AUSVEG is the peak industry body for Australia’s potato growers. Since COVID-19 emerged in 2020, just as growers have laboured to ensure Australian families are fed and healthy during the pandemic, AUSVEG has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to advocate to all levels of government and deliver services to benefit potato growers around Australia. AUSVEG National Manager – Communications Shaun Lindhe details the work that AUSVEG does for potato growers and what this has delivered to potato growers during the pandemic.

Advocacy, government relations & public affairs

Speaking up for growers and the wider industry

AUSVEG has strong ties to Federal Government ministers and advisors and relevant department officials in Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade, Immigration, Jobs and Employment, as well as labour hire providers and key industry stakeholders.

The most important of these issues currently is the cost and availability of labour, which AUSVEG’s dedicated public affairs team is addressing in three ways:

1. Increasing labour supply: AUSVEG works with the Federal Government to modify visa settings to improve access to international labour, and portraying a positive image of the work and career opportunities that exist in horticulture.
2. Ensuring ethical employment practices: AUSVEG promotes programs such as Fair Farms to ensure employees have positive, safe, fulfilling experiences working in horticulture.
3. Ensuring the supply chain applies appropriate ethical sourcing standards: so that the growers who do the right thing are not undercut buy those that do not.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• Held direct meetings with numerous politicians to advocate for potato growers, including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce MP, Agriculture Minister David Littleproud MP, Michael McCormack MP, Darren Chester MP, Scott Buchholz MP, Nola Marino MP, Senator Michaelia Cash, Alan Tudge MP, Damian Drum MP, Anne Webster MP, Senator Raff Ciccone, Senator Susan McDonald.
• Strongly advocated for the Agriculture Visa and the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement to ensure businesses have access to skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
• Ensure potato growers’ interests are included by the National Farmers’ Federation through its Horticulture Council, which is managed by AUSVEG National Manager – Public Affairs Tyson Cattle.
• Liaised with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the World Trade Organization and potato processors to warn of potential flooding of potato imports from Europe during 2020.
• Working with local Ballarat growers, State Member AUSVEG VIC and the Victorian Farmers Federation to advocate for further planning of alternative options for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project, which would impact pristine potato growing land.
• Liaising with State Members and potato industry members on upcoming Federal Election policy platform to ensure potato growers’ issues are included.

L-R Tyson Cattle (AUSVEG), Belinda Frentz (AUSVEG), Federal Agriculture Minister the Hon. David Littleproud MP, the Hon. Scott Buchholz MP, Richard Gorman (Kalfresh), Matt Hood (Rugby Farms) and Michael Coote (AUSVEG) catch up at Hort Connections 2021.

Industry representation & levy oversight

Making growers’ voices heard and ensuring their levies are invested well

AUSVEG provides policy advice and oversight of levies expenditure via representation at key decision-making forums.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

Over the last 18 months, AUSVEG has been involved in recent meetings of the following:

• Hort Innovation Potato Strategic Investment Advisory Panels, that direct the investment of levies based on industry priorities.
• EPPRD’s National Management Group and Consultative Committees, which oversee and manage the country’s response to new pest and disease incursions.
• The Standards Development Advisory Group of Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ).
• Federal Government forums and committees, including the Healthy Food Partnership.
• Forums for government regulators, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
• Industry and government Trade Advisory Panels.
• Industry reference groups for key industry projects and investments.

Bringing the industry together

Delivering Hort Connections, the national industry event

AUSVEG is the co-host (with PMA A-NZ) of Hort Connections, the largest national horticulture industry event, which brings together growers, suppliers, marketers, buyers, researchers and government to network and address key industry opportunities.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• Hosted Hort Connections 2021, which attracted 2200 delegates in-person, despite then-Victorian lockdowns, and included a dedicated potato grower networking event.

Campaigns & communications

Speaking to growers and the community

AUSVEG has a long history of providing successful and effective communications, publishing magazines, directly engaging with journalists and sending industry-focused newsletters to update growers on the issues that are important to them.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• AUSVEG resumed publication of the Potatoes Australia magazine during 2021, which not only includes industry news and grower profiles, but facilitates the hard copy communication of PotatoLink, the levy-funded research communications project funded by Hort Innovation.
• Since March 2020, AUSVEG has distributed over 100 newsletter and advocacy updates directly to growers and industry.

Export development & trade advice

Building export capability and developing international markets

AUSVEG employs a team of international trade experts who provide tailored resources, practical advice on the exporting process for fresh produce and market development strategies. The team works with exporters in Australia and in-market customers to provide businesses with the skills, know-how and networks to supply international markets with high-quality fresh produce.

AUSVEG’s exporting expertise includes, but is not limited to:

• Export readiness training and capability development.
• Industry and business export development assistance.
• Market entry strategies and advice.
• Showcasing at international trade shows.
• Designing and delivering in-market knowledge sharing and networking tours for exporting businesses.
• International buyer engagement and supplier linkages.
• Trade barrier and technical market access advice.
• Market insights, data and analysis.
• Government engagement and industry representation.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• Advocated for potato growers in recent trade negotiations, including IA-CEPA.
• Advocated growers’ concerns directly to Federal Trade Minister Dan Tehan, Austrade and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on issues including sea- and air-freight costs, input costs and the impacts of COVID on international trade.
• Undertaken a leadership role to liaise directly with the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) team to provide assistance for potato and vegetable growers during COVID.

Grower engagement & extension activities

Working with growers to improve productivity and profitability

AUSVEG has extensive experience in delivering practical, informative and contemporary activities to build knowledge and awareness of relevant and productive business practices, production methods and research to help improve business productivity and profitability.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• Delivered webinars on topics of importance to potato growers, including serpentine leafminer, the international trade landscape and fall armyworm.
• Delivered on-the-ground extension for biosecurity preparedness for potato growers.
• Delivered agriculture industry-wide extension for the pest surveillance project iMapPESTS, which is working with potato growers to develop smart surveillance and cutting-edge diagnostic technologies. diagnostic technologies.

Biosecurity awareness & preparedness

Protecting vegetable growing businesses from pests and diseases.

Biosecurity planning

AUSVEG has a dedicated team of industry-leading biosecurity experts who develop and help implement biosecurity plans for potato growing businesses to help protect their farms from the spread of damaging pests and diseases. AUSVEG is involved in many biosecurity projects that focus on increasing growers’ capacity to adopt biosecurity best-practice on-farm.

Grower representation

AUSVEG represents the interests of growers on biosecurity matter as a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD). This is the agreement between governments and industry that defines how new pest incursions are managed and how the costs of treating such incursions will be shared. Without this agreement, the full impact of the arrival of new pests and diseases would land squarely on growers.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• Held 23 virtual and hybrid-model workshops on pests of importance to potato growers, including serpentine leafminer, fall armyworm, and American serpentine leafminer.
• Represented growers’ interests on the Consultative Committee for Emergency Plant Pests on incursions of significant concern, including tomato-potato psyllid, serpentine leafminer, fall armyworm, and American serpentine leafminer.
• Promoted biosecurity best-practice to growers at workshops, via webinars and through one-on-one consultations.
• Liaised with Plant Health Australia and Hort Innovation to advise on biosecurity-related investments to protect Australia’s potato growers from harmful pests and diseases.

Environmental awareness & stewardship

Helping vegetable growers protect the environment

• AUSVEG employs experts in environmental stewardship and best-practice to provide vegetable growers with information about how they can improve their environmental management and increase the sustainability of their production businesses.
• AUSVEG manages EnviroVeg, which is an industry-led environmental best-practice management program for vegetable production businesses that provides resources for sustainable growing techniques and represents vegetable businesses as responsible stewards of land, water and biodiversity.

Recent outcome for potato growers?

• Potato producers, who also grow vegetables, are involved in EnviroVeg, delivered by AUSVEG and funded using the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.
• AUSVEG is in ongoing discussions with Hort Innovation around how to include more potato growers in the EnviroVeg program.

Pest & disease identification, management & control expertise

Keeping produce free from pests and diseases

• AUSVEG has a detailed understanding of the pests and diseases that impact the potato industry, as well as the chemical and integrated pest management options to control any outbreaks.
• AUSVEG works with growing businesses to develop and implement plans to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, as well as research organisations, agronomists, chemical companies and others in the supply chain to increase the capacity of the vegetable industry to manage pests and diseases.
• AUSVEG is involved in government and industry forums that ensure decisions around pest, disease and management options are informed with the ‘on-the-ground’ experiences of growers and that government and industry investment is directed in the most relevant areas.

Recent outcomes for potato growers?

• AUSVEG has been involved in recent EPPRD forums and committees on behalf of potato growers.
• AUSVEG has worked with industry organisations and commercial companies over the last 18 months to ensure that potato growers’ concerns are addressed through the latest innovations, products and technologies.
• Provides ongoing feedback to government departments on matters relating to pest management and border protection, including recent pest incursions.

Find out more

For further details or to get in touch, please email info@ausveg.com.au or phone 03 9882 0277.