WA Grower Summer 14

$25.00 (inc GST)

WA Grower SINCE 1948 Vol. 49 No 4. Summer 2014

Asia Fruit Hong Kong Fairwork

what you need to know

Potato Growers Association Inc.

Agricultural Produce Commission

APC-VPC APC-PPC

Produced by

vegetablesWA

Management Committees

Cover photo: Great Food Hall Hong Kong

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 John Shannon m: 0488 111 526 e: john.shannon@vegetableswa.com.au Finance/Administrator/Communications Rebecca Blackman t: (08) 9481 0834 e: finance@vegetableswa.com.au Magazine Advertising Morena Tarbotton t: (08) 9481 0834 e: morena.tarbotton@vegetableswa.com.au Export Development Manager Gavin Foord m: 0435 018 189 e: gavin.foord@vegetableswa.com.au

Maureen Dobra t: (08) 9575 2086 m: 0417 174 110

Vice President Ken Sue

m: 0417 986 467

Busselton

Committee S. Calameri K. Edwards M. Grubisa D. Kuzmicich T. Le A. Marinovich A. Natoli D. Nguyen P. Shain H. Shapland P. Wauchope

m: 0418 957 236 Metro South m: 0427 724 243 Manjimup m: 0413 050 182 Metro North m: 0408 910 761 Carnarvon m: 0408 910 761 Metro m: 0417 907 910 Myalup/Busselton t: (08) 9405 4817 Metro North t: (08) 9941 8376 Carnarvon m: 0419 041 045 Carnarvon t: (08) 9845 1064 Albany m: 0400 717 600 Gingin

Potato Growers Association Executive Officer Jim Turley m: 0410 697 842

Field Extension Officer Dominic Jenkin m: 0427 373 037 e: dominic.jenkin@vegetableswa.com.au

President

Vietnamese Field Extension Officer Truyen Vo m: 0457 457 559 e: truyen.vo@vegetableswa.com.au

Vaughan Carter m: 0417 0925 505

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

Gingin

Dean Ryan m: 0427 731 066

Metro

Pemberton

Vice President Busselton

Treasurer Mia Rose m: 0409 112 245

Myalup

Committee C. Ayres G. Bendotti S. Calameri B. Russell D. Terrigno

m: 0428 451 014 m: 0427 569 903 m: 0418 957 236 m: 0429 318 216 m: 0417 771 333

Albany Pemberton Metro Donnybrook Manjimup

This issue of the WA Grower is brought to you by: • APC- Vegetable Producers Committee • Potato Growers Association • vegetablesWA

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

WA Grower 32 YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Vol. 49 No 4. Summer 2014

68

46 3

YOUR BUSINESS

57

From the Executive Officer

4

Improving profitability of production

58

Fee for Service

5

Fuel tax credits

60

vegetablesWA President’s Report

6

Keeping innovation alive in the family business

62

PGA President’s Report

6

Harvest Trail auditing program underway

64

Potato Marketing Corporation

8

Private power poles and lines

66

The impacts of supply and demand

68 72 74

YOUR PRODUCTION

15

Soil moisture tour of Carnarvon

16

Drought Concessional Loans Scheme

Petiole sap analysis

18

Cashflow is king in small business

Free irrigation system health check

20

Irrigation tool

22

Hong Kong feature — Asia Fruit Logistica

78

Online Fertiliser Calculator released for growers

23

Australia Fresh Networking Reception

79

Crop fire safety

24

Asia Fruit Congress

80

Tomato fusarium wilt

27

Asia Fruit Logistica

82

New Carnarvon Medfly eradication target

28

Retail visits Hong Kong

84

Does monitoring potato crops for insects save money?

30

Asia’s fresh produce hub enjoys growth surge

85

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus

32

Desktop research — Japanese broccoli market

86

34

The Great Greengrocer recruits WA growers

90

Veggie stats: carrot

92

Testing the water with ‘new’ products in Singapore

94

Market City — 25 years

96

Torbay Asparagus

98

Best strategy for diamondback moth Permits

112

TOOL TIME

35

YOUR INDUSTRY

39

Grower profile — Joyce Babun

40

Onion grower wins prestigious award!

42

YOUR MARKET

77

YOUR SELF

99

2014 National Landcare Conference

44

‘Unlikely’ team forge partnership

WA seed potato exports to Thailand

46

About melanoma

102

Potato expert to visit in February 2015

47

Broccoli extract

104

Stable fly management plan

48

Key to happiness is eating more fruit and veg

105

Hay under stable fly group focus

49

Eat smarter this summer

106

Melons and social media

50

Coral’s garden

52

Emerging Markets Forum identifying the green lights

56

VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIONS

100

108

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

1

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• Minimum sodium and chloride.

• Accurate sulphur content for low environmental impact.

• Highly uniform granules for enhanced plant-availability and high use efficiency

Haifa australia www.haifa-group.com

Pioneering the Future

QUALITY HAIFA FERTILISERS AVAILABLE FROM

Mirco Bros www.mircobros.com.au

Henderson 800 Rockingham Road Ph 9410 2233 E: mirco@mirco.com.au

neerabuP 2048 Wanneroo Road Ph 9407 4522 E: mirco@mirco.com.au

ManjiMuP Trading 9-11 Pritchard Street Ph 9771 1044 E: trading@manjimup. mirco.com.au

Rob Illiano 0447 030 367

Johny Mirco 0419 909 648

Marty Collins 0429 372 607

YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

YOUR

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

From the Executive Officer

BY JOHN SHANNON EXECUTIVE OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

The cause of National Trade and all that follows from it ought to arouse our enthusiasm. It is a great constructive aim for statesmanship imperatively demanded in this day of world empires and of vast industrial combinations. Trade is essential to the existence and progress of each nation as a separate organisation, why should it be given freely to those who exclude us from their markets. The home trade is the best trade. It should belong to those whose citizenship, institutions, and taxes make it, and keep it. Foreign trade should be subordinated to it from motives of patriotism and prudence.

These are the words of Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia, on the 29th of October 1903 when campaigning on behalf of his Protectionist Party for the election held a few weeks later. There is much to be said for National Trade, or what we would today refer to as the domestic market, and it is interesting to see that concern about world empires and vast industrial combinations continues to echo down to us today.

However, much has also changed in the interceding century and vegetable growers are in a position to take advantage of some of the opportunities of foreign trade as our national industry continues to move on from some of the inward focused attitudes which linger from the days of our second Prime Minister. We are lucky that WA has historically embraced export markets like no other state.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

Indeed Deakin’s arguments that sought primacy for the domestic market perhaps now provide good reasons for export market development. World trade has been unrecognisably opened up over the last 30 years and slashing our own tariff barriers has played a part in the unprecedented years of growth our economy has enjoyed since. The significant Free Trade Agreements that Australia recently completed with China, Japan and South Korea are a further resounding response to historic questioning of freely giving trade to those who exclude from their markets.

The empires and vast industrial combinations he points to in foreign markets must surely now also exist nearly as much within the domestic markets through the power of the large retailers.

Therefore diversifying into additional overseas markets provides an excellent way for businesses to manage risk.

I have been very pleased with the work we are doing in assisting growers to investigate these markets, including the recent engagement with Singapore which is reported more extensively in this edition of the WA Grower. Clearly exporting cannot be for everyone as growers will require a level of scale and commitment similar to that needed to deal direct with existing domestic retailers.

However, I believe that these markets will provide those growers with significant new opportunities for growth within their business.

I encourage growers to contact our office for assistance in this area.

So, our trade should not belong only to those whose Australian citizenship supposedly qualifies it according to our second Prime Minister, but those consumers who are able to best pay for it, no matter where they may be. This will in turn make our industry stronger and better placed to serve Australian consumers in the long run.

Indeed, to paraphrase Alfred Deakin, foreign trade should be embraced from motives of patriotism and prudence. Now there’s something that really ought to arouse our enthusiasm.

From myself and all the staff at vegetablesWA we wish you a wonderful Christmas and safe and Happy New Year.

MORE INFORMATION Contact me on (08) 9481 0834 or email john.shannon@vegetableswa.com.au

DIVERSIFYING into additional overseas markets provides an excellent way for businesses to manage risk.

YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Fee for Service Vegetables:

As from 1 July 2013, the Fee for Service payable on vegetables covered by the Committee is: per individual package of vegetable product weighing 100 kilograms or less

$0.05

per individual package of vegetable product weighing 101 to 1000 kilograms

$0.40

tonne contained within trailer/truck

$0.70

For further information please see www.apcwa.org.au/index.php/committees/vegetable

Potatoes: The Fee for Service on sales of WA grown potatoes as from 1 July 2014 is: Processing potatoes

Local and export

$6.00 per tonne

Seed potatoes

Local and export

$6.00 per tonne

Ware (fresh) potatoes

Local

$8.00 per tonne

Ware (fresh) potatoes

Export

$6.00 per tonne

For further information please see www.apcwa.org.au/index.php/committees/potato

•

Unprocessed gyprock

Processed gyprock

Now recycling clean gyprock into Grade 1 gypsum (96.8%) WA RECYCLING is a relatively new company which believes that there is a need to recycle civil construction and demolition waste into reusable products so the wider community benefits.

Call or email for a price to help you out with a cost effect product for soil management.

ROADBASE

RECYCLED AND QUARRY FILL SAND

Lot 501 Adelaide Street, Hazelmere WA 6055 P (08) 9250 1122 M 0408 952 200 E tony@warecycling.com.au

Total sulphur (S) 18% Total calcium (Ca) 23.8% Gypsum is approx. 15mm minus so you have slow release and immediate release with fines

DRAINAGE MATERIALS

TOP SOIL

LIME

warecycling.com.au WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Potato Growers Association Inc.

President’s Report President’s Report

Dr David Cook and Dr Ian McPharlin, staff from the Department of Agriculture and Food, WA (DAFWA), as well as local shire rangers and our staff at vegetablesWA have been very active in informing growers of prevention methods and research updates. Fields days are held to keep everyone abreast of the current situation, as well as compliance updates and trial sites.

This year, for the first time, the Gingin Shire has an automatic imposition of harvest, hot works and vehicle movement bans on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Australia Day and MARKET GARDENS ARE NOT EXEMPT. Harvest and vehicle movement bans are issued by local governments who will impose the ban when their Bushfire Control Officer is of the opinion that the use of engines, vehicles, plant or machinery, during the prohibited burning times or the restricted burning times, or both, is likely to cause a fire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire.

Growers need to request an exemption from this ban and approval must be sought in writing. From the Shire of Gingin — this is from the Chief Bush Fire Control Officer. Growers in other shires will have to check with their Bush Fire Officer. Further information regarding bush fire safety can be found later in the magazine and on the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) website — www.dfes.wa.gov.au

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

It has been a busy time over the last few months with many things taking place within the potato industry.

Deregulation has been put to bed with the Premier announcing on radio that the potato market will remain regulated and that a refresh of the Potato Marketing Corporation (PMC) needs to take place.

BY MAUREEN DOBRA PRESIDENT, VEGETABLESWA

It’s that time of the year when stable flies are out and about.

BY DEAN RYAN PRESIDENT, POTATO GROWERS ASSOCIATION

DAFWA is offering growers an opportunity to take part in a free irrigation system health check. Growers who participate in the More Dollars per Drop project, which is funded through Royalties for Regions, will receive and independent and confidential assessment of the state of their irrigation systems.

Gingin has had an assessment team operating in November.

More than 20 growers in Carnarvon and the Mid-West areas have had their irrigation systems tested in recent months.

Growers who would like to be involved can email their contact details and address to the Irrigation Project email irrigate@agric.wa.gov.au. For more information, contact Dave Williams, the Development Officer in Bunbury.

On another note, I would like to say thank you to the vegetablesWA Committee of Management for their continuing support — to myself, and also to John and the staff at vegetablesWA. We look forward to another year to support and promote our fantastic growers of WA. Finally, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all. I hope it will be a very safe Christmas with lots of joy and peace and of course — prosperity to everyone.

One of the key objectives that the PGA has, as an industry association, is to support the potato growers and the industry. On the farm it's no different.

We are currently involved in an on farm trial for new varieties with the PMC. The PMC are looking for varieties which will suit consumers and growers alike. This is the first step in the right direction and hopefully with further trials taking place there will be no shortage of commerciallyviable potato varieties.

Another opportunity for growers is aggregated purchasing. By combining the buying power through industry bodies we can certainly help to reduce the cost of running our businesses. There are currently quotes being undertaken for a trial group of growers on insurance with the preliminary outcome being a saving of between 14–30% which means more money in grower’s pockets. Extending this initiative to include other major expenses needs to be explored.

I would like to say thank you to the Potato Growers Committee of Management for their continuing support for the industry.

We look forward to another year to support and promote our fantastic product.

Merry Christmas and happy new year to one and all. Enjoy and be safe.

Trading Post FOR SALE — POTATO DME POOL 1 — 639 TONNE Contact Rob Kuzich on 0428 711 898

YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

POTA TO W

EE K •

OcT 13

Western Australia serves up a lot of good Produce Plus catches up with Paul Graham a year on from the launch of the successful Serve up Some Goodness campaign.

Produce Marketer of the Year nominee for the 2014 PMA-Produce Plus Awards, Potato Marketing Corporation has been instrumental in slowing the decline of Western Australia’s potato consumption with its ‘Serve up some Goodness’ campaign.

Since 2002, there had been a 20 per cent decline in the consumption of fresh potatoes in WA, fuelling the launch of the $1.8m marketing campaign in October 2013. Now, the consumption of fresh potatoes is almost sitting at where it was ten years ago.

Paul Graham, Marketing Manager of Perth-based Potato Marketing Corporation, tells Produce Plus that since the campaign launched, more consumers are purchasing more potatoes and spending more per kilo.

“We’re really happy with the progress of the campaign and we’re selling more volume, with a better return on farm gate. So it’s working at a grower level and market level.”

“To give some perspective, sales were declining at 5 per cent year on year before this campaign,” Graham says.

“Our objective in the first year of the campaign was to bring down the decline and then work to increase sales. Now, we’ve arrested the decline and the market is back up.”

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

The campaign has wrapped up what Graham calls stage one: raising the potato’s profile, which focused on transforming the potato’s reputation from a dull category into an exciting, vibrant and attractive category. Now it’s stage two: activation, which will concentrate on more in-store and events-based promotions, including outof-store promos, focusing on the target market of 18 to 35 year olds.

While the campaign has been limited to WA, its success has not gone unnoticed in other states, and abroad. Graham says he’s in talks with the east coast about getting a nation-wide campaign up and running, a plus side of which would be cost-sharing; and he’s already in talks with international players.

“Our long-term goals is to stabilise potato consumption at a moderate level; the demand is not high, so it’s not unrealistic to build up the average consumption from 1.5 times a week, to 2 times a week in WA households.

“One of the most critical issues in the industry at the moment is the way we present at point-of-sale; we’d like to see this addressed nation-wide, with better signage and processing, and clearer explanations of different varieties and their uses.”

The devil in the room, however, is the threat that people will altogether stop eating potatoes.

“While it’s not just packaging that could be improved, at a POS level, we need to be aware that we’re fighting against other carbs and frozen potatoes as well.”

“When you go down the rice aisle, it’s filled with interesting products, and it’s a great example of the in-store opportunities to market potatoes,” Graham says.

With 36 varieties grown in WA alone, and more being trialled in coming months, distinguishing between varieties at a retail level is part of raising consumer awareness.

th

– 19th

YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Advertising In 2014, an updated television commercial and social media campaigns will see the potato pushed as the ‘king of the side dish’ with a more valuebased approach, says Graham. “We’re looking at the potato as the perfect accompaniment to any dish, with billboards, radio promotions, TV ads and a Facebook page with more than 12,600 likes and industry-leading engagement rates, as well as using Instagram and Twitter to build up a community and build engagement.”

MORE INFORMATION

Caramalised Onion & Thyme Scallop Potato

Any marketing questions, suggestions or support please contact Paul, Laura or Bec at the email addresses below: Paul: paul@freshpotatoes.com.au Laura: laura@freshpotatoes.com.au Bec: rebecca@freshpotatoes.com.au

Home Made Crisp s

Special

Easy

Method: Oven Cooking time: 40 minutes Serves: 4

Healthy

Perfect with Blue Potato es Also great with Red Pot atoes

Method: Cooking time Microwave : 7 minutes Serves: 2

1 Thinly slice pota 2 Lightly spray to with the skin on. lined dish with lay sliced pota oil spray and to side by evenly side around season with salt. the plate, 3 Microwav e on high for 3 minutes.

4 Remove to cool for 1 minute then microwave return to the for another 3 minutes golden brow or until just n.

5 Season with white pepp er.

Note: Store in air tight cont ainer for up to 5 days.

For more recip

Ingredients 1 large blue potato, skin on, thinly slice 1mm slices d into Oil spray 1 microwav e safe Sea salt & whit dish lined with baking paper e pepper

Ingredients 3 large blue potatoes with skin on, thinly sliced (approximately 3mm thick) 2 brown onions finely sliced 150ml simmering chicken or vegetable stock 4 tbsp melted butter 10 sprigs fresh thyme leaves Sea salt & black cracked pepper

es and tips visit freshpotato es.com.au

Tip:

A mandolin is best to slice the potato.

Flavour Com bos

Create your own by seasonin flavour g spices or sauc with es paprika and like BBQ.

Pesto Mash

Spe cial Perfect with Red Potato es Also great with Blue Pot atoes

Method: Cooking time Stove : 30 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients 5 red potatoes skin on, dice 4 tbsp robu d into 2cm st extra virgi pieces n olive 2 heaped tbsp sun dried toma oil through sauc to pesto stir e 1/3 cup chop ped Italian parsley 100g taleggio or gorgonzo la, room temp Truffle salt and cracked erature black pepp (truffle salt er optional)

Easy

Special

Easy

Healthy

Perfect with Blue Potatoes Also great with Yellow Potatoes 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Line bottom of 22cm baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil, 5 thyme leaves, salt and cracked pepper.

3 Evenly layer sliced onions then sliced potato and pour simmer stock and butter over the top.

4 Finish with remaining thyme leaves, salt and pepper.

5 Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 200°C.

For more recipes and tips visit freshpotatoes.com.au

Healthy

1 Steam diced potatoes in a colander for Once cook ed steam dry 20 minutes. in a colander minutes to remove exce for a few ss moisture.

2 Crush pota to with oil, pesto, parsl Use a wood ey and chee en spoon to se. beat until smoo 3 Season to taste. th.

For more recip es and tips visit freshpotato es.com.au

Tip:

Use any lefto ver stir throu pasta sauc gh e to crea your own flavo te ur.

Tip:

Leave the skin on.

It is healthier and tastes great.

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

New variety

Maranca

No. 1 for taste

BY LAURA CLARKE POTATO MARKETING CORPORATION

The shift in consumer demand towards the consumption of more yellow-fleshed potatoes has introduced a new challenge for WA growers.

A range of new varieties are being introduced for trial with the aim of identifying choices that will satisfy the shifting consumer requirements as well performing well agronomically in the WA environment.

The Potato Marketing Corporation (PMC) is working on a transition plan that aims to increase the proportion of yellow-flesh product in the WA market place. This transition will take up to seven years and the plan is only just now starting to bear fruit with a new variety Maranca soon to be available in the marketplace.

Maranca, a yellow skin yellow flesh variety has seen huge success in the east coast market and now, after testing the variety in a robust trial across all four WA potato growing regions in both summer and winter, the PMC is confident Maranca has potential for the same success here in WA. The PMC also sought sensory analysis of Maranca and commissioned Doctor Wendy Hunt, Senior Food Scientist and Deputy Director of the Centre of Excellence Science, Seafood and Health (CESSH), Curtin University to investigate Western Australian consumer acceptability and preferences for Western Australian potatoes.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

The consumer acceptability and preference of 14 potato varieties were investigated and clear differences demonstrated.

Sensory analysis of cooked, riced potatoes was conducted for the attributes of appearance, odour, flavour, mouth texture, after taste and overall acceptability.

“The strongest predictor of sensory preference of cooked, riced potatoes was a lower amount of total carbohydrate.

Maranca potatoes demonstrated the lowest value for total carbohydrate and the highest moisture content,” said Dr Hunt.

The Maranca also boasts versatility.

Described as a good all-rounder with cooking properties much like Royal Blue.

The results were pleasing with Maranca potatoes voted most highly for flavour, mouth feel, after taste as well as overall acceptability.

Maranca is now grown fresh in WA, 365 days a year with volume building ready for a consumer launch mid 2015.

Small volumes are available from select suppliers from January 2015.

“Maranca potatoes were the most highly rated in terms of overall sensory acceptability,” said Dr Hunt.

MORE INFORMATION

Panelists described the Maranca as creamy and sweet in flavour with a creamy mouth feel.

For more information on Maranca visit freshpotatoes.com.au

YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Small potatoes

hit with TAFE chefs

During July to October, Don Hancey head Potatodor, Sam Calameri potato grower and David Bryant Nutritionist led the Potato Marketing Corporation’s (PMC) TAFE Smalls Project.

It aimed to inspire potato knowledge amongst chef TAFE students and educate them on the benefits of small potatoes.

The group visited five schools; West Coast Institute, Challenger Fremantle, Challenger Peel, Bentley Polytechnic and South West Institute. Topics covered were cooking usages, health, nutrition, varieties, usages, seasonality and growing regions.

Don said “The students were really engaged and love hearing from the people, such as myself and Sam, who are actually involved in the potato industry”.

Don said “All the students all loved potatoes. Almost everyone did not know where the WA potato growing regions were or have any idea about varieties.”

L–R Chef Nathan McMurdo from the West Coast Institute of Training (WCIT), Don Hancey, Sharlene Smith and David Bryant.

“There was also a lack of knowledge on the health benefits of potatoes,” said Don.

“David was great in explaining the health aspects of potatoes and students responded great positivity,” said Don. The program also included a recipe competition that asked students to submit a recipe with potato as the main component. The prize was a five piece knife set donated by HiscoNFE, a $250 Rockpool Voucher and a place at the 2015 chef Sundowner in February to cook their dish for Perth’s top chefs.

A total of 18 students entered the competition. All were a high calibre and impressed the judges.

The winner was Sharlene Smith from West Coast Institute who submitted three recipes; Strawberry and Potato Frangipane, Sam Calameri Potato Bread and Bread and Butter Pudding. All recipes are available on the Fresh Potatoes website.

Sharlene said “Thank you so much for the generous prizes, it was so lovely and I'm very much looking forward to cooking my recipes at the chef Sundowner in February”.

The PMC would like to thank Sam Calameri for his donation of time and product. The program would not of been as successful without your knowledge and generosity.

MORE INFORMATION If any growers would like to be engaged for any future TAFE projects please contact Marketing at admin@freshpotatoes.com.au

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

REBECCA BLACKMAN MARKETING COORDINATOR, POTATO MARKETING CORPORATION

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Students across Western Australia have been growing their own Royal Blue potatoes thanks to the Fresh Potatoes Seed for Schools program.

This year was the first year which we have included child care centres and early learning facilities. There was a good take up rate with 7% of all participants in this new area. The reason for the inclusion to reach children aged 2–5 so they have some understanding before they attend school.

Now in its second year, with 350+ schools and early childhood learning centres participating, an estimated 4,000 students across WA have been busy planting, nurturing and learning about potatoes.

Grower funded, the program provides schools with seed potatoes, educational resources for teachers to use in classrooms, and a monthly e-newsletter with gardening tips and stories of progress from participating schools. This year we included resources online on our website which are always available and broken up into various age groups, as we understand, an activity which works for a 5 year old doesn’t necessarily work for a 12 year old.

Registrations for Seed for Schools 2015 is now open.

Schools are asked to register via this link www.formstack.com/ forms/?1561526-WPcRL7xWpV In September and October we visited several schools to participate in their harvest process and speak to the children.

Woodlupine Primary School The pre-primary class at Woodlupine Primary were very excited when I went to see them in September. First off we went to harvest the potatoes, the children were asked what colour they thought the potatoes were in the ground, and there were a range of answers from pink to green. Whilst the teachers have the largest input; Andy, Tammy parent helpers and Jamie-Lee on work experience were all there to assist. The children explained how they had made potato people, Mr Potato Head’s, potato stamps, read the potato book and sequenced the story by drawing pictures. Whilst the children are only 5 there are so many activities that can be bought into the classroom and teach children where their food comes from says Bianca Di Bua (teacher).

Kids Corner Child Care Centre

Yangebup Primary School The year 4 class at Yangebup Primary school have a “No Dig” garden at the school. With teacher Jane Stallard and gardener Suzie Boyle it was suggested that they try a new method of using soak wells and mulch only. The school heard about the Seeds for School program through Deb Duffy who works in the front office and they were keen to be involved.

Trying the new way of growing potatoes meant the children got to learn that you don’t necessarily need a garden or a lot of work to grow your own food. Jane used the Potato Workbook to explain the growing process and the children conducted several activities with this in mind.

Karen Stackpole, owner of Kids Corner was one of the people that embraced the Seed for Schools idea and ensured that her child care centre had signed up and it was a wonderful success. Krichelle and Courtney organised the planting with the children aged 3–5 over various weeks. This mean that they were able to harvest their potatoes at different times and have a supply for the kitchen over a couple of months. The children undertook learning activities such as making their own potatoes, painting or colouring them in, drawing the potato gardens at various stages and reading the Potato Workbook. As they received merchandise through the program they used them for prizes. The children loved being involved and they are looking forward to signing up for next year.

MORE INFORMATION Please contact Rebecca Blackman via email on rebecca@freshpotatoes.com.au

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Potato farming

at Campbell Primary School by PrePrimary students

BY MAXINE WYLIE CLASSROOM TEACHER, CAMPBELL PRIMARY SCHOOL

As a teacher I always look for inspirational community activities that I can engage my students with. I say inspirational because it keeps my teaching fresh and real.

I have been involved with the potato growing a couple of years now and this year we have had more focus on the processes rather than just plant and harvest. Students have been keen to check on the plants during their lunch break without the supervision of a teacher. Some of the children, even from another class, will come looking for the watering cans to supply water to a growing plant, or they may get the rulers and go off to measure and compare. Their interest sparked the broader focus in class.

Some comments from my students:

IF the kids are involved they are more likely to try the harvested item and may actually find that they like that vegie after all!

“

It’s good to get the students out into the fresh air, to do something that they enjoy.

There isn’t the same opportunity for families to have a vegie patch these days and a child who does it school may talk about it so much that the family will start one. If the kids are involved they are more likely to try the harvested item and may actually find that they like that vegie after all!

“I learnt that they don’t grow straight away, you have to wait a little while before they come through the soil.”

“We now have potatoes to make a salad today.”

“The plants had to finish off before we could harvest our new potatoes.”

“I like being a potato farmer. We dig, dig, dig to find some little and bigger.

I kept finding them.”

“I love eating potatoes because I love the flavour.”

“I didn’t know about purple potatoes before. Inside is still white.”

“I didn’t know you could eat the skin!”

“We grew potatoes for more healthiness.”

“I like potato farming. We don’t grow them at home. We buy them for dinner. It was fun to plant and I made sure they had water at lunch times.”

“It’s funny that potatoes have eyes.”

“I liked being the potato farmer because we get to eat.”

“A real potato farmer would have to plant 100 seed potatoes.”

“The potato salad is yummy. I like mashed potato too and chips.”

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Soil moisture tour of Carnarvon

By using evaporation as a guide to plant water use the volume of water required by the plant can be calculated, to confirm that the irrigation was delivered with the right timing to the right depth, soil moisture monitoring is essential.

The Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) has details of evaporationbased irrigation scheduling, how to use of soil moisture monitoring for fine-tuning irrigation and the use of tensiometers on its website. This can be accessed by visiting www.agric.wa.gov.au and searching for irrigation and soil moisture monitoring.

BY ROHAN PRINCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD, WA

Most tourists in Carnarvon on the 30th of October were there for the Gascoyne Dash, but a recent group had a different theme on their minds — better understanding of soil moisture.

Local growers were given a guided tour to help increase the understanding and adoption of soil moisture monitoring in order to increase water use efficiency.

More than 35 people visited three sites demonstrating how soil moisture monitoring can improve water use in the Gascoyne as part of the Royalties for Regions-funded, More Dollars per Drop project.

Five commercial companies have supplied eight units that measure soil moisture, soil tension, electrical conductivity and applies water, with data and graphs available via the internet.

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SOIL moisture monitoring allows you to see what’s happening below the surface and therefore helps make more informed irrigation decisions.

These units were installed at growers’ properties who expressed interest in learning more about how the equipment works and how the data is interpreted by the suppliers to help with their irrigation decisions.

Growers involved were given the opportunity to speak about their experience with the companies and the equipment, and how it has improved their water use.

“The gear has shown me when my plants are using the water and more importantly when they are running out,” Rob Kuzmicich said.

“By adjusting the timing of the irrigation, we have not only used less water, but are getting greater yields.”

Soil moisture monitoring allows you to see what’s happening below the surface and therefore helps make more informed irrigation decisions. It is part of an integrated approach to irrigation scheduling.

If you are interested in using soil moisture monitoring equipment, the important factors you should look at before deciding on a purchase include: • Is the unit suitable for the crop, soil type and situation you are using it in?

• Are you measuring what needs to be measured and do you understand what the measurements and lines on the graphs mean?

• Can you access the data as easily as you would like. Do you have to manually read or download data, or does it have the capacity to be sent to the web?

• And most importantly, what support will you get from the person supplying the gear to make sure it is installed correctly, the readings make sense and that you understand both how to interpret the readings and the limitations of the gear?

The demonstrations will continue through next year in Carnarvon with further field days and tours that will address making further improvements to irrigation efficiency.

MORE INFORMATION To be notified of the next event or to be involved in the demonstrations please contact Valerie Shrubb (DAFWA) on (08) 9956 3322 or Annie van Bloomestein (CGA) on 0438 418 384.

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Petiole sap analysis

BY DOMINIC JENKIN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

The analysis of petiole sap is a rapid method of checking the nutrient status of your vegetable crop. While laboratory analysis of ground leaf material may take a week or more to obtain a result, sap analysis allows immediate results.

Plant tissue/sap analysis can help you: • diagnose or predict nutrient deficiencies or toxicities; and • monitor the adequacy of your fertiliser program, making adjustments as necessary.

Tissue/sap testing is only possible once plants are established. Therefore, for an element deficiency to be detected, yield loss will already be evident. Sap testing should form part of a program to determine trends throughout the life of the crop rather than solely one-off analysis.

Plant sap analysis, which indicates the amount of mobile nutrients in a plant’s system, provides a view of nutritional status that differs from that of traditional dry-tissue analysis. Petiole sap is generally collected from the terminal growth, and as such the test may not accurately register the more immobile nutrients which tend to remain in the older leaves. In fact, it highlights minor or temporary deficiencies more easily.

However, the interpretation data for sap analysis is not always available.

TABLE 1 Specific sampling instructions for vegetable crops

PLANT sampling technique is often the most limiting factor in a successful plant analysis program.

Crop Type

Instructions for sampling

Asparagus

Sample from fern section or stems from top 20cm of plant.

Cabbage

Sample recently matured leaf at centre of whorl.

Carrot

Sample youngest mature leaf at mid-growth period.

Cauliflower

Sample recently matured leaf at centre of whorl.

Lettuce

Sample recently matured leaf — take wrapper leaf.

Onion

Sample 20 whole plants — remove leaf tips and roots.

Pea

Sample leaves from third node from top.

Potato

Sample third to sixth leaf from growing tip — take whole leaf and not just leaflets.

Sweet potato

Sample third to sixth leaf from growing tip — take whole leaf and not just leaflets.

Sweetcorn

At tasselling, sample the ear leaves — for sampling before plants reach this height, send 30 whole plants.

Source: Good Practice Guide

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TABLE 2 Optimum nutrient concentrations at certain stages of the crop cycle for different crops grown on coastal sands Nutrient

Unit

Optimum leaf concentration Broccoli

Carrot

Cauliflowera

Oniona,b

Potatoesc

Lettucec

Heads just visible

(Western Red) Summer sown: 8 weeks growth

Heads just visible

Mid-growth stage

Largest tuber 10mm diameter

Throughout lifecycle

%

3.2–5.5

2.9–3.2

5.0–7.0

2.5–3.5

4.5–5.5

–

mg/L

–

–

–

–

–

390–600

a

Nitrogend Nitrate-Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Calcium

a

%

0.3–0.7

0.4

0.5–0.7

0.25–0.4

0.8–1.1

–

mg/L

–

–

–

–

–

300–400

%

2.0–4.0

3.0

3.0–3.7

2.5–5.0

10–16

–

mg/L

–

–

–

–

–

2000-3700

%

1.2–4.0

1.4–3.0

1.0–3.0

1.5–3.5

0.5–1.5

–

Tissue analysis of leaves (levels are a proportion of the dry weight plant tissue); b Values are for onions grown on Victorian soils; c Petiole sap analysis; d Some plants (such as onions) accumulate very little nitrate in the leaves, so it is necessary to use total nitrogen. a

Source: Good Practice Guide

Rapid sap tests, which a grower can perform cheaply on-site to identify the nutrient status of plants, should be used as a guide only. (Note: results from DAFWA show that such ‘do-ityourself’ methods are reliable for nitrate, phosphate and potassium, as long as the crop is not water-stressed.)

Plant sampling technique is often the most limiting factor in a successful plant analysis program.

A number of steps can be taken to ensure good sampling technique.

• The optimum time to sample is between 8.00am and 3.00pm and each sampling should take place at around the same time. This is because nitrate-nitrogen can vary with time of day and prevailing conditions.

Sampling immediately after rain or during damp conditions should be avoided because, although it is acceptable, extra care is required to prevent plant tissue from decomposing during storage. Heat or cold stresses should be noted when sampling, along with fertiliser and irrigation times and application rates if possible.

• It is important that the correct leaf be sampled. A large variation in nutrient concentrations exists among different parts on the same plant. When no specific sampling instructions are given Table 1, the rule of thumb is to sample the most recently matured leaves (first fully expanded leaf), collected with petioles (leaf stalks) intact, from at least 20 plants. This will cover both plant and sap analysis.

Young emerging leaves, older mature leaves and seeds are not considered suitable plant tissues for analysis since they do not ordinarily reflect the current nutrient element status of the whole plant. The recommended time to sample many plants is usually just prior to the beginning of the reproductive stage.

• A representative area in the field should be selected for monitoring and collecting samples randomly.

When monitoring the status of healthy plants, samples must be taken from a uniform area. If the entire field is uniform, one sample can represent a number of acres. If there are variations in crop growth stage, crop varieties, soil type, topography or crop history, multiple samples should be taken so that each unique area is represented by its own sample. Sampling from diseased or dead plants, or those that have insect or mechanical damage, should be avoided.

• When problem-solving, separate samples should be taken from areas showing symptoms of deficiency/ toxicity and an adjacent area in the field containing normal plants.

Sampling normal plants will provide a reference that helps with interpretation of the chemical analysis of the deficient plant sample.

• A minimum of 20 plants should be sampled. Usually, a minimum sample of 3mL of sap is required for sap analysis.

• When the tissue sample is gathered in the field, a clean container should be used. A plastic container or a paper bag works best. A metal container should never be used because it may contaminate the sample.

• If the plant samples have soil, fertiliser, dust or spray residues on them they will need to be cleaned. A dry brush works best, but for stubborn residues the samples should be wiped with a damp cloth or washed with distilled or de-ionised water. However, washing should not be prolonged because it can leach nutrients out of the plant tissue.

• Monitoring should continue. For monitoring of plant nutrient status to be most effective, samples should be taken during the recommended growth stages for a specific crop.

Samples should be taken weekly or biweekly during critical periods, depending on management intensity and crop value. However, to identify a specific plant growth problem, samples should be taken whenever a problem is suspected. Taking a soil sample in the same vicinity as the plant sample is recommended, as the soil test may help to interpret the plant tissue/sap analysis readings.

Portable, pocket-sized, waterproof plant sap meters are now available for nitrate, potassium, calcium and sodium from several Australian stockists.

MORE INFORMATION Please contact Dominic Jenkin at dominic.jenkin@vegetableswa.com.au or (08) 9481 0834 for further details.

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Department of Agriculture and Food

Free irrigation system health check

BY TILWIN WESTRUP DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

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BUSSELTON potato growers Daniel and Keith Taylor participate in an assessment.

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Irrigation systems that are not designed, maintained or used efficiently can cost growers in lost productivity, excess water use, unused fertiliser loss, and excessive energy bills.

Growers participating in DAFWA’s Royalties for Regions-funded More Dollars per Drop project have opportunity to take advantage of a free ‘system health check’ for an independent and confidential assessment of the state of their system, and feedback on how efficiently they use it.

Growers will be able to compare their gross yield with water used on a block-by-block basis to help with business decision-making.

The assessment process Assessments begin with a discussion about irrigation practices, scheduling and crop production. A plan of the system is also drawn up if not already available. This is followed by an irrigation system test.

Pressure and flow measurements, condition assessments of mainlines, sub-main and laterals and the pump are important as they provide a picture of the current system compared to its potential application rates.

The grower identifies up to three blocks to be tested, one of which should be furthest from the pump. This maximises the chance that measurements of the irrigation system operating under the most stress are captured.

Pressure is measured by inserting pressure point adapters into the dripline at the selected points. A pressure gauge with needle attachment is inserted into these adapters to take the readings. The adapters are left in the line for the grower to use for later pressure tests.

This data can then be used to calculate the total water flow to the block. The number of laterals running to any other blocks (and the total number of emitters and output) at the time of the test needs to be recorded in order to account for the total water flow for the particular irrigation shift.

Solid set systems A grid of catch-cans is set up and the volume of water collected over a set period is measured to assess the distribution uniformity of a solid set system. This grid collects the output from four sprinklers located on two adjacent lateral lines.

Pressure and flow measurements are recorded while the system is running, at six locations around the block using a pressure gauge with an appropriate fitting, timing the flow into a 20L container. Two of these measurements should be at the closest and most distant points from the sub-main.

Centre pivot systems With a centre pivot system, assessment is essentially the same with pressure and flow measured at the pivot point and pressure recorded at the end of the pivot.

Catch-cans are placed along the length of the pivot and the volume of water collected in each can is recorded after the pivot has passed over them.

The speed of the pivot is recorded by the time it takes the outer wheel to travel between two marked points (usually 10m). The flow at the pivot point is recorded using an ultrasonic flow meter or information from the controller. A properly set up pivot will have a pressure gauge at the pivot point and on the end of the last span.

At the pump Flow and pressure at the pump are recorded for each block being tested.

The flow is recorded at the pump outlet using an ultrasonic flow meter. This can be compared with readings on the controller and timed runs on the water meter.

DAFWA technical officers Kus Kuswardiyanto and Kevin Gardiner set up catch cans for an assessment.

At the block Drip systems At each block, measurements are taken so that the distribution uniformity (DU) of the drippers can be calculated. This is done by taking pressure and flow measurements at 16 points around the block.

A high DU means the system is applying water evenly, and that any monitoring gear is providing a representative indication of soil moisture status.

The flow rate is recorded by measuring the output from an emitter over a set period of time so that the flow can be calculated in litres per hour (L/h).

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IRRIGATION TOOL The flow meter also records velocity and this is used to check that the mainline is operating within specification. Pressure is recorded from the installed pressure gauge or from the controller. There should always be a functioning pressure gauge at the pump or controller. Readings are taken separately for each block being tested. The pump specifications can generally be obtained from the compliance plate if the grower is unable to supply them.

Pump type, model, inlet outlet impeller ratio, motor model and revolutions per minute (rpm) details are required to check pump efficiency and ensure that it is correctly matched to the irrigation setup.

During the test run for the selected block we need to know if water is flowing to any other points, such as tanks or dams. It is important to account for all of the water flow from the pump so that any significant differences in the flow between the pump and the block can be explained. Any visible leaks between the pump and the block which may account for differences, are noted.

Assessment results

BY LEON VAN WYK DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

Irrigated agriculture depends on water — a resource which is becoming increasingly scarce.

A significant volume of Western Australia’s licenced water is already fully allocated and therefore the industry can only expand if water is used more efficiently.

The importance of water use efficiency has become apparent with variable climatic conditions and rainfall patterns experienced in recent years.

On completion of the assessment, DAFWA staff provide each grower with a report identifying ways to improve the productivity and profitability of their operation. This enables growers to benchmark their irrigation against the high performing businesses in their industry and identify priorities to help improve the return to their businesses per megalitre of water used in their farming operations.

The development of a decision support tool is a direct response to grower needs to improve water use efficiency and take advantage of technological advances to better manage their farming operations.

MORE INFORMATION

• modify their irrigation practice to better match crop water use

Growers who wish to be involved can email their contact details and address to: irrigate@agric.wa.gov.au.

More information is available on the More Dollars per Drop for water efficiency webpage on the department website at agric.wa.gov.au.

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The tool is designed to assist growers to better understand and monitor crop water use. The tools will also enable growers to: • access real time weather data

• record crop yields and the associated water use.

SCREENSHOT of irrigation app, now in testing phase.

It is strongly recommended that soil moisture monitoring is used in conjunction with the tool to continually validate irrigation management decisions.

The decision support tool has been developed for online use and will be available as a mobile and web application. The web application has been developed as a database with a web user interface. The mobile application (app) will be available for use on iOS (Apple) and Androidpowered devices.

MORE INFORMATION The app (both iOS and Android) is in the final testing phase and if you are interested in trying it, contact me on 0427 086 946 or email leon.vanwyk@agric.wa.gov.au

Department of Agriculture and Food

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Department of Agriculture and Food

Online Fertiliser Calculator released for growers

BY ROHAN PRINCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD, WA

Calculating the correct amount of nutrient to apply to various crops is important for all primary producers and recently we have uploaded a tool to the DAFWA website to make this easier.

Growers can use the fertiliser calculator at two different levels — the Quick Calculator, where they do a quick comparison on the run — or registering with a log-in, to create long-term records and create fertiliser programs for crops that can be stored and printed.

The calculator then uses this information to show how to get the best value for money and to meet crop nutrient requirements.

It is a simple tool in which products can be compared easily for their nutrient content and price.

Another useful feature is information on the compatibility of different fertilisers when mixed together. For example, calcium nitrate would be compatible with urea or potassium chloride, but could cause precipitation problems and block lines if combined with ammonium sulphate and other sulphate fertilisers.

Too much fertiliser being applied to a crop does not always result in better returns, can waste money and impact on the environment. But applying too little can similarly reduce yields and returns.

The Fertiliser Calculator was developed through a Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL)-funded project Continuing on-farm improvements through good practice demonstration and extension.

The new online fertiliser calculator aims to help growers select the best options from about 1,500 commercially-available products, or even their own custom blends.

MORE INFORMATION The calculator is free and can be found on www.agric.wa.gov.au/ by using the search engine, or going direct to www.agric.wa.gov. au/fertiliser-calculator Any feedback would be appreciated, so if you have any queries or suggestions, email rohan.prince@agric.wa.gov.au

ROHAN Prince checks out the website and the online Fertiliser Calculator.

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Crop fire safety Fires are more likely to occur on farms during harvest given the movement of machinery and vehicles through cropped paddocks.

Many of these fires could be prevented by taking some simple fire safety steps, conducting regular maintenance checks and keeping headers clean during harvest.

Modern harvesters have many potential ignition sources which require regular servicing and close monitoring such as: • Bearings • Hot exhausts • Turbochargers • Electrical circuits • Belts.

Dry straw, dust, chaff, oil and leaking distillate are the perfect fuels.

Keeping headers free of these fuels is important to prevent fires.

Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans are issued by local governments. DFES provides this information for your general assistance.

It is your responsibility as a harvester operator to be aware of any bans in place before harvesting as you could be fined for breaching a ban.

A Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban is a ban that individual local governments are responsible for issuing under the Bush Fires Regulations 1954 Section 38A, and/ or Section 24C. Local government will impose the ban when their Bushfire Control Officer is of the opinion that the use of engines, vehicles, plant or machinery during the prohibited burning times or the restricted burning times or both is likely to cause a fire or contribute to the spread of a bushfire

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CHECK the tension of all belts and chains at the start of each day.

These prohibited and restricted burning times vary between the individual local governments but as a guide generally extend over the traditional summer period from October through to April.

A Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban may be imposed for any length of time but is generally imposed for the ‘heat of the day’ periods and may be extended or revoked by the local government should weather conditions change.

The responsibility remains on the individual to ensure that any activity undertaken is not likely to start a fire and that a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban is currently not in place in their local government area.

MORE INFORMATION To find out if a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban has been imposed you need to contact your local government and ask for their Bushfire Control Officer or Ranger Services.

Check here for total Fire bans www.dfes. wa.gov.au/totalfirebans/Pages/default. aspx and with your local shire to see what is applicable for your area.

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Stay ahead of crop fires Guidelines for safe harvesting practices

To report a life threatening emergency

Fires are more likely to occur on farms during harvest given the movement of machinery and vehicles through cropped paddocks.

call 000

Many of these fires could be prevented by taking some simple fire safety steps, conducting regular maintenance checks and keeping headers clean during harvest.

Modern harvesters have many potential ignition sources including bearings, hot exhausts, turbochargers, electrical circuits and belts which require regular monitoring and servicing. Dry straw, dust, chaff, oil and leaking distillate are the perfect fuels. Keeping headers free of these fuels is important to prevent fires.

At the start of each day • Relocate all firefighting equipment to the area being harvested and check it is ready for use

Check with your local government regarding any fire suppression equipment that may be required to be onsite while harvesting.

• Clean any build-up of dust and straw in and around the engine with compressed air, especially after harvesting lupins

Prior to harvest

• Never leave a header unattended in an unclean state after harvesting lupins

• Conduct a thorough check and service of the header.

— Pay particular attention to chain and belt adjustments, shaft monitoring switches and warning systems

— Run the machine at speed for at least 20 minutes, then keep it idling and watch, listen and smell for signs of an electrical or mechanical problem

— Use a laser thermometer to check the temperature of shafts and bearings. High temperatures may be caused by excessive bearing wear, so check and replace worn bearings.

• All stationary engines/motors on augers, field bins and firefighting equipment should be serviced and run before moving into the paddock. Pay particular attention to the working of exhaust systems • Ensure that all portable fire extinguishers are serviced in accordance with Australian Standards • Service firefighting knapsacks as required • Check with your local government for current harvesting requirements.

FIRES are more likely to occur on farms during harvest given the movement of machinery and vehicles through cropped paddocks.

• Complete daily greasing and service requirements • Check around manifolds, turbo chargers, radiator and electrical components to ensure no combustibles are building up • Check and clean brake linkages and park brake drums • Adjust the tension of all belts and chains • At least twice a day walk around the machine and watch, listen and smell to check everything is in working order • Refuel on bare areas or on fire breaks and wash off any spilt fuel or oil which may gather dust • Before refuelling a stationary motor always earth it to reduce the chance of ignition from static electricity.

At the end of each day • Check that there is no dust or material collected on the header, auger and field bin motors before leaving the header unattended • Isolate the power if possible

RELOCATE all firefighting equipment to the area being harvested and check it is ready for use.

Precautions • Extreme caution should be taken when moving and parking vehicles. Always try to drive on tracks and park on a clear area, as crop fires can start from hot exhaust systems and catalytic converters • Drag a metal chain to reduce static build up and prevent fires • Fully release park brakes before operating.

• Park the header on a harvested or clear area.

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Canola crops (rapeseed) pose a high fire risk Burning canola can be very dangerous as it burns at a higher temperature than grass or other crops. DFES recommends in a canola fire, firefighters: • Carefully assess the situation.

• In the case of high fire intensities or excessive smoke, ensure a flank attack during suppression or use low fuel areas and fire breaks from which to attack the fire • Use a spray pattern to suppress the fire, especially during mop-up, as this reduces the chance of the fire flaring up • Canola windrows should not be hit with a jet of water, as this can spread the fire.

Care should also be taken to make sure the fire does not flare up from behind and trap you. This applies to all fires, but it is highly relevant in canola fires as they are harder to extinguish and mop-up compared to other crop or grass fires.

Avoid driving through canola paddocks, especially with vehicles that have low ground clearance, as canola can readily build up and ignite under the vehicle.

Total fire bans Total Fire Bans are declared by DFES when there is potential of extreme fire weather or when widespread fires are seriously stretching resources. They are declared on days when fires are most likely to be difficult to control and should they occur threaten lives and property.

When a Total Fire Ban is declared it prohibits the lighting of any fires in the open air and any activities that may start a fire — including use of equipment and tools such as welders, grinders, torches or gas cutters.

You can continue farming activities during a Total Fire Ban as long as your Local Government has not imposed a Harvest and Vehicle Movement Ban. For more information, call the Total Fire Ban information line on 1800 709 355.

IT is your responsibility to be aware of any bans in place when you are harvesting or operating a vehicle.

• ‘Fire Extinguisher’ means a device which comprises:

It is your responsibility to be aware of any bans in place when you are harvesting or operating a vehicle. Your local ABC radio regularly broadcasts bans during harvesting and bushfire seasons. Local governments may also use additional tools, including recorded messaging services and SMS, to advise you of bans.

(a) a container filled with at least 7.5 litres of water and

(b) a pump capable of discharging that water and which is in a sound and efficient condition.

Regulations: fire suppression equipment Farmers and harvesting contractors are required to comply with the Bush Fires Regulations of 1954 and in particular the key points below relating to harvesting activities: • Section 38 — A person shall not operate any harvesting machine or header in any crop during the prohibited burning times or the restricted burning times unless a fire extinguisher is carried on the machine • Section 38A (4) — A person shall, when required by a local government, provide a plough or other specified machine, appliance or firefighting equipment in or in the vicinity of any land or paddock where harvesting operations are being conducted

As a minimum requirement DFES recommends that you have the following firefighting equipment serviced and readily available at all times during harvest: • A mobile farm firefighting unit comprising of a tank with a minimum capacity of 400 litres, a powered pump, reel, hose and nozzle. Keep this unit parked on bare ground, in or near the harvesting area for quick access.

Other equipment and procedures • All headers, vehicles and homesteads should be equipped with two-way radio communications channelled for district contact (carry mobile phones if service is available) • At the homestead, have a list of emergency contact numbers.

MORE INFORMATION For further fire safety information: Visit: www.dfes.wa.gov.au TFB information line: 1800 709 355 DFES information line: 1300 657 209 Email: dfes@dfes.wa.gov.au or contact your nearest office.

Harvest and vehicle movement bans Individual local governments are responsible for placing Harvest and Vehicle Movement Bans (which prohibit the use of engines, vehicles, equipment or machinery likely to cause a fire). This will happen when the Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI) reaches 35 (or less in some shires) using actual local weather conditions.

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To report a life threatening emergency call 000 The information contained in this article is provided by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) voluntarily as a public service. This article has been prepared in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of publication. Nevertheless, the reliability and accuracy of the information cannot be guaranteed and DFES expressly disclaims liability for any act or omission done or not done in reliance on the information and for any consequences, whether direct or indirect, arising from such act or omission. This article is intended to be a guide only and readers should obtain their own independent advice and make their own necessary inquiries.

Photos courtesy: Carnarvon Growers Association

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THERE are no external markings on the stem, but when cut lengthwise, the lower stem will have dark brown strips of the waterconducting vessels.

Spread by

Tomato

This disease can spread via contaminated soil and farm equipment.

Prevention and treatment

fusarium wilt

BY VO THE TRUYEN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

Fusarium wilt is a warmweather disease that is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f sp. lycopersici.

This disease may affect plants at all growth stages. However, in Northern regions of Western Australia, like Carnarvon, juvenile plants are more vulnerable to this disease during the warm months of October through to April.

This soil-borne fungus invades the plant through wounds in roots growing through infested soil and passes upward from the roots into the water-conducting system of the stem. Blockage of the water-conducting vessels is the main reason for wilting.

Symptoms The first indication of Fusarium wilt disease is a drooping and wilting of lower leaves with a yellowish colour.

The symptoms gradually spread up the plant. This results in wilting, yellowing and browning of the upper leaves followed by the death of the whole plant.

Often leaves on only one side of the stem turn yellow at first. Where growers apply two-stem plant practise, it is also observed often that the disease attaches just one stem leaving the other with no symptoms.

There are no external markings on the stem, but when cut lengthwise, the lower stem will have dark brown strips of the waterconducting vessels.

Plants affected by this disease take longer to wilt than those affected by bacteria wilt.

Sources of infection Literature1 suggests that the pathogen is soil-borne and can persist in the soil for a long time without a host. Most infections originate from fungus associated with infected tomato debris. The pathogen can remain in moist soil for many years under warm climatic conditions.

Control can be obtained by growing plants in pathogen-free soil, using disease-free transplants and growing only cultivars resistant to Fusarium wilt (indicated by FF following the tomato cultivar name).

It is suggested2 that raising the soil pH to 6.5–7.0 and using nitrate nitrogen (such as in calcium nitrate) rather than ammoniacal nitrogen will retard disease development.

No chemical control is available to effectively control the disease on already infected plants. However metham (present as the potassium salt and metham sodium) has been registered as soil fumigant to control this soil-borne pathogen in infected soil.

These chemicals can be used either by application to total area or to beds or rows.

Read the label carefully before use.

Management Ensure all equipment is free of soil before being brought onto the farm3.

MORE INFORMATION Contact vegetablesWA Field Extension Officers on (08) 9481 0834 or email Dominic Jenkin dominic.jenkin@vegetableswa.com.au, or Truyen Vo truyen.vo@vegetableswa.com.au REFERENCES www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic

1

www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic

2

www.deedi.qld.gov.au

3

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New Carnarvon Medfly eradication target

BY BILL WOODS AND ERNIE STEINER DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

With funding from the Carnarvon Growers’ Association (CGA), Horticulture Australia Ltd (HAL) and the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program, and with support from the Shire of Carnarvon, the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) has embarked on a three-year program to eradicate Medfly from Carnarvon.

The project is part of the recently announced Boosting Biosecurity Defences component of the $300 million Seizing the Opportunity in Agriculture initiative, through Royalties for Regions.

The project will be in three stages: Stage 1 will expand baiting and plantation hygiene to reduce Medfly numbers to the level where sterile release can begin.

Stage 2 will involve release of millions of sterile flies weekly to reduce fly numbers to a very low level.

Stage 3 will continue sterile release combined with restrictions on movement of infested produce into the area until Medfly is eradicated.

Department of Agriculture and Food

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A dedicated fruit fly Biosecurity officer will be appointed to the region as soon as possible to ensure that good orchard, vineyard and crop hygiene is being practised by local growers.

Good field sanitation is a critical first step before baiting can reduce fruit fly numbers to a level where release of sterile flies will be effective.

Most people think of fruit as the main hosts of fruit fly, and certainly in Carnarvon citrus, mangoes and other tropical fruits grown commercially are important hosts.

Additionally, most plantations have trees growing near the house such as cumquats which are important fruit fly hosts in their own right and can rear large numbers of fruit flies if unmanaged.

Most vegetables are not attacked by Mediterranean fruit fly although they can be attacked by other pest fruit flies not present in Western Australia such as Queensland fruit fly and Melon fly. However, vegetables from the family Solanaceae such as tomatoes, capsicums and chillies are known to be Medfly hosts.

YOUR PRODUCTION

CAPSICUMS, especially if left unpicked and overripe on the bush, are a good host for Medfly.

Capsicums, especially if left unpicked and overripe on the bush, are a good host for Medfly and an important host at Carnarvon.

Therefore it is important to the overall success of the eradication program that unpicked capsicums in particular, but also chillies and tomatoes, are not left in the field to breed fruit fly.

Even if they are rare or very poor hosts, any host status may impact on market access and requires disinfestation if produce is to be sold to markets where Medfly is absent.

This is an extra cost to growers and can also reduce shelf life.

Improving crop hygiene will also help improve management of other vegetable pests and disease.

Luke Skender, operations manager from the Carnarvon Growers’ Association says that staff are liaising daily with growers who are looking for new methods and technology to combat Medfly. Growers have expressed concern that their tools are becoming limited and it places heavy emphasis on the need for this new eradication program to be successful.

TESTING sterile release with US expert Don McInnis & DAFWA’s Ernie Steiner.

Eradication of Medfly or establishing Carnarvon as an area of low Medfly presence will help to improve market access for vegetables and protect the new horticultural expansion area from infestation. A system of fruit fly traps, host collections and community reporting to DAFWA will be used to monitor the status of the eradication program.

Tomatoes are a good host for Queensland fruit fly but not for Medfly. Although Medfly will sting tomatoes in the laboratory there is little evidence of field attack and only overripe tomatoes are recorded as hosts in Australia.

Similarly, overripe or damaged eggplants have been reported as hosts. Chillies are members of the capsicum family and there have been recent reports of ripe fruit being attacked at Carnarvon, but this has yet to be confirmed.

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YOUR PRODUCTION

Does monitoring seed potato crops for insects save money?

BY STEWART LEARMONTH, ENTOMOLOGIST; PETER GARTRELL, ECONOMIST; AND DAVID TOOKE, SENIOR TECHNICAL OFFICER DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

This article examines the economics of monitoring seed potato crops for aphids, their key pest which are capable of introducing and spreading virus diseases.

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YOUR PRODUCTION

Department of Agriculture and Food

A comparison is given of the estimated costs of managing insects by either routine application of insecticide or by weekly monitoring to determine the need for insecticide use.

Background Aphid numbers in potato crops in Western Australia are highest when seasons change, from winter to spring and from summer to autumn. Crops growing through these aphid-prone periods can be protected by systemic insecticides applied at planting.

Aphid presence in potatoes is variable at other times. Previous research has shown aphid abundance to be very low during the low temperatures of winter and high temperatures of summer. We saw this again when monitoring aphids in potatoes over two seasons at Dandaragan and last season in Manjimup.

The low and variable aphid numbers over summer give seed potato growers an opportunity to save on routine insecticide applications by using a pre-plant systemic insecticide followed by aphid monitoring in the crop to determine timing of subsequent insecticide applications.

Cost comparisons Two aphid management scenarios were compared in a desktop analysis: • Base scenario: pre-plant systemic insecticide followed by routine applications of insecticide to the potato crop • Monitoring scenario: pre-plant systemic insecticide followed by weekly monitoring to determine the need for insecticide application.

Costs of pre-plant systemic and foliar registered aphid insecticides from two resellers were averaged. A number of assumptions based on our experience were made on the number of foliar insecticides for each of the scenarios, cost of application, and potential for reduction in the number of foliar insecticides applied with and without monitoring.

The cost of monitoring a potato crop was based on employing a scout who would check the crop on a weekly basis from emergence to senescence.

Based on a seed potato crop of 35ha, the analysis showed that the cost of base aphid management scenario was $500/ha ($63 for spray application and $436 for insecticide) while the monitoring scenario with pre-plant insecticide application was $268/ha ($32 for spray application, $218 for insecticide and $18 for monitoring labour).

These results are shown in Figure 1. This means that monitoring saved just over $200/ha, almost eight times the hourly cost. The potential saving was around $8000 for the 35ha crop.

On-ground results will be presented next spring with actual seed potato crop management data to ground-truth this desktop analysis.

MORE INFORMATION For detail on monitoring that we did at Dandaragan, see www.agric.wa.gov. au/potatoes/mid-west-potatoes-seedproduction-and-pest-and-diseasemanagement?nopaging=1

POTATO leaf roll virus in potatoes.

FIGURE 1 Estimated costs for two aphid management scenarios in summer-grown seed potatoes 500

Cost/ha ($)

400 300 200 100 0 Base Monitoring

Insecticide

Monitoring Spray application

The left column shows costs for pre-plant insecticide followed by routine insecticide applications. The right column shows costs for pre-plant insecticide followed by insecticide applications according to weekly aphid monitoring of the crop.

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YOUR PRODUCTION

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus

BY DOMINIC JENKIN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) and the disease it causes have long been known in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Since September 2014, CGMMV has been detected on 10 commercial watermelon farms in the Northern Territory. As a result, the NT DPIF has declared quarantine zones near Katherine and Darwin. To date, the virus has only affected watermelon and pumpkin crops. Potential host plants, seeds, seedlings and fruit cannot be moved within or out of these quarantine zones.

CGMMV is a member of the tobamovirus, which also includes the well-known tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), however has a narrower host range.

D e n i t n

a r a u q

The host range is primarily limited to cucurbit species including watermelon, melon, cucumber, pumpkin, squash, gourds, etc. CGMMV is especially problematic due to the ease with which it can be transmitted and its stability and long viability in plant debris. The damage to the host plant and fruit can be extensive, resulting in substantial yield losses.

The virus can be introduced into crop production in many ways, but contaminated seed and soil are among the most common.

The virus can only infect plants through wounds, and can survive and disseminate by several means including: • Infection of roots can occur in soil that is contaminated with infective plant debris.

The virus can spread through root-to-root contact.

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YOUR PRODUCTION

Fruit These may be symptomless, at least externally, or can become severely spotted or streaked and distorted, especially during high temperatures. In some cases, fruit that show no external symptoms may be internally discoloured or necrotic. This seems to be especially pronounced in watermelon.

Recommendations for CGMMV control Open field • Use seed from a reputable producer that has been adequately tested for CGMMV. If transplants are used, ensure that they are inspected for the disease prior to planting.

• CGMMV can spread in water or in nutrient solutions in soilless culture.

• Spread of the virus can occur very readily by mechanical transfer, especially in protected cropping systems where plants are pruned, staked, handled or touched frequently. In open field production the machinery used for cultivation or weed control can spread the virus.

• Seed harvested from infected plants may carry CGMMV. • The virus can survive long periods on equipment surfaces or on tools.

• To date no insect has been proven to be a vector for CGMMV.

Host plants Each of the following plants is declared to be a host plant for CGMMV by notice in the NT Government Gazette S102 dated 22 October 2014: • Cucumis anguria (gerkin); • Cucumis melo (melon); • Cucumis sativus (cucumber); • Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd and long melon); • Momordica charantia (bitter gourd); • Cucurbita moschata (butternut, kent or jap pumpkin or Asian gramme); • Cucurbita pepo (zucchini and button squash); • Cucurbita maxima (kabotcha); • Luffa cylindrica (smooth luffa); • Luffa acutangula (sinquar); • Trichosanthes cucumerina (snake gourd); • Cucumis metuliferus (horned melon or kiwano or African horned cucumber); • Benincasa hispida (winter or hairy melon).

SYMPTOMS of CGMMV can include severely spotted or streaked and distorted fruit, especially during high temperatures.

• Follow good sanitation and cultural practices which include controlling weeds, especially cucurbit species that border fields, and chewing insects as a precaution.

Identifying symptoms

• Inspect fields for symptoms at regular intervals. Take plant tissue samples and have a diagnostic analysis completed on suspect plants.

Seedlings Symptoms may be indistinct or difficult to recognise as being caused by a virus on young seedlings. In severe infections cotyledons may become yellow but more often symptoms are not seen until the 1st or 2nd leaf stage. Plants with suspicious symptoms should be tested.

WA growers who suspect the presence of CGMMV should contact DAFWA’s Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) on 1800 084 881.

Leaf CGMMV symptoms (mottling and mosaic on leaves, fruit mottling and distortion) can be confused with those caused by many other cucurbit viruses, making diagnosis based exclusively on visual symptoms unreliable. Early symptoms include vein clearing and crumpling on young leaves while mature leaves become bleached and chlorotic. There are different strains of the virus and depending on strain, mild to severe leaf distortion can occur, with leaf mottling and blistering, and plant stunting.

Leaf distortion can be more severe at low temperatures when plants grow more slowly.

The onset of symptoms after exposure varies according to host, amount of inoculum and environmental conditions but with cucumber symptoms can appear 7–14 days after infection.

Protected culture • Use seed from a reputable producer that has been adequately tested with no evidence for CGMMV. • Prevent cross-contamination between greenhouses in different zones and from packing houses by using disinfectants at each entrance. Only personnel with clean clothing and disinfected equipment should be allowed to enter a cleaned greenhouse.

• Follow hygiene practices by washing hands with soap or disinfectants after handling plants.

• Minimise additional crop handling in the first few weeks after transplanting.

• In hydroponic production systems, avoid recirculation of the nutrient solution for several weeks after transplanting because CGMMV has been shown to maintain its infectivity in irrigation water Growers are advised to regularly check with state authorities for changes to current situation.

MORE INFORMATION WA growers who suspect the presence of CGMMV should contact DAFWA’s Pest and Disease information Service (PaDIS) on 1800 084 881. Samples of plant material (leaves and seeds) suspected of being infected with CGMMV may be sent to PaDIS for testing free-of-charge.

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Best strategy

for diamondback moth Sticking with the same chemical groups can lead to insecticide resistance, which increases the cost of producing a crop, the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) is reminding growers.

Research officer Rachel Lancaster said that it was particularly important to manage resistance in diamondback moth, the main caterpillar pest in vegetable brassicas.

“Recommendations have just been published to reduce the risk of insecticide resistance and it is vital to ensure the pest does not become immune to modern insecticides,” Ms Lancaster said.

THE diamondback moth is a major pest of vegetable brassica crops but can be controlled with careful use of insecticides.

“Some populations of diamondback moth have already developed resistance to certain insecticides in Western Australia and interstate.

“To retain chemical effectiveness as long as possible it is essential to monitor crops regularly, only apply insecticides when a critical damage level is reached, and to keep rotating between chemical groups.”

MORE INFORMATION The laminated cards, ideal for pinning up as a reminder, are available on request from Bunbury and Manjimup offices of the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Detailed information is also available on the DAFWA website at https://agric.wa.gov. au/n/1663 or using the search function on agric.wa.gov.au.

Cabbages, broccoli and cauliflowers are among the popular and widely grown crops affected.

“Applying insecticides only when necessary from groups which have different modes of action is key to preventing insecticide resistance and avoiding losses,” she said.

THE laminated cards are ideal for pinning up as a reminder.

Update 19 September 2014 Diamondback moth (DBM) in vegetable brassicas insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategy Western Australia This strategy is part of integrated pest management (IPM) for vegetable brassica crops — cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels 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. Rotate the use of insecticides with different modes of action and restrict their use to certain periods of the year, referred to as windows.

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

4. Always read and follow product labels. Some products place a limit on the number of times they can be applied per crop and when they can be applied: see below for summary.

5. To encourage beneficial insects, avoid broad spectrum sprays, particularly early in a crop cycle.

6. Do not use insecticide tank mixes.

7. Practise good crop hygiene to reduce DBM pressure — plant clean seedlings and incorporate crop residue as soon as is practicable after harvest.

8. Time the application to the most susceptible life stage of the target pest.

9. Ensure spray rig is properly calibrated and achieving good coverage.

All known commercial growers of vegetable brassicas were recently sent updated advice on recommended insecticides to control diamondback moth for different stages of crop growth.

Product application frequency critical comments

Window 2

Window 1

Proclaim — Group 6A Do not apply more than four times per crop.

Where more than one crop is grown do not make more than four applications in any one year.

Avatar — Group 22A A maximum of four applications can be made to any one crop. Do not re-treat within seven days.

Fipronil, Regal, Regent, etc — Group 2B Limit the number of applications to no more than four per year, preferably applied within an eight week period.

Durivo — Groups 28 and 4A Do not make more than one application per crop.

Following Durivo, rotate to a product from an alternative mode of action group for a period of at least one DBM generation. Total exposure period for all Group 28 insecticides should not exceed 50% of the crop cycle.

Success Neo — Group 5 Do not make more than four applications to any crop in any one season. Apply repeat application at 7–14 day intervals.

Belt — Group 28 A maximum of three applications may be applied per crop, within a period not less than 14 days.

Generally, spray intervals of 7–14 days are suitable.

Coragen — Group 28 A maximum of three applications are to be applied per crop. No more than two consecutive sprays per crop, with a minimum spray interval of seven days.

Secure — Group 13A Apply a maximum of two sprays per crop, seven days apart. Applications vary for Brussels sprouts, see label for details.

Enquiries:

Consult product labels and/or permits for registrations for specific vegetable brassica crops and application information

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, Western Australia 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, 2014

This strategy suggests best practice insecticide use by growers and is regularly updated in consultation with growers and CropLife Australia.

Stewart Learmonth phone: +61 08 9777 0167, email: stewart.learmonth@agric.wa.gov.au Rachel Lancaster phone: + 61 08 9780 6210, email: rachel.lancaster@agric.wa.gov.au Alison Mathews phone: +61 08 9777 0122, email: alison.mathews@agric.wa.gov.au

Diamondback moth (DBM) insecticide resistance management (IRM) strategy Western Australia

Update 19 Sept. 2014

Consult product labels and/or permits for registrations for specific vegetable brassica crops and application information.

This strategy is part of integrated pest management (IPM) for vegetable brassica crops  cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

Crop stage

Window 2: 1 Jan–30 June

Group 281

Durivo®

Early

Group 11C

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)

Group 5

Success™ Neo

WHP 3

Group 6A

Proclaim®

WHP 3

Group 28

Belt® Coragen®

WHP 32 WHP 72

Group 22A

Avatar®

WHP 72

WHP 7

Group 2B eg Fipronil, Regal®, Regent® WHP 7

Mid ─ late

Late

Department of Agriculture and Food

Window 1: 1 July–31 Dec

Seedling treatment

WHP 422

®

A shorter window is recommended due to longevity of product

e.g. Bacchus, Delfin®, Dipel®, Xentari®

WHP not required

Group 13A

Secure

Group 3A

Synthetic pyrethroids

e.g. Bulldock 25EC, Cypermethrin, Dominex Duo, Fastac Duo ® ® ® ® ® Ballistic , Karate , Mavrik 4, Pounce, Sumi–Alpha Flex, Trojan

Group 1B

Organophosphates

e.g. Hy–Mal 5, Lancer , Orthene Xtra Lorsban, Chlorpyrifos ® Tokuthion 7

®

WHP 36 WHP 5 WHP 7

Group 1B

Organophosphate

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

WHP 7

®

®

®

®

®

®

WHP 13 WHP 2

WHP = withholding period in days.

1 Durivo contains active ingredients from Group 28 and Group 4A. Do not apply Belt or Coragen in Durivo treated crops. 2 Durivo, Belt, Coragen and Avatar have different WHP for leafy brassicas and other vegetable brassica crops. 3 WHP for Bulldock on broccoli is 3 days. 4 Mavrik 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.

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TOOL

TIME

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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TOOL TIME

Ladybirds helping out on the farm

BY DOMINIC JENKIN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

The automated robot, dubbed ‘Ladybird’, was developed through collaboration with Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL), AUSVEG and a team at the University of Sydney including 2014 AUSVEG Bayer CropScience Researcher of the year Professor Salah Sukkarieh, and is capable of driving around the farm and conducting autonomous tasks.

This robot is a result of HAL Project VG12104: An intelligent farm robot for the vegetable industry, funded through the National Vegetable Levy and matched funds from the Federal Government.

Whilst still in developmental stages, this robot has the potential to revolutionise the vegetable industry.

The advancement of agricultural robots is aiming to play a key role in minimising input and maximising output of future agriculture through increasing efficiency and yield and decreasing the number of tasks that require manual work. The mobile ground robot and supporting intelligent software will have the capability of conducting autonomous farm sensing and manipulation tasks for various vegetable crop varieties. These will include mapping, classification, detection, weeding and ultimately harvesting.

The Ladybird is a ground robot capable of conducting autonomous farm surveillance, mapping, classification, and detection for a variety of different vegetables. It is equipped with sensing, manipulation, communication and supporting hardware and software.

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Source: confluence.acfr.usyd.edu.au

It has an array of sensors (including lasers, cameras and hyperspectral cameras) for detecting vegetable growth and pest species, either plant or animal.

Various user interfaces will also be developed for the growers, contractors and harvesters, so that they can control the robot and use the information derived from the system.

The robot is able to drive autonomously up and down rows and from one row to the next while gathering sensor data.

With all-wheel steering, the robot is able to operate on the full range of field conditions, compensating for unevenly planted rows and other deviations up to a speed of 5km/h.

The data collected can be then communicated to a robotic arm for removing weeds and has the potential for autonomous harvesting. The data collected by the sensors may also be collected by the grower and used for crop monitoring and performance analysis. Powered by solar panels and supplementary battery packs, the "ladybird" was trialled for three consecutive days without charge on onion, beetroot and spinach farms in Cowra, NSW.

ABOVE The Ladybird hard at work.

The combination of different sensors allow the robot to map crop colour and 3D form down to the resolution of every individual leaf. Then in addition, the manipulator arm means that the robot is not just observing passively, but can take action to include tasks such as probing soil or plant material to collect further crop information. Further, the arm could also remove weeds, after having differentiated them from the crops and be used in the future for autonomous harvesting.

Another of the robots biggest advantages is in its ability to provide growers with key data on plant malnutrition. For example, nitrate deficiency can be detected by growers visually, but once its detectable to the human eye it's essentially already late.

With the sensors it is possible to detect more subtle changes in the crop colour, it could be possible to rectify deficiencies much earlier.

TOOL TIME

Ladybird anatomy

1 2 7

The robot has been in develop for around a year with a total cost of about $1 million.

Due to the high cost it would currently be far too expensive to be economically viable as it is, but the team are refining the system configuration to optimise the potential cost effectiveness of the technology. The researchers have identified that the most cost effective solution may end up as a combination of different types of platforms.

3 4

6 5 13 8

12 9

MORE INFORMATION For those interested in seeing the ladybird in action, the research team from the University of Sydney have published two short videos on YouTube.

11

10

1. In part 1, the construction and testing of the vehicle is show on a commercial property in Cowra, NSW: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=T0cPc4MCEOQ 2. In part 2, some examples of the types of data obtained and how it can be processed is detailed: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WWFakMeo1e8

15

14

1 2 x static width adjustment mechanics allowing 1500–2000mm track width 2 Height adjustment of sensing and manipulation module 3

2 x electronics enclosures

4

4 x 2 axis drive modules including steer and drive actuators, controllers and encoders

5

6-axis robotic manipulator

6

4 x 12V @ 112Ah LiFePO4 batteries

7

Point Grey Bumblebee XB3 stereo visual camera

8

434MHz radio emergency stop and remote control

9

Resonon Pika IIi hyperspectral camera

10 2 x 4 plane laser scanners 11 Point Grey Ladybug 3 spherical visual camera 12 Multi band WLAN 13 Novatel SPAN OEMV GPS/INS system 14 8 x 120W flexible solar panels 15 2 x flip up covers Source: confluence.acfr.usyd.edu.au

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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TOOL TIME

Patented sticky traps for protected cropping Thrips and whiteflies have a huge impact on global food production, with global costs estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Russell IPM has recently developed a new kind of sticky trap which uses visual attraction to catch more insects. The capture rate of this new trap has been found to be up to twice the rate of the originally designed yellow sticky trap.

Researchers at the company have discovered during research that insects are more likely to be found caught on the borders of the original sticky trap as they are more attracted by the contrasting colours. This led the company to experiment with different patterns until they discovered the optimal ratio of contrasting colour patterns. The research program culminated in the development of their Optiroll product.

Sticky boards and rolls are one of Russell IPM's major products for greenhouse horticulture. They are made from high density polyethylene coated with pressure sensitive adhesive and available in either a wet or a dry finish. They are specifically designed for capturing insects by eliciting a reaction to a specific colour matrix. As a result of attraction the insect lands on the sticky surface and is thus unable to escape.

Russell IPM manufactures Optiroll and Impact boards in yellow and blue colours. The blue rolls target thrips whilst the yellow rolls specifically attract whitefly and aphids. They are UV and sprinkler irrigation resistant with an efficacy period of well over 12 weeks in the absence of dust. Greenhouse growers have favoured these products for years to scout and catch whitefly, thrips and Tuta absoluta.

YELLOW Optiroll being used in greenhouse production targeting whitefly and aphids.

Source: russellipm.com

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BY DOMINIC JENKIN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

The traps are placed in the centre of the infected are of the greenhouse, glasshouse or plastic house, and applied before the emergence of the first generation of insects until the end of the season.

The company also develops pheromone traps that are increasingly popular. In small numbers pheromone traps may be used for monitoring to help decide the best time for the application of insecticides. In certain situations the traps may also be used to control the population and act as an alternative to pesticides.

MORE INFORMATION Further information about the products can be found at www.russellipm.com

YOUR INDUSTRY

YOUR

INDUSTRY

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Grower profile Joyce Babun

JOYCE with Ettienne from Emrich Packaging Machinery.

Grower profile Name Joyce Babun Location Carnarvon PERTH

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Enterprises Cucurbit varieties, melons, pumpkins, zucchini and bananas

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YOUR INDUSTRY

Joyce arrived in Carnarvon in 1984 with her late husband Tome and purchased Gully Plantation.

Whilst Joyce still owns the plantation, her son David now manages it, with a focus on the growing of cucurbit varieties, melons, pumpkins, zucchini and bananas.

Joyce has been involved in various organisations within the Gascoyne Horticultural Area (GHA) in the intervening years.

In mid to late 1990s Joyce served on the Horticultural Development Council in Carnarvon.

This was a joint venture between two local industry providers and Department of Agriculture initially. The main purpose was to have a central organisation that was able to deal with issues that were relevant to the GHA at that time. These ranged from water, transport, marketing, virus, the market system and progressing any new ideas that would benefit the Carnarvon region from a horticultural aspect.

In 1998 Joyce became a member of the Carnarvon Irrigation Steering Committee (CISC). This committee was set up with 10 growers, representatives from the Water Corporation and Department of Water (DoW), legal advisors were invited to attend when and as required. Two separate Co-operates, Gascoyne Water Co-operative Ltd (GWC) and Gascoyne Water Asset Mutual Co-Operative (GWAMCO) were set up to own and manage the infrastructure and supply water to the 170 plus plantations within the GHA of the Shire of Carnarvon.

Joyce was an inaugural Board member of the GWC and continued to be a member until her term expired in 2009.

She was also the inaugural Chairman of GWAMCO until 2008, when her term expired.

JOYCE in Singapore on a recent trip to look at exporting.

The company markets fruits and vegetables locally, interstate, to the Perth central market and to a major retailer.

She has also been a member of the Carnarvon Water Allocation Advisory Committee (CWAAC) until 2011. This committee serves as an Advisory committee to the Minister of Water Resources of WA through the DoW.

In 2012, at The AUSVEG National Convention in Hobart Joyce was presented with the National Industry Impact Award for Excellence.

The CWAAC’s role is to provide local knowledge and maintain communications with the growers of the GHD in the establishment of the Lower Gascoyne Water Management and Allocation plans.

Joyce is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

She is a member of the Vegetable Producers’ Committee (VPC) of the Western Australian Produce Commission (APC), which facilitates growth and prosperity of agricultural industries through the activities of it Producer Committees, and the research and development programmes they support.

Joyce also represents the GHA at Carnarvon WA on the Committee and has been a member since 2010.

Since 2007 she has been the Manager and sales co-ordinator of Loveapple Pty Ltd in Carnarvon, a private company established in 1996.

AUSVEG is the national industry body that represents the interests of around 9,000 vegetable and potato growers around Australia. Each year its Industry Impact Awards honour a grower, or other member of the Australian vegetable industries, for outstanding achievements.

In this case Joyce was recognised for her pivotal work in continuing the work commenced by a number of growers for the Loveapple marketing group in the GHA that has streamlined grower access to the market end of the supply chain.

The enormous impact this had in raising the professionalism of farms lead to the prestigious national award.

She has always had a keen interest and passion for the survival, development and success of the GHA and has through the years has been involved in a number organisations, either voluntarily or paid, that have worked to this end.

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Onion grower

wins prestigious award!

BY LECHELLE EARL CEO, ONIONS AUSTRALIA

A well-known Tasmanian has been acknowledged with a prestigious onion industry award.

Brian Bonde received the Reg Miller Award in recognition of his long serving dedication to the Australian onion industry.

The award was presented by Senator Richard Colbeck during Onions Australia’s annual conference, held in Brisbane recently.

Brian has dedicated the past five years of his life to passionately supporting the Australian onion industry.

While Brian has been involved in the industry for many years, little did he realise just how important his role would be when he accepted the role of Onions Australia Chairperson in 2008.

He soon took up the cudgels and found himself in the midst of the extensive consultation process to revitalise and modify the statutory onion industry levy.

After spending countless hours consulting with growers across the country, he was thrilled when the levy vote was counted and then signed off on by all levels of government.

Little did he know that the levy would hit a hurdle at the last moment – when it was recommended for disallowance in the Senate.

And so began a whole new fight – which again took many hours, including negotiations and briefings with politicians from all sides, plus endless interviews with the media.

It was with great relief that the levy changes finally won approval in the Senate in late September – and many could hear Brian breathe a huge sigh of relief.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

While much of Brian’s recent years have been taken up with the levy consultation, it is important to look back at his farming history.

Brian is a fourth generation farmer having lived on the family property at North Motton in Central Coast Tasmania all his life.

He farms 240 hectares traditionally having grown a range of processing and fresh market crops including potatoes, peas, beans, onions for export and poppies.

Today Brian is moving towards semiretirement and is currently growing poppies and operating a successful cattle enterprise. A small forestry enterprise is also incorporated in the farm business.Brian has four children, none of whom are involved in the farming operation.

Brian has been actively involved in his industry having served as Chairman of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) Vegetable Council, as well as having held the position of Onions Australia Chairperson and, until recently, was also a member of the OA Executive Committee. He remains as a valued member of our Industry Advisory Committee.

PARLIAMENTARY Secretary for Agriculture Senator Richard Colbeck, 2014 Reg Miller Award recipient Brian Bonde, and outgoing Onions Australia Chair Andrew Moon.

His importance in the industry was also recognised when he was chosen to be the face on the packets of Coles Australian grown vegetables.He has a firm belief that we can do much better as an Industry and has an interest in progressing this.

Brian is also an active member and past President of the Rotary Club of Ulverstone West and has interests in breeding and training horses, rodeo, football and travel.

He has been committed to his community and the agriculture industry.

Outgoing Onions Australia chairperson Andrew Moon said Brian had been passionate in his advocacy for the national onion industry.

“Brian has really gone above and beyond when it comes to promoting our industry, he has selflessly gone into bat for growers,” he said.

“Brian personifies exactly what the Reg Miller Award is all about, outstanding service to our industry, and this award is more than deserved.”

United Crate directors, management and staff thank you our valued customers for your ongoing support throughout the year.

Wishing you and your families a happy festive season and a safe and prosperous new year.

Head Office United Crate Co operative Ltd. Perth Office: 1 Zanni Street Canning Vale WA 6155 Phone: (08) 9455 1540 Fax: (08) 9455 2376 Email: info@unitedcrates.com.au Web: www.unicrates.com.au

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Impressions of the

2014 National Landcare Conference

BY SANDY PATE PERTH REGION NRM, REGIONAL LANDCARE FACILITATOR

MURAL by Somerville Secondary College school kids depicting Yumarrala Wetlands, a declared UNESCO Biosphere reserve.

As the Rural Landcare Facilitator for Perth Region NRM, Sandy Pate was fortunate enough to recently attend the 2014 National Landcare Conference and Awards held at the Crown Conference Centre in Melbourne.

A key role of the Landcare facilitator project is to engage with informed networks of community land carers and production groups and in this instance it was on a national scale. Victoria alone has over 630 Landcare groups and 67 Landcare networks, so it was an excellent opportunity to network and engage with those in similar roles across the country.

THE National Landcare Conference Melbourne.

National Regional Landcare Facilitator Forum The conference was hosted over three days, with one day of field trips and two days of conference presentations, poster presentations and workshops. Prior to the conference starting Sandy attended the National Regional Landcare Facilitator Forum, with 75 other facilitators and was able to share experiences about the Perth Region on a number of issues facing periurban producers.

A key Perth Region NRM initiative that was shared at the forum was the rollout of the Horse Land and Water Field Days which are National Horse Industry best management practices for Horse Properties.

‘Equine Landcare’ promotes sustainable horse management and protection of the environment and was well received at the forum.

National Landcare Conference The Mornington Peninsula field trip, one of thirteen options, offered a broad look at sustainable agriculture, horticulture and coastal and inland vegetation.

The Peninsular is located south east of Melbourne and is a popular tourist region with a number of lifestyle properties, proving to have many similarities to the Swan Valley and Gingin in terms of Landuse perspective. Small property subdivisions and peri-urban expansion was discussed, as well as aboriginal heritage and a visit to the Ingham poultry processing plant.

Vegetable production in the region is high with lettuces, broccoli, herbs, asparagus and a number of vineyards and berry farms populating the area.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR INDUSTRY

$800

MILLION GENERATED IN AGRICULTURE

RASBERRIES

BROCCOLI

MORNINGTON

PENINSULA

PRODUCES

% HERBS 32 LETTUCE

MILD CLIMATE

OF VIC’S

Source: Food alliance Mornington-Peninsula-food-production

PRODUCE grown on the peninsular includes; 32% of Victoria’s Lettuce crop; Broccoli and herbs; and on the northern boundary an estimated 93% of the national crop of asparagus.

The conference program was based on the theme of Celebrating our history, growing our future and focused on discussions and analysis of the future of Landcare by pioneers, leaders of NRM bodies, scientists, academics, government, and environmental, climate and biodiversity experts.

The keynote speech from renowned chef Matt Moran, whose journey has brought him from an award-winning family farm on the Central Tablelands in New South Wales to travelling Australia championing local, fresh produce, resonated with those on the land growing our food. Presentations from the conference are available for download at the Landcare Australia website.

It is difficult to summarise such a large and diverse Conference programme, but a number of big picture items which Sandy identified as providing hope for the future include: • Landcare is one of Australia’s great success stories and is a national priority.

• Climate change is a fact and farmers are adapting.

• Statistics show Australian population growth is steadily increasing confirming need for food security.

• Increasing weight and obesity are a reality.

Healthy fresh food will help lessen these effects.

• Energy constraints in the future demand more from less.

• NRMs now have access to free or low-cost Apps, remote monitoring and locality specific mapping.

• A robust farming system will provide compensation for a farmer.

National Landcare Awards INGHAMS Sustainable production and food security.

The event culminated with a Gala Dinner held in the grand surroundings of the Melbourne Exhibition Building. Western Australia was a high achiever at the National Landcare Awards, winning three of the nine categories. Award winners were selected from a field of 69 finalists, all undertaking Landcare projects around the country.

Kate Sputore, the Coastal and Marine Program Manager at Perth Region NRM, won the National Innovative Young Landcare Award for her work on coastal rehabilitation projects.

MORNINGTON Peninsular Bushcare award winner.

The Tangaroa Blue Foundation won the Coastcare award for their work protecting marine environments around Australia through the removal of rubbish.

The awards are highly distinguished and Perth Region NRM was proud to be represented by such inspirational and dedicated finalists. We encourage all groups and landowners to nominate their excellent Landcare work in future nomination rounds.

Perth Region NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture Program manages the Rural Landcare Facilitator project and works closely with fresh food producers and understand the challenges they face each day. We undertake projects in collaboration with orchardists, viticulturists, farmers, horse owners, land managers as well as with industry partners and government bodies.

MORE INFORMATION For more information on our Rural Landcare Facilitator project please contact Sandy Pate on (08) 9374 3320 or email sandy.pate@ perthregionnrm.com For more information on Sustainable Agriculture Program please contact Keith Pekin on (08) 9374 3315, email keith.pekin@perthregionnrm.com, or go to http://sustainableagriculture. perthregionnrm.com

The Innovative Community Group award was won by Roleybushcare, a volunteer community group established 20 years ago to conserve the bushland reserves in the Perth suburb of Roleystone.

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY

Supply chain quality of

WA seed potato exports to Thailand

Thailand imports just over 7,000 tonnes of seed potatoes annually. The seed is for crisp processing crops which are planted both in the wet and dry seasons.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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Department of Agriculture and Food

BY DAVID TOOKE DEPARTMENT AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

Australian seed potatoes are the right physiological age for the dry season planting which occurs from October to December.

In 2013 1,875 tonnes of seed potatoes worth $1.7 million was exported from Australia to Thailand, however only 259 tonnes, or less than 15% of these, came from WA.

Potato expert

to visit in February 2015

BY ANDREW TAYLOR DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD

Rick has vast experience in potato and vegetable research, particularly physiological ageing.

Two WA seed potato exporters have customers in Thailand. Processing production is increasing there, as it is in most of Asia.

The market for WA seed potatoes can be expected to grow if we supply a good product.

His visit is funded through DAFWA’s visiting specialist program and Rick will be accompanied by wife Lisa, also a physiological age researcher.

They will travel throughout the South-West to view how growers are currently managing their potatoes for physiological age and to determine whether improvements can be made.

Performance of seed potatoes is directly affected by their vigour.

DAFWA is interested in helping exporters identify the best way to treat seed potatoes so they perform well overseas.

Last season we monitored a crop grown by WA Elite Seed for the Thai market. While on holiday I had opportunity to visit PepsiCo Thailand, importers of this seed. I was able to collect the data loggers which had been installed in the containers to record temperature and humidity during transport from Manjimup to Chang Mai. I was also able to discuss the out-turn quality of the WA product.

Assessment of the six containers by PepsiCo showed that the seed met the allowed tolerances. However, analysis of the data loggers showed that the temperature of the seed was higher than desirable along several stages of the transport chain.

This information can be used to improve conditions in future shipments.

Discussions with PepsiCo Thailand demonstrated that WA is a responsive and open seed supplier with desire to ensure that our seed meets and exceeds the requirements of our customers. This will help WA increase its share of the Thai seed potato market.

PROFESSOR Rick Knowles.

The physiological age of potato seed is important for all growers to consider especially in hot summer growing conditions.

Seed that has young physiological age produces few shoots and large tubers while seed with older physiological age produces more shoots and smaller tubers.

Greater understanding of potato physiological ageing in Western Australia is needed, and to assist in this, the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) in collaboration with the Western Australian Seed Potato Producers (WASPP) has invited Professor Rick Knowles from Washington State University to visit WA from 16–20 February 2015.

A demonstration plot using tubers of different physiological age stored under various conditions is being established at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute (MHRI). This is in partnership with Potato Research WA and the Potato Marketing Corporation (PMC).

Rick will present information on his research at MHRI and evaluate the demonstration plot. His presentation includes information about maximising value from both fresh and seed potatoes through manipulation and understanding of tuber physiological age.

MORE INFORMATION The specific itinerary will be publicised closer to the visit. If you wish to receive information relating to Rick and Lisa’s visit, please email MHRI at AgWAOfficeManjimup@agric.wa.gov.au

16–20 February

2015 WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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Stable fly

management plan

BY IAN MCPHARLIN SENIOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD, WA

Prescribed control measures for stable fly need to be taken by the owner or person in control of a property in the declared areas, or a person conducting an activity on the land.

Best practice handling

of crop residues left after harvest 1 Minimise the harvest period from first to last pick to as short as possible for the crop.

2 All remaining vegetable residues must be broken down into small pieces with a high-speed mulcher, flail mower, slasher or similar equipment within three days of harvesting being complete. This allows the residue to dry and inhibits the fly laying eggs in the residue.

3 Mulched residue must then be sprayed with a pesticide registered against fly maggots. There are limited options for chemical control of stable fly. Only insecticides containing the active ingredient trichlorfon are currently registered for its control. Minor use approval from the APVMA is expected soon for a number of additional pesticides for stable fly control in vegetable residues. These chemicals are from different groups and can be used

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

Department of Agriculture and Food

in sequence to prevent pesticide resistance development. Other treatments, chemical or nonchemical, may be approved in the future. Use large spray volumes of at least 1400–1600L/ha to ensure adequate penetration into the soil and the crop residues.

4 Turn off water to the area treated with pesticide for the next seven days and leave it undisturbed. Only irrigate enough to prevent wind erosion if this is an issue. This is so any eggs and/or larvae are killed when moving about in the residue, as well as preventing any adult stable flies from laying eggs on this material. Adult stable flies that do manage to survive are killed as they contact the pesticide residue barrier when they dig their way out of the soil.

5 Incorporate the sprayed crop residue into the soil to at least 30cm and cover well.

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Hay under stable fly group focus Reject produce left in the field For crops that are harvested over several weeks or months (for example, paprika, eggplant, zucchini) any produce rejected due to damage or disease and left on the ground needs to be either: • r emoved weekly from the field and placed in a deep pit, sprayed with an approved insecticide and covered with 30cm of soil • s prayed weekly with an approved insecticide if the rejects are left in the field prior to completion of harvest.

Reject produce from postharvest operations Any reject produce or processing scraps (for example, leaves, stalks, damaged heads) that are generated from postharvest sorting and processing should be buried weekly and covered with at least 30cm of soil.

Reject vegetables or fruit fed to livestock should be spread on the ground in thin lines to maximise the amount eaten by the animals.

Reject produce that is spread back on the field from which it was harvested should be treated as for the normal harvested crop (steps 2 to 5 above).

Abandoned crops Whole crops of vegetables that are abandoned due to market forces, financial hardship, disease, irrigation failure or other reasons represent a high risk of stable fly development in the rotting produce. Crops must be treated as the steps above, to prevent flies breeding in the material.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dr David Cook, Senior Entomologist, Centre For Forensic Science, UWA provided much of the technical information on the control of stable fly above.

The role of rotting hay as a potentially significant source of stable fly breeding on the Swan Coastal Plain was an unexpected discovery over the last year.

This discovery and other activities were reported to the Regulatory Reference Group that oversees the Stable Fly Management Plan at its annual review meeting in September.

However, the extent of the problem is unclear and further work will be needed in 2014–15 to get more data on the problem.

The reference group comprises stakeholders whose enterprise or lifestyle is impacted by stable fly or whose operations may be a source of the insect. It is chaired by DAFWA’s Executive Director of Irrigated Agriculture, Terry Hill.

The Stable Fly Management Plan is the basis for compliance with the Biosecurity and Agricultural Management Act 2007 regulations for managing stable fly in the declared council areas of the Swan Coastal Plain.

At the meeting it was decided to remove two councils from the declared list.

One is Joondalup as it has become highly urbanised with stable fly no longer an issue and not predicted to be. Kalamunda will also be removed because stable fly is no longer an issue and because it will be amalgamated with Belmont Council in the near future.

No further decisions will be made on additions or removals from the declared list until the final detail of the council mergers in metropolitan areas is known.

More councils in rural areas may be added to the list in future but only after a full consultation with the poultry industry is completed.

This is important because expanding the declared areas outside the existing list has a direct impact on the movement of untreated manure to non-declared areas.

YELLOW stable fly larvae found breeding in rotting hay. The yellow colour is caused by what they have been eating.

Because of the need for more information, no specific instructions were added to the management plan related to hay management. However, instructions in the plan for management of reject vegetable waste fed to animals in the field has some relevance, as both waste and hay need to be consumed by the animals as soon as possible and not left to rot in the paddock.

Over the last season only two official warning letters were issued under the regulations — both involving poultry manure.

Overall, the vegetable industry has cooperated well under the new regulations, using the four steps to control breeding: 1 Timely harvest 2 Mulch to break down residues 3 Spray with insecticides 4 Turn off the water.

Research is continuing to find more efficient ways to break down vegetable residues and we hope to have more information over the next few months.

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

49

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Melons

and social media

In September the Australian Melon Association (AMA) decided to embark on the social media adventure, the aim being to engage with consumers, and increase awareness of the versatility of Australian melons.

With this in mind we decided to focus on families, as the main consumers, in particular mothers.

The first decision was which social media to use?

According to Creative Collective director, Yvette Adams, as at August 2014 Australia had over 13 million Facebook users, Twitter had 2.7 million active users and Pinterest had 380,000 and is growing fast. Facebook’s key use is business to consumer (B2C) and two thirds of social media users are on Facebook. Pinterest is valuable for a visually appealing product, such as melons, and in Australia approximately 60% of Pinterest users are female, educated, aged 24 to 45. Twitter is the real time broadcasting method, and has a strong focus on food, it is effective for providing regular updates, one can send out frequent messages without seeming to ‘flood the market’ as well as ‘borrowing’ contacts from others.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

BY RHODA GEORGIOU COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, AMA

One problem with promoting fresh produce is the resources required to constantly provide new recipes and ideas.

Social media overcomes this problem by allowing sharing: ‘retweet’ recipes, ideas and news on Twitter; On Facebook and Pinterest ‘share’ and ‘Pin’ recipes, ideas and infographics found elsewhere.

Pinterest allows the pinner to set up boards of themed ideas, many of which can be sourced from elsewhere. However, it is important to give appropriate credit for the use of images.

So we duly tweeted that watermelon is much easier to carve (and cheaper than pumpkins at this time of year in Australia). Within a couple of days a photo of a Halloween watermelon that we tweeted appeared on a San Diego news website about watermelon carving — “apparently it's big-ish in Australia” taken directly from our Twitter feed! A clear demonstration of the power and speed of social media, and a reminder to watermark images if you wish to protect intellectual property.

A great advantage of social media is the fun aspect; who knew that melons are a source of colourful inspiration — from knitting watermelon themed socks to recreating Stonehenge out of rockmelon.

What have we learnt along the way?

On White Glove Social Media, Anna Bennett recommends that in terms of Pinterest content one should follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of what is pinned should reflect how a product or service helps your target customer solve their problems or achieve their lifestyle goals, and only 20% should be directly about your products and services themselves.

In the United States (US) the Watermelon Promotion Board (WPB) promotes watermelon using the healthy eating message as well as watermelon carving.

This seems like a fun way for the AMA to encourage more Australian families to buy watermelon.

There are a multitude of time saving, free websites which have sped up our social media activities: Picmonkey the free photo editor and bitly.com a link shortener which saves characters in Tweets.

The next step is to investigate online software for scheduling social media in advance, and posting to more than one destination at a time. However once on the social media express, you cannot get off. Consistent posting of information will keep attention up.

MORE INFORMATION Like Love Aussie Melons on Facebook, Tweet us @loveaussiemelon and look for The Australian Melon Association on Pinterest • www.facebook.com/pages/Love-AussieMelons/495291493948563?ref=hl • https://twitter.com/loveaussiemelon • www.pinterest.com/loveaussiemelon/

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YOUR INDUSTRY

Thirty years of devoted work and pleasure went into developing this garden around her family home while at the same time helping her husband Bert in the production of ware potatoes.

It was back in 1975 after a devastating house fire that a prime piece of farming land was selected to build the family a new home.

Coral’s garden

Open Gardens Australia

BY JIM TURLEY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, POTATO GROWERS ASSOCIATION OF WA INC

On Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November Coral Russell from East of Donnybrook opened her magnificent garden to the public.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

The house was built 60 odd metres from the roadside, this gave the family the added security of a ‘green’ fire break all year round with the sprawling kikuyu lawn that thrives around the house.

The garden has evolved over the years and is well known throughout the district. With an abundance of water from the dams, the garden flourishes all year round.

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Many of the features in the garden have been built by the family. Tonnes of rock have been gathered from the 2,000 acre property. There is a constant supply of fertile manure that is integrated into each bed and then mulched thickly to manage the weeds.

The large expanse of lawn in front of the house has hosted many family cricket matches and is a fantastic area to rest and take in the surrounds.

The large gum trees were planted when the house was built and now serve as the ‘sleeping quarters’ for the resident peacocks. There are also large tree ferns, pine trees, cocos palms and recently planted deciduous trees. The orange trees provide plenty of juicy fruit for the family, along with cherry, mulberry, macadamia and fig trees.

The two open days showcased the many garden beds around the property with a vast variety beautiful flowers that included over two hundred rose bushes, hydrangeas, agapanthus, day lilies, cannas, irises, geraniums and so many more . The fish pond provides an oasis for many frogs and possibly the odd dugite snake.

Hundreds of people enjoyed the open days at Coral’s place taking their time to soak up the beauty of the garden and purchased many of the home made foods available.

Corals chooks where another feature that caught peoples eye along with the many other birdhouses and letterboxes.

There is no doubt this is one of the best presented gardens in Western Australia and will be on many peoples calendar to attend future open days.

The raised garden beds which are made of metal and concrete water tanks allowing them to have fresh, seasonal herbs, vegetables and of course spuds.

For the grandkids, Coral has created a secret garden with miniature fairy houses and a fish pond with a bridge. The kids have also made their own garden. They have selected plants and ornaments that they like including rusty tools and a digger.

Throughout the garden there are many tables and chairs to sit and relax, overlooking the rolling hills with cattle feeding on lush pastures.

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR INDUSTRY

ADVERTORIAL

Growers supporting growers since 1963 United Crate Co-operative Limited was formed in 1963 by a number of conscientious growers who saw the need to provide a packaging service conducive to the marketing requirements of the state’s horticultural industries.

Prior to 1975 the traditional crate varieties were made of wood which was cheap and easily sourced. In 1975 the introduction of the re-usable plastic crate system was developed to supersede its less reliable predecessor.

The Co-operative became one of the first in the State to commercially hire plastic produce bins to complement the existing crate range. Growers who trialled this new addition praised its performance both in the field and its presentation when marketed.

The merits of the plastic crate were heralded as a revolutionary breakthrough on several fronts.

The crates were more durable, more easily transported, and provided better protection of produce, lighter in weight for ease of handling, more hygienic and less taxing on natural resources.

Environmentally, the plastic returnable crate system is sound. All crates and bins broken or damaged through prolonged use can be returned to the manufacturer to be reground to produce new crates. When one considers the amount of disposable packaging that contributes to landfill there can be no comparison.

United Crate has grown from humble beginnings 50 years ago in West Perth to industry leader, with five depots servicing the regional needs of our customers in Carnarvon, Manjimup, Donnybrook and Geraldton. In 2005 United Crates was the first company in WA to commission its first state of the art hot wash machine providing our customers with a hygienic product. Now in 2014 we have three hot wash machines for our crate and bin cleaning and are currently looking at another bin washer that will not only increase productivity but also have the ability for pallet washing.

United Crates not only supplies plastic crates and bins to the fresh produce industry, but also has a client base which includes laundries supplying mining, seafood, wine and olive industries. We have short term, long term hire as well as sale of both new and second hand crates and bins available.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

Working closely with our suppliers we are also able to provide customised crates and bins in your choice of colour and print (minimum quantities are required for this process).

Being a co-operative we strive to work together alongside our many shareholders and customers, who come from various backgrounds to provide WA with its freshest produce.

Many of the original founding members have retired, passing on their knowledge and skills to their children, some of whom have become members in their own right. Also in the last twelve months growers from diverse backgrounds have successfully applied to become a member with the knowledge and benefits of supporting our mutual objectives, thus maintaining the stability and ongoing growth of our Co-operative.

MORE INFORMATION You can contact our friendly staff who can assist you with your enquiries on (08) 9455 1540.

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Queensland Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Emerging Markets Forum

identifying the green lights A successful event — Emerging Markets Forum — initiated by the Queensland Government was hosted at Central Queensland University in Bundaberg on 22 October.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Industry Development Manager Jason Keating said it was a great team effort for DAFF stuff in Bundaberg to collaborate together and with external stakeholders.

DAFF’s Horticulture Research, Development and Extension Leaders Andy Mead and Leath Stewart deserve a specific mention for coordinating the forum.

They worked with Business Enterprise Centre Bundaberg, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and local government (to name a few) to highlight ‘green light’ opportunities for regional product.

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

Expert speakers from Austrade, Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, AusVeg, TIQ and the Export Council of Australia provided detailed country market analysis information that highlighted opportunities for regional agricultural products to 70 forum attendees.

Information about Free Trade Agreements and how to focus on specific products and channels was also discussed.

Case studies from industry representatives such as Ausveg, Austchilli, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers and Citrus Australia were well received and demonstrated success in growing agriculture exports from Central Queensland.

The case studies also highlighted the requirements for industry and enterprise capacity, capability, commitment and collaboration.

MORE INFORMATION For more information on the Emerging Markets Forum or Queensland’s agricultural export opportunities, visit www.daff.qld.gov.au or contact 13 25 23.

Follow us on Facebook Queensland Agriculture and Twitter @QldAgriculture

YOUR BUSINESS

YOUR

BUSINESS

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR BUSINESS

Improving profitability of production

BY DOMINIC JENKIN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

A lot of focus has been traditionally put on improving agricultural production and yields. This includes field trials, varietal tests, and developing improved production techniques.

While growers do benefit from improved yields, the primary concern must be to make a reasonable living from the farm.

What needs to be done therefore is to find interventions that improve farm profitability.

To do this there must be a basic understanding of the factors that influence profits. These are principally farm-gate or market prices, volumes sold and production costs.

AN increase in price has a significant effect on improving profit.

Table 1 shows how small changes in these three factors have an effect on a farmer's profit, improving the price obtained and the quantity sold have a greater impact on profitability that does increasing production.

The table contains arbitrary values for a hypothetical production scenario.

TABLE 1 The effect on profit of different levels of production, prices, sales and costs 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Base case

Yield (plus 10%)

One half marketed

Price (minus 10%)

Price (plus 10%)

100% sold

Marketing costs (minus 10%)

Yield

[kg]

10,000

11,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

Quantity sold

[%]

80%

80%

50%

80%

80%

100%

80%

8,000

8,800

5,000

8,000

8,000

10,000

8,000

5

5

5

4.5

5.5

5

5

40,000

44,000

25,000

36,000

44,000

50,000

40,000

Quantity sold

[kg]

Price

[$/kg]

Sales

[$]

Production costs

[$]

10,000

11,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

10,000

Marketing costs

[$]

16,000

17,600

10,000

16,000

16,000

20,000

14,400

Total

[$]

26,000

28,600

20,000

26,000

26,000

30,000

24,400

Margin

[$]

14,000

15,400

5,000

10,000

18,000

20,000

15,600

% of Base Case

[%]

+10%

-64%

-29%

+29%

+43%

+11%

Note: Costs for packaging, transport and commission are $2/kg sold, except for column 7, where they are $1.8/kg sold

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR BUSINESS

Column 1: The base situation. This summarises costs and returns for a grower who produces 10 tonnes of a product. Although only 10 tonnes are produced, only 80% is sold. The sale price is $5 per kg. Production costs include cultivation, seed, fertiliser, sprays, labour, etc. and are $10,000 combined. Marketing costs (e.g. packaging, transport and commission) are $2 per kg sold. The farmer's total sales are $40,000, the costs are $26,000, leaving a margin of $14,000 to cover any fixed costs (rent, bank charges, salaries, etc.) and profit.

In the following examples (columns 2 to 7) a single variable has been altered, thus affecting the gross margin of each case.

Column 2: Additional production inputs result in the yield being improved by 10%. Production costs are increased by $1,000 and marketing costs by $1,600 as additional production is marketed.

Margin increased by $1,400 or 10% Column 3: Only half the production is sold (e.g. because of oversupply, a lack of buyers, poor demand, etc.).

Margin falls dramatically to $5,000, or about a third of the typical profit in the base case (down by 64%).

Column 4: Shows the impact on profits when prices are 10% down.

This will happen when there is low demand or oversupply. Profit margin falls by about a third (29%) to $10,000.

Income and costs

FIGURE 1 Relationship between prices and profit

Sales

ue

reven

Profit margin

Marketing costs Production costs Prices

From this analysis we can note several important points about profitability: 1. If farmers cannot sell all their product, potential profit decreases significantly.

This highlights the danger of increasing production without being confident that the additional supply can be sold. It also important to focus on improving the saleable portion of your production, by refining growing techniques.

2. An increase in price has a significant effect on improving profit because production and marketing costs are generally fixed (unless a marketing commission is calculated as a percentage of the selling price). In the example, a 10% increase in price lifted the profit nearly 30%.

MARKETING costs can be reduced through collaborative efforts or more direct sales.

The opposite is true of low prices, where a small decline in price can lead to a large decline in profitability. This shows the importance of growing crops that are in demand, producing better quality and negotiating more effectively with traders.

Figure 1 displays the effect on profit of increased prices.

3. Marketing costs (e.g. marketing commissions, transport, packaging, etc.) can be greater than production costs, particularly in the case of horticultural crops. Marketing costs can often be reduced through collaborative efforts or more direct sales and logistics, leading to higher profitability.

MORE INFORMATION For more information please speak with Dominic Jenkin on 0427 373 037 or email dominic.jenkin@vegetableswa.com.au

Column 5: Sets out the situation where prices are increased by 10%.

This could happen when demand is high and/or supply is low. Profit increases by 29%, or by $4,000.

Column 6: All production is sold.

This might be because the market linkages have been improved, because the farmer works harder at marketing or because of strong market demand. Profits improve by $6,000 or over 40%.

Column 7: Reflects the situation where 10% savings are made on marketing costs. Margin increases by 11% or $1,600.

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Fuel tax credits helping primary producers cut costs 60

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YOUR BUSINESS

Good news for businesses claiming fuel tax credits. The repeal of the carbon tax means that from 1 July 2014, some of the rates have increased, potentially reducing your fuel costs even further.

If you’re not already claiming fuel tax credits to help keep your costs down, then you should go online and check out the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Fuel tax credit eligibility tool.

The ATO’s Assistant Commissioner Tom Wheeler says their online Fuel tax credit calculator which has the different rates builtin, makes those calculations quick, easy and most importantly, correct. You can also access the calculator through their free ATO app for smart phones and tablet devices, so you can work out your claims anywhere anytime.

“The online tools and information on our website help you claim all the fuel tax credits you’re entitled to and avoid costly mistakes, such as claiming for fuel you use in light vehicles (4.5 tonne GVM or less) when traveling on public roads.

“Any fuel used for private purposes regardless of the GVM of the vehicle is not eligible for fuel tax credits.”

Tom says good record keeping is vital.

“People need to have accurate records to support their claims, including the date the fuel was acquired, the type of fuel, what they used it for and how much was used for each activity.”

He also points out there are different rates for different fuels, and rates can vary for one fuel type depending on its use.

“For instance, fuel used in vehicles with a GVM over 4.5 tonne for travelling on public roads can be claimed at one rate, while the rate for fuel used in on-farm plant and machinery is higher. From 1 July 2014 you can no longer claim fuel tax credits for nontransport gaseous fuels used in agriculture, fishing and forestry activities.”

“Make it a habit to use the Fuel tax credit calculator every time you claim.”

“I’d also recommend primary producers and those with rural businesses take a look at our online publication Fuel tax credits for business which is a complete guide to who can claim and what you need to do.”

Social media posts Twitter Fuel Tax Credits help keep primary producers’ costs down. Find out how with ATO’s Fuel tax credits for business.

Facebook ATO’s Fuel tax credit eligibility tool makes sure primary producers know what to claim to keep fuels costs down and its Fuel tax credit calculator makes sure you get it right every time you claim on your BAS.

CASE STUDY

Getting it right Mal and Jean own a crop farm and have a range of equipment including a header for harvesting, a tractor which powers and helps move their irrigation equipment and a grain elevator to transfer their crop to their on-farm silo.

She uses the Fuel tax credit eligibility tool, which tells her that she can claim fuel tax credits for the diesel generator, which provides their home with electricity since they aren’t connected to the electricity grid.

They long-ago decided to use equipment all powered by diesel to simplify their fuel purchases and storage.

She also finds out that they can claim fuel tax credits for the ten tonne GVM truck they use to move their grain to the railhead, for transport to market.

They need to keep their costs as low as possible, so Jean goes online where she comes across a YouTube video on fuel tax credits which tells her about some helpful online tools.

The eligibility tool also shows different fuel tax credit rates for the different activities for which the fuel is used.

This is very useful information since she is the one that does all their bookkeeping, including their Business Activity Statement, and she is pleased to find the Fuel tax credit calculator which is easy to use and makes sure her fuel tax credits calculations are correct.

The result? They’re getting more fuel tax credits and because they’re getting their claims right the first time, they’re saving time and money.

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Keeping innovation alive

in the family business

BY JANA HOIBERG THOMASNET NEWS

There are challenges in every business, but family businesses tend to suffer harder when there are obstacles and especially conflict.

Family businesses must turn the ‘familiarity mindset’ into an advantage.

Combining this familiarity with a culture of innovation can accelerate new ideas and ways of doing things to keep the business flourishing.

Two brothers owned and operated a manufacturing and distribution business.

Each brother had specific areas of expertise, and together they successfully managed the operation for many years.

However, in the last few years their market share began to erode as technology challenges arose and additional competition moved into the market. The brothers acknowledged the arising issues yet could never seem to agree on a strategy on what to do to stay on top. The more the business eroded, the more the brothers argued about what to do. In the end, the brothers gave up trying to communicate and the business finally failed.

Inside every business, there is conflict. It is how that conflict either inspires or confines the business that foreshadows what is to come. Great innovation can come through conflict, yet what exactly is innovation?

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Innovation is often defined as the application of a better solution to meet new requirements. My definition of innovation takes a slightly different slant. I believe innovation is learning to do old and new things in new ways even when not required.

One of my favourite books is If it Ain’t Broke…Break It! by Robert Kreigel. It was written in the early 1980s with the concept that just because something works now does not mean it will always work.

The best companies and innovators are always working to improve or change the status quo.

Family businesses, however, can find themselves stuck in the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset. Add conflict to the business or to the family and innovation flies out the window due to infighting and egos.

Are family businesses innovative by nature?

Most family businesses start off with high levels of innovation to get off the ground and up and running. The founders of family businesses typically understand what it takes to be different, stand out, compete, and challenge the status quo. Challenges to innovation most often arrive with success, longevity, or the introduction of a second generation to the business.

With longevity, the family business becomes the means of financial support for multiple generations and multiple family units. The risk of innovation now has a huge price. But what is often not understood is the risk that a lack of innovation brings.

inno

Any business that has innovation at its core also has a vision for the future and what that future will bring. When fear rules, taking chances becomes secondary.

A business that is ruled by an attitude of fear, a fear of change, or a fear of disturbing the status quo will eventually flounder and cease to exit.

So how do you protect your family business and preserve a culture of innovation?

Maintain a mindset Accept that failure is the most direct path to continued success. Allow failure and embrace it; just put parameters in place to minimize the damage from failure. If a product line is failing, stop it fast, and learn from it.

Spread out the risk Most financial advisers will tell you not to put all your financial assets in one area, but instead to diversify with stocks, bonds, and moderate-growth and aggressive-growth options, etc. Take that same concept to your business decisions. And always have a budget for innovation that includes both time and money.

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BE different, stand out, compete, and challenge the status quo.

ovation Create a culture that allows for mistakes Innovation usually comes through trial and error. This flows well with Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “I didn’t fail the test, I found 100 ways to do it wrong.”

It is through those 100 ways of doing it wrong that the greatest inventions and innovations in history took place.

Accept accountability A LinkedIn group posed a question that a wife asked her spouse: “Do you want me to be the type of wife that supports you no matter what and is always encouraging?

Or do you want the professional me that questions and challenges you?”

This is a great question. My recommendation is both. During business hours, I want to be the professional businesswoman who challenges and uses all of my talents to move the family business forward. When I get home, I enjoy being the encouraging wife.

Women are strong enough to play both roles.

If we allow each other the opportunity to assume the roles that play to our strengths, then innovation will continue and everyone will be the best they can be, and the business will flourish as a result.

But the Market Basket drama actually demonstrates that even with family conflict, a strong company can be generated — strong enough that employees, vendors, and customers banded together to support one of the cousins who was ousted as president until he was reinstated.

Make everyone responsible for innovation

If you want a case study (and it will be a Harvard business case study, just wait) of all the good and bad in a family business, with decades of conflict, read about Market Basket. The company managed to be hugely profitable even with the family discord, so it can be done. But what is lost is how much more of an impact there could have been without the discord. Even though there is now a buyout deal in place between the cousins, the family feud has caused delays in store expansion plans.

The power of the family business lies in familiarity that family brings. The power of understanding those you work with can give leverage to the family business. Capitalize on that exponential power.

If innovation is critical to the long-term success of your family business, and conflict stands in the way, you have choices. Will you face it or wait until there is no turning back?

Have a regular time to get away and plan to innovate

MORE INFORMATION

How would you answer that question? Do you want the growth that comes with full accountability and the ability to challenge within the family business, or are you the spouse who does not want to hear criticism?

Source: news.thomasnet.com

Throw everything you are doing up in the air with the concept of someone else catching it and reviewing it with fresh eyes.

A fresh take, combined with the familiarity within the family business, gives potential and new possibilities.

Conflict in the family business is not new The most fascinating example of family conflict played out this summer at a long time New England grocery chain called Market Basket. Its story shows the downsides of family conflict that went unresolved for decades, the power struggle between two cousins, and the eventual and unusual resolution.

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Harvest Trail

auditing program underway

BY ROB PRICE DIRECTOR OF THE FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN’S REGIONAL SERVICES TEAM

Each year, seasonal workers follow the ‘Harvest Trail’ of ripening fruit, vegetables and other crops around Australia.

Overseas workers make up a large part of the workforce in many regions — and we know they can be vulnerable if they’re not fully aware of their rights under Australian laws, so we place a high priority on ensuring they’re treated fairly.

They pick and pack grapes in the NSW Hunter Valley in January, apples in Tasmania in Autumn and bananas, tomatoes and mangoes at Carnarvon in Western Australia in October.

Our review isn’t just about auditing growers. It’s also an opportunity to educate people about their obligations and better understand whether there are any barriers that are making compliance difficult.

Last year, the Fair Work Ombudsman began a three-year review of the fruit and vegetable growing industry and its compliance with federal workplace laws.

We’ll be visiting and revisiting growing regions over the course of the review and working with industry associations to build ongoing relationships.

As part of our review, we’ve been following the ‘Harvest Trail’ across Australia.

Through these interactions, we hope to determine what factors influence compliance with federal workplace laws and determine if there are any patterns.

So why are we doing it?

We know there is confusion among growers and labour-hire contractors about what they need to do to comply with workplace laws — and we want to understand why, and what we can do to help.

Complaints to our office suggest some seasonal workers are being underpaid and treated unfairly.

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We want to know why a particular crop has high or low levels of compliance, why growers in a particular sub-sector have different levels of compliance compared to their competitors, and how the supply chain influences the farm-gate price.

Our review started with visits to strawberry farms at Caboolture in Queensland last year where we found issues such as employers failing to make written agreements for workers paid piece rates and making unlawful deductions from employee wages.

We identified that more than 150 pickers and packers, many of whom were overseas workers on 417 working holiday visas, had been underpaid over $134,000.

Each time we found a contravention, our focus was to educate the employer about their obligations and make sure they had all the information they needed to comply.

We have since visited fruit and vegetable regions in other parts of the country, including cherry farms in NSW, apple and pear growers in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia, and growers in Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands, Darwin and in Perth.

Recently, we visited growers and contractors in Carnarvon to find out what was going on in their region and to monitor compliance at local farms.

So far, we are finding some confusion among employers about how piece rates work.

The Horticulture Award 2010 sets up a framework for piece rates, which are an alternative to paying an hourly rate. Piece rates enable employers to pay workers per bucket, per kilogram, per tray, or in whatever unit their produce is measured in — but these arrangements must be consistent with the Award to be genuine.

We’re also finding that labour-hire arrangements are very common — and we have no objection if these arrangements are lawful. In horticulture, we recognise that the outsourcing of labour to a third party is increasingly a regular occurrence to ensure a grower has enough labour on their farm to pick their crop as quickly as possible.

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We do have a problem with labour-hire contractors who aren’t meeting their obligations under workplace laws. We also have a problem with any growers that turn a ‘blind eye’ to such conduct. It’s a mistake for any grower to believe “it’s not my problem, they’re not my employees”.

Workplace relations legislation provides a mechanism called accessorial liability through which someone other than the employer who is involved in a breach of workplace laws may be held accountable for contraventions and subject to penalties.

We need growers to understand that what occurs on their property is their issue, and that they need to be completely aware of who is on their farm and what they are doing.

Growers using lowest price labour-hire contractors should consider whether the low cost is attributable to business efficiencies rather than the contractor underpaying the minimum lawful entitlements of pickers and packers.

It is not fair or lawful that a grower down the road is making a bigger profit because they

are using disreputable contractors offering to pick and pack their produce at half of the lawful labour cost, when you are doing the right thing. We want to create a level playing field for all growers.

Where a grower sees a problem, we want them to report this to us. We want to stamp out the unlawful practices of any rogue operators who are underpaying their employees.

MORE INFORMATION Employers and employees can tell us what’s happening in their region, or seek information and advice, by contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman through the website www.fairwork.gov.au, or by calling the Infoline on 13 13 94. A free interpreter service is also available on 13 14 50.

Rob Price is the Director of the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Regional Services Team. Rob is leading the team of Fair Work inspectors implementing the Harvest Trail project.

In Western Australia, federal workplace laws do not apply to sole trader and partnership employers. Sole trader and partnership employers seeking advice can contact Wageline on 1300 655 266, or visit www.commerce.wa.gov.au.

Piece rates under the Horticulture Award The Horticulture Award 2010 provides for piece rates to be paid as an alternative to the minimum hourly rate, enabling employers to pay workers based on their results.

These variables need to be factored into a piecework agreement — and the Fair Work Ombudsman has a free piecework agreement template employers can use at www.fairwork.gov.au/harvesttrail.

Pieceworkers usually get paid per bucket, per tray, per kilogram or per punnet they pick or pack, giving them an incentive to achieve high levels of productivity.

Piece rates must enable an average competent worker to earn at least 15% more per hour than the minimum hourly rate. This means competent and productive workers should actually be better off compared to employees receiving an hourly rate.

Before a worker can be paid piece rates, there has to be a written and signed piecework agreement setting out the pay rate per piece and how it is measured. An employer has to keep the agreement as part of their records and give a copy to the employee.

If there is no signed piecework agreement, the employee is not considered a pieceworker and must get the minimum hourly or weekly rate.

The rate for a pieceworker may vary day-to-day depending upon variables like weather conditions, the ripening process and other factors like the size of plants and buckets.

When determining their piece rate, employers should ask themselves whether an average competent worker could reasonably pick or pack enough produce to earn the base hourly rate plus 25% loading (if they’re a casual) plus 15% per hour. If the answer is no, then the piece rate is probably too low.

Labour-hire arrangements — what growers need to know Engaging labourers through a third party contractor can seem like an easy option. However, there are risks that growers need to manage.

Contracting out labour for a very low price may result in employees throughout the supply chain missing out on basic rights like minimum wages, penalties, loadings, overtime, allowances and leave.

It may also mean the contractor is engaging in sham contracting arrangements with sub-contractors to avoid their legal responsibilities as an employer.

If the price of a proposed contract seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Choosing the contractor who offers the lowest price without looking more closely and asking questions about how they can offer such low prices can damage a business’ reputation and the reputation of a whole growing region.

It can also expose growers to financial penalties if workplace laws are breached.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has a free check-list to help growers ask the right questions of third party contractors before agreeing to use their labour. The check-list is available at www.fairwork.gov.au/ harvesttrail.

Growers should also make sure they have a written contract with their labour-hire contractor outlining what is expected of the contractor, in particular that they will employ employees in line with Australian workplace laws.

If a worker earns less than the minimum hourly or weekly rate it may give the Fair Work Ombudsman reason to look into whether the calculation of the piece rate meets the Award’s requirements.

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Private power poles and lines

are your responsibility Power lines which transport electricity from your main switchboard and meter to your home or other buildings are private power lines. This includes the pole where the network operator's overhead service cable is attached and/or the switchboard/ meter box is located.

If you have private power lines or a private power pole on your property, it is your responsibility to inspect and maintain them. Keep trees and branches clear of power lines. This will help prevent power interruptions and reduce the possibility of electrocution or fire.

This is not a new requirement. It has always been the property owner's responsibility to maintain all electrical equipment they own.

What overhead power lines are we talking about?

All private poles, wires and pole-top fittings located on the owner's property are his/her responsibility. Figures 1–6 show some common private power line arrangements.

If you are unsure about the ownership of power lines on your property, please contact: Horizon Power — 1800 267 926

Network Operator’s Power Lines

FIGURE 2

ry Bounda Bore Pump

Network Operator’s Service Cable

Private Power Pole

Propert

Main Switchboard / Meter Box Private Power Pole

Private Power Pole

Shed

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y Boun

Private Overhead Power Line

Private Overhead Power Line

Main Switchboard / Meter Box

It is recommended that you: • safely remove any vegetation on the ground close to the base of all power poles and under the power lines; • check that trees and branches are at least two metres away from power lines. If they are not, arrange for tree pruning by a competent vegetation control contractor. Check the Yellow Pages or contact the Tree Guild of WA for a list of trained contractors; • check wood poles for obvious defects such as poles which are cracked, damaged, rotting, attacked by whiteants/termites and ask your white ant/ termite inspector to treat (if required) the area around the poles;

• check all poles for leaning, brackets pulling away from poles/buildings, damaged stay-wires, split cross-arms, broken strands in wires, damaged insulators or wires hanging much lower than others in the same section.

Network Operator’s Power Lines

Network Operator’s Service Cable

ty Proper

It is important that you inspect your private power lines and poles (including stay-wires, fittings and all other components) at least once a year to check for any visible signs of deterioration. Never climb a pole, approach the wires, attempt any electrical repairs yourself or cut any vegetation near an energised power line.

Contact with live wires can kill!

• inspect steel poles regularly (e.g. every year). Steel poles, even if galvanised, are subject to rust and should be checked above and below ground for defects; and

Western Power — 13 10 87

FIGURE 1

Inspections of private overhead power lines and poles

dary

If you come across any of these defects during a visual inspection, immediately arrange for further inspection or repairs by a licensed electrical contractor.

FAR LEFT It is important that you inspect your private power lines and poles at least once a year to check for any visible signs of deterioration.

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FIGURE 3

FIGURE 5

Network Operator’s Power Lines

Network Operator’s Power Lines

Network operator’s service cable

Network Operator’s Service Cable ty Proper

B

y oundar

dary

oun

r ty B

e Prop

Main Switchboard / Meter Box Private Power Pole Private Power Pole

Private Underground Power Line

FIGURE 4

Main Switchboard / Meter Box

FIGURE 6

Network Operator’s Power Lines

Network Operator’s Power Lines

Network Operator’s Service Cable

Network Operator’s Service Cable ty Proper

Bound

ary

Network Operator’s Pole

dary

oun

r ty B

e Prop

Private Power Pole

Main Switchboard / Meter Box

Life expectancy of wood poles Australian Standards indicate a life expectancy of up to 40 years above ground and 25 years below ground for hardwood poles. However, the life expectancy of wood poles can vary significantly depending on their uses, species, climatic conditions and soil conditions.

If your poles are hardwood, such as jarrah, it is recommended that you replace all those which have been in service for more than 25 years.

The difficulty in detecting internal deterioration and rotting in hardwood poles makes age-based replacement the only reliable option.

Alternatively, if your poles are softwood, such as treated pine, it is recommended that you seek information from the manufacturer or your supplier (if known) about the life expectancy.

You should then replace those poles that are older than the indicated serviceable life.

If your poles are made of sawn timber, you should immediately replace them.

Main Switchboard / Meter Box

Sawn timber is not suitable for power poles as it is more prone to rot and structural deterioration, with a high risk of early failure.

• an underground supply is far more reliable, not affected by weather or vegetation; and

• it does not require maintenance.

Groundline reinforcement using galvanised steel stakes can also extend the life of wood poles. Such an option should only be considered if the reinforcement work is performed by an asset management company specialising in such activities.

Please discuss this option with your licensed electrical contractor.

In some cases, you may be able to negotiate a discount by digging the trenches yourself. Before digging, check for other underground services that may be present.

My power poles need replacing.

What are my options?

2. Pole replacement

1. Underground If the private power poles or lines on your property exceed their serviceable life, it is recommended that you consider replacing them with an underground cable.

The benefits of an underground cable are:

• it is far safer than an overhead line. It eliminates the risk of starting a bushfire and the risk of electrocution through contact with farm equipment is minimised;

Should your overhead power lines need substantial repair and you decide to continue with overhead power lines, you should use new steel poles and insulated wires.

Regulations will be amended to require this. Wood poles and bare overhead wires will then no longer be allowed. Ask your electrical contractor for advice.

MORE INFORMATION For more information please see go to www.commerce.wa.gov.au/energysafety/ private-power-poles-and-lines-are-yourresponsibility

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YOUR BUSINESS

The impacts

of supply and demand

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YOUR BUSINESS

BY DOMINIC JENKIN FIELD EXTENSION OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA

The quantity of product that consumers want to purchase is affected by many factors, the most important being:

For less perishable products, growers or traders may decide to store them in the hope that prices will rise, rather than sell them immediately.

• The price of the goods

When prices do rise they may take the products out of storage to sell. At this time supply is equal to production harvested for immediate sale plus products taken from storage.

• Tastes and preferences of the consumers • Number of consumers • Incomes of consumers • Prices of competing produce • Range of products available to consumers.

The quantity that producers supply is also affected by a number of factors, the most important being: • Price of products on the market • Price of inputs/costs of production • Technological factors • Climate • Storage potential of product.

The price of a product is mainly determined by supply and demand. Basically a balance is achieved between what people are prepared to supply at a price and what people are willing to pay for the product. As the price rises the quantity that will be supplied also rises and the quantity demanded falls and vice versa.

Supply is what growers are prepared to sell at a certain price Demand is how much consumers are prepared to buy at the market price While supply is influenced by production it is not always the same as production (e.g. sometime perishable crops may be grown but not harvested as the price is too low).

Short-term price fluctuations Horticultural products are subject to large fluctuations in prices. They can fluctuate daily, depending on supply and demand. The main causes of short-term price changes of fresh produce are: • The amount of produce on sale in the market on a particular day and the quantities sold in the previous few days • Short-term demand changes (e.g. school holidays, etc.)

• The effect on demand of prices of competing products.

To take advantage of the opportunities when prices are high a supplier needs to be in close communication with the markets to transport produce rapidly.

Seasonal price changes With seasonal products, supplies are low at the start of the harvest season, so prices tend to be higher. Prices are at their lowest when the crop reaches maturity in the main production areas. At the end of the season prices normally increase again as supply diminishes. Prices are generally higher during the off-season. This relationship is detailed in Figure 1.

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FIGURE 1 Supply and price changes over a season

Supply

A better understanding of markets The way horticultural markets operate is complex. Markets are not very rational. Very often they appear to panic or overreact. If traders believe that there is a shortage of a product, prices will rise. Often, the increase is out of proportion to any shortfall in supply.

The converse is also true. If the market expects even a small oversupply, then prices fall rapidly.

Price

Time

Growers who are located in areas where early or late season crop production is Year 1 possible or can use production methods, such as covered cropping, that can bring forward to push back the harvest date are best placed to take advantage of high early or late-season prices.

Long-term price changes

Supply

Production and prices can also fluctuate from year to year. Figure 2 shows how a season of high prices and low supply is often followed Price by a season of low prices and high volumes.

Sales This is because many growers individually make the same decision to expand production in response to high prices in one year. Wiser farmers may deliberately decide to do the opposite to what their neighbours are doing, or alternatively coordinate production with other regional growers to ensure the market Supplyis not oversupplied.

Figure 3 shows that the lower the price, the greater will be the demand. However, as Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 the prices go down, less will eventually be supplied (because growers will produce less).

Conversely, the higher the price, the more will be supplier. The relationship between what people are prepared to buy and what farmers are prepared to grow at different prices should eventually lead to a balance between supply and demand.

Year 1

The theoretical point at which supply and demand are in balance is referred to by economists as ‘equilibrium’.

AtPrice this price there is enough incentive for farmers to produce the quantity that consumers will buy at that price. In practice, although the marketing chain tries to achieve this balance it is rarely done because Price there are so many factors affecting both Sales supply and demand and because farmers lack adequate information about demand.

FIGURE 2 Fluctuations in price and production over several years Year 2

Demand Year 3

The effect on demand of changes in price When prices fall consumers increase their purchases. They buy less when prices rise.

However, the response to price changes depends on the type of product. Increases (or decreases) in price of staple products have a relatively small effect on volume of sales, however this is not the case for niche or nonessential products.

FIGURE 3 Long-term relationship between prices and demand Point of equilibrium

Year 4

Supply

Point of equilibrium Demand Price Sales Source: fao.org

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Source: fao.org

Quality

Price

Year 1

High prices have a large effect of profits. In the short term a farmers response to high prices will be to try to increase the quantity of the produce marketed (e.g. harvest crop early). In the longer term the farmer will consider expanding the crop area and look Time for ways to increase production. In response to high prices farmers usually increase their production in the next season. As many growers often make the same decision, there may be a subsequent oversupply of the Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 market, causing prices for fall and farmers to reduce production in the following season.

Quality

Price

Time

The effect on supply of changes in price Price

Supply

Source: fao.org

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Finding out what products the market demands and tailoring your supply accordingly involves understanding: Small falls in price in these product lines can cause disproportionally large increases in sales, while small price increases can lead to big falls in sales.

salad crops but when the weather becomes cooler, vegetables for cooking are in greater demand. This leads to short-term fluctuations of these commodities.

Condiments, spices and other products that are used in smaller quantities are relatively insensitive to changes in price.

Longer-term changes in demand are caused by changes in taste, attitude to product, convenience, perceived health benefits, and society.

Low prices do little to increase sales as people do not change their recipes to use more spices when prices are low. This means that when products like garlic are in oversupply, prices fall dramatically, as consumers do not respond to price changes by buying more.

The effect on price of changes in demand Consumer demand and tastes change constantly. Short-term changes can be caused by the weather. For example, sunny summer days often increase demand for

• Product: specifications, varieties, colour, size, grade, quality and packing; • Prices: price patterns, variations according to season, quality and supply; • Supply: volumes, competing suppliers and seasonality; • Preferences: of customers and consumers;

How can improved marketing help producers?

Producers often see themselves as ‘price-takers’, thinking that they have no control over prices and have to accept what is offered. It is not always easy to know how to find new buyers nor know how market demand is changing and which products are most profitable to grow. Without this insight it is difficult to effectively manage the supply of product into the market and improve the prices that you receive.

• Opportunities: for additional production to be marketed.

A goal of any grower should be to become better informed about your market, it is from this point that you can make decisions to improve your operation.

MORE INFORMATION If you would like further information please contact Dominic Jenkin on (08) 9481 0834 or email dominic.jenkin@vegetableswa.com.au

SUMMER VARIETIES www.southpacificseeds.com.au Cinderella

Desert

High Resistance: Bl:1-31

Intermediate Resistance: CMV, PRSV, WMV, ZYMV, Px

CINDERELLA is a large framed variety in the Raider class with plenty of leaf cover to protect from the sun.

CINDERELLA is suitable for warm season production.

DESERT is a very dark green zucchini with a more cylindrical shape than Enzo and Nitro, with an excellent gloss and tidy flower scar. Yields have been very high in plantings to date, comparable to Enzo. DESERT is best suited to warmer season harvest periods and offers virus resistance levels which exceed most current commercial varieties.

Sandpiper Nr

Allstar

High Resistance: Bl:1-31 Intermediate Resistance: Nr:0

High Resistance: Fom:0-2, Px:2

SANDPIPER Nr is a large dark green iceberg lettuce with good size and uniformity. Recommended for late summer to early autumn harvest in southern growing areas of Australia, SANDPIPER Nr is early to fill and has low internal tipburn.

ALLSTAR is an ESL Harper style melon with very good tolerance to ground cracking in plantings to date. The fruit have a rounded oval shape, medium size, dry cavity and excellent firmness and uniformity. The melons have a well covered net, dark orange flesh and good sugars.

Maturity is easy to judge as netting becomes more prominent on the peduncle.

Perth Office: 08 9331 6356

Emma Wallace: 0427 947 919

Duncan Lamont: 0419 934 767

Chris Manning: 0438 855 124

The information provided is based on an average of data and observations collected from our trials. Significant variations may occur in the performance due to a range of conditions including cultural/management practices, climate, soil type and geographic location. As a consequence South Pacific Seeds cannot accept any liability as to the accuracy of this information. NOVEMBER 2014 ACN: 002 887 256

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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YOUR BUSINESS

Drought Concessional Loans Scheme

Drought Concessional Loans Scheme

applications open Farm businesses in Western Australia can now access the Australian Government’s Drought Concessional Loans Scheme.

Drought Concessional Loans are now available to assist farm businesses recover from and prepare for future droughts and return to viability in the longer term. Under the scheme, the Australian Government will provide Western Australia with $20 million for the provision of Drought Concessional Loans in 2014–15.

Key features of the Drought Concessional Loans Scheme • Loans are for eligible farm businesses for the purposes of restructuring existing eligible debt (including a Farm Finance Concessional Loan), providing new debt for operating expenses or drought recovery and preparedness activities, or a combination of these: • A maximum loan term of five years • Loan amounts will be up to 50% of total eligible debt to a maximum of $1 million • A variable concessional interest rate initially set at 4% • A concessional interest period of five years • Interest only payments available for the loan term • At the end of the loan term, the farm business must repay or refinance the remaining loan balance

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applications

open

• The availability of loans is subject to funds being available. The scheme will close on 30 June 2015 or earlier if funds are fully committed.

Eligibility To be eligible for a Drought Concessional Loan you must: • Demonstrate that you and your farm business meet the Drought Concessional Loan eligibility criteria.

Detailed information about the eligibility criteria for Drought Concessional Loans Scheme is available in the Drought Concessional Loans Scheme Guidelines • Complete and submit an application with all the necessary supporting documentation including: — the required evidence to demonstrate that your farm business is experiencing a significant financial impact, causing a financial need for assistance — the required evidence to demonstrate that the significant financial impact is a result of the effects of drought — the required evidence to demonstrate that you have taken reasonable steps to prepare your farm business for the effects of drought, including through an acceptable drought management plan — confirmation from your current commercial lender(s) of support if a Drought Concessional Loan is approved.

• Provide satisfactory security for the loan.

YOUR BUSINESS

BOM Australian Rainfall Deficiency Analyser.

Bureau of Meteorology Rainfall Deficiency Report Applicants must submit a valid Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Rainfall Deficiency Report as part of their application.

The report identifies those areas that have experienced one of the following two rainfall deficiencies, which extend 12 months or more (the 12 month period needs to be continuous, in whole months and wholly within the last two years): • A rainfall deficiency, which is equivalent to, or worse than, a 1 in 20 year rainfall event (a rainfall deficiency at or below the 5th percentile).

• A rainfall deficiency, which is equivalent to, or worse than, a 1 in 10 rainfall event (a rainfall deficiency at or below the 10th percentile).

If your farm business is not located in either of these rainfall deficient areas, you are not eligible for assistance under the Drought Concessional Loans Scheme.

Obtaining a Rainfall Deficiency Report A report can be obtained using the BoM — Australian Rainfall Deficiency Analyser. To locate your farm business on the map, you can enter latitude and longitude coordinates of your farm business or you can zoom and click on the location of your property on the map.

Once you have located your farm business, an option to download a Rainfall Deficiency Report becomes available.

You can also use a hard copy map, smartphone application or internet search to find the latitudes and longitudes of your farm business.

Your Rainfall Deficiency Report will be valid for a period of 60 days and forms part of your loan application. If you are unable to lodge your application within the 60 day period you will need to obtain a new report.

The Australian Rainfall Deficiency Analyser is updated on the 23rd of each month (or next business day).

When assessing applications, the Rural Business Development Corporation (RBDC) will verify information provided by applicants.

MORE INFORMATION Please read through the Drought Concessional Loans Scheme Guidelines for full details on the scheme. Further clarification can be obtained by contacting the RBDC on (freecall) 1800 198 231.

THE Australian Government will provide WA with $20 million for the provision of Drought Concessional Loans in 2014–15.

Department of Agriculture and Food

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YOUR BUSINESS

Cashflow

is king in small business

BY DI GRAHAM SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Whether you’re just starting out in business, or you’ve had a business of your own for years, the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) is an organisation you need to know about.

There are many descriptions used for cashflow but the ‘life-blood of your business’ is probably the most appropriate because without effective, sufficient cashflow, your business could die.

Therefore, it’s imperative to know what expenses you need to cover, and how much money will be flowing into your business.

According to Mike O’Donnell, Senior Business Adviser at the SBDC, business owners, particularly in the early stages of business development, are notoriously unrealistic when it comes to forecasting cashflow.

Mike says new business owners often underestimate outgoings and overestimate inflow or revenue, but to get a more practical idea of the real picture, a cashflow forecast is the best way to go.

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TAKING a long time to send an invoice gives the impression that you’re in no hurry to get the money back.

A cashflow forecast usually covers a 12 month period and can highlight upcoming cash surpluses or shortages, and help you to make the right decisions. It can also assist with tax preparation, planning new equipment purchases or identifying if you need to increase your available funds or working capital through an overdraft or other credit facility.

By including every case scenario in your cashflow forecast, you will see how your business will cope if it hits tough times, or does better than expected. Prior warning allows you to work out solutions to anticipated temporary cash shortfalls or arrange short-term investments for temporary cashflow surpluses.

YOUR BUSINESS

Increasing the ‘in-flow’ In order to keep cash flowing into your business on a regular basis, review your credit management policies and tighten them up if necessary.

Credit management is the process of controlling and collecting payments from your customers. A good credit management system will help you reduce the amount of capital tied up by people owing you money, and minimise your exposure to bad debts.

Ideally you should only extend credit terms to people or businesses you have researched and trust. Be sure to develop a credit application process before granting credit.

Mike says it’s important to include your terms of payment on quotes, invoice your customers promptly, and follow up overdue amounts.

“Taking a long time to send an invoice gives the impression that you’re in no hurry to get the money back.”

Take steps to encourage your customers to pay promptly by clearly stating when the payment is due and how to pay. Make it as easy as possible for them to pay by having online payment facilities, and send prompt reminder notices if they miss the ‘due by’ date. Chase overdue invoices immediately, by contacting your client by phone or email the day after the invoice is due.

Mike says this lets your client know that you keep close track of your accounts receivable.

But sometimes invoices get lost or overlooked, so maintain positive relationships with your clients and be polite and friendly.

You can also negotiate for initial payments up front. If the supply of goods or services is to be undertaken over a period of time, you could arrange for a partial payment with the order, then part payment at the half-way mark and the balance upon completion. This will provide you with the all important cashflow to operate your business in the meantime.

Monitor your customers’ payment habits and decide how valuable the client is to your business. You do not have to extend credit, so if a customer has a history of slow payment, consider tightening their terms of credit, or eliminate credit entirely and work on a ‘cash on delivery’ basis only.

It is best to minimise the likelihood of bad debts through good credit management practices, however, despite your best efforts, you may still incur bad debts.

Essentially, an unpaid invoice is a breach of contract. Disputes arise when parties to a contract don’t do what they agreed to do, in this case, paying for products or services supplied.

It is advisable to use a measured approach and select the most appropriate method to recover the debt while maintaining the relationship with your client.

Keep track of your finances One of the quickest ways to lose track of your business’ financial situation is to have sloppy or ineffective cashflow systems and procedures.

Maintain your debtors’ records to identify any due or overdue debts. Develop a good records management system and keep records up to date so you can quickly identify who owes you money and how much is owed.

Implement your debt collection practices the minute a debt becomes overdue and ensure clients do not exceed their credit limits.

MORE INFORMATION The SBDC has a range of resources, advice and guidance to help you better manage your cashflow at: www.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au or call 13 12 49.

Generally, your debt collection options include: • Personal communication and consultation with your client

KEEP track of your finances.

• A written request to settle the debt (letter of demand) • SBDC Alternative Dispute Resolution service (if the nonpayment is due to a dispute) • A debt collection agency • Legal or court action.

Decreasing the ‘out-flow’ On the other end of the cashflow management pendulum, minimising or delaying outgoing payments can also be an effective means of preserving cash for your business.

Negotiating extended credit limits with your suppliers, and taking the opportunity to renegotiate contracts with landlords, lenders and contractors can all help reduce the business’ operating costs and thus provide more cash for your business.

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Looking to advertise in

WA Grower?

Potato Growers Association Inc.

WA Grower advertising specifications FULL PAGE 210mm(W) x 297mm(H) with 3mm bleed

One off price — $990 Annual price — $900

HALF PAGE 190mm(W) x 130mm(H)

One off price — $495 Annual price — $450

ONE THIRD PAGE One off price — $385 190mm(W) x 80mm(H) or 60mm(W) x 254mm(H) Annual price — $350

vegetablesWA has been the peak industry body representing vegetable growers in Western Australia for over 65 years. Our purpose is to assist growers, industry and government to maintain a profitable and sustainable vegetable and potato industry.

INSIDE BACK COVER 210mm(W) x 297mm(H) with 3mm bleed

One off price — $1,320 Annual price — $1,200

OUTSIDE BACK COVER 210mm(W) x 297mm(H) plus 3mm bleed

One off price — $2,200 Annual price — $2,000

FLYSHEET ONE QUARTER PAGE Black & white one quarter page 132mm(W) x 80mm(H)

One off price — $500

The WA Grower magazine The WA Grower is a quarterly publication produced by vegetablesWA and The Potato Growers Association (PGA) of WA.

NOTE: All prices are plus GST

The magazine has a distribution of over 900 copies including every vegetable and potato grower across all growing regions in WA, as well as the other key stakeholders in the state and nationally.

Please refer to inside back page for artwork specifications.

The magazine provides information across a range of areas and is divided into sections called your industry associations, your production, tool time, your industry, you business, and your self.

Survey results show that the majority of growers share their copy of the magazine with two or more people and some even up to 15 extra readers.

Growers also said they keep the magazine to refer back to which provides maximum exposure for advertisers.

The WA Grower offers a FREE ADVERTORIAL in one edition of the magazine to advertisers who commit to an advert for FOUR EDITIONS.

Publications cut off dates AUTUMN — 20 February 2015 WINTER — 15 May 2015 SPRING — 21 August 2015 SUMMER — 12 November 2015 Please send averts to: Morena Tarbotton, PGA Finance and Administration Manager, email morena.tarbotton@vegetableswa.com.au

If you would like to be a part of the magazine or for any further information please contact: Rebecca Blackman, vegetablesWA Finance and Administration Manager, phone (08) 9481 0834 or email rebecca.blackman@vegetableswa.com.au

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HONG KONG

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HONG KONG

BY GAVIN FOORD EXPORT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, HORTICULTUREWA

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YOUR MARKET

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA

Australia Fresh Networking Reception

well-received by buyers and importers during AFL 2014 The Australia Fresh Networking Reception was held with great success during Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong on September 4. With over 220 guests, and half of these being buyers and retailers representing some of the largest organisations the world over, all attendees benefited from being brought together at the Networking Reception.

networking function and over 220 people attended. It is extremely beneficial to all industries as the relevant interested importers from all countries are all together in one room. Australian exporters were able to work the room, talking to and strengthening relationships for future exports. It is a very worthwhile event to attend.”

Embarking on a “Team Australia” approach, this event was primarily organized by Australia Fresh and was corroboratively partnered with:

Agnes Barnard, Program Director Australia Fresh, said “Talking to buyers and importers at this event reinforced just how valuable events like this are.

Our members and partners were all able to make connections in a relaxed environment.”

• Department of Primary Industries, Victoria • Trade and Investment Queensland • HorticultureWA

MORE INFORMATION

• Brisbane Markets

This event was sponsored by Australia Fresh Industry Members, in partnership with HorticultureWA, Brisbane Markets Limited and the Australian Horticulture Exporters Association.

• Australian Horticulture Exporters Association.

Australia Fresh Industry Members who attended the event were delighted to see such a strong turnout. Said Jeff Scott, CEO of the Australian Table Grape Association Inc. “It has been a few years since Australia Fresh has hosted this

Acknowledgement HorticultureWA would like to thank Australia Fresh for the opportunity to be a part of this prestigious event.

It was great to have our members in attendance, networking with buyers and retailers from throughout Asia is what Asia Fruit Logistica is all about. It was also a great opportunity to catch-up with many of our interstate friends from different industries.

HorticultureWA is an alliance between Western Australian fruit and vegetable producers.

Our export development project is housed at vegetablesWA and has funding support from the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA).

Our aim is to build on the success of WA fruit and vegetable producers in export markets.

TOTALLY INTEGRATED PACKAGING SOLUTIONS FOR AUSTRALIA’S FRESH PRODUCE MARKET From packing shed to the retail outlet, edp can supply everything needed for the handling and packaging of your fresh fruit and vegetables.

www.

.com.au

edp australia pty ltd 31-37 O’Brien Street Mooroopna VIC 3629 Phone (03) 5820 5337 Fax (03) 5825 2758 Email sales@edp.com.au

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Asia Fruit Congress EMMA Germano from Germano Cauliflowers and Jim Trandos from Trandos Farms at Asia Fruit Congress.

Indonesia: market on the move Reviewing this information at the same time as the inauguration of Indonesian President Joko Widodo shines a new light on the opportunity that is Indonesia. With the addition of Garuda’s daily wide-bodied jet service to Denpasar and Jakarta, I’m told we have a line in the sand and that now is the time to reassess trade with Indonesia.

Presentations from Hendri Sim and Kafi Kurnia certainly reinforced that sentiment.

Asia Fruit Congress is the business/conference day associated with Asia Fruit Logistica.

Of particular interest on the program to me personally were:

Latin America: Asia’s fruit bowl?

It seems that everyone, including Australia, is trying to lay claim to the title of Asia’s fruit bowl.

The reality is that Asia is not a single market and there are opportunities for different products, from different countries, in different markets, within Asia.

Indeed, there is a place for a range of products at different price points and to capture the opportunities, our challenge is to understand what fits where. In most cases we are unable to compete on price, so understanding and communicating our competitive advantage will be the key to success.

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A fresh look at vegetables It was very refreshing to hear that “… vegetables are an exciting new growth area in Asia…” Again, understanding how to best capture the opportunities remain our big challenge. A quick look at top end supermarkets through-out Asia will reveal retail pricing at a level that must create a reasonable margin for the Australian producer.

The following page is from the Asia Fruit Congress program. More details, including copies of presentations are available at www.asiafruitcongress.com/.

I strongly urge you to visit the webpage and download the information. Then consider Asia Fruit 2015. If we are to do business in Asia, we need to meet the people and make the contacts. Opportunities are there, to realise those opportunities we must talk volumes and prices.

YOUR MARKET

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA

More than 400 fresh produce professionals from around the world were in Hong Kong on 2 September 2014 to attend Asiafruit Congress 2014. It took place the day before ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, its partner event.

The full-day congress was moderated by Chris White, managing director of Market Intelligence, the publisher of Asiafruit and its sister publications. Chinese/English simultaneous translation was provided during the congress sessions.

The land of brands: making your mark in Asia

Indonesia: market on the move

New possibilities for pears

This is close to home for us in Australia.

Speakers:

Speakers:

Speakers:

• Brett Ennis Chief executive, Prevar (NZ)

• Kafi Kurnia Managing director, Peka

• Louis Ng China market representative,

• Chris White Conference moderator,

Asiafruit (UK) • James Sinclair Managing partner,

InterChina (China) • David DeLorenzo Chief executive &

president, Dole Asia (Singapore) • Matt Crawford Corporate relations

manager China, Zespri (China) • Liu Zijie Founder and chairman,

Goodfarmer (China) • Vikram Puri Chief executive, Mahindra

Shubhlabh Services Limited (India) Brands play a vital role in Asia’s rapidly emerging fresh produce markets, for consumers, wholesalers and retailers.

The expert panel looked in-depth at brands, from how they translate across different cultures to how to manage intellectual property protection.

Latin America: Asia’s fruit bowl?

Speakers: • Juan Carlos Rios Executive director,

Intercorp Peru (China) • Christian Carvajal Europe and Asia

marketing manager, Asoex (Chile) • Mario Steta Secretary and China market

access manager of Aneberries (Mexico) • Enrique Camet Chairman, Peruvian

Association of Agrarian Producers Guilds (Peru) Even though they are a long way from the market, Latin America's largest exporters are frontrunners in meeting the rapid rise in demand for imported fruits in Asia. What are the new opportunities and challenges for Latin America in Asia? Can Latin America become Asia's fruit bowl of the future?

Consult (Indonesia) • Hendry Sim Vice director, Laris Manis

Utama (Indonesia) Indonesia is an important fresh produce market in Asia. There is exciting potential for growth as demand spreads to new regions. This session focussed on the opportunities for new growth in Indonesia, and looked at some of the challenges that result from changing import regulations.

Pear Bureau Northwest (Hong Kong) Pear marketers are pursuing new outlets in Asia. It is a region where western varieties are very different from their local Asian counterparts. We explore the keys to market development, and look at some ground breaking varieties that can revolutionise the category.

The market of the future: Asia on the move

Food safety under the microscope

Speakers:

Speaker:

• Bruce Campbell Chief operating officer,

• Patrick Vizzone Head of food &

Plant & Food Research (NZ)

agribusiness Asia, National Australia Bank (Hong Kong)

• Sumit Saran Head of international foods

Demand for safe food is set to rise dramatically across Asia over the next five years. But the increasing complexity of the food supply chain across Asia, underpinned by a rapid growth in crossborder trade, makes it hard to monitor food quality. What is happening to address the issue at government and corporate levels? How is demand for safe food set to drive corporative activity moving forward?

• Loren Zhao Co-founder, Fruitday (China)

& operations, Future Group (India) How are consumer demands evolving in Asia? How are changes in the geopolitical landscape going to influence trade? And how is digital media reshaping the retail and marketing environment? Leading experts analyse the market of today, and assess how it might look tomorrow.

A fresh look at vegetables Speakers: • Winstone Chee Group head of fresh,

Dairy Farm Group (Hong Kong) • Wayne Prowse Senior analyst, Fresh

Intelligence Consulting (Australia) The vegetable trade into Asia has been overshadowed by fresh fruit, but things are changing: vegetables are an exciting new growth area, driven by growing consumer interest in freshness, food safety and provenance. We analyse the shape of the Asia's vegetable business, and look at the future potential.

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AUSVEG produce on display at Asia Fruit Logistica.

Asia Fruit Logistica Hong Kong September 2014

Asia Fruit Logistica is a massive showcase of fresh fruit and vegetable production targeting our growing Asian markets.

The event is pretty much a ‘who’s who’ of horticulture on the world stage.

The closing report from the organisers (to follow) provides some of the statistics and a number of testimonials. Australia was well represented at this event, with many Australian businesses joining in displays coordinated by Australia Fresh. There was also a large display focussed on Australian vegetables coordinated by AUSVEG, as well as numerous individual stalls representing Australian produce brands.

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My overall impression of the event was one of growth and optimism.

Our northern neighbours appear proud of the fact that they have emerged as real targets for our attention in terms of quality fresh produce.

It was again brought home that we are not alone in seeing opportunities for our produce in Asia. Indeed this event represents a global focus on Asia, reminding us that in many cases we are relatively new and small players. This means that now is the time to build on our successes, highlight our points of difference, find our niche and deliver on our promise.

YOUR MARKET

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA

ALLEN Burtenshaw (Souther Forests food Council) with Jennie and Wayne Franceschi at the Australia Fresh display at Asia Fruit Logistica.

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Retail visits

Hong Kong Outside the official program for Asia Fruit Hong Kong there were a number opportunities to explore the city and look at produce on offer.

Great Foodhall in the mall at Pacific Place in Hong Kong has one of the best commercial displays of fresh produce I have seen. Produce was from all over the world, including Asia, Europe, Australia, South Africa and the US. Great Foodhall is obviously operating at the premium end of the market, with premium produce at premium prices.

At the other end of the scale were numerous street stalls offering a wide range of fruit and vegetables. While more of the produce on offer was from Asian countries, particularly China, there was a scattering of produce from further afield, including Australian oranges.

More main stream stores like c!tysuper and PARKnSHOP were well stocked with quality produce from a mix of countries.

Retail prices were surprisingly high across the board, with a clear premium for produce from countries with a reputation for safety and quality.

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Hong Kong, like much of Asia, has a growing middle class with an ever increasing appetite for fresh food that is safe and of good eating quality.

TROY Cukrov from Supafresh at c!tysuper Hong Kong Central.

Unlike much of Asia, there are no quarantine barriers for our produce into Hong Kong. While we do export a relatively small range of produce to Hong Kong, perhaps it is time we re-visited opportunities to expand that range.

YOUR MARKET

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA

Asia’s fresh produce hub

enjoys growth surge Landmark year for ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA as the trade show registers sharp rise in both visitor and exhibitor numbers.

Hong Kong, 9 September 2014 – More than 8,100 trade visitors from 64 different countries attended ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and Asiafruit Congress at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo Center.

The record visitor numbers marked a 24% growth on last year’s attendance at Asia’s leading fresh fruit and vegetable trade show, but again it was the quality of the visitors that defined the success of the event.

“This is the best show we have attended,” said Jeff Scott, CEO of the Australian Table Grape Association, which was exhibiting within the Australia pavilion.

“We have had non-stop traffic to our stand and virtually all of the people coming by have been existing or potential buyers.

We’ve had visitors from almost every Asian country approach us, and it’s great that there are nearly 80 table grape growers here from Australia.”

Senior buyers and executives from leading food retailers were out in force at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA. One of them was Sumit Saran, head of international foods for Indian retail giant Future Group. “It’s not just the quality of the people you meet at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA that makes this show so special, it’s the quality of the time you get in those meetings,” said Saran. “It enables you to really do business and plan programmes.”

Other major retailers represented among the visitors included Aeon (Japan and Malaysia), Carrefour (China), Central Food Retail (Thailand), CR Vanguard (China), Cold Storage (Singapore), Dairy Farm/Wellcome (Hong Kong), GCH Retail (Malaysia), Lotte Mart (South Korea), Metro Group (China), NTUC Fairprice (Singapore), ParknShop (Hong Kong), Ranch Market (Indonesia), RT Mart (China), Spinneys (Dubai), Tesco Group Food (China & Thailand), The Food Hall (Indonesia), Walmart (China and India) and Yonghui Superstores (China).

JEFF Scott, CEO of the Australian Table Grape Association with buyers at AFL.

Exhibitor numbers up by almost 30% Visitors to ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA found an exhibition that had grown by almost a third. Some 478 companies from 38 different countries exhibited at the trade fair on 3–5 September, an increase of 28% on last year’s edition, while bookings for stand space grew by 25%.

Asia once again accounted for the largest percentage of exhibitors on a regional basis, with 12 different Asian countries making up 34% of the exhibitor numbers.

Europe retained its share of exhibitor numbers at 25%, while Latin America increased its presence to 15%. Oceania (11%), Africa (8%) and North America (7%) completed the global picture.

China remained the single largest country in terms of exhibitor numbers, with 94 companies exhibiting, while Italy held onto second place with 39 companies.

Australia surged into third place with 34 exhibitors, marking a 54% increase on last year, and Egypt also ramped up its presence, moving up into fourth place with 31 exhibitors (up 47%). The US retained its position in the top five with 30 exhibitors.

JIM Trandos at the AUSVEG display at AFL.

Latin American exporting nations Argentina, Ecuador and Mexico, along with Spain, all registered increases in exhibitor numbers of more than 60%, while other big movers included New Zealand (+100%), Japan (+75%), Turkey (+50%), The Netherlands (+40%) and India (+40%).

In a clear sign of Asia’s growing importance as a market for the global fresh fruit and vegetable business, most exhibiting nations invested in upgrading or expanding their stands at this year’s show.

Some 19 different countries had national pavilions, while Costa Rica, Poland and Saudi Arabia all exhibited for the first time at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.

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Desktop research

Japanese broccoli market In 2012 Japan produced 122,500 tonnes of broccoli. Figure 1 shows the main production areas are Hokkaido, producing 17%, Aichi 12%, and Saitama producing 11%.

FIGURE 1 Broccoli and cauliflower growing regions in Japan HOKKAIDO

NAGANO GUNMA TOTTORI

NAGASAKI

SAITAMA

KAGAWA

Japan’s imports have increased to 36,114 tonnes in 2013, valued at ¥7.2 billion. As previously commented upon, there was a spike in imports in 2012.

Market size

The quantity of fresh broccoli imported has grown by 22 percent in terms of volume, and 50 percent in terms of value, over the period from 2009 to 2013.

However Figure 5 indicates that the long term trend is declining US exports of broccoli to Japan.

The total market for broccoli (fresh and frozen) in Japan is shown in Figure 2. The Japanese produce on average around 120,000 tonnes of broccoli annually (quantity of shipped as opposed to harvested), which represents approximately 65% of their total market.

The remaining 35% of the Japanese market consists of imports that equate to around 67,000 tonnes on average per annum. The imports of fresh broccoli averaged approximately 38,000 tonnes from 2009 to 2012, while frozen broccoli equates to an average of 29,000 tonnes annually for the same period.250,000 However, data from 2012 indicates a significant increase of fresh imports into200,000 Japan rising to 50,000 tonnes. This could be attributed to the natural disaster and associated 150,000 impacts in 2011 (Fukushima).

Tonnes

AICHI

The domestic season in Japan runs throughout winter from October to March.

According to 2012 figures, the cultivation area is approximately 13,600 hectares.

TOKUSHIMA

FUKUOKA

100,000

Import market — fresh broccoli

250,000

FIGURE 3 Quantity of fresh broccoli imported by Japan by country

150,000 Tonnes

Tonnes

200,000

100,000 50,000

2009

2010

2011

2012

50,000 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000

Japan domestic (MAFF) — shipped Imports frozen broccoli Imports fresh broccoli Source: Japan Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry

2009

2010

United States Source: www.customs.go.jp

8,000,000

50,000 WA Grower SUMMER 2014

7,000,000 (¥)

45,000 40,000

Figure 5 indicates that the decline in the imports of broccoli by Japan from the United States is paralleled by an associated increase in the domestic production of broccoli.

Imports frozen broccoli Imports fresh broccoli

FIGURE 2 Breakdown of the Japanese market for broccoli comparing total imports with total domestic production

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By 2013 the US held 88% (¥6.5 billion) market share, followed by China with 11% (¥593 million), and Mexico with 1% (¥55 million).

In 2009 Japan imported 29,53150,000 tonnes of Additionally, while the US exports of fresh broccoli valued at ¥4.8 billion. At this broccoli have declined by approximately point in time, only the United States was 40,000 tonnes over the observed period, 0 supplying Japan. During the last 5 years, 2009 domestic2010 production 2011 has increased by 2012 60,000 tonnes.

Japan domestic (MAFF) — shipped

Source: vegetable.alic.go.jp

0

As indicated by Figure 3 and 4 the import market for broccoli in Japan is dominated by the United States, with both China and Mexico beginning to expand their market share from 2010 onwards.

6,000,000

China

2011 Mexico

2012

2013

40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 2009 2010 Tonnes

United States

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2009

2011

2012 2013 2010 2011 2012

China Mexico United States

China

2013

Mexico

FIGURE 4 Value of fresh broccoli imported by Japan by country 8,000,000

6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000

10,000

3,000,000

5,000

2,000,000 1,000,000 2011

China Mexico United States

Source: www.customs.go.jp

0

2012 2013 2010 2011 2012 China

2009

2013

Mexico

China

2010 Mexico

4,000,000

1,000 Yen (¥)

Country of origin

2,500,000

¥207.17

$2.22

China

¥147.98

$1.58

1,500,000

Mexico

¥181.50

$1.94

* Figures derived using import statistics Source: www.customs.go.jp

2012

2011

2009

2010

2009

2012 2008

2011 2007

2010 2006

2009 2005

2008 2004

2007 2003

2006 2002

2005 2001

2004 2000

China

2010

2013

kg of frozen broccoli imported by Japan (CIF) Yen per kg

AUD per kg

China

¥160.73

$1.74

Mexico

¥194.58

$2.10

Guatemala

¥201.44

$2.18

Ecuador

¥204.54

$2.21

* Figures derived using import statistics Source: www.customs.go.jp

May

Apr

In 2009 Japan imported 23,011 tonnes of frozen broccoli valued at ¥3.5 billion.

During the last 5 years imports by Japan have increased to 34,409 tonnes in 2013, valued at ¥7.2 billion.

20,000 1.60 1.40 1.20 Import prices 15,000 fresh and frozen 1.00 The United States 0.80is commanding a price premium10,000 over its competitors of between 0.60 AUD$0.28 and AUD$0.64 per kilogram.

0.40 As outlined in Table 0.20 1 and 2, Mexico is 5,000 0.00price for its frozen receiving a higher Mar

Import market — frozen broccoli

2012

Country of origin

Jan

Source: www.customs.go.jp

2011

TABLE 2Guatemala 2013 estimates of Yen and AUD per Mexico Ecuador

25,000

Feb

2003 1999

2002 1998

2001 1997

2000 1996

1999 1995

0

US

AUD per kg

US

500,000

Japan

Yen per kg

2,000,000

Tonnes

US

2013

TABLE 1 2013 estimates of Yen and AUD per kg of fresh broccoli imported by Japan (CIF)

1,000,000

1998 1994

Japan

1997

Broccoli (tonnes)

1996

1995

broccoli exports (AUD$2.10) than for fresh 0 Again, there was a spike in imports of (AUD$1.94).

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Seasonal factor Average frozen broccoli in 2012. The quantity of China Mexico Guatemala Ecuador frozen broccoli imported has grown by 50 percent in terms of volume and value 8,000,000 FIGURE 7 Value of frozen broccoli imported into Japan by country over the period from 2009 to 2013. Figures 6 and 7 focus on the top four countries 7,000,000 4,000,000 6,000,000 exporting to Japan.

3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000

Apr 1995 Sep 1995 Feb 1996 Jul 1996 Dec 1996

500,000 0

May 1997 Oct 1997 Mar 1998 Aug 1998 Jan 1999 Nov 1999 Apr 2000 Sep 2000 Feb 2001 Jul 2001 Dec 2001 May 2002 Oct 2002 Mar 2003 Aug 2003 Jan 2004 Jun 2004 Nov 2004 Apr 2005 Sep 2005 Feb 2006 Jul 2006 Dec 2006 May 2007 Oct 2007 Mar 2008 Aug 2008 Jan 2009 Jun 2009 Nov 2009 Apr 2010 Sep 2010

1,000,000 Jan 1994 Jun 1994 Nov 1994

5,000,000 As indicated by Figure 6 and 7 the import market for frozen broccoli by Japan 4,000,000 is dominated by China and Ecuador, 3,000,000 with Mexico and Guatemala remaining relatively small players in the market. 2,000,000 As at 2013 China held 61% (¥3.3 billion)1,000,000 market share, followed by Ecuador with 0 34% (¥2.4 billion).

1,000 Yen (¥)

3,500,000

Broccoli (kg)

1994

160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0

2012 Ecuador

Source: www.customs.go.jp

FIGURE 5 Comparing Japanese annual domestic production with annual US imports of fresh 3,500,000 broccoli from 1994 to 2012 3,000,000

00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0

2011 Guatemala

Dec

United States

2009

Nov

2010 0

Oct

2009

Sept

1,000,000

Aug

2,000,000

0

15,000

Jul

3,000,000

20,000 Tonnes

4,000,000

7,000,000 1,000 Yen (¥)

1,000 Yen (¥)

5,000,000

25,000

8,000,000

7,000,000 6,000,000

FIGURE 6 Quantity of frozen broccoli imported into Japan by country

Jun

Tonnes

35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000

2009

China

2010

Mexico

2011

Guatemala

2012

2013

Ecuador

www.customs.go.jp

1.60 1.40 1.20

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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Seasonality of US exports to Japan 25,000

Tonnes

Tonnes

One obvious point to note is the volume of broccoli being exported. During peak Figure 8 shows that while the US exports to Japan all year 20,000 round, it dominates the 25,000export periods for Australia volumes ranged between 100 and 300 tonnes fresh broccoli market from April through per month, with the exception of some September. This activity 15,000 captures the 20,000extraordinary peaks. In comparison market window during the Japanese the US exports averaged around 6,000 summer, following on from the Japanese 10,000 15,000tonnes per month in the 1990s and in domestic production season from October more recent years averages around 3,000 through March. Both China and Mexico 5,000 tonnes per month.

10,000 are exporting to Japan during the peak 0

5,000 2011 2012 2013 FIGURE 10 CIF price per kg of imports of fresh broccoli in to Japan by Australia 1994 to 2014 Guatemala

0

Guatemala

Ecuador

4 2 0 Jan 1994 Jun 1994 Nov 1994 Apr 1995 Sep 1995 Feb 1996 Jul 1996 Dec 1996 May 1997 Oct 1997 Mar 1998 Aug 1998 Jan 1999 Nov 1999 Apr 2000 Sep 2000 Feb 2001 Jul 2001 Dec 2001 May 2002 Oct 2002 Mar 2003 Aug 2003 Jan 2004 Jun 2004 Nov 2004 Apr 2005 Sep 2005 Feb 2006 Jul 2006 Dec 2006 May 2007 Oct 2007 Mar 2008 Aug 2008 Jan 2009 Jun 2009 Nov 2009 Apr 2010 Sep 2010 Feb 2011 Jul 2011 Dec 2011 May 2012 Oct 2012 Mar 2013 Aug 2013 Jan 2014 Jun 2014

Source: www.customs.go.jp

2013

Ecuador

Seasonal factor

Ecuador

from Australia. Figure 11 indicates real prices for fresh broccoli exported to Japan declined significantly from 2000 to 2006.

Prices decline from between $4.00 and $6.00 per kilogram to around $2.20 per kilogram by the end of 2006.

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2002 Sept

2009

Given that exports of broccoli to Japan all but ceased in 2006, it suggests that price was a contributing factor in the cessation of exports.

Dec 2000 Aug 2001

Nov 1998 Jul 1999

Oct 1997 Jun

Guatemala

Sept

Aug

Mexico

Apr 1994

Average price per kg ($) Jul

6.50 5.50 4.50 3.50 2.50 1.50 0.50 0.00

Mar

Jun Feb

May

Jan

Seasonal factor

1.60 1.40 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 0.20 0.00 Average

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

China

1995 May 1996

to Japan

However, Figure 11 provides some

2013 explanation of the decline in exports

2008

2012

Guatemala

0 FIGURE 8 Graphical representation of the seasonality 2009of US exports 2010 of fresh 2011 broccoli 2012 1.60 1.40 1.20 1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 0.20 0.00

2013

6

2010 2011 500,000

Mexico

2012

8

1,000 Yen (¥)

1,000 Yen (¥)

2009

China

Mexico

2011

2007 Dec

4,000,000

Australia has a3,000,000 history of exporting fresh 3,500,000 broccoli to Japan during our winter 2,500,000 production, taking advantage of the market 3,000,000 2,000,000 window during the Japanese summer.

2,500,000 1,500,000 However, the export of broccoli to Japan 2,000,000 ceased in 20071,000,000 with the exception of a few small shipments in the late 2000s. Figures 1,500,000 500,000 9 and 10 show Australia’s export of fresh broccoli to Japan from0 1994 to 2014. 1,000,000

2010

2005 Nov 2006

3,500,000 Australia’s export history to Japan

Ecuador

12 2009 10 China

2003 Oct 2004

2009 2010 The data in Figure 8 indicates that in May China Mexico (2009 to 2014) the US exported 37% (1.37) more fresh broccoli above its average monthly figure for exports to Japan for the observed period.

4,000,000

Real $AUD per kg ($)

domestic season.

Average

FIGURE 9 Imports of fresh broccoli by Japan from Australia 1994AUS to 2014 weighted average price

US weighted average price

8,000,000 7,000,000 Broccoli (kg)

6,000,000 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 May 1997 Oct 1997 Jan 1994Mar 1998 Jun 1994Aug 1998 Nov 1994Jan 1999 Apr 1995Nov 1999 Sep 1995Apr 2000 Feb 1996Sep 2000 Jul 1996Feb 2001 Dec 1996Jul 2001 May 1997Dec 2001 May 2002 Oct 1997 Oct 2002 Mar 1998 Mar 2003 Aug 1998 Aug 2003 Jan 1999Jan 2004 Nov 1999Jun 2004 Apr 2000Nov 2004 Sep 2000Apr 2005 Feb 2001Sep 2005 Jul 2001Feb 2006 Dec 2001Jul 2006 May 2002Dec 2006 Oct 2002May 2007 Mar 2003Oct 2007 Aug 2003Mar 2008 Jan 2004Aug 2008 Jun 2004Jan 2009 Nov 2004Jun 2009 Apr 2005Nov 2009 Sep 2005Apr 2010 Feb 2006Sep 2010 Jul 2006Feb 2011 Dec 2006Jul 2011 May 2007Dec 2011 Oct 2007May 2012 Mar 2008Oct 2012 Aug 2008Mar 2013 Jan 2009Aug 2013 Jun 2009Jan 2014 Nov 2009Jun 2014 Apr 2010 Sep 2010 Feb 2011 Jul 2011 Dec 2011 May 2012 Oct 2012 Mar 2013 Aug 2013 Jan 2014 Jun 2014

Apr 1995 Sep 1995 Feb 1996 Jul 1996 Dec 1996

Jan 1994 Jun 1994 Nov 1994

2,000,000 1,000,000 0

Source: www.customs.go.jp

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR MARKET Real $AUD per kg ($)

12 10 8 6 4 2 Jan 1994 Jun 1994 Nov 1994 Apr 1995 Sep 1995 Feb 1996 Jul 1996 Dec 1996 May 1997 Oct 1997 Mar 1998 Aug 1998 Jan 1999 Nov 1999 Apr 2000 Sep 2000 Feb 2001 Jul 2001 Dec 2001 May 2002 Oct 2002 Mar 2003 Aug 2003 Jan 2004 Jun 2004 Nov 2004 Apr 2005 Sep 2005 Feb 2006 Jul 2006 Dec 2006 May 2007 Oct 2007 Mar 2008 Aug 2008 Jan 2009 Jun 2009 Nov 2009 Apr 2010 Sep 2010 Feb 2011 Jul 2011 Dec 2011 May 2012 Oct 2012 Mar 2013 Aug 2013 Jan 2014 Jun 2014

0

AUS weighted average price

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

6.50 5.50 4.50 3.50 2.50 1.50 0.50 0.00 1994

Average price per kg ($)

FIGURE 11 Average and weighted average price per kg (real) of fresh broccoli exported to Japan.

US weighted average price

Looking at prices over the past two decades between the US and Australia, it shows that Australia had maintained a price premium over the US through the 1990s.

As volumes declined throughout the early 2000s the price premium that had been realised in the 1990s disappeared until the ultimate cessation of Australian exports in 2006.

This project has been funded by HAL using the vegetable levy and matched funds from the Australian Government.

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

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The Great Greengrocer recruits WA growers

The Great Greengrocer is a voluntary marketing support program to promote fruit and vegetables to the community through shopping at independent greengrocers.

This program is managed by the Perth Market Authority (PMA) and initial funding is provided by the PMA and Chamber of Fruit and Vegetables Industries WA.

As a part the Great Greengrocer Marketing Campaign, the program promotes WA growers through website and social media.

Great Greengrocers already support local growers and have strong relationships with WA growers. We want to proudly share some of these stories as a part of the Great Greengrocer marketing campaign.

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A featured story will not only promote a grower and growing region but also promote the grower’s fresh produce and share their knowledge with consumers on how to select and keep their produce fresh.

The aim of the program is to educate the consumer on how to select and cook fresh seasonal produce, show benefits of shopping at great greengrocers, and rediscover great growers and their regions.

MORE INFORMATION If you are a grower and want to be a part of the Great Greengrocer marketing campaign (at no cost), please contact Nicole Fernandes, Marketing and Communications Manager or Zarina Weston, Marketing Campaign Coordinator on (08) 9456 9200 or email info@greantgreengrocer.com Don't forget to like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ greatgreengrocer

Two centuries of innovation.

A lifetime of success.

Duncan F1 - High Yields + Short internodes with consistent 5-6 fruit + + + +

per truss Large sized fruit of 180-200g Extremely uniform shape & size provides for high pack out High quality, firm fruit with good colour, exceptional gloss & outstanding shelf life Combination F3 and TSWV

Resistances + HR: ToMV / Va:1 (EUR 0) / Vd:1 (EUR 0) / Fol:1,2,3 (EU 0,1,2) / For + IR: Ss / TSWV (T0)

Caldo F1 - Numbers & Quality + Good against sunburn! + Strong setting ability + Thick walled, firm, smooth & blocky fruit + Strong compact plant type covers fruit well + Excellent shelf life + Good resistance package Resistances + HR: TMV / PVY: 0,1,2 / Xv:1,2,3 + IR: CMV / Pc

For more information, contact: Kevin Swan – Sales & Development Manager – Tel: 0400 622 314 – kevin.swan@hmclause.com Important: The descriptions, illustrations, photographs, advice, suggestions and vegetation cycles that may be presented herein are aimed at experienced professionals and are derived from observations made in defined conditions on various trials. They are offered in all good faith, for purely informational purposes, and shall not therefore, under any circumstances, be held to be exhaustive, be taken as any form of guarantee of harvest or performance, prejudge specific factors or circumstances (either current or future), and more generally, form any kind of contractual undertaking whatsoever. The user must first and foremost ensure that his exploitation conditions, local geographical conditions, his planned growing period, his soil, the means at his disposal (such as technical knowledge and experience and cultural techniques and operations), his resources (such as tests and control methods) and his equipment, and more generally his agronomical, climatic, sanitary, environmental and economic context are suitable for the crops, techniques and varieties that are presented herein. All the varieties illustrated in this publication were photographed in favourable conditions and no guarantee can be provided that results will be identical under different conditions. All reproductions, whether in part or in whole, of this publication (of the medium and/or the contents), in any form whatsoever, are strictly forbidden, unless specific prior permission is granted. Non contractual photographs - All rights reserved - © 2013 HM.CLAUSE

HM.Clause Pacific - P.O. Box 475 - Bulleen - VIC 3105 - AUSTRALIA Tel: +61 (0)3 8850 5400 - Fax: +61 (0)3 8850 5444

YOUR BUSINESS

Veggie stats: Key facts and figures • Carrot growers’ returns, on average, have been falling since 2007–08, despite marginally increasing in 2011–12

carrot

Current financial performance Australian carrot growers’ returns on average totalled $35 per tonne in 2011–12, up 133% on the previous year (see Figure 1).

In 2011–12, the average price received per tonne of carrots was $331, whereas the average cost to produce a tonne of carrots was $296.

Long-term trends Carrot growers’ returns, on average, have been falling since 2007–08, despite marginally increasing in 2011–12.

• Since 2007–08, average domestic carrot prices have fallen by 24%, whilst average costs have increased by 42%

Australian carrot growers’ production (average per farm)

• Carrot production has fallen on average by 80% since reaching its record high levels in 2008–09

Australian carrot production per farm averaged 481 tonnes in 2011–12, down 11% on the previous year (see Figure 2).

• Fresh carrot and turnip exports are Australia’s largest vegetable exported commodity, representing over 20% of all vegetable exports in 2012–13

Average carrot production has fallen by 80% since reaching its record high levels in 2008–09.

Area planted v yield (average per farm)

• The value of Australian carrot and turnip exports has remained stable over the last four years, totalling $51 million in 2012–13.

The average area planted in 2011–12 is well below its peak in 2008–09 (see Figure 3).

In 2011–12, carrot growers’ average yields were 50 tonnes per hectare, lower than the five-year average of 56 tonnes/ha.

FIGURE 1 Australian carrot growers’ financial performance (average per farm) 500

$/tonne

400 300 200 100 0 2007–08 Price

2008–09

2009–10

2010–11

Costs (including imputed labour)

Source: ABARES vegetable farm survey 2011–12 and 2012–13, page 71 Returns: The difference between price and costs (including imputed labour).

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WA Grower SUMMER 2014

2011–12 Return

Hect

30

15

hectare

20

20 YOUR BUSINESS

10 5

10

0

0

2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 Area planted

FIGURE 4 Australian carrot and turnip export destinations and prices received

25

2,000 1,500

20

0

Si

Source: Global Trade Information Service, sourced from Australian Bureau of Statistics International Trade data, various years

Source: ABARES vegetable farm survey 2011–12 and 2012–13, page 71

FIGURE 3 Area planted versus yield 40 per farm) (average

60

50

50

40

Hectares

25 20

40

20 15

30

15 10

20

5

30 20 10

10

0

Tonne/hectare

60

Tonne/hectare

70

35 30 30 25

Hectares

AVERAGE carrot production has fallen by 80% since reaching its record high levels in 2008–09.

70

40 35

5

0.68

0.62 ng ap o

2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12

0.70 $3.81M $2.92M 0.66 $1.69M $1.55M $1.27M 0.64

re al ay Sa si a ud iA ra bi a

0

2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12

10

$6.47M $5.51M

10 5

0.74 0.72

15

500

0

0.76 $9.37M

UA E

500

0.78

M

Tonne

1,500 1,000

0.80

Ja pa n

2,500 2,000

$14.35M

Qa ta r Ba hr ai n Ku w ai Ho t ng Ko ng

30

% of exports

2,500

Unit price/kg ($)

Tonne

FIGURE 2 Australian carrot growers’ production (average per farm)

1,000

Yield

0

2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 0

0

2005–06 2006–07 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 Area planted2007–08 Yield Area planted

Yield

Source: ABARES vegetable farm survey 2011–12 and 2012–13, page 71

$14.35M

30 Destination of Australian carrot $14.35M 30 and turnip exports and prices 25 received % of exports 20

$9.37M

0.76 0.74

$9.37M

The majority of Australia’s carrot and turnip 15 $6.47M exports East and Asia $5.51M 15 were sent to the Middle $6.47M 10 (see Figure 4). in 2012–13 $3.81M $5.51M % of exports

0.78 0.76 Unit price/kg ($)

Exports20

0.74 0.72 0.72 0.70 0.70 0.68

$2.92M 0.68 0.66 $3.81M $1.69M Australia’s 5 carrot and turnip exports $2.92M $1.55M $1.27M 0.66 0.64 5 the highest export price from both $1.69M$1.55M received $1.27M 0.64 0.62 0

10

0.62

Si ng

UA

E UA ap E Si o ngre ap M al or ay e Sa Msia al ud ay Si aAr si a uadb i iAa ra Qa bia ta r Ba Qa ta hr r Baian Ku hra in w ai Ho Ktu ng w ai HKoo t nngg Ko Ja ng pa n Ja pa n

the UAE and Qatar at $0.79/kg, whilst 0 the lowest export price was Hong Kong at $0.68/kg.

Unit price/kg ($)

25

0.80 0.80 0.78

This project has been funded by HAL using the National Vegetable Levy and matched funds from the Australian Government.

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Testing the water with ‘new’ products in Singapore

BY GAVIN FOORD EXPORT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, HORTICULTUREWA

In early November, Joyce Babun and Dan Kuzmicich from Carnarvon and Gavin Foord from HorticultureWA visited Singapore with a mixed load of fresh produce samples.

This was part of a program focussed on expanding the range of Western Australian products exported to Singapore.

Singapore has long been a major export market for WA horticultural produce, the ABS dollar figure is in excess of $20 million annually. There are a number of good reasons why this is so:

GAVIN Foord, Joyce Babun, Dan Kuzmicich, Xavier Xiao (Benelux), Annie Oh (Oh Deli), Guek Hong Toh, Linda Ong and John Osborn (WA Trade Office).

• There are no quarantine barriers restricting trade of fresh produce from Australia into Singapore, so market access is not an issue.

• Singapore is close, about five hours by air and less than a week by sea.

• We are in the same time zone and anyone doing business with the eastern states during summertime knows how much easier that is.

• English is one of the four official languages in Singapore.

• WA and Singapore share a long, good history. A quick google search will reveal a large number of websites that are testament to that, including; our Department of State Development Trade Office, the Singapore Chamber of Commerce WA and even a Singapore Western Australia Network (SWAN) Facebook page.

What products?

Whenever I talk about horticulture exports from WA, carrots become a focus of the conversation. Singapore is no exception, but we also export a range of other fruit and vegetable products to Singapore.

Rather than focus on what we are exporting and why, I have looked at what we are not exporting to Singapore and wondered why not?

A number of people have spent a lot of time establishing business relationships in Singapore, introducing new suppliers with the same products is going to be counterproductive. However, introducing products that are not commonly exported is more likely to build on our success.

Who is ready?

In the past 12 months I have been talking to growers across WA about export readiness.

A few businesses have come forward and expressed an interest in exploring export opportunities.

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YOUR MARKET

The key criteria for export success remains the same, they must be prepared to: • Commit to supply • Meet quality standards • Agree on price Another contributing factor is the capacity to provide 12 months’ supply. In many cases, this is not possible for individual businesses. However, if we start thinking laterally, 12 months’ supply of many products can become reality. For example; the Carnarvon production season for many lines runs from May to December. Similar lines are grown in more Southern latitudes, from roughly December to May. Collectively, WA growers can supply those same lines 12 months of the year.

Point of difference Earlier I mentioned that market access is not an issue for our produce into Singapore. This is also true for our competitors. If we look at some of the lines we are not exporting and ask why not, the answer is usually about price and competition from countries with lower cost of production. If we can’t compete on price, we need to identify a point of difference that will command a premium price. Our food safety reputation is uncompromised and combined with our reputation for quality and taste; maybe we can return a premium price. There is one way to find out; take a range of produce to Singapore and ask…

Not quite like selling ice to Eskimos Earlier this year a group of growers from Carnarvon expressed interest in investigating export opportunities for their seasonal produce. This presented an ideal opportunity to test products not routinely sent to

Singapore. These also fitted into the potential ‘12 months supply with collaboration’ scenario. The challenge was to see if we could compete with places like the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, with products like tomatoes, capsicums, eggplant… Not quite like selling ice to Eskimos, but certainly a challenge. Preliminary talks with some friends in Singapore were not entirely discouraging, but it became obvious that no one was going to agree to paying a premium price without first sampling the premium product. So, it was time to test the market, or die wondering.

Logistics and distribution Our next challenge was all about the logistics. After much ado, we teamed up with local freight forwarder Worldlink to receive product from a range of sources and freight it to Singapore where importer/ wholesaler Benelux coordinated distribution and retailer contacts.

Next steps At this point in time we are all reviewing the information and processes. We were able to talk price and volume on a couple of items.

We have also come home to sharpen our pencils on price and volume for others.

The short-term aim is to agree on quality standards and price for the samples we shared so that we can start to plan and commit to a program for next year.

The medium-term aim is to engage with the local industry to capture the opportunities and build on our success without compromising current good business.

The long-term aim is to expand the product range and volume that we provide to the Singapore market.

Watch this space for progress towards these aims.

Produce included a mixed load of; eggplant, tomatoes, capsicum and pumpkin from Carnarvon, sweetcorn from the La Grange region near Broome, oranges from Moora and mandarins from Harvey. The produce from Carnarvon was provided by Dan Kuzmicich, Joyce Babun and Loveapple. The sweetcorn was courtesy of Trandos Farms. The citrus was added to the mix via Bronwyn Walsh (DAFWA) and the WA Citrus Export group.

The produce was sent overnight to Singapore. Joyce Babun, Dan Kuzmicich and I met at Benelux in Singapore the next morning to assess the products and divide up the samples appropriately. This included a bit of repackaging and the assembly of ‘gift packs’ for the buyers.

Meeting with buyers and retailers The next two days were spent visiting retail outlets and supermarket executives. This was a very interesting exercise as it brought home the message that different retailers want different things for their customers.

Some are more price driven than others.

Some only want premium pre-packs. Some are more interested in loose product. This was also reflected in the retail stores in terms of presentation and price.

All were interested in our produce.

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Market City 25 years

Gala Evening The Gala Evening was held at the State Reception Centre, Frasers in Kings Park.

The night’s MC, Karl Langdon opened the formalities and special speeches were delivered by David Thomas, Chairman of the PMA, and Hon Ken Baston, MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries on the history of the markets, and the future opportunities that are yet to come.

1

Market City was opened on 1st of November 1989 by Premier Peter Dowding with support from: • Mayor of Canning, Stuart Clarke • Minister for Agriculture, Ernie Bridge • Chairman of the Metropolitan Market Trust, Jack Toms • President of the Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries (WA) Inc, Cedric Smith.

2

Market City, Western Australia’s wholesale fruit and vegetable market located in Canning Vale is celebrating its 25th anniversary since its opening in 1989.

The Market City complex is critical to fresh food supply in WA, with more than 50 per cent of WA’s fruit and vegetables traded through Market City and then distributed through-out the State.

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Since 1989, business practices have evolved increasing efficiency, safety and product quality. Today, the Market City complex is situated on 51 hectares of land in Canning Vale. Over 100 diverse businesses are located on site including fresh produce wholesalers, a meat and seafood wholesaler, retailers, business service companies, restaurants/ cafes, food processors, transport and crate and pallet hire companies.

Market City today represents the diversity of the community with people of many countries of origin and cultural backgrounds.

As a part of celebration, Perth Market Authority (PMA) planned two major events: A Gala Evening on October 31 and History Display Room Opening on November 19.

The President of the Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries WA (Chamber) who was involved in the opening of the site in 1989, Cedric Smith was invited to share a few light hearted stories of his time at the markets over dinner.

Special acknowledgements were made to individuals who were nominated to receive certificates for their service in the industry over the 25 years as well as the businesses located at Market City who have continued to trade with their original business name since 1989. Cedric Smith was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award which was sponsored and presented by the Chamber.

History Collection The History Collection was opened by The Hon Ken C. Baston MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries on the 19th of November. The History Collection contains items and pictures from the early 1900s, when the markets were located in West Perth.

It also contains items that represent Market City today and the future outlook.

The event celebrated the growth and continuous improvement of the market environment and its link in the supply chain connecting growers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. The history collection is available to the public for viewing, on appointment.

YOUR MARKET

1 David Thomas, Chairman of the PMA and Hon Ken Baston, MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries

4 Martin Clark, CEO of the Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries presenting Lifetime Achievement Award to Cedric Smith.

2 Martin Clark, CEO of the Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries.

5 Stephen Ward, CEO of PMA presents certificates to the businesses located at Market City who have continued to trade with their original business name since 1989.

3 David Thomas, Chairman of the PMA.

6 The History Collection display.

7 H on Ken Baston, MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries opening the History Collection.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

8 H on Ken Baston, MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries and David Thomas celebrating the opening of the History Collection.

The Perth Market Authority wishes to thank all sponsors, guests and attendees for celebrating this milestone occasion for Market City.

Please contact the Perth Market Authority reception on (08) 9456 9200 if you would like to view the History Collection.

3

6

4

7

5

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Torbay Asparagus Late September Chefs and grocers were invited to a function at Mr Mushroom Canning Vale Markets to sample the new season asparagus from Torbay Asparagus along with WA food products including, Farmland Greens.

About Torbay Asparagus

The event hosted by Lloyd Williams from Mr Mushroom and WA Food Ambassador Don Hancey was a success with the Torbay Asparagus being showcased in several ways, raw, soup, grilled and on devilled eggs.

They have grown a huge number of different vegetables, fruits and wild flowers over the years, whilst still keeping the beef herd. They are also still growing sweetcorn which began in 1978, as well as raspberries, boysenberries, silvanberries and loganberries, which began in 1993.

DAVID Ashburner from Farmland Greens with WA Food Ambassador Don Hancey.

Phillip and Sheelagh Marshall started farming in the Torbay region, near Albany, in early 1971 with beef cattle.

They planted asparagus in 1972 and were amongst the first commercial growers of asparagus in WA, starting to pick in 1974.

They helped establish the WA Asparagus Growers’ Association in 1986, to assist other growers in the region.

BY REBECCA BLACKMAN FINANCIAL & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER, VEGETABLESWA

Founding members of the Albany Farmers Market, they bring produce to the market every week during the growing seasons — September to May. Farmland Greens was also showcased at the even with Marketing Manager David Ashburner taking the opportunity to ensure chefs new about their products and health benefits.

About Farmland Greens Established in July 2000, Farmland Greens is a family based company that has grown into a major player in the West Australian health food sector.

Initially limited to snow pea and sunflower shoots, our range now includes a full selection of the most popular sprouts, shoots and microgreens — grown under stringent quality control conditions on our specialist farm.

Fresh produce from Farmland Greens is usually harvested, packed and delivered on the same day making it the ultimate fresh food product.

Farmland Greens uses state-of-the-art hydroponic systems allowing them to produce all year round without the use of GMO, pesticides or dangerous chemicals.

Their produce is super healthy and inexpensive.

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‘Unlikely’ team forge partnership

to help those facing skin cancer

BY REBECCA BLACKMAN FINANCIAL & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER, VEGETABLESWA

Clinton Heal was only 22 when he got the bad news. A melanoma that had already spread to his lymph glands had been found by his specialist.

Clint, a young vibrant surfer who also had a love of football — playing with the South Mandurah Football Club — felt that his world had collapsed around him with his world spiralling into depression.

ABOVE: Ross Taylor and Clinton Heal.

BELOW: Ross with his wife Katherine.

“I was very depressed,” said Clint, “and it was only my love of the ocean that got me through this very low point in my life. I didn’t know where to turn, where to go or who to talk to apart from my very caring parents who were equally as devastated. My prognosis was very poor.”

What Clinton didn’t know at the time is the story of a much older yet equally keen surfer who was working within the West Australian horticulture sector. Ross Taylor, the current chairman of Western Potatoes, who was 55 at the time had been living ‘well’ with metastatic melanoma for over 13 years and had been helping people facing cancer as president of a number of WA-based cancer charities.

Clint’s mother, Robyn had heard about Ross and his wife Katherine, so made an appointment for her and Clint to meet them.

“Up until that time it was very much the specialist, mum, close friends and family who were running around seeking options and therapies that I could embrace in order to help me deal with my terrible prognosis,” said Clint. “I was really a back-seat passenger.”

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“When I first met Ross, I thought that apart from our mutual love of surfing, there wasn’t much in common as he was a lot older than me, in business, married and so on. But then, we did have one other important connection: we were both living with cancer.”

Clinton explained that over a three hour meeting with Ross and Katherine, he was to learn that he did have options and could take actions to complement his formal treatment.

“We talked about stress management through meditation, nutrition, support groups, developing a new sense of my spirituality (getting to know the real me from the inside) and also developing a real passion for what I really wanted to do in life; what Ross called ‘the one thing that makes you want to get out of bed each morning’ and that would drive my passion for life,” says Clint.

“Ross told me about how he would juice ten fresh vegetables every morning, and his ‘passion’ was the WA horticulture industry, because ‘it’s an ethically good industry with good people making foods that can heal our nation’.”

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A week later Clinton thought a lot about this meeting with Ross and Katherine, so one day he rang Ross with an idea.

“I explained to Ross that I had noticed there was such a lack of information and awareness about skin cancer and in particular melanoma,” said Clint.

“So I suggested that maybe Ross could start-up a new charity called melanomaWA and that I would help him do this. To my surprise Ross said, ‘No. How about you start it and I will help you?’ I nearly fell over, but then I thought, well why not. I really felt empowered and that this was my newly found passion to which Ross had referred.”

The rest is history. Since that time melanomaWA has gone on to become one of the most highly respected cancer charities in Australia. Today the organisation provides support group sessions in Perth, Bunbury and Busselton and skin check clinics in Onslow, Karratha, Bunbury and Perth. Clinton regularly flies to remote mining camps to tell the skin cancer awareness message.

“From the last 163 screenings”, says Clinton, “39 people were referred to specialists for further investigation and 15 life-threatening lesions were identified.” melanomaWA works closely with the medical practitioners providing a fully integrated service to people on matters relating to skin cancer.

IMPROVEMENT Resources/melanomaWA 2014 Ball at the Hyatt Regency with 400+ guests.

Ross, who today is the President of the recently open Cancer Wellness Centre Campus in Cottesloe, cannot speak more highly of this young man who has continued to live well with his melanoma diagnosis.

“Clint has had a further 34 secondaries since his original diagnosis,” says Ross. “For a young man who has only just turned 30, that is astonishing; yet he continues to do good for others and melanomaWA is held in such enormous regard throughout WA. I am immensely proud of Clint and how he took a simple ‘invitation’ that we offered him back in 2003 and turned this dream into an organisation that really does make a difference and saves lives.”

In 2011 Clinton Heal became WA’s ‘Young West Australian of the Year’ and another milestone was reached in March 2012 when his partner Dani presented Clinton with Abbie, their first child. Abbie is now a healthy and busy three year-old, and is idolised by her Mum and Dad. Earlier this year Clint was awarded the prestigious ‘John Curtin Medal’ for outstanding service to our community; highlighting just how far this young man had come since those darkest of days in 2006.

So what now of Clint and Ross?

“Sure, we have a big age gap,” says Ross, “but Clint and I share a passion not only for surfing, but also for life, including doing good in our community. It’s an enormous paradox that if not for cancer our lives would never have crossed.”

ROSS Taylor with Ajahn Brahm, the Abbott for the Buddhist Monastery.

“Just encouraging people to have their skin checked can make a life-saving difference,” says Clint. “Early detection of a melanoma almost always results in a 100% cure, whilst leaving it for one or two years can deliver a far more pessimistic result.”

And do they both continue to surf?

“Well, to be honest,” says Ross, “Clint is pretty good on the board, and usually whilst he is ‘ripping’ the waves when we are in Bali together, I am upside-down in the sand wondering what had happened on that last wave! But to get up and see this young man sitting out amongst the waves ‘cracking-up’ laughing at my misfortune, makes my heart ‘sing’.

“He is an absolute inspiration to me, Katherine, and to thousands of West Australians who have had their lives touched by this lovely young bloke,” said Ross.

MORE INFORMATION This article was originally written exclusively for the WA Grower, however in the interest of the public awareness of skin cancer, we gave permission for The West Australian newspaper to print this article on Saturday 22 November 2014.

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About melanoma Fast facts • Melanoma is one of the most deadly cancers and is the cancer most likely to affect 15–39 year olds • Melanoma is becoming more prevalent and has the fastest growing incidence rate of any form of cancer. It now ranks as the third most common form of cancer in Australia • Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world and Western Australia is second only to Queensland in incidence rates • There are over 1,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed in Western Australia each year. All cases have to be reported to the WA Cancer Registry.

Skin cancer is an abnormal growth or spread of damaged skin cells. The nonmelanoma skin cancers (basal cell and squamous cell) make up 98% of all skin cancers. Therefore, malignant melanoma makes up only 2% of all skin cancers, but are classed as the most dangerous.

Melanoma starts from the melanocytes (cells in skin that produce melanin and skin pigment). These cells are the cause of freckles and moles and produce the brown colour of a suntan.

Melanomas can occur anywhere on the body, not only on areas exposed to the sun although exposure the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is the main factor that causes skin cells to become cancerous cells.

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Early detection and treatment are the best defence against melanoma, so if you are concerned about an unusual freckle or mole, seek medical advice.

If Melanoma is not treated quickly, it may spread via the lymphatic system to other areas of the body, and this is referred to as Metastatic Melanoma.

Who is at risk?

The following factors may increase a person’s risk of developing melanoma: Skin type Some people have skin that is more sensitive to UV radiation. This includes people who have pale or fair skin; people who burn easily and don’t tan; and people with light-coloured eyes.

Having lots of moles Adults with more than 10 moles on their arms and more than 100 on their body should have their skin checked regularly by their GP or a skin specialist (dermatologist).

Childhood tanning/sunburn Too much sun exposure before the age of 15 greatly increases the chance of getting melanoma in later life because damaged cells have more time to develop into cancer. Studies show that people who move during adolescence from low to high UV radiation countries, such as England to Australia, develop melanoma at a lower rate than people born there.

UV exposure People who occasionally get heavy sun exposure (e.g. on weekends or on holidays) may be more at risk, especially if they get sunburnt. People who are frequently exposed to UV rays through regular sun exposure or solarium use are also at risk.

Age It is most common in people more than 50 years of age. However, it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 15–44 year olds.

Cancer history A person who has had melanoma or another type of skin cancer is at an increased risk.

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EARLY detection and treatment are the best defence against melanoma.

The single most important issue to understand about protecting the skin from sun damage is that sunscreen lotions themselves should only be considered after the basic measures have been taken:

1,000

• Avoid exposure during the midday period when UV Radiation is at its strongest (10am-3pm).

new cases of melanoma diagnosed in WA each year

• Remember that reflection of UV radiation off surfaces like concrete, sand and water causes you to burn, even if you think you are protected.

Use sun shelters or shade whenever possible (e.g. trees, umbrella, buildings), and choose shade carefully.

Melanoma is the cancer most likely to affect

15–39 YEAR OLDS

• Wear wide brimmed hats and protective shirts which cover the back of the neck. Choose clothing with closely woven fabric.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Melanoma can vary greatly in the way it looks. The first sign of a melanoma is usually a new spot or a change in an existing mole.

• Protect your eyes with sunglasses that meet Australian Standard AS1067.

Size — The spot may begin to get, or keep getting, larger.

Colour — The mole may appear blotchy with a wide variety of colours, such as brown, black, blue, red, white and/or grey.

Shape or border — An irregular edge (scalloped or notched) or lack of symmetry is a warning sign. That is, if a line was drawn through the middle of the mole, both halves would not match up. The spot may increase in height or become scaly.

Itching or bleeding — A mole that itches from time to time or bleeds may indicate a change to melanoma. It is normal for new moles to appear and change during childhood and pregnancy. However, all adults who have a new mole should get it examined. Even if you have had a mole checked before and it was assessed as benign, keep an eye on it because it could change in the future. Talk to your doctor immediately about any changes.

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun. Fair skinned/Anglo-Saxon Australians need to develop a lifestyle and/or strategies that minimise their total exposure to sunlight, especially during childhood and adolescence.

Photo courtesy: Queensland Health

Prevention

VOID exposure during the midday period when A UV Radiation is at its strongest.

MORE INFORMATION For more information please phone (08) 9322 1908 or go to www.melanomaWA.org.au

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Broccoli extract found to be transformative in treatment of autism, US researchers say Medical researchers in the Unites States (US) have identified an effective new treatment for autism in an extract from the humble broccoli sprout.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine conducted a double blind study over 18 weeks of more than 40 young men with moderate to severe autism.

The study found the effect on those treated with the extract was transformative.

One of the lead authors, Professor Paul Talalay, said during the blinding period it became quite obvious to the parents, caretakers and professionals that there were some dramatic changes in behaviour.

“So that I must say we were rather sceptical and somewhat wondered whether there couldn’t be anything wrong with the studies,” Professor Talalay said.

“And we had all the data professionally examined by an independent firm to make sure that there would be no systematic error of any sort.”

At the moment, other than behavioural modification programs, there is no effective medical treatment for autism.

“Nearly all efforts in autism now — and there are many hundreds — deal with trying to ameliorate the behavioural effects, which are endpoints to be sure.

“But the point is that this was designed to look at the cause, the core mechanisms rather than at the symptoms, and that has not been done before or very rarely done before, let’s put it that way,” he said.

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THE study found the effect on those treated with the extract was transformative.

In a double blind study, neither the test subjects nor the researchers know what treatment a subject is receiving — for example, active or placebo.

Professor Talalay said he recognised the sample size of the study was small.

“You know, the New England Journal of Medicine publishes of course hundreds and thousands of individuals in studies. But then you look more closely and they almost have to because the effects for most of the phenomena they examine are rather small.

“So to get any live bodies out of a small effect, you have to have a fairly large number of individuals. So (because) we are getting rather large effects, it doesn’t really on retrospect matter that this is a relatively small study,” Professor Talalay said.

Johns Hopkins has been looking into different aspects of the study for some years.

“On autism, we started about four years ago, on the efforts to control oxidation and information and the effect of heat. Those have been going on for 25 years at Hopkins but they’ve never been related to autism,” said Professor Talalay.

“And it was when we realised that in autism there are defects which are in fact corrected by a plant chemical that we proceeded to do this clinical study.”

Professor Talalay said it was a complicated matter and they were not yet ready to tell people what to do definitively.

“But for the moment I think that the advice to eat a plant-based diet is sound advice,” he said.

“Even if we don't know exactly how much (extract) they’re getting, they’re going to get some and that’s bound to be somewhat beneficial.”

MORE INFORMATION Source: The World Today Go to www.pnas.org/content/111/43/15550. full.pdf+html for more information.

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University of Queensland study shows

key to happiness is eating more fruit and veg 5

BY MATT EATON 612 ABC BRISBANE

Eating large amounts of fruit and vegetables can make you happier, Queensland research has found.

The University of Queensland study suggests eating eight or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day improves mental wellbeing as well as physical health.

Health economics researcher Dr Redzo Mujcic from UQ’s school of pharmacy said the study involved more than 12,000 Australian adults.

“What I wanted to look at is whether it improves also our mental wellbeing or mental health as well as physical health,” he told 612 ABC Brisbane.

Dr Mujcic said Australia’s current guidelines on fruit and vegetable consumption had very little empirical evidence to back them up and were mostly concerned with physical health and longevity.

His study examined people’s choices on fruit and vegies, and rated these against their levels of satisfaction, stress and vitality, and other mental health markers.

“It comes up the more you eat the better, but there’s also some optimal points.

“Eating about five fruits and five vegetables (per day) makes us the happiest we can be in that case.

“This holds for a number of mental health measures and it sounds like a big number but it’s actually consistent with recent evidence coming from the United Kingdom as well as New Zealand.

“This is based on a longitudinal household survey which takes place every year in Australia — it started in 2000 — it covers about 12,000 households or individuals.”

Dr Mujcic said the effects were strongest among women, although he did not know why.

fruits+ 5 veg a day

He said wellbeing levelled out among people who ate more than this amount, but that fewer than 10 per cent of those surveyed were eating the optimal 10 serves per day.

“The message coming out of this is if we can show a little bit more by using largescale randomised control trials to actually get at the causal effect of this relationship, if mental health really is affected by the fruits and vegetables that we eat, the governmental policy makers need to do something about promoting larger amounts of consumption.

“The methods I employed are a lot richer than just observing people at one point in time because we observed them (over) multiple periods but still the causal effect is very difficult to get at.”

MORE INFORMATION The paper can be found at http://mpra.ub.unimuenchen.de/59149/1/MPRA_paper_59149. pdf and for further enquiries please contact Dr Redzo Mujcic, UQ School of Pharmacy on (07) 3346 1975 or email r.mujcic@uq.edu.au

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Eat smarter this summer The festive season is upon us! This year has flown by and already it’s that time that many of us will come together and enjoy some quality time with family and friends.

You can make your festivities mean a little bit more this year by celebrating your healthier lifestyle journey – and we’ve got lots of tips and ideas for you below.

The good news you don’t have to deprive yourself, you can still enjoy the fun of food and events and keep up your healthier lifestyle by making a few small changes.

• Encourage your family, immediate, extended, adopted, welcome – to sit down together for a healthy breakfast everyday, including those special days like Christmas and New Years. That was you will all be less tempted to over indulge in treats or over-eat at the main meal.

And while it might be tempting to reach for an ice cold sugary drink, drinking just one can of soft drink a day can lead to 6.5kg of weight gain a year if that extra energy isn’t burnt off. And its not just soft drinks that are the culprits, sugary drinks include energy drinks, fruit drinks, vegetable drinks, sports drinks, iced teas, vitamin waters and flavoured milks. So quench your thirst with H20 or be creative and make your own water cocktail with cucumber, herbs and citrus or add slices of lemon, lime or apple.

Here is a fresh, flavoursome healthy LiveLighter meal you might like to try....

Lemon and herb roast chicken with vegetables Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 ½ hours Serves: 4

Ingredients Spray oil 1 whole chicken (1.8 kg) 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs Pepper 2 lemons 4 medium potatoes, skin on, halved ½ pumpkin (500g), cut into large chunks 4 brown onions, peeled and left whole 1 tablespoon oil

• Get your 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies in regardless of all the yummy foods around.

• Trim the fat of meats • Choose wholegrain options.

• Ditch the salt — use herbs and spices for flavour instead.

• Try healthier cooking options such as steaming, baking or boiling instead of frying.

• Go for walks or bike rides rather than moving from the table to the couch or outdoor chairs.

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QUENCH your thirst with H20 or be creative and make your own water cocktail with cucumber, herbs and citrus or add slices of lemon, lime or apple.

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Method

Cauliflower and broccoli cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly spray a large roasting tray with the oil.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

2. Pat dry the chicken with paper towel.

Serves: 4

3. In a small bowl, mix together garlic, mixed herbs and a generous amount of pepper.

Ingredients

4. Rub the mix all over the skin of the chicken and inside.

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

5. Pierce the lemons all over with a knife. Put the lemons inside the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken, breast side up, onto the roasting tray and cook for 45 minutes.

6. In a large bowl, mix potato, pumpkin, onions and oil.

7. Remove chicken from oven. Carefully turn chicken over to cook breast side down. Add vegetable mix evenly around the chicken.

8. Bake for a further 40–45 minutes or until juices run clear when the chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer.

Cooking time: 25 minutes

½ head cauliflower, cut into florets ⅓ cup water 2 tablespoons plain flour 2 cups low-fat milk Pepper ½ cup reduced-fat cheese, grated

ENSURE you get your 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegies in regardless of all the yummy foods around.

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 2. Place cauliflower, broccoli florets and water into a microwave safe and ovenproof dish. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 5 minutes. Carefully drain off the water and set aside.

3. Put flour into a tall microwave safe jug. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and whisk to a smooth paste with no lumps. Season with pepper. Add the remainder of the milk and stir.

4. Microwave the milk mixture on HIGH (100%) for 1 minute. Stir. Heat again for 1 minute and stir. If needed, heat again for 30 seconds intervals and stir until thick and creamy.

5. Add grated cheese and stir until melted through.

6. Top cauliflower and broccoli with cheese sauce.

7. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or serve immediately.

9. Remove chicken from oven, cover with foil and set aside to rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.

TIP For an extra lemony flavour, squeeze the cooked lemon over the chicken just before serving.

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TOMATO FUSARIUM WILT — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

Tuy nhiên nếu chẻ dọc phần gần gốc cây nhiểm bệnh có thể quan sát thấy các sọc màu nâu của các mạch dẩn bị mầm bệnh gây nghẻn.

điều kiện đất có ẩm độ cao và khí hậu nóng mầm bệnh có thể lưu tồn nhiều năm trong đất.

Lan truyền

Bệnh héo rủ do nấm Fusarium trên cây cà chua Triệu chứng

VÕ THẾ TRUYỀN CHUYÊN VIÊN KHUYẾN NÔNG, HIỆP HỘI RAU TÂY ÚC

Nấm Fusarium gậy ra bệnh héo rủ trên cây cà chua có tên khoa học là Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Loại nấm này có thể ảnh hưởng đến cây cà ở nhiều giai đoạn sinh trưởng và phát triển khác nhau.

Tuy nhiên quan sát ở vùng trồng cà phía Bắc tiểu bang Tây Úc như Carnarvon cho thấy cây cà tơ (cây sau khi trồng đến lúc mang trái nhưng chưa thu hoạch) là đối tượng thườnh bị nhiểm bệnh này nhất từ tháng 10 đến tháng tư khi thời thiết nóng.

Mầm bệnh này tấn công vào bộ rể thông qua các vết thương trên rể khi rể cây phát triển len lỏi trong đất có nhiểm mầm bệnh. Sau đó mầm bệnh di chuyển lên trên theo hệ thống mạch dẩn nước trong thân cây. Chính tác động gây nghẻn hệ thống mạch dẩn nước trong thân cây làm cho cây héo.

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Biểu hiện đầu tiên của bệnh héo rủ do nấm Fusarium trên cây cà chua là sự héo rủ và chuyển màu vàng của các lá phía dưới. Triệu chứng này lan dần lên phần trên của cây gây ra héo vàng rồi chết.

Thường triệu chứng bệnh xuất kiện trước ở một bên của cây. Trong trườg hợp trồng theo cách chừa 2 chèo thì đôi khi bệnh chỉ tấn công gây chết vàng 1 chèo trong khi chèo còn lại vẫn bình thường. Ngoài tiệu chứng héo rủ thường không thấy xuất hiện triệu chứng thối khác trên thân cây bị nhiểm bệnh này. Tuy nhiên nếu chẻ dọc phần gần gốc cây nhiểm bệnh có thể quan sát thấy các sọc màu nâu của các mạch dẩn bị mầm bệnh gây nghẻn.

Thường thì cây bị bệnh héo rủ do nấm Fusarium lâu bị héo rủ hơn cây bị bệnh héo do vi khuẩn.

Nguồn lây nhiểm Tài liệu tham khảo cho rằng mầm bệnh từ trong đất và có thể lưu tồn trong đất trong thời gian dài mà không cần cây ký chủ. Tuy nhiên đa số trường hợp cây trồng nhiểm bệnh là từ mầm bệnh lưu tồn trong xác bả cây cà của vụ trước. Trong

Trong cùng một địa phương thì mầm bệnh lan truyền từ ruộng này sang ruộng khác theo đất dính trên xe cộ, máy cày, dụng cụ khi trao đổi với nhau. Giửa các vùng trồng cà khác nhau thì mầm bệnh lan truyền theo hạt giống, cây gíống và đất trên cây giống.

Ngừa bệnh Biện pháp được khuyến cáo nhiều nhất là trồng giống kháng bệnh. Thường giống kháng bệnh héo rủ do nấm Fusarium đuợc ký hiệu FF sau tên giống. Nông dân có thể đề nghị nơi cung cấp hạt giống và cây giống để được tư vấn về các giống kháng.

Ngoài ra duy trì độ pH dất trong khoảng 6,5-7,0 và sử dụng phân đạm dạng nitrate (chẳng hạn như Calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate) thay vì sử dụng phân đạm dạng ammonium (chang hạn như ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate) củng làm bệnh chậm phát triển.

Hiện không có loại thuốc nào trị khỏi bệnh khi cây đã bị nhiểm. Tuy nhiên các loại hóa chất như Metham (dưới các dạng hợp chất khác nhau) được đăng ký sử dụng dưới dạng chất xông đất trước khi trồng (xông cả lô trồng hoặc xông theo hàng) có khả năng khống chế mầm bệnh fusarium trong đất.

Quản lý Phương pháp quản lý sự xâm hại của mầm bệnh là làm thế nào đảm bảo loại sạch đất trên công cụ và phương tiện vận chuyển vào trang trại.

YOUR PRODUCTION

SOIL MOISTURE TOUR OF CARNARVON — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

Chuyến tham quan các thiết bị theo dõi ẩm độ dất tại Carnarvon ROHAN PRINCE CHUYÊN VIÊN PHÁT TRIỂN, BỘ NÔNG NGHIỆP VÀ LƯƠNG THỰC

Ngày 30/10 vừa rồi khi mà đa số du khách ở Carnarvon thưởng ngoạn các đặc sản du lịch của vùng Gascoyne thì một nhóm khác lại có mối quan tâm khác – Tăng cường hiểu biết về ẩm độ đất.

Chúng tôi đã tổ chức một chuyến tham quan học hỏi cho một nhóm nông dân địa phương để giúp họ hiểu biết thêm và ứng dụng phương pháp giám sát ẩm độ đất để tăng cường hiệu quả sữ dụng nước cho cây trồng.

Hơn 35 nông dân đã viếng thăm 3 điểm trình bày cách thức các thiết bị và các phương pháp giám sát ẩm độ đất được áp dụng để tăng cường hiệu quả sử dụng nước ở khu vực Gascoyne trong dự án Cải thiện hiệu quả sử dụng nước thuộc chương trình Tài trợ khu vực của chính phủ.

Năm công ty đã tham gia cung cấp 8 loại thiết bị đo đạt ẩm độ đất, độ khan nước trong đất, độ dẩn điện theo mức độ nước có trong đất có số liệu và biểu đồ lưu giử trong bộ nhớ và truy xuất trực tuyến lên mạng internet. Các thiết bị này được lắp đặt tại trang trại của những nông dân có quan tâm học hỏi phương cách máy hoạt động và tìm hiểu ý nghỉa của các số liệu thu thập được do các nhà cung cấp giảng giải để sử dụng chúng một cách hiệu quả.

Các chủ trang trại có lắp đặt thiết bị được trình bày ý kiến của họ về kinh nghiệm ứng dụng các kỹ thuật giám sát ẩm độ đất cũng như hiệu quả cải thiện sử dụng nước do các thiết bị hổ trợ mang lại.

Một nông dân, Rob Kuzmicich, đã trình bày rằng: “Chính các thiết bị này cho tôi biết khi cây trồng đang hấp thu nước và quan trong hơn là khi nào cây trồng đang thiếu nước”; “Bằng cách điều chỉnh lại cách thức tưới chúng tôi không chỉ giảm thiểu lượng nước tưới mà còn gia tăng được năng xuất cây trồng”.

Chính các thiết bị này giúp quí vị “nhìn thấy” điều gì đang diển ra dưới đất chính vì vậy mà quí vị biết nên phải tưới như thế nào, tưới lúc nào là là hợp lý. Giám sát ẩm độ đất là một phần quan trong trong toàn bộ quá trình sắp xếp lịch tưới cho cây trồng.

Tương tự như vậy, áp dụng số liệu đo đạt độ bốc hơi như là một kiểu phản ảnh lượng nước cây sữ dụng cũng giúp xác định cần phải tưới bao nhiêu để bù lại.

Bộ nông nghiệp đã thiết lập trên trang internet của Bộ bảng hướng dẩn xác định lịch tưới chi tiết cho các loại cây trồng dựa vào số liệu bốc hơi, cách thức áp dụng kỹ thuật giám sát ẩm độ đất để cân chỉnh lịch tưới trên thực tế cũng như cách thức sữ dụng thiết bị theo dõi ẩm độ đất. Quí vị có thể truy cập thông tin về vấn đề trên trên trang www.agric.wa.gov.au Nếu quí vị có chú tâm muốn ứng dụng thiết bị giám sát ẩm độ đất, một số yếu tố thiết yếu cần lưu ý trước khi mua sắm thiết bị:

• Liệu quí vị có đọc được hay trích xuất dược số liệu theo khả năng của mình không? Quí vị có phải đi từng chổ dể đọc và ghi chép số liệu hay nó có thể đưa số liệu lên internet?

• Điều quan trọng là nhà cung cấp thiết bị hổ trợ được gì cho người mua để bảo đảm lắp đặt và sử dụng đúng cách củng như có thể biết được các lợi ích và các mặt hạn chế của thiết bị.

Các chuyến trình bày ngay ngoài đồng sẻ được tếp tục sang năm ở Carnarvon nhằm tăng cường hiệu quả của các vấn đề khác có liên quan.

MORE INFORMATION

Quí vị có thể liên hệ cô Valerie Shrubb (DAFWA) theo số (08) 9956 3322 hoặc cô Annie van Blommestein (CGA) theo số 0438 418 384 để nhận được thông báo về các hoạt động này.

• Liệu loại thiết bị này có phù hợp với loại cây trồng, loại đất, hoàn cảnh canh tác của mình?

• Liệu các thiết bị này có giúp theo dõi được các loại số liệu mà mình thực sự cần và liệu quí vị có hiểu rỏ các con số ho8ạc biểu đồ nó phản ảnh hay không?

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HARVEST TRAIL AUDITING PROGRAM UNDERWAY — VIETNAMESE TRANSLATION

Thanh Tra Lao Động lệ, tại sao nông dân vùng kia lại tuân thủ luật lệ ở các mức độ khác nhau so với người ở vùng khác và chuổi cung ứng gây ảnh hưởng ra sao đến giá cả tại trang trại.

Quá trình đánh giá của chúng tôi bắt đầu bằng việc đi tới các nông trại trồng dâu ở Caboolture thuộc tiểu bang Queensland hồi năm ngoái nơi mà chúng tôi đã ghi nhận được một số vấn đề chẳng hạn như người chủ không có thỏa thuận bằng giấy tờ cho nhân công làm khoán và trừ tiền lương nhân công trái pháp luật. Chúng tôi xác định hơn 150 công nhân thu hoạch và nhân công dạng du lịch mà đa số là người nước ngoài theo dạng thị thực du lịch lao động 417 bị trả công dưới chuẩn đến 134.000 đô-la.

Mỗi lần phát hiện vấn đề chúng tôi chú ý giáo dục người thuê nhân công về nghĩa vụ của họ và đảm bảo rằng họ có được tất cả thông tin cần thiết để làm cho đúng.

chúng tôi muốn biết lý do tại sao lại như vậy và chúng tôi muốn biết cần phải làm gì để giúp đở quí vị.

Những khiếu nại gởi đến chúng tôi nêu lên rằng một số nhân công thời vụ đang bị trả công dưới mức qui định và bị đối xử không tốt.

Công tác đáng giá chương trình “ Con đường thu hoạch” đang tiến triển.

Hàng năm nhân công thời vụ rong rủi theo “Con đường thu hoạch” đến các vùng cây trái đang chín, rau cải đang vào vụ và các loại hoa màu khác tới kỳ gặt hái trên khắp nước úc. Họ hái nho dưới thung lủng Hunter Valley NSW vào tháng giêng, đến hái bôm ở Tasmania vào mùa thu rồi sang thu hoạch chuối, cà, xoài tận Carnarvon bên Tây Úc vào tháng mười.

Từ năm ngoái, Thanh tra lao động đã khởi động chương trình 3 năm đánh giá tình hình tuân thủ luật lao động trong ngành rau và cây ăn quả. Chúng tôi cũng đã lần theo “Con đường thu hoạch” như là một phần của công tác đánh giá trong chương trình này.

Tại sao chúng tôi phải làm như thế?

Chúng tôi biết rằng vẫn còn sự nhầm lẩn của nhiều nông dân và văn phòng cung ứng lao động về những điều cần tuân thủ sao cho phù hợp với luật lệ lao động,

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Công nhân thời vụ đến tứ các nước đang đóng góp một phần lớn vào nguồn nhân lực ở nhiều địa phương và chúng tôi hiểu rằng họ chắc chắn bị thua thiệt nếu họ không hiểu rỏ quyền lợi của họ trong luật lệ của nước Úc, vì thế chúng tôi đặt ưu tiên là đảm bảo họ được đối xử công bằng.

Công tác đánh giá của chúng tôi không phải chỉ là thanh tra nông dân mà còn là cơ hội để giúp nông dân hiểu được trách nhiệm của mình cũng như hiểu được các trở ngại làm cho họ khó có thể tuân thủ các qui định.

Chúng tôi đang lui tới thăm viếng nhiều khu vực khác nhau trong quá trình đánh giá và cùng làm việc với các tổ chức đại diện để xây dựng quan hệ. Từ các công tác đó chúng tôi hy vọng xác định được các yếu tố gây trở ngại trong việc tuân thủ các qui định lao động của liên bang cũng như tìm hiểu xem liệu các hiện tượng như vậy có thành qui luật hay không.

Chúng tôi muốn biết tại sao một loại cây trồng đặc thù này lại khó làm đúng hoàn toàn hay chỉ làm được một phần theo luật

Chúng tôi cũng đã thăm viếng nhiều vùng trồng rau quả trong nước như bao gồm váv trang trại cherry o NSW, người trồng bôm lê ở Victoria, NSW và Tây Úc và cả những nông dân ở Atherton Tablelands thuộc Queensland hay ở Darwin và Perth.

Gần đây chúng tôi củng đã đến thăm nông dân và văn phòng cung ứng lao động tại Carnarvon để tìm hiểu tình hình và theo dõi sự tuân thủ luật lệ. Đến nay chúng tôi thấy một số nông dân không nắm rỏ vấn đề thuê khoán theo công việc.

Điều luật Đãi ngộ trong ngành rau củ quả 2010 (Horticulture Award 2010) đặt ra khung chi trả thay thế cho cách thuê theo giờ. Các kiểu chi trả này cho phép người chủ trả công theo giỏ, bin, kí lô hay bất kỳ kiểu đong đếm nào tùy theo loại hoa màu – nhưng các loại thoả thuận khóan đều phải qui ra hài hòa với qui định chung.

Chúng tôi cũng thấy rằng kiểu thuê nhân công qua trung gian rất phổ biến. chúng tôi không phản đối kiểu thỏa thuận này nếu mọi thứ đều đúng luật. Trong ngành rau qua hình thức thuê lao động qua trung gian ngày càng tăng để đáp ứng kịp nhu cầu thời vụ. Tuy nhiên chúng tôi có mối quan ngại đối với những văn phòng cung cấp lao động không tuân thủ đúng nghĩa vụ theo qui định. Chúng tôi cũng quan ngại đến vấn đề người sử dụng lao động làm ngơ với sự việc trên. Thật là sai lầm nếu người sử dụng lao động cho rằng “đó không phải việc của mình, họ không phải là nhân công của mình”.

YOUR BUSINESS

Qui định về quan hệ lao động có cơ chế gọi là “liên đới trách nhiệm” theo đó ngoài người thuê mướn nhân công thì bất cứ ai có dính líu trong việc vi phạm luật lao động đều bị truy cứu trách nhiệm và bị chịu các hình phạt. Chúng tôi muốn nông dân hiểu rằng mọi việc xảy ra trong trang trại của mìn là vấn đề của mình và hoàn toàn ý thức được ai đang trong trang trại và họ đang làm gì.

Nông dân nào hợp động với nhà cung ứng lao động có giá thật rẻ cũng nên hiểu liệu giá rẻ có phải là do văn phòng đó làm việc hiệu quả hay tại vì họ trả lương nhân công thấp hơn chuẩn. Thật là bất công nếu có nông dân thu lợi nhiều hơn nhờ vào hợp đồng với bọn cò lao động bất lương chỉ trả lương cho nhân công bằng nửa mức qui định trong khi quí vị làm đúng luật.

Chúng tôi muốn tạo ra sân chơi công bằng cho tất cả nông dân.

Khi nông dân phát hiện một vấn đề nào đó, chúng tôi muốn họ báo cáo với chúng tôi. Chúng tôi muốn xử lý hành động trái luật của bất cứ ai trả lương nhân công dưới chuẩn.

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Người thuê nhân công và người làm công có thể nói cho chúng tôi biết những gì xảy ra tại địa phương hay tìm thông tin và tư vấn bằng cách liên hệ với Thanh Tra Lao Động qua trang thông tin internet www. fairwork.gov.au, hoặc gọi số 13 13 94.

Thông dịch được cung cấp miển phí khi gọi số 13 14 50.

Rob Price là giám đốc đội Thanh Tra Lao Động vùng. Rob đang lảnh đạo đội Thanh Tra Lao Động thực hiện dự án “Con đường thu hoạch” Tại Tây Úc, luật lao động liên bang không áp dụng đối với những doanh nghiệp sử dụng lao động là “Sole Traders” và “Partnership”. Những doanh nghiệp này nếu muốn tư vấn thì có thể liên hệ tổ chức Wagelinetheo số 1300 655 266 hoặc theo trang tin internet www.commerce.wa.gov.au

Nhân công thuê khoán thường được trả công theo thùng, bin, khay, lí-lô tạo lợi thế cho họ hưởng được mức tiền công cao theo hiệu suất làm việc cao.

Trước khi thuê khoán phải có thỏa thuận bằng giấy tờ về mức thuê khoán và phương cách đong đếm.

Người thuê nhân công phải lưu giử một bản thỏa thuận và cấp một bản cho người lao động.

Nếu không có bản thoả thuận thì người nhân công không thuộc dạng làm viện theo thuê khoán và phải được trả công theo qui định tối thiểu theo giờ hoặc theo tuần.

Mức tiền công thuê khoán có thể thay đổi hành ngày tùy theo các thay đổi như điều kiện thời tiết, mức độ chín của hoa màu hay các yếu tố thay đổi khác như kích cở cây trồng,

Thường thuê nhân công qua trung gian có vẻ dể dàng hơn. Tuy nhiên cũng có những nguy cơ người nông dân cần biết để đối phó.

Hợp đồng nhân công với giá thật thấp có thể dẩn đến tình trạng nhân công trong cả hệ thống cung ứng lao động bị mất quyền lợi cơ bản như mức lương tối thiểu, hình thức khiển trách, khối lượng công việc, làm them giờ, các phụ cấp và nghỉ phép. Điều đó cũng có nghĩa người thuê lao động liên quan đến thỏa thuận “bẩn” với phía cung ứng lao động để tránh trách nhiệm pháp lý của người thuê nhân công trực tiếp.

Nếu giá hợp đồng cung ứng lao động quá tốt thì trường hợp này có thể rơi vào vấn đề nêu trên.

Trả công thuê khoán theo qui định Horticulture Award Qui định Hprticulture Award 2010 qui định các mức chi trả theo cách khoán như là một biện pháp thay thế cho mức chi trả tối thiểu theo gìơ để người thuê trả lương nhân công theo kết quả công việc.

Thoả thuận thuê nhân công qua trung gia – Những điều nông dân cần biết

thùnh chứa. Những thay đổi nay cũng phải được ghi trong bản thỏa thuận.

Thanh Tra Lao Động có đăng mẩu bản thỏa thuận trong trang www. fairwork.gov.au/harvesttrail.

Mức lương thuê khoán phải tạo điều kiện cho công nhân có tay nghề trung bình được lảnh cao hơn 15% so với tiền công tối thiểu tính theo giờ. Điều này có nghĩa là lao động rành nghề có thể thực lỉnh nhiều hơn người nhận lương theo giờ. Đối với người làm công khi quyết định nhận mức khoán phải cân nhắc liệu ở mức tay nghề trung bình có thể làm đạt mức độ kiếm được số tiền bằng mức trả theo giờ cộng thêm 25% (trong trường hợp nhân công ngắn hạn/không hợp đồng ổ định) và cộng thêm 15% mổi giờ. Nếu tính toán thấy thấp hơn mức này thì tiền công khoán như vậy có lẻ là quá thấp.

Chọn nhà cung ứng lao động giá rẻ mà không xem xét cung cách làm ăn của họ hay đặt câu hỏi làm thế nào họ có thể cung ứng lao động giá rẻ như thế có thể gây phương hại cho uy tín của doanh nghiệp và uy tín của cả địa phương. Điều này có thể đưa nông dân vào rắc rối phạt vạ nếu vi phạm luật lao động.

Thanh Tra Lao Động cung cấp bảng kiểm tra miển phí để giúp nông dân đặt câu hỏi với người cung ứng lao động trước khi thỏa thuận. Bảng kiểm tra có trong trang www.fairwork.gov.au/ harvesttrail.

Nông dân cũng nên có thoả thuận bằng văn bảng với phía cung ứng lao động liệt kê rỏ các yêu cầu, đặc biệt là yêu cầu họ đảm bảo tuân thủ luật lao động của nước Úc.

Nếu người làm công thu nhập thấp hơn mức tiền lương theo giờ tối thiểu thì Thanh Tra Lao Động có lý do để xem xét liệu mức khoán có phù hợp với qui định yêu cầu.

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Permits Permit No.

Minor Use Permits can also be searched by specific crop or pest types at https://portal.apvma.gov.au/permits

Description

Disease

Issued date

Expiry date

Propyzamide

Weeds

12-Nov-13

30-Nov-16

PER14245

Score Foliar Fungicide

Leaf Spot

16-Dec-13

31-Aug-18

PER14184

Phosphorous (phosphonic) acid

Damping off and downy mildew

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-17

PER14043

Chlorothalonil

Various diseases

16-Apr-14

30-Nov-18

PER14456

Tebuconazole

Sclerotonia rot

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-19

PER14223

Flint 500 WG Fungicide (trifloxystrobin)

Alternaria leaf spot and Cercospora leaf spot

1-Oct-13

31-Dec-14

PER13090

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insect pests

20-Jun-12

31-May-15

11-Nov-14

30-Jun-19

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-17

20-Feb-12

31-Mar-17

Artichoke- globe PER14203 Beetroot

Brassica leafy vegetables PER14864

Pirimicarb

Aphids

PER14184

Phosphorous (phosphonic) acid

Damping off and downy mildew

PER13154

Dual Gold Herbicide

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

PER14584

Imidacloprid

Aphids, whitefly and thrips

1-Apr-14

31-Mar-19

PER14127

Pendimethalin

Weeds

31-Oct-13

31-Aug-18

PER14292

Secure 360SC (chlorfenapyr)

Lepiotera and mites

24-Dec-13

31-Mar-16

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

PER14596

Chlorpyrifos

Vegetable beetle adults

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER13778

Various herbicides, insecticides & fungicides

Thistles & chickweed

1-Jan-13

31-Mar-18

Tebuconazole

Cercospora leaf spot & rust

31-May-13

30-Jun-16

PER14164

Clethodim

Rye grass, winter grass

11-Oct-13

30-Jun-17

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14051

Iprodione

Rhizoctinia

1-May-13

31-Mar-18

Broad beans PER13752 Broccoli

Brussel sprouts PER14432

Pendimethalin

Weeds

23-May-14

30-Jun-19

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14164

Clethodim

Rye grass, winter grass

11-Oct-13

30-Jun-17

Phosphorous

Downy mildew

1-Oct-12

30-Sep-17

PER14326

Captan

Grey mould

19-Dec-13

30-Nov-16

PER14694

VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-19

PER14077

Eco-Oil (Botanical Oil)

Silverleaf whitefly

1-Oct-13

30-Sep-23

Bulb (Allium) vegetables PER13698 Capsicum

PER13901

Glyphosate (shielded sprayer)

Annual and perennial grass and broadleaf weeds

6-Apr-13

30-Jun-19

PER13031

Maldison

Fruit fly

6-Oct-11

31-May-17

PER13567

Bifenthrin

Fruit fly

7-Dec-12

31-May-16

PER13566

Methomyl

Fruit fly

7-Dec-12

31-May-16

PER14050

Flint 500 WG Fungicide

Powdery mildew

1-Jun-13

30-Jun-23

PER14184

Phosphorous (phosphonic) acid

Damping off and downy mildew

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-17

PER14816

Azoxystrobin

Powdery mildew, Sclerotinia rot (white mould), black rot

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-19

Carrot

112

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permit No.

Description

Disease

PER13795

Agpro Propazine 500

Nightshade, fat hen & wireweed

PER13778

Various herbicides, insecticides & fungicides

Issued date

Expiry date

1-Jan-13

31-Mar-18

1-Jan-13

31-Mar-18

PER14535

Clethodim

Grass weed control

12-May-14

31-Mar-19

PER13305

Glyphosate (shielded sprayer)

Certain broadleaf and grass weeds

28-May-12

30-Jun-15

PER13091

Tebuconazole

Powdery mildew

14-May-12

31-Mar-16

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER13147

Lontrel

Capeweed and clover

21-Nov-11

30-Sep-16

PER14037

Alpha-Cypermethrin

Staphylinid beetle

1-May-13

31-Mar-23

PER14164

Clethodim

Rye grass, winter grass

11-Oct-13

30-Jun-17

PER14043

Chlorothalonil

Various diseases

16-Apr-14

30-Nov-18

PER13114

Prometryn

Grass weeds listed on label

29-Mar-12

31-Mar-17

PER13323

Score Foliar Fungicide (difenoconazole)

Cercospora leaf spot & septoria leaf blight

28-May-12

31-Mar-16

PER13367

Linuron

Grass and broadleaf weeds

31-May-13

30-Apr-16

PER14353

Rovral Aquaflo Fungicide (iprodione)

Sclerotinia rot

1-Jul-14

31-Mar-17

PER13088

Success Neo Insecticide (spinetoram)

Various insect pests

29-Mar-12

31-Mar-17

PER13673

Ridomil Gold MZ WG

Late blight, septoria leaf blight & downy mildew

22-Apr-13

30-Sep-16

PER14494

Trifloxystrobin

DM, cercospora & septoria

1-Oct-14

30-Jun-19

PER13090

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insect pests

20-Jun-12

31-May-15

PER14436

Applaud Insecticide (buprofezin)

Greenhouse whitefly

9-May-14

30-Jun-19

PER14341

Chess Insecticide (pymetrozine)

Aphids

30-May-14

30-Jun-17

PER14843

Indoxacarb (Avatar Insecticide)

eliothis, lightbrown apple moth, lucerne leaf roller and H vegetable weevil

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER13496

Linuron

Range of weeds

4-May-12

30-Apr-17

PER14049

Permethrin (Ambush )

Helicoverpa and looper

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-23

PER13627

Score Foliar Fungicide (difenoconazole)

Cercospora leaf spot & septoria spots

29-Nov-12

31-Dec-15

PER13122

Proclaim Insecticide

Heliothis, lightbrown apple moth and cluster caterpillar

31-Oct-13

30-Sep-16

PER14457

Alpha-cypermethrin

Red-legged earth mite, onion thrips

19-Mar-14

30-Jun-19

PER14456

Tebuconazole

Sclerotonia rot

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-19

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14494

Trifloxystrobin

DM, cercospora & septoria

1-Oct-14

30-Jun-19

PER14841

Walabi Fungicide

Botrytis and alternaria

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER14795

Phenmedipham (Bental)

Broadleaf weeds

1-Jul-14

31-Dec-15

PER14864

Pirimicarb

Aphids

11-Nov-14

30-Jun-19

PER14326

Captan

Grey mould

19-Dec-13

30-Nov-16

PER13397

Clethodim (Select Herbicide)

Fops annual ryegrass and winter grass

15-Nov-13

31-Dec-16

PER13254

Dimethoate

Queensland and Mediterranean fruit fly

2-Feb-12

5-Oct-15

PER14536

Abamectin

Two-spotted mite

30-May-14

30-Jun-17

PER14906

Triadimenol

White rot (sclerotium)

22-Oct-14

31-Oct-19

Triadimenol

White rot (sclerotium)

22-Oct-14

31-Oct-19

Cauliflower

Celeriac

Celery

Chicory

Chilli peppers

Chives PER14906

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

113

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permits (cont.)

Permit No.

Description

Disease

Issued date

Expiry date

PER13303

Coragen Insecticide

Heliothis, cluster caterpillar

28-May-12

31-Mar-15

PER13499

Diazinon

Onion maggot

4-May-12

31-Mar-17

PER13396

Methomyl

Thrips and Western flower thrips

29-Jun-12

30-Jun-15

PER14077

Eco-Oil (Botanical Oil)

Silverleaf whitefly

1-Oct-13

30-Sep-23

PER14326

Captan

Grey mould

19-Dec-13

30-Nov-16

PER14694

VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-19

PER14043

Chlorothalonil

Various diseases

16-Apr-14

30-Nov-18

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

Coriander

Cucumbers

PER14046

Mancozeb

Grey mould

1-May-13

31-Mar-18

PER14050

Flint 500 WG Fungicide

Powdery mildew

1-Jun-13

30-Jun-23

PER13031

Maldison

Fruit fly

6-Oct-11

31-May-17

PER14840

Bupirimate

Powdery mildew

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER13304

Paramite

Two-spotted mite, red spider mite

12-Jul-13

30-Jun-18

PER14839

Zineb

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.)

1-Aug-14

30-Sep-19

PER14036

Bupirimate

Powdery mildew

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER13351

Pirimicarb

Aphids

28-Jun-13

31-Mar-16

PER13517

Rovral (iprodione)

Grey mould

1-Nov-12

30-Sep-15

PER14186

Success Neo (spinetoram)

Melon thrips

3-Oct-13

30-Sep-18

PER14484

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

PER13397

Clethodim (Select Herbicide)

Fops annual ryegrass and winter grass

15-Nov-13

31-Dec-16

PER14694

VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide

Fungus gnats

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-19

PER14047

Methidathion

Rutherglen bug

1-Jun-13

30-Jun-18

PER13122

Proclaim Insecticide

Heliothis, lightbrown apple moth and cluster caterpillar

31-Oct-13

30-Sep-16

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

Cucurbits

Eggplant

Endive PER14045 PER14456

Tebuconazole

Sclerotonia rot

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-19

PER14795

Phenmedipham (Bental)

Broadleaf weeds

1-Jul-14

31-Dec-15

PER14494

Trifloxystrobin

DM, cercospora & septoria

1-Oct-14

30-Jun-19

PER14841

Walabi Fungicide

Botrytis and alternaria

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER13308

Dimethoate

Rutherglen bug

1-Feb-12

5-Oct-15

Tebuconazole

Cercospora leaf spot & rust

31-May-13

30-Jun-16

PER13036

Bravo 720 SC

Downy mildew, purple blotch

21-Sep-11

31-Jul-16

PER13698

Phosphorous

Downy mildew

1-Oct-12

30-Sep-17

PER13308

Dimethoate

Rutherglen bug

1-Feb-12

5-Oct-15

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

Faba beans PER13752 Fennel

Garlic PER14484

114

PER14606

Bromoxynil

Broadleaf weeds

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-15

PER14815

Carbendazim

Botrytis

17-Jun-14

28-Feb-15

PER14607

Chlorothalonil (Rover & Bravo)

Downy mildew

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-15

PER14610

Clethodim

Winter grass

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-15

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permit No.

Description

Disease

Issued date

Expiry date

PER14612

Imidacloprid

Aphids

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-15

PER14604

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Selected insect pests

1-Apr-14

31-Mar-17

PER14008

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Downy mildew & purple blotch

27-Feb-13

31-Mar-23

PER14609

Methabenzthiazuron

Annual grass and broadleaf weeds

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-15

PER14886

Pendimethalin

Grass & broadleaf weeds

1-Aug-14

30-Sep-19

PER14608

Pirimicarb

Bulb aphid and other aphid species

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-15

PER14270

Royal MH-30XTRA plant growth regulator

Inhibit sprouting of bulbs

31-Oct-13

28-Feb-15

PER14605

Tebuconazole

Orange rust

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-15

PER14611

Iprodione

Damping off diseases

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-15

Metolachlor

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

23-Jul-12

30-Jun-17

Green beans PER13626 Herbs PER14694

VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide

Fungus gnats

PER14158

Metolachlor

Weeds

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-19

16-May-13

30-Jun-23

Dimethoate

Rutherglen bug

1-Feb-12

5-Oct-15

Success Neo (spinetoram)

Potato moth

12-Jun-12

31-May-17

PER14906

Triadimenol

White rot (sclerotium)

22-Oct-14

31-Oct-19

PER13466

Various Actives

Specified grass and broadleaf weeds

17-May-12

30-Sep-15

PER13367

Linuron

Grass and broadleaf weeds

31-May-13

30-Apr-16

PER14473

Dimethomorph & Mancozeb

Downy mildew, purple blotch & botrytis rots

18-Dec-13

30-Jun-18

PER13653

Maldison

Onion thrips

1-Oct-12

31-Oct-18

PER14742

Methabenzthiazuron (Tribunil Herbicide)

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-16

PER14457

Alpha-cypermethrin

Red-legged earth mite, onion thrips

19-Mar-14

30-Jun-19

PER14484

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

PER13257

Select Herbicide (clethodim)

Grass weeds as per label including winter grass (Poa annua)

28-May-12

31-Mar-17

Kohlrabi PER13308

Leafy vegetables — specified PER13322 Leeks

Lettuce PER14326

Captan

Grey mould

19-Dec-13

30-Nov-16

PER14694

VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide

Fungus gnats

1-Jun-14

30-Jun-19

PER14210

Acramite Miticide

Two-spotted (red spider) mite

17-Oct-13

30-Sep-18

PER13301

Alpha-cypermethrin

Red-legged earth mite & vegetable weevil

12-Jun-12

31-May-15

PER14430

Azoxystrobin (Amistar 250 SC)

Bottom rot

21-Mar-14

30-Jun-17

PER14257

BALAN (benfluralin)

Grass and broadleaf weed control

29-Oct-13

31-Mar-18

PER14351

DC-Tron Plus

Various bugs

24-Dec-13

31-Mar-17

PER14318

Metalaxyl-M

Damping off

23-Dec-13

30-Sep-18

21-Mar-14

30-Jun-17

1-Jul-14

31-Dec-15

PER14431

Rizolex Liquid

Bottom rot

PER14795

Phenmedipham (Bental)

Broadleaf weeds

PER13698

Phosphorous

Downy mildew

1-Oct-12

30-Sep-17

PER13332

BALAN (benfluralin)

Grass and broadleaf weed control

1-Apr-12

31-Mar-22

PER14077

Eco-Oil (Botanical Oil)

Silverleaf whitefly

1-Oct-13

30-Sep-23

PER13308

Dimethoate

Rutherglen bug

1-Feb-12

5-Oct-15

PER14336

Prodigy

Cluster caterpillar, looper and light brown apple moth

17-Dec-13

30-Sep-17

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

115

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permits (cont.)

Permit No.

Description

Disease

Issued date

Expiry date

PER14650

Paramite (etoxazole)

PER13170

Dimethoate

Two-spotted mite

7-Nov-14

31-May-18

Various fruit fly species

13-Oct-11

5-Oct-15

VectoBac WG Biological Larvicide

Fungus gnats and sciarids

27-Aug-13

31-May-19

PER14602

Boscalid, Iprodione & Chlorothalonil

Botrytis neck-rot

24-Jul-14

30-Sep-16

PER14773

Basagran (bentazone-sodium)

Broadleaf weeds

16-Apr-14

30-Jun-16

PER13119

Diazinon

Onion thrips

6-Mar-12

31-Mar-17

PER13778

Various herbicides, insecticides & fungicides

Thistles & chickweed

1-Jan-13

31-Mar-18

PER13397

Clethodim (Select Herbicide)

Fops annual ryegrass and winter grass

15-Nov-13

31-Dec-16

PER14536

Abamectin

Two-spotted mite

30-May-14

30-Jun-17

Coragen Insecticide

Heliothis, cluster caterpillar

28-May-12

31-Mar-15

Melons

Mushrooms PER14350 Onion

Paprika

Parsely PER13303 PER14032

Chlorthal-dimethyl

Various broadleaf weeds and grasses

1-May-13

31-Mar-23

PER13121

Ridomil Gold 25G (metalaxyl-M)

Pythium & phytophthora

16-Nov-11

30-Nov-16

PER13499

Diazinon

Onion maggot

4-May-12

31-Mar-17

PER13396

Methomyl

Thrips and western flower thrips

29-Jun-12

30-Jun-15

PER14184

Phosphorous (phosphonic) acid

Damping off and downy mildew

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-17

PER14581

Pendimethalin

Grasses and broadleaf weeds

1-Feb-14

31-Mar-15

PER14695

Ridomil Gold 25G (metalaxyl-M)

Pythium spp. and Phytophthora spp.

1-May-14

30-Jun-19

Parsnip

PER14043

Chlorothalonil

Various diseases

16-Apr-14

30-Nov-18

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14484

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

Terbutryn

Broad leaf weeds

1-Sep-14

30-Sep-19

Peas PER14937 PER14896

Bentazone (Basagran)

Broadleaf weeds

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER14035

Diflufenican

Broadleaf weeds

1-May-13

31-Mar-23

PER13397

Clethodim (Select Herbicide)

Fops annual ryegrass and winter grass

15-Nov-13

31-Dec-16

Rovral Aquaflo Fungicide (iprodione)

Sclerotinia rot

1-Jul-14

31-Mar-17

Peppers PER14353 PER14454

Ridomil Gold MZ

Downy mildew

10-Mar-14

30-Jun-19

PER14047

Methidathion

Rutherglen bug

1-Jun-13

30-Jun-18

PER14144

Pirimor (pirimicarb)

Aphids

5-Apr-13

31-Mar-16

PER14840

Bupirimate

Powdery mildew

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14841

Walabi Fungicide

Botrytis and alternaria

PER14864

Pirimicarb

Aphids

PER14795

Phenmedipham (Bental)

Broadleaf weeds

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

PER13035 PER13444

Radicchio 1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

11-Nov-14

30-Jun-19

1-Jul-14

31-Dec-15

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

Clethodim

Control of grasses

27-Sep-11

30-Sep-16

Propiconazole

Cercospora

1-Apr-12

31-Mar-17

Radish

116

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permit No.

Description

Disease

PER14456

Tebuconazole

Sclerotonia rot

Issued date

Expiry date

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-19

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

PER13303

Coragen Insecticide

Heliothis, cluster caterpillar

28-May-12

31-Mar-15

PER14048

Pendimethalin

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

1-May-13

31-Mar-23

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

PER13068

Fosetyl-Al (Aliette WG)

Downy mildew

20-Nov-13

30-Jun-16

PER14127

Pendimethalin

Weeds

31-Oct-13

31-Aug-18

PER14292

Secure 360SC (chlorfenapyr)

Lepiotera and mites

24-Dec-13

31-Mar-16

PER14045

Mancozeb + Metalaxyl

Various fungal diseases

1-Apr-13

31-Mar-18

PER14864

Pirimicarb

Aphids

11-Nov-14

30-Jun-19

PER14906

Triadimenol

White rot (Sclerotium)

22-Oct-14

31-Oct-19

PER14471

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Various pests

30-May-14

31-Mar-19

PER14484

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

PER13626

Metolachlor

Various broadleaf and grass weeds.

23-Jul-12

30-Jun-17

Rocket

Shallots

PER14073

Diazinon

Thrips (excluding WFT) and onion seedling maggot

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-18

PER13205

Secure 360 SC (chlorfenapyr)

Western flower thrips

28-May-12

30-Jun-17

PER14457

Alpha-cypermethrin

Red-legged earth mite, onion thrips

19-Mar-14

30-Jun-19

PER14473

Dimethomorph & Mancozeb

Downy mildew, purple blotch & botrytis rots

18-Dec-13

30-Jun-18

PER13653

Maldison

Onion thrips

1-Oct-12

31-Oct-18

PER14742

Methabenzthiazuron (Tribunil Herbicide)

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-16

PER13257

Select Herbicide (clethodim)

Grass weeds as per label including winter grass (Poa annua)

28-May-12

31-Mar-17

PER14048

Pendimethalin

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

1-May-13

31-Mar-23

PER14142

Ioxynil

Broad leaf and grass weeds

17-Oct-13

31-Mar-16

PER14536

Abamectin

Two-spotted mite

30-May-14

30-Jun-17

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

PER13673

Ridomil Gold MZ WG

Late blight, septoria leaf blight & downy mildew

22-Apr-13

30-Sep-16

PER14494

Trifloxystrobin

DM, cercospora & septoria

1-Oct-14

30-Jun-19

Silverbeet

PER14841

Walabi Fungicide

Botrytis and alternaria

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER14839

Zineb

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.)

1-Aug-14

30-Sep-19

PER13397

Clethodim (Select Herbicide)

Fops annual ryegrass and winter grass

15-Nov-13

31-Dec-16

PER14456

Tebuconazole

Sclerotonia rot

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-19

PER14703

Tramat 500 SC Selective Herbicide (ethofumesate)

Various weeds

1-Aug-14

31-Jul-19

PER13626

Metolachlor

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

23-Jul-12

30-Jun-17

PER13899

Etoxazole

Two-spotted mite

1-Jan-13

31-Mar-15

PER14470

Mancozeb & Dimethomorph

Downy mildew

1-May-14

30-Apr-17

PER14211

Fenhexamid

Grey mould and chocolate spot

27-Nov-13

30-Sep-16

PER14044

Acramite Miticide

Mites

12-Mar-14

30-Nov-15

PER14185

Chess Insecticide

Aphids

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-15

Snow peas

PER14033

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Pasture webworm, cutworm, Rutherglen bug and thrips

1-Jun-13

31-May-18

PER14505

Pyrimethanil

Grey mould (botrytis)

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-19

PER13901

Glyphosate (shielded sprayer)

Annual and perennial grass and broadleaf weeds

6-Apr-13

30-Jun-19

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

117

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permits (cont.)

Permit No.

Description

Disease

Issued date

Expiry date

PER13626

Metolachlor

PER14703

Tramat 500 SC Selective Herbicide (ethofumesate)

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

23-Jul-12

30-Jun-17

Various weeds

1-Aug-14

31-Jul-19

PER14433

Alpha-cypermethrin

Various insects

31-Jan-14

30-Jun-17

PER14456

Tebuconazole

Sclerotonia rot

1-Apr-14

30-Jun-19

PER13673

Ridomil Gold MZ WG

Late blight, septoria leaf blight & downy mildew

22-Apr-13

30-Sep-16

PER14494

Trifloxystrobin

DM, cercospora & septoria

1-Oct-14

30-Jun-19

PER14841

Walabi Fungicide

Botrytis and alternaria

1-Oct-14

30-Sep-19

PER14839

Zineb

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.)

1-Aug-14

30-Sep-19

PER14795

Phenmedipham (Bental)

Broadleaf weeds

1-Jul-14

31-Dec-15

PER13397

Clethodim (Select Herbicide)

Fops annual ryegrass and winter grass

15-Nov-13

31-Dec-16

PER13068

Fosetyl-Al (Aliette WG)

Downy mildew

20-Nov-13

30-Jun-16

PER13308

Dimethoate

Rutherglen bug

1-Feb-12

5-Oct-15

Alpha-cypermethrin

Red-legged earth mite, onion thrips

19-Mar-14

30-Jun-19

Spinach

Spring onions PER14457 PER14484

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

PER13626

Metolachlor

Various broadleaf and grass weeds.

23-Jul-12

30-Jun-17

PER14073

Diazinon

Thrips (excluding WFT) and onion seedling maggot

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-18

PER13205

Secure 360 SC (chlorfenapyr)

Western flower thrips

28-May-12

30-Jun-17

PER13257

Select Herbicide (clethodim)

Grass weeds as per label including winter grass (Poa annua)

28-May-12

31-Mar-17

PER14048

Pendimethalin

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

1-May-13

31-Mar-23

PER14142

Ioxynil

Broad leaf and grass weeds

17-Oct-13

31-Mar-16

PER14536

Abamectin

Two-spotted mite

30-May-14

30-Jun-17

PER14906

Triadimenol

White rot (sclerotium)

22-Oct-14

31-Oct-19

PER14473

Dimethomorph & Mancozeb

Downy mildew, purple blotch & botrytis rots

18-Dec-13

30-Jun-18

PER13653

Maldison

Onion thrips

1-Oct-12

31-Oct-18

PER14742

Methabenzthiazuron (Tribunil Herbicide)

Various broadleaf and grass weeds

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-16

PER14471

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Various pests

30-May-14

31-Mar-19

Sugar snap peas PER13901

Glyphosate (shielded sprayer)

Annual and perennial grass and broadleaf weeds

6-Apr-13

30-Jun-19

PER13899

Etoxazole

Two-spotted mite

1-Jan-13

31-Mar-15

PER14211

Fenhexamid

Grey mould and chocolate spot

27-Nov-13

30-Sep-16

PER14044

Acramite Miticide

Mites

12-Mar-14

30-Nov-15

PER14185

Chess Insecticide

Aphids

1-Jul-13

30-Jun-15

PER14033

Lambda-cyhalothrin

Pasture webworm, cutworm, Rutherglen bug and thrips

1-Jun-13

31-May-18

PER14505

Pyrimethanil

Grey mould (botrytis)

1-Jul-14

30-Jun-19

PER13303

Coragen Insecticide

Heliothis, cluster caterpillar

28-May-12

31-Mar-15

PER14337

Trifluralin

Weeds

10-Mar-14

30-Jun-20

PER13116

Propiconazole

Northern corn leaf blight

8-Feb-12

31-Mar-16

PER14536

Abamectin

Two-spotted mite

30-May-14

30-Jun-17

Mouseoff and Rattoff Zinc Phosphide Baits

House mouse and introduced rats

14-Dec-11

31-Dec-16

Swedes

Sweet corn

Sweet potato PER13151

118

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

YOUR PRODUCTION

Permit No.

Description

Disease

Issued date

Expiry date

PER14582

Oxamyl (Dupont Vydate L)

Nematodes

1-Apr-14

30-Sep-15

PER13153

Regent 200 SC

PER14864

Pirimicarb

White fringed weevil & wireworm

14-Dec-11

31-Dec-16

Aphids

11-Nov-14

30-Jun-19

PER13902

Phorate

phids, thrips, jassids and organophosphate susceptible twoA spotted mite and wireworm

2-Jan-13

31-Mar-18

PER14484 PER13395

Fluazifop

Grass weeds

16-Apr-14

31-Mar-18

Methomyl

Heliothis, cucumber moth and cluster caterpillar

31-Jul-12

30-Sep-17

PER100166

A8164 Seed Treatment (paclobutrazol)

Seed treatment

17-Nov-14

30-Nov-17

PER13675

Maldison

ueensland, Mediterranean and lesser Queensland fruit fly and Q cucumber fly

16-May-13

31-May-18

PER13567

Bifenthrin

Fruit fly

7-Dec-12

31-May-16

PER13566

Methomyl

Fruit fly

7-Dec-12

31-May-16

PER100400

Pyrimethanil

Botrytis

13-Nov-14

30-Jun-17

PER13721

Switch

Grey mould (botrytis)

7-May-13

31-May-16

Tomatoes

PER13716

Abrade Abrasive Barrier Insecticide

Various insect pests

24-Dec-12

31-Jan-16

PER13717

Amistar Top (azoxystrobin + difenoconazole)

Powdery mildew

31-Jan-14

31-May-16

PER14100

Buprofezin

Greenhouse whitefly

1-Oct-13

31-Mar-16

PER13725

Chess

Greenhouse whitefly, silverleaf whitefly, green peach aphid

18-Apr-13

31-May-16

PER13724

Previcur

Root rot

18-Apr-13

31-May-16

PER13720

Pristine

Powdery mildew

28-Jun-13

31-May-16

PER13722

Teldor 500SC Fungicide

Grey mould (botrytis)

30-Sep-13

31-May-16

PER13726

Trifloxystrobin

Powdery mildew

28-Jun-13

31-May-16

Turnip PER13303

Coragen Insecticide

Heliothis, cluster caterpillar

28-May-12

31-Mar-15

PER14337

Trifluralin

Weeds

10-Mar-14

30-Jun-20

Various vegetable crops PER14583

Chlorpyrifos

Various insect pests

1-Apr-14

31-Mar-19

PER14479

Propiconazole

Various pests

12-May-14

31-Oct-17

PER13111

Chess Insecticide (pymetrozine)

Silverleaf whitefly, lettuce aphid

20-Feb-12

31-May-15

PER13695

Ecocarb Fungicide

Powdery mildew

31-Oct-12

30-Sep-17

PER14565

Various Products

Stable fly larvae

14-Feb-14

31-Mar-19

Loxynil

Broad leaf and grass weeds

17-Oct-13

31-Mar-16

Welsh onions PER14142

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

119

WA Grower ADVERTISING SPECIFICATIONS

Preferred format: press ready PDF

FULL PAGE Full page with bleed 210mm(W) x 297mm(H) plus 3mm bleed — 216mm(W) x 303mm(H)

Must be saved as: • 300dpi • CMYK • Fonts embedded

HALF PAGE vegetablesWA

Half page without bleed 190mm(W) x 130mm(H)

Horticultural House 103 Outram Street, West Perth 6005

t: (08) 9481 0834 f: (08) 9481 0024 e: finance@vegetableswa.com.au

ONE THIRD PAGE One third page without bleed 190mm(W) x 80mm(H) or 60mm(W) x 254mm(H)

WA Grower advertiser contacts

120

Name

Website/Email

Address

Contact name

Clause Pacific (p91)

www.hmclause.com

PO Box 475, Bulleen VIC 3105

Kevin Swan

0400 622 314

Crop Care (p51)

www.cropcare.com.au

Unit 15, 16 Metroplex Ave, Murarrie QLD 4172

Customer Care

1800 111 454

C-Wise (p7)

www.cwise.com.au

Nambeelup Rd, Nambeelup WA 6207

David Howey

(08) 9581 9582

Delta Water Solution (p17)

wwwdeltawater.com.au

PO Box 507, HRMC NSW 2310

Dianne Panov

1800 283 600

Dobmac Ag Machinery (OBC)

www.dobmac.com.au

36-38 Industrial Dve, Ulverstone TAS 7315

Mark Dobson

edp australia pty ltd (p79)

www.edp.com.au

33-37 O'Brien St, Mooroopna VIC 3629

(03) 5820 5337

Mirco Bros (p2)

www.mircobros.com.au

800 Rockingham Rd, Henderson WA 6166

(08) 9410 2233

Perth Energy (p55)

www.perthenergy.com.au

Level 4, 165 Adelaide Tce, East Perth WA 6004

(08) 9420 0300

South Pacific Seeds (p71)

www.southpacificseeds.com.au

Unit 1/14 Bowen St, O'Conner WA 6163

(08) 9331 6356

United Crate (p43)

www.unicrate.com.au

1 Zanni St, Canning Vale WA 6155

(08) 9455 1540

WA Crates (IBC)

service@wacrates.com.au

Crate Yard, Market City, 280 Bannister Rd, Canning Vale WA 6155

(08) 9456 4092

WA Recycling (p5)

www.warecycling.com.au

Lot 501 Adelaide St, Hazelmere WA 6055

WA Grower SUMMER 2014

Tony Gangemi

Contact number

(03) 6425 5533

(08) 9250 1122

WA crates

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

0 email: service@wacrates.com.au

ONION GRADING & PACKING SOLUTIONS M & P Onion Peelers • Small Peeler for 18-45mm Onions or Shallots • Large Peeler for Onions over 45mm • Stainless Steel Construction • Variable Speed Drive • Dry Peeling Process

• Manual Orientation of Onions • Adjustable Operator Station • 415v 3 Phase 50 Hz • Unique Peeling System

Baxmatic®

Fully automated Bagging System Combination Weighing Scale (Optional)

• High capacity (up to 1200 bags/hr) • Quick start-up & changes • Automatic bag placement • Automatic sewing & closing • Bag sizes from 2.5kg to 50kg • Heavy duty construction • Integrated labelling • Online support system • 12 & 16 Head Combination Scales • Up to 1500 scale movements per hour

Turn Key Pack House Solutions • Onion Toppers • Pre Sizers • Intake Hoppers • Dirt Separation • Inspection Tables • Box/Big Bag Fillers • 5-25kg Baggers • Semi & Fully Automatic Palletisers

36-38 Industrial Drive (PO Box 93) Ulverstone TASMANIA. 7315 AUSTRALIA Phone: (03) 6425 5533 Fax: (03) 6425 5847

PO Box 1021, Pukekohe.

New Zealand Phone: 0272 907 281

Email: dobmac@dobmac.com.au Website: www.dobmac.com.au A leader in the design, manufacture & supply of specialised agricultural machinery