GROW YOUR RETAIL BUSINESS

trade shows, overseas nurseries and learn from them; sharing challenges and solutions. Obviously inviting specialists like Powerplants or Transplant Systems to visit your business and provide expert insight. He also suggests searching for video content on youtube so you can see the machinery in use.

Merijn feels that achieving a ratio of 80% mechanised production and 20% manual production is a good guide for optimal productivity for Victorian horticultural businesses.

The session concluded with NGIV’s Policy & Technical Manager, David Reid, sharing a funding opportunity that is aiding Victorian horticulture businesses to introduce mechanisation. The Business Adaptation Grant is designed to assist eligible businesses to meet the costs of adapting workplaces to comply health, safety and social distancing requirements or adapting to required business changes imposed as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Under the program, individual grants between $10,000 and $300,000 will support eligible businesses cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of necessary adaptations to their workplaces.

Grants can also be used to purchase machinery or appliances needed to adapt businesses in order to maintain operations during the pandemic. Contact david@ngiv.com.au to discuss your own potential eligibility.

We’d like to thank Merijn for the level of enthusiasm and knowledge he brought to the discussion. It was fantastic to bring together industry figures from across Australia to share and learn from one another. Proving that meaningful collaboration can continue despite the logistical challenges. The Tree and Shrub Growers of Victoria is the largest sectional interest group of the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV). The group consists of members of the NGIV involved with nursery plant production and allied trade and provides fantastic networking opportunities across all areas of industry.

Contact NGIV to find out more and learn how to become a member of the Tree and Shrub Growers of Victoria.

Calling all NextGen’ers

At NGIV we think it’s important to celebrate the next generation of horticulturalists. Our industry is full of people that have gone from apprentice right up to general manager or business owner; enjoying a career for life.

Each month in Groundswell we give a young horticulturalist the stage to share the journey they’ve been on and where they hope to get to. The article provides a bit of background on their passion and experience within the industry, their study and their personal interests. Not only is it a chance for them to share their achievements and dreams with the industry, it’s a chance for you, the employer to give them the credit they deserve.

If you’re an NGIV member and you have an employee that’s 35 or under that you think they deserves a bit of recognition, email ngiv@ngiv.com.au to find out how to have them featured in Groundswell.