YOUR INDUSTRY
3 SURVEYS on the efficiency of irrigation infrastructure design as well as water and fertiliser use have shown that there is room for improvement.
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VegNET RDO Update
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BY SAM GRUBIŠA REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, VEGETABLESWA
O…HO…HO! Fingers crossed for a Merry Christmas!
To say this year has been challenging is an EPIC understatement. Way back in February, when the sun was shining, the birds were singing and our biggest concern was Fall armyworm breaching our North Eastern border; who could have known what was to come?
a high fiving fiesta of theoretical and practical horticulture experience. So, when vegetablesWA was awarded the WA tenders for VegNET Phase 2 — Regional Development (Hort Innovation) and Regional Development Officer (APC VPC), we were ready and raring to go. That was until we noticed…the project remits were a little different to the last couple of years. Regional Development is our name… but extension is still our game; the focus has just shifted sideways a little. While we are still here to 100 per cent support the veg growers of WA with all things Hort, R&D and industry innovation; to align with the funding contract criterion (established through their industry specific SIAP consultations) we have drawn our focus in tighter for the coming year.
vegetablesWA’s extension team.... a diverse shared background!
Along with an international pandemic, national border closures and the Australian National Dictionary Centre naming ‘Iso’ as the word of the year…came an extension reinvention to rival Madonna.
vegetablesWA’s extension team consists of Truyen “The Brains” Vo and me, Sam “The Brawn” Grubiša. With a diverse shared background covering scientific research, medical pathology, agronomy, trucking and good old, hands in the dirt farm work; we are
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WA Grower SUMMER 2020
It began back in May with our first foray into Innovations Systems, regional scans and discussion papers. Training and support from Sean Kenny and Geoff Drysdale at Rural Consulting Group, helped to guide us on our way to developing a five-year regional extension strategy and five key areas of focus by the end of August.
It was during those three months of training that my respect for “The Brains” of this outfit grew exponentially. Truyen’s university degrees and years as a research scientist, gave us an edge in understanding the direction and scope of this new project approach. With his theoretical knowledge and my practical knowledge of horticulture, we were able to visualise a plan to benefit the West.
Now all we had to do was get it all down on paper…this is where the grey hairs really started to sprout! We spent the next two months writing…reviewing…re-writing…and starting again! Motivated by feedback and regional visits over the years, we chose to shine the spotlight on five of the main issues affecting the industry statewide and have created the following project focuses: 1. Water and fertiliser use efficiency 2. Biosecurity 3. Quality assurance base level requirements — chemical certification 4. Pest and disease management 5. Business continuity (assisting role).
