Australian growers are now using science to make the perfect crop and bypass food wastage
Farmers are laying the seeds of the future in the quest to produce the most appealing, white cauliflowers and eliminate food waste.
Bush Summit
Don't miss out on the headlines from Bush Summit. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Farmers are laying the seeds of the future in the quest to produce the most appealing, white cauliflowers and eliminate food waste.
AUSSIE cauliflower farmers are turning to science to help yield a better product which is being called “WhiteX,” a new variety of seed from Bayers origanel “curdivex” which is a genetically tested and redesigned cauliflower seed that provides a cleaner product to supermarkets that cuts down on food wastage.
According to figures by Bayer 25% per cent of AUSSIE growers produce never leaves the farm due to “beauty standards,” that see supermarkets turn away food still edible because the vegetable is too big, small or blemished which this new seed looks to eliminate.
Bayer CropScience and Vegetable Seeds Division lead Darren Wood, said the lab and farm tested seed will cut out mass amounts of food wastage and is a method he sees traditional farmers switching to.
“You plant 10 thousand but only about seven thousand make it to the shelves because it can be a beauty competition … they are perfectly fine to eat but don’t look good on the shelf,” he said.
“For example, with traditional cauliflower the curd is exposed to sunlight which can cause blemishes or a yellow colour … where Whitex will not discolour from sunlight which is a major benefit to growers.”
“I think growers will tend to switch to this type of variety over time as they get used to the concept.”
One of the farmers that has jumped ship is Nick Liangos, a third generation farmer who will supply Woolworths with the new cauliflower.
“Whitex in the summer is about seven days quicker to harvest but in the winter it’s almost three weeks quicker,” he said
“Everyone is really excited, in the summertime we have problems with trying to keep the cauliflowers nice and white, but with this we don’t have that problem anymore.”
“One of my workers tried them last night and said they were even a bit sweeter than conventional ones … perfect with some parmesan.“
Donna was waiting for a miracle in the bush — then it flew into town
Donna Synnerdahl still remembers the moment she hit the mine shaft floor. It’s this sensation of falling and her memories of the jolting pain that has kept her up at night — for 14 years.
Mine blast: Indigenous leaders lash ban; Minns backs development
As incensed Indigenous leaders say Tanya Plibersek’s move to axe a $1 billion gold mine undermines the planning system and puts their cause back 50 years, Premier Chris Minns moves to fast track it.