Conservation Agriculture and its Development in Australia The Australian story of farmer innovation in Conservation Agriculture reveals a complex interplay of policy, economics, science, and farming. Farmer experimentation with Conservation Agriculture began in the 1960’s and has continued to this day where around 80%-90% of Australia’s 23.5 million hectares of winter crops are now grown using Conservation […]
Australian National Lost Crop Register Exceeds Losses The thinning of the seasonal labourers along with the loss of crops is causing the farming world to have negative repercussions. However, what seems to be the cause for concern is that many are predicting that the worst is yet to come. According to reports, last week the […]
Rotting Stone Fruit in Swan Hill as Prices Plummet Due to COVID 19, restrictions were imposed on the usual gathering of backpackers and all of the overseas workers. As a result of this unfortunate pandemic, many farm owners were left in the lurch as their stone fruit was left to rot. In fact, many growers […]
Berry Production in Australia vs. the UK Growing Methods The berry growing apparatus between the two countries is quite similar. This is especially true in the region of Tasmania. Moreover, this is mainly due to tunnels. However, it should not be ignored that both regions have different climates. When it comes to strawberries, there are […]
Seasonal Workers to Return to Victoria and Tasmania In a historic agreement, both Victoria and Tasmania have agreed to let seasonal workers return to the farm so that the work goes on uninterrupted. This will in turn not hamper the Tasmanian seasonal worker program. Moreover, this also takes care of the fact that many more […]
In favourable news for New Zealand, around 2,000 Pacific workers are arriving in New Zealand. This will be considered as the first of Samoa’s 780 strong workers that are linked to the Recognised Seasonal Employment Scheme. Moreover, this group of workers have successfully landed in Auckland this week. Nevertheless, the rest of the group are […]
Overview Zucchini, or courgette, is a summer squash which means that it is a squash that is harvested while immature and in the state while its rind is still tender and edible. Its skin is dark green, light green orange or deep yellow. Botanically Zucchini is a fruit, but it is treated as a vegetable […]
Zucchini Production in Australia (2019) Overview Tomatoes are grown in almost all states across Australia. However, the majority of the production occurs mainly in Victoria and Queensland. In traditional times, most of this vegetable was produced outdoors. Nevertheless, in recent years, tomatoes are being produced in high-tech glasshouses. Lycopene is one of the most abundant […]
Overview of Sweet Potatoes The majority of sweet potatoes grown in Australia are produced in Queensland. Smaller volumes are grown in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. This vegetable originated in Central and South America. But archaeologists have found prehistoric remnants of sweet potato in Polynesia from about A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1100, according to […]
Sweet Corn Production in Australia (2019) Overview Sweet corn refers to the sweet variety of corn that is grown for direct human consumption. However, this does not include maize or other broadacre corn crops. This vegetable is wind-pollinated, so it should be planted in blocks, rather than in single rows. Early, mid, and late-season varieties […]
Overview of Pumpkins References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for “large melon” which is “pepon.” “Pepon” was nasalized by the French into “pompon.” The English changed “pompon” to “Pumpion.” Shakespeare referred to the “pumpion” in his Merry Wives of Windsor. American colonists changed “pumpion” into “pumpkin.” This vegetable […]
Overview of Potatoes Among many edible crops that emerged at the dawn of modern human civilization and managed to spread across the entire world, few managed to distinguish themselves by their ruggedness, storage quality and its nutritional value. The potato indigenous flowering plants of South America and the Andes mountains (modern-day southern Peru and northwestern Bolivia) […]
Overview of Parsnips Parsnips have been cultivated for their sweet roots since ancient times. The Romans frequently grew vegetables. In fact, Emperor Tiberius adored parsnips and, every year, had them brought from France where the colder climate allowed the roots to develop a sweeter flavour. The British are particularly fond of this vegetable. It was […]
Overview of Cucumbers It is generally agreed that cucumbers originated in India and have been under cultivation for at least 3000 years. From India, the plant was introduced into China and then into the West. Both the Greeks and the Romans knew and grew the cucumber. With the possible exception of some gherkins grown in […]
Overview of Mushrooms The word mushroom is derived from the French word for fungi and moulds. One day, around 1650, a melon grower near Paris discovered these vegetables growing on his growth fertiliser. He decided to cultivate this new exotic delicacy commercially and to introduce it in exclusive Parisian restaurants. It was at that time […]
Head Lettuce Production in Australia (2019) Overview Head lettuce refers to all of those lettuce products that are mainly sold in a headed form. One of the most popular forms of this is iceberg lettuce. Moreover, these vegetables are often sold very close to the populated parts of the country. Iceberg Lettuce This is probably […]
Growth of the Canned Fruit Production in Australia The growth of the canned deciduous fruit business is primarily based in the Goulburn-Murray Valley region of Victoria, processing Australian apples, apricots, peaches, pears and plums at Shepparton. The canned fruits industry does not have a specific biosecurity plan or manual but has developed plans and manuals […]
Potato Production and Growth in 2019 Potatoes like a fertile, deeply dug moist, acidic soil with a pH of less than 6. They do not grow well in heavy clay or a limed soil, which promotes potato scab. To avoid this, always rotate your potato patch each year. Many older varieties of potatoes have lost […]
Olives Production in Australia (2019) Overview Olives are a common fruit that is grown in all major states of Australia. However, the majority of production is grown in Victoria. Almost all of these fruits that are grown in Australia are for olive oil production. Both of these forms are popular in Australia. Since the olive […]
