The latest highlights, achievements and issues this Spring include:
 

Biosecurity Update

 
Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) sampling – Confirming market access arrangements for South Australian Producers:

From October 2017, South Australia will be undertaking more surveillance to confirm that Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) is not present in our state.  All states have agreed to do this now that it’s been confirmed that it isn’t possible to eradicate the pest in Western Australia.

This work is incredibly important to provide the evidence required to allow South Australian potatoes to move interstate.  Otherwise South Australia will not be able to demonstrate our area freedom claim for TPP.  Click here to read more.

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Annual Dinner & Auction

The 2017 Industry Dinner and Auction will be held at the National Wine Centre of Australia, Adelaide on Friday 27 October at 7.30pm.  The Association’s AGM will be held at 4pm that afternoon.  Westpac Agribusiness is the official Dinner Partner for this event - we are very grateful for this support for the second year. Invitations will be out soon.
 

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Elders Ltd and Peats Soils and Garden Supplies renew Gold Corporate Partnerships

We are delighted that Elders Ltd and Peats Soils and Garden Supplies will feature as key partners for 2017’18.  This support is greatly appreciated and we look forward to continued project collaboration.

 

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Royal Adelaide Show 1-10 September 2017

Roll up to this year’s Royal Adelaide Show and support South Australia’s food, wine and beverage producers who will be showcasing their products in the Taste SA section of the Foodland Pavilion.
 
Taste SA is sponsored by Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) and features a wide range of small to medium-sized South Australian food, wine and beverage businesses. Click here to find out more.
 

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Fight Food Waste and Fraud CRC

The Fight Food Waste and Fraud Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) aims to tackle the growing international problem of food waste and fraud by developing the circular food economy in Australia to valorise 'waste', and by protecting the integrity and provenance of our food and wine products, both domestically and abroad.
 
The Stage 1 Expression of Interest for the Fight Food Waste and Fraud CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) to the CRC Program, led by PIRSA’s Dr Steve Lapidge, was submitted on 11 July. It includes commitments of $40M cash and $80M in-kind from 47 industry partners and 11 research partners. $41.75M in funding is sought from the CRC Program in this Stage which will make this a $160M investment program over ten years.
 
The Association and several potato industry stakeholders have committed to both in-kind and cash commitments mainly directed towards specific projects proposed by The University of Adelaide, a key collaborative partner.
 
Click here to find out more.

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Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists of the G20 States (MACS-G20) workshop "Food Losses & Waste (FLW) reduction", Berlin

I was fortunate to attend the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) Food Losses & Waste Reduction Workshop was held in Berlin, Germany, June 20‒22, 2017.

The workshop was attended by 43 participants from 17 countries and included representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) Commission.

Australia was represented at the workshop by Dr Steve Lapidge, Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, Mr Kimon Taliadoros, Empauer Pty Ltd, Victoria and myself. Click here to read more.

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Potatoes New Zealand Annual Conference and AGM 26-27 July

I attended this three day Conference in Pukekohe near Auckland as a guest of Potatoes New Zealand.  It was critical that the Association was present both to reinforce the important industry relationship and more particularly to learn additional information about practices employed to manage Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP).
 
There was considerable opportunity for feedback on what is and isn’t working in the field in New Zealand and to meet with research and industry experts, including primary producers. Click here to read more. 

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World Potato Congress (WPC) Bid for Adelaide, Australia 2021

The final Bid document was sent to WPC on 8 August.  Of significance is the inclusion of the inaugural WPC Trust for Developing Nations. 

This will help fund potato industry research, development and education in the developing world. The charitable trust will hold 10-15% of profits from each Congress.

A decision regarding the 2021 venue will be made in November 2017 - our competitors are The Netherlands and Ireland.

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New information on the Horticulture Code from the ACCC

On 1 April 2017, the new Horticulture Code of Conduct came into effect. The Code replaces the old mandatory Horticulture Code and is regulated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

If you trade in horticulture produce, you must comply with the terms of the new Code. Penalties and fines of up to $63,000 could apply for major breaches of the Code, as well as fines of up to $10,500 for smaller breaches.

The ACCC has added further material on the Code to its website, including explanations and examples of what constitutes 'unprocessed' produce, the obligation for all parties to deal in good faith, and the statements that traders must provide about how they deal with growers' produce.

You can find a comprehensive range of information on the new Code on the ACCC's website. If you have specific questions, please contact the ACCC using the numbers listed below.

ACCC Infocentre: 1300 302 502
Small business help line: 1300 302 021
 

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OTHER NEWS:

What's next from the National Landcare Program?

In the May budget, the Australian Government committed $1 billion over 5 years to the next tranche of the National Landcare Program, with the money to start flowing from June 2018.

In the coming months we are expecting the Government to trigger formal consultation on the design of the next program (NLP2) – and here at the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) we are keen to ensure that the new program supports continued investment in sustainable agriculture initiatives. Click here to read more.

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Farm work for working holiday-makers

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) wants to make sure that everyone who comes to work on Australian farms has a positive experience.
 

The NFF has developed a guide for working on Australian farms which includes what to expect, what to be aware of, and who to contact if there is a problem.

Every year, approximately 40 000 Working Holiday Makers, also referred to as backpackers, work in Australian agriculture, many of whom are completing their 88 days of specified work that is required for eligibility for a second year visa.

Australian farmers rely heavily on backpackers to help get the pruning done, beef cattle mustered, crops harvested and dairy cows milked. Click here to read more.

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EVENTS

Potato Europe 2017 Emmeloord, The Netherlands

In three weeks PotatoEurope 2017 opens its doors. The deputy of the province of Flevoland will have the honor of opening the trade fair.

Over 265 exhibitors (+8 %) from 16 countries will share their potato expertise with you in their booths and allow visitors a look in the potato chain of the future.

Click here for more information.

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FUNDING GRANTS

Click here to find available grants.

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MEDIA/PUBLICATIONS

Online/Print

• “Celebrating Australia’s Potato Industry at Hort Connections 2017”, Potatoes Australia, June/July 2017
• “New Independent Chair for Potatoes South Australia”, FreshPlaza, 30 June 2017
• “Food Waste: Farmers pay to give away”, Alex Sampson, The Weekly Times, 27 June 2017
• “Did you know that food waste and loss is actually surplus food?”, Fairfax/Smart Farmer, July2017
• “The New Zealand Experience”, Fairfax/Smart Farmer, August 2017