For vegetable growers, getting the right information in the right way can make a real difference – from understanding pest and disease advice to accessing training, grants and technical support that help with decisions on farm.

A recently completed project funded by Hort Innovation and delivered by VegetablesWA has successfully strengthened engagement between VegNET – the vegetable industry’s national extension program – and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) vegetable growers in Western Australia.  

The project was developed in response to a clear industry need: making sure language and cultural barriers do not prevent growers from accessing the research, training and support available through industry investment. It focused particularly on Vietnamese-speaking growers, who play an important role in the state’s vegetable industry and can face language or cultural barriers when accessing industry information and support.

Support that meets growers where they are

Anthony Kachenko, General Manager Production and Sustainability R&D at Hort Innovation, said the project recognised that access to information is not always just about availability: “For some growers, the challenge is not a lack of information – it is whether that information is easy to access, easy to understand and delivered by someone they trust. This project set out to close that gap by taking support directly to growers and making industry advice more accessible through bilingual communication, translated resources and face-to-face engagement.”

This means support could look different depending on what a grower needs. For one business, it might be a phone call about a training opportunity or a translated resource on pest management. For another, it might be an on-farm visit, help understanding a grant, or a demonstration showing how soil moisture monitoring, drone technology or precision weeding could work in commercial vegetable production.

For growers navigating busy production schedules, it could mean getting a clear answer without leaving the farm or being able to discuss a new practice in their native language before deciding whether it is right for their business.

Across the project, this practical approach led to 230 direct grower support interactions and 60 one-on-one farm visits across key vegetable-growing regions in Western Australia.

The results show the value of meeting growers where they are. Direct contact through calls, text messages, farm visits and local events helped growers ask questions, build confidence and connect with services they may not otherwise have accessed.

Bilingual training builds confidence  

One example was accredited bilingual chemical training held in Perth in November 2025, where 16 growers successfully completed certification. Delivering the training in both English and Vietnamese helped growers engage with important chemical management, workplace safety and compliance information in a more practical and confident way.

Grower Jessica Tran, who participated in the program, said: “Having the training in both Vietnamese and English made it much easier for me to understand chemical labels, safety requirements and how to apply chemicals correctly. I feel much more confident about meeting compliance requirements on my farm now, and I’d definitely be interested in more training like this in the future.”  

Turning information into action on farm

Regional roadshows in Carnarvon and Geraldton gave growers a practical way to connect with researchers, government agencies and industry representatives on issues affecting their businesses. More than 70 people attended, with growers making up more than 40 per cent of participants.

Following the roadshows, 70 per cent of participating growers reported improved confidence, awareness and understanding.

On-farm demonstrations took that practical approach a step further. Soil moisture probes, soil amendment work, drone technology, laser weeding, OWL technology and fall armyworm farm visits gave growers the chance to see and discuss new tools and practices under commercial conditions.

The project also showed that demand for accessible communication extends beyond individual grower conversations. Translated resources, newsletters, magazine articles, social media updates, direct SMS and email communication all played a role in helping growers receive information through channels that suited them.

Peter Spackman, CEO, vegetablesWA, said what stands out from this project is not just the number of growers reached, but the stronger relationships, confidence and access to support that have been built. “By combining bilingual communication with trusted one-on-one support and practical on-farm learning, we’ve been able to better connect growers with training, research, technology and industry opportunities. The project has demonstrated the real value of relationship-based extension and provides a strong foundation for how we can continue supporting culturally diverse growers in WA and across VegNET.”  

Looking ahead

The project identified opportunities to build on this work by developing more multilingual grower resources, continuing practical on-farm demonstrations and strengthening support for VegNET teams working with culturally diverse grower communities across Australia. It also highlighted the value of tracking how extension support leads to longer-term changes on farm, from greater confidence to adoption of new practices.

This project (VG25001) was funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. It was delivered by the West Australian Vegetable Growers Association Inc. through VegetablesWA.