What was it all about?

The project improved access to practical printed information for Australian vegetable, onion and potato growers by printing 17 priority resources covering pest and disease management, protected cropping and post-harvest management. A total of 4,655 copies were distributed across 10 VegNET regions, as well as to Growcom, Melons Australia and the PotatoLink National Coordinator.  

The work responded to demand identified by VegNET Regional Development Officers, who found that existing levy-funded resources such as booklets and ute guides were in high demand but short supply. The project confirmed which resources and quantities were needed, checked older resources for technical accuracy, sourced print-ready files and coordinated printing and distribution.  

The resources provide growers and their advisors with continued access to practical information on important production issues. Early feedback indicated the main expected benefits included better identification and management of insects, diseases and disorders, and greater confidence in decision-making. The report notes that it was too early to fully assess whether growers’ needs had been met because most resources had only recently been distributed.  

The project also identified a need for a more coordinated approach to reviewing, updating, printing and distributing priority resources. This could help keep practical information current and accessible to growers in both printed and digital formats.