Vinehealth Australia is preparing to survey South Australian vineyard owners to benchmark their adoption of biosecurity practices.
The survey also aims to gain feedback from vineyard owners on Vinehealth Australia’s activities and services.
Questions will include: ‘Do you have a biosecurity plan for your vineyard?’; ‘How exposed do you think your vineyard is to pests, diseases and weeds that we currently don’t have in SA?’; and, ‘What are your biggest barriers to adopting farm-gate hygiene practices?’.
“We are sending the survey to all registered vineyard owners and nominated operators in SA and we hope to get a large percentage of surveys back, so that we can get a really clear picture of the South Australian grape industry’s commitment to biosecurity,” said Inca Peace, CEO of Vinehealth Australia.
“We all know that biosecurity is a team game. That’s easy to say. But what we really want to know is, what are growers actively doing to protect their vines from pests, disease and weeds that we don’t have here in South Australia.
“The results of this survey will guide our understanding of the maturity of the South Australian wine industry and its ability to withstand a biosecurity shock. And importantly, it will assist in guiding our activities and services going forward.”
The survey will be provided as an online link via email to those registered vineyard owners and nominated operators who have an email address in the register. Printed copies will be posted to grower who don’t have an email address in the register.
Vinehealth Australia encourages all South Australian vineyard owners to complete and return the survey.