EDITION 17 | JUNE 2022
Message from the CEO
The past few weeks has seen PHA keeping up the trend of increased face-to-face engagements with our Member meetings in Sydney and Hort Connections in Brisbane - with both events providing us with valuable opportunities to reconnect with our members.
At our May Member meetings we welcomed Susan Petrellis to the PHA Board. Susan has international experience in industry, research, government, and education, building capability in organisations, industries, and economies across the agrifood, manufacturing and tech verticals. Her executive business experience spans senior roles in strategy, marketing, R&D, and innovation and she is a founder/founding member of 5 start-ups including innovation and sustainable leadership consultancy, Bounce Partners.
Member meetings
Hybrid Member meetings were held 24-25 May in Sydney and online.
A copy of the Chairman’s Address and the meeting presentations are available on the PHA website.
Biosecurity Training Hub
The Biosecurity Training Hub will be a national web-based platform bringing together all online biosecurity training and resources from across Australia to help improve accessibility, reduce duplication, and streamline resources for
broad-scale biosecurity training across the country.
A focus on Bee biosecurity
Following the buzz of World Bee Day celebrations last month, we continued our bee focus with PHA’s Kathryn Pagler, Bee Biosecurity Project Officer, attending the 4th Honey Bee Congress and the 3rd Native Bee Conference that both took place in Sydney, New South Wales.
Connecting with QLD producers
On day one of Hort Connections, PHA’s Karin Steenkamp, Communications Manager, and Kyra Murray, Project Officer: Partnerships and Innovation, attended the Northern Farm Bus Tour sponsored by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QLD DAF).
'Snailed it'...nailed it!
Operation Snailed It was conducted as a hybrid training exercise and surveillance collaboration between New South Wales (NSW) Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Plant Biosecurity and Murray and Riverina Local Land Services (LLS) at Barooga NSW on
10-11 May 2022.
New and revised Phytosanitary measures
At a recent meeting, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), adopted four new and revised International Standards on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) and 5 new phytosanitary treatments (Annexes to ISPM 28).
Ground-breaking multi-industry export program
Hort Innovation has contracted AUSVEG to deliver the industry export development program for the vegetable, onion and melon industries. The Multi-Industry Export Program (Vegetables, Onions, Melons) is a first for the horticulture industry with a collaborative approach to export development for growers under a single holistic export program.
$2.7M injection for Australian Mango industry
Australian mango growers are set to benefit from a $2.7M injection into extension and communication to help improve grower productivity and profitability.
The projects will integrate extension and communication to foster innovation and build capability to maximise yield, optimise quality and create demand.
Banana freckle detected in the NT
Banana freckle has been detected in the Batchelor–Rum Jungle region and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade is asking for help to determine how widespread the disease is in the Top End.
Banana freckle is a plant disease caused by the fungus Phyllosticta cavendishii.
New cotton industry podcast launched
The ‘From The Field’ podcast, produced by Cotton Australia, was launched last month. The podcast shares the journey of cotton farmers, and the challenges and the opportunities they face out on the land. It shares the industry’s story through five raw and honest conversations, each covering a different topic relating to the industry.
Varroa mite detected in NSW
A statewide emergency order has been issued to control the movement of bees across NSW and stop the spread of varroa mite.
Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders says the order has taken effect from 6pm Sunday 26 June.
Latest from Prevent Fruit Fly
NFFC fruit fly webinars attract worldwide interest
The National Fruit Fly Council recently hosted three online webinars with a total of more than 360 attendees from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Tbilisi, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Punjab, Selangor, Sénégal, South Africa and Taiwan.
Fruit fly efforts recognised
at Hort Connections
Congratulations to the Goulburn Murray Valley (GMV) Fruit Fly Area Wide Management Program and Peter Leach from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for winning awards at Hort Connections held in Brisbane earlier this month.
Latest from Grains Farm Biosecurity
Is your field day a biosecurity risk?
Field days provide invaluable opportunities for growers, agricultural professionals and extension workers to learn about the latest farming technology, different seed varieties and techniques to boost production. These events are a hive of activity creating opportunities for hitchhiking pests and diseases to spread.
Out and about
Sarah Corcoran PHA’S CEO, Penny Measham, Peter Leach, Nick Macleod and Ben Reilly joined for a discussion on market access at Hort Connections.
PHA's Kyra Murray and Trevor Dunmall joined Joanna Embry (Melons Australia) and Zarmeen Hassan (AUSVEG) at Hort Connections.
PHA's Dr Mila Bristow and Stuart Burgess with
Dr Alison Anderson (Hort Innovation) at Hort Connections.
PHA's Dr Susanna Driessen speaking at the Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar at Hort Connections.
PHA staff celebrated World Bee Day with a bee themed morning tea.
PHA's Bee team wearing yellow in support of
World Bee Day.
PHA's Bee Biosecurity Project Officer Kathryn Pagler caught up with a few Apiary Officers at the 4th Australian Bee Congress in Sydney.
PHA's CEO Sarah Corcoran kicks off the May Member meetings.
Staff movements
Farewell Angus and Rachel
This month we farewell our Communications Officer, Angus Abbott and Project Officer, Rachel Louise. Both Angus and Rachel have been with PHA for just under a year and are moving into non-biosecurity roles in the not-for-profit sector.
We wish them both all the best in their new roles.
Congratulations Maggie
We are pleased to announce that our Project Officer, Dr Maggie Mwathi-Nyarko has been appointed to the Networks Coordinator role. Maggie’s skills, knowledge and experience as a research scientist and project manager, with a PhD in Genetics, Masters in Biotechnology, Masters in Project Planning and Management, make her ideal for this nationally-focused science leadership role. Congratulations Maggie!
