MEDIA RELEASE
FOR Wednesday 28th April, 2010
MYRTLEFORD GROWERS GET STATE OF THE ART
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING NETWORK
More than 500 growers in the Myrtleford district of Victoria are set to benefit from a state of
the art web-based environmental monitoring network being launched tomorrow (Wednesday
28
th
April) – all thanks to the foresight of the local farmers co-operative.
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.
The Tobacco & Associated Farmers Co-operative Limited (TAFCO) sourced funding and
commissioned the network from industry leader Measurement Engineering Australia (MEA)
to help growers to make informed on-farm decisions on irrigation scheduling, disease
monitoring and prediction and determining spray programs.
TAFCO Chairman, Mr Allan McGuffie said, “Growers no longer have to rely solely on
readings from the nearest BOM station at Wangaratta, which is over 50 kilometres away
from Myrtleford but will be able to access more localised data through TAFCO’s website.”
“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.”
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.
To view the TAFCO Monitoring Network data, visit www.tafco.com.au (after 28.04.2010)
WHAT:
Launch of the TAFCO Weather Station Monitoring Network
WHEN:
Wednesday 28th April, 2010 at 8a.m
WHERE:
Motel on Alpine, 258 Great Alpine Road, Myrtleford
RSPV:
TAFCO Rural Supplies 03-57521800 or kerry@tafco.com.au
INTERVIEWS:
TAFCO Director, Mr Lachlan Campbell
MEA Founder and Engineering Director, Mr Andrew Skinner
MEDIA CONTACT: SIMON HATCHER - 0419 780 071
NEWS 
