AU: Vegetable growers angry over research direction
The rumbling is in the vegetable sector with a number of submissions to an ongoing independent review of Horticulture Australia Limited, (HAL) revealing concerns that Australia’s research capacity has been destroyed. Discontented growers believe AUSVEG, the peak industry body for vegetables, is to blame - a claim that's vehemently denied.
In its defence, AUSVEG says it's Horticulture Australia Limited, through its expert committees, which decides how money is allocated to research projects.
The debate about research spending in Australia is currently in the spotlight as a result of a statutory requirement from the Federal Government for an independent review of Horticulture Australia Limited and how it manages and spends $100 million of grower levy and taxpayer money.
The review is being conducted by ACIL Allen Consulting into Australia's fastest growing agricultural sector. It is currently worth $9 billion.
AUSVEG is just one of 43 members of Horticulture Australia Limited. Members include peak industry bodies and lobby groups for sectors like vegetables, citrus, mushrooms, avocados, apples and pears, nuts, turf and the plant nursery industry. Of the 43 members, there are 32 separate Industry Advisory Committees (IACs) for a range of horticultural sectors. These are separate expert panels which advise Horticulture Australia Limited on which projects to fund.
A number of growers and researchers, anonymously and on the record, have complained that AUSVEG has too much influence over the vegetable Industry Advisory Committee.
AUSVEG chief executive Richard Mulcahy maintains the vegetable Industry Advisory Committee is completely independent of AUSVEG. "The Industry Advisory Committee is drawn from people around Australia. The positions are advertised, there's independence in terms of people who wish to apply. You don't have to be a member of any grower organisation. The calibre we have of people in the current Industry Advisory Committee; some are holding doctorates, as well as being growers. It's a myth, and not supported by any fact, and frankly a terrible reflection of the calibre of the people doing that."
The Federal Government is said to be watching the review process closely for a resolution to the horticulture industry research issues.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, recently told the Melbourne Press Club that the sector is beset with infighting "You will find that there are five different lobby groups within it and they all can't stand one another, so they argue and are always ventilating to me how they believe the levies they get are not spent properly, or how they would do a better job."
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