The latest research funded by the National Vegetable Levy is assisting vegetable growers to select the right tools to manage their quality assurance (QA) systems.

The project, entitled Evaluation of quality assurance software for the vegetable industry, was conducted by Belinda Hazell at agribusiness consultancy group TQA Australia. It identified key criteria to evaluate and rank QA systems for vegetable farms, with checklists created for growers to choose the most appropriate system for their operations.

“Finding and managing the most appropriate QA system can be a time-consuming and costly task for growers; however, it is an essential component for any operation that supplies fresh, retail and export markets,” said AUSVEG Environment Coordinator Andrew Shaw.

“Given that many growers are moving away from paper-based QA tools in favour of innovative cloud and web-based technologies, finding the right QA system that matches the scale of their business and the crops they grow can be challenging.”

“A necessary starting point when contemplating investment in QA tools is defining your specific business requirements and deciding between the functionality that you ‘must have’, or is ‘nice to have’ or you ‘don’t need’.”

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing more than 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers.

Reported in the latest edition of Vegenotes, the research project does not make recommendations on which QA tools growers should use. Rather, it provides an easy-to-read framework for growers to assess the individual requirements of their business and helps them decide which system will work best for their needs.

“This research provides growers with checklists to help identify their requirements in choosing QA tools, looking at the ease of use and functionality that each tool provides so they can make the most efficient and economical decision on their QA system,” said Mr Shaw.

“Growers who can adopt the most cost-effective QA system that meets their requirements can benefit from increasing market access to their crops, as well as improving farm performance, traceability, risk management and reducing costs.”

Vegenotes is available as a bi-monthly publication alongside Vegetables Australia and is available free of charge to all National Vegetable Levy payers. To receive a copy of these publications, please contact AUSVEG.

The project has been funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT:  Andrew Shaw, Environment Coordinator, AUSVEG

Phone: (08) 8221 5220, Mobile: 0448 963 548, Email: andrew.shaw@ausveg.com.au