WA Grower March 11

$19.00 + GST

WA Grower Potato Growers Association Inc.

Agricultural Produce Commission

APC-VPC APC-PPC

SINCE 1948 Vol. 46 No 1. March 2011

VISS takes off

WA export edition

Produced by

vegetablesWA

Management Committees

Cover photo: Charlotte Butler

Vegetable Growers Association

Contact Details for Horticulture House vegetablesWA, Potato Growers Association, Western Potatoes Horticulture House 103 Outram Street West Perth 6005 t: (08) 9481 0834 f: (08) 9481 0024 e: office@vegetableswa.com.au

President

Executive Officer Jim Turley m: 0410 697 842 e: pga-vga@vegetableswa.com.au Policy and Program Manager John Shannon t: 0488 111 526 e: john.shannon@vegetableswa.com.au Marketing Manager Georgia Thomas m: 0431 444 918 e: georgia.thomas@vegetableswa.com.au Finance/Administrator/Magazine Advertising Neta Revivo t: (08) 9481 0834 e: finance@vegetableswa.com.au PA/Communications Officer Hayley Wilson t: (08) 9481 0834 e: hayley.wilson@vegetableswa.com.au

Maureen Dobra t: (08) 9575 2086

Gingin m: 0417 174 110

Vice President Paul Bogdanich m: 0421 575 124

Gingin

Treasurer Anthony Marinovich m: 0417 907 910

Committee H. Shapland K. Sue R. Shain M. Jones K. Edwards M. Lee D. Rigali A. Bogdanich M.Grubisa S. Calameri P. Wauchope

t: m: m: m: m: m: m: m: m: m: m:

(08) 9845 1064 0417 986 467 0429 988 809 0438 418 384 0427 724 243 0417 962 427 0407 447 524 0419 248 422 0413 050 182 0418 957 236 0400 717 600

Albany Busselton Carnarvon Carnarvon Manjimup Metro Metro Gingin Metro North Metro South Gingin

Potato Growers Association President Darryl Smith m: 0428 933 154

Busselton

Vice President Simon Moltoni t: (08) 9776 1693

Pemberton

Treasurer

Field/Extentsion Officer Charlotte Butler m: 0427 373 037 e: charlotte.butler@vegetableswa.com.au

Committee

Life Members A.J. Anderson, D.J. Arbuckle, J. Arbuckle Snr*, J.H. Arbuckle* (M.B.E.J.P), S. Calameri, G. Kiriros*, R.G.Leach*, F. Natoli, S. Sawle*, R.M. Schultz, C.P. Stevens, W.R. Stevens* (M.B.E.J.P), HR. Ashby*, Amy Harris*, A. Ingrilli. * deceased

Western Potatoes Pty Ltd

Deepest sympathy to the family of Stan Sawle who sadly passed away recently.

Life member and President of the Vegetable Growers Association of WA, his contribution to the vegetable industry will always be remembered.

Myalup/Bunbury

Andrew Tempra m: 0417 097 729 C. Ayres B. Russell P. Patane S. Calameri G. Bendotti

Manjimup

m: m: m: m: m:

0428 451 014 0429 318 216 0407 993 580 0418 957 236 0427 569 903

Albany Donnybrook Myalup Metro South Pemberton

Chairman Ross Taylor

m: 0412 446 512

Executive Officer Georgia Thomas m: 0431 444 918

This issue of the WA Grower is brought to you by:

Non-Executive Director Simon Moltoni

m: 0427 761 693

A. Kirou R. Amos

m: 0400 996 153 m: 0400 996 180

• APC- Vegetable Producers Committee • Potato Growers Association • Western Potatoes • vegetablesWA

Articles reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

WA Grower 4

Vol. 46 No 1. March 2011

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Welcome to the latest edition of the Wa GroWer Our industry should be proud that Western australia leads the nation’s vegetable exports. This edition features this part of our industry with a range of articles which explain how it all works and how growers can get assistance if they wish to further explore export opportunities.

You will find some changes to the way the magazine has been developed which I hope you will find useful. Now that vegetablesWa has a more active role in providing extension of national research and development under the Vegetable

Your IndustrY AssocIAtIons

3 4

Grower profile — The Centre West team

6

Western Potatoes upcoming activities

8

New roles at Western Potatoes

8

Gnangara Mound water meeting

9

Your ProductIon

The Wa Grower is just one way that vegetablesWa, the Potato Growers association and Western Potatoes are working hard to help move our industry forward in spite of the many challenges. If you’ve got any feedback we would love to hear it.

John Shannon, Policy and Program manager

Carnarvon water tests the growers and their families courage

President’s report

Industry Development Program (VIDP), you will find a broader range or articles that will help you in growing your produce and your business. This information is in addition to the articles the magazine has always provided.

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13

Your BusIness

57

A smooth transition — navigating your way through the family business

58

Agritourism study finds opportunities to expand growers’ income

64

Getting familiar with the Farm Management Deposit Scheme

65

ABARES tracks financial outcomes for our $3 billion vegetable-growing industry

65

In lean times cash flow is king

66

Changes to unfair dismissal laws

67

Business decision making

68

The Australian Consumer Law and growers

74

Why and how to export

75

VISS continues to gain momentum

14

‘Use by’ dates approaching for dimethoate and fenthion

17

More winter potatoes for menu

18

Identification of greenhouse vegetable foliar diseases

20 23

Australia’s horticulture industry to benefit from adjustments to the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme

75

Successful strategies to control Diamond back moth Improved water use efficiency indicated by tomato trial

26

Paid Parental Leave Scheme introduced

76

Post harvest management for vegetables

28

Farmers win reprieve from damaging trust law changes

76

Sharing the knowledge on irrigation

32

Permits

93

Your IndustrY

35

Western Australian carrot exports continue to flourish

36

Vegetable production in Western Australia

38

Your envIronment

77

Disposal of plastic mulch

78

HAL hosts a Horticulture Forum as prelude to the CCRSPI Conference

79

Your mArket

81

40

vegetablesWA Marketing Program gathers momentum

82

2012 announced as Australian Year of the Farmer

41

Autumn Feel Good Food: The green issue

83

Focus on Asian vegetables

42

It’s all about the consumer

84

The Australian Horticultural Exporters Association

45

Western Potatoes mashes myths with Channel 7 and IGA

85

Vegetable spotlight — lettuce

47

Food industry headlines

86

NFF launches Farm Facts 2011

50

WA vegetable exports on the rise

52

People development programs

90

Industry economics

53

Recipes

91

Explaining Australia’s agricultural trade negotiations

55

Vegetable industry mentors required

92

About Austrade

Your self

89

WA Grower march 2011

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WA crates

The professional packaging service for WA’s ďŹ nest fresh fruit and vegetables

0 email: service@wacrates.com.au

Your industrY associations

YoUR

Business industrY associations

WA Grower march 2011

3

Photo: Georgina Wilson

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Carnarvon water tests the and their families courage

BY JIm TurleY VEGETABLESWa

At the time of writing this article, February 28, 2011, yet another flood has infiltrated Carnarvon and more and more rain.

Without the second levy banks the growers are exposed and have suffered significant damage to their homes and properties.

(Left to right): Darryl Butcher, Terry Redman, Sheonagh Gall, Premier Colin Barnett, Dom Condo, Heather Condo, Dudley Maslen (Shire President) and Tom Day.

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WA Grower march 2011

Added to this scenario is the recovery from the first flood which has been very frustrating indeed. It keeps on raining and while the state government have pledged several million dollars in aid, the process has been slow.

The Carnarvon Growers Association are supporting and helping the growers. The growers themselves have organised their own committee to deal with the recovery

Your industrY associations

Photo: Georgina Wilson

growers //////

Now, just when you think nothing more could go wrong, a locust plague has hit Carnarvon.

Reports have come in that locusts are eating the seedlings. Once again the minister, Mr Terry Redman, has responded with help for

the growers although at times the process has been frustrating.

Vince Mladinov has been flooded four times in just over a decade. Laser levelling in 2000 has made his land lower than before, making it more vulnerable to receding waters.

After all of this I really admire the courage of the growers and their families to stand up again and invest their heart and soul into rebuilding their homes, properties and businesses. vegetablesWA have been behind the scenes assisting in the recovery and will continue to do so. Â

Photo: Georgina Wilson

and there are many individual growers helping their neighbours and other family members.

Erosion on Vince Mladinov’s place.

WA Grower march 2011

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Grower profile

The Center West team

BY haYleY WIlSON VEGETABLESWa

Center West Exports and Sun City Farms is an extremely successful exporting force which is managed by three hard working team players.

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WA Grower march 2011

Peter Wauchope is the General Manager and looks after sales and marketing for Center West. Francis Tedesco was born and breed into the growing life and is now the farm manager. Also coming from a farming background, Nathan Troy is the Production manager. Focusing on carrots, Peter Wauchope and his team have found great success in specialisation.

Starting in 1981, Center West Exports was in the beginning 50 acres and has since increased dramatically to 1,000 acres which is situated around 100 kilometres north of Perth. They have been specialising in carrots for the last seven years but prior to this also grew broccoli and cauliflower. The decision to specialise was made as a nichĂŠ in the market was recognised as the farm is situated

Your industrY associations

Nathan Troy, Peter Wauchope and Francis Tedesco.

in one of the rare places which can grow carrots all year round. Another reason why carrots became their focus is that other crops were more subject to pests.

In 1989 Center West Exports started up Sun City Farms to ensure a steady supply of produce all year round to supply a growing customer base. They constantly have carrots growing all year round and they remain in the ground between 16–24 weeks. Peter said that “because we can offer carrots 12 months of the year, we have an edge on others”.

Currently a large 80% of the farm’s produce is exported to markets including Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Middle East and the Maldives as well as supplying local and Eastern State markets. Center West is currently renegotiating to get back into Thailand as they wish to reopen that market.

It was in 2008 that this Center West’s stateof-the-art packing facility underwent a major upgrade increasing capacity which allowed them to continue to satisfy their customers around the world. Reduced

labour costs have also been a result of the upgraded system.

In the past four years the business has expanded dramatically. Center West are a vertically integrated growing and packing operation meaning they manage the produce from the seed right through to the ship, controlling the whole production chain.

This system helps to supply more quality produce as the carrots are machine washed, polished, hydro cooled, and packed within 45 minutes of harvesting them. Center West is currently the only fully vertically integrated growing and packing operation able to achieve ‘crop to carton’ in such a short time.

The main benefit of being able to accomplish this is that when supplying to overseas they can ensure a quality product with maximum freshness and shelf life for the consumer.

Francis expressed that the company is “constantly upgrading machinery to keep up with technology to remain at the head of the pack,” he also added that “you need to stay ahead and upgrade to keep up with efficiency.”

crop, cereal rye, to protect the crop when it is young. Then when the carrots have grown big enough to endure the wind, the searly rye is sprayed to kill it off. As most growers can relate to, the ever increasing water issues are a constant challenge for the farm.

To be successful in the growing business, Peter, Francis and Nathan all expressed that you must be passionate about it. Francis said that there is “new challenges everyday” and that “no two days are the same,” which makes everyday interesting and exciting.

Center West Exports is currently one of the few grower and exporter companies in Western Australia to have a Compliance Agreement with AQIS (Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service) and is also SQF 1000 Compliant. This (Safe Quality Food) accreditation is recognised internationally as one of the Top 5 Quality Management Systems in the world today.

The Center West and Sun City Farm team is looking forward to moving to new heights and continuing to export their quality product around the world.

When asked what the team’s main frustration was they all agreed that it is the weather.

Working in a very windy climate, they have introduced the method of planting a nursery WA Grower march 2011

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Western Potatoes

upcoming activities

Western Potatoes has a massively busy year ahead in 2011. Detailed are some of the major activities that the team will be involved with in the next three months.

march

April

• TV Campaign (low carb/low GI) including POS in all IGA stores

• Microwaver promotion in stores

• Microwaver promotion in stores • Advertising and editorial in Sheila Magazine (distributed through Woolworths) • Advertising and editorial in Farm Weekly’s Ripe section (38,000 regional distribution) • Caravan and Camping Expo

• New labels for salad dressings launched • Advertising and editorial in Sheila Magazine (distributed through Woolworths) • Article for Potato Australia magazine.

may • Consumer tastings of new varieties from Field Trial

• Coles Gluten Free Expo

• Launch of new small potato product for mine site catering (date TBC)

• Autumn Feel Good Food distributed through Coles, IGA and independents.

• HBF Run for a Reason (TBC). for more information For information on any activities or promotions, go to www.feelgoodfood.com.au or contact the office on admin@westernpotatoes.com.au or phone (08) 9284 6266.

New roles at Western Potatoes

aNNe KIrOu

As of the New Year there are some additional roles being taken on by Western Potatoes (WPPL) staff. The roles demonstrate the company’s commitment to open communication and coordination throughout the industry.

Retailer and Consumer Manager, Anne Kirou will be the Wash Packer Liaison for the team. Anne will be meeting with each wash packer individually to explain her new role and how we can work together to improve industry outcomes. Anne will be producing monthly wash packer updates and ensuring there is regular dialogue occurring to create better coordination of all activities.

rIcK amOS

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WA Grower march 2011

Retail and Consumer Officer, Rick Amos will be the Grower Liaison for the team.

Growers should feel free to contact Rick to discuss Western Potatoes activities and any other issues. As well as producing quarterly grower updates on WPPL activities, Rick will be travelling through growing regions during the year to visit people individually.

The annual grower meeting will be held once again in Bunbury during September (details to be circulated in the coming months). for more information Anne kirou email: anne@westernpotatoes.com.au Phone: 0400 996 153 rick Amos email: rick@westernpotatoes.com.au Phone: 0400 996 180

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Gnangara Mound water meeting

BY JIm TurleY VEGETABLESWa

vegetablesWA along with the Department of Water organised a meeting to discuss managing growers water allocation — Licence following the lowest winter rainfall on record.

The message from the Department of Water was loud and clear. Don’t use more water than your allocation. Water allocations for growers are secure at this present time.

However if there is another record dry winter allocation will be reviewed.

Three speakers Susan Worley Acting Director of Water use, John Connolly, Acting Manager of Water Licensing, Don Cummings, Acting Regional Manager addressed the meeting where 48 growers attended.

The following comments are from the Department of Water.

managing your licence after the lowest winter rainfall on record “In 2010 the western and southern parts of WA experienced the lowest winter rainfall on record.

Stream flow into dams was the lowest on record so dam storage levels are very low. Recharge to groundwater was low so groundwater levels have not recovered. Groundwater levels measured across the Gnangara mound are the lowest on record and groundwater levels across the south west are in declining. At the same time demand for water is increasing.

The impacts of these conditions have been felt by all water users. Water Service Providers (such as the Water Corporation, AqWest and Busselton Water) are struggling to meet demand. Self

supply horticultural and agricultural users are finding that water levels are lower and streams are drying. Dryland farmers who rely on dams are carting water for stock. Local governments are managing their water for public open space very carefully.

To manage in the dry conditions the Department of Water has taken some immediate actions to protect the ongoing water supply and prevent irreversible impact on our natural environments. This summer the main actions have been rosters and restrictions for garden sprinklers and increased compliance surveys for licensed water users.

For horticultural and agricultural users who have a water licence, it is important that you remain within your licence allocation. The Department of Water has increased its compliance activities across the affected areas to ensure people are adhering to their licence conditions. The best way to fairly protect the ongoing water supply for everybody, is for individual users to remain within their licence allocation.

If you believe you need additional water there may be unallocated water available in your area and you should contact the department to find out whether there is scope to apply for a licence increase.

In most areas there will be no additional water available but there may be opportunities for short term trades with other water users within your area. The department has developed an online water register to help facilitate trades, and will process any applications quickly. Details on how this can be done and where other licensed users are can be found on our webpage www. water.wa.gov.au/Doing+business+with+us/ Water+trading+policy+and+water+register/ default.aspx

water matters. It has promoted a growing appreciation of the value of water and it has led to increased debate on the issues surrounding sustainable water supply, as well as discussion on water innovations.

The Department of Water is leading the way for all water users to increase water efficiencies and ensure fit for purpose water is used where possible.

The Department of Water has made the actions needed to manage through this dry season our priority. We have a Dry Season working group to assess all water user affected and keep key agencies, stakeholders and the community in general informed of the implications and responses. To do this we are working closely with other agencies to ensure co-ordination of efforts.

While supporting water users through this summer is our priority, we are also looking to the future.

Currently the three key risk factors that may affect water availability in the future are: 1. If we don’t achieve the target water savings over the 2010–2011 summer 2. If there is another dry winter in 2011–12 3. If the community and water users do not support the long term changes needed to adapt to a drying climate.

The Department of Water is managing all our water resources to make sure there is water available for productive use and for the changing environment year after year. If we can all live within our water budget we all benefit.” vegetablesWA Chairman Mrs Maureen Dobra thanked the Department and the three speakers for involving the growers in their further plans ‘before it happens’.

The dry season has provided an opportunity to shift attitudes and behaviours on many different WA Grower march 2011

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GNANGARA MoUND WATER MEETING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

Cuộc Họp về Nước tại Gnangara Mound Tác giả Jim Turley VEGETABLESWa

vegetablesWA và Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đã cùng nhau tổ chức một cuộc họp để thảo luận về việc quản lý phân bổ nước cho người trồng trọt — Cấp phép sau khi lượng mưa Mùa Đông thấp kỷ lục.

Thông báo từ Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước được trình bày to và rõ ràng.

Không dùng nhiều nước hơn lượng nước được phân bổ của quý vị. Việc phân bổ nước cho người trồng trọt hiện vẫn được đảm bảo. Tuy nhiên nếu có thêm một Mùa Đông khô hạn kỷ lục nữa thì việc phân bổ sẽ được xem xét lại.

Ba người diễn thuyết Susan Worley — Quyền Giám Đốc sử dụng Nước, John Connolly — Quyền Quản Lý Cấp Phép Nước, và Don Cummings — Quyền Giám Đốc Khu Vực đã phát biểu tại cuộc họp có 48 người trồng trọt tham dự.

Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đã đưa ra các ý kiến sau đây.

“Quản lý giấy phép của quý vị sau khi lượng mưa vào mùa đông thấp kỷ lục Trong năm 2010 các vùng phía tây và phía nam của WA có lượng mưa vào mùa đông thấp kỷ lục. Lưu lượng dòng chảy vào các con đập thấp ở mức kỷ lục, cho nên mực nước dự trữ trong đập rất thấp. Lượng nước bổ sung vào nước ngầm thấp nên mực nước ngầm vẫn chưa được phục hồi. Mực nước ngầm đo được ở Gnangara mound thấp ở mức kỷ lục và mực nước ngầm ở vùng tây nam đang giảm dần. Cùng thời điểm này, nhu cầu về nước đang ngày càng tăng.

Tất cả người dùng nước đã cảm nhận được tác động của những tình trạng này. Các Nhà Cung Cấp Dịch Vụ Nước (chẳng hạn như Water Corporation, AqWest và Busselton Water) đang nỗ lực để đáp ứng nhu cầu. Những người dùng nước làm vườn và nông nghiệp tự cung tự cấp nhận thấy rằng mực nước đang thấp hơn và các con suối đang cạn khô. Nông dân ở những vùng đất khô và dựa vào các con đập đang lấy nước để dự trữ. Chính quyền địa phương đang quản lý nước dùng

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WA Grower march 2011

cho không gian mở công cộng của họ rất chặt chẽ. Để quản lý tình trạng khô hạn, Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đã thực hiện một số hành động tức thời để bảo vệ nguồn nước cung cấp liên tục và ngăn tác động không thể đảo ngược được lên môi trường tự nhiên. Vào mùa hè này, các hành động chủ yếu đã được thực hiện là việc thực hiện tưới theo lịch và các giới hạn sử dụng vòi phun nước trong vườn, cùng các khảo sát về tính tuân thủ tăng cường cho người dùng nước được cấp phép. Đối với người dùng làm vườn và nông nghiệp đã có giấy phép sử dụng nước, điều quan trọng là quý vị sử dụng nước trong mức phân bổ trong giấy phép của mình. Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đã tăng cường các hoạt động tuân thủ của mình trên khắp các khu vực bị ảnh hưởng để đảm bảo mọi người tuân thủ các điều kiện trong giấy phép của họ. Đối với người dùng nước cá nhân, cách tốt nhất để thực sự bảo vệ nguồn nước cung cấp liên tục cho mọi người đó là sử dụng nước trong mức phân bổ trong giấy phép của họ.

nước và dẫn đến việc tranh luận nhiều hơn về các vấn đề xung quanh nguồn nước bền vững, cũng như thảo luận về các đổi mới về nước.

Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đang chỉ đạo tất cả người dùng nước tăng cường việc tiết kiệm nước và đảm bảo sử dụng nước đúng mục đích nếu có thể.

Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đã ưu tiên các hành động cần thiết để quản lý nước qua mùa khô này. Chúng tôi hiện có một nhóm làm việc Mùa Khô để đánh giá tất cả người dùng nước bị ảnh hưởng và luôn cập nhật thông tin cho các cơ quan chủ chốt, các bên liên quan và cộng đồng nói chung về các gợi ý và ứng phó. Để làm điều này chúng tôi sẽ hợp tác chặt chẽ với các cơ quan khác để đảm bảo việc phối hợp các nỗ lực.

Mặc dù chúng tôi ưu tiên việc hỗ trợ người dùng nước qua mùa hè này, chúng tôi cũng phải nghĩ tới tương lai.

Hiện tại ba yếu tố rủi ro chính có thể ảnh hưởng tới tính sẵn có của nước trong tương lai đó là:

Nếu quý vị cho rằng quý vị cần thêm nước, khu vực của quý vị có thể đang có nước chưa được phân bổ và quý vị cần liên hệ với cơ quan tài nguyên nước để biết liệu có cơ hội xin giấy phép tăng mức nước hay không.

Nếu chúng tôi không đạt được mục tiêu tiết kiệm nước qua mùa hè 2010– 2011.

Ở hầu hết các khu vực sẽ không sẵn có nước bổ sung nhưng có thể có các cơ hội mua bán nước ngắn hạn với những người dùng nước khác trong khu vực của quý vị. Cơ quan tài nguyên nước đã xây dựng một công cụ đăng ký nước trực tuyến để giúp hỗ trợ việc mua bán này, và sẽ xử lý bất kỳ đơn xin nào một cách nhanh chóng. Có thể tìm thấy chi tiết về cách thực hiện việc này và địa điểm của người dùng nước được cấp phép khác trên trang web của chúng tôi tại địa chỉ: www.water. wa.gov.au/Doing+business+with+us/ Water+trading+policy+and+water+regi ster/default.aspx

Nếu cộng đồng và người dùng nước không ủng hộ các thay đổi dài hạn cần thiết để thích nghi với khí hậu đang ngày càng khô hạn.

Mùa khô đã tạo ra một cơ hội để thay đổi thái độ và hành vi về nhiều vấn đề về nước khác khau. Điều đó đã thúc đẩy việc ngày càng coi trọng giá trị của

Nếu lại có thêm một mùa đông khô hạn vào năm 2011–12

Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước đang quản lý tất cả các nguồn tài nguyên nước của chúng ta để đảm bảo sẵn có nước để sử dụng hữu ích và vì môi trường đang ngày càng thay đổi từ năm này qua năm khác. Nếu tất cả chúng ta có thể sống với quỹ nước mình, thì tất cả đều có lợi.”

Bà Maureen Dobra — Chủ Tịch vegetablesWA đã cảm ơn Cơ Quan Tài Nguyên Nước và ba người diễn thuyết vì đã thu hút sự tham gia của người trồng trọt vào các kế hoạch bổ sung của họ “trước khi vấn đề đó xảy ra.”

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President’s report wheatbelt. She also receives a $10,000 bursary and will attend a Company Directors Make Your Own Liquid Fertilizer Course in Canberra. She plans to put the BY maureeN DOBra bursary towards developing a Buy Local Make Your Own Liquid Fertilizer VEGETABLESWa TM campaign businesses and industry Make your own liquid fertilizer by adding 1 for litre of FABFERT to 10within litres the wheatbelt. for 10 minutes before using on indoor and outdoor plants and gardens.

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Water is still a hot topic. vegetablesWA hosted a meeting with the Department of Water at Canzirri’s shed. Many thanks again to the hospitality of the Canzirri family. The meeting broughtinmany growersstir together to hear of water a bucket, and leave and ask many questions of the Department Make own liquid in a bucket, stir and leave February is your a special time fertilizer for me. by adding 1 litre of FABFERT to 10 litres of water regarding allocations and security of licences.

Recently hosted an irrigation seminar, which for 10 minutes before using on indoor andI outdoor plants and gardens.

The Department of Water held a meeting It’s a time when aTMrural woman ® FABFERT Organic Soil in Fertilizer (Specifications) was run by the NSW Irrigators Council. Four in the Gingin area explaining about the Western Australia innovative irrigators from the East coast TM is acknowledged ® groundwater. These meetings were well Organic Soil Fertilizer (Specifications) FABFERT Nitrogen (N) 4.5 % presented their ways of improving Boron 20 mg/kg productivity, attended and further for theTotal important contribution she meetings are to be held.

Soluble Ammonia N-NH4 1390 mg/L Potassium 2% increasing water efficiency and boosting Total Nitrogen (N) 4.5 % Boron 20 mg/kg makesSoluble to rural businesses and 5 mg/Lprofitability. This was also attended Nitrate N-NO3 Sodium 0.6 %weather has certainly The hot and humid by a Soluble Ammonia 1390 Potassium 23.65 % % Total Soluble N N-NH4 1400 mg/L mg/L Calcium brought an array of issues with crops and communities in WA. Gingin area.

Soluble Nitrate N-NO3 5 mg/Lgroup of citrus growers from the Sodium 0.6 % Magnesium 0.5 % certain crops have been Total N 1400 Calcium 3.65mg/kg % severely affected.

Altogether 25 people came along and listened, Total Soluble Phosphorous 2 % mg/L Copper 69 Quite a lot of produce is now in short supply.

Magnesium 0.5 % later enjoying networking andZinc a barbeque. The This year’s recipient is Caroline Phosphorous - soluble Robinson, a 14 mg/L 340 mg/kg Total Phosphorous 2 % Copper 69 mg/kg Selenium 2.1 there mg/kghave been a number vegetablesWA Field Officer, Charlotte Butler wheat and sheep farmer from Woolocutty, Over the past year Phosphorous - soluble 14 mg/L 340 mg/kg Humicwheatbelt. & Fulvic Acids 5-10 %also presented a session on theZinc in the eastern Caroline has VISS (Vegetable of tragedies and catastrophes in Australia and Selenium 2.1% mg/kg Total Carbon CaCO3 established theOrganic Wheatbelt Business Network,35 % Irrigation Scheduling System).Total If you wouldEquivalent the world. The5latest is about Japan and the Humic & Fulvic Acids 5-10 % pH units 7.5 Organic Matter Content 85 % dry wt which connects businesses, shires, individuals like to know any more about VISS, just phone tsunami and their nuclear crisis. This time — Total Organic Carbon 35 % Total CaCO3 Equivalent 5% and communities our hearts are with pH units in the central and eastern 7.5 Charlotte at Horticulture House.

Organic Matter Content 85 %the drypeople wt of Japan.

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by WA Health Department  N P K 4.5 - 2free -2 100% chicken  High performance organic fertilizer Weed seed Nutrient content of Fabfert Fertilizer compared to Manure Comparison of Fly Breeding activity in percentage points litter  High performance organic fertilizer  Trace Weed elements seed free Increases soil moisture capacity Increases soil soil fertility moisture capacity Trace elements  Improves  85% organic matter  Improves soil fertility  85% organic matter Vigorous plant growth Beneficial soil microbes  Vigorous plant growth  Beneficial soil microbes Stops fly breeding Farm spreading Contact Details: available Email: sales@spartel.com.au  Stops fly breeding  Farm spreading PTY LTD SPARTEL Safe product Save fertilizer Contact Details: available Phone: 0414 376 699 Environmental solutions for a sustainable world Email: fertilizer sales@spartel.com.au SPARTEL PTY LTD  Save  Safe product Address: PO Box 1097, West Leederville, FABFERT Organic Soil Fertilizer is a new high quality concentrated Phone:organic 0414fertilizer 376 699 suitable for lawns, TM1.1%

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The product is 1097, madeWest from pure natural TM green gardens, vegetable FABFERT Organic Soil Fertilizer ® is a new high quality concentrated organic fertilizer suitable for lawns, Australia 6007 organic matter and contains high levels of natural nutrients and organic soilWestern compounds. flower and green gardens, vegetable growing and indoor plant use. The product is made from pure natural organic matter and contains high levels of natural nutrients and organic soil compounds.

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Application rates Irrigate soilmarch well after application 12 WA Grower 2011 Application rates Irrigate soil well after application Lawn Maintenance

- 10 L bag covers 100 m2

Your Production

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Production

WA Grower march 2011

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VISS

continues to gain momentum BY charlOTTe BuTler VEGETABLESWa

Since the launch of the updated version of VISS in September 2010 we have been collecting valuable feedback, enabling us to continue to fine tune the program to better suit the needs of growers.

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WA Grower march 2011

The free, web based computer system uses real time weather data and crop factors to calculate a minimum and maximum recommended daily irrigation requirement for a variety of vegetable crops. This enables growers to match, the amount of water they supply their crops with the amount of water demanded, therefore improving irrigation scheduling efficiency and water management.

Currently vegetablesWA provides a sms service that sends evaporation rates and daily forecast from the closest weather

station and BOM station in a text to grower’s mobile phones. Many growers using this sms service find the information invaluable as it enables them to plan their irrigation scheduling for the day.

The VISS system is an extension of this service allowing for more specific information to be used to calculate an irrigation application rate. vegetablesWA, in partnership with DAFWA, is currently developing the sms service to be updated to include the irrigation recommendations provided by the VISS program.

Your Production

case study Grower currently using the vIss program Since October 2010, aaron Natoli, of Natoli Produce Farms, has been using the VISS program as a resource to guide his decisions on daily irrigation scheduling.

First thing in the morning aaron logs into the system to check the previous day’s evaporation rate and interprets the forecast for the day.

Figure 1 crop planting Gant chart which shows all the crops scheduled for planting and the expected harvest dates

“This is a fantastic guide to making decisions about how to plan the irrigation scheduling for the day,” says Aaron.

The capability of the system to produce a visual comparison of how different the water requirements are for various crops has also been a useful feature of the program.

In addition, Aaron has been able to make comparisons of the seasonal change in evaporation rates, and as a result has made adjustments to bring their irrigation in line with these changes.

Another note worthy feature of the system had been the ability to predict the timing of maturity of crops. This allows Aaron to plan exactly when and what he can supply to his customers, as well as, what his labour requirements will be at different stages of the season. This visual planning feature has also greatly enhanced his ability to plan the rotations of their different crops. This is due to the fact that the system allows you to track exactly what you have grown in each bed on your property.

At Natoli Produce Farms they grow a number of fairly specialised lines which were not initially available in the program.

Through the use of the system’s feature that allows growers to edit the crop factors, Aaron has been able to create their own crop factors for the specific crops they grow.

catch cans setup in beds of parsley, at Natoli Produce Farms, to assess distribution uniformity of sprinkler system.

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Figure 2 minimum and maximum irrigation recommendation shown in crop planting page of program

on farm set-up

Irrigation assessment

To use the VISS, growers will be assisted in setting up their property details in the software through an on farm visit. The setup time usually requires about an hour to go through entering the details of your property and explaining the different features of the program. As part of the setup process vegetablesWA offers an assessment of your irrigation system.

The irrigation assessment involves collecting vital data about application rates, distribution uniformity, flow rates and sprinkler pressure. Application rates can be calculated by placing catch cups between the sprinklers and recording what is collected in the cups in millimetres per hour. The application rate can be entered into the VISS program and is used to schedule irrigations to the crop requirements, based on how your system operates.

Your irrigation system is a vital part of your business and getting to know its current performance and limitations may assist you to maximise production, reduce pumping and fertiliser costs and manage your limited water resources.

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WA Grower march 2011

Distribution Uniformity (DU) indicates how evenly the water is applied to your crop and it is important to improve your DU if it is lower than 75%. A system with a DU of 65%, generally, requires an extra 30% more water, than a system with a DU of 80%.

Incorrect sprinkler pressure and flow rates

are common causes of system inefficiency.

It is important to run your system at the designed pressure. Operating pressure can dramatically affect the sprinklers/emitter wetting pattern and output and therefore the efficiency of the irrigation system.

I look forward to continuing to assist growers in adopting such an innovative tool for daily use on their property. After the initial irrigation assessment and VISS setup, I will continue to provide ongoing support, as well as, collecting valuable feedback to continue to develop this program to suit growers across the state. for more information If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact me on 0427 373 037 or email at charlotte.butler@vegetableswa.com.au.

Your Production

‘Use by’ dates approaching for dimethoate and fenthion

BY ShaShI Sharma DIRECToR oF PLANT BIoSECURITY, DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE AND FooD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Western Australia’s fruit and vegetable industries are likely to be affected by the loss of certain uses of the insecticides dimethoate and fenthion later this year, after a final decision by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

The two chemicals have been used widely for about 50 years and underpin control of Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) without need for baiting schemes and other coordinated area-wide management schemes. They are the backbone for Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA) arrangements that are critical for trade.

However, concerns about the safety of these chemicals in fresh produce for human consumption prompted a review of their use by the APVMA in 2004. It is expected that the APVMA will be able to release findings of its preliminary review within next six months.

It is possible that fruit and vegetables with edible peel treated within 14 days of harvest or post-harvest may carry unacceptable residues. These include apples, capsicum, cherries, chillies, cucumber, grapes, pears, stone fruit, strawberries, squash, tomato and zucchini. If the existing chemicals are still permitted to be used, withholding periods may be extended.

Dimethoate (sold as Dimethoate®, Rogor®, UniDime®, Stalk®, Saboteur®, Rover®, Dimetholinx®, Danadim®) and fenthion (Lebaycid®) are organophosphate chemicals that affect the nervous systems of insects and other animals and extremely toxic to birds, fish and marine invertebrates.

Essentially, this is a trade issue that will particularly affect interstate sales. State-based legislation requires effective treatment before produce moves from one region to another.

Crops with edible skin such as stone fruit, cherries, capsicum and chillies, grapes and tomatoes are likely to be most affected. In particular, interstate movement of tomatoes, capsicums and chillies could be affected where the chemicals are used to treat fruit fly to meet quarantine requirements.

urgently and the Department of Agriculture and Food has been looking to identify other systems as a part of the Dimethoate and Fenthion Review Consultative Committee (DFRCC), which has a National Response Plan to develop some alternative options for interstate trade.

Safer alternative chemicals would be most desirable. Unfortunately, the perfect candidate is yet to be found. The most likely contender is trichlorfon (sold as Dipterex® and Lepidex®), an alternative cover spray that might be tried against Medfly, even though it is not as effective as dimethoate and fenthion.

Trichlorfon has a withholding period of only two days but is not registered for use against Medfly. The Department is working with industry to obtain a permit from the APVMA. While trichlorfon has not yet been trialled in WA, the NSW Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone and Victorian markets accept its use as a cover spray on tomatoes, capsicums and chillies

Alternative pre-harvest and post-harvest approaches for fruit fly control are needed

Meanwhile, all growers relying on dimethoate and fenthion for protection against fruit fly need to consider how they might adjust to a future with more restricted use of these chemicals.

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(but not stone fruit) from Queensland fruitfly infested areas. Cover spraying is at a maximum interval of every 10 days, commencing 21 days prior to harvest.

South Australia is currently reviewing this protocol. WA’s main problem is Medfly and further research is required to determine whether trichlorfon would be a suitable alternative for its control.

Other options could include: • Methyl bromide fumigation at the postharvest stage, but this can damage the fruit and is not favoured in the market.

• Cold treatments approved for international export are being considered for interstate trade. All States and Territories have agreed to consider treatments that are not currently approved and determine what additional information is required to approve them.

• Heat treatment of hard green fruit, but its effectiveness can vary with cultivar, and subsequent ripening can be poor and patchy.

• Irradiation is another option, currently only three facilities exist in Australia, all in the Eastern States, and the treatment has mainly been used with tropical fruit such as mangoes to New Zealand.

• Systems approaches, as used by the United States to enable the import of red or pink tomatoes from Medflyinfested areas of Central America. This involves growing tomatoes in approved glasshouses at registered production sites, trapping within and around the site at a specified number of traps per area, then packing the fruit within 24 hours of harvest in a pest-exclusionary packing house in insect-proof containers for transit to the USA. This is a complicated and expensive process and may not be suitable for WA. There are no ready-to-use systems approaches available nationally or internationally that can be recommended to WA growers for mitigating the Medfly risk.

While export success is based on many factors (e.g. quality, competitive pricing, seasonality), the most important element is market access.

Development of new import requirements takes time, requiring the development and approval of protocols by importing States and Territories. New systems and treatments still need to be trialled at different localities and for different crops.

The Department of Agriculture and Food is working closely with other States and national organisations to help prepare for likely changes. for more information We aim to keep growers as fully informed as possible, so regular checks on both the aPVma website at www.apvma.gov.au/ products/review.index.php#review and the Department’s website at www.agric.wa.gov.au are recommended.

More winter potatoes for menu

BY IaN mcPharlIN DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE AND FooD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Supporting the expansion of winter potato production in the Mid-West is the aim of a new research project about to get underway on farms between Lancelin and Dongara.

Trials will be conducted on grower properties over the next two years by the Department of Agriculture and Food, and supported by Horticulture Australia Limited, to prove the suitability of the area.

It is estimated that up to an additional 12,000 tonnes of seed and fresh potatoes could be produced through the winter in the Mid-West for harvest from August to December. Fresh potatoes are often in short supply from August to October and the Mid-West has both the land and the water supplies to help fill this gap. Export of seed from WA is expanding and

the Mid-West may be suited to provide out-ofseason supply to markets in South East Asia.

Winter production provides extra challenges for potato growers with frost and disease management at a lower yielding period of the year. Some additional management factors need to be considered when introducing the potato into a rotation with dryland cereals, oil seeds and legumes. These include disease, pest and weed control and carryover of chemical residues between crops.

There will also be emphasis on assisting growers to improve irrigation management practices to cope with higher crop water demand (higher temperature and evaporation) and lower crop water supply (lower rainfall) and quality in a changing climate.

The critical success factor will be profitability of growing potatoes compared with alternative enterprises.

All going well, it should enable successful production of pioneer crops of certified seed and a steady increase in the production of ware crops.

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WA Grower march 2011

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Your Production

Identification of greenhouse vegetable foliar diseases

KaYe FerGuSON RESEARCH oFFICER, SARDI HoRTICULTURE PATHoLoGY

make sure you know what disease you are trying to control! correct disease identification is crucial to effective management of a disease. If you aren’t sure then find out.

Powdery mildew Photos: SarDI

• Problem in greenhouse vegetables the whole year • Favours temperatures around 20–25°C • Does not need high humidity to establish or grow A

B

• Usually appears on the oldest leaves first • In cucumber white powdery growth appears on top and bottom of the leaves (A and B) • In capsicum the white powdery growth usually begins on the bottom of leaves (C) • Yellow lesions can often be seen on top of infected capsicum leaves (D) that should not be confused with downy mildew • Powdery mildew will also grow on top of capsicum leaves.

There are several different species of powdery mildew. The powdery mildew that infects cucumbers is different to the one that infects capsicums and eggplants.

C

D

do not confuse powdery mildew with downy mildew! downy mildew • Needs high humidity and temperatures around 20–25°C • Usually seen in spring • Yellow lesions appear first on older leaves (A) • Lesions are characteristically bordered by leaf veins so appear very angular (B) • Produces greyish fluff on undersides of lesions only • Only infects cucumber — not known on capsicum A

B

• Leaves infected with powdery or downy mildew will usually wither and die, leaving fruit exposed to sunscald • Mildew does not infect the fruit directly • Severe infections will shorten the life of the crop and reduce yield.

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WA Grower march 2011

Your Production

Botrytis (Grey mould) • Botrytis needs high humidity to develop and favours mild temperatures around 18–24°C • Growth is grey and fluffy

This project was facilitated by hal in partnership with SarDI and was funded by the national Vegetable levy.

The australian Government provides matching funding for all hal’s r&D activities.

• Infects through flowers and causes flower or fruit rot (A) or through pruning wounds and causes a stem rot that can kill plants (B) A

B

• It is usually seen during the winter and spring months.

sclerotinia • Cool-mild temperatures and high humidity favour Sclerotinia • It is usually seen during winter and early spring • Growth is white and fluffy • It causes fruit rot or stem rot that can kill plants (A)

A

B

• Sclerotinia forms characteristic survival structures that look like mouse droppings (B).

IDENTIFICATIoN oF GREENHoUSE VEGETABLE FoLIAR DISEASES — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

Bệnh đốm trắng (Powdery mildew) • Là vấn đề quanh năm đối với cây trồng trong nhà bạt • Thích nhiệt độ từ 20–25°C • Không cần độ ẩm cao vẫn có thể nảy sinh hoặc phát triển • Đầu tiên thường xuất hiện trên các lá già • Đối với dưa leo, các đốm trắng xuất hiện cả ở mặt trên và mặt dưới của lá A

B

• Trên cây ớt ngọt các đốm phấn trắng thường xuất hiện đầu tiên ở mặt dưới của lá (hình bên trái) • Các đốm màu vàng cũng thường được thấy ở mặt trên các lá ớt bị bệnh (hình bên phải), nhưng không nên nhầm với bệnh đốm vàng.

• Các đốm trắng cũng có thể phát triển ở mặt trên của lá ớt.

• Có nhiều loại bệnh đốm trắng khác nhau • Bệnh đốm trắng hại dưa leo khác với bệnh đốm trắng hại ớt ngọt và cà tím

C

D

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IDENTIFICATIoN oF GREENHoUSE VEGETABLE FoLIAR DISEASES — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN CoNTINUED

Bệnh đốm vàng (Downy mildew) • Cần có độ ẩm cao và nhiệt độ trong khoảng 20–25°C, thường gặp vào mùa xuân • Các đốm màu vàng xuất hiện đầu tiên trên các lá già • Các đốm vàng thường có đường biên giới là gân lá, vì vậy trông có vẻ có góc cạnh • Chỉ tạo nùi bông màu xám nhạt ở bên dưới các vết loét • Chỉ gây hại cho dưa leo, chưa thấy gây hại cho ớt ngọt A

B

• Lá bị nhiễm bệnh đốm trắng hoặc bệnh đốm vàng thường héo và rụng, làm cho trái cây bị phơi trần và cháy nắng • Các bệnh này thường không trực tiếp gây hại cho trái • Bệnh nặng sẽ rút ngắn vòng đời và làm giảm năng suất của hoa màu

Botrytis (Grey mould) (Bệnh thối rữa do nấm màu xám)

• Botrytis cần có độ ẩm cao để phát triển và thích nhiệt độ ôn hòa trong khoảng 18–24°C • Phát triển dưới dạng nùi bông màu xám • Gây bệnh qua hoa và làm cho trái bị thối rữa (hình bên trái) hoặc qua các vết cắt cành và làm cho rễ bị thối, có thể làm chết cây (hình bên phải) A

B

• Thường gặp vào các tháng mùa đông và mùa xuân

Sclerotinia (Bệnh thối rữa do nấm trắng)

• Nhiệt độ mát dịu và độ ẩm cao là điều kiện tốt cho nấm Sclerotinia phát triển • Thường gặp vào mùa đông và đầu mùa xuân • Phát triển dưới dạng nùi bông màu trắng • Sclerotinia tạo ra những cụm trông giống cứt chuột (hình bên phải), giúp chúng có thể tồn tại lâu dài A

B

• Làm thối rữa trái cây hoặc rễ cây, có thể gây chết cây (hình bên trái)

Quý vị cần biết mình đang cố gắng kiểm soát loại bệnh gì!

• Nhận biết đúng lọai bệnh là điều tối quan trọng để kiểm sóat bệnh một cách hiệu quả • Nếu quý vị không biết chắc thì hãy tìm hiểu thêm Xin liên lạc với: Kaye Ferguson Research Officer, SARDI Horticulture Pathology Phone: (08) 8303 9627 or Email: ferguson.kaye@saugov.sa.gov.au

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WA Grower march 2011

Đề án này do HAL thực hiện cùng với SARDI và được National Vegetable Levy tài trợ. Chính phủ Úc cung cấp quỹ đối ứng cho tất cả các họat động nghiên cứu và ứng dụng của HAL.

Your Production

Successful strategies to control Diamond back moth Diamond back moth (DBM) (Plutella xylostella) is one of the most damaging pests of brassica crops, and is becoming ever more difficult to manage.

Suppressing DBM infestation has involved the widespread use of insecticides, which has exacerbated the problem for some growers, as the pest has developed an increased tolerance or resistance to many chemicals.

Photo: DPI Victoria

BY charlOTTe BuTler VEGETABLESWa

Extensive damage to foliage by DBM caterpillars. INSET: Diamond back moth.

Year round brassica production and poor farm hygiene combined with frequent applications of broad-spectrum insecticides are almost certain to lead to persistent DBM problems in the longer term. Through extensive research it has been recognised that successful management of DBM relies on a combination of preventative strategies, maximising the use of biological control and well-targeted insecticide applications.

This type of approach involves the use of integrated pest management (IPM) and insecticide resistance management (IRM) plans. This type of dynamic approach requires a sound understanding of the pest and its natural enemies, and the ability to interpret monitoring results correctly.

understanding the enemy An understanding of the pest’s life cycle and the ability to find small larvae and preferably, eggs, are important for making effective control decisions. Large larvae are easier to find in the field but are very difficult to control.

A pheromone trap set up in crop to enable growers to identify arrival of first moths.

Insecticide applications should be timed to target small caterpillars, preferably less than five millimetres in length, rather than spraying the moths.

The distribution patterns of the pest within a crop can be very patchy, as DBM is not very mobile once it has settled in a crop, which makes it difficult to detect a potential problem early enough and numbers can appear to build up out of nowhere, particularly in warmer weather. Regular, thorough scouting and monitoring enables growers to identify what stage the pest is at and therefore implement the best control tactic. Sticky pheromone traps can also be used to provide an indication of when the first DBM moths have arrived.

successful control strategies IPM involves the use of various tactics, in an attempt to reduce the reliance on a single solution time and again. IPM involves integrating biological, cultural and chemical control methods. Success relies heavily on regular scouting in crops, allowing early detection of the pest and its distribution in the crop.

Biological control DBM has a range of natural enemies that can make a significant contribution to the control of DBM populations. An IPM plan aims to identify these natural enemies and attempt to introduce and encourage their populations.

WA Grower march 2011

23

Your Production

Some of these include: • Parasitic wasps: the most abundant of these is Diadegma semiclausum but there are also Diadromus collaris and Apanteles ippeus.

The wasp lays their eggs in the larvae or pupae of the DBM, upon hatching the wasp feeds and develops inside the host causing its death • Brown lacewing larvae (Micromus tasmaniae) • The fungus Zoopthora radicans can heavily impact larvae populations in moist warm conditions that follow a rainfall event • Predatory bugs such as Nabis tasmanicus • A range of spiders.

cultural control Cultural control methods attempt to minimise the introduction and spread of DBM. This is best done by breaking the life cycle of DBM by removing all food sources and destroying plant matter that may have any remenants of the DBM eggs or larvae.

• Good farm hygiene involves the ongoing removal of crop residues and potential host weeds from the property

• Check the Two-window IRM chart, which can be found below, and use as a guideline to help construct a spray program specifically for your property

• Only clean seedlings from a reputable supplier should be used.

chemical control In the past, the main method of control of DBM has been the application of broad spectrum insecticides and over use has lead to chemical resistance, in mainly the pyrethroids and organophosphates.

Unfortunately resistance to some of the newer DBM insecticides is now showing up on some growers properties, particularly in Queensland, and will become more widespread if good insecticide resistance management (IRM) practices are not followed. IRM is a strategy to conserve the efficiency of the insecticides currently used, through primarily minimising the number of times the chemical is sprayed.

• Ensure you are spraying with the correct pressure and nozzle to ensure good coverage • Spray only in the areas where DBM has been identified • Strive to use chemicals which are less harmful on beneficials to ensure their populations are not wiped out.

To ensure sustainable management of DBM in brassicas, it is recommended that, growers implement control strategies that consist of IPM and IRM plans. This will assist in ensuring the ongoing efficiency of available insecticides to manage the threat of DBM to brassica crops.

Below are some general guidelines recommended to growers before spraying insecticides:

for more information I would like to acknowledge richard Packard, Syngenta, Greg Baker, SarDI, rachel lancaster, DaFWa and an extensive team at SarDI for their guidance and provision of relevant materials.

• Spray timing is critical and needs to consider the growth stage of the DBM, the growth stage of the crop and the climatic conditions to ensure the spray is effective

For further information, please visit www.sardi.sa.gov.au, call 0427 373 037 or email charlotte.butler@vegetableswa.com.au.

Update 15 Sept. 2010

dIAmondBAck motH (dBm) InsectIcIde resIstAnce mAnAGement (Irm) strAteGY Western AustrAlIA Consult product labels and/or permits for registrations on specific vegetable brassica crops and application information

WINDOW 1: JuNe 1 — NOV 30

croP stAGe

WINDOW 2: Dec 1 — maY 31

Group 281

durivo

Early

Group 11C

Bt’s (Bacillus thuringiensis) e.g. Bacchus, delfin, dipel, full-Bac, Xentari

Mid–late

Group 5A

entrust, success

WHP 3

Group 22A

Avatar

WHP 7

Group 28

Belt coragen

WHP 3 WHP 7

Group 2C

regal, regent, vista

WHP 7

Group 13A

secure

WHP 7

Group 6A

Proclaim

WHP 3

Group 3A

Synthetic Pyrethroids

e.g. Bulldock, cypermethrin, dominex, fastac

WHP 13

Ballistic, karate, klartan , Pounce, sumi-Alpha flex, trojan

WHP 2

e.g. Hy-mal , lancer, orthene Xtra

WHP 36

lorsban

WHP 5

monitor, tokuthion7

WHP 7

Phosdrin (insecticide of last resort; restrictions apply, refer to label)

WHP 7

Seedling treatment

Late

WHP28/422 WHP not required

4

Group 1B

Group 1B

organophosphates

organophosphate

5

WHP = withholding period in days durivo contains two active ingredients, from Group 28 and Group 4. 2 WHP for durivo is 28 days for leafy brassicas and 42 days for other vegetable brassica crops. 3 WHP for Bulldock on broccoli is 3 days. 4 klartan is only registered for cauliflowers. 5 Hy-mal is registered for cabbage and cauliflower only. 6 WHP for orthene Xtra and lancer on broccoli is 14 days. 7 tokuthion is not registered for cauliflowers

1

24

WA Grower march 2011

Your Production

Update 15 Sept. 2010

dIAmondBAck motH (dBm) InsectIcIde resIstAnce mAnAGement (Irm) strAteGY Western AustrAlIA This strategy is part of integrated pest management (IPM) for vegetable brassica crops — cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts.

feAtures of tHe InsectIcIde resIstAnce mAnAGement strAteGY: 1. The industry aims to promote co-ordinated use of ‘newer chemistry’ insecticides to control DBM, Plutella xylostella, and to avoid or delay the development of insecticide resistance to them.

2. Monitor crops regularly and only apply insecticide when the threshold is reached.

3. Rotate the use of insecticides with different modes of action and restrict their use to certain periods of the year, referred to as Windows.

4. Do not use products from one mode of action Group for more than 30 days. After 30 days, select products from a different mode of action Group in the appropriate Window.

5. Labels of some products place a limit on the number of times they can be applied per crop: see below and always read product labels.

6. Do not use insecticide mixes, e.g. Bt’s together with synthetic pyrethroids.

7. To encourage beneficial insects, avoid broad spectrum sprays that contain organophosphate and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, particularly early in a crop cycle.

8. Good crop hygiene reduces DBM pressure — plant clean seedlings & incorporate crop residue.

Product application frequency critical comments WINDOW 1

WINDOW 2

entrust, Success — Group 5A Maximum of 4 applications per crop per season.

Repeat applications at 7–14 day intervals.

avatar — Group 22A Maximum of 4 applications per crop. Minimum spray interval of 7 days.

Durivo — Groups 28 and 4 Seedling and planting hole treatment only. For follow-up control of DBM in a crop use products from alternative mode of action groups for a period of one DBM generation. Total exposure of one crop to all Group 28 insecticides should not exceed 50% of the crop cycle.

regal, regent, Vista — Group 2C Maximum 4 applications per year, applied within an 8 week period.

coragen — Group 28 Maximum of 3 applications to any one crop. No more than 2 consecutive sprays per crop before using insecticide from a different mode of action Group. Minimum spray interval of 7 days.

Belt — Group 28 Maximum of 3 applications to any one crop, to be applied in no less than 14 days. Spray intervals of 7-14 days are suitable.

Secure — Group 13A Maximum of 2 applications per crop, applied 7 days apart.

Maximum of 4 applications for brussel sprouts, see label.

Proclaim — Group 6A Maximum of 4 applications per crop. Where more than one crop is grown do not make more than 4 applications in any one year.

IMPoRTANT DISCLAIMER: The Chief Executive officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. The product trade names in this publication are supplied on the understanding that no preference between equivalent products is intended and that the inclusion of a product does not imply endorsement by Department of Agriculture and Food WA over any other equivalent product from another manufacturer. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this publication. copyright © Western Australian Agriculture Authority, 2010.

This strategy suggests best practice insecticide use by growers and is regularly updated in consultation with growers and CropLife Australia enquiries: stewart learmonth / Alison Beattie t: (08) 9777 0000, f: (08) 9777 0001 rachel lancaster t: (08) 9780 6210, f: (08) 9780 6136 WA Grower march 2011

25

Your Production

Improved water use efficiency indicated by tomato trial

rOhaN PrINce DEVELoPMENT oFFICER, DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE AND FooD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

A tomato trial underway at the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Medina Research Station south of Perth is showing that timing and depth of irrigation will be more important to improving water use efficiency than the type of drip tape used.

The project funded by Horticulture Australia Limited and the Agricultural Produce Commission aims to develop best practice for growing tomatoes using drip irrigation.

A steering committee comprising department staff and local growers selected four different irrigation treatments to test against a control (T1 = 1.05L/hr @ 0.25m dripper spacing) which represents growers’ current practice.

Irrigation volumes for alternative treatments T2 to T5 were all based on evaporation from the on-farm weather station adjusted according to growth stage. Frequency of irrigation was determined by the emission rate of each tape (T2 = 0.98L/hr @ 0.2m, T3 = 1.6L/hr @ 0.25m, T4 = 0.5L/hr @ 0.20m and T5 = 0.25L/hr @ 0.2m spacing), and by the soil water-holding capacity.

A blue dye trial in 2010 showed that very little extra lateral spread was achieved by increasing the volume of water applied to more than 0.5L in a single application. On that basis, it was intended that treatments

26

WA Grower march 2011

T2 to T5 receive no more than 0.5L in a single application. Throughout most of the trial that was achieved, but due to some extremely hot weather during January 2011 producing high evaporation and drip tape with an extremely low emission rate, this rule was bent for the 0.25L/hr tape (T5).

Water applied to each treatment has been measured using water meters and rain from an onsite rain gauge. Catch lysimeters under the crop have been used to measure drainage and also to give an indication of leaching of nitrogen below the tomato root zone.

Records to February 16, showed water application was 33% less in T2 and 44% less in T5 than the grower treatment (T1) and drainage beneath the crop in T5 was 71% less.

We believe some of this difference between water applied and water drainage can be

Your Production

explained by higher evaporative loss. These losses result from the extra time water is exposed on the soil surface in the lower application rate tape of T5. This gives a false indication that plants being irrigated by these tapes are using more water.

When water drained below the crop is subtracted from water applied, water used by the plants and lost to evaporation can be estimated.

The water used by the test treatments was within 12% of that used by the grower treatment. This shows there was very little difference in plant water use and extra water applied tends to just drain past the plants, without being used.

As well as different evaporative loss due to the application rate of each tape, variation in water use may have resulted from the difference in vigour between treatments.

Varying amounts of nutrients, in the same ratio for all treatment, were applied to compensate for the losses of nitrogen from the expected drainage. However, the total amounts applied were still significantly different between the grower treatment (T1) at 1100kg N/ha and T5 at 570kg/ha. It is not overly surprisingly vigour was highest in T1 (grower treatment) and lowest in T5 (least water).

The average marketable yield from each plant until mid-February mimicked the nitrogen applications. T5 (570kg N) was the lowest with 6.1kg of marketable fruit per plant and T1 was highest (1,100kg N) with 6.9kg/plant. Treatments 2, 3 and 4 were very similar but still followed this trend with 6.3, 6.2 and 6.4kg/plant and received 756, 751 and 856kg/ha of nitrogen respectively.

Quality and size are also being assessed by grading the tomatoes harvested from 51 plants from the 15 test plots. The percentage

of fruit in the different size classes has been similar between treatments and at this stage there do not appear to be any significant differences in sizing or major quality defects from reduced irrigation.

The results so far are promising savings in water without sacrificing yield, but this year’s trial is yet to finish. There is a chance that the lower water rates may eventually restrict fruit growth towards the top of the plant, and so decrease final yields.

When the harvest concludes all the results will be analysed and should show if lower water application has helped or hindered producing a bumper tomato crop. for more information For further details please contact rohan Prince at the Department of agriculture and Food on 0429 680 069 or by emailing rohan.prince@agric.wa.gov.au.

Rohan Prince at the trial site.

WA Grower march 2011

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Your Production

Vegetable Industry Development Program

Post harvest management for vegetables Facts on preventing losses What does ‘post harvest’ mean?

Why is it important?

Post harvest activities include cooling, curing, handling, storage, processing, packaging, transport and the market phase. Post harvest management is about maintaining quality from production in the paddock to the vegetables being placed on a plate for consumption. Maintaining vegetable quality requires good systems and communication throughout the supply chain as each step is influenced by the previous; it is a chain of interdependent activities.

An estimated 10–40 per cent of the food that is grown is never eaten because of damage, rotting, pests, and the consumers’ demand for ‘perfect’ produce. Generally, fresh produce losses are higher than those of processed food. These losses are often higher in warmer, more humid climates as in Northern Australia. The climate makes it more difficult to control diseases in the field, and take out field heat. Long transport distances also make it more challenging to maintain an adequate cool chain.

key messages • Keep a focus on quality throughout the supply chain • Keep it healthy: at harvest and from there on • Keep it cool: check optimum temperature requirements • Keep it gentle: no rough handling/ bumpy rides • Keep it clean: storage rooms, equipment, sanitation tanks, packaging materials and people • Keep it breathing: vegetables are alive, airflow and ventilation are vital in storage, transport and packaging.

28

WA Grower march 2011

Post harvest losses mean that production resources such as land, water, energy, fertilisers, labour and effort are wasted, and ultimately, profitability for growers is reduced.

How do vegetables get wasted after harvest?

Minimising wastage requires a focus on quality throughout the supply chain.

Many post harvest losses are a direct result of production management. Vegetables that are affected by weeds, pests and diseases, inappropriately irrigated and fertilised, generally of poor quality before harvesting, or harvested past optimum maturity can never be improved by post harvest treatments.

Vegetables are living, breathing parts of plants and contain 65–95% water. once harvested their internal food and water reserves decline over time and vegetables deteriorate and rot.

Anything that increases the rate at which food and water reserves are used up increases the rate of deterioration. Acceleration of deterioration can be due to high temperature, low humidity, incorrect atmosphere and/ or physical damage. Table 1 lists causes for losses and how to prevent them.

reducing waste assessing and avoiding losses Accurate records of losses at various stages of the marketing chain are rarely kept.

Without agreed methods of assessing losses and good data about wastage along the chain, making reliable assessments of the potential cost-effectiveness of interventions is virtually impossible. Quality Assurance systems that cover all supply chain partners can be set up to collect data on losses during each step. They can be used to minimise waste effectively and increase returns, by focusing on the areas where wastage is greatest. Staff training can greatly assist in reducing waste.

Optimum storage conditions The more closely optimum storage conditions for vegetables are adhered to throughout the supply chain, the longer is the post harvest life span. Optimum conditions are listed in Table 2 in relation to temperature (optimum and range) and atmosphere (percentage oxygen, cabon dioxide and relative humidity). Most vegetables listed are more or less ethylene sensitive; e.g. carrots turn bitter when exposed to it.

Your Production

Table 1 causes for and prevention for fruit loss Issue

Where it occurs

result

Prevention

misshapen, split product

Production in field

Low pack out and potential rejections from market.

Good soil, irrigation and nutrition management.

Variety selection to suit growing conditions, and careful harvesting.

Wrong harvest maturity

Harvest

Poor flavour and storage life. Mixed qualities in the same packaging and associated quality problems.

Maturity assessments before harvest and no mixing of different maturities in the same packaging.

Water loss after harvest

Throughout the supply chain

Shrinkage, loss of weight, increased susceptibility to diseases.

Maintain adequate humidity during storage. Avoid stresses due to handling, damage, or incorrect storage temperatures.

mechanical damage

Harvesting, grading, re-packing, stacking of boxes, shipping, retail handling

Careless handling of vegetables and containers causing splitting, internal bruising, superficial grazing, and crushing of soft produce leading to entry points for diseases, increased water loss and increased respiration.

Adequate harvest method, no over or under trimming.

Grading line design with minimum drop heights, no sharp corners or points. Adhering to recommended pallet and container stacking patterns.

Increased respiration

Throughout the supply chain

Increased use of stored energy resources (starch, sugars) leading to ageing and death when reserves are exhausted. Stress due to mechanical injury, diseases or temperature fluctuations can increase respiration rates and cause faster use of stored energy and increased water loss.

Adhere to temperature requirements for each vegetable type throughout the supply chain. Take field heat out as soon as possible after harvest.

Wrong temperatures, temperature fluctuations

Throughout the supply chain

Cold damage (browning, mushiness). Freezing at temperatures between 0 and -2ÂşC. Rots following low temperature injuries.

Check and maintain cooling equipment for stores, shipping containers and trucks. Do not store vegetables that need higher temperatures e.g. beans, cucumbers, tomatoes or eggplants with those requiring low temperatures.

In store rooms, low oxygen, high containers and carbon dioxide in storage atmosphere packaging

Poorly ventilated, controlled atmosphere/modified atmosphere storage reduces oxygen supply and can lead to accumulation of damaging carbon dioxide, ‘suffocating’ vegetables. This leads to stress that increases respiration and water loss.

Stressed vegetables may release more ethylene and carbon dioxide into the storage atmosphere, which promotes ageing.

Good atmosphere control in controlled atmosphere rooms if used. Good ventilation in normal storage (including leaving gaps between pallets and walls for sufficient ventilation/head space in packaging).

Correct use of modified atmosphere packaging and maintenance of the cool chain.

Diseases

Throughout the supply chain

Rotting and contamination of surrounding produce.

Do not use dirty, contaminated field boxes or insufficiently sanitised washing water. Do not pack damaged, over mature or diseased produce in the same packaging as healthy produce.

ethylene (a ripening agent) produced by fruits or from fuel exhausts

Packing sheds, stores, transport containers, depots

Pre-mature ageing (senescence), loss of colour and firmness, vegetables susceptible to decay.

Do not store or transport fruit emitting ethylene with vegetables that are sensitive to it. Do not use gas or diesel forklifts and vehicles in or near packing and storage facilities.

See the case study on the following page.

The Vegetable Industry Development Program is funded by hal using the vegetable levy and matched funds from the australian Government.

WA Grower march 2011

29

Your Production

case study Starting a new carrot export business was exciting. There was a lot to learn about growing the new varieties for the Japanese market. Size and quality specifications were tight. luckily it was a good growing year, not too hot, not too wet and there were no disease issues.

Getting ready The team building the packing shed was working day and night to get everything ready so we could start harvest in ten days. The new forced-air cooling unit was working fine, new bins had arrived, the grading line was coming together and even the new cartons and liners would be on site early. The packing shed would be ready for a Tuesday morning start; we could bring in at least 10 tonnes. The marketing department got excited.

harvesting By lunchtime on Tuesday we were in full swing out in the paddock. The new floating tank and washer worked a dream. So far so good. Bins of clean carrots were put into the cool room for pre-cooling prior to grading and packing. on Monday we had curtains fixed in the cool room doors to keep the cold air inside while the doors were open. The automatic opening and closing mechanism was not fitted yet but all forklift drivers had been worded up to keep the door shut when shifting bins around inside.

Grading and packing once the carrots had reached the target pre-cooling temperature, we could start up the grading line and adjust the sizers.

Something was wrong with one of the motors that we had ‘borrowed’ from another line so no-go for grading and packing. It could be a day at least to get things fixed which was no problem really as we could continue harvesting and washing, moving the incoming bins to the forced air cooling unit and shift the cold ones to the back of the store.

Problem!

Getting the grading / packing line up and running properly took a couple of days, then we were ready to roll. By now the high humidity cool room was getting full with bins of washed carrots. I grabbed one from a bin harvested on day one to have a bite — it tasted awful and bitter! What had happened? I knew that the same batch coming in from the field had been very

30

WA Grower march 2011

story from the packing shed Doris Blaesing Table 2 Temperature and modified atmosphere (ma) requirements for fresh-cut vegetables fresh cut product

temperature (ºc)

Atmosphere 1 %02

%co2

efficacy 2

Beans sprouts

0–2

—

—

—

Beets (red), grated, cubed or peeled

0–5

5

5

Moderate

Broccoli, florets

0–5

2–3

6–7

Good

Cabbage, shredded

0–5

5–7.5

15

Good

Chinese cabbage, shredded

0–5

5

5

Moderate

Carrots, shredded, sticks or sliced

0–5

2–5

15–20

Good

Leeks, sliced

0–5

5

5

Moderate

Lettuce (butterhead), chopped

0–5

1–3

5–10

Moderate

Lettuce (green leaf) chopped

0–5

0.5–3

5–10

Good

Lettuce (iceberg), chopped or shredded

0–5

0.5–3

10–15

Good

Lettuce (red leaf), chopped

0–5

0.5–3

5–10

Good

Lettuce (Romaine), chopped

0–5

0.5–3

5–10

Good

Mushrooms, sliced

0–5

3

10

Not recommended

onion, sliced or diced

0–5

2–5

10–15

Good Moderate

Peppers, diced

0–5

3

5–10

Potato, sliced or whole peeled

0–5

1–3

6–9

Good

Pumpkin, cubed

0–5

2

15

Moderate

Spinach, cleaned

0–5

0.8–3

8–10

Moderate

Tomato, sliced

0–5

3

3

Moderate

Zucchini, sliced

5

0.25–1

—

Moderate

1

Humidity requirements are 95–100% 2 Efficacy of modified atmosphere packaging

Source: Gorny, JR. 2001. A summary of CA and MA requirements and recommendations for fresh-cut (minimally processed) fruits and vegetables. pp 95–145. Postharvest Horticulture Series No. 22A, University of California, Davis Information on the storage requirements of other harvested vegetables is available at http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Produce/ Storage/CARvegetables.pdf

sweet. Then it dawned on me — we had used a gas forklift inside the cool room over the last four days. our door curtains and policy of keeping the room closed at all times, had allowed enough ethylene to build up to turn the carrots bitter. The first batch was the worst and it had to go to the horses; electric forklifts were hired straight away.

This made me think about other issues we had with some of our lines over the past. other vegetables do not turn bitter but can deteriorate quickly when exposed to ethylene and we had received complaints about shelf life from the market. I checked with our freight forwarders and found out that they were also using gas forklifts in their rather small cool rooms, which were used to hold all kinds of fresh produce for consolidation to wholesalers. our lettuce may also have been stored and transported with apples, or other fruit, that produces quite a bit of ethylene.

Solution This issue made me talk to everybody handling our vegetables to find out how they were stored and how long for. It was

interesting to follow the transport routes, especially for export lines.

The ‘bitter carrot issue’ looked like a loss to start with however it helped build some great relationships throughout our supply chains, and also streamlined and improved our handling processes. Now there are fewer complaints about product quality and less waste — a good result for the bottom line. for more information Information on appropriate post harvest management for a range of vegetables can be found on the Postharvest Fresh website at www.postharvest.com.au/storage.htm or www.postharvest.com.au/Produce_ Information.htm Information on the Freshcare code of Practice is available on the Vegetable Growers association of Victoria website at www.vgavic.org.au/pdf/VegeNote-cool-chain. pdf or www.vgavic.org.au/pdf/VegeNoteFreshcare.pdf Go to the r+D Insights Database (within the log-in section of the auSVeG website) to search for further information on post harvest management of vegetables.

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GRoW your reputation

Your Production

Sharing the knowledge on irrigation

BY JOhN ShaNNON VEGETABLESWa

vegetablesWA teamed up with the NSW Irrigators’ Council to organise a presentation from four leading-edge Eastern states irrigators who discussed their experiences and successes. Growers also heard more about the vegetablesWA Vegetable Irrigation Scheduling System (VISS).

Although some presenters were from very different irrigating systems to that of the Swan coastal plain, growers reported that they gained some useful ideas that could be adapted to our conditions.

Whilst more information on the VISS is provided in the article on Page 14, here are some key points from the presenters organised by the NSW Irrigators’ Council:

richard Wheaton, tailem Bend, sA — Humidity manipulation on irrigated onions This involved the use of The Phytech system which offers an integrated approach to on-farm water monitoring.

Productivity was improved by irrigating to increase humidity levels.

ray sellwood, undera, vic — farming with sub-surface drip irrigation This initially started with growing processing tomatoes, progressed to Lucerne and now used on numerous other crops as well as grazing stock.

Discussed: • Cultivation

• Air temperature / relative humidity sensor

• Bed forming

• Stem diameter sensor

• Application of fertilizers through system

• Soil moisture sensor

• Water control (runoff back to rivers / streams)

• Portable concentrator

• Better control over soil profile.

• PC based software.

Negatives:

The system achieves the following:

• Capital cost $5,500 to $9,000 per hectare

• In-canopy climate sensors monitor plant disease pressure

• Lack of technical support

• Fruit growth sensor tracks bulb development • Soil moisture data verifies the effectiveness of the associated irrigation scheduling regimes WA Grower march 2011

• Reducing water usage while increasing production.

a typical system comprises of:

• Fruit (bulb) growth sensor

32

• Data easily collected & downloaded

• Lack of education • Root intrusion • Rodent and insect damage • Lack of incentives for drip compared to flood.

Your Production

Positives: • 50 per cent to 75% increase in productivity per millilitre • Allowing irrigated agriculture on un-commandable prime land • Laser grading — significant reductions in the amount of ‘cut and fill’ • Irrigate to the risk of weather (reducing irrigation time) • More precise irrigation applications • Eliminate channel maintenance • Ability to increase area under crop production with existing labour resources.

components include: • Motor and pump / filters / mains (PVC) / sub mains (PVC) / tape / valves • Controllers (automation and back flushing).

Brad and krysteen mcelroy, Padthaway, sA — fast flow (surge) irrigation.

Using Padman stops to control time and volume of water applied to bays. Involved channel reconstruction, new bays and monitors and controllers Growing Phalaris for feed on shallow dark clays over limestone.

Presenters inspecting the irrigation setup at Loose Leaf Lettuce.

michael murray, moree, nsW — improving irrigation efficiency in the Australian cotton industry

Purpose of the program:

• 3m beds

• To improve the irrigation efficiency of the Australian cotton industry by 10%

• 30 inch plant spacing

• Approximately $500,000 of funding, project originally to have concluded in December, 2010, now extended to April, 2012

• 2007 (prior to surge irrigation) took 90 –150 hrs pumping time to irrigate 18ha — 4.8–3.6mL/ha water pumped

• Focus on improving efficiency of furrow irrigation

• Yield 400kg/ha seed

approach:

• 65% germination

aim of changing:

• To eliminate as many variables in management and physical location of the different systems so as to assess the effectiveness of the system for accurate comparison

• Not subject plant and soil to water logging

• Soil

• Achieve a higher flow rate • Get over the ground quicker.

Discussed: • 2009 (after work completed) took 43 hours pumping time to irrigate 18ha — 2–1.5mL/ha water pumped

• Yield — 1.3 bales per mL.

lateral move:

Discussed:

• Allow for better growth and seed set

• $6,000–$9,000/ha

An on-farm side-by-side comparison of furrow (86.7ha), bankless channel (33.2ha), drip (11.7ha) and lateral move (124ha)

• Irrigators showing irrigators

• Bays are 30 metres wide and 350–450m long.

• 11.7ha

• Reducing losses from on-farm storages.

• Rain • By increasing the measured area minor growth variations have less impact on the overall results • Same team used across the four systems and in direct consultation.

Drip system:

• Yield 600kg/ha seed (33% increase)

• 1.5m spacing

• 85% germination (20% increase).

• 36 centimetres deep

• 124ha

• $1,800–$3,000/ha • Yield — 1.28 bales/mL.

Bankless channel: • 33.2ha • 30" plant spacing • Yield — 1.12 bales/mL.

Furrow: • 86.7ha • 30" plant spacing • Yield — 1.27 bales/mL. vegetablesWA thanks the NSW Irrigators’ Council for bringing these speakers to the West and the Dobra family for providing their home at Gingin as a venue. The presenters from the East were also able to learn from the techniques employed by Loose Leaf Lettuce in the West. Harvey Irrigation also hosted a second presentation night which included a visit to a Capogreco family’s BJ Melons at Hamel. for more information For further information on the presentations, please contact mark moore from the NSW Irrigators’ council on (02) 9251 8466 or at mark@nswic.org.au.

WA Grower march 2011

33

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WA Grower march 2011

35

Your industrY

Western Australian carrot exports continue to flourish BY allaN mcKaY DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE AND FooD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Australian carrot exports again rose in 2009–10, up 8.2 per cent on the previous year to be worth $51.5 million (fob) with Western Australia dominating the trade.

The main export markets for WA carrots are shown in Table 1. While traditional markets, namely Singapore and Malaysia, are still important, the UAE is now the largest single destination. The Middle East has emerged over the past five years with new markets growing rapidly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman.

WA carrots worth $47.6 million accounted for 92% of the Australian fob value with 64,090 tonnes out of total Australian shipments of 68,360t. Tasmanian and Queensland exporters shipped 2,440t and 1,580t respectively.

Western Australian producers and exporters have worked hard to further strengthen an outstanding reputation in international markets for product quality, reliability and food safety. This is reflected in export expansion over the past two decades (see Figure 1).

Seasonal growing conditions were good for irrigated production in 2009–10, in sharp contrast to dryland cropping areas of WA, many of which suffered severe drought in winter 2010.

Figure 1 The value ($ fob) and volume (t) of carrots exports from Western australia from 1991–92 to 2009–10 100,000

50

Year

09–10

08–09

07–08

06–07

0 05–06

0

04–05

5 03–04

10,000 02–03

10

01–02

20,000

00–01

15

99–00

30,000

98–99

20

97–98

40,000

96–97

25

95–96

50,000

94–95

30

93–94

60,000

92–93

35

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

WA Grower march 2011

40

70,000

91–92

tonnes

80,000

36

45

Tonnes Value (fob)

value ($million)

90,000

Your industrY

Table 1 Western australian carrot export value by destination for 2009–10 country

While groundwater in major growing areas is well managed, during summer some growers in the Myalup area south of Perth have reported increasing draw-down and rising salinity of groundwater. High evaporation rates through February 2011 meant irrigation water use has been high and many growers are struggling to remain within licensed water allocations.

Following the loss of market access to Taiwan in March 2009, DAFWA commenced a joint project with vegetablesWA to work with Biosecurity Australia to regain access for WA producers.

Queensland also joined this quest and a protocol involving soil sampling and product traceability was developed by DAFWA scientists in collaboration with Biosecurity Australia in Canberra. This was submitted to Taiwanese quarantine authorities (BAPHIQ) in late 2009.

UAE

value ($ fob) 10,662,686

Singapore

9,699,160

Malaysia

6,866,938

Saudi Arabia

5,261,199

Qatar

3,258,830

Bahrain

2,947,835

Kuwait

1,534,631

Reunion

1,454,108

Maldives

1,100,988

Japan

1,068,319

Hong Kong

1,062,453

oman

776,785

other

1,938,060

Total

47,631,992

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

In early 2010 quarantine officials visited farms and laboratories in WA and QLD to audit the proposed protocol. A revised protocol was submitted in June 2010.

In January 2011, Biosecurity Australia received notification from Taiwan that its Quarantine Advisory Committee had approved the proposed recommencement of carrot trade pending a final protocol being issued by Taiwan. This is a positive result but may still take some months before exports can recommence.

WA Grower march 2011

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Vegetable Industry Development Program

Vegetable production in Western Australia The total value of vegetable production in Western Australia is approximately $312 million (ABS Survey, 2009).

This production is obtained from 1,246 properties covering almost 10,000 hectares.

The five commodities producing the greatest value in Western Australia are: • Carrots

• Onions • Potatoes (see Figure 1) A range of other vegetables contribute significantly to the value of production with detailed data provided in Table 1.

• Tomatoes • Sweet corn Figure 1 Value of agricultural vegetable crop production Potatoes — $59,644,520

Listed crops represent the top five crops in the State, ranked by VACP from ABS Survey 2009. The green segment is the aggregation of all other vegetable crops.

Carrots — $53,652,038 Tomatoes — $29,725,490 Onions: total (white, brown, red) — $22,493,626 Sweet corn — $20,454,402 All other vegetables — $125,947,943

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WA Grower march 2011

Your industrY

Table 1 Vegetable production in Western australia vegetable group

vegetable

Brassicas

Broccoli

value of production ($)

53

5,850

376

0

1

0.10

Cabbages

5,617,017

178

32

7,156

Cauliflowers

5,474,144

408

34

6,798

380,656

18

10

108

Cucumbers

4,955,222

57

46

1,297

Honeydew melon

3,711,468

141

19

3,130

Pumpkins, triamble, trombone, etc

14,360,855

778

147

18,527

Rock melons and cantaloupe

10,616,558

488

49

10,105

Water melons

13,547,701

571

90

17,274

Zucchinis, marrows and squashes

3,249,878

102

62

1,538

Capsicum, chilies and peppers

9,290,091

186

97

3,029

Eggplant Tomatoes

herbs

Herbs — other (such as basil and coriander) Parsley

leafy vegetables

Lettuces Silverbeet and spinach

Other vegetables

25

39

254

393

114

19,540

87,429

2

10

12

376,603

4

15

72

11,426,297

594

38

14,400

832,900

99

27

463

75

0

1

0.02

Asparagus

77,576

10

2

10

338,221

17

12

131

14,085

4

10

2

Carrots

53,652,038

1,220

29

80,770

Celery

8,576,222

235

14

11,116

285

0

2

0.16

9,181,892

393

48

1,643

393,589

10

29

29

Butter beans

Fennel bulb (Finnochio) French and runner beans Garlic Green peas

81,115

7

9

11

162,333

8

25

61

22,493,626

326

26

19,584

Parsnips

970,632

15

18

220

Snow peas

301,972

15

7

50

1,418,468

23

10

466

Leeks onions — total (white, brown, red)

Spring onions and shallots Swedes and turnips Sweet corn Sweet potatoes Total

943,160 29,725,490

Artichokes Beetroot

Potatoes

volume of production (tonnes)

696

Chinese cabbage (buk choy and wombok)

Fruiting vegetables

number of properties

18,761,723

Brussels sprouts

cucurbits

Area of production (hectare)

Potatoes

753,684

14

6

299

20,454,402

298

17

7,799

45,716

1

7

22

59,644,520

1,802

89

88,504

311,918,019

9,138

1,246

320,269

Source: ABS Survey 2009

The Vegetable Industry Development Program is funded by hal using the vegetable levy and matched funds from the australian Government.

WA Grower march 2011

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About Austrade Austrade is the Commonwealth Government’s trade and investment development agency. Austrade’s primary responsibility is to ‘facilitate and encourage trade between Australia and other countries’ through information, advice and services to businesses, industry and governments.

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WA Grower march 2011

With a worldwide network of highly experienced and qualified staff, Austrade provides a number of dedicated and tailored services to Australian exporters.

Austrade offers practical advice, market intelligence and ongoing support (including financial) to Australian businesses looking to develop international markets.

Austrade also provides advice and guidance on overseas investment and

joint venture opportunities, and helps put Australian businesses in contact with potential overseas investors.

There are a range of services, programs and grants which may help you. for more information Please contact austrade on 13 28 78, visit www.austrade.gov.au or email info@austrade.gov.au.

Your industrY

2012 announced as

Australian Year of the Farmer

The importance of the rural sector to all Australians and to the Australian economy, will be celebrated in 2012 through an Australian Year of the Farmer (AYoF).

In announcing the initiative, AYOF Board Chairman and prominent NSW farmer, Philip Bruem AM, said the Year will focus on the essential role Australian farmers and growers play in providing for our everyday needs.

“All farmers contribute to our national economy and social fabric, and the time is right for us to celebrate this on a national scale,” he said.

“We hope during the Year all people will come to understand that each of us has a common interest in what happens in the Australian countryside. The Year aims to foster greater connection and understanding between Australia’s rural and urban communities. We will

be encouraging people to reflect on that common interest, particularly the food they eat and the fibre they use each day, and to look for, purchase, and appreciate Australian produce,” Mr Bruem said.

“Issues such as long-term food security, food safety, land and water management, and sustainability are especially important, and it is appropriate that as a nation, we acknowledge the role of our primary producers in dealing successfully with these issues. The focus will be very much on the future of our farming industries and the communities and businesses that support them,” he said.

He added the AYOF Board has begun talks with several high-profile rural and celebrity ambassadors to actively participate in the events and activities planned for the Year.

A full calendar of events will be announced in the lead-up to 2012.

“Local community groups and industry organisations are being invited to look for ways in which they can celebrate the Year,” Mr Bruem said. for more information more information on the aYOF can be found at www.yearofthefarmer.com.au. This website will become a portal for all activities associated with the year.

Mr Bruem also announced that Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia had accepted the position as Patron for the Year.

WA Grower march 2011

41

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Focus on

Asian vegetables

New research into the Asian vegetable industry in Australia has been released by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) in conjunction with Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL). It provides an update to the industry’s size, growth and characteristics, as well as identifying issues affecting the industry both nationally and in Western Australia.

Asian vegetables have been seen as a specialised niche, the preserve of small market growers catering for Australians of Asian descent. In general, the growth of demand for Asian vegetables has been attributed to the recent growth in the number of immigrants from Asia. However, more recently there has been recognition that Asian vegetables are becoming an increasingly important part of the Australian diet. Nowhere is this reality more evident than on supermarket shelves where Asian vegetables have grown in both volume and variety.

states. The recent figures collected by the ABS for the three year period 2005–06 — 2007–08 show that during the three year period the value of our industry has annual growth of 41%, and on a volume basis has grown annually at 42%.

A previous study showed that the national Asian vegetables industry had grown from approximately $50 million in 1994 to over $135 million in 2002, a growth rate of 13% per annum. This is a strong rate of growth when compared to the overall Australian vegetable industry. The new report shows that, based upon latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, the industry was worth $204 million in 2007–08, representing an annual growth rate of 19% over the previous two years and accounting for 6% of sales in the broader Australian vegetable industry.

In 2007–08, the value and volume of leafy Asian vegetables were more than twice the value of other groups of Asian vegetables such as spring onions and shallots or parsley and herbs. This is mirrored in the Western Australian figures which show the growth of the leafy lines value from 2005–06 to 2007–08 (see Figure 1).

Within this national result, Western Australia has experienced some of the highest growth rates compared to other

Leafy Asian vegetables (such as Chinese cabbage, pak choy, choy sum, gai lan and kang kong) are the most significant Asian vegetable by both value and volume.

While ‘market gardeners’ and ‘scale field producers’ represent the major number of growers in the Asian vegetable industry, a third group of hydroponic growers has emerged. This hydroponic grower group is significant as the utilisation of such technology has attracted new growers to the

Figure 1 change in leafy line value 12

Group 1 — Asian vegetables (leafy Asian vegetables)

value ($m)

10

Group 2 — Spring onions and shallots

8

Group 3 — Asian gourds, bitter melon, okra and snake beans

6

Group 4 — Ginger

4

Group 5 — Parsley and other herbs

2 0

2005–06

2006–07 Year

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WA Grower march 2011

2007–08

Your industrY

Interestingly, the information in the study also identified that Western Australian growers are the most productive in the country when compared on the basis of

• Educating consumers on the types of Australian Asian vegetables and their value and benefits • Supporting best practice production, including registration and use of chemicals and pest/disease management

80 60 40 20

N T

Ta s

0

Vi c

The report makes a number of recommendations for the industry, including:

100

W A N SW

“Many growers have made the switch from traditional to ways of growing Asian vegetables to the hydroponic system, taking advantage of industry support and research.

After an initial outlay, the hydroponic system can be cost effective to operate and is relatively pest and disease free, reducing the use of chemicals and generally requiring less water.”

120

Ql d

“Many of them prefer to work in a high tech environment using computers for hydroponic production, rather than working in the field with a tractor and tools.”

However, the research also identified some potential challenges for the future of the industry, including: the potential for over-supply of Asian vegetables in Australia, the decline in exports, production practices, biosecurity, urbanisation; and communication and extension for growers.

Productivity per hectare

W A

“The majority of growers are market gardeners and large scale producers, but the children of migrants and new growers coming into the industry are becoming increasingly attracted to hydroponic technology,” said author Barry Lee.

gross yield value per hectare in 2007– 08. This may, in part, reflect different proportions of market gardens, scale field producers and hydroponic growers across the states (see Figure 2).

Gross yield value ($k/ha)

industry which is a positive sign of growth and investment in the industry.

state for more information The full report, Taking Stock of the australian asian Vegetables Industry, is available for growers to download at the rIrDc website, www.rirdc.gov.au.

• Communication and extension to cater for the culturally diverse growers • Surveillance of pests and diseases.

FOcuS ON aSIaN VeGeTaBleS — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

Tập Trung vào Rau Châu Á Nghiên cứu mới về ngành rau Châu Á tại Úc đã được Cơ Quan Nghiên Cứu và Phát Triển Kỹ Nghệ Nông Thôn (RIRDC) kết hợp với Cơ Quan Làm Vườn Úc (Horticulture Australia Limited -HAL) công bố. Nghiên cứu này cung cấp thông tin cập nhật về quy mô, sự tăng trưởng và các đặc điểm của ngành này, cũng như xác định các vấn đề ảnh hưởng đến ngành trên toàn quốc cũng như ở vùng Tây Úc.

Các loại rau Châu Á đã được xem như một thị trường riêng chuyên biệt, một nơi bảo vệ những nhà trồng rau nhỏ để bán cho những người Úc gốc Châu Á. Nhìn chung, nhu cầu ngày càng tăng về rau quả Châu Á đã được quy cho sự tăng trưởng gần đây về số lượng dân nhập cư từ Châu Á. Tuy nhiên, mới đây đã có sự công nhận rằng rau quả Châu Á đang trở nên một phần ngày càng quan trọng trong chế độ ăn uống của người dân Úc. Sự thật này rõ ràng hơn bao giờ hết tại chính các kệ hàng ở siêu thị nơi mà rau quả Châu Á ngày càng tăng về cả khối lượng và sự đa dạng.

Một nghiên cứu trước đây đã cho thấy rằng ngành rau Châu Á mang tầm quốc gia đã tăng trưởng từ khoảng $50 triệu vào năm 1994 tới hơn $135 triệu vào năm 2002, một mức tăng trưởng 13% mỗi năm. Đây là một tỉ lệ tăng trưởng mạnh so với toàn ngành rau của Úc.

Báo cáo mới cho biết rằng, dựa theo

số liệu mới nhất của Cục Thống Kê Úc, ngành này có giá trị $204 triệu vào năm 2007–08, cho thấy mức tăng trưởng hàng năm là 19% so với hai năm trước và chiếm 6% doanh số bán hàng trong ngành rau của Úc trên diện rộng.

Trong phạm vi kết quả trên toàn quốc này, Tây Úc đã có được một số mức tăng trưởng cao nhất so với các tiểu bang khác. Các số liệu gần đây do ABS thu thập trong giai đoạn ba năm 2005–06 — 2007–08 cho thấy rằng trong suốt giai đoạn ba năm này giá trị ngành này đã có mức tăng trưởng hàng năm là 41%, và đã tăng 42% mỗi năm về khối lượng.

Các loại rau ăn lá của Châu Á (như bắp cải, cải thìa, cải ngọt, bông cải xanh và rau muống Trung Quốc) là các loại rau Châu Á quan trọng nhất cả về giá trị và khối lượng. Trong năm 2007–08, giá trị và khối lượng của các loại rau ăn WA Grower march 2011

43

Your industrY

FOcuS ON aSIaN VeGeTaBleS — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

“Nhiều người trồng rau đã tiến hành chuyển đổi từ phương pháp truyền thống sang các phương pháp trồng rau Châu Á bằng hệ thống trồng trong nước, tận dụng lợi thế của sự hỗ trợ và nghiên cứu của ngành. Sau phí tổn ban đầu, hệ thống trồng rau trong nước có thể rất hiệu quả về chi phí hoạt động và hệ thống này còn hầu như không có sâu bệnh, giảm việc sử dụng các chất hóa học và nhìn chung cần ít nước hơn. Điều thú vị là, thông tin trong nghiên cứu đã xác định rằng người trồng rau Tây Úc có sản lượng cao nhất trong cả nước so sánh về giá trị thu nhập thô trên mỗi héc ta vào năm 2007–08. Điều này phần nào có thể phản ánh các

44

WA Grower march 2011

10

Group 2 — Spring onions and shallots

8

Group 3 — Asian gourds, bitter melon, okra and snake beans

6

Group 4 — Ginger

4

Group 5 — Parsley and other herbs

2 0

2005–06

2006–07

2007–08

Year

• Giáo dục cho người tiêu dùng về các loại rau Châu Á của Úc và giá trị cũng như lợi ích của các loại rau đó • Hỗ trợ hoạt động thực hành sản xuất tốt nhất, gồm có đăng ký và sử dụng các hóa chất và chống sâu bệnh • Giao tiếp và mở rộng không gian cung cấp cho người trồng rau đa dạng về mặt văn hóa • Giám sát sâu bệnh Báo cáo đầy đủ: Đánh Giá về Ngành Rau Châu Á tại Úc sẵn có để người trồng rau tải về tại trang web của RIRDC, www.rirdc.gov.au.

100 80 60 40 20

state

N T

0

Ta s

Báo cáo này đưa ra một số khuyến nghị cho ngành này, gồm có:

120

Vi c

Tuy nhiên, nghiên cứu cũng xác định một số thách thức tiềm năng về tương lai của ngành này, gồm có: khả năng cung vượt cầu về rau Châu Á tại Úc, việc giảm nhập khẩu, hoạt động sản xuất, an toàn sinh học, đô thị hóa; và giao tiếp và sự mở rộng không gian cho người trồng rau.

Figure 2

W A N SW

tỉ lệ tương đối của những người trồng rau để bán, những nhà sản xuất trên quy mô lớn và những người trồng rau trong nước trên khắp các tiểu bang.

Ql d

“Nhiều người trong số họ thích làm việc trong môi trường kỹ thuật cao bằng cách sử dụng máy tính để sản xuất cây trồng trong nước, hơn là làm việc trên cánh đồng với máy kéo và các công cụ.

Group 1 — Asian vegetables (leafy Asian vegetables)

W A

Theo tác giả Barry Lee “Đa số người trồng rau là những người trồng rau để bán và những nhà sản xuất trên quy mô lớn, tuy nhiên con cái của những người di cư và người trồng rau mới bước vào ngành này đã ngày càng bị công nghệ cây trồng trong nước thu hút,”.

12

Gross yield value ($k/ha)

Trong khi ‘người trồng rau để bán’ và ‘ những nhà sản xuất rau trên quy mô lớn’ chiếm đa số trong số những người trồng rau trong ngành rau Châu Á, nhóm người trồng rau trong nước thứ ba đã nổi lên. Nhóm người trồng rau trong nước này là quan trọng khi việc sử dụng công nghệ đã thu hút những người trồng rau mới đến với ngành này điều mà là dấu hiệu tích cực về sự tăng trưởng và đầu tư trong ngành này.

Figure 1

value ($m)

lá Châu Á hơn gấp đôi giá trị của các nhóm rau Châu Á khác chẳng hạn như hành tươi và hành khô hay mùi tây và các loại thảo mộc. Điều này được phản ánh trong số liệu của Tây Úc mà cho thấy sự tăng trưởng về giá trị của dòng rau ăn lá từ năm 2005–06 tới 2007–08 dưới đây:

Your industrY

The Australian Horticultural Exporters Association In its current form as the National Peak Industry Body for Australian Horticultural Exporters, the AHEA was formed in 1987, again by prominent exporters as a ‘not for profit’ organization representing the interests of Australian Horticultural Exporters to both Government and Industry.

Today the AHEA has its national offices in Melbourne and Membership represents as much as 80% of Australian fresh fruit and vegetable exports around the World.

AHeA’s role BY maXWell SummerS CEo, AUSTRALIAN HoRTICULTURAL EXPoRTERS ASSoCIATIoN

The beginnings of the Australian Horticultural Exporters Association (AHEA) go back to the 1960s when prominent horticultural exporters got together to ship packham pears to the United Kingdom and to introduce apples to Asia.

The AHEA in its role as the Peak Industry Exporter Body (PIB) provides leadership and a single voice in representing and communicating Australian Horticultural Exporters views to Government, and in so doing, influence decisions made by Regulators affecting the Industry in gaining improved and more efficient commercial market access.

The AHEA defends the independence of Australian Horticultural Exporters, so they can be free to conduct legal business with any Suppliers that they wish to do business with and can trade with any Importers that they can agree to export to without unreasonable encumbrances or restrictions imposed upon them

Activities The AHEA works with DAFF’s Biosecurity Services Group to press market access issues, to receive and discuss market access updates and progress reports for key markets.

The AHEA also works with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to ensure Members get regular and consistent

commercial service for export inspections across Australia.

The AHEA represents its Members at International Trade Fairs and Conferences such as FruitLogistica Berlin and Asiafruit Logistica Hong Kong.

The AHEA represents the interests of Members with regards to shipping matters through its association with the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) and as the Designated Secondary Industry Body (Horticulture) under Part X of the Trade Practices Act. Consequently AHEA meets with registered Shipping Conferences, monitors and reports on shipping service levels and negotiates changes in shipping freight rates and surcharges as required by Members.

The AHEA sponsors foreign Quarantine Inspectors to visit Australia to audit exports of fruit and export facilities for compliance to key export markets from time to time.

The AHEA participates with Peak Industry Grower Groups in market access and maintenance matters, strategic planning, market development, and promotional planning activities.

The AHEA provides Exporter representation to the many Government and Industry Committees, Working Groups, Forums, briefings and seminars that occur during the year.

Joining the AHeA Governments, Councils and other Authorities listen to Industry Bodies such as the AHEA that represent an Industry Sector, much closer than to individuals, and any AHEA submission to these authorities therefore, is treated as a much more informed and important submission.

WA Grower march 2011

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Your industrY

For Exporters, getting involved in the AHEA allows them to share experiences and develop networks, and be informed, which will ultimately benefit their export businesses.

foreign markets. Only Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong remain non phytosanitary markets without restrictive quarantine regulations permitting importation of fresh produce into their country.

Being a member of the AHEA will strengthen the Exporter’s voice and will help to influence decisions made by Governments or Authorities that affect your industry sector, and your business.

The AHEA has in recent years strived to achieve improved quarantine protocols that are commercially viable for a number of major markets including Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand and USA.

Members are regularly updated on important issues affecting Horticultural Exports including current market updates, changes to importing country requirements, changes to AQIS export inspection rules, new market openings.

Members are encouraged to participate in Annual Member Forums to express their views, regular contact with the AHEA to share information, and joining the Executive Board to influence policy.

Industry issues Quarantine barriers are a major issue for the horticultural industry wishing to export to

46

WA Grower march 2011

Trade restrictions continue to inhibit the development of a deregulated and free trading environment for Australian horticultural exports and AHEA policy continues to focus upon issues which create an impost to free trade. These include Export Licence restrictions, Non Tariff and Non Quarantine issues including chemical residue violations, restricted market access by importing countries, over-regulated market access requirements by AQIS, Excessive export costs and charges.

Commitment to export is a must if Australia is to remain a viable exporter of horticulture globally. The traditional ‘ethos’ for Australian horticulture of ‘export is what you do when you have something left over’ must continue to be changed to ensure Exporters can provide global markets with reliable and regular fresh supplies of seasonal produce.

Information technology is a critical issues for Horticultural Exporters and the AHEA strives to provide accurate and timely information on relevant issues affecting Members.

membership Membership is open to all businesses and individuals involved in horticultural exports as a Full Membership for active exporters and as Associate Membership for non exporters such as service providers. for more information ahea www.ahea.com.au or (03) 9210 9380.

Your industrY

Vegetable Industry Development Program

Vegetable spotlight — lettuce snapshot

• lettuce was australia’s 6th largest vegetable crop in 2008–09, accounting for 6.2% of total vegetable production by value • Production and yields fell slightly in 2009, but there was a small rise in the area planted • Production is concentrated in the eastern states, particularly Victoria and Queensland

Production

The Australian Bureau of Statistics employed a new methodology in collecting data for the 2005–06 Agricultural Census. As a result, the data generated from the census — such as production volumes, area planted and yields — are not directly comparable to historical statistics. Readers should use this material with caution.

current australian lettuce production • Australian lettuce production totalled 164,543 tonnes in 2009

• Based on production estimates consumption of lettuces has risen in recent years

• The area planted to lettuce was 7,411 hectares

• Prices on both domestic and export markets were strong in 2009

• The average yield per hectare over the year was 22.2t.

• exports have risen over the past three years and australia runs a positive balance of trade in lettuce as imports are negligible.

long-term production trends 280 • After declining between 2001 and 2003, national production rose260 between 2003 240 and 2007. Production declined by 38% in 220 2008, after the strong surge in 2007, and 200 by 2.5% in 2009 but remains well above 180 the levels in the early years of this century 160

Tonnes (’000s)

• The total number of growers rose from 557 in 2008 to 566 in 2009 but there is a significant variation in the size of operations between the States

14027% in 2008 • Area planted, which fell by after strong rises in 2006120 and 2007, rose 100 slightly in 2009. Yields fell by 1999 15% 2000 in 2001

• The trend is for lettuce area planted and production to increase.

value and pricing Domestic value of production • The gross value of lettuce grown in Australia in 2009 was $187 million • This is an increase of 11% on the previous 12 months, which is due to higher prices • The national gross unit value (average price per tonne), which fell by 4.5% in 2008, rose by 14% in 2009 to $1,136.

lettuce pricing • Average prices based on production estimates rose to a record high in 2009 to average $1,137/t up from $996 in 2008 • Average export prices in Australian dollars were also higher at a record of $4,370/t • Based on this data returns to lettuce growers in both domestic and export markets were much better than in 2008 • In recent years, Australia has imported lettuce in very small quantities. Prices chart 2002have 2003 been 2004 excluded 2005 2006from 2007the 2008 2009as they

Figure 2 area planted versus yield

280

18,000

260

16,000

240

14,000

220

12,000

Hectares

Tonnes (’000s)

Figure 1 National production

2008 and by 4% in 2009 after a strong 34% increase in 2007

200 180 160

Area planted

Yield

35 30 25

10,000

20

8,000

15

6,000

140

4,000

120

2,000

100

0

10

Tonnes/hectare

• The value of lettuce production rose by 11.3 per cent to $187 million in 2008–09

5 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

WA Grower march 2011 18,000

35

47

900 800 700 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

600

Year

4,200

1200

Average price

1100 1000 900 800

3,000 2,600 2,200 1,800 1,400 1,000 600

600

Year

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

may not provide an accurate indication of lettuce consumption 4,200 actual levels.

Average price Exports • Data on consumption is fragmented and 3,800 anecdotal 3,400 state production and national 2,600

State lettuce production 2,200

• Victoria 1,800 (37%) and Queensland (34%) produce 1,400 over two-thirds of the national lettuce 1,000 crop

• New South Wales has the largest number of growers, with its share of the national total rising from 36% in 2008 to 38% in 2008. Queensland’s share of the total rose from 24.4% to 25.8%, while Victoria’s fell from 17.8% to 16%

• Based on official production data and population statistics it is estimated that annual consumption has risen in recent years to around 9.3kg per capita

• Average production per grower is more than twice the national average of 291t in Victoria while tonnages in Queensland and WA are well above the national average.

Tasmania and SA are well below the national average and NSW even more so

• This is a strong increase and supported by the trend to higher production and • Production in all 2009 except 1999 fell 2000 2001states 2002 in 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 increased plantings and may reflect an Victoria and South Australia where there Year increase in varieties were increases in production of 13% and 10% respectively • Comparisons with estimates of per 600

Table 1 consumption estimate of other major vegetables vegetable Average for three Average for three years ending 1999 years ending 2009 (kg) (kg) 6.4

9.3

Carrots

11.1

9.8

Potatoes

70.5

61.6

Tomatoes

22.0

20.9

• The total number of lettuce growers in 40 2008 to 566 Australia rose from 557 in in 2009 30 20 number • There were increases in the of growers in all states in102007 except Victoria and Western Australia where 0 estimates of the number of growers NSW fell sharply. The biggest increase was in SA where the number of growers rose from 20 to 65

Yield

15

Vic

• Exports are exclusively fresh, with key 10 markets in East Asia. Singapore and 5 Indonesia have been the leading markets 0 over the past two years, withTas Hong Kong Qld SA WA falling to fourth position in 2008–09 from State first in 2006–07

30 25

40

20

30

15

20

10

700 No. of growers

35

10

Average production

200

NSW

Vic

Qld

SA

WA Grower march 2011

WA

Tas

0

600 500

150

400 300

100

200 50

100

5

State

48

25

Destination of australian lettuce 20 exports

250

40

Average yield

50

0

30

Figure 6 lettuce growers

No. of growers

Tonnes (’000s)

60

export markets in 2009

lettuce growers by State

Tonnes/hectare

Production

50

70

Grower numbers and production Production

Figure 5 Production versus yield 70

60

• Victoria and NSW provide interesting contrasts with lettuce production in Victoria produced by a small number of 40 to growers on larger holdings compared Yield the relativeAverage small yield scale operations in35NSW.

capita consumption of some other major vegetables are presented in Table 1.

Tonnes (’000s)

• There are sharp fluctuations in yields in individual states from year to year. The highest yields in 2009 were in SA and the lowest in Tasmania.

0

NSW

Vic

Qld

State

SA

WA

Tas

0

Tonnes/grower

$/tonne

3,000 consumption

Lettuce

Exports

3,400

700 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Average price

3,800

Tonnes/hectare

Value

$/tonne

300 275 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0

Figure 4 Price per tonne

Average $/tonne

Value ($ millions)

Figure 3 Value of production

Average

Value ($

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150 125 100 75 50 25 0

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Figure 7 lettuce export destinations

Figure 8 lettuce export value

New Caledonia

10 9

Value ($ millions)

UAE Brunei Fiji Hong Kong Malaysia Indonesia Singapore 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Percentage of exports

• Imports are sporadic and do not serve to satisfy any continuing demand

processed segment (which is mainly pre-packaged salads)

• Due to the labour intensive nature of production, low cost countries, in particular China, are beginning to dominate regional trade in Asia.

• There are a wide range of lettuce varieties available in Australia, with the most popular being crisphead (iceberg), romaine (cos), butterhead and looseleaf

exports and imports

• Lettuce is in season from September through May, however it is still available during the winter months.

Value of lettuce exports • Export values fell sharply in 2002–03 and 2003–04

Year

• There are some significant tariffs in place in some of the smaller ASEAN countries which Australia is unlikely to trade with e.g Laos. The major countries that Australia has had some vegetable trade with where tariffs exist are in Indonesia 5% phasing to 0 in 2013 and the Philippines at 25%. for more information

• An upward trend has been evident since 2005–06 with lettuce exports in the year to June 2009 up by 13% on the previous 12-months period to $5.6 million

• Domestic markets are free and there are no restrictions on lettuce production

For further details on these statistics please contact Ian James, Industry Data economic analysis on 0439 440 023 or email idea@jiskapark.com.au.

• Imports of lettuce are free to enter Australia

For more economic analysis of vegetable production, visit the auSVeG webpage at www.ausveg.com.au/statistics.

• Australian exports have slowly begun to reclaim some of the lost ground in markets in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

• Exports to three of the major export markets (Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia) do not incur a tariff

market access

lettuce imports • Imports of lettuce are negligible, with some years, including 2008–09 registering none at all • In the past, imports have come from the US, Thailand, New Zealand or China.

market market segments • The lettuce market consists of the fresh market segment and the growing

The data and information in this document has been put together

by Industry Data Economic Analysis. Industry Data Economic Analysis is contracted by Horticulture Australia Limited to provide economic services to the vegetable industry including collation and analysis of data provided by other sources. Information is to be communicated to the industry through a number of channels, the AUSVEG website being one. Industry Data Economic Analysis, its principal, contractors and employees, does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any data or information contained in the document and does not accept legal liability for its contents or any loss or damage which may result. Professional advice is recommended for all strategic and financial decisions. This document does not represent professional advice.

WA Grower march 2011

49

Your industrY

NFF launches

Farm Facts 2011

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has released Farm Facts 2011. Farm Facts is published each year as a compendium of useful and authoritative facts and figures about Australian agriculture, based on fully attributed data from independent sources. The publication can be downloaded in full at www.nff.org. au/farm-facts.html.

Headline data from the 2011 publication reveals:

Australian farmers — punching above their weight...

• There are 135,996 farms in Australia — including those for whom farming is not their primary business. However, there are 120,941 farms solely dedicated to agricultural production. Western Australia has 11,124 farms, or 9.2% of the national total.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Agricultural Commodities 2008–2009.

• Australian farms and their closely related sectors generate $155 billion-a-year in production — underpinning 12% of GDP. — Based on modelling by Econtech for the Australian Farm Institute, Australia’s Farm Dependent Economy Report, 2005 and ABARE, Australian Commodity Statistics, 2009.

• Over the last 30 recorded years (1974–75 to 2003–04), Australian farms have consistently achieved average multifactor productivity growth of 2.8%-a-year — no other industry, with the sole exception of telecommunications and information technology, comes close to this achievement.

— Australian Government Productivity Commission, Trends in Australian Agriculture 2005.

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WA Grower march 2011

The gross value of Australian farm production (at farm-gate) totals $41.8 billion-a-year.

Australian farmers — food and fibre producers...

• Australian farmers produce almost 93% of Australia’s daily domestic food supply.

Food imports contribute 7.5% of the total value of Australian retail food sales.

— Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Australian Food Statistics, 2007.

• Yet, Australia exports a massive 60% (in volume) of total agricultural production.

In terms of value, this represents around 76% of the total gross value of Australian agricultural production.

— ABARE, Australian Commodity Statistics, 2009 and Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, At a Glance, 2010.

• Despite the worst drought on record, Australia’s farm exports earned the country $32.1 billion in 2008–09. This represents 11.9% of total commodity exports and 14.7% of all Australian merchandise exports.

— ABARE, Australian Commodity Statistics, 2009 and Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, At a Glance, 2010.

• Australia’s major agricultural export markets are: export markets destination

% of exports

ASEAN

19%

Japan

16%

other Asian

13%

Middle East

11%

United States

10%

China

10%

European Union other

8% 13%

— ABARE, Australian Commodities June Quarter, 2010.

Australian farmers — employers...

• Australian agriculture has important linkages with other sectors of the economy and, therefore, contributes to these flow-on industries. Agriculture supports the jobs of 1.6 million Australians, in farming and related industries, across our cities and regions — accounting for 17.2% of the national workforce.

— Modelling by Econtech, Australia’s Farm Dependent Economy Report, 2005.

• 50.7% of these 1.6 million jobs are located in Australia’s six capital cities. A significant proportion of the employment generated in the six capital cities is associated with the farm-output sector — such as food retailing, accommodation, cafes and restaurants, and various food processing industries.

— Modelling by Econtech, Australia’s Farm Dependent Economy Report, 2005.

• As of November 2009, 318,000 people were directly employed on Australian farms.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Year Book Australia, 2009–10, Catalogue No. 1301.0.

• There are 38,600 people employed in direct agriculture, fisheries and forestry jobs in Western Australia.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Labour Force Australia, Detailed Quarterly, May 2010.

Australian farmers — frontline environmentalists...

• Farmers occupy and manage 61% of Australia’s landmass, as such, they are at the frontline in delivering environmental

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outcomes on behalf of the broader community.

— Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, At a Glance, 2010.

• Australian farmers spent $3 billion on Natural Resource Management (NRM) over 2006–07, managing or preventing weed, pest, land and soil, native vegetation or water-related issues on their properties.

More than $2.3 billion was spent on weed and pest management, while land and soil-related activities accounted for $649 million of total expenditure.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Natural Resource Management on Australian Farms 2006–07.

• Our farmers have led Australian primary industries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a massive 40% between 1990 and 2006. This is Australia’s leading greenhouse gas reduction contribution.

— Australian Government Department of Climate Change, National Inventory By Economic Sector 2006.

• Natural Resource Management is a fundamental activity on Australian farms.

In fact, 94.3% of Australian farms actively undertake Natural Resource Management.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Natural Resource Management on Australian Farms 2006–07.

• 52% of farmers undertake activities to protect native vegetation, 45% wetland protection and 49% river or creek bank protection.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Year Book Australia, 2009–10.

• Farmers improving their Natural Resource Management practices reported doing so to increase productivity (88.6%), farm sustainability (88.4%) and better environmental protection (74.5%).

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Natural Resource Management on Australian Farms 2006—07.

• The cost to agriculture from feral pests — including wild dogs, rabbits, foxes, pigs, birds and mice — is estimated at $745 million in 2009.

— Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, At a Glance, 2010.

• Of land managed by farmers 9.2 million hectares has been set aside specifically for conservation/protection purposes by farmers.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Year Book Australia, 2009–10.

• Less than 1% of all agricultural land in Australia is irrigated, with 29% of all farms undertaking irrigation. Farmers spent $1.4 billion on irrigation works in 2008–09.

— Australian Bureau of Statistics, Water Use on Australian Farms, 2008–09.

— Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations, Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Australian Government Research and Development Corporations Model, June 2010.

• As a result, Australian farming is worldleading and ultra-competitive. In fact, despite a 50% fall in agricultural terms of trade since 1960, Australian farmers have tripled their production, as well as quadrupled the real gross value of their produce (from $10.557 billion in 1960–61 to $43.3 billion in 2007–08).

— Australian Government Productivity Commission, Trends in Australian Agriculture, 2005, and ABARE, Australian Commodity Statistics, 2008.

Australian farmers — investors in research and technology...

Australian farmers — selfreliant...

• Efficiency gains through new technologies and farm management practices, achieved on the back of research and development, have enabled Australian agriculture to stay a step ahead of our international competitors — returning average productivity growth of 2.8%-a-year over a 30-year period.

• Despite common misconceptions, government support for Australian farms represents just 4% of farming income. By comparison, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in Norway it is 61%, Korea 52%, in the European Union it is 23%, in Canada it is 17%, and in the United States it is 9%.

Key to this productivity growth have been advances in knowledge and technology, improved use of available technologies and management practices, and structural changes that have seen increased farm size and shifts in enterprise mixes.

— Australian Government Productivity Commission, Trends in Australian Agriculture 2005.

• In 2008–09 Australian farmers invested $244 million-a-year in research and development through the Rural Research and Development Corporations. This is over and above the $218 million co-contribution made through the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

— Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Australian Government Rural Research and Development Corporations Model, June 2010.

• Approximately $1.5 billion-a-year is spent on agricultural related research in Australia by government and private investors.

In fact, Australian farmers are among the most self-sufficient in the world.

— OCED, Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: At a Glance, 2010.

Australian farmers — in summary...

• Through developing new technologies, seizing environmentally-sustainable farm practices, and improving efficiencies and competitiveness modern farming is essential to Australia’s economic, environmental and social wellbeing ... ensuring Australia is self-sufficient in meeting daily food needs and is increasingly a critical source for mounting world food needs.

Farming is a mainstay of Australian ingenuity, adaptability and enterprise.

— NFF summary of the data provided.

WA Grower march 2011

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WA vegetable exports on the rise

BY DIcK TaYlOr TRADE ANALYST, DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE AND FooD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Western Australia is leading the nation for vegetable exports despite the high Australian dollar making it difficult. Exports have recovered in the past three years with increased exports of carrots, potatoes and celery.

Cauliflower and broccoli exports have remained stable.

Western Australia exported a total of 74,900 tonnes of vegetables valued at $58.1 million in 2009–10, more than a third of the national total (see Table 1).

While volumes are not back to the peak of almost 118,000t in 2003–04, they have recovered from the lower level of 57,000t in 2007–08. Around this time WA carrots were facing strong competition from China in South East Asian export markets, while good demand from eastern States due to the dry conditions meant increased sales of carrots and other vegetables to the domestic market.

A few years ago, cauliflowers were a significant export vegetable industry in the

Leading destinations for WA vegetable exports are Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia which account for 55 per cent of total exports. WA vegetables are recognised for their quality and the State’s close proximity to these markets by sea and air give WA exporters a competitive advantage.

Food security is becoming an issue in some near Asian countries and major importers, with support from governments, are looking to secure long-term supplies of fruit and vegetables. WA, with its close proximity to South East Asia and traditional trading relationships, is gaining more attention from importers and retailers.

The Singapore Government’s Agrifood and Veterinary Association (AVA) facilitated a visit to Western Australia, leading Singaporean fruit and vegetable importers and processors in May 2010 to meet WA exporters and tour growing regions. NTUC

FairPrice, Singapore’s leading retailer, is planning to visit WA early in 2011 to arrange long-term supply agreements for carrots, broccoli and potato.

DAFWA’s Trade Development group identified the opportunity to strengthen relationships with Singapore when new food security policies were introduced by the Singapore Government. Since then Trade Development has been working with AVA, NTUC FairPrice and importers to promote WA’s supply capability and investment opportunities.

The Department led a delegation of WA fresh produce exporters to Singapore in December 2010 to meet with importers and retailers to identify opportunities to increase exports. These initiatives are part of Trade Development’s ASEAN Fresh Strategy which is targeting exports of strawberries, stone fruit, table grapes, citrus, avocados, broccoli and carrots into Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. AVA is also keen to work with the Department to analyse the supply chain for export of fruit and vegetables to Singapore to identify further opportunities for import and investment.

Table 1 exports of vegetables by State in 2009–10

Table 2 Western australian vegetable exports (tonnes)* from 2005–06 to 2009–10

state

vegetable

2005–06

2006–07

2007–08

2008–09

2009–10

WA

74,900

Carrots

58,008

59,128

49,485

56,676

64,092

Tas

45,600

Potatoes

12,149

8,613

5,621

7,625

8,989

Vic

37,700

Celery

1,371

642

698

646

780

NSW

14,400

Chinese cabbage

706

286

381

313

225

Qld

12,600

Cauliflower

852

273

162

117

163

SA

10,200

Broccoli

58

56

31

31

33

NT

10,000

other vegetables

761

637

628

666

618

73,905

69,635

57,066

66,074

74,900

australia

52

south west reaching 22,200t in 2000–01, valued at $27.3 million. However this industry, in particular, was impacted by strong Chinese competition in South East Asian markets resulting in a decline to only 163t in 2009–10 (see Table 2).

tonnes*

195,800**

Total

* excluding vegetable juice ** numbers rounded

* excluding vegetable juice

Source ABS and DAFWA

Source ABS and DAFWA

WA Grower march 2011

Your industrY

Vegetable Industry Development Program

Industry economics Following the release of data in December an updated range of data on industry financials has been developed. Some key points which growers may be interested in include: cost of production per tonne for different vegetables • Cash costs for root vegetables are much lower than above the ground vegetables reflecting lower harvesting costs • Consistent with its status as the most expensive of the eight vegetables to produce, broccoli ($1,180 per tonne) incurs the highest actual dollar costs in 11 of the 13 categories in 2008–09 • The next most costly vegetables to produce are lettuce ($628), cauliflowers ($610), and pumpkins ($597). Lettuce incurs the second or third highest actual dollar costs in 10 categories, while cauliflowers have the highest costs for imputed labour and the second or third highest costs in nine other categories.

Pumpkins have the highest costs for packing materials and the second or third highest costs in four other categories • Carrot growers had the lowest costs per tonne at $209 in 2008–09 and it is no coincidence that carrots are Australia’s leading fresh vegetable export • The biggest increase in 2008–09 was a 31.7% rise in costs for cabbage growers,

and the biggest decline a fall of 18.5% for cauliflowers • Potato growers experienced a 6.5% increase in cash costs per tonne in 2008–09 to $263 • Cash costs per tonne (including imputed labour costs) in 2008–09 were only 2.0% higher than if these costs are excluded for carrots, but 6.4% higher in the case of cauliflowers.

components of costs of production for different vegetables • The components of costs of production of eight vegetables are examined and broken into thirteen components • The most significant cost components for all surveyed vegetables are hired labour (17.7% of total costs), contracts paid (11.1%), fertiliser (10.2%), and seed (9.4%). A miscellany of small cost items are grouped together in the ‘other costs’ category, which accounted for 21.2% of total costs in 2008–09 • Analysis of individual cost components as a proportion of total costs reveals that fuel and oil costs are heaviest for potatoes, accounting for 9.2% of total costs, well above the average of 6.4% for all vegetables • Hired labour costs are highest for lettuce (24.7% compared with an average of 17.7%), contracts paid are highest for broccoli (16.6% vs 11.1% average), fertiliser for potatoes (19.1% vs. 10.2% average), repairs and maintenance for potatoes (8.8% vs. 7.6%), seed for

cabbage (12.7% vs. 9.4%), spray and chemicals for cabbage (7.9% vs. 6.3%), and imputed labour costs for cauliflowers (6.1% vs. 3.8%) • The other individual components account for 2.6% or less of total costs on average for all vegetables. Electricity costs account for 2.6% of the total, administration for 2.5%, freight for 1.0%, and packing materials for just 0.2%.

Farm business profit of vegetable farms • Farm business profit reflects the business return to vegetable growers and takes account of all costs including depreciation, changes in stocks, and an imputed cost for own and family labour • Average farm business profit in Australia rose strongly in 2008–09, increasing by 43% to $110,650 following a decline of 8.5% to $77,200 in the previous year • The biggest change was in Victoria, with the strong rise in income reflected in an increase in average profit of 185% from the previous year to almost $234,000 per farm. This was more than four times higher than the average national profit of $53,000 in 2006–07 • Average profits in 2008–09 rose by 126% in South Australia, by 96% in Tasmania, and by 54% in Western Australia. Farm profit fell by 40% and 15% respectively in Queensland and New South Wales, and was down by more than 50% in the Northern Territory

WA Grower march 2011

53

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• Victoria had Australia’s most profitable farms in 2008–09, at more than double the national average of $110,650. Farm profits of almost $195,000 in Western Australia and $157,000 in South Australia were also well above the national average. Farm business profit in the other states was below the national average ranging from $25,600 in New South Wales to $68,000 in Queensland • Low average profits in New South Wales, which were less than 25% of the national average in 2008–09, reflect the dominance of smaller vegetable farms in the Sydney basin area.

rate of return to capital excluding capital appreciation • The average rate of return to capital, excluding capital appreciation, for Australian vegetable farms rose from 4.0% in 2007–08 to 5.3% in 2008–09. These returns exceed the rates of return achieved by broadacre and dairy farms of 1.0% and 3.7% respectively in 2008–09 • The strongest rates of return were recorded in Victoria (7.3%), South Australia (6.4%), and Queensland (5.6%) • The lowest rates of return were in New South Wales (2.6%) and the Northern Territory (2.9%), with Tasmania (4.1%) and Western Australia (4.5%) also below the national average • The biggest improvements were in Victoria, which more than doubled from 3.6% in 2007–08, and South Australia, which rose from 4.2%. The sharpest deteriorations were in the Northern Territory, which dropped from 5.8% to 2.9% and Western Australia from 5.0% to 4.5%.

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WA Grower march 2011

Vegetable farms with negative farm cash income • Negative farm cash income (receipts — costs) is non-sustainable in the long run.

In the short term growers in this situation have to rely on borrowed funds or off farm income • There was an improvement in the number of vegetable growers reporting negative cash income in 2008–09, with the total experiencing negative cash income declining to 10%, down from 13% in 2007–08 and 18% in 2005–06 • There are significant variations in the performance of farms in individual states, both within a specific year and from yearto-year • In the latest vegetable farm survey, no farms in the Northern Territory and only 2% of farms in New South Wales reported negative cash income, compared with proportions of 11% in Victoria and 19% in Queensland • Queensland was the only state that experienced an increase in farms reporting negative cash income in 2008– 09, with the total of 19% almost double the 10% with negative cash income in the previous year.

comparison of financial performance and debt characteristics of different vegetable farms • Farm cash income of specialist potato growers rose by 58% in 2008–09 from 2007–08 to $267,000, reflecting a 39% rise in cash receipts and a 32% increase in cash costs • Profits of specialist potato growers rose by 121% over the same period to $157,000,

and the rate of return on capital excluding capital appreciation improved from 3.2% in 2007–08 to 4.9% in 2008–09. The equity ratio dipped slightly to 89%, farm business debt rose by 41% to $496,000, and the debt servicing ratio declined from 5% in 2007–08 to 4% in 2008–09 • Farm cash income of specialist tomato growers fell by 19% in 2008–09 from 2007–08 to $122,000, reflecting declines of 13.3% and 11.4% in cash receipts and cash costs respectively • Profits of specialist tomato growers fell by 36% over the same period to $37,000, and the rate of return on capital excluding capital appreciation fell from 4.6% to 3.7%. The equity ratio fell from 84% to 80%, farm business debt rose by 27% to $386,000, and the debt servicing ratio increased from 3% to 5% • Comparisons between growers of potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables show that potato growers had the highest cash income and the best profit in 2008–09, displacing growers in the other category who had the leading position in these categories in 2007–08 • Features of the financial performance of growers in the other category in 2008–09 include a 6% decline in farm business debt, in contrast to the increases in the other categories, from $434,000 in 2007–08 to $408,000 in 2008–09, and an improvement in the rate of return on capital excluding capital appreciation from 4.4% in 2007–08 to 5.8% in 2008–09, a better performance than in the potato and tomato categories. The debt servicing ratio was constant at 5%.

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Explaining

Australia’s agricultural trade negotiations CoNTENT FRoM THE DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FoRESTRY

This article explains the key elements of the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s work to create new and maintaining existing export market opportunities through negotiations in the global trading environment.

Australian agriculture relies heavily on export markets, with around two-thirds of production (in value terms) exported in the three years to 2009–10, comprising around one-sixth of Australia’s total merchandise exports. Agriculture exports were valued at $28.3 billion in 2009–10.

Given this focus on trade, a key priority for the portfolio must be maintaining and improving international arrangements for the products it is responsible for.

doha round of the World trade organization The Australian Government’s main trade policy focus will remain multilateral reform of the global trading system through the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO). There are significant benefits for Australian producers in finalising the negotiations. Based on the current draft negotiating text, Australia’s major competitors — such as the European Union and the United States — would have to cut their trade distorting support measures by up to 70 per cent. As well, developed countries will have to reduce their tariffs by an average minimum of 54%.

However, the WTO Doha Round has a large, complex negotiating agenda that also includes non agriculture-related items. It is not surprising therefore that the round has had its ups and downs and progress has been slow. Some limited progress has been made recently on agricultural issues but

the round continues to be hamstrung by fundamental differences between members over the level of ambition for trade reform for agricultural and industrial goods, and the level of liberalisation to be undertaken by developing countries.

There remains a strong commitment to concluding the round but members have agreed that this will not occur in 2010.

Resolving differences between the United States, China, India and Brazil, and to a lesser extent a number of other countries, will be important. It is possible that the negotiations may conclude in 2011, but at this stage it is probably more likely to be 2012.

free trade Agreements The government is also committed to pursuing better trading conditions through free trade agreements (FTAs), especially where they are consistent with, and contribute to, multilateral outcomes.

FTAs can give Australian exporters a competitive edge by providing access to preferential tariffs. They can also help restore competitiveness, particularly in cases where our competitors have already negotiated FTAs. The China-New Zealand FTA, which came into force in October 2008, is often cited by industry as an example of Australia needing to catch up. As a result of its FTA, New Zealand has preferential access to WA Grower march 2011

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Your industrY

China for dairy, wine and meat products that compete directly with ours.

FTA negotiations are underway with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Australia is also participating in negotiations for a Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement and the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations — known as ‘PACER Plus’. The most likely agreement to be concluded over the next six to 12 months is the Australia– Korea FTA. Feasibility studies have been completed with Indonesia and India, but FTA negotiations have not yet begun.

Agreements concluded recently include the FTA with Chile (which entered into force in March 2009) and the ASEANAustralia-New Zealand FTA (which entered into force in January 2010). Parties to the ASEAN agreement are currently Australia, Brunei, Burma, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Indonesia is yet to complete its domestic ratification processes as there have been difficulties in bringing its tariff

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classification system into line with other parties to the agreement. Laos and Cambodia are close to ratifying the agreement.

technical market access At a practical level, the benefits of tariff and other trade reforms cannot be realised unless Australia enjoys technical market access for its key products. This type of market access refers to negotiating appropriate sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) conditions for the trade in a particular product. SPS conditions are those that relate to animal and plant health.

For example, if Australia is free of a particular pest or disease, we would argue that quarantine measures aimed at that pest or disease should not be applied by an importing country. Under the WTO SPS Agreement, measures applied by importing countries are supposed to be ‘least trade restrictive’.

Maintaining and expanding Australia’s current access is becoming difficult as countries — developed and developing — increasingly exercise their rights under the

WTO to protect their countries and consumers from pests and diseases.

The department has the lead role in negotiating protocols that enable new trade and arguing against unjustified measures on existing trade.

The department’s overseas network (12 officers in 10 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia) plays a major part in Australia’s efforts to remove or lower market access barriers, facilitate trade, resolve quarantine issues and respond to strategic issues such as international food security. for more information This article is an edited extract from Volume IV of the 2010 Incoming Government Brief (IGB) developed by the australian Government Department of agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. as such, views, opinions and advice provided may have changed since this time.

The full IGB is available at www.daff.gov.au/ about/publications/igb.

WA Grower December 2009

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Your Business

YoUR

Business

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Vegetable Industry Development Program

A smooth transition —

navigating your way through the family business Family businesses in the vegetable industry can be highly effective, efficient and profitable. A family business can provide a happy and productive place for family members to build a career, teach others and eventually retire and transfer responsibility and assets to others.

This will only happen if some planning is done to make the process of transition work well.

key messages • Good business processes and structures are required to facilitate a smooth transition • each member of the family business needs a clearly defined role and responsibility, with agreed expectations about what is required to progress through the business • effective business structures are needed to ensure everyone is rewarded fairly for their contribution to the business and to provide an effective vehicle for easy transition of management and ownership of the business • Planning for business growth is an essential element of a succession plan. Your objective is to have a business of sufficient scale and profitability that can fulfil the needs and aspirations of multiple generations and/or families.

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One of the keys to achieving a successful transition is having the right business processes and structures in place. This article describes the processes and structures required to facilitate a smooth transition for everyone.

This article covers the following topics: • People management and leadership • Business structure • Profitability.

People management and leadership The most important resource in any business is the human resource. This is just as important in a family business, as in any other business. Why treat your family members any less than you would an employee?

A few simple processes can ensure everyone (family members and others) is heading in the same direction and knows where they and the business are going.

These processes include: • Clear roles and responsibilities — ensure everyone working within the business has a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. Write it down and discuss it so that everyone knows what is expected of them. Provide a clear pathway to increased responsibility. A tool to assist in developing clear roles and responsibilities can be found at: www. makingmorefromsheep.com.au/capableconfident-producers/tool_4.1.htm • Regular reviews — a semi formal meeting should be held with every person in the business, at least once a year. At this time,

review their aspirations, training needs, ideas for business improvement, role and responsibilities, and remuneration. Review family members’ progression along the pathway to increased responsibility.

• Supervision and mentoring — everyone needs to be guided, trained and given support throughout their working lives. This includes the family members within your business!

Develop a relationship where managers and supervisors listen to their staff and provide advice when it is needed.

• Team work — everyone in the business needs to work as an effective team. Effective teams have: — An agreement on how they will work together — Honest discussions when behaviour is not acceptable • Family/Business meetings — good communication is essential throughout the working team and family. Regular meetings (at least twice a year) are required to deal with decisions about the long-term future of the business and each members’ role within it. Hold this meeting outside the home and, if necessary, get away from the workplace so that everyone can give it the attention it deserves and avoid falling into their traditional family roles. A fact sheet on running family meetings can be found at: www.grdc.com.au/uploads/ documents/GRDC_FS_SuccessionPlanning. pdf?shortcut=1 These simple processes facilitate transition because everyone is clear about the roles and responsibilities, which need to be fulfilled to make the business successful. They can see their place within this system and understand how they need to develop to fill the role of others, as they transition through the business.

Your Business

Business structure Effective business structures are needed to ensure everyone is rewarded fairly for their contribution to the business and to provide an effective vehicle for easy transition of management and ownership of the business.

Reward should always be based on contribution.

Clearly defining the different types of contribution required can facilitate the transition process.

There are three areas where it is important to have clarity: • Labour and management • Capital • Profit

labour and management Are your family members simply working in the business under direction (labour), or taking responsibility and making decisions (management)? There is a difference! Thus, the rewards should also differ.

Younger family members often only provide labour when they commence in the business, but they will need to develop and take on more responsibility as they progress through the business and their remuneration should reflect this development over time.

Regular and honest discussions about roles and responsibilities and remuneration should ensure people are fairly rewarded.

It is very important in family businesses to reward people adequately and avoid making promises of rewards in the future.

This can lead to disputes in the future, which hinder transition.

capital All businesses need capital to operate.

Agriculture is capital intensive, i.e. there is often a lot of capital invested in land and infrastructure, and plant and equipment.

Those family members who contribute this capital should receive an agreed return on their capital contribution.

A business structure that allows for different people to contribute different amounts of capital and be rewarded appropriately for this investment can facilitate transition,

when complemented by a system that rewards labour and management separately.

Profit Business profit is the amount leftover after accounting for operating costs and providing the agreed rewards for family members’ labour, management and capital. This profit should be split between the business owners based on a written agreement between the owners.

Development of effective business structures may require advice from accountants, lawyers or business consultants. These professionals can provide advice on taxation implications, legal structures, wills, power of attorney and life insurance. Ensure when this work is done that you develop effective business structures which provide clear rewards.

— Is the business profitable enough to afford to ‘buyout’ the older generation and/or any non farming siblings?

To remain profitable, all businesses must be open to innovation and change and be prepared to improve skills.

learn more If you would like to read further information on: • how to get the best out of your accountant • What a succession agreement looks like • how to find a useful facilitator • The difference between management succession and estate succession, or

Profitable business

• Setting up an advisory board.

To enable the people in the business to be rewarded, the business must be profitable.

A prosperous business must be growing and adapting new technologies.

let your state vegetable association or the InnoVeg sub-program know so they can obtain and tailor this information to your needs. alternatively the Grains research and Development corporation (GrDc) has funded the development of a guide suitable for any farming family planning the future of their business. a Guide to Succession: Sustaining families and farms is a factual booklet that includes practical examples and case studies, checklists and decision making tools. To access go to: www.grdc. com.au/director/events/grdcpublicat ions?itemid=9a81c1880e68D64D1BF e095a223 e4e4D&pageNumber=1

This is especially so if the business is required to support multiple generations and/or families. Some key questions to ask yourself and seek professional advice on are: • Are the rewards provided by the business for labour, management and capital sufficient to support the families that rely on the business for their income?

• If an older generation is to ‘retire’ and ‘handover’ to a younger generation: — Is the business profitable enough to provide sufficient reward for the older generations’ capital to sustain their needs and aspirations?

— Will the business still provide sufficient reward to the younger generation to sustain their needs and aspirations, after rewarding the older generation for their capital?

Sometimes reading a fact sheet just isn’t enough. If you would like to work through some of these issues one-on-one or in a group please contact Kristen Stirling from the InnoVeg sub-program on (03) 9882 2670 or email at kristens@rmcg.com.au to discuss what options are available.

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A process for continual business improvement can be found at: www. makingmorefromsheep.com.au/capableconfident-producers/procedure_4.4.htm There are no golden rules, which mandate what these rewards should be. Often rewards that are seen as ‘non commercial’ or below standard industry rates are sufficient to meet needs and aspirations. However,

families need to form an agreement on what is appropriate for them and their business and write it down.

Thus, planning for business growth is an essential element of a succession plan.

Your objective is to have a business of sufficient scale and profitability that it can fulfil the needs and aspirations of multiple generations and/or families.

summing up If the people management and leadership, business structure and profitability are well established, family members will be able to enter the business, grow and develop while they are there and leave in a way which maintains relationships and profitability.

the Jones family Brian and Sue Jones are in their mid 50s. They have a son and a daughter assisting on the farm. Their daughter claire is 24 and manages the packing and marketing side of their business, which focuses on the production of sweet corn. Their son richard (23) manages production.

Brian and Sue would like to work part time and travel for three months of the year. They would also like to free up some of their capital they have tied up in the land to put into their superannuation. They agree as a family on changes (see Table 1).

Table 1 requirements

Previous arrangements

new arrangements

People management and leadership clear roles and responsibilities

Brian has always enjoyed growing the sweet corn, but left packing and marketing to Sue. Richard and Claire work with their mum and dad, doing what is required at the time with no specific role or responsibility.

Brian and Sue will take a more strategic and visionary role and be less ‘hands on’, whilst Richard will become the production manager and Claire the marketing manager.

regular reviews

The family chat openly about how the business is going, but struggle to really review their individual performance. After all, ‘we are family!’

Brian and Sue have agreed to sit down with each of Richard and Claire individually three times a year to discuss how they are going. Sue will ask a friend, who is a human resource manager in a large company for advice.

Supervision and mentoring

Brian is pretty good at telling everyone what to do, but Richard and Claire would love him to stop and explain ‘why’ a little more often.

“Why?” has become an acceptable question and Sue will support Brian by trying to record his answers to help develop a written record of their experience.

Team work

They all get on well and work together. Both Richard and Claire have had opportunities to work elsewhere, but they have chosen to work within the family business.

They all agree the team is great and the proposed changes are about helping it to continue this way.

Family meetings

They seem to happen all of the time around the dinner table, but they do seem to avoid the ‘hard’ questions.

They have agreed to go away for a weekend each year during a planned break in production to review business performance and discuss their long-term goals.

labour and management

Everyone has been living off a set figure of drawings per month, but Brian and Sue have bought cars for both Richard and Claire.

Brian and Sue will be paid $30,000 by the business, whilst Richard and Claire’s share of the drawings will be increased and converted to a wage, once they have met with their accountant and worked out how much the business can afford.

capital

There is no differentiation.

The family have agreed to discuss this next year, after they see how the new arrangements go, but ultimately Brian and Sue would like Richard and Claire to lease the business from them to fund their retirement. Brian and Sue have agreed to leave their assets to Richard and Claire, upon their death.

Profit

They live well, but other than the tax statements do not really know how profitable the business really is.

They agreed to discuss this next year too. If Richard and Claire lease the business from Brian and Sue, then the profit would be shared between Richard and Claire based on a written agreement.

The business has got them this far!

They recognise they need to increase the profitability and scale of the business in order to provide an income for all.

Business structure

Profitability Prosperous business

The Vegetable Industry Development Program is funded by hal using the vegetable levy and matched funds from the australian Government.

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Your Business

SUCCESSIoN PLANNING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

Chương Trình Phát Triển Ngành Rau

Một bước chuyển đổi thuận lợi — chuyển hướng đi của quý vị thông qua doanh nghiệp gia đình

Các doanh nghiệp gia đình trong ngành rau có thể đạt hiệu quả, năng suất và lợi nhuận cao. Một doanh nghiệp gia đình có thể tạo một nơi vui vẻ và hữu ích cho các thành viên gia đình để xây dựng sự nghiệp, dạy bảo người khác và cuối cùng là nghỉ hưu và chuyển trách nhiệm và tài sản lại cho những người khác. Điều này chỉ diễn ra nếu có kế hoạch nào đó được thực hiện để khiến quá trình chuyển đổi suôn sẻ.

Một trong số các điều then chốt để đạt được sự chuyển đổi thành công đó là có quy trình và cơ cấu kinh doanh phù hợp tại chỗ. Tờ thông tin này mô tả các quy trình và cơ cấu cần có để tạo điều kiện chuyển đổi thuận lợi cho mọi người.

Tờ thông tin này bao gồm các chủ đề sau: • Quản lý và lãnh đạo con người • Cơ cấu kinh doanh • Khả năng sinh lợi Quản Lý và Lãnh Đạo Con Người Nguồn lực quan trọng nhất trong bất kỳ doanh nghiệp nào đó là nguồn nhân lực. Điều này quan trọng trong doanh nghiệp gia đình, cũng như trong bất kỳ doanh nghiệp nào khác. Tại sao lại đối xử với thành viên gia đình quý vị không bằng khi quý vị đối xử với nhân viên?

Một vài quy trình đơn giản sẽ đảm bảo mọi người (các thành viên gia đình và những người khác) đều đang hướng về cùng một hướng và biết họ và doanh nghiệp của họ đang đi tới đâu.

Các quy trình này gồm có: • Vai trò và trách nhiệm rõ ràng — đảm bảo mọi người làm việc trong

doanh nghiệp đều hiểu rõ về vai trò và trách nhiệm của họ. Viết điều đó ra và thảo luận để mọi người đều biết họ được mong đợi gì. Cung cấp một lộ trình tăng dần về trách nhiệm rõ ràng. Có thể tìm thấy một công cụ để hỗ trợ việc phát triển các vai trò và trách nhiệm rõ ràng tại địa chỉ: www.makingmorefromsheep.com. au/capable-confident-producers/ tool_4.1.htm

• Đánh giá thường xuyên — cần tổ chức một cuộc họp bán chính thức với mọi người trong doanh nghiệp, tối thiểu một lần một năm. Khi đó, đánh giá lại các nguyện vọng, nhu cầu đào tạo, ý tưởng cải tiến kinh doanh, vai trò và trách nhiệm, và thù lao của họ. Đánh giá sự tiến bộ của thành viên gia đình theo lộ trình trách nhiệm tăng dần.

• Giám sát và cố vấn — mọi người cần được hướng dẫn, đào tạo và hỗ trợ trong suốt cuộc đời làm việc của họ. Điều này gồm cả các thành viên gia đình trong doanh nghiệp của quý vị!

Hãy phát triển một mối quan hệ mà người quản lý và giám sát lắng nghe nhân viên của mình và đưa ra lời khuyên khi cần.

• Làm việc nhóm — mọi người trong doanh nghiệp cần làm việc như một nhóm hiệu quả. Các nhóm hiệu quả có: — Thỏa thuận về cách họ sẽ làm việc cùng nhau — TCác cuộc thảo luận trung thực về việc hành vi nào là không thể chấp nhận được • Họp gia đình/doanh nghiệp — việc trao đổi thông tin là điều hết sức cần thiết trong toàn bộ nhóm làm việc và gia đình. Các cuộc họp thường xuyên (tối thiểu hai lần một năm) cần thiết để giải quyết các quyết định về

tương lai lâu dài của doanh nghiệp và vai trò của mỗi thành viên trong đó. Không tổ chức cuộc họp này ở nhà và, nếu cần tránh xa nơi làm việc để mọi người có thể quan tâm thích đáng tới cuộc họp và tránh rơi vào vai trò gia đình truyền thống của họ. Có thể tìm thấy tờ thông tin về việc điều hành các cuộc họp gia đình tại địa chỉ: www.grdc.com. au/uploads/documents/GRDC_FS_ SuccessionPlanning.pdf?shortcut=1

Các quy trình đơn giản này tạo điều kiện thuận lợi cho việc chuyển đổi bởi

Thông Điệp Chính Quy trình và cơ cấu kinh doanh tốt cần để tạo điều kiện chuyển đổi thuận lợi.

Mỗi thành viên trong doanh nghiệp gia đình cần có vai trò và trách nhiệm được xác định rõ ràng, thống nhất các mong muốn về việc cần làm gì để phát triển thông qua việc kinh doanh.

Cơ cấu kinh doanh hiệu quả cần để đảm bảo mọi người đều được đền đáp công bằng cho sự đóng góp của họ đối với doanh nghiệp và cung cấp một phương tiện hiệu quả để dễ dàng chuyển đổi việc quản lý và quyền sở hữu doanh nghiệp.

Việc lên kế hoạch tăng trưởng kinh doanh là yếu tố thiết yếu của một kế hoạch thừa kế. Mục tiêu của quý vị là có một doanh nghiệp có quy mô và lợi nhuận vừa đủ mà có thể đáp ứng nhu cầu và nguyện vọng của nhiều thế hệ và/hoặc gia đình.

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SUCCESSIoN PLANNING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN CoNTINUED

vì mọi người đều rõ ràng về vai trò và trách nhiệm, điều cần được đáp ứng để giúp doanh nghiệp thành công. Họ có thể nhận biết được vị trí của mình trong hệ thống và hiểu cách họ cần phát triển để đảm nhiệm vai trò của người khác, khi họ thực hiện chuyển đổi trong toàn doanh nghiệp.

Cơ cấu kinh doanh Cần có cơ cấu kinh doanh hiệu quả để đảm bảo mọi người được đền đáp xứng đáng cho sự đóng góp của họ vào doanh nghiệp và cung cấp một phương tiện hiệu quả để dễ dàng chuyển đổi việc quản lý và quyền sở hữu doanh nghiệp.

Sự đền đáp luôn phải dựa trên sự đóng góp.

Việc xác định rõ ràng các dạng đóng góp khác nhau cần thiết có thể tạo điều kiện cho quá trình chuyển đổi.

Có ba khu vực trong đó sự rõ ràng là rất quan trọng: • Lao động và quản lý • Vốn • Lợi nhuận Lao Động và Quản Lý Thành viên gia đình quý vị đơn giản chỉ làm việc trong doanh nghiệp dưới sự chỉ đạo (lao động), hay nhận trách nhiệm và đưa ra các quyết định (quản lý)? Có sự khác biệt! Do đó, sự đền đáp cũng cần khác nhau.

Các thành viên gia đình nhỏ tuổi hơn chỉ cung cấp lao động khi họ bắt đầu tham gia kinh doanh, nhưng họ sẽ cần phải phát triển thêm trách nhiệm vì họ tiến bộ thông qua doanh nghiệp và thù lao của họ cần phản ánh sự phát triển này theo thời gian.

Các cuộc thảo luận thường xuyên và trung thực về vai trò và trách nhiệm và thù lao cần bảo đảm mọi người đều được đền đáp công bằng. Điều rất quan trọng trong các doanh nghiệp gia đình đó là đền đáp xứng đáng cho mọi người và tránh hứa hẹn về sự đền đáp trong tương lai. Việc này có thể gây tranh cãi sau này, điều mà cản trở việc chuyển đổi.

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Vốn Tất cả các doanh nghiệp đều cần vốn để hoạt động. Nông nghiệp cần nhiêu vốn, — tức là thường có nhiều vốn được đầu tư vào đất trồng và cơ sở hạ tầng, và cây trồng cũng như trang thiết bị. Các thành viên gia đình mà đóng góp vốn này cần được nhận doanh thu theo thỏa thuận về việc góp vốn của họ.

Cơ cấu kinh doanh mà cho phép những người khác nhau đóng góp các khoản vốn khác nhau và được đền đáp xứng đáng cho sự đầu tư này có thể tạo điều kiện cho sự chuyển đổi, khi được bổ sung bởi một hệ thống mà đền đáp cho lao động quản lý riêng biệt.

Lợi nhuận Lợi nhuận kinh doanh là khoản tiền còn lại sau khi tính hết các chi phí hoạt động và cung cấp sự đền đáp theo thỏa thuận cho lao động, quản lý và vốn của các thành viên trong gia đình. Lợi nhuận này cần được phân chia giữa các chủ sở hữu doanh nghiệp dựa trên thỏa thuận bằng văn bản giữa các chủ sở hữu đó.

Việc phát triển các cơ cấu kinh doanh hiệu quả có thể cần tư vấn của các kế toán, luật sư hay cố vấn kinh doanh. Các chuyên gia này có thể đưa ra lời khuyên cho các vấn đề về thuế, cơ cấu pháp lý, di trúc, ủy quyền và bảo hiểm nhân thọ. Đảm bảo khi thực hiện được điều này quý vị sẽ phát triển được cơ cấu kinh doanh hiệu quả mà có sự đền đáp rõ ràng.

Doanh Nghiệp Sinh Lợi Để mọi người trong doanh nghiệp được đền đáp, doanh nghiệp phải có lợi nhuận. Một doanh nghiệp thịnh vượng phải tăng trưởng và thích ứng với các công nghệ mới. Đặc biệt là nếu doanh nghiệp cần hỗ trợ nhiều thế hệ và/hoặc gia đình. Có một số câu hỏi quan trọng để quý vị tự hỏi và tìm kiếm tư vấn của chuyên gia, đó là: • Việc đền đáp do doanh nghiệp cung cấp cho lao động, quản lý và vốn có đủ để hỗ trợ các gia đình mà thu nhập của họ dựa vào doanh nghiệp hay không?

• Nếu một thế hệ đi trước “nghỉ hưu” và “bàn giao” cho thế hệ sau: — Liệu doanh nghiệp có vẫn đền đáp xứng đáng để thế hệ sau duy trì được các nhu cầu và nguyện vọng

của họ, sau khi đền đáp vốn của họ cho thế hệ trước?

Liệu doanh nghiệp có đủ lợi nhuận để chi trả cho việc ‘mua lại’ của thế hệ trước và/hoặc bất kỳ anh chị em ruột nào không làm nông nghiệp không?

Tìm Hiểu Thêm Nếu quý vị muốn tìm hiểu thêm thông tin về: • Cách đạt lợi ích tối đa từ kế toán của quý vị • Thỏa thuận thừa kế là gì • Cách tìm một cố vấn hữu ích • Sự khác nhau giữa thừa kế quản lý và thừa kế bất động sản, hoặc • Thiết lập ban tư vấn.

Hãy để hiệp hội rau của tiểu bang hoặc tiểu chương trình của InnoVeg biết để họ có thể có được và điều chỉnh thông tin này theo nhu cầu của quý vị. Ngoài ra, Hiệp Hội Nghiên Cứu và Phát Triển Ngũ Cốc (GRDC) đã tài trợ việc xây dựng hướng dẫn phù hợp cho bất kỳ gia đình có trang trại nào lên kế hoạch cho tương lai của doanh nghiệp của họ.

Hướng Dẫn Thừa Kế: Duy trì các gia đình và nông trại là một tập sách căn cứ theo thực tế có các ví dụ và nghiên cứu mẫu, danh sách kiểm tra và công cụ đưa ra quyết định thực tế. Để truy cập hãy vào trang: www.grdc.com.au/ director/ events/grdcpublications?item_ id=9A81C1880E68D64D1BFE095 A223 E4E4D&pageNumber=1 Đôi khi việc đọc một tờ thông tin là chưa đủ. Nếu quý vị muốn làm việc riêng hay theo nhóm về một số vấn đề trong số này vui lòng liên hệ Kristen Stirling từ chương trình phụ InnoVeg theo số 03 9882 2670 hoặc tại địa chỉ kristens@rmcg.com.au để thảo luận tùy chọn nào sẵn có.

Your Business

SUCCESSIoN PLANNING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN CoNTINUED

Có thể tìm thấy quy trình cải tiến kinh doanh liên tục tại địa chỉ: www.makingmorefromsheep.com. au/capable-confident-producers/ procedure_4.4.htm

kế hoạch thừa kế. Mục tiêu của quý vị là có một doanh nghiệp có quy mô và lợi nhuận vừa đủ có thể đáp ứng nhu cầu và nguyện vọng của nhiều thế hệ và/hoặc gia đình.

Không có quy tắc vàng nào quy định việc các khoản đền đáp này nên là gì.

Thông thường sự đền đáp mà có thể được xem là “không thương mại” hoặc dưới mức chuẩn công nghiệp là đủ để đáp ứng các nhu cầu và nguyện vọng.

Tuy nhiên, các gia đình cần hình thành một thỏa thuận về những điều phù hợp với họ và doanh nghiệp của họ và viết ra.

Tổng Kết

Bởi vậy, việc lên kế hoạch tăng trưởng kinh doanh là yếu tố thiết yếu của một Yêu cầu

Nếu thiết lập tốt việc quản lý và lãnh đạo con người, cơ cấu kinh doanh và khả năng sinh lợi, các thành viên gia đình sẽ có thể tham gia kinh doanh, trưởng thành và phát triển trong khi họ ở đó và rời khỏi theo cách mà vẫn duy trì các mối quan hệ và khả năng sinh lợi. Để duy trì lợi nhuận, tất cả các doanh nghiệp phải cởi mở đối với sự đổi mới và thay đổi và sẵn sàng cải tiến kỹ năng.

Bố Trí Trước Đây

Ví dụ ở trang tiếp theo mô tả điều này diễn ra như thế nào.

Gia Đình Jones Brian và Sue Jones đã tầm 55 tuổi. Họ có một con trai và một con gái hỗ trợ họ trên nông trại. Con gái Claire của họ 24 tuổi có nhiệm vụ quản lý khâu đóng gói và marketing cho doanh nghiệp tập trung vào việc sản xuất ngô ngọt. Con trai Richard của họ (23) quản lý sản xuất.

Brian và Sue muốn làm bán thời gian và đi du lịch khoảng ba tháng trong năm. Họ cũng muốn được sử dụng một ít vốn họ đã đầu tư vào đất trồng để cho vào tiền lương hưu sau này.

Cả gia đình họ đồng ý các thay đổi sau:

Bố Trí Mới

Quản Lý và Lãnh Đạo Con Người Vai trò và trách nhiệm rõ ràng Đánh giá thường xuyên Giám sát và cố vấn Làm việc nhóm Các cuộc họp gia đình

Brian luôn muốn trồng ngô ngọt, nhưng để việc đóng gói và marketing lại cho Sue. Richard và Claire làm việc với bố mẹ mình, thực hiện các điều cần làm tại thời điểm đó mà không có vai trò hay trách nhiệm cụ thể.

Gia đình trò chuyện cởi mở về cách tiến hành kinh doanh, tuy nhiên gặp khó khăn trong việc đánh giá thực sự về hiệu quả công việc cá nhân của họ. Sau tất cả, “chúng ta là một gia đình!”

Brian khá giỏi trong việc yêu cầu mọi người điều nên làm, tuy nhiên Richard và Claire thường muốn ông dừng lại và giải thích “tại sao” nhiều hơn nữa.

Tất cả họ đều có quan hệ tốt và làm việc cùng nhau.

Richard và Claire đều có các cơ hội làm việc ở nơi khác, tuy nhiên họ đã chọn làm trong doanh nghiệp gia đình.

Brian và Sue sẽ đảm nhiệm vai trò chiến lược và có tầm nhìn hơn và sẽ ít “làm việc tại chỗ” hơn, trong khi đó Richard sẽ trở thành người quản lý sản xuất và Claire là quản lý marketing.

Brian và Sue đã đồng ý ngồi riêng với từng người Richard và Claire ba lần một năm để thảo luận họ đang làm việc như thế nào. Sue sẽ nhờ bạn, là quản lý nhân sự ở một công ty lớn tư vấn.

Tại sao?” đã trở thành một câu hỏi được chấp nhận và Sue sẽ hỗ trợ Brian bằng cách cố gắng ghi chép câu trả lời của ông để giúp phát triển bản ghi chép về kinh nghiệm của họ.

Tất cả họ đều đồng ý nhóm như vậy là rất tốt và các thay đổi đã đề xuất là nhằm giúp nhóm tiếp tục theo cách này.

Dường như các cuộc họp diễn ra mọi lúc quanh bàn ăn, nhưng có vẻ các cuộc họp này tránh các câu hỏi “khó”.

Họ đã thỏa thuận sẽ đi chơi xa cuối tuần mỗi năm trong thời gian tạm nghỉ sản xuất theo kế hoạch để đanh giá lại hiểu suất kinh doanh và thảo luận các mục tiêu dài hạn.

Lao động và quản lý

Mọi người đều không tính đến một con số tiền lãi cố định mỗi tháng, nhưng Brian và Sue vừa mua xe hơi cho cả Richard và Claire.

Vốn

Không phân biệt.

Brian và Sue sẽ được doanh nghiệp trả $30.000, trong khi đó phần lãi của Richard và Claire sẽ tăng và chuyển đổi thành lương, sau khi họ gặp kế toán và tính ra số tiền doanh nghiệp có thể chi trả.

Lợi nhuận

Họ sống khá giả, tuy nhiên ngoài việc đó ra các báo cáo thuế không thực sự biết doanh nghiệp có lợi nhuận thực tế như thế nào.

Họ đồng ý cũng sẽ thảo luận về việc này vào năm tới. Nếu Richard và Claire thuê doanh nghiệp từ Brian và Sue, khi đó lợi nhuận sẽ được chia giữa Richard và Claire dựa trên thỏa thuận bằng văn bản.

Doanh nghiệp đã đạt được điều này từ lâu!

Họ nhận ra họ cần tăng khả năng sinh lợi và quy mô kinh doanh để có thể tạo một khoản thu nhập cho tất cả.

Cơ Cấu Kinh Doanh

Khả năng sinh lợi Doanh nghiệp thịnh vượng

Gia đình đã đồng ý sẽ thảo luận về việc này vào năm tới sau khi họ thấy được các bố trí mới có tác dụng như thế nào, nhưng cuối cùng Brian và Sue muốn Richard và Claire thuê lại doanh nghiệp của họ để dành tiền cho việc nghỉ hưu của mình. Brian và Sue đã đồng ý để lại tài sản cho Richard và Claire, sau khi họ mất.

Chương Trình Phát Triển Ngành Rau được HAL tài trợ bằng cách sử dụng tiền thuế rau và các quỹ tương ứng từ Chính Phủ Úc.

WA Grower march 2011

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Your Business

Agritourism study

finds opportunities to expand growers’ income A national study funded by the Australian Government has found that there is still room in the agritourism and food tourism industry to provide more opportunities for farmers to expand their income.

In developing their results, the research included the ‘Harvest Highway’ of WA as a case study, which follows the South Western Highway from Armadale just south of Perth to Walpole on the south coast. It encompasses the major towns along the South West Highway including Serpentine, Harvey, Donnybrook, Balingup, Bridgetown and Manjumup and also the towns on the byways such as Jarrahdale, Dwellingup, Collie, Boyup Brook, Nannup, Pemberton and Northcliffe.

ABARES’ Drivers of regional agritourism and food tourism in Australia study found that while agritourism and food tourism were often used to supplement existing farm income, for some of these involved in these activities it made up the majority of their income. For example,

around 20 per cent of the 300 respondents surveyed earned more than 90% of their income from agritourism.

In many cases, agritourism allowed farmers to diversify their income by selling directly at the farm-gate or in local markets.

Paul Morris, Deputy Executive Director of ABARES, said it was encouraging for farmers that agritourism and food tourism are proving to be an important source of income.

The report found that successful agritourism and food tourism is underpinned by improved research and marketing, tourism skills and strengthened coordination at regional and local levels.

“There are many good case studies of farmers transitioning into agritourism, as well as people from other professions moving to rural areas to set up successful agritourism and food tourism operations,” Mr Morris said.

“These operations also showcase quality Australian food and give consumers an understanding of how their food is produced.”

The study found that local and regional support are critical factors for expanding the industry and that the industry offered some unique opportunities for women, Indigenous Australians and young people in rural communities to become involved in agriculture.

The report found that in the WA Harvest Highway region agritourism and food tourism has an emphasis on farm stays and local produce, wine and some ‘experiential’ farm tourism. Traditional farming operations were well represented, with several farming operations transitioning to agritourism and food tourism, either partially or completely, while still retaining the farm base. Generally there is a lack of organised food trails with the exception of the Harvest Highway itself. However there is plenty of opportunity for farm-gate or warehouse purchases from many of the fruit packing sheds located along the highway.

Interviewees said that the prices received from these direct sales are generally double or more the wholesale price. Labour, skills and council regulations were issues often quoted as challenging these businesses.

Other case studies of agritourism regions were conducted in the Tamar Valley in Tasmania, Orange and the Northern Rivers region in New South Wales, Tropical North Queensland and Eastern Gippsland in Victoria. Three-hundred respondents took part in the study through interviews, focus groups and a survey of business operators. for more information Growers who are interested in exploring agritourism further are encouraged to access the full report, Drivers of regional agritourism and food tourism in australia, which is available online from the aBareS website, www.abares.gov.au. You can also contact harvest highway on 1800 300 833.

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WA Grower march 2011

Your Business

Getting familiar with the

Farm Management Deposit Scheme

BY NeTa reVIVO VEGETABLESWa

The Farm Management Deposit (FMD) scheme encourages individual growers to set aside pre-tax income in good years for use in low-income years.

The FMD Scheme is a useful tool as it is allows growers to deal more effectively with fluctuations in earnings and cash flow, common in agriculture because of natural disasters, climate and market changes.

They complement other risk management strategies available such as financial planning and diversifying their production systems.

As a significant reserve of liquid asset, it encourages individual farmers to set aside income in profitable years to help meet costs in low-income years and to earn returns on these pre-tax dollars in the interim.

To be eligible for the FMD you have to be an individual primary producer. Companies or other entities are not eligible. Growers must also not earn more than $65,000 of off-farm income in the year of deposit. Minimum deposit amount must be not less than a $1,000 and no more than $400,000 at any given time. Deposits are tax deductible in the year that they are made, and included as a taxable income in the year they are withdrawn. Another condition to be eligible to the tax deduction is that the deposit must remain in the account for at least 12 months.

You can set up an FMD through normal financial providers, including banks and credit unions.

ABARE survey findings indicate higher income; higher value farms have a greater tendency to use the Scheme. However, the scheme is being used by a substantial number of farmers in all areas of agriculture and by a variety of farmers. Of those using it, over 50 per cent appear to be middle-income farmers.

With more than 33,000 holders with total holdings of $2.36 billion in FMDs as at 31 December 2010, many primary producers perceive they receive considerable benefits through participation in the Scheme. for more information Please refer to the link below to read more: www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content.asp?doc=/ content/33432.htm

ABARES tracks financial outcomes for our $3 billion vegetable-growing industry The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has begun a survey, which will help the nation’s more than $3 billion vegetable-growing industry plan for the future.

ABARES’ Deputy Executive Director, Paul Morris, said measuring the financial performance of Australia’s vegetablegrowing farms was important to the industry’s future.

“By gauging the financial performance of the industry, we can contribute to the ongoing progress of Australia’s vegetable-growing industry,” Mr Morris said.

“Our ABARES survey will collect information about production, financial performance and socio-economic characteristics of growers, which will help decision-makers in government and industry to build a greater understanding of how the industry is developing over time.”

“The vegetable industry is important to the Australian economy, with an estimated gross value of production of around $3.3 billion in 2009–10 and contributing around seven per cent to Australia’s gross value of agricultural production.”

“It is essential that both industry and government can get accurate information to ensure industry research and development initiatives are effectively targeted.”

Australia Limited (HAL) using the vegetable levy and matched funding from the Australian Government.

As part of the project, ABARES field collectors will conduct face-to-face interviews with growers. All information provided will remain confidential and survey findings will not identify individuals or their businesses.

The 2011 survey began on February 16 and is expected to be completed by mid-June. The results will be released in September 2011. for more information results from the first three surveys of vegetable growers are on the aBareS website www.abares.gov.au.

“I strongly encourage growers to participate in this important initiative.”

ABARES conducts the vegetable-industry survey annually. It is funded by Horticulture WA Grower march 2011

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Your Business

In lean times cash flow is king

BY Paul POllarD CoMMoNWEALTH BANK, CARNARVoN

Carnarvon growers have been subjected to a plethora of issues over the last six months including disease, locusts, water shortages and now a series of devastating floods.

Wide spectrums of growers (and other businesses) have been affected by the floods, with differing levels of damage. This ranges from those that have lost their entire plantation, to some who have experienced crop and top soil damage and those that have seen little or no impact.

Regardless, with crop loss and delayed production schedules, the next three to six months will be integral to most farmers.

The key factor is the ability to maintain a reasonably healthy cash flow through these leaner times until they can establish a good crop and start getting some money in the bank. Here are a number of ways how: • Do a cash flow budget: Most successful businesses achieve good results from proper planning. On the flip side, it can also minimise loss.

Having a cash flow budget along with a crop budget enables you ,within reason, to forecast months where you will be cash flow positive (more incoming cash than outgoing) or cash flow negative (outgoings greater than incomings). Working with your accountant and bank manager to fine tune this will give you much more clarity on the financials of the business and allow you to plan more effectively.

• Approach your bank: Approach your bank with your cash flow budget and advise them of the issues you have. The majority of the banks will have a variety of strategies they can provide depending on your situation.

• Postpone non-essential purchases: Look to postpone non-essential purchases until additional funds are available, as this will free up your cash and leave money in the bank for more important items.

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• Government grants: In times of disasters various Government agencies will provide assistance, for example: — DAFFWA www.agric.wa.gov.au/ PC_94368.html?s=2101999037 — WA Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (WANDRRA) www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_92634. html?s=2101999037 • Access Farm Management Deposits (FMDs): For eligible producers, FDMs are another way for managing uncertainty. Already used by more than 34,000 Australian

farmers, this Federal Government sponsored scheme allows you to set aside pre-tax income in good years to create a cash reserve for low-income years.

Whilst Mother Nature has provided some challenging times for growers, pressures over water shortages have been lifted and salinity issues should have improved. for more information Should you require any additional assistance, please contact, Paul Pollard, relationship executive at the commonwealth Bank carnarvon on 0428 416 736.

Business Specialists who know where you’re coming from.

Paul Pollard Business Specialist 0428 416 736 paul.pollard@cba.com.au

Noelene Bassett Business Specialist 9941 1227 bassetn@cba.com.au

When you run a business, it’s good to know that your bank understands the challenges you face.

Our business banking specialists can talk to you about the best banking and finance solutions to help you deal with whatever the future holds.

To discover the know-how you need to take your business further, contact one of our business specialists today. commbank.com.au Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124. CLA382

Your Business

IN LEAN TIMES, CASH FLoW IS KING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

TRONG CÁC THỜI ĐIỂM KHÓ KHĂN VÒNG QUAY TIỀN MẶT LÀ QUAN TRỌNG NHẤT

BY Paul POllarD CoMMoNWEALTH BANK, CARNARVoN

Những người trồng trọt ở Carnarvon đã phải chịu vô vàn các Vấn Đề trong 6 tháng qua ảnh hưởng tới khả năng giảm số tiền bội chi và thanh toán hết các khoản vay của họ. Với bệnh tật, thiếu nước (không còn thiếu nữa) châu chấu và lũ lụt triền miên, họ đã phải chịu những thiệt hại hết sức nặng nề.

Có rất nhiều người trồng trọt (và các doanh nghiệp khác) bị các mức thiệt hại khác nhau từ thiệt hại toàn bộ đồn điền hoặc cây trồng của họ và đất bề mặt cho đến ít hoặc không bị thiệt hại.

Tuy vậy, với mùa màng thất bát và lịch sản xuất bị trì hoãn, 3-6 tháng tới sẽ là hết sức cần thiết đối với hầu hết nông dân.

Yếu tố chủ chốt đó là khả năng duy trì chu kỳ tiền mặt lành mạnh hợp lý qua các thời điểm khó khăn này cho đến khi họ có thể tạo được một vụ mùa tốt và bắt đầu có chút tiền trong ngân hàng. Đây là một số cách thực hiện.

Thực Hiện Ngân Sách Chu Kỳ Tiền Mặt: Đa số doanh nghiệp thành công đạt được kết quả tốt từ việc lên kế hoạch phù hợp. Mặt khác, điều này còn có thể giảm thiểu tổn thất.

Có một khoản ngân sách vòng quay tiền mặt cùng với ngân sách cho vụ mùa cho phép quý vị dự đoán được,

một cách hợp lý, những tháng quý vị sẽ có vòng quay tiền mặt dương (thu nhiều hơn chi) hoặc vòng quay tiền mặt âm (chi nhiều hơn thu) và tiến hành các thay đổi cần thiết để hoạt động trong phạm vi số dư trong ngân hàng của quý vị. Bằng cách làm việc với kế toán và Người Quản Lý Ngân Hàng của quý vị để thực hiện điều chỉnh đối với việc này sẽ giảm rủi ro bối rối về tài chính do hết tiền vào cuối tháng.

Tiếp Cận với Ngân Hàng của Quý Vị: Tiếp cận với ngân hàng của quý vị với ngân sách vòng quay tiền mặt và thông báo cho họ các vấn đề quý vị có. Đa số các ngân hàng sẽ có nhiều chiến lược khác nhau họ có thể cung cấp tùy thuộc vào tính nghiêm trọng của tình huống. Điều gì đó đơn giản như các yêu cầu hoãn nợ trong 3 tháng, có thể cung cấp đủ vốn cho quý vị để tái tạo lại mùa màng. Một giải pháp khác đó là thu xếp các khoản trả nợ của quý vị trong khoảng thu nhập cao nhất theo mùa.

DAFFWA www.agric.wa.gov.au/ PC_94368.html?s=2101999037 Quy Chế Cứu Trợ và Phục Hồi Thiên Tai của Tây Úc (WANDRRA) www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_92634. html?s=2101999037 Tiếp Cận Farm Management Deposits (FMD — Sử dụng Quỹ Dành cho hỗ trợ quản lý trang trại): các FMD đã được tạo lập trong những năm trước dành cho những ‘năm có năng suất thấp’ như vậy đối với quý vị nào may mắn được tiếp cận với Farm Management Deposits, hãy tận dụng các khoản này, có thể thu nhập chịu thuế của quý vị sẽ giảm so với các năm trước do đó việc tiếp cận này có thể là một dịp tốt.

Tạm hoãn Các Khoản Mua không cần thiết: Xem xét việc tạm hoãn các khoản mua không cần thiết cho đến khi sẵn có quỹ bổ sung. Điều này sẽ cho phép quý vị sử dụng tiền mặt của quý vị và để lại tiền trong ngân hàng dành cho các khoản quan trọng hơn.

Trong khi đó không phải là tình huống tốt nhất đối với người trồng trọt, áp lực thiếu nước đã tăng cao và các vấn đề độ mặn lẽ ra đã phải được cải thiện.

Các yếu tố này được xem xét trong đánh giá rủi ro của khách hàng, trong trường hợp vẫn duy trì giao thiệp giữa người trồng trọt và ngân hàng, không cần phải có lý do tại sao đa số người trồng trọt không thể tự thoát ra khỏi tình huống này.

Trợ cấp của Chính Phủ: Khi thảm họa diễn ra, nhiều cơ quan Chính Phủ khác nhau sẽ cung cấp hỗ trợ. Hãy sử dụng các địa chỉ này:

Nếu quý vị cần thêm trợ giúp, vui lòng liên hệ với tôi là Paul Pollard — Chuyên Viên Quan Hệ tại Commonwealth Bank Carnarvon theo số 0428 416 736.

Changes to unfair dismissal laws From January 1, 2011, the definition of a ‘small business’ has changed for the purposes of unfair dismissal laws.

Under the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, a ‘small business’ is now defined as having fewer than 15 employees.

Previously, a ‘small business’ was identified • A simple Fair Dismissal Code to help by a calculation using the total number of employers ensure dismissals are not unfair hours worked by all employees in the business • A specialist service for small and medium and dividing it by 38. The definition is now sized businesses from the Fair Work based on a simple headcount of the number Ombudsman. of employees in the business, whether they’re full-time, part-time or casual employees for more information employed on a regular, systematic basis.

Small business employers will benefit from: • A minimum employment period of 12 months instead of six months (employees can’t make an unfair dismissal claim in this 12-month period)

For more information on the change, or for an updated copy of the Small Business Fair Dismissal code, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website, www.fairwork.gov.au/termination/ small-business-fair-dismissal-code/

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Your Business

Vegetable Industry Development Program

Business decision making This article describes the key factors that need to be considered for making good decisions. Future fact sheets will look in more detail at the resources you can use (such as the VegTool) to help you make decisions in your business. key messages This article considers three key factors influencing business decision-making:

risk and uncertainty — farming involves the continual assessment and management of risk and uncertainty. risk is the source of above average profits and losses.

People issues — social considerations are often more influential on farmer decisionmaking than profit maximisation. This seems obvious, yet most discussions and tools still focus on profit factors. access to information — complex decisionmaking is made easier by asking the right questions and analysing available information. considering how the different components of the farming system interact can be useful in understanding the impacts of decisions (see Figure 1). after you have done all the steps in this article don’t be afraid to listen to your ‘gut feeling’.

making good decisions In business, success comes to the people who get the big decisions right. Making good decisions, however, isn’t easy.

To make better business decisions, farmers need to: • Have a clear vision for the future of their business • Understand and consider the risks and uncertainty • Acknowledge the non profit-maximising influences on their decision-making • Understand that we all have prejudices and biases that impact decision-making • Talk to the people who are affected by a decision and take into account their views • Develop the skills to ask the right questions and gather and analyse enough relevant information to be confident about the decision • Have processes in place to review and improve decisions.

he knew it wasn’t an easy or simple decision so he thought about the risks involved by talking to a neighbour who had built a new shed 10 years ago. The neighbour advised him not to over capitalise because he found a couple of years of poor prices had put great pressure on cash flow. he spoke to his brother and wife and they told him they were nervous about spending too much on capital as they had bought land only two years ago. he spoke to his bank manager and arranged a good interest rate at a fixed rate. Finally he did an analysis of the investment over a period of 15 years. This showed a rate of return of 18%. This helped provide his wife and brother with confidence.

battle with, are known as ‘complex’ such as the purchase of a new property.

Everyday, we make hundreds of decisions, most without any conscious consideration.

All decisions can be classified into three types:

• Involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty

• Simple • Complicated; or

Most decisions we make are ‘simple’, including choosing our clothes or a parking spot. Then there are ‘complicated’ decisions that require some degree of calculation or information but have a correct answer.

Examples include deciding on a specific restaurant or film to attend. The type of decision that we face less often, but often WA Grower march 2011

Jo Blaggs, a vegetable grower in the Bundaberg district was considering building a new packing shed.

All decision making must be guided by a strong, clear direction for the business and family. A useful procedure for establishing this clear direction can be found at: www. makingmorefromsheep.com.au/planforsuccess/procedure_1.1.htm

• Complex.

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the good decision maker

Decisions can be classified as complex when they:

• Incorporate people issues including social pressures and our psychological preferences and/or failings.

In addition, simple or complicated decisions can be made complex when there is insufficient good information.

risk and uncertainty Farmers can make better decisions by overcoming some of the confusion caused by the constantly changing operating environments. Farming involves the continual assessment and management of

Your Business

Adaptive management For decisions that are made again and again, it is possible to learn and improve on earlier decisions. This requires a process to be in place to review, record and provide feedback on the results of decisions. This process is called ‘adaptive management’ and is particularly useful in an uncertain and changing environment.

robust decision-making robust decision-making requires a risk management approach to decision-making, by enquiring into the uncertainty of a scenario, i.e. what type of risk are we dealing with? how does the uncertainty impact upon our desired outcome? a decision can then be made to cope with a variety of futures.

risk and uncertainty. Risk is the source of above average profits and losses.

For a farming business there is the business risk that relates to the operational side of running the business, and the financial risk that relates to financing the business.

a robust decision (or solution) is one that:

• Business risk and uncertainty includes the full range of production and price risk. The main sources are variability of weather and variability of prices after production decisions are made and implemented.

• Fits in with other proposed actions

• Financial risk and uncertainty refers specifically to the amount of debt a business has relative to the equity, i.e. what proportion of other peoples’ money you

• remains viable under the widest range of probable futures • Increases flexibility and provides options • can be implemented within planned budgets or is based on evidence that is good enough to justify additional investment to a third party.

use to fund the business relative to your own money (called gearing ratio) and the effect it has on the pace of growth or decline of a business. The higher the ratio, the higher the risk.

Figure 1

GeNeTIc crOP POTeNTIal Crop type Variety

crOP maNaGemeNT Establishment Soil & irrigation

eNVIrONmeNTal cONDITIONS Climate Soil type

Plant health Marketable yield Product

Market access Product/service strategy

Importantly risk is subjective, experienced differently by different people. Individuals must therefore consider risk and uncertainty from their personal perspective using tools that are helpful to them.

A useful tool for assessing your business risks can be found at: www. makingmorefromsheep.com.au/planforsuccess/tool_1.10.htm

People issues ‘People issues’ cover a broad range of social and psychological factors that have a great influence on the decisions we make.

ProfItABIlItY

marKeTS

Managers have little direct control over the occurrence of most business risks, but they do have control over preparation for and responses to these developments.

Decision-making Risk management opportunities

Social considerations are often more influential on farmer decision-making than profit maximisation. This seems obvious, yet most discussions and tools still focus on profit factors.

BuSINeSS

Social considerations involved in decisionmaking can involve personal attributes such as:

Economic climate Regulation Infrastructure

PeOPle Management capability Knowledge and skills

• Competitiveness, compassion • Attitude to risk and growth • Desire to be aligned with peers/neighbours.

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Your Business

There are also strong social ties that complicate decision-making including connections to the family, community and the land.

Dealing with complexity requires a higher level of people skills (human capacity) in comparison to production issues that are often solved using technological developments.

Farmers require the skills to assess the many options available in order to determine the most appropriate action for their situation.

This may involve engaging advisors, working in a collaborative learning environment, and/ or improving their level of knowledge.

The VIDP Fact Sheet A smooth transition — navigating your way through the family business provides a structure to assist in working with people in your business.

Contact your state vegetable association for a copy.

Access to infomation Finding and analysing the right information will reduce the complexity of decisionmaking.

Getting good information When we fail to rationally consider risk, simple and complicated decisions can become complex because unnecessary

knowing your decisionmaking strengths and weaknesses

Clearly, there is a line between too much and not enough analysis. This line changes based on experience and the challenge is to determine at which point further analysis will not reduce uncertainty.

asking the right questions The first and most important part of decision-making is being clear about what the decision is. It is very useful to turn the decision into a question.

For example, you may want to expand the business. The range of questions relating to this goal includes: • Will purchasing a neighbouring property improve our profitability?

• Should we build a new packing shed?

• Should we employ another manager?

• Should we introduce a new crop into our rotation?

Sourcing the needed information Having defined the question, you will then need to determine what information is needed to answer the question. For example: Will purchasing a neighbouring property improve our profitability?

Be brutally honest about your personal prejudice and biases when making a choice. For example, Bob Black knows that to meet modern consumer demands he would be more profitable if he implemented a fresh packed line.

The relevant information is:

however, he has always produced bulk vegetables for the market and this is what his father did as well.

This lack of motivation to change means that Bob will forgo potential profit gains and has a conservative attitude to risk.

• The requirement for borrowing and the interest rates

Bob must acknowledge that he is happy doing things how he has always done them — he is not delaying the decision rather he is comfortable with where he is at.

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uncertainty is introduced. The best practitioners reduce uncertainty and unwanted risks through thorough analysis, and use their intuition to deal with the uncertain elements of complex decisions.

WA Grower march 2011

• An analysis of farm profitability for the past five years • An estimate of the profitability of the new property

• A list of extra capital required to develop the new property.

analysing the information Once you know the question and the information you can analyse the information using the following rules: • Only count the extra income and extra costs — the things that will change your profit!

• Don’t forget the costs saved and income foregone from the change — they are ‘extra’ too!

• Value your capital — whether borrowed or not, it costs you, because you could pay off debt, or invest it elsewhere!

Integrated decision-making Decisions are never made based on isolated pieces of information — rather they consider the whole farming system incorporating personal, financial and environmental aspects.

Considering how the different components of the farming system interact can be useful in understanding the impacts of decisions.

The following diagram describes some of the many interactions that need to be considered (see Figure 1).

Some people are highly skilled at putting all of the parts of the process together. People often resort to using ‘gut feeling’. The reason ‘gut feeling’ is useful and appropriate for complex decisions is because we need to use our experience to take into account many factors at once and come up with the best decision in the circumstances. So, don’t be afraid after you have done all the steps in this article to listen to your ‘gut feeling’. for more information making good decisions can be hard and sometimes reading about it just isn’t enough.

Support to help with complex decisionmaking is available. If you would like to work through these issues in a small group in your area please contact Kristen Stirling from the InnoVeg program on (03) 9882 2670 or at kristens@rmcg.com.au.

The Vegetable Industry Development Program is funded by hal using the vegetable levy and matched funds from the australian Government.

Your Business

BUSINESS DECISIoN MAKING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN

Chương Trình Phát Triển Ngành Rau

Đưa Ra Quyết Định Kinh Doanh

Tờ thông tin này mô tả các yếu tố chủ chốt cần được xem xét để đưa ra các quyết định sáng suốt. Các tờ thông tin sau này sẽ tập trung chi tiết hơn vào các nguồn lực quý vị có thể sử dụng (chẳng hạn như VegTool) để giúp quý vị đưa ra quyết định trong kinh doanh của mình.

Thông Điệp Quan Trọng Tờ thông tin này xem xét về ba yếu tố then chốt gây ảnh hưởng đển việc đưa ra quyết định: • Rủi ro và bất trắc — việc điều hành trang trại đòi hỏi phải thường xuyên đánh giá và quản lý rủi ro và bất trắc. Rủi ro là nguồn gốc của các lợi nhuận và tổn thất trên mức trung bình.

• Các vấn đề về con người — các xem xét về xã hội thường ảnh hưởng nhiều hơn tới việc đưa ra quyết định hơn là tối đa hóa lợi nhuận của nông dân. Điều này có vẻ hiển nhiên, tuy vậy hầu hết các quyết định và công cụ vẫn tập trung vào các yếu tố lợi nhuận.

• Tiếp cận thông tin — việc đưa ra quyết định rắc rối được tiến hành dễ dàng hơn bằng cách hỏi các câu hỏi đúng và phân tích thông tin sẵn có.

Việc xem xét cách các yếu tố khác nhau của hệ thống canh tác tương tác có thể có ích trong việc hiểu tác động của các quyết định (xem sơ đồ ở trang cuối cùng).

Sau khi quý vị hoàn thành tất cả các bước trong tờ thông tin này, đừng sợ khi nghe theo ‘trực giác’ của mình.

Đưa Ra Các Quyết Định Sáng Suốt

Để đưa ra các quyết định kinh doanh sáng suốt hơn, nông dân cần:

hay thông tin nào đó nhưng có câu trả lời chính xác. Ví dụ như việc quyết định tới một nhà hàng hay đi xem một bộ phim cụ thể. Dạng quyết định mà chúng ta ít thường xuyên đối mặt hơn, nhưng thường phải đấu tranh với quyết định đó, được gọi là ‘rắc rối’ chẳng hạn như mua một bất động sản mới.

• Hiểu và xem xét các rủi ro và bất trắc

• Có mức độ rủi ro và bất trắc cao

Trong kinh doanh, thành công đến với những người có các quyết định lớn đúng đắn. Tuy nhiên, việc đưa ra quyết định sáng suốt không dễ chút nào.

• Có một tầm nhìn rõ ràng về tương lai của việc kinh doanh của họ

• Nhận ra các ảnh hưởng không làm tối đa hóa lợi nhuận trong việc đưa ra quyết định của họ

• Hiểu rằng tất cả chúng ta đều có các định kiến và thành kiến mà tác động tới việc đưa ra quyết định

• Trao đổi với những người chịu ảnh hưởng của quyết định và chú ý đến quan điểm của họ

• Phát triển các kỹ năng đưa ra câu hỏi đúng và thu thập và phân tích đầy đủ thông tin liên quan để có thể tự tin vào quyết định đó

• Có các quy trình tại chỗ để đánh giá và cải thiện quyết định

Toàn bộ quá trình đưa ra quyết định phải được hướng dẫn theo định hướng chắc chắn, rõ ràng cho doanh nghiệp và gia đình. Có thể tìm thấy quy trình hữu ích trong việc thiết lập định hướng rõ ràng này tại: www. makingmorefromsheep.com.au/planfor-success/procedure_1.1.htm

Hàng ngày, chúng ta đưa ra hàng trăm quyết định, hầu hết đều không có bất kỳ sự xem xét có ý thức nào. Có thể phân loại tất cả các quyết định thành ba kiểu: • Đơn giản

• Phức tạp; hoặc

• Rắc rối

Hầu hết các quyết định chúng ta đưa ra đều là ‘đơn giản’, gồm có

việc lựa chọn quần áo hay chỗ đậu xe.

Và cũng có những quyết định ‘phức tạp’ mà yêu cầu một mức độ tính toán

Các quyết định có thể được phân loại là rắc rối khi:

• Kết hợp các vấn đề về con người gồm cả áp lực xã hội và các ưu tiên và/hoặc nhược điểm về tâm lý

Ngoài ra, các quyết định đơn giản hay phức tạp có thể trở thành rắc rối khi không có đầy đủ thông tin tốt.

Rủi Ro và Bất Trắc Người Đưa Ra Quyết Định Sáng Suốt Nông dân có thể đưa ra quyết định sáng suốt hơn bằng cách vượt qua một chút bối rối do môi trường hoạt động liên tục thay đổi gây ra. Việc điều hành trang trại đòi hỏi phải liên tục đánh giá và quản lý rủi ro và bất trắc. Rủi ro là nguồn gốc của các lợi nhuận và tổn thất trên mức trung bình.

Với việc kinh doanh điều hành trang trại có rủi ro kinh doanh mà liên quan đến mặt hoạt động của việc điều hành kinh doanh, và rủi ro tài chính mà liên quan đến việc cấp vốn cho việc kinh doanh đó.

• Rủi ro và bất trắc trong kinh doanh gồm có toàn bộ phạm vi rủi ro về sản xuất và giá cả. Các nguồn rủi ro chính đó là sự biến động về thời tiết và biến động về giá cả sau khi đã đưa ra và thực hiện các quyết định sản xuất.

• Rủi ro và bất trắc tài chính đề cập cụ thể tới khoản nợ của một doanh nghiệp liên quan đến vốn cổ phần, tức là quý vị sử dụng bao nhiêu phần trăm tiền của người khác để làm vốn kinh doanh tương ứng với tiền riêng của quý vị (gọi là tỷ số vốn vay) và tác động của việc đó đối với nhịp độ tăng trưởng hay sự suy yếu của một WA Grower march 2011

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Your Business

BUSINESS DECISIoN MAKING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN CoNTINUED

Người Đưa Ra Quyết Định Sáng Suốt Jo Blaggs, một người trồng rau ở huyện Bundaberg đang xem xét việc xây dựng một xưởng đóng gói mới.

Anh biết đây không phải một quyết định dễ dàng hay đơn giản cho nên anh đã suy nghĩ về các rủi ro liên quan bằng cách nói chuyện với người hàng xóm mà đã xây xưởng mới cách đây 10 năm. Người hàng xóm khuyên anh không nên dùng quá nhiều vốn vì ông ấy nhận thấy giá cả kém trong một vài năm đã gây áp lực lớn tới vòng quay tiền mặt.

Anh nói chuyện với anh trai và vợ và họ bảo rằng họ lo lắng về việc dùng quá nhiều vốn vì họ chỉ mới mua đất cách đó hai năm.

Anh nói chuyện với người quản lý ngân hàng của mình và đã thu xếp một tỷ lệ lãi xuất tốt ở mức cố định. Cuối cùng anh đã tiến hành phân tích đầu tư trong giai đoạn 15 năm. Phân tích này cho thấy tỷ suất lợi nhuận là 18%. Điều này giúp vợ và anh trai anh thấy tin tưởng.

doanh nghiệp. Tỷ số đó càng cao, rủi ro càng cao.

Các nhà quản lý rất ít kiểm soát trực tiếp đối với hầu hết các sự cố rủi ro kinh doanh, tuy nhiên họ có kiểm soát trong việc chuẩn bị và ứng phó với các diễn biến này.

Điều quan trọng là những người khác nhau có sự chủ quan và trải nghiệm khác nhau đối với rủi ro. Do đó các cá nhân phải xem xét rủi ro và bất trắc từ góc độ cá nhân của họ bằng cách sử dụng các công cụ hữu ích đối với họ.

Có thể tìm thấy công cụ đánh giá rủi ro kinh doanh hữu ích tại: www. makingmorefromsheep.com.au/planfor-success/tool_1.10.htm Các Vấn Đề Về Con Người

‘Các vấn đề về con người’ bao trùm phạm vi rộng về các nhân tố xã hội và tâm lý mà có ảnh hưởng lớn tới các quyết định chúng ta đưa ra.

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Các xem xét xã hội thường có ảnh hưởng tới việc đưa ra quyết định của nông dân hơn là tối đa hóa lợi nhuận. Điều này có vẻ rõ ràng, tuy nhiên hầu hết các cuộc thảo luận và công cụ vẫn tập trung vào các yếu tố lợi nhuận.

Rõ ràng là, có ranh giới giữa sự phân tích quá nhiều và không đủ. Ranh giới này thay đổi dựa trên kinh nghiệm và thách thức đó là phải quyết định ở điểm nào việc phân tích thêm cũng không giảm bất trắc.

Các xem xét xã hội liên quan đến việc đưa ra quyết định có thể bao hàm các thuộc tính cá nhân như:

Hỏi Đúng Câu Hỏi

• Tính cạnh tranh, lòng thương • Thái độ đối với rủi ro và tăng trưởng • Mong muốn được liên kết với những người cùng địa vị/hàng xóm Còn có các ràng buộc mạnh mẽ về xã hội mà làm phức tạp hóa việc đưa ra quyết định gồm cả các mối quan hệ với gia đình, cộng đồng và đất đai.

Giải quyết sự rắc rối đòi hỏi các kỹ năng của con người (khả năng của con người) ở mức cao hơn so với các vấn đề sản xuất mà thường được giải quyết bằng cách sử dụng các phát triển công nghệ. Nông dân cần các kỹ năng để tiếp cận nhiều phương án sẵn có để có thể quyết định hành động phù hợp nhất cho tình huống của họ. Điều này có thể đòi hỏi sự tham gia của các nhà tư vấn, làm việc trong một môi trường học hỏi cộng tác, và/hoặc cải thiện mức kiến thức của họ.

Tờ Thông Tin VIDP ‘Một bước chuyển đổi thuận lợi — tìm hướng đi của quý vị qua việc kinh doanh của gia đình’ cung cấp cơ cấu hỗ trợ trong làm việc với những người trong doanh nghiệp của quý vị. Liên hệ hiệp hội rau tại tiểu bang của quý vị để lấy bản sao tờ thông tin này.

Tiếp Cận Thông Tin

Phần đầu tiên và quan trọng nhất trong quá trình đưa ra quyết định đó là hiểu rõ quyết định là về điều gì. Việc chuyển quyết định thành một câu hỏi là rất hữu ích.

Ví dụ, có thể quý vị muốn mở rộng kinh doanh. Phạm vi câu hỏi liên quan đến mục tiêu này gồm có: • Liệu việc mua bất động sản bên cạnh có cải thiện được khả năng sinh lợi của chúng ta không?

• Chúng ta có cần xây dựng thêm xưởng đóng gói không?

• Chúng ta có cần thuê người quản lý khác không?

• Chúng ta có cần đưa thêm cây trồng mới vào luân canh không?

Tìm Nguồn Thông Tin Cần Thiết Sau khi xác định câu hỏi, quý vị sẽ phải quyết định cần thông tin nào để trả lời câu hỏi đó. Ví dụ Liệu việc mua bất động sản bên cạnh có cải thiện được khả năng sinh lợi của chúng ta không?

Thông tin liên quan là: • Phân tích về khả năng sinh lợi của nông trại trong năm năm qua • Dự đoán về khả năng sinh lợi của bất động sản mới • Yêu cầu vay và lãi suất

Việc tìm kiếm và phân tích thông tin đúng sẽ giảm tính rắc rối của việc đưa ra quyết định.

• Danh sách vốn bổ sung cần để phát triển bất động sản mới

Tiếp Nhận Thông Tin Tốt

Phân Tích Thông Tin

Khi chúng ta không thể xem xét hợp lý rủi ro, các quyết định đơn giản và phức tạp có thể trở nên rắc rối bởi vì xuất hiện bất trắc không cần thiết.

Những người làm việc giỏi nhất giảm bất trắc và các rủi ro không mong muốn thông qua việc phân tích kỹ lưỡng, và dùng trực giác của họ để giải quyết những yếu tố bất trắc của các quyết định rắc rối.

Khi quý vị đã biết câu hỏi và thông tin quý vị có thể phân tích thông tin bằng cách sử dụng các quy tắc sau: • Chỉ tính thu nhập bổ sung và chi phí bổ sung — những điều mà sẽ thay đổi lợi nhuận của quý vị!

• Đừng quên các chi phí tiết kiệm được và thu nhập tính trước từ sự thay đổi — đó cũng là ‘bổ sung’!

Your Business

BUSINESS DECISIoN MAKING — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIoN CoNTINUED

Figure 1 TIỀM NĂNG VỀ GIỐNG CÂY TRỒNG Loại cây trồng Giống

QUẢN LÝ CÂY TRỒNG Thiết lập Đất & thủy lợi

ĐIỀU KIỆN MÔI TRƯỜNG Khí hậu Loại đất

Sức khỏe cây trồng Sản lượng bán được Sản phẩm KHẢ NĂNG SINH LỢI Đưa ra quyết định Quản lý rủi ro Cơ hội THỊ TRƯỜNG Tiếp cận thị trường Chiến lược sản phẩm/dịch vụ

DOANH NGHIỆP Khí hậu kinh tế Điều tiết Cơ sở hạ tầng

• Định giá vốn của quý vị — dù vay hay không, cũng tốn tiền của quý vị, vì quý vị có thể trả hết nợ, hoặc đầu tư vào nơi nào khác! Đưa Ra Quyết Định Kết Hợp Không bao giờ đưa ra quyết định dựa trên các mẩu thông tin riêng lẻ — mà phải xem xét đến toàn bộ hệ thống

CON NGƯỜI Khả năng quản lý iến thức và kỹ năng

trang trại kết hợp với các khía cạnh cá nhân, tài chính và môi trường.

Việc xem xét cách các thành tố khác nhau trong hệ thống canh tác tương tác có thể hữu ích trong việc hiểu tác động của các quyết định. Sơ đồ sau mô tả một trong số nhiều mối quan hệ qua lại cần được xem xét (xem dưới đây).

Quản Lý Thích Nghi Đối với các quyết định mà được đưa ra lặp đi lặp lại, có thể học hỏi và làm cho tốt hơn từ các quyết định trước đó. Điều này yêu cầu phải có quy trình tại chố để đánh giá, ghi chép và đưa ra phản hồi về kết quả của các quyết định. Quy trình này được gọi là ‘quản lý thích nghi’ và đặ biệt hữu ích trong môi trường bắt trắc và hay thay đổi.

Đưa Ra Quyết Định Thiết Thực Việc đưa ra quyết định thiết thực yêu cầu phương án quản lý rủi ro đối với quá trình đưa ra quyết định, bằng cách điều tra sự bất trắc của một tình huống, tức là chúng ta đang phải giải quyết loại rủi ro nào? Sự bất trắc đó tác động như thế nào đến kết quả mong muốn của chúng ta? Sau đó có thể đưa ra quyết định để đối mặt với các thay đổi của tương lai.

Một quyết định (hay giải pháp) thiết thực là quyết định mà: • Vẫn khả thi trong phạm vi rộng nhất của các tương lai có thể xảy ra • Tăng tính linh hoạt và đưa ra các tùy chọn • Phù hợp với các hành động được đề xuất khác • Có thể được thực hiện trong ngân sách dự kiến hoặc dựa theo bằng chứng đủ hợp lý để giải thích vốn đầu tư thêm cho một bên thứ ba.

Biết Các Điểm Mạnh và Điểm Yếu trong việc Đưa Ra Quyết Định của Quý vị Hãy thực sự trung thực về các định kiến và thành kiến cá nhân của quý vị khi đưa ra lựa chọn. Ví dụ, Bob Black biết rằng để đáp ứng nhu cầu của người tiêu dùng hiện đại anh sẽ có nhiều lợi nhuận hơn nếu thực hiện dây chuyền đóng gói mới.

Tuy nhiên, anh vẫn luôn sản xuất rau với khối lượng lớn cho thị trường và đó là điều cha anh cũng đã làm. Việc thiếu động lực để thay đổi này có nghĩa là Bob sẽ từ bỏ lợi nhuận có thể thu được và có thái độ thận trọng trước rủi ro.

Bob phải công nhận rằng anh vui vẻ khi làm mọi việc theo cách anh luôn làm — anh không trì hoãn quyết định mà anh thoải mái với vị trí của anh hiện giờ.

Một số người rất có kinh nghiệm trong việc kết hợp tất cả các phần của một quy trình với nhau. Mọi người thường phải viện đến việc sử dụng ‘trực giác’.

Lý do ‘trực giác’ hữu ích và phù hợp đối với các quyết định rắc rối là vì chúng ta cần dùng kinh nghiệm để tính đến nhiều yếu tố tức thời và phải đưa ra quyết định tốt nhất cho các tình huống đó.

Vì vậy, đừng lo lắng sau khi quý vị đã thực hiện tất cả các bước trong tờ thông tin này để nghe theo ‘trực giác’ của mình.

Thông Tin Bổ Sung

Việc đưa ra quyết định sáng suốt có thể là khó khăn và đôi khi chỉ tìm hiểu về vấn đề này là chưa đủ. Hỗ trợ sẵn có để giúp đưa ra quyết định rắc rối.

Nếu quý vị muốn làm việc về các vấn đề này theo nhóm nhỏ tại khu vực của mình vui lòng liên hệ với Kristen Stirling từ chương trình InnoVeg theo số 03 9882 2670 hoặc tại địa chỉ kristens@rmcg.com.au.

Chương Trình Phát Triển Ngành Rau được HAL tài trợ bằng cách sử dụng tiền thuế rau và các quỹ tương ứng từ Chính Phủ Úc”.

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Your Business

The Australian Consumer Law and growers BY mIchael SchaPer DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, ACCC

consumer guarantees

As consumers, growers have always had certain rights when purchasing goods and services for their business. And since January 1, 2011, a new set of rights apply as part of the Australian Consumer Law (the ACL). These rights are known as ‘consumer guarantees’.

The consumer guarantees are intended to ensure that you receive the goods or services that you paid for. For example, goods must be of an acceptable quality and fit for the purpose specified and services must be provided with a certain level of care and skill. These guarantees also spell out your rights to compensation or redress if goods (or services) fail to meet these standards.

There are some limitations on these guarantees, however. Consumer guarantees usually only apply to goods or services costing less than $40,000. Items under this value, whether they are used for personal or business use, are covered by the law. If they cost more than this, but are normally used for personal, domestic or household purposes, then the guarantees will still apply.

The guarantees also apply when purchasing a road vehicle or trailer for use mainly in the transport of goods, regardless of the cost.

The guarantees do not apply to goods purchased for resale or to be transformed into a good that is then sold. The guarantees also do not apply to goods worth more than $40,000 which are normally bought for business use, for example, most machinery and farming equipment. Nor do they apply to services worth more than $40,000 purchased for commercial use.

Importantly, growers should be aware that the guarantees do not apply to services for the transportation or storage of goods for business purposes.

When you have a problem and one of the guarantees has not been met, you are entitled to have the problem corrected by the seller or service provider.

The appropriate remedy will depend on whether the problem is classed as ‘major’ or ‘minor’ but will generally include a replacement, refund or having the problem

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with the goods or services fixed. In some cases the consumer may also be entitled to compensation.

labelling produce as ‘Grown in Australia’ The ACL also introduces changes to the law relating to labelling produce as grown in a certain country, such as ‘Grown in Australia’.

It would generally be acceptable to make a claim grown in Australia if each significant ingredient or component of the goods was grown in the specified country, and that virtually all processes involved in production also occurred in that country.

Good business behaviour As a grower, you have a responsibility to comply with obligations under the ACL when dealing with your customers. In turn, you should expect traders to comply with the ACL when dealing with you. For example businesses must not make false or misleading claims about products or services, either to you or your customers. for more information For further information on the acl and a complete list of the consumer guarantees, visit www.consumerlaw.gov.au and www.accc.gov.au/acl.

For further information on the horticulture code visit www.accc.gov.au/horticulturecode.

Small business helpline 1300 302 021.

For further information on country of origin claims visit www.accc.gov.au/content/index. phtml/itemId/964551.

Dr michael Schaper is the Deputy chairman of the accc, the regulator responsible for enforcing the horticulture code of conduct and the competition and consumer act 2010 previously known as the Trade Practices act 1974.

Your Business

Why and how to export There are many factors which may affect the viability of exporting vegetables, however a number have looked abroad to grow and develop their business. Fortunately there are some excellent ‘how-to’ guides for growers who might be interested in exploring export market opportunities.

Guide to exporting from Western Australia

Exporting can be a profitable way of expanding your business, spreading your risks and reducing your dependence on the local market. Austrade research shows that across the broader Australian economy, on average, exporting companies are more profitable than their non-exporting counterparts.

• Courses and training

The benefits of exporting can include increased sales, profits, and domestic competitiveness, gaining additional skills and expertise, and reducing dependence on the Australian market and seasonal fluctuations.

• Packaging, labelling, pricing and quoting

The export guides which have been developed provide detailed information of what steps to take as well as where to source extra information and assistance.

The Guide to Exporting from Western Australia was compiled by the Western Australian Department of State Development and is designed to assist businesses minimise risk when developing export strategies and introduce businesses to the services offered by the Western Australian Global Network.

The guide provides an overview of the export process including: • Determining if you are export ready

• Government assistance and grants • Undertaking market research • Identifying export leads and promoting your business • Preparing a marketing plan

• Export requirements, restrictions and regulations • Putting together an international contract and preparing export documentation

This guide is available at www.dsd.wa.gov. au/6887.aspx, or by calling (08) 9222 0555.

About exporting About Exporting is an online resource developed by Austrade. This excellent information will guide you step-by-step through exporting, including: • Getting ready for export • Export strategy • Networking opportunities • Market research • Export marketing • Visiting the market • Risk management • Getting financial assistance • Freight and logistics • Sales leads • Legal issues • Trade Agreements • Exporting FAQs • Success stories about exporting is available at www.austrade. gov.au/how-to-export/default.aspx.

• Transportation and distribution channels • Types of insurance and risk assessment.

Australia’s horticulture industry to benefit from adjustments to the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme Adjustments to the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme have resulted in increased flexibilities and options available to growers and horticultural enterprises.

Under the changes approved employers can now choose to employ Pacific seasonal workers for four, five or six months.

New cost sharing arrangements have also been introduced, allowing approved employers to make a similar contribution to workers’ return airfares irrespective of their country of origin and enabling them to recover up to $100 from each Pacific seasonal worker for transport costs from their port of arrival to work location.

These changes reflect results of the Pilot’s interim evaluation, and feedback from the horticulture industry, and provide a more costcompetitive scheme that better meets the needs of the horticulture sector while ensuring that workers continue to make a financial return during their stay in Australia. for more information For additional information, visit www.deeewr.gov.au/pswps or contact (02) 6240 5234.

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Your Business

Paid Parental Leave Scheme introduced

BY NeTa reVIVO VEGETABLESWa

Growers employing staff should be aware that the Government introduced a statutory, Paid Parental Leave scheme from January 1, 2011.

The Scheme offers 18 weeks leave paid at the federal minimum wage (currently $543.78 per week and soon will be $570.00 per week). Payments made under the scheme will be taxable.

The employee’s role is to provide Parental Leave Pay to your eligible long-term employees.

The Family Assistance Office will advance you funds to pay your employee. You can receive these funds in three instalments or fortnightly. You don’t have to change your employee’s usual pay cycle, set up any special bank accounts or report back to the Family Assistance Office. You just have to pay the Parental Leave pay to your employee with the usual tax deducted. You will not need to make superannuation contributions on Parental Leave pay. It will not increase

your payroll tax liability or workers compensation premiums.

before or after other employer-provided paid leave or entitlements.

This role is being phased in for children born or adopted during the first six months of 2011. During this time, if you and your employee agree, you can provide Parental Leave Pay to your eligible employees.

To be eligible for the scheme, a parent in paid work:

From July 1, 2011, you must provide Parental Leave Pay to an eligible employee who: • Has a child born or adopted from July 1, 2011 • Will have been your employee for 12 months or more prior to the expected date of birth or adoption • Will be your employee for their Paid Parental Leave period, and • Is an Australian-based employee, and • Is expected to receive eight weeks or more of Parental Leave Pay. The Paid Parental Leave scheme does not provide eligible employees with a new entitlement to leave.

The existing minimum entitlement to 12 months unpaid parental leave for long-term employees, in the National Employment Standards under the Fair Work Act 2009, is unchanged.

Paid Parental Leave pay is provided in addition to existing employer-funded paid parental leave schemes. Eligible parents can receive Parental Leave pay at the same time,

• Must have worked continuously with one or more employers for at least 10 of the 13 months before the expected date of birth or adoption • Must have worked at least 330 hours in those 10 months (equivalent to around one full day of work each week) • Must have an adjusted taxable income of $150,000 or less in the financial year prior to the date of birth or adoption of the child, and • Not have worked between the date of the birth or adoption of the child and the nominated start date for Paid Parental Leave.

The Paid Parental Leave Scheme not only benefits mothers, as the leave can be shared between parents, hence father may decide to stay home and be the primary care for the newborn.

Around 148,000 mothers and primary carers will be eligible for the scheme each year. for more information To read more go to www.australia.gov.au/ paidparentalleave or employers call 13 11 58.

Farmers win reprieve

from damaging trust law changes

A last minute action by the federal government has given relief to growers who were to be affected by the Australian Tax office (ATo)’s interpretation of a High Court decision in March 2010.

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The Farm Management Deposit (FMD) and primary production averaging schemes have been instrumental in allowing beneficiaries of trusts to average their tax liabilities.

If the ATO’s changes, to limit the use of trust scheme had been upheld, it would have potentially crippled growers. The Government’s recognition of these issues

and move to correct them will relieve these growers operating under a trust. for more information To read the media release by the National Farmers Federation please visit www.nff.org. au/read/1882/farmers-win-reprieve-fromdamaging-trust.html

Your environment

YoUR

environment

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Your environment

Disposal of plastic mulch

BY WaYNe harrIS CITY oF WANNERoo

Plastic mulch is a product used, in a similar fashion to other mulchs, to suppress weeds and conserve water in crop production and landscaping.

Certain plastic mulches also act as a barrier to keep methyl bromide, both a powerful fumigant and ozone depleter, in the soil. Crops grow through slits or holes in thin plastic sheeting. Plastic mulch is often used in conjunction with drip irrigation. This method is predominant in large-scale vegetable growing, with millions of acres cultivated under plastic mulch worldwide each year.

Disposal of plastic mulch is cited as an environmental problem and it is important that these plastic mulches are removed from the field and disposed of properly.

buried on site. The following legislation is used to control the disposal of waste plastics.

• The Environmental Protection (Unauthorised Discharges) Regulations 2004, declares the burning of plastics to be an offence and allows Environmental Health Officers to infringe or prosecute offenders • Local Government Health Local Laws prohibit a person from depositing any rubbish on any land except a refuse disposal site. Non-compliance with this requirement can result in prosecution

• Health Local Laws also require a person to make arrangements to regularly remove rubbish from a premise other than residential premises. Non-compliance with this requirement can result in prosecution.

Although these plastics can be recycled, most plastics are disposed of at landfills. for more information Wayne harris, coordinator health services city of Wanneroo (08) 9495 5487 or email wayne.harris@wanneroo.wa.gov.au.

Whilst the majority of growers dispose of such waste correctly, Local Government Authorities advise that there are occasional instances of waste plastic being burnt or

Organic matter management & compost use in horticulture Adelaide April 4–7, 2011 www.compost-for-horticulture.com

this major event on managing soil organic matter in horticultural production provides a unique opportunity to get the most up to date information on this important topic.

In the following week, April 11-12, two of the international keynote speakers will visit Western Australia. this will provide opportunities for growers and other industry sectors to meet and discuss practices that improve soil performance in vegetable production.

For more information and program details, visit the website www.compost-for-horticulture.com, or contact Bob Paulin, Department of agriculture and Food, Western australia on (08) 9368 3308 or 0419 912 629; or Doug hall, compostWa on 0417 905 644.

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Your environment

HAL hosts a Horticulture Forum as prelude to the CCRSPI Conference

on Monday, February 14, Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) hosted a complimentary Horticulture Forum at Melbourne’s MCG, the evening prior to the start of this year’s Climate Change Research Strategies for Primary Industries (CCRSPI) Conference.

Attendees from the agricultural research community were invited to the event that provided the horticulture industries an opportunity to showcase the exciting climate change research being conducted in horticulture by HAL. Hosted by Agricultural Scientist and TV Judge of ABC’s The New Inventors Chris Russell, the event commenced with an opening address by the Hon Dr Mike Kelly AM MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from DAFF who welcomed the over 80 attendees.

HAL’s Chairman Selwyn Snell highlighted the importance of climate science, which continues to be a strong focus for HAL and HAL member industries.

By taking a proactive approach, the industry is able to gain a better understanding of the effects of climate change on horticultural production, focussing research on mitigation, adaptation and communication.

Presenters at the forum included Dr Ian Porter from VIC Department for Primary Industries, Karl Forsyth from Australian Wine Research Institute, Dr Anthony

Kachenko from Nursery & Garden Industry Australia, and Dr Michael Treeby from NSW Industry & Investment.

Dr Porter presented on the effect of nitrogen and soil amendments on carbon management and soil health in vegetable production. He highlighted that by understanding the effect of fertilisers and soil amendments on soil health, yield, environment, and carbon management all together the vegetable industry is able to gain a better understanding of the overall effect of inputs required for production.

A unique web tool for the Australian Vegetable Industry to measure on-farm carbon produced through recognised emissions calculations was presented by Karl Forsyth. The interactive and easy to use web tool provides growers with a benchmarking tool that can be utilised to make future business decisions and for the vegetable industry to understand its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The tool has the support of industry and Woolworths and will act as a base for the development of a common understanding and single widely accepted method for calculating a carbon (greenhouse gas) footprint agreed by domestic retailers and agrifood businesses.

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Dr Anthony Kachenko presented on the challenges and opportunities facing the Australian nursery industry in the face of a changing climate. The nursery industry continues to take a proactive approach to climate change and Anthony outlined some of the exciting work being undertaken including energy efficiency calculators, renewable energy options for the industry, and the nursery industries role to mitigate heat accumulation in urban areas with vegetation.

Dr Michael Treeby highlighted some of the research undertaken in the citrus industry to prepare the industry for a changing climate.

The phenology of citrus is affected largely by temperature or Heat Units (HU), so to understand this phenomena Michael, together with other researchers at NSW Industry and Investment have modelled the Heat Units (HU) across Australia to understand the relationship of temperature with citrus phenological events. In addition to this, Michael presented leading research on precision fertigation in orchard situations, otherwise known as ‘open hydroponics’. Such a system reduces the need to apply excessive fertilisers and water,

(L-R) Chris Russell and Selwyn Snell (Chairman of HAL).

potentially reducing the environmental footprint on farm. Michael leads this advanced research in the citrus industry, which is anticipated can be adopted into many other perennial forms of horticulture.

After the forum guests were invited to pre-conference drinks for an opportunity to discuss synergies between horticulture and other agriculture programs. Attendees used the evening as a great networking opportunity to continue fostering a strong base of researchers for the industry. for more information horticulture australia ltd (02) 98295 2300.

(L-R) The Hon. Dr. Mike Kelly AM MP, Dr. Anthony Kachenko (NGIA) and Dr. Michael Treeby (NSW I&I).

Fairbanks Seeds – Leading products, winter 2011.

El Rancho – Winter harvest spinach with excellent vigour.

HR Pfs 1-12, IR 13

Brittany – 12/13 week cauliflower, well covered curd, with excellent adaptability. Dual purpose, cuts well late autumn and again mid spring

Deep Purple – Innovative Pak Choi to add colour to your mixes. Bright purple leaf and excellent durability.

Leading product in this segment.

Disclaimer:

Seed in demand.

Prophet – Uniform broccoli with thick stems, medium beads and heavy head weight.

Cuts well from late autumn through winter into spring.

Not recommended for cutting later in spring, as it performs best under cooler conditions.

Celtic - A revelation in the baby leaf market.

Mid green oakleaf with very upright habit. Excellent tolerance to mildew pressure.

All cultural and descriptive information is given as a general guide only. Substantial variations may occur due to many environmental factors, including climate, soil type, location, management and cultural practices. No liability will be accepted by Fairbank’s Selected Seed Co. Pty. Ltd. (ABN 86 007 138 276), or its representatives as to the accuracy of the information. All information is given in good faith .

Fairbanks Seeds Ph 03 8401 3346 Fax 03 9689 8106

West Australian Agent: Mr. Don Arbuckle - Mobile: 0411 437 299

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vegetablesWA Marketing Program gathers momentum

BY Georgia Thomas VegetablesWa

The New Year has brought with it some great progress for the vegetablesWA Marketing and Promotion Program. Firstly, vegetablesWA is very happy to announce that the inaugural Produce Marketing Group Meeting was held on January 17 2011, with full attendance.

The Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) agreed to host the meeting and vegetablesWA provided the agenda and Chairperson (Georgia Thomas). Members include, Buy West Eat Best, Cancer Council (2&5 program), Produce Marketing Association, Health Department, Food Industry Association and others.

The group aims to discuss their various marketing activities and seek out opportunities for collaboration and cooperation for greater efficiency. The next meeting is scheduled during March where it is anticipated that opportunities will be further developed. The group will meet four times per year.

The next major advance in the Marketing and Promotion program is within the Retail Revitalisation Project. As previously announced, vegetablesWA and the Department of Agriculture and Food WA’s, Buy West Eat Best program have agreed to work together to demonstrate the value of local origin and a revitalised fresh produce in-store display to retailers in WA. It is anticipated that vegetablesWA will receive around $20,000 sponsorship from the Department of Agriculture and Food WA to support its objectives. The aim of the project is to select a retail partner to undergo an in-store fresh retail transformation and test the theory that local origin labelling and informative and exciting presentation will result in more sales of fresh vegetables.

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The project is now set to commence its in-store trials with a major retailer in April this year with results available in June.

This exciting project could lead to greater value and volume of sales of WA vegetables through more local sourcing to meet demand. Additionally, the outcomes could lead to an Australia wide roll out of recommendations to improve the consumer experience in-store.

Finally, a range of promotional fliers and materials will be designed and produced in the next two to three months. These will be available for independent retailers, growers and schools and information will focus on seasonality, health and buying local.

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Autumn Feel Good Food The green issue

The growing number of ethical businesses in Western Australia including, restaurants, farmers markets, events and activities reflect the increasing demand.

BY GeOrGIa ThOmaS WESTERN PoTAToES

Keeping in tune with current consumer trends, Feel Good Food is focusing on local, sustainable and healthy produce in the autumn edition.

Of course, living sustainably and taking up green solutions such as selecting organic and locally grown food can be embraced to many different degrees, but it’s arguable that each small move we make in this direction gives consumers, and the future of food production in WA more security.

In this edition, we visit four local venues that all have their own way of contributing to a more sustainable environment; we catch up with the ‘Prince of Flesh’, Vince Garreffa, an early promoter of organic and locally grown

food; and we get some top tips from the Great Gardens crew about going green in your own backyard.

We also launch our new regular column with nutrition expert Jo Beer, who will be able to answer consumer enquiries through the magazine. Plus for the first time we will feature a local grower — Andrew Tempra who tells us why is loves farming and some of the challenges he faces.

Finally we have some great competitions!

For the kids, a chance to win a family pass to the new Hi-5 concert on May 8 at Perth Concert Hall and for the grown ups, a chance to win a brand new microwave with purchase of a Western Potatoes Microwaver.

Win a Panasonic microwave!

rrP $359 Details in the Autumn 2011 issue of Feel Good Food or go to www.feelgoodfood.com.au

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It’s all about the consumer The PMA Fresh Forums have quickly built a reputation around the country for their interesting topics and good speakers and Fresh Forum — Perth, to be held on Tuesday April 5 at the Royal Perth Golf Club, promises to be no different.

The topics, based around the relative success of fruit and vegetable promotional programs and how well (or badly) consumers are getting the right information on point-of sale labelling, are designed to help delegates better understand what message we need to be sending to the consumers of fruit and vegetables.

“There is a very strong need in this country for consumers to be eating more of the

fantastic products we produce and it is incumbent on all of us in the industry to make sure we are giving them the right information and messages,” said PMA A-NZ CEO, Michael Worthington.

The morning session will bring together speakers from all the leading promotional organisations for some vigorous discussion on how well these programs are performing and what we can collectively do better, whereas the afternoon session will not only address the current laws on labelling but also hear the findings from one of the panellists of the recently-released Independent Review on Labelling, conducted by Dr Blewett.

A feature of all PMA Fresh Forums is to have a session on business practices that are useful to delegates. So, in the middle part of the day, we will be hearing from Andrew Clark from NAB on the state of the economy and what this means for our industry and from acclaimed business performance expert, Peter Berry.

“No matter what type of organisation you are in or your position in that organisation, both these speakers are sure to leave you with some great take-home messages,” said Mr Worthington.

“Fresh Forums are one of the few opportunities all parts of the supply chain in the Western Australian fruit and vegetable industries can get together to not only hear from experts but also to network and discuss issues that are highly relevant to the future of the produce industry. We look forward to seeing you there,” he added. for more information registrations for Fresh Forum-Perth are now open on www.pma-anz.com.

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Western Potatoes mashes myths with Channel 7 and IGA

BY Georgia Thomas Western Potatoes

The availability of ‘Glycemic Index’ data is a very significant advantage in the marketing and promotion of potatoes. Especially as a large numbers of consumers are looking for the healthiest options in the fight against obesity and diabetes.

Western Potatoes have developed an exciting TV campaign which is airing for six weeks starting on January 30, 2011 on Channel 7 in the metro area.

There will be two TV adverts with health messages that smash common myths about potatoes:

The campaign titled ‘Mashing Myths’ will focus on potatoes and highlight their healthy attributes, particularly the great Glycemic Index (GI) results achieved for the Nadine variety.

• Advert 2 — Highlights that potatoes have less carbs than rice or pasta and are not fattening!

• Advert 1 — Highlights that potatoes can be low GI

The TV adverts will direct consumers to all metro IGA stores to purchase their potatoes and to find more information about the

campaign. As such, Western Potatoes have produced some Mashing Myths point-of-sale materials that will be available in-store.

In-store demonstrations will be running at 10 selected IGA stores on each Saturday during February to teach consumers about healthy preparation of potatoes and to boost sales.

The www.feelgoodfood.com.au website will also be featuring the latest information about the campaign and encouraging consumers to get to their local retail store and buy potatoes! for more information For more information, contact Georgia Thomas, Executive Director — Marketing and Retail on 0431 444 918 or email georgia@westernpotatoes.com.au.

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Food industry headlines

BY GeOrGIa ThOmaS VEGETABLESWa

South-west considers a new agri-food precinct February 21, 2011 The State Government is spending up to $30,000 on a closer examination of the Doral mine site in Western Australia’s south-west to see how suitable it could be for an agri-food processing precinct. An independent consultant will undertake a ‘technical due diligence study’ for the site, about three and a half kilometres north-east of Burekup, which is around 20km east of Bunbury. The South West Development Commission says it hasn’t determined exactly what the precinct’s facilities would include, what they would produce, or how much space they could take up. Chief executive officer of the South West Development Commission, Don Punch, says the study will examine what physical, environmental or social barriers could prevent the site from becoming the location of a south-west agri-food precinct.

“We test all of the planning issues and the environmental issues associated with that site to see if it’s suitable to take to the next stage of planning.”

“It’s a planning consultant, it’s someone who can test the requirements from an environmental point of view and make sure that the land is able.”

www.abc.net.au/rural/

costco wheels out aggressive expansion plans Eli Greenblat, February 21, 2011 United States discount retailer Costco’s beachhead in Australia, its warehousestyle store in Melbourne’s Docklands, is generating more sales than the average North American Costco. The Australian arm

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has been handed a further $40 million by its parent to fund aggressive growth. And the new kid on Australia’s supermarket block hasn’t been put off by the fresh price war being fought between Coles and Woolworths, claiming shoppers viewed differently its discount and bulk model, compared with the cheap offers of main rivals.

work together cohesively to try to extract some of that value.

Costco’s Australian managing director, Patrick Noone, told Business Day the supermarket, which relies on a membership model, had already signed more than 100,000 members in Australia and was performing strongly.

Bryan Walsh, February 15, 2011

“It’s probably a little bit higher than the average North American (store) I would expect,’’ Mr Noone said.

Mr Noone said he didn’t believe Costco would be greatly affected by Coles’ recent discount campaign on items such as bread and milk, which Woolworths and others have been forced to match to maintain market share.

“We sell things in bulk, they don’t, they have outlets in most suburbs we have one, so the efficiencies of scale are different,’’ Mr Noone said.

www.theage.com.au/business

South Korea approves potato imports from New Zealand February 19, 2011 New Zealand potato growers have gained access to export potatoes to South Korea, after years of negotiations. Potatoes New Zealand chair Terry Olsen says the industry has been working for 16 years to gain access to the Asian market.

He says the last remaining hurdle was crossed this week when South Korea finalised its import requirements for fresh potatoes from NZ. Mr Olsen says South Korea has been one of the industry’s biggest export targets, importing 16,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes a year from the US and Australia, mostly for crisps.

He says the market is valued at $10 million dollars and it is now up to NZ growers to

www.potatopro.com

Foodies can eclipse (and save) the green movement ... as traditional environmentalism struggles, another movement is rising in its place, aligning consumers, producers, the media and even politicians. It’s the food movement, and if it continues to grow it may be able to create just the sort of political and social transformation that environmentalists have failed to achieve in recent years. That would mean not only changing the way Americans eat and the way they farm — away from industrialized, cheap calories and toward more organic, small-scale production, with plenty of fruits and vegetables — but also altering the way we work and relate to one another. To its most ardent adherents, the food movement isn’t just about reform — it’s about revolution.

www.time.com/time/health/ article/0,8599,2049255,00. html#ixzz1evnfn67z

New South australian potato organisation established February 14, 2011 A formation meeting has been called to establish a new peak organisation for the South Australian potato industry.

Nick Psevdos, convenor of the South Australian Potato Industry Steering Committee, said the committee had received overwhelming support from potato industry stakeholders across SA to proceed with the formation of the new organisation, which is proposed to be named Potatoes South Australia Incorporated.

“The proposed scope and role of the new organisation is for an inclusive, ‘whole of value chain’ entity (covering the seed,

Your market

fresh market and processing potato sectors, and including potato growers, packers, processors, marketers and other service providers), that will assist businesses with a real voice in this changing and dynamic business environment,” said Mr Psevdos.

www.potatopro.com

Government to launch inquiry into milk prices Just food, February 14, 2011 The Australian senate has announced an inquiry into the ongoing price war between the country’s major supermarket chains.

The price war, which began around Australia Day (January 26), when Coles dropped the price of milk to A$1 (US$1) a litre.

Woolworths Ltd, Aldi and Franklins have quickly followed Coles’ lead.

The senate inquiry will consider whether the behaviour of the leading supermarkets’ anti-competitive and whether the price reductions will have a negative impact on dairy farmers.

However, agriculture minister Joe Ludwig said he has been given an assurance from

Coles that the price reduction will not affect farm-gate prices.

“I’ve got assurances that I’ve received from Coles, specifically from the merchandising director, who have said, ‘Coles is not reducing the price it pays to its milk processors either’, so this move will not impact them or the dairy farmers who supply them,” he said.

www.ausfoodnews.com.au

World food prices reach new historic peak February 9, 2011 World food prices surged to a new historic peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, according to the updated FAO Food Price Index, a commodity basket that regularly tracks monthly changes in global food prices.

The Index averaged 231 points in January and was up 3.4 per cent from December 2010. This is the highest level (both in real and nominal terms) since FAO started measuring food prices in 1990. Prices of all monitored commodity groups registered strong gains in January, except for meat, which remained unchanged.

“The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating,” said FAO economist and grains expert Abdolreza Abbassian.

“These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come. High food prices are of major concern especially for low-income food deficit countries that may face problems in financing food imports and for poor households which spend a large share of their income on food.”

“The only encouraging factor so far stems from a number of countries, where — due to good harvests — domestic prices of some of the food staples remain low compared to world prices,” Abbassian added.

www.ausfoodnews.com.au

Growing cities may scuttle growing vegetables Growcom February 1, 2011 Research undertaken by the federal Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is a wake-up call on the issue of Australia’s future food security, according to

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Rachel Mackenzie, policy spokesperson for the peak horticulture body Growcom today.

“Research conducted by the National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS) for DIAC has found that if the Australian population continues to grow at current levels, 430,000 hectares of land surrounding Sydney and Melbourne will be taken up by housing in coming years,” Mackenzie said.

“Based on the current annual immigration intake of 260,000 per year, the research found that by 2050 this loss of productive land will slash agricultural output, forcing the import of fruit, nuts, vegetables, pork, dairy and lamb.”

times bigger in the next 50 years. Despite the change in leadership from Kevin Rudd with his ‘Big Australia’ to Julia Gillard with her plan for a ‘Sustainable Australia,’ forecasts for population growth have altered little.

The research also found that another two and a half landfill sites would be required for everyone in use today.”

“The prospect of the loss of 430,000ha of farming land and of having to import large amounts of fruit, vegetables and nuts, adds further weight to Growcom’s calls for a coordinated government policy to ensure food security.”

www.ausfoodnews.com.au

“Even without immigration, state capitals are still forecast to grow up to one and half

Opportunity for local producers Scoop Magazine, WA’s premier lifestyle publication, are looking for ways to support local, independent producers.

New for 2011, Scoop will be focusing more strongly on local products.

If you have a new or interesting local product you think they might like to feature in the magazine’s ‘Eat In’ section, please contact Jane Cornes at Scoop on (08) 9388 8188 or email jane.cornes@scoop.com.au. All samples received will undergo an in-house selection process and the best of what is received will be featured in the magazine’s ‘Eating In’ section. Deadline for inclusion in the Winter edition is April 20, 2011.

Calling all farmers to open their gates this FarmDay Australia’s agricultural sector has experienced a difficult start to the year but an initiative to educate urban families on the business of farming and food production may well provide the confidence and backing the industry needs to get back on its feet.

On Australia’s annual FarmDay, held on the weekend of May 28 and 29, 2011, farmers across the country are encouraged to open their gates and welcome a city family to spend a day on their farm.

Since 2007, close to 1,000 city families have visited working farms around the country on FarmDay to gain a better understanding and appreciation of this important industry.

FarmDay is calling on farmers to consider hosting a family this year with registrations for hosts now open.

“Now, more than ever, it’s important for our industry to demonstrate the work that we do under complex circumstances to make sure there’s great Australian food on family tables around the country,” says FarmDay Founder, Deb Bain.

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“We’ve found that the city families who have participated in FarmDay are now our greatest advocates in metropolitan areas and are educating their friends and family on the importance of supporting Australia’s farmers.”

“It’s so important that urban families understand how their food and fibre is produced and the impact that events like the January floods on the east coast and fires and drought on the west coast have on agricultural production and supply.”

“It’s a great chance for individual farmers and farming families to promote agriculture to urban Australia,” she said.

“I’d strongly encourage farmers to get involved in this important initiative by registering to host a city family at www.farmday.com.au.” for more information

“By spending a day on a farm during FarmDay, urban families gain a better understanding of where food comes from and what impacts supply, as well as appreciating the lifestyle and choices that farming families make every day.

“Our research indicates that 90 per cent of city families participating in FarmDay come away with a better understanding of the role of farming in their daily lives and 98% are more likely to buy Australian produce as a result,” Deb says.

“In order to gain a greater level of understanding and support from urban Australia, it is important to provide them with an opportunity to see the great work that we do firsthand.”

FarmDay is a not-for profit organisation proudly supported by meat and livestock australia. contact heidi Smith or Susie Buckland on phone (02) 6766 5222 or heidi.smith@seftonpr.com.au.

may 28 and 29, 2011

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People development programs Growing leaders 2011

When and where:

Growing leaders is the national leadership program for the vegetable industry designed for people wishing to take up leadership roles at all levels of business and industry. The focus of the program is to develop an understanding of how to have a positive impact and influence those around us.

Session 1 — april 12–14, Brisbane in conjunction with 2011 auSVeG National convention

Growing leaders is funded by horticulture australia ltd and the national vegetable levy, supported by auSVeG and facilitated by Jill Briggs, rural Training Initiatives.

The six month/nine day course involves: • confidence to provide leadership at any level — workplace, organisation, teams, community • essential skills in teamwork, understanding personalities, managing projects and people, communicating effectively, networking to benefit many • leadership pathways — goal setting concepts • Guest speakers on current and relevant industry issues • Industry functions — tours and industry dinners

Session 2 — July 26–28, melbourne Session 3 — October 11–13, canberra cost: No cost to vegetable levy payers. $1,000 + GST for vegetable supply chain participants.

To attend or enquire contact Dianne Fullelove, Project leader, People Development Sub-program, Vegetable Industry Development Program on (07) 3374 0453 or email diannefullelove@optusnet.com.au.

2011 Produce executive Program The 2011 Produce executive Program will be held at the mt eliza centre for executive education in Victoria from may 15–20, 2011. This program is for current and emerging leaders, from throughout the supply chain, in the australian and New Zealand produce industry.

It is a unique blend of professional development, skill enhancement, industry forum and practical learning experience, with a particular focus on the supplier/ retailer interface.

sunbeam future farmers fund

The program covers four core topics:

The Sunbeam Future Farmers Fund aims to give apprentices and trainees a great start in a rural career. The program provides a financial incentive to farmers by contributing to the cost of apprentices undertaking horticulture qualifications in certificate II, III or IV level. a further incentive is also offered to each apprentice on completion of their certificate.

1. Key consumer and market trends

applications are currently being accepted for the Fund and close on april 30, 2011. more information is available from rural Skills australia www.ruralskills.com.au or 1800 647 798.

2. Servicing the marketplace 3. managing commercial relationships 4. Best practices in produce business management. registrations for the program can be made with the Program manager, anita Pike on (03) 8640 0947 or at apike@streamwise.com.au. www.ifgm.com.au/learning/programs/ ifgm/produceexecutive

Vegetable industry mentors required Has there ever been anyone in your life who had a profound positive effect on you, but you didn’t realise it until much later in your life? These people were mentoring you.

Mentoring aims to assist people from the vegetable industry to build their capacity and share knowledge through the development of effective mentoring relationships. A mentor is a more experienced individual who helps and guides another’s development.

They serve as a role model who provides support, encouragement, and positive perspectives. They may also act as a source of information regarding development in the industry, give feedback on performance and provide connections into industry networks.

Your own life experiences in learning and working with others qualifies you to be a

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mentor. The best mentors are people whose own enthusiasm for their work and business and the vegetable industry is so contagious that they inspire others just by doing what they enjoy most.

Participants in the Vegetable Industry’s People Development programs will be introduced to a mentor as part of their leadership involvement. These programs are: • Growing Leaders, the Australian Vegetable Industry Leadership Program • Australian Rural Leadership Program • Nuffield Farming Scholarship • Produce Executive Program

can be as little as an hour per fortnight and mentors are matched with future leaders in the leadership programs.

Mentors will be provided with a range of tools to help them get the most out of the mentoring relationship.

A tool in the mentoring program is Leadership Pathways that provides direction for emerging leaders in the vegetable industry. It enables them to understand their leadership journey in the context of the industry. Leadership Pathways maps industry organisations, conferences and events that emerging leaders and mentors may utilise in their leadership journey.

• Young Grower Tours to New Zealand.

for more information

The Vegetable Industry needs mentors who are current agricultural, business and or community leaders from a variety of backgrounds to act as mentors to future leaders. The commitment to mentoring

If you would like to participate as a mentor in mentoring Future leaders for the Vegetable Industry, further information is available with the application Form or contact the Project leader, People Development program diannefullelove@optusnet.com.au.

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Recipes

Fruit pikelets Prep time: 10 minutes cooking time: 10 minutes level: easy

makes 20 pikelets

Ingredients ½ cup self raising wholemeal flour ½ cup self raising white flour ¼ cup sugar ½ cup Sanitarium sultanas 1 egg, lightly beaten ¾ cup Sanitarium So Good soy drink

Baked vegetable and white bean salad Prep time: 10 minutes cooking time: 35 minutes level: easy

Serves 4

Ingredients 3 large zucchini, cut diagonally into 1cm-thick slices 1 yellow capsicum, halved, trimmed and thickly sliced lengthways 1 red capsicum, halved, trimmed and thickly sliced lengthways 4 plump baby eggplants, cut into 3 slices lengthways 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthways

1 tablespoon margarine, melted

Method 1. Sift flours into bowl, add sugar and sultanas.

2. combine egg, So Good and margarine.

3. Gradually beat liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing until batter is smooth.

Method

4. heat lightly, greased frypan. Place tablespoon of mixture in pan. cook until bubbles appear on top, turn and cook other side.

1. Place vegetables and garlic into a large non-sticking roasting pan.

Spray with oil, tossing gently to evenly coat vegetables. roast, turning once, in a preheated 200°c oven for 30–35 minutes until tender.

5. Serve with sliced strawberries and blueberries. Drizzle with a little honey.

2. meanwhile, to make white bean salad, place cannellini beans, tomatoes, parsley, feta and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl. Gently toss to combine.

3. arrange roast vegetables on serving plates. Top with white bean salad.

Drizzle with remaining oil.

4. Serve with baby rocket leaves and wholegrain bread rolls.

125g cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 50g low fat feta cheese, crumbled

Per serve: kilojoules 963kJ (230cal); Protein 11g; total fat 12g; saturated fat 3g; carbohydrate 14g; total sugars 6g; sodium 150mg; Potassium 740mg; calcium 130mg; Iron 2.9mg; fibre 9g.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil © recipe and images kindly provided by Sanitarium health Food company.

Nutrition facts

400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Nutrition facts

Olive oil cooking spray

Per pikelet: kilojoules 260kJ (60cal); Protein 2g; total fat 1g; carbohydrate 11g; Sodium 60mg; Potassium 80mg; calcium 20mg; Iron 0.3mg; Fibre <1g.

© recipe and images kindly provided by Sanitarium health Food company.

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Recipes (cont.)

Avocado pasta Prep time: 10 minutes cooking time: 20 minutes level: easy

Serves 6

Ingredients

Method

500g fettuccine

1. cook fettuccine according to instructions on the packet.

1 bunch asparagus, sliced 2 zucchini, sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced ½ cup chopped fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 cups diced avocado ½ cup grated parmesan cheese ½ cup black olives

2. Steam beans, asparagus and zucchini until just tender.

3. mix oil, onion, parsley, garlic and lime juice. add avocado.

4. Toss cooked vegetables, the avocado mixture and half the parmesan through pasta. Serve topped with remaining parmesan cheese and black olives.

Nutrition facts

1 cup green beans, sliced

Per serve: kilojoules 2020kJ (340cal); Protein 10g; total fat 18g; saturated fat 5g; carbohydrate 61g; total sugars 4g; sodium 190mg; Potassium 535mg; calcium 130mg; Iron 2.2mg; fibre 5g.

© recipe and images kindly provided by Sanitarium health Food company.

92

WA Grower march 2011

Your Production

Permits

minor use Permits can also be searched by specific crop or pest types at www.apvma.gov.au/permits/search.php

Permit Id PER3850 PER5815 PER5851

description Copper hydroxide / Leeks / Downy mildew, Purple blotch Spinosad / Eggplant / Melon thrips Chlorpyrifos / Sweet potato / Sweet potato weevil, bean spider mite, wireworm

PER6914 PER6918 PER7419 PER7422

Lannate L (methomyl) / Spring onions & shallots / Western flower thrips MCPA 250 Selective Herbicide / Rhubarb / Broadleaf weeds Lambda-cyhalothrin / Snow peas & sugar snap peas / Pasture webworm, cutworm, rutherglen bug & thrips Methomyl / Radish, swede & turnip / Cabbage white butterfly, heliothis, cabbage centre grub, cutworm, cluster caterpiller & looper Rovral Aquaflo Fungicide (iprodine) / Beetroot / Alternaria leaf spot, sclerotinia rot & grey mould Phosphorous / Lettuce (leaf & hydroponic), fennel & bulb (Allium) vegetables / Downy mildew Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus / Watermelons / Heliothis Methomyl / Water melons / Heliothis & cucumber moth Dimethomorph / Lettuce / Downy mildew Phosphorous acid / Durian / Phytophthora root rot Buprofezin /Specified leafy & woody herbs / Jassid, mealybug, silverleaf & greenhouse whitefly Etoxazole / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Two-spotted mite Myclobutanil / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Powdery mildew Cypermethrin / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Specified insect pests Propiconazole / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Various diseases Pyriproxyfen / Herbs / Silverleaf whitefly & greenhouse whitefly Indoxacarb / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Lepidoptera Pirimicarb / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Aphids Fenhexamid / Herbs / Botrytis Tebuconazole / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Various diseases Quinoxyfen / Leafy & woody herbs / Powdery mildew Triadimenol / Lemon grass / Powdery mildew & rust Pendimethalin / Herbs / Grass & broadleaf weeds Abamectin / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Various insect pests Chlorfenapyr / Specified leafy & woody herbs / Various insects Maldison / Leeks, spring onions & shallots / onion thrips Zineb / Eggplant, spinach & silverbeet / Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.)

Methomyl / Snow peas & sugar snap peas / Cucurbits / Cucumber moths & western flower thrips Trifluralin / Parsnips / Wintergrass Amistar fungicide/ Cucumber (greenhouse) / Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria cucumerina) Score foliar fungicide / Beetroot / Leaf spot Trifluralin / Chillies, paprika & eggplant / Various broad leaf & grass weeds Regent 200 SC / Sweet potato / White fringed weevil & wireworm Tilt 250 EC (propiconazole) / Spinach / Leaf spot (Cercospora spp.)

Pyranica / Cucumbers / Two-spotted mite Clethodim / Radish / Control of grasses Tilt 250 EC / Beetroot / Leaf spot Lontrel / Cauliflower / Capeweed & clover Chlorothalonil/ Radish/ White blister (Candida albugo) Propiconazole / Almonds, celery / Blossom blight, anthracnose, Septoria spot, early blight Cupric hydroxide / Fresh herbs / Fungal leaf diseases, botrytis Sulphur / Culinary herbs / Rusts, mites, mildews Chess insecticide/ Snow peas & sugar snap peas / Aphids Quaternary ammonium compounds / Anti-fouling / Cooling water towers Ambush emulsifiable concentrate insecticide/ Rhubarb / Green peach aphid, green looper, light brown apple moth & budworms Various pesticides / Mustard / Multiple pests Alpha-cypermethrin / Silverbeet & spinach / Thrips, vegetable weevil & redlegged earth mite Fipronil / Asparagus / Garden weevil Phosphorous acid / Strawberries, herbs & passionfruit / Phytophthora Acrobat / Snow peas / Downy mildew Raptor / Faba bean / Various weeds Methomyl / Borlotti beans / Bean pod borer & budworm Nufarm cabrio fungicide (pyraclostrobin) / Brassica leafy vegetables / White blister rust Iprodione / Brassica leafy vegetables / Sclerotinia, grey mould, alternaria leaf spot

PER7603 PER7905 PER7916 PER7918 PER7935 PER7953 PER8576 PER8577 PER8591 PER8595 PER8596 PER8601 PER8612 PER8613 PER8617 PER8620 PER8621 PER8623 PER8628 PER8631 PER8633 PER8762 PER8768 PER8790 PER8813 PER8927 PER8928 PER8929 PER9063 PER9103 PER9104 PER9125 PER9130 PER9169 PER9186 PER9255 PER9272 PER9283 PER9317 PER9324 PER9325 PER9343 PER9355 PER9425 PER9480 PER9485 PER9508 PER9509 PER9631 PER9669

date issued 14-Sep-07 11-Aug-08 12-Feb-07

expiry date 13-Sep-12 31-Jul-13 12-Feb-12

23-May-08 5-Sep-06 11-Aug-08 23-May-08

31-Mar-13 4-Sep-11 31-May-13 31-Mar-11

21-Apr-06 4-Apr-06 7-Aug-06 7-Jul-06 30-Jan-09 12-Apr-06 23-Apr-09 18-Jun-09 18-Jun-09 24-Dec-08 24-Dec-08 17-Apr-09 24-Dec-08 24-Dec-08 15-May-09 24-Dec-08 18-Jun-09 24-Dec-08 24-Dec-08 24-Dec-08 18-Jun-09 18-Apr-08 10-May-06 3-Mar-06 10-Aug-07 26-Jun-06 30-Aug-06 30-Mar-06 21-Mar-06 4-Jan-08 3-Apr-07 17-Jul-06 2-Jun-06 21-Aug-06 1-May-06 22-Dec-06 24-Jul-06 26-Jul-06 26-oct-06 2-Jul-10 5-Apr-07

20-Apr-11 30-Sep-12 31-Mar-11 31-Mar-11 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-12 30-Aug-12 30-Jul-13 30-Jul-13 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-11 30-Aug-12 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-12 30-Sep-11 30-Jul-13 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-11 30-Jul-13 30-Sep-12 10-May-11 31-Mar-11 9-Aug-12 30-Jun-11 30-Aug-11 30-Mar-11 1-Dec-11 30-Jun-11 2-Apr-12 16-Jul-11 30-Jun-11 1-Sep-11 1-May-11 30-Jun-11 31-Jul-11 31-Jul-11 31-Mar-11 30-Jun-11 31-Mar-12

2-Mar-07 23-Feb-07 4-oct-06 12-oct-06 5-Apr-07 31-Dec-06 1-Nov-06 16-Jan-09 30-Jun-07

3-Mar-12 31-Mar-12 30-Jun-11 31-oct-11 30-Apr-12 30-Dec-11 31-oct-16 30-Jun-12 30-Jun-12

WA Grower march 2011

93

Your Production

Permits (cont.)

Permit Id PER9694 PER9722 PER9778 PER9779 PER9789 PER9839 PER9859 PER9893 PER9894 PER9895 PER9904 PER9914 PER9921 PER9922 PER10088 PER10089 PER10090 PER10091 PER10166 PER10184 PER10219 PER10265 PER10273 PER10276 PER10279 PER10283 PER10305 PER10307 PER10311 PER10316 PER10335 PER10349 PER10402 PER10416 PER10427 PER10431 PER10433 PER10460 PER10497 PER10511 PER10588 PER10596 PER10656 PER10670 PER10672 PER10674 PER10675 PER10676 PER10677 PER10679 PER10688 PER10691 PER10695 PER10714

94

description Lorsban / Taro / African black beetle Talstar (bifenthrin) / Sweet potato / Wireworm Ecocarb Fungicide / Various greenhouse-grown vegetables / Powdery mildew Diazinon / Parsley & coriander / onion maggot Score Foliar Fungicide / Papaya / Black spot Permethrin (Ambush ) / Celery / Heliothis & looper BALAN (benfluralin) / Lettuce / Grass & broadleaf weed control Methidathion / Peppers & eggplant / Rutherglen bug Imidacloprid / Rhubarb / Aphids Thimet 100G / Leeks / onion maggot & thrips Tribinul, Juggler 700, Tribunax 700 WP / Leeks / Broadleaf weeds Apollo SC Miticide (clofentezine) / Almonds / Two-spotted mite & brown almond mite Tribunil Herbicide / Spring onions & shallots / Various broadleaf & grass weeds Phos Acid / Rhubarb / Downy mildew Dithane Rainshield / Leeks & shallots / Purple blotch & downy mildew Chlorpyrifos / Parsley & potato / Vegetable weevil & black beetle Iprodione / Brussels sprout / Grey mould Acramite 480 SC / Snow peas & sugar snap peas (field & greenhouse) / Mites Avatar (indoxacarb) / Asparagus / Garden weevil Products containing potassium salts of fatty acids @ 285 g/L / Glasshouse & hydroponically grown capsicums, lettuce & cucumbers / Glasshouse whitefly & silverleaf whitefly Mancozeb / Cucumbers / Grey mould Methidathion / Peppers, ornamentals, eggplant & tomatoes / Western flower thrips Bifenthrin / Sweet potato / Sweet potato weevil & bean spider mite Filan Fungicide (boscalid) / Brassicas & brassica leafy vegetables, lettuce & beans / Sclertonia rot Abamectin / Cucumber, zucchini & squash / Two spotted mite Chlorpyrifos / Potato / Black beetle, wingless grasshopper, red legged earth mite Bacillus thuringiensis / Herbs / lepidopteran pests Metolachlor / Culinary herbs / weeds Eco-oil (Botanical oil) / Greenhouse & hydroponic capsicum, cucumber & lettuce / Greenhouse whitefly & silverleaf whitefly Avatar Insecticide (indoxacarb) / Celery / Heliothis, lightbrown apple moth, lucerne leaf roller & vegetable weevil Petroleum oil / Lettuce (greenhouse & hydroponic) / Various insects Azoxystrobin fungicides / Alliums / White rot Clethodim / Carrots & parsnips / Grass weed control Methamidophos / Head lettuce / Western flower thrips Fipronil (Regent 200 SC) / Swede & turnip / Diamond back moth Methomyl / Beetroot / Helicoverpa spp., loopers, webworm Pirmicarb / Sweet corn / Aphids Phorate (Thimet 100G) / Sweet potatoes / Aphids, thrips, jassids & organophosphate susceptible two spotted mite & wireworm Imidacloprid / Brassica leafy vegetables / Aphids, Whitefly & Thrips Surflan 500 Flowable Herbicide (oryzalin) / Garlic / Broadleaf & grass weeds Iprodione / Broccoli / Rhizoctonia Success (spinosad) / Spring onions & shallots / Western flower thrip Pyrimethanil / Snow peas, sugar snap peas, protected tomatoes & protected capsicums / Botrytis Abamectin / Tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, ornamentals, strawberries & Cape gooseberries / Two spotted mite & western flower thrips Chlorthal-dimethyl / Parsley / Various broadleaf weeds & grasses Mancozeb + Metalaxyl-M / Brassica vegetables, brassica leafy vegetables & rocket / Downy mildew & white blister Metolachlor / Spinach, silverbeet, spring onions, shallots, green beans, navy beans, celeriac & celery / Various broadleaf & grass weeds Pendimethalin / Spring onions, shallots & radish / Various broadleaf & grass weeds Propyzamide / Chicory & endive / Grass & broadleef weeds Mancozeb / Specified fruiting & legume vegetables / Downy mildew, anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) & alternaria Alpha-Cypermethrin / Cauliflower crops / Staphylinid beetle Diflufenican / Peas / Broadleaf weeds Methyl Bromide / Fruit & fruiting vegetables / Fruit fly & thrips Karate (Lambda-cyhalothrin) / Bulb onions / onion thrip

WA Grower march 2011

date issued 6-Mar-07 31-Mar-09 6-Sep-07 7-May-07 16-Nov-07 20-Feb-08 1-Apr-07 8-May-08 2-Aug-07 21-Jul-07 1-Aug-07 4-Feb-08 16-Jul-07 3-Aug-07 30-Sep-07 12-Feb-08 12-Jan-10 3-Feb-08 18-May-09 20-Feb-08

expiry date 5-Mar-12 30-Sep-13 5-Sep-12 31-Mar-12 31-oct-11 31-Mar-13 31-Mar-12 31-May-13 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-12 31-Jul-12 31-Mar-13 15-Jul-12 1-Jul-12 1-Jan-12 30-Sep-13 1-Aug-15 31-Mar-11 30-Sep-11 28-Feb-13

16-Apr-08 18-Mar-08 22-Feb-08 1-Feb-10 22-Feb-08 9-Jun-09 23-Nov-07 1-Jan-08 7-Feb-08

30-Apr-13 30-Sep-12 30-Sep-13 31-Jan-13 30-Sep-13 30-Sep-14 31-Dec-12 31-Dec-12 30-Sep-13

3-Mar-08 18-Mar-08 18-Apr-08 16-Jan-09 25-Mar-08 24-Jan-08 30-Apr-08 12-May-09 2-Jan-08

30-Sep-12 31-Mar-11 30-Jun-11 31-May-11 31-Mar-13 30-Sep-11 30-Apr-11 31-Mar-12 1-Jan-13

11-Jun-09 18-Mar-08 7-May-08 23-Apr-09 1-Jun-09 1-Apr-08

31-Mar-14 31-Mar-13 30-Apr-13 31-oct-11 30-Jun-12 30-Apr-11

14-Apr-08 14-Apr-08 14-Jun-09

30-Apr-13 31-Mar-13 30-Jun-12

16-Apr-08 14-Apr-08 10-Jun-10

30-Apr-13 30-Apr-18 1-Jan-12

1-May-08 28-Apr-08 4-Jun-08 8-Sep-08

30-Apr-13 30-Apr-13 30-Jun-13 30-Sep-11

Your Production

Permits (cont.)

Permit Id PER10727 PER10729 PER10730 PER10735 PER10747 PER10748 PER10758 PER10764 PER10800 PER10807 PER10816 PER10818 PER10822 PER10824 PER10845 PER10846 PER10868 PER10878 PER10882 PER10902 PER10903 PER10905 PER10906 PER10907 PER10908 PER10914 PER10920 PER10927 PER10928 PER10934 PER10946 PER10948 PER10954 PER10976 PER10979 PER10980 PER10988 PER11033 PER11120 PER11121 PER11122 PER11128 PER11130 PER11150 PER11170 PER11215 PER11245 PER11251 PER11312 PER11313 PER11314 PER11332 PER11349 PER11350 PER11352 PER11355 PER11356 PER11358 PER11405

description Ridomil Gold MZ WG / Celery, silverbeet & spinach / Late blight, septoria leaf blight & downy mildew Applaud Insecticide (buprofezin) / Celery / Greenhouse whitefly Abamectin (Vertimec) / Chillies & paprika / Two-spoted mite APRoN XL 350 ES & Maxim 100FS / Broccoli / Damping off & rhizoctonia Rovral Aquaflo Fungicide / Chillies & paprika / Sclerotinia rot Tilt 250 EC Systemic Fungicide & all other 250g/L formulations of propiconazole / Silverbeet / Various fungi Pendimethalin / Parsnip / Grasses & broadleaf weeds Pyriproxyfen / Cucurbits, eggplant & tomato / Silverleaf whitefly Bayfidan 250 EC Fungicide / Chillies & paprika / Powdery mildew Vertimec (abamectin) / Head lettuce (field) / Two-spotted mite Amistar (azoxystrobin) / Horseradish / White blister rust & downy mildew Bravo Weather Stik Fungicide (chlorothalonil) / Cucumbers / Botrytis rot Sodium hypochlorite / Potatoes, various seeds & soil / Various insect & fungal pests Copper oxychloride, Cuprous oxide or Cupric Hydroxide / Spring onions & shallots / Downy mildew Barmac Zineb Fungicide / Brassica leafy vegetables / Cercospora leaf spot & downy mildew Rovral Aquaflo Fungicide (Iprodione) / Celeriac / Sclerotinia rot Ioxynil / Spring onions, shallots & welsh onions / Broad leaf & grass weeds Trifluralin / Peppers (sweet & chilli) / Broadleaf & annual grass weeds Diazinon / Spring onions & shallots / Thrips (excluding WFT) & onion seedling maggot Dimethomorph / Leeks / Downy mildew Flint 500 WG Fungicide / Cucumbers & capsicums (protected) / Powdery mildew Dimethomorph / Silverbeet / Downy mildew Acrobat Fungicide / Spinach / Downy mildew Acrobat Fungicide / Brassica leafy vegetables / White blister Tebuconazole / Beetroot, chicory, endive, radish, silverbeet & spinach / Sclerotonia rot Azoxystrobin / Radish, leek & carrot / Powdery mildew, downy mildew & white blister rust Chlorpyrifos / Brassicas / Vegetable beetle adults Lambda-cyhalothrin, gamma-cyhalothrin, alpha-cypermethrin & betacyfluthrin / Australian plague locust Cypermethrin / Locust Buprofezin / Tomatoes (protected) / Greenhouse whitefly Linuron / Celery / Range of weeds Abamectin / Eggplant / Two spotted mite Glyphosate / Passionfruit / Grass & broadleaf weeds Bentazone / Snow peas & sugar snap peas / Broadleaf weeds Bupirimate / Cucurbits & peppers / Powdery mildew Propiconazole / Radishes / Cercospora Bladex 900 WG (cyanazine) / Snow peas & sugar snap peas / Broadleaf weeds Imazamox / Adzuki & faba beans / Control of grass & broadeaf weeds Natrasoap & Neemtech / Greenhouse tomatoes / Greenhouse whitefly Simazine / Almonds / Broadleaf weeds & grasses Maldison / Strawberries / Rutherglen bug Trifluralin / Culinary herbs / Weeds Linuron / Various culinary herbs & spices / Weeds Dichlorvos pest strips / Surveillance crops / Kill insects Fluazifop / Rosemary & garlic chives / Grass weeds Powermax (glyphosate) / Chia / Various weeds Trifluralin / Chia / Specified broadleaf weeds Maldison / Fruit fly host species / Fruit fly surveillance Fusilade Forte (fluazifop) / Chia / Various grasses Methomyl / Chia / Heliothis Beta-Cyfluthrin / Chia / Heliothis Gemstar / Chia (Salivia hispanica) / Heliothis Prometryn / Celeriac / Grass weeds listed on label Mancozeb / Radish, swede & turnip / Alternaria, cercospora leaf spot, white blister Walabi Fungicide / Chicory, endive, radicchio, silverbeet & spinach / Botrytis & alternaria Abamectin / Sweet corn Flint 500 WG (trifloxystrobin) / Silverbeet, spinach, chicory & endive / Powdery mildew Clethodim / Rhubarb / Grass weeds listed on label Haloxyfop / Adzuki beans / Grass weeds

date issued 31-Mar-09 15-Jan-09 8-Aug-08 1-Jun-09 25-Nov-09 12-Aug-10 16-Jan-09 1-Jul-08 2-Feb-10 1-Jun-09 1-Jun-09 1-Jun-09 30-Jan-09 27-Sep-09 11-Jun-09 9-Jun-09 1-Jun-09 11-Aug-08 1-Jul-08 11-oct-08 18-Aug-10 10-Dec-08 10-Dec-08 10-Dec-08 9-Jun-10 9-Jun-09 9-Jun-09 11-Aug-08 11-Aug-08 9-Jun-09 1-Nov-08 17-oct-08 27-Nov-08 10-Aug-09 31-Mar-09 26-May-09 10-Aug-09 1-Jan-09 10-oct-08 1-Jan-09 14-Apr-09 1-Jan-09 18-Jun-09 1-Jan-09 1-Jan-09 11-May-09 27-Sep-09 10-Aug-09 27-Sep-09 27-Sep-09 27-Sep-09 27-Sep-09 1-May-10 10-Aug-09 25-Nov-09 19-Jan-10 27-Nov-09 24-Jun-09 1-Jun-09

expiry date 30-Sep-12 31-Jan-13 30-Sep-12 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-12 30-Jun-12 31-Jan-14 30-Sep-12 30-Jun-13 31-Mar-14 30-Jun-12 30-Sep-13 1-Feb-14 30-Sep-14 31-Mar-15 30-Jun-12 31-Mar-13 30-Sep-13 30-Jun-13 30-Sep-13 31-May-13 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-11 30-Jun-13 31-May-14 30-Sep-12 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-11 30-Sep-13 30-Apr-12 30-oct-13 30-oct-13 31-Mar-15 30-Sep-14 31-Mar-12 31-Mar-15 31-Dec-11 30-Sep-13 31-Dec-14 30-Jun-12 30-Sep-11 30-Jul-13 31-Dec-14 30-Sep-14 30-Jun-14 30-Jun-14 30-Sep-15 30-Jun-12 30-Jun-12 30-Jun-12 30-Jun-14 11-Dec-11 31-Mar-15 30-Sep-14 30-Sep-12 31-oct-12 30-Jun-14 30-May-14

WA Grower march 2011

95

Your Production

Permits (cont.)

Permit Id PER11425 PER11438 PER11439 PER11440 PER11441 PER11442 PER11443 PER11450 PER11453 PER11472 PER11474 PER11475 PER11479 PER11480 PER11508 PER11510 PER11526 PER11572 PER11586 PER11614 PER11641 PER11644 PER11651 PER11658 PER11747 PER11763 PER11765 PER11815 PER11852 PER11854 PER11935 PER11937 PER11941 PER11946 PER11949 PER11950 PER11951 PER11952 PER11954 PER11966 PER11969 PER11987 PER11988 PER11989 PER11999 PER12002 PER12054 PER12177 PER12364 PER12378 PER12384 PER12385 PER12405 PER12514 PER12570 PER12571 PER12572 PER12589

96

description Metalaxyl / Dill & parsley / Phythium & phytophthora Glyphosate (shielded sprayer) / Specified vegetables / Grass & broadleaf weeds Pirimicarb / Sweet potato, brassica leafy vegetables, chicory & coriander / Aphids Sumiclex 500 (procymidone) / Peppers / Sclerotinia rot Propachlor / Radish, swede, turnip / Grass & broadleaf weeds Lambda-cyhalothrin / Cucumbers (greenhouse & field) / Heliothis, onion thrips, rutherglen bug & loopers Metribuzin / Specified root vegetables, snow peas, sugar snap peas / Annual weeds Ethofumesate (Tramat) / Beetroot & onions / Grass weeds Fluazifop / shallots, spring onions, leeks, garlic, parsnips & sweet potato / Grass weeds VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide / Various protected crops & mushrooms / Fungus gnats & sciarids Metalaxyl-M / Lettuce / Damping off Alpha-cypermethrin / Brassica leafy vegetables & radish / Redlegged earth mite, plague thrips & lepidoptera Linuron / Leeks / Grass & broadleaf weeds Amistar Fungicide / Brassica leafy vegetables & carrots / Alternaria leaf spot & powdery mildew Secure 360 SC / Spring onions & shallots / Western flower thrips Mouseoff & Rattoff Zinc Phosphide Baits / Sweet potato / House mouse & introduced rats Chlorothalonil / Specified herbs / Fungal diseases Chlorothalonil / Spinach & silverbeet / Downy mildew, alternaria leaf blight & grey mould Metaldehyde / Herbs / Snails & slugs Chlorpyrifos / Agricultural areas in close proximity to irrigation sprinklers / Ants Flint 500 WG (trifloxystrobin) / Celery / Cercospora leaf spot & Septoria spot Permethrin / Culinary herbs & root crops / Lepidopteran pests Acramite Miticide / Lettuce / Two-spotted (red spider) Mite Various actives / Crops as described on the registered labels / Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera) 2,2-Dichloropropionic Acid / Carrot crops (for seed) / Promotion of bolting & grass weed control Pirimicarb / Spring onions / Aphids Etoxazole / Snow or sugar snap peas / Two spotted mite Petroleum oil / Herbs / Insect pests Fenhexamid / Greenhouse & protected cropping (GHPC), peppers & GHPC lettuce (head & leafy) / Grey mould Cyprodinil & Fludioxonil / onions / White rot, black mould, botrytis Triadimenol / Parsnips, radish, swede & turnip / Powdery mildew Dimethomorph & Mancozeb / Spring onions & shallots / Downy mildew, purple blotch & botrytis rots Pirimicarb / Almond, eggplant / Aphids (consolidated application) Clethodim / Peas, eggplant, chilli peppers, paprika, silverbeet & spinach / Grasses Lambda-Cyhalothrin / Beetroot & radish / Various insects Chlorothalonil / Various crops / Various fungicides Phosphorous acid / Brassica vegetables, leafy vegetables & processing peas / Downy mildew Amistar 250SC (azoxystrobin) / Broccoli, brussell sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce & beans / Various fungal diseases Cropstar Fuschia 100 (S-abscisic acid) / Supply for export Various Fipronil products / Custard apple / Ants Sunny Plant Growth Regulator / Custard apple / Plant growth regulation Linuron / Celeraic / Weeds Chess Insecticide (pymetrozine) / Various vegetables & pistachio / Silverleaf whitefly, lettuce aphid & green peach aphid Tramat 500 SC Selective Herbicide / Spinach, silverbeet, onions / Various weeds Various products/ Crop- non-crop areas / Declared plants Ecocarb Fungicide / Parsnip, radish, snow peas, sugar snap peas, swede & turnip / Powdery mildew Propiconazole / Brassica leafy vegetables, chicory, endive, radiccio / Cercospora leaf spot, rust, septoria leaf spot Switch Fungicide / Strawberries / Stem end rot & leaf blotch BASF Pyramin WG Selective Herbicide / Fodder beet, red beet, silver beet / Various weeds & grasses Acephate / ornamentals, tomatoes & peppers / Western flower thrips Dual Gold Herbicide (S-metolachlor) / Rhubarb / Various weeds Products containing Copper / Various vegetable crops / Various diseases Score Foliar Fungicide (difenoconazole) / Celery / Cercospora leaf spot & septoria spots Sencor 480 SC (metribuzin) / Tomatoes / Weed control Bifenazate / Strawberries / Two-spotted mite Acramite 480 SC / Snow peas and sugar snap peas (field and greenhouse) / Mites Acramite Miticide / Cucumbers, capsicums and tomatoes / Two-spotted mite Chlorpyrifos / Various vegetables / African black beetle and wireworms

WA Grower march 2011

date issued 2-Apr-09 5-May-09 19-oct-09 1-Jun-09 27-May-09 3-Jun-09 18-Jun-09 8-Jun-09 25-Nov-09 18-Jun-09 1-Jul-09 11-Jun-09 1-Jul-09 10-Aug-09 9-Jul-09 12-Aug-09 12-Feb-10 23-Feb-10 3-Jul-09 1-oct-09 27-Nov-09 30-Nov-09 22-Jan-10 28-Sep-09 1-oct-09 6-Jan-10 6-Jan-10 1-Jan-10 17-Aug-10 25-Jan-11 5-Feb-10 10-Jun-10 1-Apr-10 16-Sep-10 1-Apr-10 1-Apr-10 1-Nov-10 1-Apr-10 10-Jun-10 11-Aug-10 8-Apr-10 1-May-10 28-May-10

expiry date 31-oct-11 30-Jun-19 30-Sep-11 31-Dec-11 31-Dec-19 31-May-11 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-15 31-oct-12 31-May-14 30-Jun-11 30-Jun-12 30-Jun-11 30-Sep-11 31-Jul-11 31-Jul-11 30-Sep-14 31-Mar-13 30-Sep-11 30-Sep-14 31-oct-12 30-Sep-11 31-Dec-12 30-Jun-11 30-Nov-14 31-Dec-12 31-Dec-12 31-Dec-14 31-Jan-13 30-Jun-13 30-Jun-12 1-Jan-12 31-Mar-12 30-Sep-12 31-Mar-15 31-Mar-13 31-Mar-12 30-Sep-11 31-Mar-12 30-Jun-13 31-Mar-13 30-Apr-12 30-Apr-11

18-Aug-10 1-Jan-11 15-Jul-10 22-oct-10 26-May-10 30-Sep-10 25-oct-10 18-Nov-10 4-Feb-11 7-Jan-11 11-Jan-11 26-Jan-11 1-Apr-11 17-Nov-10 7-Feb-11

31-Jul-13 31-Dec-16 5-Sep-12 31-Aug-14 31-Mar-12 30-Sep-11 31-oct-15 31-Aug-15 31-Mar-13 31-oct-12 31-Dec-15 31-Jan-13 31-Jan-13 30-Sep-11 30-Jun-12

WA Grower ADVERTISING SPECIFICATIONS

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CLASSIFIED/LINEAGE ADVERTISEMENTS Are available in ½ or ¼ page Lineage adverts - with a font of 10pt Arial per 6 SC/CM – e.g.; Congratulations on the birth of baby boy For Sale 100HP, 2WD North American, a/c ROPS cab, 6400 hours, 1000/540 PTO, 2 hydro remotes, power shift transmission, good tyres, excellent appearance and working order, surplus to requirements. $17,000 +GST Tel: 0409 000 000

Wanted A one man petrol driven post hole digger — new or second hand.

Please phone Gary on mobile 0400 123 456.

vegetablesWA Horticultural House 103 Outram Street, West Perth 6005

t: (08) 9481 0834 f: (08) 9481 0024 e: finance@vegetableswa.com.au

Anniversary The 10th Anniversary of the Berry Hill opening. Come and join in the celebrations. Face painting, fruit give-aways, competitions and food stalls. September 14, Berry Hill, Woking.

Births Congratulations on the birth of Sophie on the 28 August. Proud parents Emily and Rick West delighted with their new bundle of joy.