AUSVEG Weekly Update – 21 March 2017
Vegetable Feature Article
Expression of Interest: 2017 Reverse Trade Mission – Produce Display
All export ready vegetable growers are invited to register with AUSVEG to display their produce to 40 international fresh produce buyers at Hort Connections in Adelaide as part of the 2017 Reverse Trade Mission.
AUSVEG will be bringing delegates from across Asia and the Middle East to Australia to participate in a range of farm visits in Western Australia to showcase the Australian vegetable industry. These delegates will then attend Hort Connections 2017 in Adelaide, culminating in the Produce Display event.
The event will be held on Tuesday 16 May from 9am – 1pm, giving growers from across the country the opportunity to display their produce to these leading international buyers.
Register now to participate in this exciting event by returning the registration form by Friday 14 April to export@ausveg.com.au or call 03 9882 0277 for further information.
| The 2017 Reverse Trade Mission is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the research and development National Vegetable Levy and funds from the Australian Government. |  |
Potato Feature Article
Last chance to provide feedback on the potato Strategic Investment Plan
The Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the fresh potato industry is almost done! The final draft of the document has been published online by Hort Innovation, and you have until Monday 27 March 2017 to get in any final feedback.
To read the final draft SIP and use the simple online form to provide your feedback, visit Hort Innovation’s fresh potato grower page.
You can also provide feedback direct to Hort Innovation Relationship Manager Christian Patterson on 0433 896 753 or christian.patterson@horticulture.com.au.
What is the SIP?
The final industry SIP will be used to help guide Hort Innovation’s strategic investment of the fresh potato levy, ensuring that levy investment decisions align with industry priorities. It outlines these industry priorities and the core industry outcomes required by investments.
The SIP is designed to represent the balanced interests of the fresh potato industry.
How will it be used?
The SIP will be used like a ‘roadmap’ by the fresh potato industry Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) in providing advice to Hort Innovation on potential levy investments.
What is the SIAP?
The fresh potato SIAP’s key function is to provide transparent and robust strategic investment advice to Hort Innovation – helping guide the way the industry levy and Australian Government contributions are put to use.
The fresh potato SIAP is made up of panellists from the fresh potato industry. Most panellists are levy-paying growers, with appointments made based on skills criteria and considering geographic and sectorial diversity. The SIAP also has a chair, appointed at the end of 2016.
To see the list of panellists and to access summary notes from the fresh potato SIAP’s meetings to date, please click here.
How do ideas get to the SIAP?
Anyone is welcome to submit an idea for a potential industry project. To submit an idea, use Hort Innovation’s Concept Proposal Form.
To learn more about the innovation process at Hort Innovation, please click here.
Any questions?
Contact Christian Patterson at Hort Innovation on 0433 896 753 or christian.patterson@horticulture.com.au.
| This consultation was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the research and development National Fresh Potato Levy and funds from the Australian Government. | |
Industry update – Tomato potato psyllid
The Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) published the following factsheet on the Tomato potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli), which contains information on the pest as well as what to do if you suspect it on your property.
On 13 March 2017 DAFWA released the following industry update, with information on the detections of the pest in Western Australia and information on the quarantine area.
For more information, please click here to visit the DAFWA website.
Haifa renews Strategic Partnership with AUSVEG
AUSVEG is pleased to announce the continuation of its strategic partnership with Haifa.
Haifa is an Israel-based multinational corporation and a leading global supplier of potassium nitrate, specialty plant nutrients and industrial chemicals.
AUSVEG looks forward to working with Haifa over the coming year for the benefit of Australian potato growers. To find out more about Haifa, please click here.
NAB joins Hort Connections 2017 as Convention Partner
AUSVEG is proud to announce that NAB has joined Hort Connections 2017 as an Agribusiness Partner.
As an agribusiness partner, NAB will have the exclusive sponsorship of the Exporter of the Year Award, as well as being the exclusive sponsor of the Wednesday Lunch.
To view the entire program for Hort Connections 2017, please click here. For more information, please contact AUSVEG on 03 9882 0277, email info@hortconnections.com.au or visit the Hort Connections website.
For more information about NAB, please visit their website here.
Expressions of interest for attendance at the 2017 Horticulture Field Day
Hort Connections 2017 will be preceded by the annual Horticulture Field Day. This year, the field day will focus on pest and disease detection and management. The event is free and available only to those who have registered for Hort Connections 2017.
Date: Monday 15 May
Time: 8:15am – 5:30pm
Location: Adelaide and surrounds
An agenda for the day will be publicised in early April. Spaces are strictly limited so be sure to register your interest with AUSVEG promptly. Breakfast and lunch will be provided for attendees.
To express your interest in attending this field day, please email info@ausveg.com.au.
See the RIPPATM on-farm
The RIPPATM (Robot for Intelligent Perception and Precision Application) was out on-farm last week in Kalbar, Queensland as part of ongoing field trials and events throughout the east coast of Australia.
Developed for the Australian vegetable industry, this innovative robot is being designed to operate autonomously, automatically remove weeds, detect and remove foreign objects, determine crop health and soil status, conduct precision spraying on individual plants, and monitor crop growth to help estimate yield through data analytics.
The week-long trial was aimed at evaluating and demonstrating specific functions of the robot and intelligent systems, including autonomous row following, crop mapping, and mechanical weeding. Over 25 people attended a field event on Thursday 16 March to see the robot in action and chat with the research team. For a full report on this field trial, click here.
| This project has been funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the research and development National Vegetable levy and funds from the Australian Government. | |
New Melbourne Market x-ray treatment facility
AUSVEG strategic partner Steritech will establish a fresh produce X-ray treatment facility at the Melbourne Market in Epping.
The facility means that any horticultural produce that must be treated before being shipped offshore is able to be exported directly out of Melbourne, rather than being shipped to Queensland for treatment first.
The project will involve a new warehouse, buildings and coolrooms at Melbourne Market.
For more information, please click here.
Review of on-farm dangers shows overall decrease in farm fatalities in 2016
New research from the University of Sydney Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety has reviewed media reports of on-farm deaths and injuries in 2016 to identify the most dangerous aspects of farming operations. According to the review of over 2,500 print media articles, a total of 63 on-farm deaths were reported in 2016 – a slight drop on the 69 reported in 2015.
The review has found that tractors were the most common cause of death on farms, with nine deaths linked to tractors in 2016 (down from 13 in 2015). The number of deaths attributable to quad bikes also dropped significantly in the past year, from 15 in 2015 down to six in 2016. To read the full report, please click here.
A 2012 research project showed that that vegetable growers believe occupational health and safety (OHS) is one of their top skill weaknesses. To help respond to this crucial issue, Horticulture Innovation Australia commissioned project VG13053 to develop vegetable industry OHS resources, with RMCG acting as service provider for the project. To read the final report from this project, which includes appendices with OHS posters in multiple languages that can be used on a vegetable growing operation, please click here.
| Project VG13053 Develop vegetable industry occupational health and safety resources was funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the research and development National Vegetable levy and funds from the Australian Government. | |
New R&D reports available on InfoVeg
InfoVeg is a comprehensive database that has been designed to bridge the gap between researchers and growers. It acts as a resource for growers to easily access technical information and research funded by the National Vegetable and Potato Levies.
The following reports were published recently on the InfoVeg database:
- PT08033 – National Potato Breeding Program: Strategic Trait Development
- PT09005 – Evaluation, and demonstration of degradable polyethylene film on Tasmanian processing potato crops
- VG12108 – Improving the management of insect contaminants in processed leafy vegetables
- VG12115 – Integrating sustainable soil health practices into a commercial vegetable farming operation
- VG13042 – New in-field treatment solutions to control Fruit Fly (2)
- VG13113 – Evaluation of automation and robotics innovations: developing next generation vegetable production systems
- VG15057 – Feasibility study to collect and report wholesale market price information for the Australian vegetable industry
Click here to sign up or log in to your InfoVeg account to access the reports.
| The InfoVeg database is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the research and development National Vegetable and National Potato Levies and funds from the Australian Government. | |
CHT Australia event at Hort Connections 2017
AUSVEG is offering industry members an opporunity to hear the latest in soil moisture management practices. The event will be hosted by AUSVEG Strategic Partner CHT Australia on the evening of Tuesday 16 May at Hort Connections 2017.
Hear from one of the world’s leading surfactant chemists, plus get an insider’s insight on results from a number of CHT Australia’s local field trial programs.
Seats are limited and filling fast. If you want to hear the latest on soil moisture management practices, get in contact with AUSVEG to reserve your seat at this exclusive CHT Australia event.
For more information or to reserve a place, please email info@hortconnections.com.au.
2017 AUSVEG SA and William Buck Vegetable Industry Awards for Excellence 2017
The AUSVEG SA and William Buck Vegetable Industry Awards for Excellence will be held on Wednesday 12 April 2017.
The event will celebrate the South Australian industry with a three course dinner, drinks and entertainment, and will be attended by leading supply chain and grower participants from throughout the state.
Tickets are $100 for members and $120 for non-members, with corporate packages available on request.
For more information, please click here, or email jordan.brooke-barnett@ausveg.com.au.
Current project opportunities with Hort Innovation
Hort Innovation advertises opportunities to become a delivery partner on research, development and marketing projects for Australian horticulture on its website and on tenders.net.
Join Hort Innovation’s delivery partner mailing list to receive email notifications of new opportunities by registering through its delivery partner registration form.
The relevant documentation for each opportunity is available on tenders.net. To access this information, you will need to become a member by registering on the tenders.net registration page.
Please find below a table of current project opportunities directly related to the Australian vegetable and potato industries. For more details on any of the projects, or for information on other project opportunities across horticulture, please visit tenders.net.
| Type | Title | Closing date |
| Request for proposal | Field and landscape management to support beneficial arthropods for IPM on vegetable farms | 5pm (Sydney time) Monday 27 March 2017 |
| Communication of levy-funded R&D is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the research and development National Vegetable Levy, research and development National Fresh Potato Levy and funds from the Australian Government. | |
New Minor Use permits
| Permit ID | Description | Date Issued | Expiry Date | Permit Holder | States |
| PER83203 (Note: This permit replaces PER11686 that expires 31-March-17) | Actives:Fipronil (Regent 200SC) Crop: Celery, field grown lettuce (head & leafy) Pest: Western Flower thrips & Onion thrips – lettuce only |
16-Mar-2017 | 31-Mar-2022 | Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited | All states except VIC |
| PER13031 V4 (Note: Cheminova FYFANON is now registered for field use only) | Actives:Maldison Crop: Capsicum & cucumbers, protected crops only Pest: Queensland fruit fly, Mediterranean fruit fly & cucumber fly |
6-Oct-2011 | 30-Nov-2018 | Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited | All states except VIC |
| PER14695 V2 (Note: Ridimol Gold 25G no longer commercially available and permit updated to include available formulations) | Actives:Metalaxyl-M (Ridomil Gold 480SL & 480EC) Crop: Parsnips Pest: Pythium spp. & Phytophthora spp. |
1-May-2014 | 30-Jun-2019 | Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited | All states except VIC |
| PER14318 V2 (Note: Ridimol Gold 25G no longer commercially available and permit updated to include available formulations) | Actives:Metalaxyl-M (Ridomil Gold 480SL & 480EC) Crop: Lettuce grown as winter crop, in clay loam soils Pest: Damping-Off (Pythium & Phytophthora) |
23-Dec-2013 | 30-Sep-2022 | Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited | All states except VIC |
| PER83797(Note: This permit replaces PER13121 – Ridimol Gold 25G no longer commercially available and permit updated to include available formulations) | Actives:Metalaxyl-M (Ridomil Gold 480SL & 480EC) Crop: Parsley Pest: Pythium root rot & Phytophthora root rot |
20-Mar-2017 | 31-Mar-2022 | Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited | All states except VIC |
All efforts have been made to provide the most current, complete and accurate information on permits. However, AUSVEG recommends that you confirm the details of any permits at the APVMA website.
Users are advised that while the pesticide can be applied legally under the APVMA minor use permit, there can be a significant delay until the maximum residue limit (MRL) gazetted by the APVMA is adopted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Until this occurs the MRL may not be recognised and a zero tolerance may be imposed for residues of the pesticide resulting from its use according to the APVMA permit.
Please be aware that in the absence of a MRL in the Food Standards Code, the use of the pesticide according to the permit may result in the suspension of the produce in the marketplace. Please check the FSANZ website or the Australian Government ComLaw website to confirm if there are MRLs established by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Please consult APVMA documentation before applying any product to your crop. For more information contact the APVMA on (02) 6210 4701.
If an adverse experience occurs as a result of using the permit, please fill out a Non-Performance Reporting Form for Horticultural Pesticides and return to jodie.pedrana@horticulture.com.au. To download a Non-Performance Reporting Form for Horticultural Pesticides, please click here.
| This communication has been funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited using the research and development National Vegetable levy and funds from the Australian Government. | |
AUSVEG in the media
AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside appeared in print media this week discussing the Government’s proposed changes to the Horticulture Code of Conduct. Mr Whiteside said that the Code will hopefully be more relevant to growers once changed, and that it was great to see the Government taking the recommendations put forward by the review on board.