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of our soil and the farming
property,” he said.
While he says there is a place
for organics, Mike believes
there needs to be a change in
consumer awareness around
the growing conditions for
Australian produce.
“A lot of produce is grown
using a lot of organic practices
and we only use chemicals
when there is a major problem.
“We have lots
of controls and
regulations
to put up
with here in
Australia, but
because of
those controls
and regulations
we produce a
very healthy
and safe
product and
we should be
capitalising on
that.”
- Mike Badcock
“As growers, we have to prove
that there are no residues
on our products, and the
transparency with everything we
do allows consumers to trust our
produce.”
EnviroVeg benefits
Mike is a member of the
Australian vegetable industry’s
dedicated environmental
program, EnviroVeg, which
he oversaw in its earlier days
during his time as Chairman
of AUSVEG. He reiterates how
programs such as EnviroVeg are
really important for the industry.
“EnviroVeg is an excellent
scheme with quite a
membership now and another
really good marketing advantage
for us,” he added.
On his property, Mike uses
agronomists and advisers to
minimise his chemical use and
to implement Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) techniques.
This has cut back chemical use
by 60 per cent and is one of
the biggest areas of change in
R&D techniques that Mike has
witnessed.
“We are very much more
chemically and environmentally
friendly now and most farms are
taking this on-board.”
Areas of opportunity
In addition to being a member
of EnviroVeg, Mike foresees
retail market structure,
innovation with modern
technology and showcasing
Australia’s environmental
credentials overseas as
necessary areas of industry
focus.
“The retail structure affects
the whole supply chain, and
farmers don’t have options
to market their produce. The
industry needs to find ways to
market produce directly from
the grower to the consumer,”
he said.
“In its current state, the
industry is losing out in low
socio-economic areas where
people can get fast food easier
than vegetables. People are
only eating two of the five
recommended vegetables on
average per day – if we can get
that up to four, then the industry
is effectively doubled and there
is a healthier population.”
Further to expanding the
Australian vegetable market with
increased consumer awareness
and ease of access, the next
greatest area of expansion will
be overseas.
“There are great opportunities
in the growing Asian and United
Arab Emirates markets in the
higher level product side, which
we are producing under the top
level conditions of Australia.
If we can start capitalising on
high-end material overseas,
then we are taking more
products out of Australia
which gives us more power in
negotiating the product left in
Australia.”
Showcasing quality
produce
Mike believes that the top level
growing conditions of Australian
Photography by Belle Young
produce is going to be a big
advantage in the Australian
vegetable industry’s access to
burgeoning export markets, and
modern technology will be the
way forward in accessing this
information.
“We have lots of controls and
regulations to put up with here
in Australia, but because of
those controls and regulations
we produce a very healthy and
safe product and we should be
capitalising on that,” he said.
“Something like QR codes
can show where, how and
who produced the product.
Consumers are now crying out
for more knowledge on how their
food was produced and who
produced it.
“Australian grown labels were
fought against initially; people
thought the only factor was
price, but now this label has
really taken off and people are
demanding Australian grown
produce.”
Overall, Mike encapsulates
what it is like to be involved in
the Australian vegetable industry
right now in one sentence: “It’s
an exciting world at this time
and we should be capitalising
on it.”
Vegetables Australia November/December 2015