More than 500 growers in the Myrtleford district of Victoria will have access to a state of the art web-based environmental monitoring network from next week, thanks to the foresight of the local farmers co-operative.

 The network will give them access to real time data on local weather and soil moisture conditions.The Tobacco & Associated Farmers Co-operative Limited (TAFCO) sourced funding and commissioned the network from industry leader Measurement Engineering Australia (MEA) after recognising the need for localised weather data to compliment existing Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) data to improve local growers ability to make informed on-farm decisions for irrigation scheduling, disease monitoring and prediction and determining spray programs.

The monitoring network consists of six weather stations that provide updated data every 15 minutes on local temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall and Delta-T readings to a central open access website.

The stations are located on properties at Myrtleford, Beechworth, Whorouly, Coral Bank, King Valley and Porepunkah.

TAFCO Chairman, Mr Allan McGuffie said, "Growers will no longer have to rely solely on readings from the nearest BOM station at Wangaratta, which is over 50 kilometres away from Myrtleford and doesn’t provide the accurate localised data that we are offering."

"A broad range of crops including grapes, berries, green tea, apples and vegetables are being grown within a fairly confined region around Myrtleford - each with their own requirements. This makes it vital for growers get access to localised environmental data within a few kilometres of their properties."

"We also have little historic weather data for the region and this network will give us the chance to build a database of information for current and future generations of local growers."

"After TAFCO witnessed the benefits of a similar network for growers in the nearby Towong Shire, which was developed by MEA, we decided to act and raise funds for our own region."

"We’re very grateful for the financial support received from among others Goulburn- Murray Water, Woolworths, Landcare Australia, Ito En, DPI, the Alpine Shire and Rural City of Wangaratta. It would not have been possible to get this project off the ground without their support."

Environmental monitoring specialists Measurement Engineering Australia (MEA) are the technological brains behind the internet-based monitoring network and have developed similar networks along the Murray through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Rafiki Concepts a local firm has developed the website application for TAFCO.

MEA Founder and Engineering Director, Mr Andrew Skinner said, "TAFCO has demonstrated foresight and a real commitment to the local grower community by getting a local monitoring network off the ground."

"One of the main advantages of a local grower co-operative like TAFCO is they see a need, find a solution and then quickly make it happen."

"We’re finding the networks we’ve installed are highly valued by local growers and they’re accessing the website, where data is displayed, as part of their daily routine.

"It’s easy for them as its all internet based and doesn’t require any special software."

"Our system presents the data in a style that’s easy to understand, interpret and apply."

"Computers and the internet are mainstream tools for farmers, so it makes sense for the system to be web-based."

The TAFCO Monitoring Network will be launched at an event for local growers and supporters on Wednesday 28th April, 2010 and can be viewed after this date on the TAFCO website, http://www.tafco.com.au 

INTERVIEWS: TAFCO Director, Mr Lachlan Campbell 0419 243 225