Linda White (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I had the pleasure of representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry at the 2023 Victorian vegetable innovation field days in Catani, Victoria. 'What exactly is a vegetable innovation field day?' you ask. Let me tell you. I didn't know before I went there, but now I do. It was organised by AUSVEG Victoria. The event gathered together seed growers, farmers and ag tech professionals from across Australia and New Zealand on the same acre of land to show off their products and discuss all things vegetable. In fact, about nine of the 10 major Australian seed growers were represented.

Basically imagine a paddock with every type of lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, leek, cabbage, Asian vegetable, onion, zucchini and herb you can think of and then imagine them all looking their greenest and juiciest at the same time. Like the roses at Flemington for Melbourne Cup Day, they were all blooming together. To get the timing just right to show off the produce at its best meant that growers had started planting in January and staggered winter veg through to May.

The quality of produce and sheer diversity of product all in the one place was incredible to see. It reminded me of the royal Easter show that I saw as a kid, seeing the wonderment of the beautiful produce displayed together, with excited people talking about it. It also reminded me how technically advanced and special our agricultural industries are. The level of resilience and innovation necessary to make agriculture work never ceases to amaze me, and it is sharing this sort of innovation and best practice across the industry that these field days are all about.

So thank you to the organisers for having me, and thanks especially for entrusting me, as the guest of honour, to officially open the event by cutting the ceremonial bok choy. It's not something that I ever imagined I would do, but it was fantastic, and it was a brilliant day. Thanks also to the Butler Market gardeners, whose property we were on. It was something I won't forget.