New training for vegetable growers

Market report for 31st January and 1st February, 2018 Wednesday Fat Sale 407 head. Thursday Bull and Cow Sale, 47 bulls, 302 cows.

Australia Day long weekend over and numbers settle back down, with 407 head yarded on Wednesday. Bullocks topped at 258.2 and averaged 227.4. Heifers numbers jumped to 56 head, topping out at 305, up 2 and heifers averaged 254.5. There were 10 steers yarded and slipped slightly making to 271.2, for an average of 221. 327 veal reached a top of 330, up 5 and the average was 3 cents better at 281.7. This week’s yard average was 271.3.

A yarding of 47 bulls and 302 cows on Thursday sold to firm demand, with bulls topping at 260.6 to average 230.9. The best cow price was 235.2 and the cow average was 186.3, with a total yard average of 194.2.

1 AngX 1 Lim 2 Lim 1 LimX 1 Lim 1 Baza Bullocks 1 B/G 2 AngX Steers 1 Lim 1 SimX Heifers 1 LimX B&H Gardiner, Darnum 13 Char C Vilcins, Nar Nar Goon 1 B/B G Brough, Jindivick 2 LimX P Tullett, Westbury Export Cows and Heifers 2 Lim W&E Manley, Wgl West 1 Char J Phillips, Heath Hill 1 Sim H&S Ziebell, Lillico 1 Bld Geekay P/L, Neerim Nth 1 Ang McCrorey P/L, Trafalgar 1 Hfd Wheeler Logging, Hill End Dairy Cows 1 Frn D&A Camp, Modella 1 Frn Sumith P/L, Darnum 2 Frn G&K Fankhauser, Drn Wst 1 Frn M&J Winter, Warragul 1 Frn Damcshke & Carnes, T/gar Bulls 1 Hfd 1 Ang 1 Frn 1 Frn

W Griggs, Yarragon R&J Buchanan, Bena G&N Parke, Lardner G&T Callanan, Tanjil M&L Brunt, Poowong Macro Investments, W/law

H&Y Hughes, Thorpdale R Sutton, Modella

G&T Callanan, Tanjil P Tullett, Westbury

G,J&T Cook, Athlone 1035 260.6 2697 L&L Allen, Hallora 830 253.6 2104 M&A Jarvis, Cloverlea 825 247.2 2039 G&K Fankhauser, Drn Wst 885 240.2 2125

1. SEJ, 2. Scotts, 3.

Gibbon, 4. Elders, 5. Landmark.

385 420 338 405 405 435

580 588

520 530

500 472 715 375

597 645 635 605 675 780

725 715 742 740 545

330.0 321.2 318.6 313.6 313.2 312.0

258.2 255.6

267.6 233.6

293.2 278.0 206.0 205.6

235.2 223.2 222.0 222.0 217.6 214.0

208.6 208.2 208.2 199.2 189.2

1270 1349 1075 1270 1268 1357

1497 1501

1391 1238

1466 1312 1472 771

1404 1439 1419 1343 1468 1669

1512 1488 1544 1474 1031

VegNET Gippsland is working closely with national training initiative VegPRO to ensure vegetable growers’ active participation in a raft of new training opportunities to be offered this year.

Training will be offered in basic irrigation skills; horticulture code of conduct workshop; pests and disease in babyleaf workshop negotiating and influencing skills; post harvest management of vegetables workshop; VegInnovations (for value-adding to vegetables) workshop; and chemical handling skills for the vegetable industry.

All courses and workshops will be delivered by competent trainers and/or experts in the field.

Well-resourced training venues across Gippsland have been selected so that participants will not have to travel too far to access the training. Some workshops will be delivered on farm and Gippsland’s vegetable growers have been generous in hosting those workshops where field work is required.

EG Food Cluster’s Industry Development Officer Shayne Hyman said a training plan would be made available in the next few weeks so that vegetable growers and others along the supply chain can lock in dates to ensure they won’t miss out on VegPRO’s fully-funded suite of training and the low-cost training options being arranged by the VegNET Gippsland project separately

“Food and fibre is growing in Gippsland off an estimated $7 billion base and vegetable production is growing more rapidly than most of the other sectors. Sustainable growth needs support and customisation of development opportunities to the specific needs of the vegetable sector”, explained Ms Hyman.

Vegetable growers have been surveyed to determine their training needs by the VegNET Gippsland project and this is continuing throughout the life of the project to help vegetables businesses to grow their productivity and profitability.

VegPRO has also conducted interviews. All of the training is based on the latest research and development findings pertaining to best-inclass vegetable production.

The East Gippsland Food Cluster Inc is contracted to deliver the vegetable capacity building project racross Gippsland from Phillip Island to Mallacoota. The Cluster is a not-forprofit, industry member based organisation supporting the vital needs of agrifood in Gippsland.