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FarmBis Fishing For Quality
A group of St Helens shellfish growers has become the first shellfish industry group in Tasmania to achieve an internationally recognised quality assurance rating. Not only is their product excellent, they can prove it.
A combination of factors led to success – the hard work and dedication of marine industry members such as 81-year-old Allan Yates, the input and skills of Tasmanian Quality Assured (TQA) and, most importantly, funding from the Agriculture – Advancing Australia (AAA) FarmBis program to assist the growers with their QA training program.
"With TQA and a better improved system, the industry can take a big step forward," says Mr Yates. “We are starting from the right place."
The initiative to implement TQA came after there were clear marketing advantages to have a good quality assurance rating. Another spin-off was the positive impact on the sustainability of the industry.
TQA manager Jane Lovell explains, "The process needed to be user-friendly, so we took the critical food safety and quality issues out of the HACCP program (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point - an internationally recognised food safety methodology which provides the framework for hazard identification and control). We made a simple checklist to made sure that growers met all of the TQA quality requirements."
The TQA added value to the different programs already in place that ensure the quality of shellfish for safe human consumption.
After much work, the Tasmanian Shellfish Quality Management System was delivered to industry. And the St Helens shellfish growers, thanks to FarmBis funding support, became the pilots for the scheme. Farmbis subsidised training, which involved looking at how shellfish farmers could address specific issues in their workplaces to meet quality assurance requirements. The businesses are now internationally recognised, have HACCP certification and qualify to use the TQA quality mark.
Mr Yates has been in the industry since 1978 and is one of the original farmers on the East Coast. "I get pleasure out of seeing it succeed and that's what will happen if this keeps going," he said.
"All you can do is set the example and hope that others will follow. Everyone should get together as a group to work towards the same goal. Other grower groups around Tasmania are also starting to show interest in following a similar training structure."
He encouraged these groups to apply to FarmBis for funding support for their training programs.
FarmBis Contacts
The program provides financial assistance to primary producers and rural land managers to undertake business and natural resource management education and training activities.
Note: Eligible activities may differ between participating States and the Northern Territory.
Website - www.farmbis.gov.au
Phone - Freecall 1800 686 175