AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside appeared in the media this week in stories about the Australian Government’s new initiative to force social welfare recipients to work on Australian farms. Mr Whiteside called the plan a slap in the face to Australian farmers, and said that the announcement suggested that the government wasn’t listening to farmers and regional and rural communities about the severity of their labour problems. For more, see this story on ten daily or read AUSVEG’s full statement.

Mr Whiteside also appeared in stories covering a new Melbourne technology start-up which is trialling the use of sensors and robots to prevent theft at self-service checkouts in supermarkets. Mr Whiteside noted that while fresh produce is the most commonly stolen item in supermarkets, managing this issue is a matter for the supermarkets to manage. For more, see the full story in The Weekly Times.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 16 October 2018. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!