In this edition

  • Trade mission: World of Perishables Dubai – Applications open!
  • Potato grower case study: Nathan Daly finds inspiration overseas
  • Survey: 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture feedback form
  • Industry update: Woolworths comes on board as AUSVEG Strategic Partner
  • Industry update: National Nutrition Week kicks off
  • Industry program: Energy efficiency assessment (VIC)
  • Webinar: Pesticides and insect pest control in vegetables
  • Economic update: The importance of fresh vegetables in retail
  • Scholarship opportunities: Women in horticulture and Masterclass in Horticultural Business
  • Resource: ACCC launches online tool for anonymous complaints
  • Survey: On-farm energy usage survey from Agriculture Victoria
  • Industry update: Organic grower Nathan Free wins Emerging Leader award
  • Award nominations: 2018 Farm Biosecurity Producer of the Year
  • Board nominations: Fresh Produce Safety Centre
  • Resource: Australian Food and Grocery Council State of the Industry 2017
  • Grant opportunity: Smart Farms Program Landcare grants
  • Minor Use permits
  • Hort Innovation project opportunities
  • The week’s top stories
  • AUSVEG in the media

Vegetable feature article

Trade mission: World of Perishables Dubai – Applications open!

Exporting vegetable growers are invited to apply to attend the premier fresh produce tradeshow in the Middle East, World of Perishables Dubai.

Date: 5–7 December 2017
Location: Dubai World Trade Centre

About this trade mission

The UAE and Middle Eastern markets are characterised by high disposable incomes and high import reliance. This provides an opportunity for Australian vegetable growers to build on the success of existing fresh produce trade into the UAE and various Middle Eastern markets.

The anticipated travel dates for successful participants will be 1–8 December 2017 and the program will involve the following opportunities:

  • Exhibit and showcase your products at World of Perishables to fresh produce buyers from the Middle East region
  • Participate in an in-market study tour to Kuwait directly prior to World of Perishables
  • Participate in an in-market supply chain visit in Dubai
  • Access a range of business development opportunities in Dubai

How to apply

AUSVEG has a limited number of funded positions available for levy-paying vegetable growers to exhibit at the 2017 World of Perishables tradeshow. If you are interested in exhibiting and being part of the AUSVEG delegation for this trade event, please contact AUSVEG on 03 9882 0277 to discuss the options available.

To download the application form, please click here. Applications must be submitted to AUSVEG by 5:00pm on Friday 27 October 2017 via email to export@ausveg.com.au

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Potato feature article

Potato grower case study: Nathan Daly finds inspiration overseas

Generating new ideas isn’t always easy, but for second-generation potato grower Nathan Daly and his family’s potato-growing operation Daly Gourmet Potatoes, the benefits are worth the effort.

Nathan was one of nine growers from multiple potato growing regions across four states to attend the 2015 World Potato Congress in Beijing, supported through a potato industry Leadership and Development Mission run by AUSVEG and funded through a strategic levy investment under Hort Innovation’s Fresh Potato Fund. The mission also focussed on developing and strengthening relationships between potato growers and their international counterparts, including other growers, researchers, processors and mechanisation specialists.

Nathan says that the mission reinforced the importance of using effective cropping techniques and pest and disease management back at home. It also prompted him to rethink how to deal with potato waste, with his family’s operation creating potato salads and potato vodka to make use of the seconds from washing.

Nathan was profiled in the 2016 edition of Grower Success Stories: Real results from the potato R&D levy. His mother, Susie Daly, also spoke about Daly Gourmet Potatoes’ success in developing new products at the latest Veg Innovations workshop as part of the strategic levy investment project VegPRO, which will be profiled in the upcoming November/December edition of Vegetables Australia.

Survey: 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture feedback form

Following the success of the 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar, industry members now have the chance to have their say on presentations from the seminar, as well as on future content for the 2018 seminar.

The 2018 seminar will take place during Hort Connections 2018, and will be held at the Brisbane Convention Centre on 20 June 2018. This seminar will feature nine of the world’s top experts on topics relating to innovative horticulture tech and science, and is delivered by AUSVEG through a strategic levy investment under Hort Innovation’s Vegetable Fund.

Click here to have your say on the topics covered in the 2017 seminar and contribute to the future direction of the seminar.

Funded positions are available for vegetable levy paying growers to attend the event in 2018. Growers who are interested in attending or who are looking for further details can e-mail innovation@ausveg.com.au to express their interest in receiving a funded position.

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Industry update: Woolworths comes on board as AUSVEG Strategic Partner

AUSVEG is proud to announce that Woolworths Supermarkets has signed up to support the Australian vegetable industry through a Strategic Partnership with AUSVEG.

Woolworths is Australia’s largest supermarket chain, operating 995 stores across the country and employing over 115,000 team members in its stores, distribution centres and support offices. The company sources 96 per cent of all its fresh fruit and vegetables from Australian growers.

Through this partnership with AUSVEG, Woolworths is helping to fund our committed advocacy and agri-political activity on behalf of Australian growers. It will also continue its ongoing support of Hort Connections, the premier event in Australian horticulture.

For more information on Woolworths Supermarkets, please visit its website.

Industry update: National Nutrition Week kicks off

National Nutrition Week, Nutrition Australia’s annual healthy eating awareness campaign, is now in full swing for 2017. The theme of the week is ‘Try for 5’, challenging Australians to eat five serves of vegetables each day.

To help consumers achieve this great goal, Nutrition Australia have set up the Try for 5 website, which has a huge amount of tips for buying, storing and preparing fresh seasonal produce.

AUSVEG will be promoting National Nutrition Week on our social media accounts, including our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

We’re also running a photo competition to encourage Australians to ‘Try for 5’ serves of veggies each day, with a prize of a Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook filled with vegetable-based recipes. To enter, send your photos of you enjoying fresh veggies to our Facebook page or to communications@ausveg.com.au. We’ll be posting some of our favourites throughout the week, with a winner announced on Friday 20 October.

Industry program: Energy efficiency assessment (VIC)

AUSVEG VIC, in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, is running an energy efficiency capabilities program for Victorian vegetable growers. This project is an on-farm service which will monitor and assess where there is excess power usage at your business throughout the supply chain.

This program will work to see your business cut costs and take the pressure off rising energy and gas bills and is available exclusively to AUSVEG VIC members. AUSVEG VIC is offering this opportunity to the first 15 vegetable growing or processing businesses throughout Victoria to help it implement the program, so get in quick!

To find out more information about the program please contact AUSVEG VIC State Manager Tom Cohen on 0427 089 461 or via email at tom.cohen@ausveg.com.au.

Webinar: Pesticides and insect pest control in vegetables

Chemicals have different modes of action that can affect both insect pest and beneficial species differently. It’s important to understand the risk profile of these modes of action, and how this influences resistance management as well as informing the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Join the ICP project team and guest presenter Dr Paul Umina from cesar for this interactive session.

Date: Wednesday 18 October 2017
Time: 12:30–1:30pm (AEDT)

Click here to register for the webinar, which is delivered as part of a strategic levy investment through the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

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.

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Economic update: The importance of fresh vegetables in retail

Fresh food is a vital part of successful food retailing. Shopping centres that have a strong fresh food focus typically experience lower vacancy rates than those that have not. Reasons include:

High frequency: Food, particularly fresh food, is a unique product that all consumers need and typically purchase multiple times per week. MealpulseTM panellists report shopping for food three to four times per week.

Generates loyalty: Consumers often select an outlet or group of outlets based on the quality of the fresh food range, while poor or inconsistent quality of a store’s fresh food range is the most common reason consumers switch to another outlet.

Sets quality perception: The fresh produce section in supermarkets is typically located at the store entrance, as it sets a quality perception in the minds of consumers which extends to the entire offering of the individual store, and even the whole shopping centre.

Additional purchases: Retailers often use fresh food as a promotional leader to drive traffic to the store. Buyers of fresh food often buy other products while in the store, which increases revenue and can also increase profitability if these other purchases have higher margins.

Retailers will always seek to capture the frequency, loyalty, positive assessment and additional revenue that is often generated by a strong fresh food offering. The demand for fresh vegetables is secure. Innovation in fresh vegetable products will be welcomed by food retailers, especially as retail expands into online channels.

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

Scholarship opportunities: Women in horticulture and Masterclass in Horticultural Business

Hort Innovation’s Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative (initially referred to as Pool 2) uses a combination of government and partner funding to address major issues facing the future of Australian horticulture. The Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund endeavours to tackle the urgent need to nurture upcoming horticulture talent and empower them to successfully lead the sector into the future.

Women in horticulture leadership development

Women that are current and emerging leaders in the horticulture industry can now apply for a leadership development scholarship opportunity valued at up to $5,470. These scholarships are funded through the strategic partnership initiative Women and Leadership Australia scholarships (LP16000) and are available under the Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund.

Funded by Hort Innovation and Women & Leadership Australia (WLA), the grants cover up to 60 per cent of the cost of WLA’s 18-week Accelerated Leadership Performance Program and 7-month Executive Ready program. The funding is specifically designated for women working in all horticulture sectors who are emerging leaders or have mid-level management and leadership experience.

Expressions of interest close on Friday 27 October 2017. For more information on how to apply for a scholarship, please see the WLA website. For more information on Hort Innovation’s support of the scholarships, please see its media release.

Masterclass in Horticultural Business

The University of Tasmania, New Zealand’s Lincoln University and the Netherlands’ Wageningen Research Academy have joined forces with Hort Innovation to offer the Masterclass in Horticultural Business. The Masterclass runs for 10 months, with course content focussing on high-level leadership and management skills.

Applications are now open for the 2018 intake of students, including 15 for levy-paying vegetable growers. Applications close on Sunday 12 November 2017. The Masterclass will start on 12 February 2018. For more information, see the website.

These scholarships are funded through the strategic partnership initiative Masterclass in Horticultural Business (LP15001) and are available under the Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund.

Women and Leadership Australia scholarships is funded by the Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from Women & Leadership Australia and contributions from the Australian Government.

The Masterclass in Horticultural Business is funded by the Hort Frontiers Leadership Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from the University of Tasmania and contributions from the Australian Government.

 

Resource: ACCC launches online tool for anonymous complaints

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched a new online tool for people in the agriculture sector to anonymously report concerns about competition or fair trading issues.

This tool encrypts the submitted information and removes any identifying information that may have been embedded by the technology submitting the report. Users can also obtain a password to log back into the online tool and have ongoing communication with the ACCC.

The information received by the tool will be used as the basis of potential investigations by the ACCC. Anyone wishing to make a non-anonymous report can use the ACCC’s regular form for reporting small business issues. To access this form, please click here.

More information is available in this article from Good Fruit & Vegetables.

Survey: On-farm energy usage survey from Agriculture Victoria

The Victorian Government is aware that energy prices are rising and this is having an economic impact on the viability of many Victorian farmers. To help inform its response, it is undertaking a survey of on-farm energy use and costs.

The survey asks questions about on-farm energy use and costs, and how the changing price and availability of energy is affecting farm businesses across Victoria. It is open until Monday 6 November 2017 and you can choose to undertake the survey anonymously.

Make sure your voice is heard by completing the survey today. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete, and all responses will be kept confidential. To complete the survey, click here.

Please note that findings from the survey will be used to determine how the Victorian Government and industry can work together to help farmers respond to the current energy situation and make plans for Victoria’s energy future. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the survey, please contact the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or email the Agriculture Policy Team at agriculture.policy@ecodev.vic.gov.au.

Industry update: Organic grower Nathan Free wins Emerging Leader award

Nathan Free, a leading organic grower in the vegetable industry and Victoria’s largest organic producer, has received the 2017 Rabobank Emerging Leader Award.

Nathan is production manager at Duralgai Horticultural, his family’s business, and since returning to the business nine years ago he has helped transition the company from conventional farming to a highly-productive organic fruit, vegetable and cereal operation. Duralgai has evolved into a more customer-focused business with on-farm packaging facilities to distribute produce directly to major supermarkets and wholesalers around the country, as well as to export markets including the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Nathan previously received the 2014 AUSVEG Young Grower of the Year Award, recognising his hard work and dedication to the future success of our industry, and is an alumni of the 2014 Growing Leaders program, the leadership platform delivered as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

This latest honour is a well-deserved recognition of his continued commitment to helping horticulture, and in particular the organic sector, grow into the future. For more information on Nathan’s win, please see Rabobank’s media release.

Award nominations: 2018 Farm Biosecurity Producer of the Year

Nominations for the 2018 Farm Biosecurity Producer of the Year award are still open. Take the chance to nominate a grower who you think should be celebrated for going the extra mile to avoid diseases, pests and weeds coming onto their property!

Nominations close on Friday 20 October 2017, so this is the final opportunity to nominate someone for the award, which will be presented as part of the 2018 Australian Biosecurity Awards in Canberra in March 2018. For more information on the awards, including the nomination form, please click here.

For more information on the Farm Biosecurity Program’s six on-farm biosecurity essentials, visit the Farm Biosecurity website. Growers who are interested in increasing their biosecurity capability or improving their practices can also contact AUSVEG at info@ausveg.com.au for advice and resources.

Board nominations: Fresh Produce Safety Centre

The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Ltd (FPSC) is an industry-led, not-for-profit company established to enhance fresh produce safety across Australia and New Zealand through research, outreach and education. The FPSC is seeking nominations to fill two Board vacancies (to become effective as from 28 November 2017).

Candidates from Australia and New Zealand should have a sound knowledge of the fresh produce industry and experience in working on boards and/or industry advisory boards. Skillsets should include one or more of food safety, research and development, communications, marketing, events, funds procurement and fresh produce operations.

Candidates should complete the Director Nomination Form and return it to info@fpsc-anz.com by no later than Tuesday 31 October 2017. Further information on the Fresh Produce Safety Centre can be found at the Centre’s website.

Resource: Australian Food and Grocery Council State of the Industry 2017 report

The State of the Industry Report is an annual report commissioned by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) to provide a snapshot of key economic indicators as they relate to the food and grocery sector. The data in these reports is derived from a number of publicly available resources, including the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The 2017 State of the Industry report is now available on the AFGC website. To access the report, please click here.

Grant opportunity: Smart Farms Program Landcare grants

The Australian Government is allocating $134 million to support the development and uptake of best practice, tools and technologies that help farmers, fishers, foresters and regional communities improve the protection, resilience and productive capacity of our soils, water and vegetation, in turn supporting successful primary industries and regional communities.

The Smart Farms Program will run over six years from 2017–18. It is made up of the following three elements:

  • Smart Farming Partnerships is a $60 million grants program to encourage the development, trial and roll-out of new and innovative tools and farm practices. These grants will range between $250,000 and $4 million and aim to protect biodiversity, protect and improve the condition of natural resources and develop innovative tools to support sustainable agriculture practice changes.
  • Smart Farms Small Grants is a $50 million grants program to support the adoption of on?ground innovative practices that improve the management and quality of our natural resources and increase on-farm productivity. These grants will range between $5,000 and $100,000.
  • Building Landcare Community and Capacity will allocate $24 million to support the sharing of knowledge and achievements in on-farm natural resource management and promote community leadership.

For more information on the program, please see the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website.

Minor use permits

Permit ID Description Dates in operation Permit holder States
PER84261 Active: Pyriproxyfen
Crops: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage & cauliflower
Pest: Silverleaf whitefly		 13-Jul-2014
to
31-Oct-2020		 Hort Innovation NSW, QLD and NT only
PER14536 V3 Active: Abamectin
Crops: Sweet corn, spring onions & shallots (field only); chillies & paprika (field and protected)
Pest: Two-spotted mite		 30-May-2014
to
31-Dec-2023		 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.

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
VG17004 Vegetable knowledge transfer at the 2018 International Spinach Conference 5pm (Sydney time)
Tuesday 24 October 2017
HN17001 Investigating the use of antimicrobial coatings in fresh produce quality and food safety chain 5pm (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

AUSVEG in the media

AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside and AUSVEG National Manager – Communications Shaun Lindhe appeared in print and on radio this week promoting National Nutrition Week and its challenge to consumers to ‘Try for 5’ serves of vegetables each day. To read AUSVEG’s full media statement, please click here.

Mr Whiteside also appeared in print discussing the joint horticulture submission to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s recent review of Australia’s visa system, noting he is unsure if the Australian Government recognises the horticulture industry’s fundamental labour requirements. To read the full story in The Weekly Times, please click here. To read the full submission, please click here.

AUSVEG National Manager – Science and Extension Dr Jessica Lye appeared on radio this week discussing the findings from her recent plant biosecurity study tour to the United States, including differences between the Australian and American approaches to biosecurity, such as the greater collaboration between metropolitan and rural communities to help manage pests. To read written updates published by Dr Lye during her study tour, please click here, here, and here.