$6 million to strengthen Aussie vegetable businesses

Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) recently invested more than $6 million into a targeted program which aims to bolster vegetable production in key growing areas throughout the nation.

The funds will be used to inform growers about current research and development activities and help them adopt best-practice, Hort Innovation Chief Executive John Lloyd said.

“Over the past year, Horticulture Innovation Australia has worked with its research partners to deliver more than 130 vegetable industry related research and development projects,” he said. “And we currently have almost 100 more in the pipeline.”

“Horticulture Innovation Australia has listened to its vegetable grower-owners in developing this national program, which will ensure the nation’s vegetable industry has access to the outputs from this research, and growers are helped where possible to adopt best-practice methods to improve their farm-gate returns.”

The program comprises the employment of dedicated professional staff in key areas, the delivery of specialised events and distribution of R&D materials, and information gathering on future research and development R&D project requirements.

National vegetable representative body AUSVEG said the vegetable-levy and Australian Government funded initiative is a boon for the industry.

“The vegetable levy system funds world-leading research that helps Australian growers produce premium quality vegetables that are in high demand throughout the world; communicating the outcomes of this research to growers is vital to ensure that they benefit from their levy investment,” said AUSVEG Interim Chief Executive Officer Simon Bolles.

“By providing a national network that is dedicated to extending the outputs of research to growers all over the country, the industry is ensuring that its hard-working members have the ability to increase their productivity and sustainability, which will ultimately improve their profitability into the future.”

These capacity building projects are being rolled out in the following areas through multiple service providers: 
• Queensland (Bowen Gumlu, Bundaberg, Lockyer Valley and Far North QLD)
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• South Australia
• Victoria (East Gippsland, South East, West and Northern Regions)
• Western Australia
• Tasmania