The Future Technologies Seminar was held on Wednesday 9 May 2012 at the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Hobart. The seminar brought together 34 growers to discuss their opinions on the major future technologies, as requested by the Vegetable IAC, to benefit the Australian vegetable industry in the next 10 to 20 years. The event also served as an opportunity for the speakers to identify future innovations or modifications to their product range which could help benefit growers. As such, the seminar promoted open dialogue between researchers, growers and industry service providers to identify what technologies growers wanted to see implemented on their farms.

The key insight from the seminar was that growers wanted a more open relationship with the researchers/developers of farming technologies. Enhanced dialogue would facilitate a better understanding and more precise knowledge of what was required and desired by growers, and what was achievable by researchers/developers. Ultimately greater cooperation would result in more appropriate and useful technologies being developed.

A major outcome of the seminar was constructive ideas for future research and development funding within the industry, and an increased awareness of potentially useful technologies for farmers that were already available but not widely known.

The development of the future technologies outlined during the seminar needed to be monitored by industry. The growers in attendance at the seminar, as well as IAC committee members, Hort Innovation (which was then Horticulture Australia Limited) and AUSVEG representatives played a vital role in monitoring the progress of these technologies, particularly in heightening awareness across industry.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the research and development levies listed below and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

• Vegetable Fund