A new program aims to boost Australia’s table grape exports.
Championing women in agriculture
The Victorian Government is backing more women in the agriculture industry to claim their space in leadership and decision-making positions through the Victorian Rural Women’s Network Leadership and Mentoring program.
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Twenty women will have the opportunity to participate in specialised mentorship and leadership training, learning from influential leaders across industry and government.
The training is tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by women in agriculture, providing participants with the tools, support and visibility they need to be leaders in their industry and communities.
Accommodation, childcare and travel costs will be covered in acknowledgement of the financial barriers many women face for participation in leadership programs.
Australia’s table grape industry is protecting growers’ strong export position through a new $2.8 million program to improve market access and responsiveness.
Delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the Australian Table Grape Association, the five-year program will help the nation’s table grape industry adapt and respond to evolving international trade requirements.
“This new investment bolsters the table grape industry’s position in established and emerging markets, addressing the challenge of sustaining and incrementally increasing export volumes,” Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said.
Table grapes have developed an impressive export legacy over the past decade, with exports surging from 30,000 tonnes (valued at $80 million) in the early 2000s to 152,500 tonnes (worth $623 million) in the 2019-20 season.
Despite the rise in exports, the industry has faced challenges over the past few years, such as market instability, rising cost of production and trying climatic conditions.
New standard in plastic recycling
Nearly one million plastic agricultural chemical containers could now be recycled directly back into new agricultural chemical containers each year, under a new drumMUSTER initiative unveiled in Victoria.
Drums-to-Drums is an Australian-first in the sustainable management of agricultural chemical packaging and is a partnership between CropLife, its not-for-profit subsidiary Agsafe, and leading plastic recycler and packaging manufacturer PactGroup.
Technical challenges in the past have meant that collected drumMUSTER containers could only be recycled into plastic pellets to make other products, such as park benches and construction materials. Pact has now developed an agricultural chemical drum that can be manufactured using up to 30 per cent recycled plastic.
Pact is aiming to collect, recycle and remake nearly a million plastic agricultural chemical drums each year using material derived from drumMUSTER, creating a circular solution for plastic agri-chem and agri-vet containers.
Farmers can support Drums-to-Drums by continuing their participation in drumMUSTER, by taking their chemical drums to any of the 830 collection points across Australia.
Calling all agrifood innovators
Natalie Bell, 2024 Groundbreaker and founder of Hylo Ag — a start-up aiming to provide a recycling pathway for livestock ear tags — credits the program for boosting her success.
The search is on for the next generation of agrifood innovators, with applications now open for the evokeAG Groundbreakers 2025 cohort.
The 2025 evokeAG Groundbreakers Program will give five young agrifood innovators the opportunity to present their ideas, innovations, or research to an international audience at evokeAG in Brisbane next February.
Australian and New Zealand residents aged between 18 and 30 years old who are exploring, researching, or implementing innovative ideas in rural industries or communities are encouraged to apply.
Selected Groundbreakers will receive a series of mentoring sessions and workshops, professional video and photographer support, media training, the opportunity to present at evokeAG 2025 in Brisbane and a post-event bursary supporting their goals to enhance rural communities and advance Australian agriculture.
Campaspe Shire Council’s #MyCampaspe calendar photo competition is now open.
This year the competition is changing, with 10 photo and three artwork categories being introduced, including one for Waterways, Countryside and Farmlands.
Campaspe Shire Mayor Rob Amos said it was an opportunity to further explore the creativity of residents and enjoy Campaspe through their eyes.
Up to five photos can be entered across 13 categories by each person, with the winning entry for each category receiving $100. Photos must be taken in Campaspe Shire, be high quality and in landscape orientation.
