We recently conducted our 2021 Vineyard Owner Survey to gauge your understanding of biosecurity risks and your adoption of farm-gate hygiene activities.

We also asked questions to assess the level of Vineyard Owner satisfaction with Vinehealth Australia’s activities and services. With a 14.6% response rate (equating to 449 responses in total) to the survey, we are confident in the trends shown by the results.

Pleasingly, 94% of respondents to the survey agreed that Vinehealth’s activities are vital in protecting SA vineyards and the wine industry against significant pests and diseases.

When asked to respond to the statement: I believe Vinehealth Australia’s activities are vital in protecting South Australia’s vineyards and the wine industry against significant pests and diseases:

  • 94% responded favourably (I strongly agree, I agree, I somewhat agree) in 2021 compared to 89% in our 2018 survey and 82% in our 2015 survey;
  • The proportion of respondents reporting ‘I strongly agree’ showed a 26% increase from 2018 to 2021 and a 37% increase from 2015 to 2021; and
  • The proportion of respondents reporting unfavourable responses (I strongly disagree, I disagree, I somewhat disagree, I don’t know or I’m neutral) showed a 5% decrease from 2018 to 2021 and a 12% decrease from 2015 to 2021.

“We’re thrilled that Vineyard Owners can see the value in the work that we’re doing to keep South Australian vineyards safe from pest and disease threats,” said Inca Lee, Vinehealth Australia CEO.

“We set a clear vision for biosecurity management across the grape and wine industry, and we’ve been rolling out activities to achieve that vision.”

We also asked Vineyard Owners to rank Vinehealth’s key biosecurity activities in terms of how important they are to their business.

It was pleasing to see strong and broad support for all key biosecurity activities and functions performed by Vinehealth, noting that ‘supporting other government agencies’ was least favoured.

“We’ll continue to analyse the feedback from the 2021 Vineyard Owner Survey and report on the results in due course,” Inca said.

“Importantly, we want to carefully consider all feedback in relation to our Strategic Agenda and Annual Operations Plan, to ensure we are delivering what industry needs and wants, within our means.”