Seminar aiming to educate and inspire veg growers

13 May 2022

Project Code

VG21003

Returning in 2022 is the AUSVEG-facilitated Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar, a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund. Vegetables Australia highlights some of the speaker and panel sessions taking place at this year’s event.

The Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar (AVIS) will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday 6 June from 12pm until 4pm, and lunch will be provided. The event will conclude immediately prior to the official opening of Hort Connections 2022.

This year, the AVIS will focus on a wide variety of topics relevant to vegetable growers. These include developments in protected cropping; increasing international and domestic horticulture market access opportunities; the VegNET project and the Regional Development Officers in each area; the latest findings from the Soil Wealth Integrated Crop Protection project; and resilience and mental health for farmers.

Keynote speaker

Resilience, persistence and determination are words used to describe farmer Warren Davies (pictured, top). But he is also a husband, father of five, son, brother, mate, and normal bloke down the road.

Warren’s authentic, inspiring and sometimes confronting presentations are filled with take home strategies developed from his business and life journey that his audience can implement in their day-to-day life to overcome challenges or pick themselves up and keep moving forward. His message is simple and so very important at a time when stress is seen as normal, and depression is commonplace.

Warren’s keynote topics are centred on resilience, persistence, determination, leadership and wellbeing, their moral relevant to all ages and communities. He takes the audience through the journey of him piecing his life back together and the lessons learnt along the way.

Nick Macleod from the DAF Market Access team.

Increasing international and domestic horticulture market access opportunities

The Market Access Team from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland, will present an overview of the impacts and outcomes from 20 years of market access research and development.

Nick Macleod and Peter Leach will present on the research undertaken to gain acceptance of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for all fruit and vegetables in Australia and New Zealand.

In 2021, this work culminated in the successful application to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to expand the list of fruit and vegetables that can use irradiation – a provision that has already been successful in expanding domestic market access options.

RMCG’s Carl Larsen is a member of the Soil Wealth and Integrated Crop Protection project team.

Hear from commercial businesses and industry leaders about the benefits of market access research and development, perspectives on the importance of data to underpin trade, experiences in accessing new markets, and the need for different treatment options.

Innovations through demonstration sites – insights from leading growers

Over the past eight years, the Soil Wealth ICP project (VG16078; a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund) has operated a network of demonstration sites around Australia. These sites have been the centre-point of putting soil management and plant health research into practice on-farm.

Farm walks, trials, case studies and other resources have been developed based on the findings and lessons from the demonstration sites.

For the first time, the Soil Wealth ICP team will bring together a select group of leading growers and innovators to discuss their experience and insights from hosting a demonstration site.

Attendees can expect an engaging panel discussion, practical insights and relevant R&D information, expertly facilitated by one of the Soil Wealth ICP team.

Gaining knowledge

The AVIS has been delivered in various formats (and under different names) for a number of years. Previous projects have provided growers with an overview of leading technologies and innovations from overseas to assist them improve productivity and profitability within their businesses.

It is hoped that once again will growers continue to gain useful information on new products and services to assist their businesses.