Members from all sectors of the horticulture industry have been left inspired and excited by the 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar, with over 130 attendees hearing presentations from international innovation experts on new and emerging technologies in horticulture around the world.

The seminar was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the vegetable research and development levy and funds from the Australian Government. Headlining the seminar’s speaker list was Agfunder’s Michael Dean, who spoke about trends in investment in agriculture. With extensive experience including sitting on the advisory board of the World Agri-Tech Investment Summit, Mr Dean offered attendees a valuable perspective on the future of agriculture investment.

Mr Dean was joined by a collection of other speakers, with a highlight being Wageningen University’s Frans Kampers presenting on the use of technology to meet challenges in the agricultural and food sectors. Attendees also heard the Association for Vertical Farming’s Henry Gordon-Smith discuss the benefits of vertical farming, including a range of real-world case studies of the implementation of vertical farming.

“The Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar is a fantastic way for members of the industry to learn about the latest and greatest innovations in agricultural technology and the ways in which innovative thinking can help address the key challenges facing our industry,” said AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside.

“The Australian horticulture industry has to tackle many of the same challenges faced by the sector internationally – with the main issues continuing to revolve around the need for more efficient and sustainable resource use.

“The seminar showed a range of ways in which members of the industry can take advantage of new and emerging technologies to help deal with these problems. We are proud to have presented such a diverse and exciting range of speakers for attendees, and the feedback we have received so far has been nothing short of wonderful.

“The Australian horticulture industry is thriving, and with the evolution of on-farm technology and ongoing improvements in business culture, the possibilities for what we can achieve in the future are staggering.”

AUSVEG is the leading body representing Australia’s vegetable and potato growers, and has joined other leading industry organisations to deliver Hort Connections 2017, the premier event in Australian horticulture.

“The turnout to this year’s event was fantastic, and it’s truly a reflection of the horticulture industry’s willingness and desire to learn, expand and grow both personally and professionally,” said Mr Whiteside.

“The seminar is an integral aspect of the horticulture industry’s events calendar, and we take pride in being able to present attendees with fantastic new information and fresh perspectives year after year.”

ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: Shaun Lindhe, AUSVEG National Manager – Communications
Phone: (03) 9882 0277, Mobile: 0405 977 789, Email: shaun.lindhe@ausveg.com.au