“On the upside, so far we have been fortunate to miss the worst of the weather systems that have devastated crops over east ... On the downside, growers are still fighting the battle for profitability due to high input costs.”

Welcome back to a new year. Summer has been mild compared to the year before, which has been good for growing conditions.

On the upside, so far we have been fortunate to miss the worst of the weather systems that have devastated many crops over east and, more recently, in New Zealand. Our thoughts go out to those affected and we hope to see better conditions for those farmers in the future. On the downside, growers are still fighting the battle for profitability due to high input costs. Unfortunately, this is leading to some reduced plantings and growers questioning their future investment in the industry.

The PGA WA has recently launched the new WA Potato Industry Biosecurity Manual for WA growers and you should have had a copy sent to you in the mail during February. This important document provides all the information and links growers need to stay on top of their biosecurity planning and management. The manual was developed by the PGA WA in collaboration with DPIRD and AUSVEG, with funding by the Agriculture Produce Commission Potato fee for service.

As Chair of the PGA WA, I would also like to welcome the new Minister for Agriculture and Food, Forestry and Small Business, the Hon. Jackie Jarvis, and Minister for Water, Simone McGurk, to their roles. We look forward to working with them to achieve best results for our members.

Lastly, thank you to our team at Horticulture House for their continual hard work and for putting on a great sundowner for the industry in February; it was fantastic to have so many growers in the room in Manjimup.

Contact Vaughan on 0417 092 505  or email marybrook438@gmail.com