AUSVEG Weekly Update – 22 August 2017

Vegetable Feature Article

Spray application workshops – NSW

Two spray application farm walks will be held in New South Wales by Syngenta and the VegNET project, which is being delivered locally by Greater Sydney Local Land Services as part of a strategic levy investment project under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

The farm walks will provide the latest advice on spray equipment and chemical application to get the most out of your chemicals, including information on nozzle types and calibrating spray technologies, and will also provide demonstrations of spray application equipment and black light technology.

Richmond
Time/date: 4:30pm – 6:30pm, Wednesday 30 August 2017
Location: Greater Sydney Demonstration Farm, Gate 6 Southee Road, Richmond NSW
For further information, see the event flyer. To RSVP, click here or contact Renee Pearson on 02 4724 2121.

Rossmore
Time/date: 4:30pm – 6:30pm, Thursday 31 August 2017
Location: Joe & Joumana Boustani’s farm, 55 Herley Avenue, Rossmore NSW
For further information, see the event flyer. To RSVP, click here, or contact Renee Pearson on 02 4724 2121 or Nicolas Srour from T&W Greenhouse on 0410 228 722.

The farm walks will be presented by Scott Mathew and Emma McClelland, from Syngenta Australia. For further information on either farm walk, please contact Matt Plunkett on 0428 978 390 or at veg.network@lls.nsw.gov.au.

Potato Feature Article

Promoting beetle cannibalism to protect potato crops

The Colorado potato beetle is the most important insect defoliator of potato in the United States, with both adults and larvae feeding on potato leaves. If left uncontrolled, the pest can completely destroy potato crops; however, the beetle is also very adaptable to insecticides and can develop resistance to a range of crop protection products.

Dr Andrei Alyokhin, Entomologist and Director of the School of Biology and Ecology at the University of Maine, has been studying the beetle and potential options to help control the pest alongside his team.

While working on this project, a graduate student noticed that adult beetles kept in confined places and faced with starvation ate each other once in a while. In additional experiments, the team discovered that even when presented with other adult beetles or mealworms, the otherwise-herbivorous beetles preferred to eat their own species. 

Dr Alyohkin stresses that this is not the answer to controlling this destructive pest; however, it may increase mortality in beetle populations that are deprived of food and water.

For a full article on cannibalism in Colorado potato beetle, including an interview with Dr Alyohkin, read the latest edition of Potatoes Australia magazine. This edition, and all other editions of the magazine, are available on the AUSVEG website.

To subscribe to receiving hard copies of the magazine, please contact AUSVEG at communications@ausveg.com.au.

Pest and disease surveillance strategy workshops – QLD and NT

Two half-day workshops are being coordinated in North Queensland and the Northern Territory to discuss new surveillance strategies for wind dispersal pests and diseases.

These workshops will discuss the potential for pests and diseases to enter these regions by long distance wind dispersal, largely focusing on sugarcane. They will also cover new strategies for Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) surveillance activities, molecular tools for pest identification, and the National Plant Pest Surveillance Network.

Speakers at the workshops will include:

• Callum Fletcher (AUSVEG)
• John Weiss (Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR))
• Kyla Finlay (DEDJTR)
• Mark Blackett (DEDJTR)
• Les Zeller (University Southern Queensland)

Cairns, QLD
Time/date: 9:30am – 1:30pm, Thursday 24 August 2017
Location: NAQS, DAWR, Building 114, Catalina Crescent, Airport Business Park, Cairns Airport, Cairns QLD

Berrimah, NT
Time/date: 9:30am – 1:30pm, Tuesday 29 August 2017
Location: Larrakia Conference Room (DPIR), Ground Floor, John England Building, Berrimah Farm, Makagon Road, Berrimah NT

For more information on these workshops, please see the latest edition of the AUSVEG biosecurity bulletin The Front Line. To RSVP to either event, please contact Kyla Finlay at kyla.finlay@ecodev.vic.gov.au.

Salad grower Andrew Bulmer wins 2017 Australian Farmer of the Year

Lindenow grower Andrew Bulmer has won the 2017 Kondinin Group and ABC Rural Australian Farmer of the Year award for his business prowess and innovative approach to farming. To read the ABC’s article on his win, please click here.

Andrew has been a leader in both the Victorian and national vegetable industries for many years, including by taking part in efforts to attract younger generations to horticulture, hosting soil health field trials, and being a driving force behind the East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days.

Andrew has previously received the 2011 AUSVEG Young Grower of the Year Award and the 2016 AUSVEG VIC Grower of the Year Award. AUSVEG would like to congratulate Andrew on his award. To read AUSVEG’s full statement congratulating Andrew on his win and discussing his active participation in many initiatives helping the Australian vegetable industry, click here. 

To read a media release from the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, which includes comments from Andrew about innovative technologies that have helped his business, please click here.

New Nielsen reports 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.

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

A fresh batch of reports using this data is now available for levy-paying vegetable growers! Specific commodity information is available for a number of vegetables, including Asian vegetables, beans, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, fresh salad, lettuce, pumpkin, sweet corn, sweetpotato, and zucchini.

Key highlights from these reports include a growth in total value for vegetables. The fastest value growth is present in cucumbers, zucchinis and cabbage, which is largely driven by higher spending/prices, as the total quantities purchased have actually reduced. However, there has been consistent value and volume growth in fresh salads, sweetpotato, cauliflower and Asian vegetables. 
 
Growers interested in these reports can contact AUSVEG via e-mail at info@ausveg.com.au.

Plant Health Australia opens applications for non-executive Directors

Plant Health Australia Limited (PHA) is inviting applications from persons wishing to be considered for appointment as non-executive Directors of the company.

PHA is a not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee and is the lead national coordinating body for plant biosecurity. The Company was formed in 2000 to facilitate and manage improvements in biosecurity policy and practice and to build capacity to respond to plant pest emergencies.

Due to rotation, four paid Director positions are to be filled. As well as previous board experience and AICD qualifications, applicants will require a combination of expertise and experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Plant industry production, industry operations and marketing as it relates to Australian plant biosecurity
• Plant health policy and government policy processes, plant health management and international trends in plant health practices
• Strategic planning, business and financial management and economics
• Corporate leadership

Applications close 8 September 2017. For more information, please see the PHA website.

Webinar recording: Asia Fruit Logistica

Earlier this month, Austrade and Hort Innovation held a webinar briefing for members of the Australian horticulture industry interested in exporting to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The recording of this webinar is now available.

As well as talking about the Austrade support for attendees at Asia Fruit Logistica 2017, the briefing included an overview of the food service sector in Hong Kong and the fruit and vegetable markets in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, discussing major trends, consumer patterns, competition, opportunities, challenges and cultural tips for Australian exporters seeking to export their products to these markets. 

Hort Innovation also spoke on the horticulture brand refresh, including the recently launched ‘Taste Australia’ initiative – the biggest trade push in Australian horticulture history. 

Panelists for the briefing included:

• Jenny Van de Meeberg (Senior Trade Advisor – Food and Agribusiness, Austrade)
• Wilson Tang (Senior Business Development Manager, Austrade)
• Kiyoko Ozawa (Senior Business Development Manager, Austrade)
• Monica Lee (Business Development Manager, Austrade)
• Jennifer Chen (Business Development Manager, Austrade)
• Sam Lawrence (Trade Manager, Hort Innovation)

To watch a recording of this webinar briefing, please click here.

Webinar: Green peach aphid resistance management with Dr Siobhan de Little – THIS THURSDAY

Green peach aphids (GPA) are an important pest of vegetables, causing damage by feeding and transmitting viruses.

High levels of resistance to carbamates, pyrethroids and organophosphates are found across Australia. Low levels of resistance to neonicotinoids have also been observed in some GPA populations.

This webinar will outline a strategy to manage insecticide resistance in GPA populations for vegetable growers, which involves rotating different chemical groups, and using alternative (IPM) methods to reduce pest and virus loads.

Join the ICP project team and guest presenter Dr Siobhan de Little from cesar Australia for this interactive session.

Date: Thursday 24 August 2017
Time: 12:30-1:30pm (AEST)

Click here to register for the webinar.

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.

Automation Skills Project Reference Group – Consultation Survey

Skills Impact has been funded by the Australian Government to undertake a cross-sectoral project that will review current and emerging developments in automated processes. The project will examine the workforce skilling implications and identify related skills needs shared by multiple industry sectors in relation to the use of robotics, drones and remote operation systems.
 
The purpose of the project is to develop a Case for Change recommending training package developments and modifications to address the identified cross-industry skill requirements. Input from a wide range of industries and stakeholders will be essential to identify future skill needs and inform the Case for Change.
 
As part of its ongoing consultation for the project, Skills Impact is conducting a survey of industry stakeholders. This survey will form part of the research and stakeholder consultation on the workforce skilling implications of automation across industry to inform a case for change for training package developments and modifications.
 
The online survey should take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
 
Those interested on providing feedback to Skills Impact can access the survey here.
 
More information on the Automation Skills Project can be found here.

Nufarm facility tour – Laverton, VIC

Nufarm was established in Melbourne in the mid 1950s. Founder Max Fremder began selling phenoxy herbicides to professional spray applicators in regional Victoria and the company has since grown to be the largest manufacturer of crop protection products in Australia.

Join this VegNET behind-the-scenes tour of the Nufarm facility in Laverton North, free for levy payers, to learn about the philosophy of the company and look at the on-site production, dispatch and marketing of agricultural chemicals.

Time/date: 2:00pm – 4:00pm, Wednesday 30 August 2017
Location: Nufarm, 103 Pipe Road, Laverton North VIC

For more information on this tour, which is part of the strategic levy investment VegNET project under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, please click here to read the event flyer. To register for this event, please contact Clinton Muller (RMCG) on 0498 192 596 or at clintonm@rmcg.com.au.

ADDRESS UPDATE: Farm biosecurity planning workshop – CLYDE, VIC

As part of the VegNET program being delivered in the northern, western and south-eastern regions of Victoria, RMCG is hosting a workshop on Farm Biosecurity Planning – The what, the why and the how. Taking a ground-up approach to assessing on-farm biosecurity management planning, this hands-on workshop will provide participants with the latest industry updates in biosecurity management, as well as supporting the development of an on-farm biosecurity management plan.

Topics and speakers will include:

• US Plant Biosecurity Study Tour shared lessons – Dr Jessica Lye (AUSVEG)
• LAMP Soil Analysis – undertaking leaf or soil pathogen diagnostic using portable PCR – Dr Brendan Rodoni (Agriculture Victoria)
• Developing an on-farm biosecurity management plan – Dr Jessica Lye (AUSVEG)

Time/date: 12:30pm – 4:30pm, Thursday 7 September 2017
Location: Schreurs & Sons, 150 Twyford Road, Clyde VIC (please note an update in address from last week)

For more information on this workshop, which is part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, please click here to read the event flyer. To RSVP to the event, please contact Clinton Muller (RMCG) on 0498 192 596 or at clintonm@rmcg.com.au.
 

Export opportunities for Australian vegetable growers: A report by Emma Germano, Nuffield Scholar

Nuffield Scholar for the vegetable industry Emma Germano has released her report on the findings from her scholarship.

Travelling across Europe, the Middle East, North America and the Asia-Pacific as part of her scholarship, Emma examined competitor supply chains and product trends, as well as assessing export opportunities for the Australian vegetable industry.

Her final report, Growing the Pie: Export opportunities for Australian vegetable growers, provides a range of recommendations on how Australian producers can ‘grow the pie’ by examining the intricacies of overseas production and how to better leverage competitive advantages.

To read Emma’s final report, please click here. To read more about Emma, please click here.

One day Workplace Essentials Workshop for busy agribusiness owners, managers and supervisors
 

Take the time off your business to work on your business and book now to attend this one day workshop developed by industry and funded by the Queensland Government to help boost your farm business’ health, safety and people management skills.

Feedback from the successful 2016 / 2017 workshops, which focused on IR compliance, indicated that farm employers wanted the next series to focus on workplace health and safety and supervisory skills. A short course has been developed that will enable you and your frontline staff to have a much clearer understanding of the latest workplace health and safety and industrial relations regulations, job safety assessments, incident reporting, supervisor responsibilities, performance management, and how to managing bullying and conflict constructively.
 
Workshops are being held in 17 different locations across the state and producers from all agriculture sectors are invited to attend.
 
Registrations now open
For catering purposes reservations are essential. For more information about what topics this series will cover, or to register please click here.

New online food labelling information hub

The New South Wales Food Authority has developed an online food labelling hub, providing information for consumers and food businesses from how to read labels to understanding what information companies are required to provide.

Growers and other industry members who are responsible for labelling their food products are encouraged to visit the hub – in particular, the sections on food production and on food labelling laws.

To access the full food labelling hub, please click here.

North Asia free trade agreement training sessions – VIC

Over the coming months, a range of training sessions are being coordinated in Victoria to cover various topics linked to the free trade agreements (FTAs) Australia has signed with North Asian nations, including China (ChAFTA), Japan (JAEPA) and Korea (KAFTA). 

These training sessions will be held around Victoria, including in Warrnambool, Melbourne, Bendigo, Geelong, Ballarat, Mildura and Dandenong. They will primarily focus on cultural awareness and understanding cultural differences, which may affect relationships between Australian exporters and buyers from these North Asian nations. 

For a full list of upcoming training sessions and their topics, please visit the Austrade website.

CSIRO essay: The Future of Food

CSIRO Agriculture and Food has launched a new series of essays discussing the Australian agriculture industry and what lies ahead for the industry.

In the first essay in the series, The Future of Food, Professor Martin Cole and Professor Manny Noakes break down the three major drivers of food and agribusiness innovation industries: the global push towards sustainability, consumer demand for food as the key to health and wellbeing, and consumer desire for premium food products.

Finally, the authors discuss how Australia’s food and agribusiness sector can exploit these market opportunities. 

To read the full essay, click here. 

Hort Innovation project opportunities

Project code	Project title	Closing date
VG17002	Foodservice education around vegetable usage in older adult populations	5pm (Sydney time) Thursday 31 August 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

• Market report: Horticulture (Shannon Twomey, The Weekly Times)
• Potato growers spit chips at Galati fight payout (Jenne Brammer, The West Australian)
• APVMA boss orders review into chemical regulator’s performance slump (Cath McAloon, ABC Rural)
• Barnaby Joyce insists he’ll stay on in Cabinet despite citizenship saga (Natalie Kotsios, The Weekly Times)
• Farm safety: OH&S in agriculture a superannuation turn-off (Emma Field, The Weekly Times)
• Food safety culture starts with the boss (Ashley Walmsley, Good Fruit & Vegetables)
• Financial and social benefits flow for farmers trialling automated irrigation (Tom Major, ABC Rural)
• Embattled WA potato growers eye Egypt as potential new market after TPP hardship (Tyne Logan, WA Country Hour)
• Women prefer the smell of men who eat fruit and vegetables (Sarah Berry, The Sydney Morning Herald)

AUSVEG in the media

AUSVEG National Manager – Public Affairs Jordan Brooke-Barnett appeared on radio this week welcoming legislation and amendments to strengthen Australia’s competition law, including changes which will provide greater ability for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to take action against misuses of market power.