Revised draft horticulture regulations fail to impress vegetable growers

Tasmania vegetable growers have welcomed a revised draft of new horticulture regulations, but remain unhappy with some of the proposed changes.

The original draft of the Primary Produce Safety (Horticulture Produce) Regulations received heavy criticism from the Tasmanian vegetable industry.

Under the initial regulations, any sales of strawberries, blueberries, and any berries from the genus Rubus, baby leaves, lettuce and  leafy herbs would have been strictly monitored to avoid disease outbreaks.

Sellers would also have been required to have a system to identify the growing site of the produce, where it came from, and who was being supplied.

They would have had to ensure that equipment was designed, constructed, maintained, and operated in a way that enabled effective cleaning and sanitisation of the premises and equipment, and that everyone involved in the supply chain has the knowledge and skills in food safety and food hygiene.

Primary Industries Minister Gavin Pearce said the government wanted to ensure it got the regulations right.

“We’ve heard the community loud and clear,” he said.

“These revised regulations take a practical approach, ensuring we make national standards fit the Tasmanian context – not the other way around.”

He added: “The regulations also incorporate a proposed tiered model where the requirement for accreditation, fees payable and regulatory food safety audits are proportionate to the scale of production.

“This ensures our small backyard growers aren’t having to cop unfair or unnecessary fee increases for sharing their homegrown produce with their communities.”

Vegetable grower Joe Hartley, who runs Hobbit Hort on the Tasman Peninsula, said the revised draft was an improvement – praising the decision to scrap fees and accreditation for small growers.

“Yet the new draft still has flaws that will affect everyone. Even the smallest growers – including backyards – will not be allowed to sell leaf vegetables unless they notify the government, have a food safety management plan approved by the government, and submit to occasional inspections by the government. 

“This still leaves us living in fear that capricious civil servants can cancel our livelihoods, and it will be a step too far for most very small growers, who will stop growing for sale.”

Mr Hartley said he wanted no notifications, inspections, or management plans for small growers.

“Small growers are already motivated to ensure the safety of their produce because they are highly exposed to public liability - unlike employees of a corporation - and failing to make their produce safe would result in being sued, and losing their home or farm.”