AUSVEG

Webinar: National Soil Monitoring Program - What's happening
2025-07-16 13:30 - 14:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Webinar
The National Soil Monitoring Program (NSMP) is now underway and gathering momentum. We’ll describe details about the design, site locations, what’s happening on the ground, the types of data being collected, and how you can access this information.
Do you know of a location that could be a potential NSMP monitoring site? We’re also seeking feedback on how this data could be useful in your work to support land management decisions.

Webinar: Drones in Ag - current legislation & industry issues
2025-08-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
Drones are increasingly becoming a valuable tool for modern farming, but with this technology comes a need to understand the rules. In this webinar Mark will take a practical look at what growers need to know before taking flight including:

A basic run down of drone legislation – where can I fly, do I need to register, what licensing (if any) do I need?
Herbicide spraying using drones – Risks vs Benefits
Flying over other people’s land, business and national forests
Flying drones under the influence of drugs/alcohol
Am I responsible for any breaches of legislation a contracted drone operator may make?
How quickly is drone technology evolving?

Leoni Kojetin, Industry Development Manager, Australian Macadamia Society

Drone spraying and growers – the benefits of aerial application, regulatory gaps, useful information, and what Macadamias are doing to advocate for farmers

Webinar: Working or employing in the Horticulture Industry – lessons from the FWO’s Horticulture Strategy
2025-08-13 16:30 - 17:15 | Webinar
The FWO’s Horticulture Strategy 2021 – 2024 aimed to enhance and promote compliance in the horticulture sector.
Join to learn about the key findings from the strategy and recent changes impacting the industry.
They will cover:

A summary of the key findings from the Horticulture Strategy
Changes to the Horticulture Award
Criminal Wage Theft Laws
Their dedicated Horticulture website

Intermediate level – this webinar is suitable for those with an existing understanding of the Fair Work system.

Webinar: Basin Plan Implementation Update
2025-08-14 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will be hosting a webinar to provide the latest updates on progress in implementing the Basin Plan.
The panel will include representatives from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Panel members will be available for a Q&A at the end of the presentation. They welcome your questions and encourage you to submit them in advance.

Webinar: Exploring Agritourism for Australian Growers
2025-08-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
With interest in unique tourism experiences on the rise, this one-hour webinar is designed for growers to explore how agritourism can diversify farm income streams, maximise farm assets, provide opportunities for value-adding, and build stronger connections with the community. Whether it’s farm-stays, agritourism experiences such a tours, pick-your-own models, retail outlet opportunities, or tourism partnerships, agritourism is a growing opportunity to diversify and future-proof your farm.

Webinar: Optimising Nutrition: From Soil Test to Application
2025-08-21 12:30 - 13:30 | Webinar
Join PotatoLink for a practical and informative webinar designed for potato growers and agronomists wanting to sharpen their understanding of crop nutrition. This session will walk through the fundamentals of nutrient management in potatoes — from interpreting soil tests to understanding crop uptake curves — helping you make better-informed decisions that optimise crop performance and reduce input waste.

PotatoLink (PT20000) is funded by Hort Innovation using the Potato – Fresh and Potato – Processing industry research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government.

Webinar: Biostimulant Labelling Code of Practice
2025-08-22 13:30 - 17:00 | Webinar
Jeff Kraak will explain why Fertilizer Australia has created the biostimulant labelling code of practice, the key areas covered in the code and the next steps being considered by industry. Dr Sofie De Meyer from MALDIID will share some tips on the key things to look for when lab and field trial data on microbial products is presented to agronomists, and how to critically review product literature to determine how much confidence you can have in the information.

Webinar: Effective use of fungicides
2025-08-29 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
Join AFREN and leading cereal research and extension agronomist Nick Poole, FAR Australia, for a practical webinar on optimising your fungicide program. Nick will unpack the principles of effective fungicide use including best-practice application, timing, rotation and dosage to improve disease control and reduce the risk of resistance.

Webinar: Potato Mop-Top Virus in Tasmania
2025-08-29 16:00 - 17:00 | Webinar
Join AUSVEG for a webinar on Potato mop-top virus (PMTV) and the current situation in Tasmania. Hear from leading experts on the response, lessons from New Zealand, and strategies for managing the disease and its relationship to powdery scab (Spongospora subterranean).
Featuring:

The current situation in Tasmania, including the government’s biosecurity protocols and management strategies with Susanna Driessen, (Chief Plant Protection Officer of Tasmania);
Insights and lessons learned from the PMTV response and management experiences in NZ with Iain Kirkwood (Potatoes NZ);
The science of the virus and diagnostics for PMTV supporting seed certification with Nigel Crump (AuSPICA);
The role of Tasmanian seed potato certification in supporting the response in Tasmania with Doug Clark (Tas Seed);
The link between powdery scab and PMTV and how an integrated management program can help control both with Calum Wilson, a leading expert on powdery scab.

Register via this link.

Webinar: Barley diseases & Fungicide Resistance 101
2025-09-09 13:00 - 14:00 | Webinar
Join this AFREN webinar for an update on barley diseases and practical strategies to minimise the risk of fungicide resistance.
Queensland DPI’s Dr Lisle Snyman will share the latest insights on barley diseases, in particular net blotches and recent screening results. This will highlight the importance of variety choice, a key AFREN principle for managing disease risk and reducing reliance on fungicides.
CCDM’s Dr Nola D’Souza will present a “Fungicide Resistance 101” overview, explaining how resistance develops and why it matters. She will share recent updates on triple resistance detections in South Australia and Western Australia, and emphasise the urgency of preventative measures in Queensland, where such resistance has not yet been found.

Webinars: Soilborne Diseases
2025-09-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-09-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-09-23 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-09-25 09:00 - 10:30 | Webinar
Soilborne diseases (SBD) are a major problem in many crops, causing crop losses, and costing growers millions of dollars in some sectors. Since ALT started, SBD have been amongst the highest-ranking crop protection gaps across all sectors.
The purpose of the webinar series is to share what is currently known about SBD, what management tools growers have available to them now, and the direction of future innovations for management of these diseases.
Webinar dates and times are below:

Webinar 1: Why are soilborne diseases so challenging? with Len Tesoriero, Wednesday September 10 from 10am-11am.

Webinar 2: Nematodes and their relationship with soilborne diseases with Manjula Kularathna, Wednesday September 17 from 10am-11am.

Webinar 3: A focus on some of the key soilborne diseases with Soonie Chng, Tuesday September 23 from 10am-11am.

Webinar 4: Future innovations with Mark Braithwaite of Plant Diagnostics, John Mackay of dnature, Hugh Richardson of Enza Zaden NZ and Dereck Ferguson, of Ferguson Agronomy, Thursday September 25 from 9am-10.30am.

Webinar: Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) employer information
2025-09-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Webinar
The Pacific Engagement Visa is a permanent residence visa available for eligible citizens of participating Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. Up to 3,000 Pacific Engagement Visas are available each year through a ballot process.
The PEV is not an employer sponsored visa but applicants need an offer of ongoing employment for a genuine position in Australia to be granted the visa.
The BIRO network invites employers to attend a webinar to learn more about the PEV and how you can hire PEV holders.

Webinar: Discover how HortIQ is transforming horticulture insights
2025-09-12 11:00 - 11:30 | Webinar
Harvest to Home is now integrated into HortIQ, Hort Innovation’s one stop shop for powerful consumer insights.
To explore the new retail and purchasing dashboard and its latest features, join us for a guided walkthrough and insights session.
In partnership with NielsenIQ, the integration brings together powerful data on category performance, purchasing behaviours and emerging trends, all in one streamlined platform.
Whether you’re a grower, marketer or wholesaler HortIQ helps you respond to demand, uncover growth opportunities, and make smarter decisions with real-time, actionable insights.

Webinar: Financial support services and programs available to farmers
2025-09-15 12:30 - 13:30 | Webinar
Let’s keep it real — the past few years have been challenging for Tasmanian farmers, with drought, fire, market uncertainty, and more.
There is a range of financial support services and programs available for eligible farmers, and this webinar is your chance to learn more about what is on offer, how it works, and how to access it.
In this session, you’ll be joined by:

Brendan Leys is a Farm Household Allowance Case Officer at Services Australia. Over the past 8 years, Brendan has worked with many Tasmanian farmers through the Farm Household Allowance program and is keen to ensure all farmers know what support is out there. Brendan will discuss the Farm Household Allowance financial support and other support services available through the Australian Government.
Steve Hansen is part of the Rural Business Tasmania financial counselling team, specialising in small businesses and advising for Business Tasmania’s Tasmanian Business Advice Service. His dairy farming background and extensive experience helps local businesses navigate financial challenges and opportunities with confidence. [PR1] Steve will chat through the different financial services available through Rural Business Tasmania.

There will also be time for Q & A.

Webinar: Report overview: Understand the factors driving productivity in Australian horticulture
2025-10-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
Hear from Hort Innovation and the Centre for International Economics about the recently released Factors Driving Horticulture Productivity report. Dive into an overview about what is propelling productivity and how horticulture is set to benefit.

Webinar: Farm Fire Preparedness
2025-10-27 19:00 - 20:15 | Webinar
Managing the risk of bushfire for your farm is vital.
Whether you’re a livestock producer, run a horticulture enterprise, a small landholder, or are new to farming it’s important to prepare for the coming fire season. Join us for this upcoming webinar about Farm Fire Preparedness.
Planning and preparing for the bushfire season includes identifying risks and undertaking tasks to prepare your farm well ahead of the fire season.
In this webinar, Agriculture Victoria’s Kylie Macreadie and will discuss key preparedness activities, tools and templates to help you plan for the fire season. Landholders impacted by recent fires will share their stories of preparing for fire, putting a fire plan into practice and share information on the recovery process.
Topics include:

Preparing farm infrastructure
Farm asset inventories and insurance
Fire preparedness checklists, action plan and map
Planning for impacts and recovery
Updating your Property Identification Code (PIC)

Webinar: Bites and Insights - Gatton AgTech Showcase and Lockyer Valley Study Tour
2025-10-28 12:30 - 13:15 | Webinar
Join us online over lunch or a cuppa to hear from WA, SA and TAS veg growers who recently attended the VegNET study tour to the Gatton AgTech Showcase and farm tours across the Lockyer Valley.
The VegNET team will provide an overview of what the study tour covered and then we’ll hear from veg growers on their key takeaways and highlights and where they see opportunities for their farming businesses and regions.

Webinar: Get ‘RIC Ready’ to apply for a low-cost farm business loan
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
Get ‘RIC Ready’ Webinar – an essential guide to help farm businesses, trusted advisers and interested stakeholders learn more about RIC loans. Join the free webinar to understand more about eligibility criteria before applying and what you need to know before you submit an application for an Australian Government low-cost loan delivered by RIC (Regional Investment Corporation).

Webinar: Is agritourism the right diversification option for my farm?
2025-10-30 18:30 - 19:30 | Webinar
Have you ever considered tourism as a diversification opportunity for your farm?
Learn about the costs and benefits of agritourism to determine if this is the right opportunity for you, from:

Regional tourism development consultancy Tilma Group
Regional tourism organisation Destination Central West NSW
Agritourism business RedGround Australia truffle farm
Tax advisor Kenny Spring Solicitors
Planning consultant Burns Planning & Development
Insurance broker Nutrien Ag Solutions (Marsh Insurance)

There will be opportunity for Q&A with each expert.

Webinar: Productivity driver deep dive – capability building and data automation
2025-11-03 16:30 - 17:30 | Webinar
Learn about two key productivity drivers from the Factors Driving Horticulture Productivity report – capability building and data automation. Hear from Hort Innovation and industry leaders across vegetable, onion, macadamia, and nursery industries as they share insights from the levy-funded benchmarking projects they’re leading. Discover the learnings, innovations, and on-the-ground experiences that show how these two factors are transforming productivity across horticulture.

Webinar: Launch of the 2025 Fundamental Guidelines for Fresh Produce Food Safety
2025-11-12 12:00 - 12:30 | Webinar
Join the Fresh Produce Safety Centre (FPSC) for the official launch of the 2025 Fundamental Guidelines for Fresh Produce Food Safety — the industry’s trusted resource for managing food safety risks across the fresh produce supply chain.
The refreshed Fundamental Guidelines bring together the latest science, good practice and regulatory insights to support the ongoing safety and integrity of fresh produce from production to post-harvest handling. Developed through extensive research and industry consultation, the 2025 edition is designed for every business seeking to strengthen food safety culture, protect consumers, and meet market and regulatory expectations.
This webinar will be recorded and shared with those who cannot attend.

Webinar: How has PMTV impacted potato growing regions in other countries?
2025-11-13 09:00 - 10:00 | Webinar
Join AUSVEG for the second webinar on Potato mop-top virus (PMTV). We will be joined by Julie Pasche from North Dakota State University.
What you will learn:
Potato mop top virus was detected in processing potatoes in America in the early 2000s. It was confirmed in North Dakota in 2011. Hear from Associate Professor and the Neil C. Gudmestad Endowed Chair of Potato Pathology, Julie Pasche, on how the virus has impacted potato growing and processing over time, and how the industry has responded.
Representatives from the offices of the Chief Plant Health Officers of Victoria and Tasmania, respectively, will be online to provide an update on the current activities in their states.
Registration is essential
Learn more here:

Biosecurity Tasmania
Agriculture Victoria

This webinar is supported by AUSVEG Farm Biosecurity Program and VegWatch.

Webinar: Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot
2025-11-13 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
The Department of Home Affairs invites you to attend a free webinar to learn more about how Australian employers can access the Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot Program (the Pilot).
By becoming an approved employer, businesses can access a large pool of talent to fill critical skill shortages and support the settlement of a skilled refugee and their family in Australia.
The webinar is open to employers interested in accessing a source of skilled labour that also offers a skilled refugee and their family the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Australia. The Pilot is delivered in partnership with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB).

VIC: Australian-Grown Innovation Build Program Demo Day
2025-11-24 17:00 - 19:30 | State Library Victoria
Join the Australian-Grown Innovation (AGI) Build Program Demo Day to witness the next evolution of agri-tech.
The AGI program empowers promising startups, connecting ambitious founders with the resources, mentors, and investors they need to scale globally. Great connections don’t happen behind a screen—they happen in the room.
​Why Attend? Your Demo Day Advantage
This is more than just a pitch session—it’s your chance to impact your trajectory.

​See the Future of Food: Discover the cutting-edge developments leading the future of horticulture in Australia.

​Connect with Visionaries: Meet the founders and teams behind the most exciting new technologies and business models.

​Find Your Next Opportunity: Engage with investors, industry leaders, government representatives, and other key players passionate about the sector. Discover potential investment opportunities, partnerships, or new technologies that could fundamentally change your business or career path.

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Whether you’re an investor looking for the top opportunity, a founder seeking funding, or an innovator wanting to stay ahead of the curve, your network is waiting.

Webinar: From Gen Z to Boomers – what’s on Australia’s plate?
2025-11-25 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
Every generation has its own food story. Gen Z wants creativity and inspiration but skips breakfast more than any other demographic. Millennials stick to staples while juggling family life. Older Australians lean into seasonality and provenance.
Join Hort Innovation’s Wendy Hubbard and Cori Hodge (FiftyFive5) as they explore generational differences and uncover what they mean for Australia’s horticulture industry.
Here’s what’s on the agenda:

The “say-do” gap: Why intentions don’t always match what ends up in the basket
How habits, price sensitivity, and creativity shape fresh produce choices
The role of provenance and seasonality for older Australians

Webinar: Productivity driver deep dive – Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation and mechanisation
2025-11-26 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
Understand how AI and automation are being brought to life with Bluewhite Robotics. Dive into a world of automation and artificial intelligence with Hort Innovation and Bluewhite Robotics. Unearth learnings and find out more about adoption as they share the final influences of the Factors Driving Horticulture Productivity report – AI and automation.

Webinar: Fruit and vegetable industry tomato potato psyllid
2025-11-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
Agriculture Victoria will hold a webinar on Thursday 27 November from 11 am – 12 pm focused on interstate market access requirements for the fruit and vegetable industry.

In October 2025, Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) was detected outside the current Restricted Area in Victoria. As a result of this detection, businesses in Victoria will soon need to comply with destination jurisdiction entry requirements for TPP when moving plants or produce interstate.
Please refer to the Biosecurity Update – Market access changes for interstate fruit and vegetable trade for further information.
Agriculture Victoria has worked with industry to rapidly develop a new arrangement to assist with interstate market access for the fruit and vegetable industry.
Fruit and vegetable businesses that trade interstate can now apply for Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA)-61 – Pack-House Washing and Inspection of Tomato-Potato Psyllid Carrier Produce.
Please read through the following attached documents to understand the requirements of this procedure and to determine if accreditation is required for your business:

ICA-61 Pack-House Washing and Inspection of Tomato-Potato Psyllid Carrier Produce procedure
Standard Operating Procedure: Completion of Plant Health Assurance Certificates

To apply for an ICA-61 accreditation, please complete the Application for Accreditation and Authorised Signatory Form(s) and submit via email: biosecurityservicescentre@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Fees for plant biosecurity services (application fees, audits, non-conformance reports) are waived until 30 June 2026, as part of the Victorian Government Drought Support Package. Information on fees and charges can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/moving-plants-and-plant-products/fees-and-charges-for-plant-biosecurity-services
For further information or to confirm market access requirements, please contact your local Agriculture Victoria Plant Biosecurity Officer by telephone on 1800 878 962 or email:

South East Region – plant.standards@agriculture.vic.gov.au
South West Region – plant.southwest@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Northern Region – plant.quarantine@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For assistance with completing the Application for Accreditation or Authorised Signatory form, please contact the Agriculture Victoria Biosecurity Service centre on 1800 403 224 or via biosecurityservicescentre@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
For more information about TPP visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/pest-insects-and-mites/priority-pest-insects-and-mites/tomato-potato-psyllid
