AUSVEG

Webinar: Employing Overseas Workers - Visa Information Sessions
2026-03-24 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-24 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-03-26 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-26 14:00 - 15:00 (Australia/Melbourne) | Webinar
The Department of Home Affairs, through its Business, Industry and Regional Outreach (BIRO) network, would like to invite you to attend upcoming free information sessions on Australian skilled visa pathways. These sessions are open to any business or organisation who would like information on visa options for employing an overseas worker.
Tuesday 24 March – 11:00am AEDT High to Highly Skilled Occupations
Tuesday 24 March – 02:00pm AEDT Semi and Low Skilled Occupations
Thursday 26 March – 11:00am AEDT Semi and Low Skilled Occupations
Thursday 26 March – 02:00pm AEDT High to Highly Skilled Occupations
The Department of Employment and Workforce Relations (DEWR) will be in attendance at the Semi and Low Skilled webinars, to provide an overview on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFaT) will be in attendance at the Semi and Low Skilled webinars, to provide an overview on the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) Support Service.
These webinars will provide information on visa products and there will be an opportunity for questions with subject matter experts following the presentations.

Webinar: Soil Carbon in SA: What Builds It, What Loses It, and What You Can Influence
2026-03-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Webinar
Landscape SA is offering a free series of topic-specific carbon farming webinars, delivered by South Australia’s Landscape Boards alongside trusted external experts.
You are invited to register for the upcoming webinar: Soil Carbon in SA: What Builds It, What Loses It, and What You Can Influence on 25th March 2026, to be delivered via the MS Teams Webinar platform.
Soil carbon is often talked about as a quick win, but the reality in South Australian farming systems is more complex. Soil type, rainfall, history and management all play a major role in how much carbon a soil can hold — and whether that carbon can realistically be increased.
This webinar will unpack the realities of soil carbon in South Australia, including what drives soil organic carbon up or down and where the real opportunities sit across different soil types and rainfall zones. We will explain South Australian soil carbon benchmarks, what they represent, and how growers can use them to understand whether their soils have potential to build carbon or whether the priority should be protecting what is already there.
Producers will leave with a practical understanding of what affects soil carbon in their paddocks, how to interpret benchmarks, and what management actions are likely — or unlikely — to make a difference in SA conditions.
Dr Amanda Schapel is Principal Officer for Soil Action with PIRSA and leads the South Australian Soils Collaboration Centre. With nearly 30 years’ hand-on experience in agricultural soils, she specialises in soil carbon and soil function. Amanda’s benchmarking work helps growers understand where soils have real potential to build carbon — and where carbon needs protecting.
This webinar is delivered with funding support from the Commonwealth of Australia through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and water under the Carbon Farming Outreach Program.

Webinar - 2025 Water Supply and Demand in the Southern Murray Darling Basin
2026-04-09 12:00 - 13:00 | https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_75ngqhjKRSSmRBqZvtmf2Q#/registration
This webinar will discuss the latest version of the ‘Water supply and demand in the southern Murray-Darling Basin report’ produced and presented by Williams Sale Partnership (WSP) on behalf of DEECA Water and Catchments Group.
WSP will present an update on previous estimates of water availability and irrigation water demands in the southern basin for permanent horticulture. The presentation will inform irrigators managing future water availability risks under varying climatic conditions.
Topics:

Projected future demands in the connected southern Murray-Darling Basin and the lower Murray
How water demand compares with likely water supply under different seasonal conditions
What this means for water markets

Hort IQ Webinar: What does sustainability really mean to Australian fresh produce shoppers?
2026-04-22 14:00 - 15:00 | https://assets-oce.mkt.dynamics.com/3fa8892d-a3bf-4985-b507-62c75951e29e/digitalassets/standaloneforms/a3cb3420-7534-f111-88b4-00224897b0bf?readableEventId=Hort_IQ_Webinar_What_does_sustainability_really_mean_to_Australian_fresh_produce_shoppers435801799#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=9c57ebf1-722c-41fb-9935-4146f4a00000&msdynmkt_prefill=mktprf4d16e4f4bd4b491ebe0c68ee454a0af6eoprf
Here’s what’s on the agenda:

How consumers define sustainability when buying fresh produce
What sustainable behaviour looks like, including waste reduction and seasonality
Packaging trade‑offs, balancing plastic concerns with freshness and food waste
Where organics fit in sustainability perceptions, and barriers to broader uptake

Practical implementations for growers and the fresh produce industry

Webinar: Submitting Decision Ready Nominations & Visa Applications
2026-05-19 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-21 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-05-25 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-27 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
Lodging complete applications with the Department will provide a more streamlined process and will assist with delays in decision making for both employer nominations and visa applications.
If you do not provide all required information at lodgement, your application may be delayed or decided based on the information available at the time of decision.
This webinar is targeted to Australian business employers with the aim to improve the quality of employer nominations and visa applications lodged for the following visa programs:
• Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa
• Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) visa, and
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) visa
The session will include practical guidelines to help employers prepare and submit complete applications, including:
• Global visa processing times
• Skilled visa processing priorities
• Type of information and documents required by the Department
• Checklists and resources available to assist employers to lodge complete applications
• Useful tips to avoid oversights and pit falls

Webinar: Next Generation Weed Management - Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation
2026-05-25 11:00 - 12:30 | https://latrobe.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0YcHc35_TYq07g7We5Gnqw#/registration
A sustainable approach for weed and soil-borne pathogen management in plasticulture.
An in-depth look at Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD), an emerging non-chemical strategy for managing weeds and soil-borne pathogens in plasticulture systems.
La Trobe are pleased to welcome Associate Professor Matthew Cutulle (Clemson University, USA), a leading expert in weed science, who will share insights into the application and potential of ASD in horticultural production.
ASD works by incorporating a carbon source into soil, irrigating to field capacity, and covering the soil to create anaerobic conditions that suppress weeds and pathogens. As pressure grows to reduce reliance on chemical control, ASD is gaining attention as a practical and scalable alternative.
At LISAF, part of La Trobe University, Dr Ali Bajwa leads the Hort Frontiers program “Next Generation Weed Management”. The project is focused on evaluating the performance of ASD in Australian plasticulture systems. The project integrates field surveys, controlled environment and field trials, and industry engagement to optimise the technique and support adoption, in collaboration with Northern Territory Department of Agriculture & Fisheries and Clemson University.
Who should attend:
Growers, agronomists, and industry professionals working in plasticulture systems producing crops such as strawberries, vegetables, and melons, along with researchers, extension officers, and consultants exploring non-chemical weed management approaches.
The session will run for 1 hour, followed by 20 to 30 minutes of Q&A.

Webinar: Solutions for on-farm organics: Digging into compost
2026-05-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
Register for this Soil Wealth ICP webinar exploring practical approaches to managing on-farm organic waste and turning waste streams into valuable compost and soil inputs. The session will focus on practical, on-farm solutions to help growers maximise inputs, reduce waste and improve resource efficiency within their production systems.
Hear directly from growers sharing their experiences, lessons learned and the practical levers they are using on-farm to better manage organics and close nutrient loops. The webinar will also explore broader industry perspectives on compost quality, standards and best-practice approaches to organics processing and reuse.

Webinar - Future proofing potato production: emissions, resilience, and market expectations
2026-07-02 12:30 - 13:30 | Webinar
Join PotatoLink for a webinar exploring:

the changing emissions reporting landscape in fresh produce,

why it is becoming increasingly important across the supply chain,

how growers can prepare for future requirements, and

growers’ current experiences with emissions monitoring and reduction.

The webinar will also feature the latest updates from the levy-funded greenhouse gas emissions analysis project being led by Lifecycles, including:

early findings,

emissions hotspots within potato production systems, and

what these results may mean for growers.

Webinar: Level Up Hort - How to Make More Margin in Your Business
2026-07-02 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
Profitable businesses are generating up to 4× more profit per hectare.
Join us for the Level Up Hort webinar on 2 July to learn why some businesses continue to be profitable, and how you can make more margin in your own operation.
Learn about the key drivers of profitability in vegetable businesses and the practical actions growers can take now to improve productivity and maximise margins in the year ahead.
Information: Contact project manager Steff Carstairs 0428 712 852 / steff@planfarm.com.au

Webinar: Competition Law 101 with NextGen
2026-07-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Webinar
AUSVEG has invited Neil Rechlin from NextGen to deliver a practical webinar on the fundamentals of Australian competition law and how it applies to horticultural businesses.
NextGen Group is Australia’s leading provider of Code training, working closely with industry peak bodies and regulators. Since 2022, NextGen has delivered negotiation training programs for horticulture growers across Australia, training more than 230 growers in 2024/25 alone.
What Will Be Covered?
The webinar will explore:

The fundamentals of competition law
Anti-competitive behaviour and prohibited conduct
Misuse of market power

Why Is This Important?
The regulatory environment facing growers continues to become more complex. For many businesses, particularly SMEs, it can be difficult to keep up with the rules that apply to everyday commercial decisions.
The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 sets the ground rules for how businesses engage in the marketplace. Understanding these obligations can help growers reduce risk and make informed business decisions.

Webinar: Employing Workers from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste
2026-07-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Webinar
The Department of Home Affairs, through its Business, Industry and Regional Outreach (BIRO) network, would like to invite you to attend upcoming free information sessions on employing overseas working within the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) stream and the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV). These sessions are open to any business or organisation who would like information on visa options for employing an overseas workers from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste.
The PALM is a temporary residence visa available for eligible citizens of participating Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. The PALM scheme is an employer sponsored visa for unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions. This visa allows eligible businesses to recruit workers for short-term jobs for up to 9 months or long-term roles for between one and 4 years. The PALM scheme helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and nationally for agriculture and select agriculture-related food product manufacturing sectors.
The PEV is a permanent residence visa available for eligible citizens of participating Pacific countries and Timor-Leste. The PEV is not an employer sponsored visa however applicants need an offer of ongoing employment for a genuine position in Australia to be granted the visa. PEV holders can live and work anywhere in Australia in any occupation.
The BIRO network invites employers to attend a webinar to learn more about the PALM and PEV programs.
The Department of Employment and Workforce Relations (DEWR) will be in attendance to provide an overview on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFaT) will be in attendance to provide an overview on the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) Support Service.
These webinars will provide information on visa products and there will be an opportunity for questions with subject matter experts following the presentations.

Webinar: Official Launch of the VegMech Technology Catalogue
2026-08-04 17:00 - 18:00 | Webinar
The Australian vegetable industry is undergoing significant transformation. Automation and mechanisation are reshaping how farms operate. However, with so many technologies emerging globally, and specifications to compare, it can be hard for growers and industry stakeholders alike, to know where to start.
That’s exactly why the VegMech Technology Catalogue was developed—a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate resource created through the VegMech program to bring together automated and mechanised field machinery solutions for the Australian vegetable industry.
Whether you manage a small family farm or large-scale operation or work in research, agribusiness, or technology development, the catalogue is designed to save you time and support smarter, more informed decisions.
The catalogue provides a clear picture of the current technologies relevant to Australian vegetable production, identified through the VegMech program as potential solutions to the labour and crop input cost challenges facing the Australian vegetable industry.
Here’s what you’ll find inside:

Technology overviews and technical details, giving you a practical understanding of features and capabilities before connecting with suppliers

Manufacturer information and supporting resources, including case studies and additional materials, to provide further context on each technology
Business details and supplier contacts, so you have everything you need to connect, collaborate or advise with confidence

Webinar: Get RIC Ready
2026-08-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar
Join the free Get RIC Ready webinar to understand if a RIC low interest loan is right for you and get prepared to apply, so you can take the next step with confidence.​
The Get RIC Ready webinar is an essential session to help farm businesses, advisers and interested stakeholders understand RIC loans, eligibility requirements and how to apply. Learn more about RIC loans including the new Drought Hardship Loan and the Marine Recovery Loan.​
Our RIC Agri Lending specialists and expert panellists will lead the session and provide practical insights and answers to common questions covering:​

Understanding your options​
Learn about which RIC loan may be right for you and how our low interest loans may support your business to manage financial pressure, recover from disruption and plan ahead.​
Get clear on eligibility before you apply​
Understand the key eligibility requirements, such as what we mean by financial need, having commercial debt or ability to obtain commercial debt, adequate security and the ability to service the loan.​
Be prepared early and apply with confidence​
Know what information you’ll need, why you need to talk to your commercial lender early and how to get your application ready.​
Build confidence to take the next step​
Gain the knowledge to decide if a RIC loan may be right for you and how to move forward.​
