

Don’t miss the latest edition of Hort Innovation’s Hortlink, which provides an overview of all levy-funded activity in each levy industry, plus case studies, contacts and more. Each edition of Hortlink has details information for every Hort Innovation fund, including:

You can choose to browse the whole snapshot for any fund, or use the interactive project list to jump straight to the information you want. This edition of Hortlink also features new ‘ACT NOW’ tags to easily identify project resources and information that you can make use of straight away in your growing operations!

Stay in the loop with your levy by becoming a member of Hort Innovation, the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. Paying a levy doesn’t automatically make you a member, but signing up is free at the Hort Innovation website.

Projects profiled in Hortlink are funded by Hort Innovation using industry levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Farm walk: Low-cost protected cropping options (Griffith, NSW)

As part of the VegNET program, being delivered locally in New South Wales by Greater Sydney Local Land Services, growers have the opportunity to take part in a farm walk to see a demonstration of low-cost protected cropping options.

Attendees will hear from Adam Goldwater (Applied Horticultural Research) speaking about frost cloth, floating row covers and retractable roof structures.

Time/date: 10:00am–12:00noon, Tuesday 26 September 2017
Location: Troy and Jennifer Millard’s Farm, 86B Hawkins Road, Yoogali (via Griffith) NSW

This event is being delivered as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund. For more information, or to register for the event, please see the event website. Interested growers can also contact Adam Goldwater on 0466 080 693 or at adam.goldwater@ahr.com.au.

AUSVEG update: Board meeting held in Sydney

The AUSVEG Board held a successful meeting in Sydney last week, convening across 13–14 September to discuss a range of topics crucial to the future success of AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry. We’ve put together a summary of some of these discussions below.

New AUSVEG Director

AUSVEG is proud to announce that Northern Territory cucumber grower Michael Quach has been appointed as an AUSVEG Director. Michael brings years of growing experience, including being nominated for the 2015 ABC Rural Farmer of the Year award for his biosecurity efforts, and will represent Northern Territory growers on the Board. For more information on the entire AUSVEG Board, please see our website.

New AUSVEG strategy

The AUSVEG Board discussed the company’s strategy for the next three years. This strategy will guide AUSVEG’s future priorities and activities to ensure it is able to continue to provide high-quality representation and service provision to Australia’s vegetable and potato growers.

Hort Connections 2018 planning

Hort Connections 2018 continues to take shape, with the AUSVEG Board discussing a range of topics related to the event, including potential co-hosts and event partners. Keep an eye on the Weekly Update for more information as we get closer to the biggest event in Australian horticulture!

Workshop: Food waste and extrusion technology (Walpa, VIC)

Levy-funded project VG15076 Creating value from edible vegetable waste is developing new ways to improve recovery of edible material, with a focus on brassica vegetables and carrots. Concepts being explored include extracting ‘nutraceuticals’ from vegetable waste, processing edible waste into new ingredients and food products, and using fermentation.

The CSIRO researchers working on VG15076, which is a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, will be demonstrating extrusion technology in action at a workshop coordinated by VegNET East Gippsland.

Time/date: 10:45am–12:30pm, Thursday 21 September 2017
Location: Bonaccord office, 95 Bon Accord Lane, Walpa VIC

Levy-paying growers who are interested in attending this workshop can contact Shayne Hyman on 0417 330 081 or at shayne.hyman@eastgippslandfoodcluster.com.au.

Some of this content first appeared in Hort Innovation’s quarterly Hortlink publication, available in full here. Stay in the loop by becoming a member of Hort Innovation – paying a levy doesn’t automatically make you a member, but signing up is free and easy here.

Workshop: Agrichemical pest management – Leeks and celery (Clyde, VIC)

AUSVEG Agrichemical Pest Management Needs and Priorities Project Coordinator, Patrick Arratia, is working with growers and stakeholders in the Australian vegetable industry to establish a prioritisation process. This process will help develop an understanding of the Australian vegetable industry’s chemical needs, which will result in a greater ability to drive more crops onto on-label use rather than minor use permits.

If you grow leeks and celery in the Frankston, Clyde, Cranbourne or Mornington Peninsula regions, come along to a workshop to discuss and contribute to an effective pest and disease prioritisation process and understand more about the project.

Time/date: 2:00pm–4:00pm, Thursday 28 September 2017
Location: Schreurs & Sons (Boardroom), 150 Twyford Road, Clyde VIC

For more information, or to RSVP for the event, please contact Patrick at patrick.arratia@ausveg.com.au. This event is part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

Industry update: ‘Taste Australia’ launched at Asia Fruit Logistica

More than 200 Australian fruit, vegetable and nut producers and industry representatives visited Hong Kong to showcase their produce at Asia’s largest horticulture trade show, Asia Fruit Logistica, marking the beginning of a six-month tour across Asia and into the Middle East.

The group joined Hort Innovation in officially opening the new ‘Taste Australia’ pavilion, gaining exposure to 11,000 top trade decision-makers from 74 countries. For more information on the launch of ‘Taste Australia’, see the Hort Innovation media release.

AUSVEG coordinated a group of 11 growers to participate in the launch and undertake market visits, including to Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminal and Sea Port Container Terminal, to gain a better understanding of the supply chain in this key export market. This activity took place as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

Project update: 2017 Women’s Industry Leadership and Development Mission

The 2017 Women’s Industry Leadership and Development Mission has now concluded following a series of visits to vegetable industry locations in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. The delegation took part in the visits through a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, giving them first-hand encounters with how overseas industries are tackling some of the same challenges we face in Australia.

As part of the trip, the delegation visited Wing Kee (one of Hong Kong’s leading fresh produce importers), Ota Market (Tokyo’s largest wholesale market) and South Korea’s largest organic farm, along with a range of other industry sites. They also attended Asia Fruit Logistica, the number one exhibition for fresh fruit and vegetable marketing in Asia.

For some photos from the mission, check out AUSVEG’s Facebook post, or enjoy tweets from Tash Shields (Peninsula Fresh Organics), one of the mission delegates. AUSVEG will also be developing case studies on some of the attendees on this mission, as well as previous missions, to showcase their learnings from these levy-funded projects.

Economic update: Veg-centric consumption and food innovation

The versatility, taste and health attributes of vegetables are being leveraged in food innovation, leading to a new frontier of consumption opportunities.

Adaptable form: Versatility of form enables vegetable products to incorporate a novelty element, while also creating substitutes for carbs such as pasta. With 60 per cent of Mealpulse^TM food consumer panellists indicating that they like to try new food ideas, novelty can boost vegetable consumption among adults and children alike.

For example, the US-based brand Green Giant has expanded its line of vegetable substitutes with its ‘Frozen Veggie Spirals’ lines, including zucchini, pumpkin and carrot options. It also uses packaging that acts as a bowl, allowing other ingredients to be added and microwaved, reducing at-home preparation and limiting waste.

Following increasing demand for its fresh cut vegetable products, the UK supermarket Tesco has launched butternut squash stars and is expected to range smiley sweetpotato faces soon. These ‘fun’ products are designed to boost vegetable consumption in children, while also reducing at-home preparation. That these products are available fresh, not frozen, reflects growing demand for convenient vegetable products that are still in a more ‘natural’ state.

Enhancing flavour: US food manufacturer Garden Lites is introducing a range of products that include vegetables – for example, chocolate muffins that derive moisture from zucchini and sweetness from carrots, as well as waffles that use pumpkin and carrots for colour and sweetness. Clean labelling trends have been a key enabler of this type of innovation, as food manufacturers look for versatile ingredients that enhance nutrition while appealing to consumers as a label item.

Known nutrition: Vegetables are increasingly being incorporated into sweet and dairy categories. This includes ice cream with cucumber, pumpkin and sweet corn; cereal with sweetpotato or dried zucchini; and yoghurts with beetroot and celery.

As consumers look towards their food to enhance their overall health, they are welcoming products that enable increased consumption without significant changes to their habits. Vegetables are not only being extended into new categories and consumption occasions, but also into new product formats that increase crop utilisation. These are both positive signals for vegetable growers.

This article was provided by Freshlogic as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

Hort Connections 2018: QAAFI sign up as sponsors

AUSVEG is pleased to announce that the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) has come on board as a sponsor for Hort Connections 2018, supporting the pre-Gala Dinner drinks reception!

QAAFI is a world-leading research institute, and among only a handful of similar organisations anywhere in the world. Formed from the combined expertise of researchers from The University of Queensland and the Queensland Government, QAAFI is comprised of three inter-related research centres, with a focus on the challenges facing tropical and sub-tropical food and agribusiness sectors in the tropical and subtropical systems. For more information on QAAFI, please see its website.

AUSVEG will continue to provide updates on Hort Connections 2018 over the coming months as we work with PMA A-NZ to bring together the biggest event in Australian horticulture, so keep an eye on the Weekly Update!

Industry update: Submission to visa reform consultation

AUSVEG has made a joint submission to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s Visa Simplification Review, advocating for the interests of the Australian horticulture industry as the Australian government considers a range of reforms to the visa system, including a significant reduction in the number of visa types.

This submission was made in collaboration with the Victorian Farmers Federation, NSW Farmers Association, AUSVEG VIC, AUSVEG SA, vegetablesWA, Growcom, Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, and NT Farmers. It will soon be available on the DIBP website.

Award nominations: 2018 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award

The AgriFutures™ Rural Women’s Award is Australia’s leading award in acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural and regional businesses, industries and communities.

The 2017 AgriFutures™ Rural Women’s Award National Winner has now been announced, with Western Australia’s Tanya Dupagne being recognised for her work supporting women from regional Western Australia to develop their leadership skills and capacity. South Australia’s Simone Kain was named national runner-up for her successful stories and educational resources promoting life on the land. For more information on Tanya and Simone’s work, please see the AgriFutures media release.

Nominations are now open for the 2018 award! Bursaries of $10,000 are available in each state and territory of Australia to support emerging women leaders implement their vision, with a further $10,000 bursary awarded to the national award winner.

Award nominations: Shine Awards 2017

To recognise the cast of women working across rural and regional Australia, and show the value of their role in their communities and industries, The Weekly Times is running the Shine Awards – an initiative to shine a light on these great contributions.

On 22 November The Weekly Times will announce six winners, one for each of the following categories: Passion, Belief, Grace, Spirit, Dedication and Courage. Each will be awarded a $2,500 voucher from Harvey Norman. From these six, one will be named the Shine winner and awarded $5,000.

For more information on the Shine Awards, and to nominate someone for an award, please click here.

Industry update: Export legislation consultation

The Australian Government is now seeking feedback on proposed amendments to agricultural export legislation.

The amendments will consolidate the existing web of legislation into a single Export Control Bill and supporting Export Control Rules which will be more responsive to changes in market access requirements. These changes tie in with wider government initiatives to support a stronger agricultural sector, and are not expected to impact on existing business practices.

An exposure draft of the new Export Control Bill is now available for comment, and information sessions will be held across the country to discuss the proposed improvements. For more information, please visit the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website.

Survey: CSIRO food loss mapping investigation

CSIRO is currently investigating the development of products and ingredients from potentially lost produce and by-products obtained on-farm and during processing. As part of this work, it is seeking data from growers and other members of the supply chain across Australia to map the amounts of losses in specific locations across the supply chain network.

The food loss maps obtained from this exercise will be used to inform the creation of regional hubs for value-adding and to inform discussions with producer clusters and local and state governments willing to co-fund initiatives for value capture. In return, CSIRO will provide you with a diagnostic of your food loss status in comparison with the average benchmark nationally and state wide. If you’d like to contribute to CSIRO’s investigation, you can click here to take part in the survey.

Resource: FSANZ food safety newsletter

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has released its first national newsletter on food safety culture, available online.

This newsletter includes an introductory message from FSANZ CEO Mark Booth; a brief bio of guest expert Dr Lone Jespersen, founder and principal of Cultivate; and an article from Dr Andrew Wilson from Safe Food Production Queensland on international recognition of Australia’s efforts in food safety culture.

To read the newsletter, please click here.

Industry update: Changes to the Seasonal Worker Program

The Australian Government has announced changes to the Seasonal Worker Program intended to increase uptake of the program and make it easier to access for seasonal workers and employers.

These changes include piloting ways to lower upfront costs for employers and introducing a multi-year, multi-entry visa for seasonal workers.

For more information on the changes, please see the media statement released by Minister for Employment Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, or directly access the fact sheet released by the Department of Employment.

Minor use permits

Permit ID	Description	Dates in operation	Permit holder	States
PER13158 V9	Active: Dimethoate Crops: Specified citrus and tropical fruit commodities Pest: Various fruit fly species	06-Oct-2011 to 06-Mar-2019	Hort Innovation	NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC & WA

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.

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.

Hort Innovation project opportunities

Project code	Project title	Closing date
HN17001	Investigating the use of antimicrobial coatings in fresh produce quality and food safety chain	12am (Sydney time) Monday 30 October 2017
HN17000	Development of new nutrient-dense, value-added fruit and vegetable products	5pm (Sydney time) Monday 13 November 2017

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.

The week’s top stories

Too few women claim ownership of ‘farmer’ label, says NFF president (Alexandra Laskie, The Weekly Times)
CGMMV still under watch in Queensland (Samantha Walton, Good Fruit & Vegetables)
Spring seasonal conditions: Feast or famine for southeast Australian farmers (James Wagstaff, The Weekly Times)
It’s getting serious: Lack of rain hurting our farmers (Daily Liberal)
Murray Darling Four Corners allegations expose all irrigators (Mike Foley, Queensland Country Life)
Alleged illegal foreign workers arrested on Bullsbrook strawberry farm after Border Force raid (Grant Taylor, The West Australian)
Farming with a disability all in a day’s work for Lockyer Valley vegetable grower (Jodie Gunders, ABC Rural)
Fruit tattoos set to replace stickers and plastic packaging as growers seek labelling alternatives (Renee Cluff, ABC Rural)
Winter’s chill can turn into a killer for rhubarb crops (Gus McCubbing, The Weekly Times)
Vegetable could be healthy “spag bog” alternative (Ashley Walmsley, Good Fruit & Vegetables)

AUSVEG in the media

AUSVEG National Manager – Communications Shaun Lindhe appeared on radio this week discussing the transition to management phase by the National Management Group for tomato potato psyllid. Mr Lindhe also discussed the appointment of a dedicated TPP Coordinator as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Fresh Potato, Potato Processing and Vegetable Funds. To read AUSVEG’s full media statement, please click here.