A FORMER shadow treasurer has orchestrated the revival of Australia's vegetable industry peak body, writes LESLIE WHITE
Little more than two years ago, the Australian vegetable industry's peak body was on the brink of collapse.
The money was running out and well-placed sources told The Weekly Times that if AusVeg's convention that year went badly, it could spell the end of the organisation.
The situation followed a long-running and bitter spat between AusVeg and levy body Horticulture Australia Ltd, on which it relied for funding.
But now AusVeg is considered in Canberra to be one of the nation's most powerful agri-lobby groups.
Former ACT Liberal shadow treasurer Richard Mulcahy shifted AusVeg's focus to winning political influence in the nation's capital, as well as lifting the group's media profile and developing corporate partnerships.
He recruited a young team - the next oldest member after him is 32 - and set to moulding the organisation to his vision.
"It's gone incredibly well," Mr Mulcahy said.
"The organisation is in a very strong financial position - that's been achieved through major events, such as our national convention, our awards and our trade show."
AusVeg also sought to build strategic partnerships with major companies with an interest in horticulture - chemical companies Du Pont, Syngenta and Bayer CropScience as well as Elders.
The AusVeg board's visited Canberra earlier this year, meeting 23 MPs, including Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig and Greens Agriculture spokeswoman Christine Milne.
Last month Mr Mulcahy met with Nationals leader Warren Truss, at Mr Truss's request.
At the AusVeg national convention in Brisbane earlier this year Opposition leader Tony Abbott, Senator Ludwig and outspoken Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan addressed growers.
Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Richard Colbeck, who was Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture in 2004 and 2005, said AusVeg was "certainly more politically visible".
"If you've got your message in front of people it's going to have more impact," Senator Colbeck said.
Agriculture parliamentary secretary Mike Kelly said while the National Farmers' Federation was still the dominant agri-political voice in Canberra, AusVeg was a "significant voice".
Mr Mulcahy said he had no wish to expand AusVeg's research and development. "R&D is important, but the average grower puts our campaigning on imports, chemical regulations and things like that as their biggest issues - policy issues are front and centre," Mr Mulcahy said.
R&D funding from HAL now makes up about half of AusVeg's income - in 2009 it was nearly all of it.
Mr Mulcahy said AusVeg now had a "robust relationship" and "good rapport" with HAL.
