How levies work, more efficient glasshouses, on-farm food waste

03/27/24 • 32 min

Vegalogue is a podcast from Australian vegetable peak industry body AUSVEG. Each month we take a look at issues affecting the Australian vegetable, potato and onion sectors, unpacking levy-funded research and meeting some of the incredible people who make up the vegetable industry.
This month, we discuss:

How the Australian horticulture levy system works, and how it gives Australian growers an edge.
New glasshouse films that could reduce energy consumption and increase productivity in protected cropping.
A new plan that's finding ways to reduce the horticulture sector's on-farm food waste for the benefit of growers’ bottom line, as well as the environment and food security. Read the plan here: https://endfoodwaste.com.au/horticulture/

Guests:

Andrew Francey, General Manager of Industry Service and Delivery, Hort Innovation Australia.
Associate Professor Chris Cazzonelli, Professor Zhong-Hua Chen, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University.
Melissa Smith, End Food Waste Australia.

Thanks for listening to Vegalogue! You can find out more about AUSVEG and the Australian vegetable industry at ausveg.com.au. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, or Tik Tok.

How the Australian horticulture levy system works, and how it gives Australian growers an edge.
New glasshouse films that could reduce energy consumption and increase productivity in protected cropping.
A new plan that's finding ways to reduce the horticulture sector's on-farm food waste for the benefit of growers’ bottom line, as well as the environment and food security. Read the plan here: https://endfoodwaste.com.au/horticulture/

Guests:

Andrew Francey, General Manager of Industry Service and Delivery, Hort Innovation Australia.
Associate Professor Chris Cazzonelli, Professor Zhong-Hua Chen, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University.
Melissa Smith, End Food Waste Australia.

Previous Episode

New leafy veg Standard, national biosecurity strategy, Geoff Moar

How the state-by-state rollout of the new Primary Production and Processing (PPP) Standard for leafy vegetables, berries and melons is progressing.
A major new project developing a national biosecurity strategy for vegetables, the Vegetable industry biosecurity and business continuity strategy (VG22004).
Changes to the vegetable industry seen during 60 years as a potato grower and 20 years on the AUSVEG Board with outgoing Director Geoff Moar.

Guests:

Zarmeen Hassan, National Manager of Biosecurity and Extension, AUSVEG
Dr Rosalie Daniel, Program Manager - Biosecurity, AUSVEG
Dr Lucy Tran-Nguyen, General Manager of Partnerships and Innovation, Plant Health Australia
Geoff Moar, owner, Moar GR & L

Next Episode

Varroa mite, fall armyworm, cauliflower breeding

How the transition from varroa mite eradication to management has gone, and the priorities for the new plan.
The cross-agriculture collaboration to manage Fall armyworm amidst the largest outbreak of the pest since it was detected in Australia.
Why cauliflowers need a sun hat, and what growers are looking for in new cauli varieties.

Guests:

Zarmeen Hassan, National Manager of Biosecurity and Extension, AUSVEG
Dr Melina Miles, Principal Entomologist, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Eliza Seymour, Regional Business Manager - Victoria & Tasmania, Bayer Vegetable Seeds.

Vegalogue - How levies work, more efficient glasshouses, on-farm food waste

Transcript

So Australia has about 7.6 million times of food that goes to waste every year.
That's enough to fill the MCG to the brim 10 times.
But 22%, so the second highest area is on farms.
And the consequences of that is a huge economic cost, $36.6 billion a year.
Yeah.
Thanks Welcome back to the Vegalogue podcast, a dialogue about the Australian vegetable industry from Ausveg.
I'm Tom Bicknell.
This episode, we'll be taking a tour through a technicolor glass house at Western Sydn