VegPRO coordinator Sophie Lapsley has provided this update on the progress of the VegPRO project as it delivers valuable training and upskilling to industry members around the country.

VegPRO has had a busy start to the year as it coordinates the delivery of training across Australia.

First, there was the negotiations and influencing course held in South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, which participants found insightful and relevant to their businesses.

At the same time, there has been a chemical handling for vegetable crops course delivered around the country. This workshop has been delivered in a range of major growing regions, including courses in Vietnamese and Cambodian in the Northern Territory, and will return to Queensland in July.

In the lead up to the April 1 deadline for the Horticulture Code of Conduct, VegPRO ran a series of information workshops to answer all those last-minute queries and questions about new obligations and responsibilities about the Code. To accompany these workshops, a webinar was conducted in mid-March for growers that couldn’t make a workshop and wanted more information, which is now available to watch online.

VegPRO is also currently running a series of irrigation basic skills workshops. These are being held in Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory. In addition, pest and disease workshops will be available in Tasmania and Victoria, with post-harvest management workshops to be conducted in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.

VegPRO is also proud to be able to offer the VegInnovations Roadshow, which is looking at new and innovative ways to create value-added vegetable products.

Upcoming events are listed on the Hort Innovation events calendar, included in the AUSVEG Weekly Update, and found on the VegPRO website. All events are also posted across all social media platforms, so make sure you follow along to keep up-to-date with upcoming training!

Get involved in VegPRO

Now that you’ve had a taste of what this project can offer, get involved in planning the training calendar for 2019!

VegPRO is an industry-led project where you, the industry members, get to choose the training that you require, so it’s important to get your ideas in. This can be done by a simple email to VegPRO Coordinator Sophie Lapsley or via the online form on the website – or, if you’ll be attending Hort Connections 2018, drop in to the VegPRO stand while you’re there and have a chat about your training needs.

For more information or access to resources, please contact VegPRO Program Coordinator Sophie Lapsley on 0426 200 996 or sophiel@rmcg.com.au, or visit the VegPRO website. You can also log a training request using VegPRO’s online form.

For all the latest updates on VegPRO, follow it online using Twitter or Facebook!

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 5 June 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!