AUSVEG — the dogmatic representative body for Australian vegetable producers — has published a “priority list” of issues outlining what it will be promoting to political parties.
Firstly, it believes government support is urgently need to significantly and permanently increase the daily vegetable intake of ordinary Aussies.
Australians today are eating less than half of the recommended daily five serves of vegetables, and this number is steadily declining.
The Australian vegie industry exports just 6.4 per cent of produce, making it heavily reliant on domestic buying patterns.
AUSVEG wants the Ag Visa fully operating as soon as possible and delivering skilled labour onto farms.
The group is also calling for all labour hire businesses to be licensed, so growers can have confidence they are working with a rule-abiding hire operator.
Thirdly, horticulture has been largely ignored during the net-zero debate as public discussion focuses on farting cows and reforestation.
AUSVEG says action on sustainability is crucial in its sector, particularly when factoring in fertiliser and energy costs.
Creating fertiliser is a highly energy-intensive process and with electricity prices rising growers’ margins can only tighten.
AUSVEG wants $100 million in renewable grants to help growers transition to renewable energy and leave petrol and diesel behind.
Gippsland green grower Adam Schreurs is an early adopter of regenerative vegie farming.
Mr Schreurs was one of the first vegetable producers in Victoria to implement the now-popular Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system on this property.
Other growing methods being used by Mr Schreurs include sequestering carbon through cover cropping, minimum tillage, boundary planting and protecting native vegetation.
With the help of 150 employees, Mr Schreurs produces 200,000 kilograms of celery each week alongside 30,000kg of leeks, baby spinach and rocket for the major supermarkets.
“The whole world is heading towards a sustainable future and we need to be a part of that shift,” Mr Schreurs said.
AUSVEG chief executive Michael Coote said the priority list was the result of extensive consultations with growers and industry.
“Our federal election asks include a range of issues that will help the industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as help place the industry in the best possible position for the next five, 10 years and beyond,” Mr Coote said.
The key to this future will be the diet change AUSVEG wishes to see on Australian tables — so get eating.
AUSVEG election priorities
1. Increasing domestic consumption of Australian vegetables.
(Includes: $100 million to execute a nationwide “behaviour change program” which will “empower” Australians to “consistently have positive eating experiences with vegetables”, according to AUSVEG.)
2. Improving skilled workforce availability.
(Includes Delivering a fully operational Australian Ag Visa, delivering an affordable national quarantine facility for ag/hort workers, and implementing a national labour hire licensing scheme for labour hires to abide by.)
3. Adopting regenerative farming.
(Includes $100 million in renewable energy grands, $20 million to educate growers on emissions reduction and Carbon Credit Units, and $30 million for R&D to extend the shelf life of fresh produce via improved cold chain management.)
4. Biosecurity.
(Includes introducing a biosecurity imports levy charge to ensure growers don’t have to foot the bill, $5 million to review fruit fly activities and develop a national approach.)
5. Emergency preparedness and prevention.
(Includes increasing the mental health and wellbeing workforce in rural and region areas, $20 million to modernise water delivery and storage infrastructure, and a government commitment to maintain and protect existing water allocation and entitlements for vegetable and potato growers.)
6. Competition and business.
(Includes increasing penalties for price gougers in the ag supply chain, introducing freely available and accurate real-time market price reporting, and investing in domestic production of fertiliser, agri-chemicals, potash and wood.)
7. International trade.
(Includes $5 million to support international market development.)
8. Infrastructure.
(Includes a tax write-off for those building staff accommodation, upgrading key roads and bridge assets to unlock more routes to market, including B-double routes, connections, unhitching pads and access to inland rail.)
9. Next generation.
(Includes updating core curriculum in schools to include an agriculture / self-sufficiency / cooking component, and $10 million to get kids visiting vegetable and potato farms.)
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