PHA staff recently attended a planning workshop in Melbourne to discuss the $10 million Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy program.

The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to consider key priorities for the five-year program to strengthen the Australian vegetable industry. Project partners presented a range of activities to be undertaken in the second year of the program.

One of the key activities completed by PHA in the first year of the program includes the delivery of an interim High Priority Pest (HPP) list. Work is also underway to develop a pest prioritisation framework for the vegetable industry to determine pests of high significance and inform activities delivered by project partners.

The program is led by AUSVEG and brings together expertise from PHA, state and territory government departments, including the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA DPIRD), the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA – Victoria), and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), as well as the Centre for Biosecurity Risk Analysis, RM Consulting Group and Onside Intelligence.

The program is built around three themes:

1. Surveillance and Diagnostics led by DEECA and QDAF
2. Data and Informed Decision Making led by DPIRD WA
3. Business Resilience and Continuity led by PHA.

Funded by Hort Innovation on behalf of growers through the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, the program aims to create a biosecurity framework for the vegetable industry that provides an adaptable flexible approach to prepare for and respond to new pest arrivals.

The Vegetable Industry Biosecurity and Business Continuity Strategy (VG22004) has been funded by Hort Innovation using the Vegetable Industry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not for profit research and development corporation for Australian Horticulture.