FEATURED EVENT
Annual Vegetable Industry SeminarRegistrations are now open for vegetable growers and industry members to attend the 2022 AVIS. The seminar will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and lunch will be provided. The event will conclude immediately prior to the official opening of Hort Connections 2022. The AVIS will focus on a broad variety of topics relevant to vegetable growers including developments in protected cropping, the latest findings from the Soil Wealth ICP project, strategies to increase export market access opportunities, and resilience and mental health for farmers. The keynote address will be given by Warren Davies, The Unbreakable Farmer. Register here.
Reporting and enforcement vital to new Horticulture Award standardChanges to the piece rate provisions within the Horticulture Award will ensure that all pieceworkers receive a minimum hourly rate for each hour worked. These changes will set a clear and enforceable standard for employers and make identifying non-compliance with the Award simpler for workers, regulatory agencies, unions and supply chain stakeholders. Click here to read
more. The Fair Work Ombudsman has updated its Horticulture Showcase with information about the changes. Click here to access the website. If you need assistance with implementing changes, don't hesitate to contact vegetablesWA Human Resources Industrial Relations Consultant Stephen Farrell at stephen.farrell@vegetableswa.com.au or phone 0455 833 352.
Government Support for Agricultural Events to Benefit GrowersvegetablesWA welcomes the commitment from the Federal Government $6 million commitment to support large agricultural events, including Hort Connections, the largest horticulture conference and trade show in the southern hemisphere.
It includes $2 million in support for horticulture industry events, including Hort Connections, which annually brings together over 3,000 industry representatives, including 1,000 vegetable, fruit and nut growers. Click here to read AUSVEG's media release
FEATURED ARTICLE
Who is Your Support Team?Running a business can be lonely at times, with small business owners wearing many hats. However, you don’t have to go it alone. There is a network of local support you can access, wherever you are in Western Australia. As a grower, you may not always think of yourself as a small business owner. However, it’s likely that you share challenges with small business owners in many different sectors, even more so in these COVID times. Read more
Agriculture Visa Update - Labour Announces Policy PositionThe Australian Labor Party has revealed its policy position on the Ag Visa and the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. The plan was announced earlier this week by the Labor Party. It will see the Australian Agriculture Visa embedded as a visa class under the expanded PALM scheme and the Federal Government bearing the travel costs for Pacific workers under the Seasonal Worker Programme. It will also allow Pacific Labour Scheme participants to bring family members to live and work in Australia. Click
here to read the Labour Party's Plan.
The National Farmers' Federation's Five Key PrioritiesThe National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has outlined five key priorities a future Government must deliver on day one of its National Conference in Canberra. - $4.1 billion for the establishment of 20 Regional Development Precincts;
- A $2 billion fund to reward land managers who improve the health of their landscape;
- A $5 billion
Rural Telecommunications Fund to improve connectivity for remote Australians;
- The fast-tracking of discussions to lock in 10 Ag Visa partner countries;
- Reform to competition law to protect farmers from unfair practices.
The NFF also released the 'Time to Thrive' platform to an audience at the National Convention Centre and invites all stakeholders to share the Time to Thrive Election manifesto. Click here to read the full media release.
Deep ripping the right soil can pay off this season, despite fuel pricesHigh fuel prices are not necessarily a reason to hold off deep ripping, according to an analysis by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). DPIRD research scientist Bindi Isbister said with recent diesel price hikes and hard soils from a dry summer increasing draft and fuel use, many growers were asking whether it was still worth deep ripping. Despite the high cost of fuel, if you are deep ripping a soil type that typically has a good yield response then it is still economically
worthwhile. This was based on the estimated cost of deep ripping to 55cm for labour, wages and depreciation of $62 per hectare and fuel use of 90 litres per hectare. The benefit of deep ripping commonly persists for at least three years, therefore, the cumulative three-year additional return is $183 per hectare with the ripping cost spread over that time. Where possible, growers should avoid ripping rocky areas that increased the risk of machinery breakages, especially if using the same tractor for seeding. Click here to read the full media
release.
Grow your career in horticulture as an integrated pest management (IPM) officerAs an IPM officer, Olivia is responsible for controlling plant diseases and pests using a non-conventional approach. Olivia works in the high-tech glasshouses at Green Camel, helping produce tomatoes and cucumbers organically.
IPM is vital for this type of operation and involves the strategic releasing of beneficial insects to naturally control pests along with organic spray applications.
This video is part of AUSVEG's Grow Your Career in Horticulture video series. Click here to view the series.
We want your feedback – Ensure VegNET continues to meet your needsThe purpose of this survey is to seek feedback and input from vegetable growers, service providers and others who work in the industry, to ensure the national vegetable extension program, VegNET, continues to meet the needs of growers and industry. The survey will be open for a period of three (3) months from April to June 2022 to allow maximum responses and ensure a representative cross-section of the industry is reached. To achieve this, the survey distribution will be staged across different regions to best suit seasonal conditions and avoid peak production
times.
This is the first survey as part of VegNET Phase 3 and will be undertaken in years 1, 3 and 5 of delivery. Responses to this survey will remain confidential and no comments will be attributed to individuals. This survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Complete the survey here or contact your Regional Development Officer, Michael Bartholomew on 0427 373 037, to complete the survey over the phone or in person.
Complete the annual AUSVEG Pest and Disease Management Survey for your chance to win!AUSVEG is seeking to identify Australian vegetable growers’ perceptions of, and approaches to, pest and disease management practices, impacts of pests and diseases on business risks, and concerns about potential impacts on crop health.
AUSVEG encourages all Australian vegetable producers to provide their views on pest and disease management practices by completing this survey by Sunday 12 June.
The AUSVEG Pest and Disease Management Survey takes approximately five minutes to complete. Upon completion, you will go into the draw to win a $200 Prezzee voucher.
Labor’s renewed Pacific commitment is welcome but not at the expense of an Agriculture Visa with ASEANThe Labor Party’s policy on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and Australian Agriculture Visa (Ag Visa) announced today confirms an ongoing commitment to the Pacific but does not address key challenges outlined by the industry. Read more
The educational program trying to develop the next generation of horticulture workersAn Australian non-profit organization has established learning programs aimed at increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables among children and providing a pathway for students to take up jobs in horticulture. Food Ladder notes that around just six percent of Australian kids are eating the required amount of fresh fruit and vegetables every day, and there is a need to better link food production to education and outcomes. Horticulture and Training Manager Scott McDonald explains that the organization uses hydroponic technology and
climate-controlled greenhouses with small-scale food growing systems and specialized education resources, so students and communities in regional areas can grow their own produce. Read more
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