The AUSVEG Peri-Urban Biosecurity Pilot Program, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, was a vegetable industry-focused program which commenced in January 2021 and concluded in July 2022. The program was aimed at vegetable growers, agronomists, consultants and associated service providers confined to three pilot locations: Virginia, SA; Werribee, VIC; and Greater Sydney, NSW.

The Program Coordinator collaborated with agronomists/consultants in these regions to:

• Discuss endemic pest and disease issues.
• Understand current surveillance activities being undertaken in the region.
• Understand barriers to sharing surveillance data.
• Develop an industry surveillance network in conjunction with growers and agronomists.

A total of 12 workshops, four workshops in each region, were delivered over the 18-month program. Workshops addressed relevant endemic and exotic pests to the area, raised awareness of exotic pests and diseases and on-farm biosecurity, and provided guidance identifying significant issues and on how samples can be best collected. Free pest and disease diagnostics were offered through the project, and could be submitted to the relevant State government plant diagnostic service using take-home kits provided at the workshops (or mailed out to growers/agronomists).

Victorian industry can use this form to submit samples to Crop Health Services for diagnosis.