Asian Foods - RIRDC Completed Projects in 2003--2004 & Research in Progress as at June 2005

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RIRDC Completed Projects in 2004-2005 & Research in Progress as at June 2005
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To Asian Foods Completed Projects

Asian Foods - Research in progress

PROJECT
No
PROJECT TITLE RESEARCHER PHONE ORGANISATION

Industry Development

DAN-211A Improved economic sustainability of Vietnamese vegetable growers in the Sydney region Dr. David Hall (02) 4348 1944 NSW Dept of Agriculture

DNT-29A Improving interaction and communication between RIRDC Asian foods leaders and industry (stage 2) Mr Geoff Walduck (08) 8999 2219 Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT)

DNT-31A Product description languages and support material for minor tropical crops in northern Australia Mr Geoff Walduck (08) 8999 2219 Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT)

DAV-218J Access to Asian foods newsletter Mr Graeme Thomson (03) 9210 9259 Department of Primary Industries (Vic)

New Products

CSP-9A Edamame soybean development in Australia Mr. Andrew James (07) 3214 2278 CSIRO Plant Industry

DAQ-298A Development of prunus mume, a new tree crop for Austraia Dr. Bruce Topp (07) 5441 2211 Dept of Primary Industries (QLD)

DAQ-307A Anti-cancer properties of Asian crucifers Dr. Tim O'Hare (07) 5466 2257 Department of Primary Industries (Qld)

DAT-39A Production and marketing of Tasmanian wasabi Ms. Angela Sparrow (03) 6336 5349 Dept of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (Tas)

UCQ-13A Development of taro, yam, yam bean and sweet potato exports to Japan and USA Prof. David Midmore (07) 4930 9770 Central Queensland University

Sustainable Production Systems

DAN-233J Integrated management strategies for diseases and pests of Asian vegetables Mr. Len Tesoriero (02) 4640 6428 NSW Department of Primary Industries

DAQ-322A Taro industry development: the first step Mr. Jeff Daniells (07) 4064 1129 Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (Qld)

Shelf Life

DAN-230A Improving the market access of Asian vegetables Dr Jenny Ekman (02) 4348 1900 NSW Department of Primary Industries

Industry Development

Project Title Improved economic sustainability of Vietnamese vegetable growers in the Sydney region

RIRDC Project No.: DAN-211A

Start Date: 01-Nov-02

Finish Date: 31-Oct-05

Researcher: Dr David Hall

Organisation: NSW Department of Agriculture
Gosford Horticultural Institute
Locked Bag 26, GOSFORD NSW 2250

Phone: (02) 4348 1944

Fax: (02) 4348 1910

Email: david.hall@agric.nsw.gov.au

Objectives · Adoption of best practices by Vietnamese vegetable growers;
· Increased economic viability of Vietnamese vegetable growers due to improved market access;
· Increased consumer confidence in safety of Asian vegetables;
· Detailed understanding of the information requirements and priorities of a specific Non English Speaking Background (NESB) grower groups;
· Socially, more empowered, less isolated Vietnamese vegetable growers accessing information and negotiating for their local community;
· More environmentally sustainable vegetable production in the Sydney region;
· Verification of the transportability of the communication and extension model piloted in Northern Territory (DAV-176A).

Current Progress Monitoring of the adoption by Vietnamese farmers of best practices:
Benchmark survey: The project officer, Dr Ho Dang, a fluent Vietnamese speaker, accomplished the survey on benchmarking grower’s farming practices, skills, attitudes and needs. The results of this survey are being used (1) to define target areas where assistance is required and, (2) to measure grower’s progress in adopting good farming practices when the survey is repeated in three years time.
More awareness of good farming practices among Vietnamese farmers:
Train farmers: There were 17 events organised for Vietnamese growers in 2004. These included formal training on water/soil/fertiliser/pest management and/or field days/ workshops on chemical application, post-harvest handling and farm management planning.
Monitoring improved economic stability:
Among the Vietnamese hydroponic growers, 85 % growers have adopted improved practices that resulted in higher production, better product quality and less expenditure on crop protection. Among the Vietnamese vegetable growers, 20 % have started implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM). For these farmers, the result has been a reduction in chemical spray and hence reduced production cost. Even more growers are likely to adopt IPM as recently they were personally assisted by IPM Project Officer (from RIRDC funded project).
Additional outcomes:
Project officer assisted Vietnamese growers in Queensland by visiting their farms, assisting them identify their pest and disease problems and suggest possible control measures . Project Officer also liaised with the Vietnamese Vegetable Growers Association in Queensland (VVGAQ) as well as Queensland DPI staff.
Communication and Industry liaison:
Bi-lingual Communication Model:
As a major objective of the project , a Bi-lingual Officer (Project Officer) was used to communicate with Vietnamese growers and to co-ordinate the government’s efforts to assist growers. The results so far have indicated that with a Bi-lingual Officer, trust between growers and DPI extension staff was more easily established, training/workshop attendance was greatly improved and growers felt more empowered with the acquisition of new knowledge and better communication networks. Project Officer will continue to implement follow-up training / workshops to assist growers further adopt newly acquired knowledge and techniques.
Media activities:
Routine advertisements, in Vietnamese, of training courses were placed in appropriate local newspapers, weekly magazines and on SBS Vietnamese broadcasting programs.
Project officer, together with the Irrigation Team from NSW DPI, organised the Water Care Model Farm Day during which local dignitaries and media were invited.
In September (2005), Project Officer will collaborate with Dr Jenny Ekman (NSW DPI at Gosford) to organise the Asian Vegetable Day. The objective of the day is to familiarise / provide the Australian public with a complete nomenclature of Asian Vegetables, a set of simple recipes and, an opportunity to taste exotic dishes made from Asian vegetables.
The activities of the day will be:
Introduction of a new naming system for Asian fruits and vegetables;
Introduce to the public, recipes and dishes made from the Asian Vegetables; and
Allow the growers talk to press about their products and the dishes that can be made from them.
Food critics, food reporters, cooks, supermarket representatives and other representatives of the food industry will be invited to this promotional function. The campaign will be on going and it is expected that publications and recipes from the food reporters will be placed in major newspapers and broadcast over the radio in October, 2005. These efforts will hopefully cause changes in consumer attitude and result in an improved awareness of the potential role Asian vegetables in the Australian cuisine.
Other issues:
Growers are concerned about their future as the majority of Vietnamese market gardeners in the Sydney basin are landless farmers, many of them without formal / long term leases. Under the pressure of residential development, many of the farms could soon disappear as the owners of the land capitalise on increasing land values. Because of this uncertainty farmers are less likely to invest in their farms and/or improve farm infrastructure. Additionally the economic instability adversely affects their adoption of best farming practices.

Industry Development

Project Title Improving interaction and communication between RIRDC Asian foods leaders and industry (stage 2)

RIRDC Project No.: DNT-29A

Start Date: 01-Aug-03

Finish Date: 30-Jun-05

Researcher: Mr Geoff Walduck

Organisation: Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT)
PO Box 3000
DARWIN NT 0801

Phone: (08) 8999 2219

Fax: (08) 8999 2049

Email: geoff.walduck@nt.gov.au

Objectives ·1 To facilitate and promote information exchange (formal and informal) between Asian food Project leaders, IDO's, industry representatives and the RIRDC Program Manager.
· Project leaders available to present final and progressive research reports at appropriate industry forums. Formal information exchange documented and available to interested parties.
· Industry issues identified regularly at regional level presented at a national meeting for all parties.

Current Progress A meeting of researchers, IDO’s plus representatives from HAL and RIRDC was held in Brisbane on the 7-8 June 2004.
A one day field trip by bus to see and meet Asian Vegetable producers, processors and retailers was conducted on 7 June 2004
.
A one day formal meeting and review was held at the QFVG meeting room at the Brisbane Wholesale Markets at Rocklea on 8 June 2004. This meeting was attended by 35 people.
A CD listing all the presentations at the meeting has been produced.
A decision on the location and approximate date of the next meeting has been made. The meeting will be in Western Sydney/Penrith area with a field trip and grower meetings in the Asian Vegetable growing areas of Western Sydney. The meeting is planned for November/December 2005. Detailed planning is due to commence in August.

Industry Development

Project Title Product description languages and support material for minor tropical crops in northern Australia

RIRDC Project No.: DNT-31A

Start Date: 30-Jun-03

Finish Date: 01-Jul-07

Researcher: Mr Geoff Walduck

Organisation: Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT)
PO Box 3000
DARWIN NT 0801

Phone: (08) 8999 2219

Fax: (08) 8999 2049

Email: geoff.walduck@nt.gov.au

Objectives · Production of Product Description Languages for a range of smaller emerging and developing tropical crops in a range of appropriate flexible and inexpensive formats.
· Production of PDLs to be in partnership with all parts of the production/transport/distribution/retail and consumer chain.
· Produce PDLs in electronic format so that they can be customised and modified easily to meet constantly changing market and production conditions. This also allows a range of very short run hard copy formats to be produced at little cost to meet specific requirements as required.
· Develop a system of developing PDLs for a range of related or geographically compact small crops so that PDLs can be produced quickly, inexpensively and be flexible enough to assist the industry to develop in the market place at an earlier stage than is usual at the moment.
· Improve the flow and accuracy of product information flow within and along the market chain.
· Promote more efficient operation of the market chain by improving both the accuracy and the speed of information flow in both directions.
· Improve quality of produce and lead to commercial quality standards as required.
· Enables the possibility of sale by description and e-commerce.

Current Progress 4 PDL’s have been prepared and are available as working drafts to industry for assessment. A further 4 are currently in draft stage or in development stage.
Material is currently being developed for a further 2 Asian Vegetable crops. The delayed start for this project and the unplanned departure of Kim Bui from the work team severely restricted progress at the beginning of the project but we are catching up and progress should be on track from this point.
Given our experience to date we are developing a small number of standard formats that we will use. Previously we were experimenting with individual formats and this proved too time consuming.

Industry Development

Project Title Access to Asian foods newsletter

RIRDC Project No.: DAV-218J

Start Date: 01-Jul-2004

Finish Date: 30-Jun-2006

Researcher: Mr Graeme Thomson

Organisation: Primary Industries Research Victoria - Knoxfield
Private Bag 15
FERNTREE GULLY DC
VIC 3156

Phone: (03) 9210 9259

Fax: (03) 9800 3521

Email: graeme.thomson@dpi.vic.gov.au

Objectives ·2 Produce (write, edit) a national newsletter for effective communication, networking and transfer of information in the Australian Asian vegetable/food industry.

Current Progress A two-page Access to Asian Foods newsletter issue has been compiled, edited and dispatched for July ‘04, August ‘04, September ‘04, October ‘04, November ‘04, February ‘05, March ‘05, April ‘05 and May ‘05. Over the past 11 months, approximately 14,700 newsletters were distributed all over Australia. For each issue the majority of newsletters were published in English (around 900 copies) but about 250 Vietnamese, 75 Cambodian and 100 Chinese translations were also produced. Most newsletters go to Victoria (30%), Queensland (26%) and New South Wales (23%).
Newsletter articles have continued to cover a broad range of topics from nationwide sources. During the reporting period, 23 separate articles were prepared by authors from every Australian mainland state and territory. Featured subjects included agronomy, postharvest handling, processing, new crops (including tropical fruit), industry news and marketing.
The newsletter enables researchers to quickly bring findings to a broad audience. It also fosters networking and cohesion between the scattered and varied groups that make up the Australian Asian food industry.

New Products

Project Title Edamame soybean development in Australia

RIRDC Project No.: CSP-9A

Start Date: 01-Dec-03

Finish Date: 30-Nov-06

Researcher: Dr Andrew James

Organisation: CSIRO Plant Industry
306 Carmody Road
St Lucia Qld 4067

Phone: (07) 3214 2278

Fax: (07) 3214 2730

Email: andrew.james@csiro.au

Objectives This work seeks to develop a critical understanding of the ripening process in CSIRO-bred and elite Japanese cultivars of edamame soybean, and in particular, to understand how changes in seed size and the seed content of protein, oil, sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose and stachyose), vitamins (A, D and E) and isoflavones (genistein, diadzein and glycitein) vary with ripening and maturation environment. This knowledge will be used to develop strategies to ensure consistent supplies of excellent quality edamame to high-value markets in Australia initially and overseas.

Current Progress Underpinning research to document fluxes of sugars during seed expansion, to determine the range of adaptation to sowing date in southern and northern Qld, and to determine the effect of plant population on seed size is progressing well. Work on determining an indicator of harvest readiness has also progressed, though no clear indicator other than seed size and texture has been identified. The research has also progressed through to commercial freezing trials in Australia and evaluation of a lightly processed-fresh product in Japan.

New Products

Project Title
Development of Prunus mume, a new tree crop for Australia

RIRDC Project No.: DAQ-298A

Start Date: 01-Jan-03

Finish Date: 31-May-06

Researcher: Dr Bruce Topp

Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (Qld)
Queensland Horticulture Institute
PO Box 5083 SCMC
NAMBOUR QLD 4560

Phone: (07) 5441 2211

Fax: (07) 5441 2235

Email: toppb@dpi.qld.gov.au

Objectives The main outcome will be the establishment of an entirely new industry involving producers, processors and exporters. The mume industry will generate new jobs and will replace current imported product. The R&D objectives are: · To determine new markets, potential competitors and to quantify the business economics of the agri-supply chain in the production and marketing of processed mume products (salted plums, mume sauces, umeboshi and umeshu).
· To study the adaptation, cropping and agronomy of mume in Australia and determine potential yields, consistency of supply and make recommendations on suitable varieties.
To evaluate mume as a genetic bridge in the development of other Prunus species and create novel products for processing.

Current Progress Desktop research has identified Japan as the most likely export market for Australian mume products. In 2003 Japan imported 44,630 tonnes of processed and semi-processed mume to supplement its domestic production. Demand for "Japanese plum wine"(umeshu), a liqueur from mume fruit steeped in fermented distilled Japanese spirits, is likely to increase with recent deregulation of Japanese liquor distribution. An Australian based sake manufacturer has expressed interest in producing umeshu using Australian mume fruit. Market research has also identified a small stable Australian domestic market consuming imported umeboshi, and a small growing market for umeshu imports. There is also a small stable market for a heavily dried salted Chinese product, Salty Plum, imported mainly from China. Australian mume producers would have difficulty competing in these small markets, or expanding the market for such culturally significant foods. An Australian industry would rely on exports of processed mume products to established markets or development of non-traditional uses of mume. A research visit to Japan in June 2005 investigated potential markets and the opportunity for Japanese investment to support an Australian industry.
In 2004-2005 the first commercial planting of mumes was established at Malanda in Queensland consisting of the low-chill cultivars ‘Dahching’, ‘Ellching’ and ‘Ianjy’. Our industry partner is expected to use this fruit for production of mume products. The two agronomic trials at Applethorpe Research Station and Maroochy Research Station have been established with the first crop to be harvested in the 2006-2007 season. These trials compare five mume cultivars (2 high-chill temperate and 3 low-chill subtropical cultivars) on 2 rootstocks.

New Products

Project Title
Anti-cancer properties of Asian crucifers

RIRDC Project No.: DAQ-307A

Start Date: 31-May-03

Finish Date: 30-Sep-06

Researcher: Dr Tim O'Hare

Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (Qld)
Queensland Horticulture Institute
Gatton Research Station
LMB 7, MS 437
MS437
GATTON QLD 4343

Phone: (07) 5466 2257

Fax: (07) 5466 2208

Email: Tim.O'Hare@dpi.qld.gov.au

Objectives · Identification of key crucifer species which could form the basis of industry sales on health rather than culinary issues, similar to broccoli sprouts in the USA. Identification and quantification of demonstrated anti-cancer glucosinolates in Asian crucifers. Provision of advice or recommendations on a pathway for addressing the regulatory issues relating to anti-cancer claims.
· The research has an aim to promote the consumption of Asian vegetables by broadening the consumer base through sales to people who would not have purchased Asian vegetables on a culinary basis (ie. flavour). A second and underlying issue is to identify products that will reduce the incidence of internal cancers in the Australian community.

Current Progress Horticultural members of the Brassicaceae (apart from broccoli) that appear most promising anti-cancer potential include radish, daikon, rocket, kale and kohl rabi. Glucosinolate levels are generally highest in seed and sprouted-seed, and lowest in mature vegetables.
We are currently assessing effect of sprout age and growing temperature on glucosinolate concentration in daikon and radish, and also the effect of refrigeration on glucosinolate stability. Ideally, we would like to test the anti-cancer potential of candidate species using a quinine reductase assay, but this is dependent on access and availability.
We presented/published our preliminary results with seed at the AuSHS Conference held at Coolum in August 2004. We submitted an update article in Jan 2005 regarding our work with sprouts to the Asian Foods Newsletter (published monthly), following on from an earlier article in October 2003. We plan to present further work at the Australasian Postharvest Conference in Sept 2005.

New Products

Project Title Production and marketing of Tasmanian wasabi

RIRDC Project No.: DAT-39A

Start Date: 01-Jul-01

Finish Date: 31-Dec-05

Researcher: Ms Angela Sparrow

Organisation: Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (Tas)
Vegetables and Associated Industries Branch
PO Box 46
KINGS MEADOWS TAS 7249

Phone: (03) 6336 5349

Fax: (03) 6344 9814

Email: angela.sparrow@dpiwe.tas.gov.au

Objectives · Tasmania will become the major supplier of premium fresh wasabi to the Australian market replacing currently imported product and also commence exporting to other Pacific Rim Countries.
· Improvement in yield and product quality will permit expansion of the industry to include South East Asian markets.
· The 'Wasabi Production Guide' will be revised, updating cultural practises to include aquatic production.

Current Progress · Tasmanian growers have maintained a supply of fresh wasabi to a specific client base in Australia since 2000. The supply of dried wasabi products has increased 10-fold in the period 2004/05. Whilst Tasmanian production has generated interest from Japanese markets, the area under production currently limits product volume so this market remains untapped.
· A workshop of Victorian and Tasmanian wasabi growers conducted in April 2005 initiated the formulation of a business model to increase the number of growers, expand production area, increase product volume and consolidate the position of Australian wasabi products in the Australian market place.
· Current research indicates that improvements in yield and product quality can be expected following the application of fungicide treatments pre-planting. This is particularly important for water-cultivated production systems.
· Soil-cultivated wasabi currently provides the primary source of both fresh and processed Tasmanian wasabi products to Australian customers. As in Japan, in the long term water-cultivated wasabi stems are likely to replace soil-cultivated stems in the fresh market. Research and development of aquatic production of wasabi continues to focus on adapting traditional practices to Australian agricultural systems. The updated ‘Wasabi Production Guide’ will include descriptions of different bedding styles for water-cultivated wasabi.

New Products

Project Title Development of taro, yam, yam bean and sweet potato exports to Japan and USA

RIRDC Project No.: UCQ-13A

Start Date: 01-Jan-01

Finish Date: 30-Sept-05

Researcher: Prof David Midmore

Organisation: Central Queensland University
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
ROCKHAMPTON QLD 4702

Phone: (07) 4930 9770

Fax: (07) 4930 9255

Email: d.midmore@cqu.edu.au

Objectives ·1 Investigate markets, define required quality attributes, to establish a supply chain for the successful export of taro, yam, yam bean and/or sweet potato to Japan and/or USA. In parallel, ensure the group of producers and suppliers has the capacity to stand alone for exporting and diversifying from these commodities.

Current Progress Four Japanese varieties of sweet potato have been released from quarantine into the Qld DPIF sweet potato program for field evaluation. It is expected that commercial seed would be available to producers for spring 2006. Two other Japanese sweet potato varieties are still in the post-entry quarantine program, and are likely to be released in 2005. All of varieties that clear quarantine will also be released to NSW DPI.
Nine Japanese cultivars of sato-imo (small-corm taro) are undergoing virus testing and tissue culture multiplication for import to Australia.
Final field trials of sato-imo cultivar "NORADA 1" were harvested in 2004.
In November 2004, Dr Vong Nguyen (co-principal investigator) visited a sato-imo importer in Japan, with whom the project has maintained contact since 2001, and confirmed that there is still a market opportunity in Japan for Australian fresh produce during the Australian production season.
Sato-imo production is currently very limited in Queensland and NSW, with only several commercial producers in northern NSW supplying to domestic markets. A new challenge for these producers has presented itself with a significant increase in imports of frozen sato-imo from China to Australia since April 2005. However, cleaned, peel, blanched and packed fresh taro is desired by Japanese importers.
The Final Report is expected to be submitted in December, and a guide for producing sato-imo in Australia should be finalised soon after.

Sustainable Production Systems

Project Title Integrated management strategies for diseases and pests of Asian vegetables

RIRDC Project No.: DAN-233J

Start Date: 01-Jul-2004

Finish Date: 31-May-2008

Researcher: Mr. Len Tesoriero

Organisation: NSW Department of Primary Industries
PMB 8
CAMDEN, NSW, 2570

Phone: (02) 4640 6428

Fax: (02) 4640 6300

Email: len.tesoriero@agric.nsw.gov.au

Objectives ·3 Identify the important diseases and pests causing losses of Asian vegetables in the major production regions across Australia
·4 Develop and evaluate effective disease and pest scouting/monitoring and integrated management strategies with growers that range from traditional market garden, broad acre and high value intensive production.
·5 Facilitate adoption of sustainable disease and pest management strategies for Non English speaking Background (NESB) growers in NSW and Victoria (with extension activities linking to other states and territories).

Current Progress This project is addressing all objectives stated above. In NSW, thirty farms were periodically surveyed for pests and diseases. Plant protection issues were discussed at several farm demonstrations and seminars that were held for Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking growers. Interpreters were used to facilitate communication. Major pests and diseases were documented from over 350 crops, which included a comprehensive list of vegetable types. In NSW, the major pest was Rutherglen Bug. Other sporadic pests were Two Spider Mites and Thrips. In Victoria, Asian baby leaf crops were surveyed. Key pests were Plutella, Leaf Miner and Rutherglen Bug. Effective and efficient pest scouting methods are being developed for crops in NSW and Victoria. Whiter blister was the major disease on Crucifer crops in both states. Several other diseases, specific to certain crops, were also recorded. These included a number of new Australian host-pathogen records. On-farm trials will soon commence in NSW, where IPM strategies will be directly compared with conventional practices. A set of fact-sheets on the major pests and diseases is being translated into Vietnamese and Chinese. Asian vegetable production in Darwin and Brisbane was also surveyed and presentations made to Vietnamese-speaking growers. In Victoria, Vietnamese-speaking growers were trained and accredited in Farm Chemical Use. A pilot program has commenced analysing different delivery methods for small groups from a single ethnic group.

Sustainable Production Systems

Project Title Taro industry development: the first step

RIRDC Project No.: DAQ-322A

Start Date: 01-Jul-2004

Finish Date: 30-Sep-2006

Researcher: Mr. Jeff Daniells

Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (Qld)
Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture
PO Box 20
SOUTH JOHNSTONE, QLD, 4859

Phone: (07) 4064 1129

Fax: (07) 4064 2249

Email: jeff.daniells@dpi.qld.gov.au

Objectives ·6 Assist in the development of the Australian taro industry by:
·7 Survey/benchmarking of current industry practices/problems to provide a snapshot of the industry
·8 Provision of an information resource for the taro industry
·9 Unlocking taro industry workshops
·10 Field monitoring sits testing workshop recommendations
·11 Development of an Australian taro industry R&D strategic plan

Current Progress ·1 Additional taro information materials have been purchased and compiled into a valuable information resource for the taro industry consisting of books, booklets, brochures, posters and DVD’s. This is soon to be available for loan to taro growers via the public library system or Taro Grower’s Australia (TGA).
·2 Attended two TGA field days this calendar year and reported on project progress and provided advice on matters relevant to quarantine issues surrounding the recent import of fresh taro corms from China.
·3 Facilitated discussion with eight key industry players on the way forward in greater uptake of mechanization by the taro industry which included inspection of machinery developed in DAQ–291A
·4 The industry survey and the commencement of the unlocking taro industry workshops yet to be finalised.

Shelf Life

Project Title Improving the market access of Asian vegetables

RIRDC Project No.: DAN-230A

Start Date: 01-Jul-2004

Finish Date: 31-Jul-2007

Researcher: Dr Jenny Ekman

Organisation: NSW Department of Primary Industries
Gosford Horticultural Institute
Locked Bag 26
GOSFORD, NSW, 2250

Phone: (02) 4348 1900

Fax: (02) 4348 1910

Email: jenny.ekman@agric.nsw.gov.au

Objectives ·12 To develop methods of marketing and promotion that can expand the market for Asian vegetables
·13 Provide information to retailers and wholesalers, especially with regard to a standardised nomenclature
·14 Develop and test a marketing strategy to provide consumers with information on how to prepare and cook Asian vegetables, their nutritional value, and what constitutes good quality in order to increase purchases of these products
·15 Build the potential for export of Australian grown Asian vegetables.

Current Progress ·1 A number of organisations are now involved in this project, including Coles, Harris Farm Markets, Sydney Markets Ltd, Barden Produce and AusVeg. Discussions have also been held with Melbourne Markets, the food media club and Woolworths. We see this "networking" activity as vital in the development of a future promotional strategy.
·2 We are developing a photo library of images of a range of whole and cooked Asian vegetables which can be used in publications, publicity etc. A number of recipes have been created which feature Asian vegetables.
·3 To determine what information might be most suitable to retailers, we conducted a survey of retailers in Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle. Retail store managers were asked which types of Asian vegetables they were familiar with and how much they knew about them. We also evaluated the products available in each store. While some managers recognised a range of different vegetables, most knew little about the products. Many suggested that provision of recipes and other information would increase sales of these products. The larger retail stores generally carried a range of Asian vegetables, but quality was often average-poor regardless of price.
·4 A second survey asking industry members what they think different Asian vegetables should be called is now in progress. The survey has been distributed via the Asian Foods newsletter as well as emailed directly to industry members. It is also available on the Internet and can be filled in online. The survey has been promoted by articles in Good Fruit and Vegetables, AgToday, the Food Media club newsletter. A press release was also sent to all regional news services.
·5 Planning is underway for a "launch" of the National system of names. This will be held at an Asian vegetable farm in the peri-urban area of Sydney during September 2005. Members of the food media, growers, marketers and others involved in the Asian food industry will also be invited.

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Asian Foods - Research in progress
PROJECT No	PROJECT TITLE	RESEARCHER	PHONE	ORGANISATION

DAN-211A	Improved economic sustainability of Vietnamese vegetable growers in the Sydney region	Dr. David Hall	(02) 4348 1944	NSW Dept of Agriculture
DNT-29A	Improving interaction and communication between RIRDC Asian foods leaders and industry (stage 2)	Mr Geoff Walduck	(08) 8999 2219	Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT)
DNT-31A	Product description languages and support material for minor tropical crops in northern Australia	Mr Geoff Walduck	(08) 8999 2219	Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT)
DAV-218J	Access to Asian foods newsletter	Mr Graeme Thomson	(03) 9210 9259	Department of Primary Industries (Vic)

CSP-9A	Edamame soybean development in Australia	Mr. Andrew James	(07) 3214 2278	CSIRO Plant Industry
DAQ-298A	Development of prunus mume, a new tree crop for Austraia	Dr. Bruce Topp	(07) 5441 2211	Dept of Primary Industries (QLD)
DAQ-307A	Anti-cancer properties of Asian crucifers	Dr. Tim O'Hare	(07) 5466 2257	Department of Primary Industries (Qld)
DAT-39A	Production and marketing of Tasmanian wasabi	Ms. Angela Sparrow	(03) 6336 5349	Dept of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (Tas)
UCQ-13A	Development of taro, yam, yam bean and sweet potato exports to Japan and USA	Prof. David Midmore	(07) 4930 9770	Central Queensland University

DAN-233J	Integrated management strategies for diseases and pests of Asian vegetables	Mr. Len Tesoriero	(02) 4640 6428	NSW Department of Primary Industries
DAQ-322A	Taro industry development: the first step	Mr. Jeff Daniells	(07) 4064 1129	Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (Qld)

Project Title	Improved economic sustainability of Vietnamese vegetable growers in the Sydney region
RIRDC Project No.:	DAN-211A
Start Date:	01-Nov-02
Finish Date:	31-Oct-05
Researcher:	Dr David Hall
Organisation:	NSW Department of Agriculture Gosford Horticultural Institute Locked Bag 26, GOSFORD NSW 2250
Phone:	(02) 4348 1944
Fax:	(02) 4348 1910
Email:	david.hall@agric.nsw.gov.au
Objectives	· Adoption of best practices by Vietnamese vegetable growers; · Increased economic viability of Vietnamese vegetable growers due to improved market access; · Increased consumer confidence in safety of Asian vegetables; · Detailed understanding of the information requirements and priorities of a specific Non English Speaking Background (NESB) grower groups; · Socially, more empowered, less isolated Vietnamese vegetable growers accessing information and negotiating for their local community; · More environmentally sustainable vegetable production in the Sydney region; · Verification of the transportability of the communication and extension model piloted in Northern Territory (DAV-176A).
Current Progress	Monitoring of the adoption by Vietnamese farmers of best practices: Benchmark survey: The project officer, Dr Ho Dang, a fluent Vietnamese speaker, accomplished the survey on benchmarking grower’s farming practices, skills, attitudes and needs. The results of this survey are being used (1) to define target areas where assistance is required and, (2) to measure grower’s progress in adopting good farming practices when the survey is repeated in three years time. More awareness of good farming practices among Vietnamese farmers: Train farmers: There were 17 events organised for Vietnamese growers in 2004. These included formal training on water/soil/fertiliser/pest management and/or field days/ workshops on chemical application, post-harvest handling and farm management planning. Monitoring improved economic stability: Among the Vietnamese hydroponic growers, 85 % growers have adopted improved practices that resulted in higher production, better product quality and less expenditure on crop protection. Among the Vietnamese vegetable growers, 20 % have started implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM). For these farmers, the result has been a reduction in chemical spray and hence reduced production cost. Even more growers are likely to adopt IPM as recently they were personally assisted by IPM Project Officer (from RIRDC funded project). Additional outcomes: Project officer assisted Vietnamese growers in Queensland by visiting their farms, assisting them identify their pest and disease problems and suggest possible control measures . Project Officer also liaised with the Vietnamese Vegetable Growers Association in Queensland (VVGAQ) as well as Queensland DPI staff. *Communication and Industry liaison:* Bi-lingual Communication Model: As a major objective of the project , a Bi-lingual Officer (Project Officer) was used to communicate with Vietnamese growers and to co-ordinate the government’s efforts to assist growers. The results so far have indicated that with a Bi-lingual Officer, trust between growers and DPI extension staff was more easily established, training/workshop attendance was greatly improved and growers felt more empowered with the acquisition of new knowledge and better communication networks. Project Officer will continue to implement follow-up training / workshops to assist growers further adopt newly acquired knowledge and techniques. Media activities: Routine advertisements, in Vietnamese, of training courses were placed in appropriate local newspapers, weekly magazines and on SBS Vietnamese broadcasting programs. Project officer, together with the Irrigation Team from NSW DPI, organised the Water Care Model Farm Day during which local dignitaries and media were invited. In September (2005), Project Officer will collaborate with Dr Jenny Ekman (NSW DPI at Gosford) to organise the Asian Vegetable Day. The objective of the day is to familiarise / provide the Australian public with a complete nomenclature of Asian Vegetables, a set of simple recipes and, an opportunity to taste exotic dishes made from Asian vegetables. The activities of the day will be: Introduction of a new naming system for Asian fruits and vegetables; Introduce to the public, recipes and dishes made from the Asian Vegetables; and Allow the growers talk to press about their products and the dishes that can be made from them. Food critics, food reporters, cooks, supermarket representatives and other representatives of the food industry will be invited to this promotional function. The campaign will be on going and it is expected that publications and recipes from the food reporters will be placed in major newspapers and broadcast over the radio in October, 2005. These efforts will hopefully cause changes in consumer attitude and result in an improved awareness of the potential role Asian vegetables in the Australian cuisine. *Other issues:* Growers are concerned about their future as the majority of Vietnamese market gardeners in the Sydney basin are landless farmers, many of them without formal / long term leases. Under the pressure of residential development, many of the farms could soon disappear as the owners of the land capitalise on increasing land values. Because of this uncertainty farmers are less likely to invest in their farms and/or improve farm infrastructure. Additionally the economic instability adversely affects their adoption of best farming practices.

Project Title	Improving interaction and communication between RIRDC Asian foods leaders and industry (stage 2)
RIRDC Project No.:	DNT-29A
Start Date:	01-Aug-03
Finish Date:	30-Jun-05
Researcher:	Mr Geoff Walduck
Organisation:	Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT) PO Box 3000 DARWIN NT 0801
Phone:	(08) 8999 2219
Fax:	(08) 8999 2049
Email:	geoff.walduck@nt.gov.au
Objectives	·1 To facilitate and promote information exchange (formal and informal) between Asian food Project leaders, IDO's, industry representatives and the RIRDC Program Manager. · Project leaders available to present final and progressive research reports at appropriate industry forums. Formal information exchange documented and available to interested parties. · Industry issues identified regularly at regional level presented at a national meeting for all parties.
Current Progress	A meeting of researchers, IDO’s plus representatives from HAL and RIRDC was held in Brisbane on the 7-8 June 2004. A one day field trip by bus to see and meet Asian Vegetable producers, processors and retailers was conducted on 7 June 2004 . A one day formal meeting and review was held at the QFVG meeting room at the Brisbane Wholesale Markets at Rocklea on 8 June 2004. This meeting was attended by 35 people. A CD listing all the presentations at the meeting has been produced. A decision on the location and approximate date of the next meeting has been made. The meeting will be in Western Sydney/Penrith area with a field trip and grower meetings in the Asian Vegetable growing areas of Western Sydney. The meeting is planned for November/December 2005. Detailed planning is due to commence in August.

Project Title	Product description languages and support material for minor tropical crops in northern Australia
RIRDC Project No.:	DNT-31A
Start Date:	30-Jun-03
Finish Date:	01-Jul-07
Researcher:	Mr Geoff Walduck
Organisation:	Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development (NT) PO Box 3000 DARWIN NT 0801
Phone:	(08) 8999 2219
Fax:	(08) 8999 2049
Email:	geoff.walduck@nt.gov.au
Objectives	· Production of Product Description Languages for a range of smaller emerging and developing tropical crops in a range of appropriate flexible and inexpensive formats. · Production of PDLs to be in partnership with all parts of the production/transport/distribution/retail and consumer chain. · Produce PDLs in electronic format so that they can be customised and modified easily to meet constantly changing market and production conditions. This also allows a range of very short run hard copy formats to be produced at little cost to meet specific requirements as required. · Develop a system of developing PDLs for a range of related or geographically compact small crops so that PDLs can be produced quickly, inexpensively and be flexible enough to assist the industry to develop in the market place at an earlier stage than is usual at the moment. · Improve the flow and accuracy of product information flow within and along the market chain. · Promote more efficient operation of the market chain by improving both the accuracy and the speed of information flow in both directions. · Improve quality of produce and lead to commercial quality standards as required. · Enables the possibility of sale by description and e-commerce.
Current Progress	4 PDL’s have been prepared and are available as working drafts to industry for assessment. A further 4 are currently in draft stage or in development stage. Material is currently being developed for a further 2 Asian Vegetable crops. The delayed start for this project and the unplanned departure of Kim Bui from the work team severely restricted progress at the beginning of the project but we are catching up and progress should be on track from this point. Given our experience to date we are developing a small number of standard formats that we will use. Previously we were experimenting with individual formats and this proved too time consuming.

Project Title	Access to Asian foods newsletter
RIRDC Project No.:	DAV-218J
Start Date:	01-Jul-2004
Finish Date:	30-Jun-2006
Researcher:	Mr Graeme Thomson
Organisation:	Primary Industries Research Victoria - Knoxfield Private Bag 15 FERNTREE GULLY DC VIC 3156
Phone:	(03) 9210 9259
Fax:	(03) 9800 3521
Email:	graeme.thomson@dpi.vic.gov.au
Objectives	·2 Produce (write, edit) a national newsletter for effective communication, networking and transfer of information in the Australian Asian vegetable/food industry.
Current Progress	A two-page Access to Asian Foods newsletter issue has been compiled, edited and dispatched for July ‘04, August ‘04, September ‘04, October ‘04, November ‘04, February ‘05, March ‘05, April ‘05 and May ‘05. Over the past 11 months, approximately 14,700 newsletters were distributed all over Australia. For each issue the majority of newsletters were published in English (around 900 copies) but about 250 Vietnamese, 75 Cambodian and 100 Chinese translations were also produced. Most newsletters go to Victoria (30%), Queensland (26%) and New South Wales (23%). Newsletter articles have continued to cover a broad range of topics from nationwide sources. During the reporting period, 23 separate articles were prepared by authors from every Australian mainland state and territory. Featured subjects included agronomy, postharvest handling, processing, new crops (including tropical fruit), industry news and marketing. The newsletter enables researchers to quickly bring findings to a broad audience. It also fosters networking and cohesion between the scattered and varied groups that make up the Australian Asian food industry.

Project Title	Edamame soybean development in Australia
RIRDC Project No.:	CSP-9A
Start Date:	01-Dec-03
Finish Date:	30-Nov-06
Researcher:	Dr Andrew James
Organisation:	CSIRO Plant Industry 306 Carmody Road St Lucia Qld 4067
Phone:	(07) 3214 2278
Fax:	(07) 3214 2730
Email:	andrew.james@csiro.au
Objectives	This work seeks to develop a critical understanding of the ripening process in CSIRO-bred and elite Japanese cultivars of edamame soybean, and in particular, to understand how changes in seed size and the seed content of protein, oil, sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose, raffinose and stachyose), vitamins (A, D and E) and isoflavones (genistein, diadzein and glycitein) vary with ripening and maturation environment. This knowledge will be used to develop strategies to ensure consistent supplies of excellent quality edamame to high-value markets in Australia initially and overseas.
Current Progress	Underpinning research to document fluxes of sugars during seed expansion, to determine the range of adaptation to sowing date in southern and northern Qld, and to determine the effect of plant population on seed size is progressing well. Work on determining an indicator of harvest readiness has also progressed, though no clear indicator other than seed size and texture has been identified. The research has also progressed through to commercial freezing trials in Australia and evaluation of a lightly processed-fresh product in Japan.

Project Title	Development of Prunus mume, a new tree crop for Australia
RIRDC Project No.:	DAQ-298A
Start Date:	01-Jan-03
Finish Date:	31-May-06
Researcher:	Dr Bruce Topp
Organisation:	Department of Primary Industries (Qld) Queensland Horticulture Institute PO Box 5083 SCMC NAMBOUR QLD 4560
Phone:	(07) 5441 2211
Fax:	(07) 5441 2235
Email:	toppb@dpi.qld.gov.au
Objectives	The main outcome will be the establishment of an entirely new industry involving producers, processors and exporters. The mume industry will generate new jobs and will replace current imported product. The R&D objectives are: · To determine new markets, potential competitors and to quantify the business economics of the agri-supply chain in the production and marketing of processed mume products (salted plums, mume sauces, umeboshi and umeshu). · To study the adaptation, cropping and agronomy of mume in Australia and determine potential yields, consistency of supply and make recommendations on suitable varieties. To evaluate mume as a genetic bridge in the development of other Prunus species and create novel products for processing.
Current Progress	Desktop research has identified Japan as the most likely export market for Australian mume products. In 2003 Japan imported 44,630 tonnes of processed and semi-processed mume to supplement its domestic production. Demand for "Japanese plum wine"(umeshu), a liqueur from mume fruit steeped in fermented distilled Japanese spirits, is likely to increase with recent deregulation of Japanese liquor distribution. An Australian based sake manufacturer has expressed interest in producing umeshu using Australian mume fruit. Market research has also identified a small stable Australian domestic market consuming imported umeboshi, and a small growing market for umeshu imports. There is also a small stable market for a heavily dried salted Chinese product, Salty Plum, imported mainly from China. Australian mume producers would have difficulty competing in these small markets, or expanding the market for such culturally significant foods. An Australian industry would rely on exports of processed mume products to established markets or development of non-traditional uses of mume. A research visit to Japan in June 2005 investigated potential markets and the opportunity for Japanese investment to support an Australian industry. In 2004-2005 the first commercial planting of mumes was established at Malanda in Queensland consisting of the low-chill cultivars ‘Dahching’, ‘Ellching’ and ‘Ianjy’. Our industry partner is expected to use this fruit for production of mume products. The two agronomic trials at Applethorpe Research Station and Maroochy Research Station have been established with the first crop to be harvested in the 2006-2007 season. These trials compare five mume cultivars (2 high-chill temperate and 3 low-chill subtropical cultivars) on 2 rootstocks.

Project Title	Anti-cancer properties of Asian crucifers
RIRDC Project No.:	DAQ-307A
Start Date:	31-May-03
Finish Date:	30-Sep-06
Researcher:	Dr Tim O'Hare
Organisation:	Department of Primary Industries (Qld) Queensland Horticulture Institute Gatton Research Station LMB 7, MS 437 MS437 GATTON QLD 4343
Phone:	(07) 5466 2257
Fax:	(07) 5466 2208
Email:	Tim.O'Hare@dpi.qld.gov.au
Objectives	· Identification of key crucifer species which could form the basis of industry sales on health rather than culinary issues, similar to broccoli sprouts in the USA. Identification and quantification of demonstrated anti-cancer glucosinolates in Asian crucifers. Provision of advice or recommendations on a pathway for addressing the regulatory issues relating to anti-cancer claims. · The research has an aim to promote the consumption of Asian vegetables by broadening the consumer base through sales to people who would not have purchased Asian vegetables on a culinary basis (ie. flavour). A second and underlying issue is to identify products that will reduce the incidence of internal cancers in the Australian community.
Current Progress	Horticultural members of the Brassicaceae (apart from broccoli) that appear most promising anti-cancer potential include radish, daikon, rocket, kale and kohl rabi. Glucosinolate levels are generally highest in seed and sprouted-seed, and lowest in mature vegetables. We are currently assessing effect of sprout age and growing temperature on glucosinolate concentration in daikon and radish, and also the effect of refrigeration on glucosinolate stability. Ideally, we would like to test the anti-cancer potential of candidate species using a quinine reductase assay, but this is dependent on access and availability. We presented/published our preliminary results with seed at the AuSHS Conference held at Coolum in August 2004. We submitted an update article in Jan 2005 regarding our work with sprouts to the Asian Foods Newsletter (published monthly), following on from an earlier article in October 2003. We plan to present further work at the Australasian Postharvest Conference in Sept 2005.

Project Title	Production and marketing of Tasmanian wasabi
RIRDC Project No.:	DAT-39A
Start Date:	01-Jul-01
Finish Date:	31-Dec-05
Researcher:	Ms Angela Sparrow
Organisation:	Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (Tas) Vegetables and Associated Industries Branch PO Box 46 KINGS MEADOWS TAS 7249
Phone:	(03) 6336 5349
Fax:	(03) 6344 9814
Email:	angela.sparrow@dpiwe.tas.gov.au
Objectives	· Tasmania will become the major supplier of premium fresh wasabi to the Australian market replacing currently imported product and also commence exporting to other Pacific Rim Countries. · Improvement in yield and product quality will permit expansion of the industry to include South East Asian markets. · The 'Wasabi Production Guide' will be revised, updating cultural practises to include aquatic production.
Current Progress	· Tasmanian growers have maintained a supply of fresh wasabi to a specific client base in Australia since 2000. The supply of dried wasabi products has increased 10-fold in the period 2004/05. Whilst Tasmanian production has generated interest from Japanese markets, the area under production currently limits product volume so this market remains untapped. · A workshop of Victorian and Tasmanian wasabi growers conducted in April 2005 initiated the formulation of a business model to increase the number of growers, expand production area, increase product volume and consolidate the position of Australian wasabi products in the Australian market place. · Current research indicates that improvements in yield and product quality can be expected following the application of fungicide treatments pre-planting. This is particularly important for water-cultivated production systems. · Soil-cultivated wasabi currently provides the primary source of both fresh and processed Tasmanian wasabi products to Australian customers. As in Japan, in the long term water-cultivated wasabi stems are likely to replace soil-cultivated stems in the fresh market. Research and development of aquatic production of wasabi continues to focus on adapting traditional practices to Australian agricultural systems. The updated ‘Wasabi Production Guide’ will include descriptions of different bedding styles for water-cultivated wasabi.

Project Title	Development of taro, yam, yam bean and sweet potato exports to Japan and USA
RIRDC Project No.:	UCQ-13A
Start Date:	01-Jan-01
Finish Date:	30-Sept-05
Researcher:	Prof David Midmore
Organisation:	Central Queensland University School of Biological and Environmental Sciences ROCKHAMPTON QLD 4702
Phone:	(07) 4930 9770
Fax:	(07) 4930 9255
Email:	d.midmore@cqu.edu.au
Objectives	·1 Investigate markets, define required quality attributes, to establish a supply chain for the successful export of taro, yam, yam bean and/or sweet potato to Japan and/or USA. In parallel, ensure the group of producers and suppliers has the capacity to stand alone for exporting and diversifying from these commodities.
Current Progress	Four Japanese varieties of sweet potato have been released from quarantine into the Qld DPIF sweet potato program for field evaluation. It is expected that commercial seed would be available to producers for spring 2006. Two other Japanese sweet potato varieties are still in the post-entry quarantine program, and are likely to be released in 2005. All of varieties that clear quarantine will also be released to NSW DPI. Nine Japanese cultivars of sato-imo (small-corm taro) are undergoing virus testing and tissue culture multiplication for import to Australia. Final field trials of sato-imo cultivar "NORADA 1" were harvested in 2004. In November 2004, Dr Vong Nguyen (co-principal investigator) visited a sato-imo importer in Japan, with whom the project has maintained contact since 2001, and confirmed that there is still a market opportunity in Japan for Australian fresh produce during the Australian production season. Sato-imo production is currently very limited in Queensland and NSW, with only several commercial producers in northern NSW supplying to domestic markets. A new challenge for these producers has presented itself with a significant increase in imports of frozen sato-imo from China to Australia since April 2005. However, cleaned, peel, blanched and packed fresh taro is desired by Japanese importers. The Final Report is expected to be submitted in December, and a guide for producing sato-imo in Australia should be finalised soon after.

Project Title	Integrated management strategies for diseases and pests of Asian vegetables
RIRDC Project No.:	DAN-233J
Start Date:	01-Jul-2004
Finish Date:	31-May-2008
Researcher:	Mr. Len Tesoriero
Organisation:	NSW Department of Primary Industries PMB 8 CAMDEN, NSW, 2570
Phone:	(02) 4640 6428
Fax:	(02) 4640 6300
Email:	len.tesoriero@agric.nsw.gov.au
Objectives	·3 Identify the important diseases and pests causing losses of Asian vegetables in the major production regions across Australia ·4 Develop and evaluate effective disease and pest scouting/monitoring and integrated management strategies with growers that range from traditional market garden, broad acre and high value intensive production. ·5 Facilitate adoption of sustainable disease and pest management strategies for Non English speaking Background (NESB) growers in NSW and Victoria (with extension activities linking to other states and territories).
Current Progress	This project is addressing all objectives stated above. In NSW, thirty farms were periodically surveyed for pests and diseases. Plant protection issues were discussed at several farm demonstrations and seminars that were held for Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking growers. Interpreters were used to facilitate communication. Major pests and diseases were documented from over 350 crops, which included a comprehensive list of vegetable types. In NSW, the major pest was Rutherglen Bug. Other sporadic pests were Two Spider Mites and Thrips. In Victoria, Asian baby leaf crops were surveyed. Key pests were Plutella, Leaf Miner and Rutherglen Bug. Effective and efficient pest scouting methods are being developed for crops in NSW and Victoria. Whiter blister was the major disease on Crucifer crops in both states. Several other diseases, specific to certain crops, were also recorded. These included a number of new Australian host-pathogen records. On-farm trials will soon commence in NSW, where IPM strategies will be directly compared with conventional practices. A set of fact-sheets on the major pests and diseases is being translated into Vietnamese and Chinese. Asian vegetable production in Darwin and Brisbane was also surveyed and presentations made to Vietnamese-speaking growers. In Victoria, Vietnamese-speaking growers were trained and accredited in Farm Chemical Use. A pilot program has commenced analysing different delivery methods for small groups from a single ethnic group.

Project Title	Taro industry development: the first step
RIRDC Project No.:	DAQ-322A
Start Date:	01-Jul-2004
Finish Date:	30-Sep-2006
Researcher:	Mr. Jeff Daniells
Organisation:	Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (Qld) Centre for Wet Tropics Agriculture PO Box 20 SOUTH JOHNSTONE, QLD, 4859
Phone:	(07) 4064 1129
Fax:	(07) 4064 2249
Email:	jeff.daniells@dpi.qld.gov.au
Objectives	·6 Assist in the development of the Australian taro industry by: ·7 Survey/benchmarking of current industry practices/problems to provide a snapshot of the industry ·8 Provision of an information resource for the taro industry ·9 Unlocking taro industry workshops ·10 Field monitoring sits testing workshop recommendations ·11 Development of an Australian taro industry R&D strategic plan
Current Progress	·1 Additional taro information materials have been purchased and compiled into a valuable information resource for the taro industry consisting of books, booklets, brochures, posters and DVD’s. This is soon to be available for loan to taro growers via the public library system or Taro Grower’s Australia (TGA). ·2 Attended two TGA field days this calendar year and reported on project progress and provided advice on matters relevant to quarantine issues surrounding the recent import of fresh taro corms from China. ·3 Facilitated discussion with eight key industry players on the way forward in greater uptake of mechanization by the taro industry which included inspection of machinery developed in DAQ–291A ·4 The industry survey and the commencement of the unlocking taro industry workshops yet to be finalised.

Project Title	Improving the market access of Asian vegetables
RIRDC Project No.:	DAN-230A
Start Date:	01-Jul-2004
Finish Date:	31-Jul-2007
Researcher:	Dr Jenny Ekman
Organisation:	NSW Department of Primary Industries Gosford Horticultural Institute Locked Bag 26 GOSFORD, NSW, 2250
Phone:	(02) 4348 1900
Fax:	(02) 4348 1910
Email:	jenny.ekman@agric.nsw.gov.au
Objectives	·12 To develop methods of marketing and promotion that can expand the market for Asian vegetables ·13 Provide information to retailers and wholesalers, especially with regard to a standardised nomenclature ·14 Develop and test a marketing strategy to provide consumers with information on how to prepare and cook Asian vegetables, their nutritional value, and what constitutes good quality in order to increase purchases of these products ·15 Build the potential for export of Australian grown Asian vegetables.
Current Progress	·1 A number of organisations are now involved in this project, including Coles, Harris Farm Markets, Sydney Markets Ltd, Barden Produce and AusVeg. Discussions have also been held with Melbourne Markets, the food media club and Woolworths. We see this "networking" activity as vital in the development of a future promotional strategy. ·2 We are developing a photo library of images of a range of whole and cooked Asian vegetables which can be used in publications, publicity etc. A number of recipes have been created which feature Asian vegetables. ·3 To determine what information might be most suitable to retailers, we conducted a survey of retailers in Sydney, Central Coast and Newcastle. Retail store managers were asked which types of Asian vegetables they were familiar with and how much they knew about them. We also evaluated the products available in each store. While some managers recognised a range of different vegetables, most knew little about the products. Many suggested that provision of recipes and other information would increase sales of these products. The larger retail stores generally carried a range of Asian vegetables, but quality was often average-poor regardless of price. ·4 A second survey asking industry members what they think different Asian vegetables should be called is now in progress. The survey has been distributed via the Asian Foods newsletter as well as emailed directly to industry members. It is also available on the Internet and can be filled in online. The survey has been promoted by articles in Good Fruit and Vegetables, AgToday, the Food Media club newsletter. A press release was also sent to all regional news services. ·5 Planning is underway for a "launch" of the National system of names. This will be held at an Asian vegetable farm in the peri-urban area of Sydney during September 2005. Members of the food media, growers, marketers and others involved in the Asian food industry will also be invited.