Economic evaluation of farm energy audits and benchmarking of energy use on vegetable farms
12 January 2015Gas fuelled on farm power generation
22 January 2015Infotech Research conducted a series of 22 energy audits of levy paying vegetable growers in 2014, as part of a project with Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited (formerly known as Horticulture Australia Limited). We found that while individual operations vary, most of the energy used on a farm is as diesel fuel for cultivation, planting, irrigation and harvesting. Electrical energy consumption is less but costs about the same as diesel, while LPG is the predominant fuel used by forklifts. This is a case study that profiles a farm in Perth. Ivankovich Farms is situated in the sandy coastal plains south of Perth at Myalup. Peter and his son Anthony have been busy recently upgrading their carrot processing operations to meet expanding export markets. Growing vegetables in this environment uses a lot of energy as the sand drains water through it almost instantly and the WA climate can be hot and harsh over the Summer months.