A dialogue on research, advocacy and people in the Australian vegetable industry from AUSVEG, Australia's peak industry body for the vegetable, potato and onion sectors.
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body, AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.Join us as we discuss the many diverse facets of commercial vegetable production in Australia with growers, industry figures, researchers and many more of the incredible people who make up our vibrant sector.The Australian supermarket sector is under significant examination, with government reviews focusing on market competition, pricing practices, and consumer protection. These reviews aim to address concerns about the dominance of major supermarket chains and seek to ensure, among other things, fair treatment of suppliers and a more sustainable and equitable supply chain. Professor Allan Fels AO is a prominent figure in Australian competition law and consumer advocacy, who has also served as the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.He joined AUSVEG to give his informed views on the recent flurry of attention on the big supermarkets, and the major developments of 2024.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
11/20/24 • 19:05
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.In the aftermath of any weather event, if you talk to five growers in a given region, you’ll get six different weather reports.General weather forecasts rarely provide the local accuracy needed to make crucial farming decisions. Recognising that shortcoming is a levy funded project started earlier this year that applies AI to the task of hyper-local weather forecasting.The project, Using AI and machine learning to improve weather forecasting, is being delivered by Jane’s Weather, a business founded by meteorologist Jane Bunn, who you may recognise as the weather forecaster and presenter at 7NEWS Melbourne.Jane and her colleague Josh Cross gave growers a run-down of how hyper-local weather forecasting works and what it lets growers do in a recent webinar run by AUSVEG. The webinar and the work presented by Jane's Weather were part of the Building Capacity and Resilience within the NSW Vegetable Industry project.Learn more about the projects discussed in this episode:Using AI and machine learning to improve weather forecasting (AS23005)Building Capacity and Resilience within the NSW Vegetable IndustryThe Building Capacity and Resilience within the NSW Vegetable Industry project is funded by the Australian and NSW Government’s Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program with support from AUSVEG. The project is coordinated by Marguerite White of ICD Project Services for AUSVEG.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
10/30/24 • 19:19
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.Join us as we discuss the many diverse facets of commercial vegetable production in Australia with growers, industry figures, researchers and many more of the incredible people who make up our vital industry.With the Australian government pushing for net zero emissions by 2050 and customers, retailers, and financial institutions increasingly wanting information on growers’ emissions, the agriculture sector is at the forefront of the climate change narrative, facing pressure to drive down its emissions.At the same time, decarbonisation is often seen as a cost burden that creates a trade-off against economic imperatives that drive productivity, profitability, growth and asset building at a time of significant margin squeeze.The Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Cooperative Research Centre (ZNE-Ag CRC), however, aims to coordinate opportunities to develop, derisk and scale technologies while growing profitable and sustainable farming businesses.In this episode we speak with Richard Heath, the CEO of ZNE-Ag CRC and a Director of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, who says that horticulture makes up just over 1 percent of the total 17 percent that agriculture contributes to Australia's emissions. Much of what we do in horticulture is already well on the way to Australia’s net-zero goals, and Richard explains that the main goal is improving efficiencies and continually building best practices.Greenhouse gas emissions calculators talked about in the episode:Agricultural Innovation Australian Environmental Accounting PlatformHorticulture Greenhouse Accounting Framework (H-GAF) CalculatorThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
10/11/24 • 16:19
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.With two distinct seasons, the Northern Territory’s vegetable industry has one principal growing window that is ideally placed to meet the needs of Australia’s southern states during their winter.Most of the NT’s young vegetable industry’s output is sent interstate, which has had a big impact on its structure and crops, but the evolution of Northern Territory horticulture has also been touched by the big South East Asian influence on the territory’s culture and grower community.AUSVEG’s Deborah Hill had a chat with Mariah Maughan, VegNET Regional Development Officer for the Northern Territory, about the opportunities and unique challenges for vegetable production in the NT.Learn more about the project discussed in this episode:VegNET 3.0 (VG21000)Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
10/2/24 • 17:41
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.Join us as we discuss the many diverse facets of commercial vegetable production in Australia with growers, industry figures, researchers and many more of the incredible people who make up our vital industry.Lean management is an approach that optimises efficiency by minimising waste and maximising value for businesses. It can be applied to a wide range of industries – from construction to agriculture.In this episode of Vegalogue we have a chat with Simon Drum, Managing Director of PSVC Advisory, about what lean management can add to a horticulture business.Simon has 25 years of experience in agribusiness value chains, holding senior roles with some of the largest horticulture businesses in Australia. He specialises in using lean principles to transform client businesses into more productive and profitable operations.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
9/11/24 • 20:31
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.The US is the fourth largest onion producer in the world, and harvests more than 12 times the annual onion volume of Australia.But despite being an order of magnitude larger, the fundamentals in the field are very similar, and pests, diseases and weeds are as much a threat to the US onion industry as they are in Australia.Managing those threats is impossible without understanding the total 'farmscape' that you operate in, according to Dr Daniel Drost, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture and a former Extension Vegetable Specialist in the Department of Plants, Soils and Climate at Utah State University.Dr Drost was in Australia to speak to growers as part of a levy-funded onion study tour, and we had a chat with him at the Hort Connections 2024 trade show.Learn more about the project discussed in this episode:Onion international study tours – inbound and outbound (VN22000)Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
9/2/24 • 11:30
Vegalogue is a regular podcast from vegetable, potato and onion industry peak body AUSVEG, where we examine the pressing issues and latest developments in our sector.Join us as we discuss the many diverse facets of commercial vegetable production in Australia with growers, industry figures, researchers and many more of the incredible people who make up our vital industry.This episode is the first of our new Advocacy Editions, where we'll be unpacking the big issues facing the industry with a range of industry experts.Recent AUSVEG Industry Sentiment Surveys have highlighted persistent challenges for Australian growers, including ongoing workforce shortages and the mounting burden of compliance and regulation.In this episode of Vegalogue, we speak to Michael Rogers, the recently-appointed Chief Operating Officer of Agri Labour Australia, as we delve into pressing workforce issues, and explore potential paths forward.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
8/15/24 • 21:26
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each episode we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.At Hort Connections in Melbourne in early June, 10 of the horticulture industry’s leading lights were recognised with the presentation of the Horticulture Awards for Excellence for 2024.The winners of these awards have fascinating stories to tell about overcoming challenges to build some of the most successful businesses in the industry, groundbreaking research, or personal stories of lives and careers in the dynamic world of horticulture.This episode we have a chat with Angelo Lamattina of Victorian carrot grower Rocky Lamattina & Sons, the winner of this year’s Syngenta Grower of the Year award.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
8/1/24 • 23:43
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each episode we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.In the last episode we had a chat with Dr Kelvin Montagu about a project he ran a few years ago exploring the benefits of cover cropping for vegetable growers.This episode, we speak with a grower who was part of that project, Peter Schreurs and Sons, and how it started them on a cover cropping journey that has changed the face of their farm.You can watch a video version of this interview here.Guests:Darren Schreurs, Peter Schreurs & SonsMark Schreurs, Peter Schreurs & SonsLearn more about the project discussed in this episode:Optimising cover cropping for the Australian vegetable industry (VG16068)Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
7/16/24 • 14:46
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each episode we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This episode, we look at the benefits of cover cropping, which are many and varied. Vegetable growers are increasingly working cover crops into their rotations, but getting a good return on the investment can get a little complex.It’s important to be clear on what you want to get out of a cover crop, according to Dr Kelvin Montagu, a research scientist with Applied Horticultural Research.Dr Montagu has done quite a bit of work in cover cropping, including a levy-funded project a few years ago called Optimising cover cropping for the Australian vegetable industry, which helped veg growers use cover cropping to boost soil health and improve productivity.Learn more about the projects discussed in this episode:Optimising cover cropping for the Australian vegetable industry (VG16068)Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
7/1/24 • 31:50
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each episode we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This episode, we discuss:The common factor driving a $20,000 per hectare difference between Australia's most profitable vegetable and onion growers and the industry average, as discovered by the Level Up Hort project.An aerial drone spraying demonstration night run by VegNET Gippsland.Guests:Paul Omodei, Director of Horticulture and Agronomy, PlanfarmEmily Scott, VegNET Regional Development Officer, Food & Fibre GippslandCherry Emerick, VegNET National Coordinator, AUSVEGAdam Schreurs, Director, Schreurs & SonsLearn more about the projects discussed in this episode:Level Up Hort - National vegetable and onion benchmarking program (MT22009)VegNet 3.0 (VG21000)Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
6/17/24 • 14:50
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each episode we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This episode, we discuss drying and curing onions with Brad Hicks of vegetable storage and handling company Tolsma Australia, and the pros and cons of different curing shed designs used around Australia.Guests:Brad Hicks, After Sales and Service Manager, Tolsma AustraliaThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
6/2/24 • 24:38
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each episode we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:The upcoming Hort Connections 2024 conference and trade show, the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.How to get more vegetables onto primary school canteen menus, and the changing structure of canteens that may make it possible.A sensor-studded smart farm that's building a model to squeeze every bit of efficiency out of chilli and avocado production.Guests:Nathan McIntyre, National Manager, Events & Partnerships, AUSVEG.Shadia Djakovic, Senior Project Manager: Schools & Community, Healthy Kids Association.David de Paoli, Founder and Chairman, AustChilli Group.Kaushal Gunasekara, Farm Business Development Manager, AustChilli Group.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
5/20/24 • 21:11
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:How the transition from varroa mite eradication to management has gone, and the priorities for the new plan.The cross-agriculture collaboration to manage Fall armyworm amidst the largest outbreak of the pest since it was detected in Australia.Why cauliflowers need a sun hat, and what growers are looking for in new cauli varieties.Guests:Zarmeen Hassan, National Manager of Biosecurity and Extension, AUSVEGDr Melina Miles, Principal Entomologist, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.Eliza Seymour, Regional Business Manager - Victoria & Tasmania, Bayer Vegetable Seeds.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
4/29/24 • 27:41
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:How the Australian horticulture levy system works, and how it gives Australian growers an edge.New glasshouse films that could reduce energy consumption and increase productivity in protected cropping.A new plan that's finding ways to reduce the horticulture sector's on-farm food waste for the benefit of growers’ bottom line, as well as the environment and food security. Read the plan here: https://endfoodwaste.com.au/horticulture/Guests:Andrew Francey, General Manager of Industry Service and Delivery, Hort Innovation Australia.Associate Professor Chris Cazzonelli, Professor Zhong-Hua Chen, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University.Melissa Smith, End Food Waste Australia.Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
3/27/24 • 32:30
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:How the state-by-state rollout of the new Primary Production and Processing (PPP) Standard for leafy vegetables, berries and melons is progressing.A major new project developing a national biosecurity strategy for vegetables, the Vegetable industry biosecurity and business continuity strategy (VG22004).Changes to the vegetable industry seen during 60 years as a potato grower and 20 years on the AUSVEG Board with outgoing Director Geoff Moar.Guests:Zarmeen Hassan, National Manager of Biosecurity and Extension, AUSVEGDr Rosalie Daniel, Program Manager - Biosecurity, AUSVEGDr Lucy Tran-Nguyen, General Manager of Partnerships and Innovation, Plant Health AustraliaGeoff Moar, owner, Moar GR & LThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
2/27/24 • 35:14
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we'll be taking a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:The Onions Australia merger with AUSVEGPre-harvest sanitation of leafy green vegetablesThe opportunities and hurdles for vegetables as snack foodsThe Gatton AgTech ShowcaseGuests:Michael Coote, CEO, AUSVEGAdjunct Professor Tom Ross and Senior Research Fellow Dr Alieta Eyles, University of TasmaniaMartin Kneebone, Managing Director, FreshlogicIan Layden, Director for Vegetables, Systems and Supply Chains, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
1/29/24 • 29:42
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we'll be taking a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:The big developments on the horizon for the horticulture sector as we move into 2024Research presented at the levy-funded South Australian Onion Growers Growers LunchBoomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture Award 2023 winner Angela CandeloroGuests:Michael Coote, CEO, AUSVEGProfessor Lindsey du Toit, Department of Plant Pathology Chair, Washington State UniversityDr Sam Kleemann, Plant Science ConsultingDr Peter Boutsalis, Plant Science ConsultingAngela Candeloro, Director, Tripod FarmersThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
12/21/23 • 24:05
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we'll be taking a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:Opportunities and lessons for Australian vegetable exports in the UK and EuropeThe levy-funded project bolstering Australian vegetable, onion and melon export developmentHort Innovation Exporter of the Year Frank Frappa of Premier Fresh AustraliaGuests:Mike Knowles, Managing Director, Fruitnet EuropeFred Searle, Editor, Fresh Produce JournalAndrea Lin, International Trade Specialist, AUSVEGFrank Frappa, Executive GM of Avocado, Citrus, Grapes, International and Stone Fruit, Premier Fresh AustraliaThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
11/29/23 • 36:20
Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we'll be taking a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:European certification schemes for horticulture and what they could mean for Australian vegetable growersA levy-funded project investigating the causes and treatment of internal fruit rot of capsicumMoving from sugar cane to groundbreaking vegetable grower with Syngenta Grower of the Year winner Pirrone BrothersGuests:Lucy Gregg, AUSVEG's National Public Affairs ManagerDr Jenny Ekman, Research Scientist, Applied Horticultural ResearchRoss Pirrone, Business Manager, Pirrone BrothersThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
10/30/23 • 33:05
Vegalogue is a new podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we'll be taking a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:Retail is under the spotlight with the Government's Competition Policy Review and the Independent Reviewer's Food and Grocery Code surveyA new five-year project helping vegetable growers benchmark their business performance run by PlanfarmThe challenges of starting a new vegetable operation from scratch with Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year, Robert Arvier of West Pine AgGuests:Lucy Gregg, AUSVEG's National Public Affairs ManagerPaul Omodei, Director of Horticulture, PlanfarmPeter Dobra, R&D Manager, Loose Leaf Lettuce CompanyRobert Arvier, West Pine AgThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
9/19/23 • 40:23
Vegalogue is a new podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we'll be taking a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.This month, we discuss:Workforce availability challenges arising from changes in Federal Government policy with AUSVEG's Lucy GreggIdentifying and managing microbial contamination in leafy vegetables with the NSW DPI's SP SinghEvolving from family farm to consumer-direct potato marketer with the Spud SistersGuests:Lucy Gregg, AUSVEG's National Public Affairs ManagerDr Sukhvinder Pal (SP) Singh, Senior Research Scientist (Fresh Produce Safety and Traceability) with the NSW Department of Primary IndustriesKerri Farrell and Catherine Ramage of Spud SistersThanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter/X.
8/17/23 • 40:09