On Saturday, March 23, East Gippsland Landcare members listened to Vietnamese farmers talking about their methods that used no chemical inputs, protected the soil, and used biodiversity to manage pests.
The group of 20 were on a 10-day organic industry study tour of south eastern Australia. The tour was funded by DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) to boost trade between Australia and Vietnam.
The group took part in meetings with the Export Council of Australia in Sydney and DFAT in Canberra before heading to the Riverina for farm and industry visits – organic vines, olives and rice, the BioAg biological fertiliser factory in Narrandera, and Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory that uses organic ingredients.
The group arrived in Bairnsdale late on March 22 for a visit the following day to Busch Organics at Hillside and to look for koalas on Raymond Island.
The meeting with Landcare and the Organic Agriculture Association took place in the Sarsfield Hall in the afternoon. The Vietnamese farmers who addressed the meeting are producers of rice, coffee, pepper, fruit and vegetables. All of them put priority into biodiversity – flowers to attract predators of pests, living fences for birds and other small wildlife, and diversified crops.
A speaker from Landcare explained the Landcare system and its work in environmental and food production enhancement, which fitted in well with what the Vietnamese farmers were achieving. Global Landcare, the international arm, sponsored a vegetable growing course in Vietnam in January.
Dr Nguyen Van Kien, the originator of Mekong Organics, which organised the tour, talked about its role and the DFAT assistance.
The following day the group was guided through the organic centre in McKean Street, Bairnsdale, and given a history of the Organic Agriculture Association (OAA) and its activities. OAA is a strong supporter of Mekong Organics. Its vice president,
Alan Broughton, has run several training sessions in Vietnam over the past five
years. Two other OAA members, Pam Findlay and Neula Daly, give English lessons to teenagers from organic rice-prawn farms online every week.
The group moved on to West Gippsland to be hosted by Elderslie Organics, a dairy and egg farm, and Hazeldean Forest Farm that grows fruit, both at Ellinbank.
The final activity before returning to Vietnam was a day of meetings with the Australia Vietnam Trade and Investment Promotion Centre in Melbourne.
It was an intensive 10-day study tour, developing links between Australian
and Vietnamese farmers and businesses
to facilitate trade between the two countries.
