Australian vegetable growers have converged in Melbourne to learn how they can rise to meet the needs of local and global consumers, and use innovative technologies to develop products that customers want – even if they don’t yet know they want them.

Over 250 vegetable growers and industry members attended the Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar, a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, which was held on Monday 24 June in Melbourne alongside the Hort Connections 2019 conference.

The seminar provided the opportunity for growers from across Australia to hear from international experts about exporting, technologies and practices in global horticulture that can help growers tackle production challenges and satisfy evolving consumer preferences. This year’s line-up included:

 

Bryn McFadden and Harrison Enright
iTradeNetwork		 Visionary to the point of lunacy: overcoming the complexity of capturing data for food & beverage blockchains
Dennis Lin
BDO Australia		 The true power of vertical integration for branded food businesses
Marcus Van Heijst
Priva		 Controlled environments and how they transform the fresh produce business
Thomas King
Food Frontier		 Meat Re-Imagined, and what it means for Australian agriculture
Roger Tripathi
Global BioAg Linkages and BioAg Innovations		 Bio agriculture’s role in sustainable agriculture in Australia, and the local challenges and global opportunities
Chris McLoughlin
Mycelia Organics		 Innovation in production and supply chain to capture market share
Casper van Kemper
Agrifood and anti-piracy expert		 Why are vegetable seeds protected by Intellectual Property Rights and how is this important for a sustainable horticulture?

“Our industry is grappling with global changes and domestic issues that we need to manage so that growers can adopt environmentally-sustainable growing practices, be competitive in an increasingly tight global market, and meet consumer expectations,” said AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside.

“Innovative resource use is becoming more and more important in a changing climate, and we’re selling to more environmentally-conscious consumers. Australian vegetable growers need opportunities to learn about the innovative and ground-breaking growing practices that will shape the future of the fresh produce industry for years to come.

“It was fantastic to see so many growers attend this year’s seminar – it’s a great reflection of our industry’s willingness to learn and commitment to continuous improvement and growth, both on an individual level and as a whole sector,” said Mr Whiteside.

AUSVEG is the leading body representing Australia’s vegetable and potato growers, and has joined other leading industry organisations to deliver Hort Connections 2019, the premier event in Australian horticulture.

ENDS

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