Fresh Source Autumn 2022

Autumn 2022 Issue

75

Focus on FLOOD RECOVERY

p6

Supply chain resilience p13

BML releases HALF-YEAR RESULTS

p13

The magazine of

Your source of fresh information for the fruit and vegetable industry Print post approved pp 100001181

Toyota Material Handling is the forklift leader in Australia’s fresh fruit and vegetable markets.

1. Proven performers in the fruit and vegetable markets environment 2. New and used forklift purchase, rental or lease options 3. Superior service and parts back-up and support 4. Massive range with Toyota Material Handling’s world leading products 5. Flexible finance deals through Toyota Finance 6. Stability of dealing with the world’s largest forklift company

To make the smart choice and discover how Toyota Material Handling can make a difference to your operations, contact your local branch

Hand Pallet Trucks

Power Pallet Trucks

Order Pickers

Toyota Material Handling offer • New Sales • Pre-owned • Rentals • Finance • Service and Parts

Walkie Stackers

Reach Forklifts

Battery Counterbalance

1800 425 438 www.toyotamaterialhandling.com.au

Engine Counterbalance

Elevated Work Platforms

Sweepers & Scrubbers

MD comment The rain bomb that hit southern Queensland and northern New South Wales at the end of February had a significant impact on the Brisbane Markets site and you can read all about the flood event and subsequent clean-up on pages 6 to 10.

Trade resumed in the Brisbane Produce Market within 17 hours of the site becoming accessible by road, and in the week that followed the flood, work was undertaken around the clock to ensure Brisbane Markets tenants were able to return to their businesses as quickly as possible.

This undertaking was mammoth in its proportions and the significant commitment of tenants, their employees and BML’s staff members cannot be underestimated. The help we have received from service providers and volunteer groups has been phenomenal and I would like to extended my great appreciation and thanks to all involved.

It really has been a team effort and it is inspiring to me to see such a fantastic level of comradery and commitment from all corners of the Brisbane Markets.

Supply chain resilience It is very interesting to read that the latest Agriculture Commodities Report (see page 12) highlighted the strength of the Central Market supply chain for independent fruit and veg shops and their abilities to maintain consistent supply throughout COVID-related disruptions.

As reported by A better choice! retailers on page 13, purchasing from Central Markets like Brisbane Markets means that independent retailers are not restricted by purchasing agreements with a limited number of growers. Instead, they can access a large variety of produce from a range of growers when purchasing through our wholesalers.

Horticulture code in the spotlight Following the ACCC’s inquiry into perishable agricultural goods and their subsequent audits, the ACCC has decided to release further industry guidance to clarify some aspects of the Horticulture Code of Conduct. These are expected to be released over the coming months.

It is very important that both growers and wholesalers understand their responsibilities under the Code and have a written agreement in place before trading together, no matter how long they have been in trading with each other.

Brisbane Markets will continue to play a part in promoting an understanding of and compliance with the Code. Brismark will

also be providing refresher training on the Code in the near future. You can read more on page 21.

Creating a sustainable industry BML’s biggest project for 2022 is the construction of the new Building H1 warehouse which will house secondary wholesalers Fruitlink and Suncoast Fresh under their combined parent entity, Green Endeavour.

This purpose-built warehouse will support Green Endeavour’s vision for a more sustainable future, with state-of-the art equipment and green technologies implemented throughout the project.

The Fork in the Road report (see page 14), prepared for the Farmers for Climate Action, a constituent body of the National Farmers Federation, shows what we all knew: growers are increasingly worried about the impact of climate change on their businesses.

In many instances, change is occurring at a local level rather than through governmental bodies. One such example is the work being undertaken in Bowen Gumlu to address the issue of ag-plastic waste (see page 36 for more details).

Water flows throughout the state When thinking about the challenging times it is important to appreciate the silver linings. Water courses across the state are in full flow after years of dry weather.

Add to that the announcement of the reinstatement of the full capacity of Paradise Dam (page 17) and the proposed new dams at Urannah (page 18) and Hell’s Gate (page 17), and you have a cause for optimism amongst the devastation.

I would like to take this moment to compliment growers, businesses and industry groups in the Bundaberg region, especially Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, for maintaining pressure on the State Government and ensuring the wall of Paradise Dam is returned to its previous height.

Congratulations to all involved!

Andrew Young, Managing Director and CEO - BML Chief Executive Officer - Brismark Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE

3

25 15

17

Contents 6 Flood Feature 6 7 8 9 10 10

Rain bomb results in extensive flooding Honoured guests visit Brisbane Markets Assistance available for flood affected A special thank you Quick response provides relief ADF helps Brisbane Markets ‘get back on its feet’

12 Fresh Outlook 12 Production value strong despite challenges 13 Half yearly results announced 13 Independents prove better choice during supply disruptions 14 From field to store to plate, farmers 14 worry about climate change 15 Building a sustainable future 16 Aussie potatoes mash previous records 17 Full capacity to be reinstated at Paradise Dam 17 Hell’s Gate back on the agenda 18 Cash splash or slap dash? Federal Budget unveiled 20 AUSVEG announces election priorities 20 Funds flow for proposed Urannah Dam 21 ACCC flags focus on Horticulture Code enforcement

22 Feature: Meet our Wholesalers 22 Meet the Brisbane Produce Market wholesalers 22 Who is Brismark?

22 Ten tips for working with a wholesaler

30 Fresh Events 30 30 31 32 33 33 33

Save the date for gala dinner Berry best place to be in July Giving back to growers with visit from cricketing greats Celebrate industry growing together Popular tour returns Wholesalers get $100 discount Avocado growers building strong connections

34 Fresh Faces 34 34 35 36 37 38 38

Fifield takes the reins at Hort Innovation New era as PMA becomes IFPA Markets leaders help guide Future Fields Growing North Queensland’s horticulture industry Bowen Gumlu welcomes new RDO Said elected AFPA Chair Thanks flow after Paradise announcement

39 Fresh Export 39 40 40 40 41 42 42

Local lychees fly into United States Berry exports boosted Future for fruit in Indonesia Trade deal signed with India Aussie peaches, nectarines head to Vietnam Opportunities abound in Taiwan Difficult season for cherries, grapes

25 Fresh Initiatives 25 26 27 27

New research could end banana threat Biosecurity projects benefit from industry partnerships Compliance verification at your fingertips Promoting career opportunities available at Brisbane Markets 28 Campaigns encourage A better choice!

28 Measuring ‘The Blend’

BRISBANE MARKETS LIMITED | ABN 39 064 983 017 PO Box 80, Brisbane Markets®, Rocklea, Queensland 4106 E communications@brisbanemarkets.com.au W www.brisbanemarkets.com.au ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Editor: Seren Trump, Brisbane Markets Limited P 07 3915 4200 E communications@brisbanemarkets.com.au DESIGN Effigy Creative P 07 3040 4343 | PRINT Q Print Group P 07 3262 3100

4

FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

Fresh Source is the magazine of Brisbane Markets Limited. New editions of the magazine are printed three times a year. Advertising and editorial inquiries are welcome and media outlets are invited to use material without acknowledgement. Fresh Source is printed on Australian made recycled stock.

Donate Your Surplus Food To Feed Families In Need Foodbank Queensland works with Brisbane Markets to rescue food, reduce waste and fight hunger. Working together, more than 480,000 kilograms of fresh food is collected by Foodbank at Brisbane Markets each year and distributed to Queenslanders in need. That’s the equivalent of almost 1 million meals provided to children and adults experiencing hunger.

Donating surplus or imperfect food enables Brisbane Markets wholesalers to directly provide benefits to people who are living in disadvantaged circumstances, while also having a positive impact on the environment.

Benefits to Wholesalers: • Save on your waste disposal costs • Reduce the volume of food going into landfill • Provide food directly to people in need • Simple one call pick up process • Positively impact staff morale • Ease of equipment transfer foodbank.org.au @foodbankqld

2 3

1

Flood Feature

Rain bomb results in extensive flooding South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales experienced a ‘rain bomb’ at the end of February, with rain continuing throughout March.

The initial downpour, which began on Wednesday, 23 February 2022, inundated multiple regions over the course of the following week, including Gympie, Maryborough, the Lockyer Valley, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Several vegetable crops were either in the harvest season or preparing for autumn/winter production when the storms hit, particularly in the Lockyer Valley and north as far as Bundaberg, as well as properties in between. For example, some areas of the Lockyer Valley received up to 550 mm of rain during the week-long downpour.

Tropical fruit, mango and pineapple farms were also hit near the Sunshine Coast, along with several berries and other small fruit farms in Northern NSW. There was not just damage to crops, but trucks transporting the fresh produce were delayed, as roads and highways were cut.

After an extended period of intense rain, the Brisbane Markets site was inundated by flood waters between Sunday, 27 February and Tuesday, 1 March 2022.

The flood waters reached a peak on site of 8.04 m AHD on Monday morning, approximately 1 m lower than the 2011 flood peak.

Once the site became accessible in the afternoon of Tuesday, 1 March, the resilience of the Brisbane Markets 6

FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

community was again on show. The majority of wholesalers worked around the clock to ensure buyers had access to fresh produce and commenced trading from the Central Trading Area at 6am on 2 March 2022 in a limited capacity, some 17 hours later.

An aerial view of the Brisbane Mark ets in flood.

IMAGE: Liam Kidston

Other areas of the site were more significantly impacted by the flood and were progressively cleaned, and individual businesses recommenced operating from their premises as power and services were reinstated and became available.

For most, this process took a matter of days to up to three weeks, with reinstatement work continuing in the Commercial Precinct.

BML Chair, Anthony Kelly, said he could not speak more highly of the efforts of BML staff, contractors and tenants.

to the Assessing the damage

Brisbane Markets.

“Everyone went above and beyond to get the site back up and running and their strength of character in the face of ongoing challenges is remarkable,” he said.

“We learned a lot from 2011. We implemented our flood mitigation strategies and planning to allow BML to get the site back up and running as soon as possible.

“The resilience of the fresh produce industry, and in particular, the wholesalers here in the Markets is inspiring. They have moved mountains to ensure fresh produce is on the shelves of local fruit and veg shops,” he said.

Flood waters at the Cu rzon St Entry to the Markets.

sh Centre and Water covers the Fre parks. car e ntr Ce ial erc mm Co Looking south to the flooded

wetlands.

Around 10-15cm of water covered the Ground Floor of the Fresh Centre.

Honoured guests visit Brisbane Markets Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) hosted a number of dignitaries in the wake of the floods, with many attending site to see the recovery efforts for themselves.

Governor-General of Australia, General the Honourable David Hurley, visited the site on 6 March, to meet with first responders, members of the ADF and the Markets community to thank them for their work and service, saying “the floods have also showcased – again – the determination, commitment and selflessness of our community”.

A delegation from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) attended the site on 7 March, including Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, DAF’s Director-General and Acting Deputy Director-General, Bob Gee and Elton Miller, along with Member for Toohey, Peter Russo.

Australia, General the Governor-General of , and Her Excellency Mrs rley Hu Honorable David h BML’s Andrew Young Linda Hurley meet wit CEO) and Jessie Field and or ect (Managing Dir . er) (Special Projects Manag

Minister Furner said that it was a phenomenal effort to have the Brisbane Produce Market up and running so quickly and that it was great to see the Markets a hive of activity during his visit.

On 9 March, the Queensland Governor, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeanette Young, visited and was very impressed with how quickly the Markets were recovering from the flood, and expressed her strong support for the industry and the resilience of all tenants in responding to the challenges which the flood created.

The Queensland Leader of the Opposition, David Crisafulli MP, also attended Brisbane Markets on 10 March and was pleased to witness the site’s quick recovery.

Governor of Queensla nd, Her Excellency Dr Jeanette Young meets with Peter Tighe (BML Director), Anthony Kel ly (BML Chair) and An drew Young (BML Managing Director and CEO).

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE

7

Assistance available for flood affected

By Murray Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, Brisbane Markets Limited

As the flood clean up winds down, it’s time for businesses to start counting the cost of the natural disaster. There are a number of assistance programs that can help recoup some of those costs.

Disaster assistance recovery grants

of the entire claim must be provided.

To be eligible for the grant, you must have an ABN and, if applying for the small business grant, employ fewer than 20 full time equivalent employees.

You should visit the QRIDA website (www.qrida.qld.gov.au) for full eligibility criteria.

The Queensland Government has released an Extraordinary Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants program for small businesses and primary producers that have been affected by the recent flooding events.

What costs can be included?

The grants process is managed by the Queensland Rural Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), with a maximum grant of $50,000 available for small business and $75,00 available for primary producers.

• safety inspections by tradespersons;

An initial amount of up to $15,000 is available for both small business and primary producers, subject to completion of an application and providing evidence of the damage supported by photographs, quotes, invoices and receipts.

• cost of repairs to fittings in the building where they are essential to resuming operation;

A subsequent amount, $35,000 for small businesses and $60,000 for primary producers, is available and full evidence

The grants may be used to help to pay for costs of clean-up and reinstatement of the business, as well as: • purchase or hire of cleaning equipment; • cleaning costs paid to a third party; • costs of disposal of debris;

• purchase, hire or leasing of equipment essential for resuming operation; • stock replacement if it is essential for resuming operations; and

If you have insurance, you may still be eligible for the grant for any uninsured losses.

Further assistance In addition to the grants detailed above, the QRIDA assistance program also provides loans for essential working capital of up to $100,000 and for disaster assistance purposes of up to $250,000.

These loans are at low interest rates and for a term of up to 10 years.

The above information is general in nature and the specific losses relating to your business should be confirmed by reference to the Grants Guidelines for Small Businesses, or by contacting QRIDA. Any questions that you may have should be directed to the QRIDA team on 1800 623946 or by email to contact_us@qrida.qld.gov.au.

There is also a range of Federal support options available for individuals, employees, primary producers and sole traders impacted by the flood events. Visit bit.ly/35MEbQx for more information.

• leasing costs for temporary premises.

Brisbane Markets.

Damaged vehicles and trailers at

Waste was removed quickly to avoid attracting pests.

8

FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

in 17 hours erational with arket was op M e uc od Pr The Brisbane by road. ing accessible of the site be

Once the waste was removed, the hardstand needed to be cleaned of mud and debris.

A special thank you Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) worked very closely with a small number of service providers and volunteer groups as part of our flood recovery efforts, and the following parties deserve due recognition and thanks for their work.

Crisp Power and Control SBP Australia Eaton Services Group

Advance Groups Rapid Relief Team

SUEZ

Rural Fire Brigade

Origin Energy

Australian Defence Force

There are also numerous other service providers working hard to support tenants and BML, and their efforts are also recognised and appreciated.

The clean-up began in earnest after

the water receded.

Piles of waste ready for collection by SBP Australia.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE

9

Quick response provides relief Just one of the many organisations supporting the recovery of Brisbane Markets after the flood event was the international volunteer organisation, Rapid Relief Team (RRT).

RRT was engaged by the Brisbane City Council (BCC) to assist with the clean-up efforts at Brisbane Markets.

To support their efforts, RRT deployed the Rapid Water Systems initiative, which included three bulk water tankers to wash away dirt and debris and a skid steer to clean up the mess.

The Rapid Relief Team get to work to clean up Brisbane Markets

According to RRT Director, Lester Sharples, RRT flew up 50 volunteers from Sydney to support the clean-up operation.

“RRT saw a great need to support the BCC with the massive clean-up operation after the devastating floods,” Mr Sharples said.

“We had an army of volunteers jump in to help support the flood response efforts. RRT was humbled to show compassion in action and help get Brisbane Markets back up on its feet to ensure Queenslanders didn’t go without.”

The RRT delivers hope and relief to people across the globe.

Whether it be fire, flood or humanitarian need, RRT expands their support services to meet the need at hand. It is RRT’s mission to serve people with care and compassion in their time of need. For more information on RRT, visit www.rrtglobal.org.

The sun sets on a huge clean up effort from the Rapid Relief Team.

ADF helps Brisbane Markets ‘get back on its feet’ The Australian Defence Force (ADF) was asked to assist the Brisbane Markets in their flood recovery, to help rapidly remove rotting produce, damaged infrastructure, and clear mud and debris.

Brisbane Markets Limited Director, Noel Greenhalgh, thanked the Commander of Joint Task Group 629.3, Brigadier Mark Armstrong, for their efforts.

“The task was enormous. We are very grateful for the help provided by the ADF. Their valued expertise cleaning up the markets, opening road corridors and removal of tonnes and tonnes of food waste, ensured we were up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Mr Greenhalgh said.

Brigadier Armstrong said his soldiers had worked tirelessly to support the

10 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

A soldier from 2nd/14th Light Hors e Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) removes flood-damaged produce from a cold storage ware house at Brisbane Markets. IMAGE: Cpl Nico le Dorrett.

whole-of-government effort to get Brisbane back on its feet as quickly as possible.

“I am humbled by the feedback from residents and business owners over the course of this operation while working alongside our government agency partners, like the State Government

and Brisbane City Council,” Brigadier Armstrong said.

“I am particularly proud to work with so many like-minded colleagues to help Brisbane get back on its feet. It amazes me how far we have come in such a short space of time.”

Production value strong despite challenges The value of horticultural production is forecast to reach $12 billion in 2021/22, the second highest on record.

So says the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s latest ‘Agriculture Commodities Report’, released on 1 March 2022, which contains the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) forecast for the value, volume and price of Australia’s agriculture production and exports.

Production of most fruit and vegetables over summer and autumn is expected to be plentiful, supported by favourable seasonal conditions and low water prices.

However, farm and retail prices are forecast to remain elevated due to the increased costs of getting fresh produce to consumers. This comes as supply chain operations have been challenged by workforce shortages caused by COVID-19.

According to the report, while major supermarkets’ distribution networks were disrupted, independent retailers servicing their local communities found efficiencies and savings in shorter chains. By sourcing directly from wholesale markets and multiple suppliers, local fruit and veg shops have seen more consistent product availabilities and offer a more customised shopping experience through speciality products not found in supermarkets.

The value of Australia’s horticulture production is expected to rise to above $15 billion by 2027.

Production of most fresh produce will continue to remain at high levels overall, supported by high water storage levels and low water prices. The moderate fall in supply, along with consistent demand, are expected to support higher farmgate prices.

Labour costs are expected to ease but will continue to place upward pressure on farm supply costs. This easing of labour shortages comes as working holiday makers are expected to return in greater numbers than the last two years.

However, there remains a risk that a more staggered return of working holiday makers could constrain labour supplies further than anticipated, resulting in a scenario whereby higher labour costs could place greater upward pressure on farmgate prices.

The value of horticultural exports is forecast to increase by 8% to $2.9 billion in 2021–22.

Over the medium term to 2026/27, production values are expected to increase and reach above $15 billion in nominal terms and between $12.7 billion to $13.6 billion in real terms by the end of the projection period.

Favourable seasonal conditions supporting production and quality attributes are expected to increase exports of almonds, cherries, macadamia nuts, stone fruit, potatoes, and table grapes. However, costs of air and sea freight and shortages of refrigerated containers are expected to continue to constrain exports.

Horticultural exports are forecast to increase by 7% to $3.1 billion in 2022/23. Underpinning the export growth is favourable production prospects leading into and during the export period, improved trade access for citrus into the United States, and tariff reductions for Australian exports into the United Kingdom.

Looking to the future

Over the medium term to 2026/27, export growth will be largely influenced by the speed of the global economic recovery and resolution of supply chain disruptions. If they recover faster, horticultural exports could grow to $4.3 billion by 2026/27. However, if recovery is slow, horticultural exports may only reach $3.3 billion by the end of the projection period.

In 2022–23, the value of horticultural production is expected to rise by 4% to $12.5 billion. This is despite the expectation that horticultural production will fall moderately due to a return to average seasonal conditions.

12 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

Half yearly results announced Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) has announced its half-year financial results to 31 December 2021 and reported a statutory net profit after income tax of $26.67 million.

This result reflects a pre-tax underlying profit of $8.44 million, excluding the valuation adjustments and contribution from Perth Markets Group Limited.

The results also reflect an increase to the property valuation of $28.13 million, with the Brisbane Markets site property value increasing to $402 million at 31 December 2021. Total Assets also

increased by 7.03 % since June 2021 to $453.2 million while Net Assets increased by 11.97% to $230.7 million.

dividend to be paid to shareholders for the half-year of 8.75 cents per share, fully franked.

BML Chair, Anthony Kelly, said the result reflected BML’s ongoing investment in the Brisbane Markets site, including the current construction of the new 5,987 m² warehouse at South Gate West (see page 15 for more details).

“This dividend reflects the continuing solid underlying performance for the period and is an increase of 0.25 cents per share over the same period last year,” Mr Kelly said.

“This is a solid result for BML and proves that, as a company, we are in a strong financial position,” Mr Kelly said.

BML also announced an interim

“The subsequent flood event and associated impacts are expected to affect BML’s future financial performance and the Board will continue to monitor accordingly.”

Independents prove better choice during supply disruptions While the big supermarkets struggled to overcome supply chain issues and keep up with demand through the Omicron outbreak, local independent retailers and wholesalers worked hard to beat the odds and ensure Queensland communities had access to a variety of quality fresh fruit and vegetables.

Third generation fruiterer, A better choice! retailer and owner of Superior Fruit in Graceville, Peter Maniatis, said that as an independent, their supply chain is different, with their produce being sourced daily from the Brisbane Markets.

“Unlike larger supermarkets, we are not restricted by purchasing agreements to buy produce from a specified small number of growers. We have the liberty of accessing fresh produce from all growers across Australia that supply wholesalers at the Brisbane Markets,” Mr Maniatis said.

Robert Sayle Jnr of Harvest Markets at Yamanto agreed that his customers benefited from him sourcing produce through the Brisbane Markets where he has been able to continue accessing plenty of fresh, quality fruit and vegetables.

“It removes the step in the supply chain where produce is stored in a warehouse for lengthy periods of time. The day we buy it, it is delivered straight to our store.

Fresh, quality, hand-picked produce,” Mr Sayle said.

“From the farmers to the wholesalers, our transport and ourselves are all independent, local and family owned.

Everyone pitches in to get the job done.”

Although the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables has been maintained in local independent fruit and veg shops, independent retailers have not been without their challenges. Marie Rouse of Earth Markets Tweed City says the biggest challenges have been having enough staff and the reduced foot traffic in the stores. However, their focus on customer service has remained strong despite these challenges.

“We lost a lot of our good staff with COVID and border closures. Being quieter, we didn’t employ any more staff, one of the sacrifices we had to make to keep costs down. It has been a hard slog for myself, John and our son - we all carried a lot of the workload between us,” Mrs Rouse said.

Peter Maniatis said that being independent has also provided some flexibility and their customer service focus has come to the forefront during a tough period.

“Everyone in the shop, including myself, has basically been doing double shifts.

In fact, my staff and I have had to cancel holidays to ensure our customers continue to receive a high level of personalised service,” Mr Maniatis said.

Superior Fruit owner and A better choice! retailer, Peter Maniatis, is thankful he has access to a large range of high-quality produce for his customers through the Brisbane Markets.

“We have adapted our services to suit and can offer home delivery and home-cooked meals, which have proven popular.”

Local, independent fruit and veg shops provide customers with a better choice of quality, freshness, and service. They give customers the opportunity to shop as close to home as possible while supporting their local community.

“We are all thankful to our customers for shopping with and supporting us local fruit shops during this time as ultimately, we are consumer-driven businesses,” Mr Maniatis said.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 13

Outlook

From field to store to plate, farmers worry about climate change

By Stephen Bartos, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Empty supermarket shelves still shock Australians, who have become accustomed to being able to buy the food they want. But we can expect to see more empty shelves, more often, in coming decades.

Climate change means extreme events such as floods, bushfires and droughts will become more frequent and severe.

Those events will disrupt food supply chains, as people along Australia’s sodden east coast have seen again in recent weeks.

Australia certainly isn’t at risk of running out of food. It produces far more food than it consumes, with around 70% of farm production exported.

What is at risk is Australia’s ability to distribute it.

I was commissioned to prepare a new report on the impact of climate change on food supply for Farmers for Climate Action, a constituent body of the National Farmers Federation with about 7,000 members.

Farmers for Climate Action is not otherwise politically aligned.

My methodology included a review of research in this area, interviews with more than a dozen farmers, farmer representative bodies, and other participants in the food supply chain, and a survey of media reporting of recent instances of food shortages.

Among the issues identified were the impact of drought, diseases and stress on livestock, the loss of food due to hotter weather, and shorter shelf lives.

An unexpected finding was the degree to which everyone involved in the supply chain is affected by uncertainty caused by climate change. It is making future weather highly unpredictable, making planning harder for both farms and in transport networks.

Unpredictability makes ensuring supplies hard A further impact is on lending and insurance, where unpredictability means higher costs for financial products – if they can be obtained at all. Some farmers

14 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

reported that they were unable to insure due to climate risks. All these costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher food prices.

There are also opportunities.

Supply chains might become shorter to strengthen resilience and deliver fresher produce to consumers. Farm businesses and food processors are already moving to electrification to manage the risks of relying on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saving money in the process.

For businesses supplying food to export markets, a low-carbon supply chain will be a competitive advantage. In some cases, carbon-friendly production and transport will be a price of entry, without which markets won’t be available at all.

The report identifies four responses to climate change: risk management, resilience, adaptation, and mitigation (reducing the impact of climate change).

All are needed. Even if Australia meets its Paris targets for climate change, there will be impacts to which the food supply chain will need to adapt.

Even good risk management might not be enough Most farmers and businesses in the supply chain are good risk managers. But extreme weather events are increasing the base level of risk they have to deal with. The greater the risk, the more likely it is that risk management plans will be overwhelmed. If climate change continues unabated, this will become a certainty.

Governments have a role in strengthening or building alternatives to key supply lines and helping fill gaps in the market where private investment is insufficient due to uncertainty.

Governments also have an important risk management role in helping address gaps in data and information on climate impacts, to allow businesses to plan more effectively. Many industry bodies consulted were keen to see more research on the impacts of different projected levels of warming.

What farmers want is information and leadership But the bottom line is that if climate change continues, adaptation will not be enough, a point clearly made by the three vice chairs of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when launching its latest report.

The window for taking effective action on climate change is rapidly narrowing.

Farmers and processors are taking positive steps for themselves. For example, the Australian red meat industry has a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, well ahead of the government’s target of 2050.

Overwhelmingly, the farmers and farmer bodies consulted for the report wanted the Australian Government to take the lead, providing clear guidance and direction on urgent climate action.

Farmers for Climate Action has responded by calling for deep emissions cuts this decade, to help avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

This article was originally published in The Conversation.

Fork in the Road E IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANG ON OUR FOOD SUPPLY

risks and vulnerabilities in A report on current and growing from climate change.

Australia’s food supply chain arising Stephen Bartos, CEO Bartos Consulting

Group, March 2022

Click or scan the QR code to read the ‘Fork in the Road’ report.

Building a sustainable future In another significant milestone for the ongoing development of the Brisbane Markets site, Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) has broken ground on the construction of its latest warehouse development, Building H1.

The $23.2 million, 5,987 m2 warehouse is being constructed on a 10,684 m2 site on the north western corner of the South Gate West elevated building pad.

BML held a ground breaking ceremony on Thursday, 27 January 2022 attended by representatives from incoming tenant, Green Endeavour (the combined parent entity of Fruitlink and Suncoast Fresh), architects, dwp, and developer, SBP Australia.

whole way through. We couldn’t be happier,” said Mr Rylance.

“This project means we can modernise our facility. We have the opportunity to start from scratch and challenge how we have done things over the past 20 or 30 years. It gives us the opportunity to reinvest in state-of-the-art equipment and green technologies to provide better sustainability.”

Building H1 will consist of a warehouse area of 4,606 m2, including seven cold rooms, a freezer, two heavy produce rooms, one dispatch room, a finger dock and 11 loading docks.

In addition, the development will feature 818 m2 of offices over two levels and a rooftop terrace garden.

BML Chair, Anthony Kelly, said the project demonstrated BML’s ability to attract high-calibre developments in line with the site’s Master Plan.

With the current global environment presenting its own unique challenges, SBP Australia Project Manager, Ryan Knott, said the developer is placing a focus on ensuring everything goes smoothly even if there are supply chain disruptions.

“This new development reflects BML’s commitment to industry engagement and our concentrated maintenance and development strategy since the fresh produce industry took ownership of the site in 2002,” Mr Kelly said.

“The building site is larger than we usually deal with to allow for building materials to be ordered early and stored on site to stave off potential supply chain issues over the course of the year,” Mr Knott said.

Graeme Twine, Director of Green Endeavour, said he relished the opportunity to work with BML and SBP Australia to create a building that is futuristic and forward thinking in a way that is as sustainable as possible.

The construction works are due to be completed early in 2023.

“Working with BML to create a purpose-built facility has been such a privilege because it allows us to create a design that provides ease of operation and a smoothness to the whole layout of the warehouse,” Mr Twine said.

“Part of the reason why Suncoast Fresh and Fruitlink wanted to join forces as a combined entity was so that we could start thinking about ways to streamline our businesses and make improvements that not only create a better customer experience but are also better for the environment as well.

“By coming together, we can be greener, more streamlined and optimise the way the produce is cared for in the most modern way possible. We really wanted to build a facility that will be globally recognised.”

Fellow Director of Green Endeavour, Doug Rylance, echoed Mr Twine’s sentiment that the design development process had allowed all parties to create a building that met the needs of his business.

“Working with BML has been outstanding. It’s been a professional, seamless process and we have been supported the

Building a brighter future: Green Endeavour’s Directors, Duane Ashton (Suncoast Fresh), Adam Dilworth (Fruitlink), Graeme Twine (Suncoast Fresh) and Doug Rylance (Fruitlink), with Brisbane Markets Limited Chair, Anthony Kelly, and Managing Director and CEO, Andrew Young.

A green endeavour: The initial conceptual design for Building H1.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 15

Outlook

All fruit supply chain and consumer metrics – financial year ending June 2021

Aussie potatoes mash previous records

Fresh Import 118,818t $515m

Fresh Export 421,439t $1,217m

New data released by Hort Innovation shows Australians are producing and consuming more potatoes than ever.

Developed by Freshlogic, the annual ‘Horticulture Statistics Handbook’ includes the latest available data on 75 different categories across fruit, vegetable, nut, nursery and cut flowers.

This year, potatoes were top performers in volume growth.

Mr Briggs said the data showed 87% of Australian households purchased potatoes, buying an average of 1.7 kg per shopping trip.

87%

Production 2,542,438t $5,752m

62% 22%

More berries are available to Australians than ever before.

Over an eight-year period, the volume of raspberries and blackberries has increased more than four-fold, while blueberry volumes have almost tripled.

Oranges have seen an eighth year of consecutive growth in production value to reach a new high of $437.6 million, despite a 7% fall in production volume. Oranges have experienced an average 9.8% compound annual growth rate in value since 2012/13.

Despite export disruptions, Victoria remains the largest driver with 46% of total export value. Queensland was second with 16% of export value - up from 12% the previous year when it was the fourth highest behind, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

The macadamia industry recorded a significant increase in the production value (12.8%) and volume (38.4%) compared to 2019/20.

Mr Briggs said the data reflected the obvious challenges growers faced given global circumstances in the period captured, 2020-2021, but there were also many positives including the recovery of the food service industry.

16 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

1,681,691t $5,743m

13%

Food Service 220,367t $787m

556,845t

All vegetable supply chain and consumer metrics - financial year ending June 2021

Fresh Import 26,901t $82m

In 2021, Queensland was the top fruit producing state, accounting for 33% of production, just ahead of Victoria on 30%. In vegetables, Victoria was the top producer with 25% of all production while Queensland came in second with 20%.

Table grapes were the most valuable fruit ($631.8 million).

Apples took number two spot in value ($619.9 million), overtaking bananas ($596.8 million).

Fresh Supply

Processing

The Horticulture Statistics Handbook is released each February and captures the previous financial year’s data. The user-friendly guide includes figures on retail and food service use, exports and imports, share of production by state and territory, wholesale value, and volume.

The value of fruit was stronger than the previous year after a rise in olive production ($99 million), avocados ($56 million), cherries ($47 million) and apples ($41 million).

1,461,325t $4,956m

17%

Hort Innovation Head of Data and Insights, Adam Briggs, said the rise correlates with Aussies also buying more spuds when they visit retailers, and their use in food service has climbed year-on-year.

“The humble spud has become a bit of a vegetable superstar,” he said. “From the year ending June 2020 to the year ending June 2021, we’ve seen the value of potatoes climb by $90.9 million, and the tonnes produced rise by 5%,” he said.

Retail

100%

Fresh Export 215,373t $264m

Retail

100%

1,835,415t $4,140m

6% 81%

Production 3,831,300t $4,914m

58% 36%

Fresh Supply 2,255,722t $5,207m

Processing 1,387,104t

19%

Food Service 420,309t $1,067m

Source: Horticulture Statistics Handbook

“Something encouraging is that foodservice is returning from the lows we saw in 2019/20,” he said. “For example, fruit food service volume and value has rebounded, and the value is now exceeding pre-COVID levels,” he said.

To explore the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2020/21, click or scan the QR code.

Full capacity to be reinstated at Paradise Dam After two years of uncertainty, intense lobbying and water insecurity, the Queensland Government announced on Christmas Eve 2021 that the Paradise Dam spillway wall would be reinstated to full capacity.

However, it seems that local growers won’t be holding their breaths for reconstruction to start, with many maintaining the pressure on the State Government to ensure the building works remain on track.

In September 2019, SunWater announced the decision to reduce the capacity of Paradise Dam by 42% by reducing the dam wall by over 5 m, in response to concerns that the dam could fail in the wake of an extreme flooding event.

The works to lower the spillway wall commenced in May 2020 and the finishing touches were completed in January 2021.

The decision to reinstate the dam to full capacity follows investigations and interim safety works at the site of the dam, which have taken 18 months.

The project to restore the dam wall to its original height will cost $1.2 billion, with the State and Federal Governments splitting the cost.

Back to Paradise: The State Government announced on Christmas Eve that the original capacity of Paradise Dam will be restored.

been a long time coming, but until the dam wall is restored, farmers will suffer.

“We will make sure timeframes are adhered to because, until the dam wall is reinstated, we will continue to see job losses and investment will move away from the region,” Ms Grima said.

“BFVG has spent two long years advocating relentlessly on behalf of growers in the Wide Bay Region for full reinstatement of Paradise Dam and this could not have been possible without the dedicated support of our growers and stakeholders.

“For two years our campaign has provided the evidence the State needed to make the right decision for the community and the right decision for our growers.

Queensland’s Minister for Water, Glenn Butcher, says returning the dam to the original height will mean Paradise Dam will be back to its full 300,000 megalitre capacity.

“There are so many individuals, groups and businesses that have worked hard towards this announcement and, whilst it’s not over by any means, we know the next few years will continue to be a challenge, we now have more confidence in our water security moving forward.”

“Not only does this deliver safety but it delivers water security for irrigators in this region,” Mr Butcher said.

Macadamia and lychee grower, Craig Van Rooyen, said the announcement was overdue but a great outcome for the region.

“This is an important project for this community, and we want to make sure we get this project done on time and on budget.”

“Prior to the dam coming down, there was lots of investment coming in; as soon as they knocked that dam wall down it put a lot of investment on hold and really dropped the confidence of this area.

Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, said the Federal Government’s commitment would ensure the work got done.

“Farmers in the region have spent the last two years in limbo worrying if they’ll have the water they need to support and grow their businesses into the future,” he said.

“Our investment will help provide the water security the region needs while supporting 250 construction jobs and unlocking new and expanded opportunities for farmers and businesses.”

It could be six or seven years before the wall is fully restored and growers are looking at alternative water supply options until then.

Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers (BFVG) Chief Executive Officer, Bree Grima, said the announcement had

“This new announcement will increase the confidence again, investment will start flowing back into some of these farming operations.

“But we need to know when they are going to finish the dam because until that dam is complete we are still going to have water restrictions.

“We are going to be without water security for around seven years and that is a massive worry. Until they start building that wall, we don’t know that it is definitely going to go back up.”

Construction is expected to begin in 2024 with initial works commencing in 2023 and Paradise Dam is set to return to full capacity by 2028.

Hell’s Gate back on the agenda The Federal Government has committed $5.4 billion to construct a dam in the Upper Burdekin catchment.

is expected to be finalised in June, and environmental assessments.

Hell’s Gate Dam would be situated 120 km northwest of Townsville, hold 2,100 gigalitres of water and cover a 60,000 ha irrigation area.

The scale of the project means there will be a long construction time, with some speculation of a completion date around 2032, though no specific time has been locked in while the business case and approvals processes remain ongoing.

The funding is subject to the final business case, which

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 17

Outlook

Cash splash or slap dash? Federal Budget unveiled While the 2022-23 Federal Budget delivers over $600 million to a broad range of initiatives supporting trade, exports, biosecurity, stewardship and regional communities, the horticulture industry has noticed some glaring omissions.

Agriculture exports were a big focus of the Federal Budget, with a $267.1 million, whole-of-government package to simplify the trade system.

There’s also $27.3 million to expand the Coalition Government’s support for a voluntary biodiversity stewardship program to deliver a well-functioning voluntary market with new income streams for farmers.

For the digital revolution, $30 million will be used to establish a new National Centre for Digital Agriculture and to provide additional funding to eight Innovation Hubs.

The 2022-23 Budget also allocates $94.5 million in funding from the Future Drought Fund for activities to improve the drought readiness and resilience of Australian farmers and communities.

An extra $7.1 billion is earmarked for new, transformational infrastructure across Australia, with a focus on four regions of national importance, of which significantly two are in Queensland, named as North and Central Queensland. This funding will support the development of ports, dams, roads and low emission manufacturing hubs.

A further $2 billion is set aside for the Regional Acceleration Program, which

will invest in priority areas, including regional education infrastructure, supply chain resilience and manufacturing.

Growcom Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Barnard, said while the Coalition Government’s focus on regional areas was pleasing, the housing crisis was still of concern.

“We are particularly pleased to see the big investments in water infrastructure in North and Central Queensland matched by funds for export market development and regional manufacturing,” said Mr Barnard.

“Both this budget and the one before it are delivering many of the things we need to fulfil the promise of $100 billion in production by 2030 across Australian agriculture. However, the one piece of the puzzle that appears missing is a focus and an investment on addressing the growing housing and accommodation crisis in regional Queensland and Australia.

“Moving forward it will likely be less about a shortage of water or workers and more an absence of appropriate accommodation that will prove the bottleneck that prevents the fresh produce sector realising its potential.”

AUSVEG Chief Executive, Michael Coote, said the Federal Budget was a missed opportunity to invest in a meaningful behavioural change campaign to increase vegetable consumption, as well as omitting the opportunity to build a sustainable model to underpin the nation’s biosecurity system.

“The industry has been crying out for more ongoing support for the nation’s biosecurity system for years, with recent biosecurity incursions proof that biosecurity is too important to be left to chance and luck,” Mr Coote said, adding agriculture’s goal of reaching $100 billion in value by 2030 was at risk.

In the Federal Budget, $61.6 million is allocated to targeting actions in regions of growth and high biosecurity risk in northern Australia to strengthen biosecurity, support agriculture, and proactively de-risk investment and business operations for the future.

This includes $20 million over four years to work with states and territories to reduce the impact of pests and weeds on agricultural production, native wildlife, the environment and the community.

However, in 2016 fruit fly alone was estimated to cost the horticulture industry $300 million a year in lost international and domestic markets.

National Farmers’ Federation Chief Executive, Tony Mahar, said the budget “again failed to deliver an adequate and sustainable funding pipeline for the modernisation and expansion of Australia’s biosecurity system and there was insufficient investment to address imminent biosecurity threats”.

Mr Mahar said he was disappointed not to see the government take the opportunity to outline significant agriculture skill development initiatives, given the farming sector’s crippling labour challenges.

Labor outlines budget response at NFF conference

“This will encourage investment in value adding and growing exports. It will help diversify the sector and open up new possibilities for trade,” Mr Albanese said.

At the National Farmers Federation conference in Canberra on 5 April, Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, outlined his party’s pre-election budget response, including a $500 million fund to encourage investment in the farm sector and $656 million for a regional telecommunications package.

Mr Albanese also announced a plan to improve mobile coverage throughout Australia, including a $400 million fund to expand multi-carrier mobile coverage along with an audit of blackspots.

The National Reconstruction Fund will be specifically for the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and fibre sectors.

18 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

“This is a comprehensive, targeted plan that will ensure better mobile coverage on roads, on farms, and across regional communities – and better broadband too,” he said.

SMART Fighting Pests with Data Instead of Poison Flick’s SMART Digital Pest Control provides businesses with an intelligent and non-toxic pest control. Protect your business and prevent pest infestations before they become a costly issue with SMART Digital Pest Control.

Unlike basic pest control, SMART provides 24/7 automated detection of rodents, cockroaches and months, and transmits data in real time to monitor and prevent an infestation, saving you time and unexpected costs.

The Flick SMART Digital Pest Control team take care of assessment, installation, surveillance, maintenance and on-site inspections.

Around the clock surveillance Avoid costly problems and damage Analyse data in real time Detect and target blind spots Non-toxic pest control 24/7 peace of mind HACCP certified

Get SMART About Pest Control - Contact Us Today 13 14 40 | flick.com.au

Outlook

AUSVEG announces election priorities Driving increased consumption of vegetables and potatoes, developing more effective businesses and becoming a more resilient industry are at the core of AUSVEG’s 2022 Federal Election Priorities.

AUSVEG has published its priority list in the lead-up to the upcoming Federal Election, which highlights opportunities to combine the broader social benefits of eating more vegetables and potatoes with the positive employment and economic benefits that growers generate for their regional communities.

AUSVEG’s 2022 Federal Election Priorities are grouped into nine critical areas: • increasing domestic consumption of Australian vegetables; • workforce; • regenerative farming; • biosecurity; • emergency preparedness and prevention; • competition and business; • international trade; • infrastructure; and • the next generation.

According to Bill Bulmer, AUSVEG Chair, “We are run by growers, for growers, and the industry is ready to grow to new heights”.

AUSVEG CEO, Michael Coote, said that this list has been the result of extensive consultation from growers and industry associations from every major vegetable production region.

“AUSVEG represents over 3,500 vegetable producers that account for 3.83 million tonnes of vegetable production worth $4.9 billion in farmgate value and over $5 billion in retail value annually – it is one of the strongest performers of Australia’s agriculture industry,” said Mr Coote.

“The production and supply of fresh produce is truly a national industry that employs over 60,000 workers, not to mention the tens of thousands of additional jobs through the supply chain to process, transport and stock produce.

associations and reflects a unified vision for the future success of our industry.

This includes driving increased demand of Australian vegetables, securing a productive workforce, protecting the future of vegetable production through biosecurity and sustainable growing practices, and futureproofing the industry through upgraded infrastructure, and attracting the next generation of skilled people to the industry.”

To view AUSVEG’s 2022 Federal Election Priorities click or scan the QR code.

“AUSVEG’s priority list is endorsed by our state and territory grower

Funds flow for proposed Urannah Dam The proposed Urannah Dam project has received a $483 million injection of Federal funding.

The dam site is located 80 km north west of Mackay and, if completed, would include a 980-gigalitre dam and 200 km of pipeline that could allow producers to develop 20,000 hectares of land.

The project is subject to environmental assessments and final approvals. If approved, it would supply water for mining, industrial and urban use, and provide a secure water source into the future.

The project is spearheaded by Bowen River Utilities, a privately-owned company, who requested the Federal funding through the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund to cover 50% of construction costs for Urannah Dam. Bowen River Utilities did not approach the State Government for funding and plans to source the remaining 50% from the 20 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

private market. Once completed, the dam would be handed back to the taxpayer and become a Queensland Government asset.

Ry Collins, General Manager of Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, said it would provide water security for local growers.

“Urannah Dam will greatly expand export potential for north Queensland agriculture, offering a catalytic opportunity for increased industry output in our region and taking more of our produce to high value markets around the world,” Mr Collins said.

“A reliable water supply will give growers and industry suppliers the confidence to expand their operations and increase business investment in new production, technology, supply chain infrastructure and jobs.”

ACCC flags focus on Horticulture Code enforcement Australian wholesalers are urging their growers to become better acquainted with the Horticulture Code of Conduct (the Code) in the wake of the competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), flagging an increase in compliance and enforcement audits in relation to the Code.

transparency in our trading arrangements,” Mr Young said.

Following their Perishable Agricultural Goods Inquiry, the ACCC conducted audits and found that most wholesalers are complying with the requirement to trade under a Horticulture Produce Agreement, but identified that some have incorrect reporting practises in place.

• understand that traders and growers are required to have a Horticulture Produce Agreement (HPA) in place;

The ACCC said it believed that the horticultural industry would benefit from further guidance and will release updated industry guidance in the coming months. Following this, the ACCC intends to conduct further audits and will strongly consider enforcement action if it identifies non-compliance.

“Brisbane Markets will continue to do its part to promote an understanding of and compliance with the Code, while also representing this sector of the industry and standing up against unfair, ill-informed and inaccurate claims,” Mr Young said.

“Growers have a big role to play by ensuring they also do their part in understanding what is required of them and ensuring they, and their wholesalers, are following the Code.”

Mr Young said growers and wholesalers needed to:

• review, negotiate and agree to the terms of HPAs; and • comply with the HPAs they have in place with parties they are doing business with.

Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) Managing Director and CEO, Andrew Young, said the ACCC’s announcement is a timely reminder for growers and wholesalers that they must have a written agreement in place before trading together and to comply with the terms agreed to by both parties, no matter how long and positive their relationships have been.

At the time of the Code’s introduction, Australia’s Central Markets worked closely with the ACCC to produce standard documents for the Code, which are easy to read and to tailor as required.

Wholesaler representative body, Fresh Markets Australia (FMA), distributed the Code-compliant Terms of Trade and Horticulture Produce Agreements through its members’ 400 Central Markets wholesalers to reach an estimated 15,000 growers.

In Queensland, Brisbane Markets wholesalers rolled out the documentation to more than 7,000 growers.

Mr Young said that Brisbane Markets wholesalers were among the first in Australia to receive Code training before its introduction, organised by FMA, and the wholesaler member organisation Brismark will be conducting refresher training in the near future.

“As an industry, we must all stand by the law and work together toward the Code delivering greater clarity and

Growers and wholesalers are being reminded to ensure they understand their responsibilities under the Horticulture Code of Conduct.

Make the connection DESIGN • WEB • PRINT

07 3040 4343 | EFFIGY.COM.AU PROUD DESIGNERS OF FRESH SOURCE MAGAZINE

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 21

Feature MEET OUR WHOLESALERS Meet the Brisbane Produce Market wholesalers

Ten tips for working with a wholesaler

There are 49 fruit and vegetable wholesalers who make up Brismark’s member base, each an independent business that operates from Queensland’s Central Market: the Brisbane Produce Market (BPM).

1. Make sure you have a signed Horticulture Produce Agreement between you and your wholesaler. It is a mandatory requirement of the Horticulture Code of Conduct, speak to your wholesaler or visit https://bit.ly/3koBMwG.

Each operator competes for the same business. Such competition ensures prices are based on supply and demand, and with pricing changing daily buyers can always be assured of getting the best produce at competitive market prices. This is passed onto primary wholesalers’ customers or buyers such as independent retailers and secondary wholesalers or provedores.

Who is Brismark?

Brismark is a member organisation which represents and serves the needs of the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, in particular the primary wholesalers who operate out of the BPM. Brismark provides advocacy and financial, commercial and marketing services to primary wholesalers, secondary wholesalers, commercial buyers, growers, industry groups and job seekers.

As a member organisation it actively lobbies on major industry issues such as the Horticulture Code of Conduct.

It also offers a Credit Service facility which acts as a clearing house for its members and associated businesses that operate within the Brisbane Produce Market providing a secure, efficient and paperless means of conducting business within the BPM.

Contact Brismark To contact Brismark, you can visit www.brismark.com.au for more information, or: Phone: 07 3915 4222 Email: admin@brismark.com.au Visit: Level 2 Fresh Centre, Brismark Markets, 385 Sherwood Road, Rocklea QLD 4106 Post: PO Box 70, Brisbane Markets®, QLD 4106 22 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

2. Visit the Central Markets and try to come in-season too, so that you can compare your product and packaging with the competition.

3. Communicate with your wholesaler and let them know if you are experiencing any difficulties or expect an especially good crop so that forward planning can take place.

4. Is your packaging up to scratch? Ensure your packaging is appropriate and supports the overall presentation of the produce.

5. Keep up-to-date records of your transactions. Always use consignment notes to help track your produce.

These are a great reference point if something ever goes wrong.

6. Accurately grade and describe your fruit. Throwing your produce into grade 1 boxes when the produce is grade 2 will only break down your relationship with the wholesaler and the regular purchasers of your product.

7. Use reliable carriers who can get your produce to its destination on time and in good condition.

8. Contact your wholesaler quickly if you do not receive payment by the agreed time.

9. Listen to your wholesaler’s advice and be prepared to accept constructive criticism. Your wholesaler does have an interest in seeing you reach the best possible price for your product.

10. Stick to the numbers of pallets or cartons that you have advised your wholesaler you will be sending. Never send produce unannounced or short change an order because your wholesaler usually knows exactly how much produce is required.

Company Name

Contacts

Mobile

Phone

Email

Alfred E Chave Pty Ltd

Anthony Joseph

0418 876 330

07 3379 1071

anthonyj@alfredechave.com.au

Arcella Banana Company

Dom Arcella

0408 133 233

dom.arcella@tropicanabanana.com.au

Armstrong Bros Fruit & Veg Merchants Lachlan Armstrong

0447 787 094

07 3379 5344

Australian Ethical Growers

Claire Crocker

0428 851 699

BG Brisbane

Anthony Gribben

0411 723 001

07 3278 2877

anthony@bgbrisbane.com.au

Carter and Spencer

Matthew Spencer

0438 138 017

07 3361 5444

matthew.spencer@carter-spencer.com.au

Central Park Produce

Jonathon Goody

0417 713 235

07 3193 5240

jon@centralparkproduce.com.au

Costa Group

Ryan O'Keeffe

0427 604 211

07 3379 0300

ryan.okeeffe@costaexchange.com.au

Cumming Produce Centre

Nick Marentis

0438 270 672

07 3379 3409

sales@cummingproduce.com.au

Don Alroe & Sons

Paul Alroe

0412 755 665

07 3379 3554

paul@donalroe.com.au

Favco Queensland Pty Ltd

Mark Clarke

0407 781 792

07 3717 1500

markc@favcoqld.com.au

Franklin Bros

Mark Alston

0418 197 295

07 3379 5944

mark@franklinbros.com.au

Garden Verde

Bassam Abou Chahla

0410 417 916

07 3379 9590

verde@bigpond.net.au

Gibb Bros

Nicholas Gibb

0419 175 878

07 3379 9999

nick@gibbbros.com.au

Giua Produce

Mark Murphy

0418 798 462

07 3379 9288

mark@infruit.org

GNL Produce

Brett Cullen

0419 706 331

07 3278 1275

admin@gnlproduce.com.au

Gollagher Bros Pty Ltd

Stephen Gollagher

0409 635 700

07 3278 3711

stephen@gollagher.com.au

Gourmetlink

Douglas Rylance

0418 748 096

07 3278 1724

doug@fruitlink.com.au

H E Heather & Co Pty Ltd

Troy Beaton

0419 662 293

07 3278 2666

troybeaton@heheather.com.au

Ireland 53

Gary Vedelago

0418 743 028

07 3379 1131

grantsouthen@yahoo.com

J Allen Pty Ltd

Gary Lower

0418 709 291

07 3379 8644

gary@jallen.com.au

J E Tipper Pty Ltd

Steve Barnes

0435 054528

07 3379 1041

steve@jetipper.com.au

J H Leavy & Co

Ben Bartlett

0428 454 979

07 3379 4659

ben@jhleavy.com.au

John Potter Pty Ltd

George Lathouras

0418 147 666

07 3278 0600

george@jpbrisbane.com

King Pak Australia

Jack George

0408 459 867

07 3717 1400

jack@simongeorge.com.au

KLS Farm Produce

Steven Wright

0477 887 401

Lavender & Sons

Gary Lavender

0412 192 370

07 3278 5082

gwl2@bigpond.com

Lind & Sons Pty Ltd

Fraser Lind

0418 714 528

07 3379 7999

lindandsons@lindandsons.com.au

M & D Vegetable Specialists Pty Ltd

Mark Moore

0418 784 249

07 3379 5500

markmoore072@hotmail.com

Marendy & Sons Produce

Mary Marendy

07 3379 1384

marendyandsons@bigpond.com

Marland Mushrooms

Troy Marland

0439 968 878

07 3278 1112

admin@marlandmushrooms.com.au

Montague

Hamish Montague

0408 750 869

07 3270 3175

hamish@montague.com.au

Murray Bros

Stephen Edwards

0438 949 911

07 3875 8100

sedwards@murraybros.com.au

Nutrano Produce - Bananas

Craig Ball

0422 001 24

07 3154 2324

craig.ball@nutrano.com.au

O'Toole Produce

Paul O'Toole

0429 100 500

07 3278 1700

info@otoole.net.au

Perfection

Jane Rowles

0400 877 020

07 3310 3900

jane@perfection.com.au

Pershouse Produce

David Pershouse

0417 727 812

07 3379 3034

david@pershouse.com.au

Priority Produce

Steven Rosten

0413 199 904

07 3915 4140

Steve@priorityproduce.com.au

R W Pascoe

Noel Greenhalgh

0417 744 935

07 3379 2686

noel@rwpascoe.com.au

Rising Sun Produce

Christian Hoath

0427 747 464

07 3278 0555

info@risingsun.net.au

Romeo's Marketing (QLD)

Debbie Trimboli

0412 967 107

07 3278 5455

debbie@rmqld.com.au

Ross & Co

Ben Schimke

0408 200 831

07 3379 3043

bens@samsonsfruit.com.au

Shamrock Marketing

Bob Koning

0408 727 027

07 3915 5010

Bobkoning67@gmail.com

So Crisp

Craig Chard

0419 734 587

07 3278 2133

craig@socrisp.com.au

Stanton & Son

Marc Stanton

0418 872 905

07 3294 8029

stantoninvestments@bigpond.com

Top Class Fruit Supply

John Mastroianni

0419 930 830

07 3278 6188

john@topclassfruit.com.au

United Lettuce

Daniel Spoto

0402 273 090

07 3379 9288

daniel@unitedlettuce.com.au

United Organics

Martin Meek

0418 982 625

07 3278 5997

martin@unitedorganics.com.au

Viva Produce

Peter Lahey

0418 752 404

07 3379 7309

peter@bananaripeners.com.au

lachlan@armbros.net.au claire@australianethicalgrowers.com.au

steven_work@outlook.com.au

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 23

New research could end banana threat Aussie scientists are working towards the development of banana plants that are resistant to a deadly disease that is threatening global production.

Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) is a soil-borne fungus that has impacted plantations in most banana-growing regions including North Queensland; Asia including the Philippines, China and Indonesia; the Middle East; Africa and most recently, South America. Currently, the disease, which cannot be eradicated, survives in the soil for decades.

Nearly all banana varieties can be impacted, including Cavendish, which accounts for an estimated 50% of the bananas grown worldwide and about 95% of the bananas grown commercially in Australia.

To combat the threat, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Hort Innovation have launched a $9.8 million research project that aims to develop two new varieties that are resistant to TR4. The work will be delivered by the QUT Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy.

QUT project lead, Professor James Dale, said his team aims to develop Cavendish and Goldfinger varieties using gene-editing techniques through the five-year project. The aim, he said, is to support food security in Australia and worldwide.

Resisting the threat: QUT’s Prof James Dale is heading a team that is researching banana varieties that could prove resistant to Panama TR4.

“The original Cavendish varieties emerged probably more than 1,000 years ago,” he said. “It is an excellent banana but it is susceptible to some devastating diseases including Panama TR4.

“There is also concern that the banana industry worldwide is too dependent on a single variety and that greater diversity is highly desirable.”

Prof Dale said the Goldfinger banana is resistant to many diseases including TR4 and researchers aim to use recent advancements in gene editing to improve this variety to appeal to the Australian palate.

“We are now in a position to make very small changes in a banana genome that can have dramatic effects on the phenotype of the banana whether it is disease resistance, fruit quality or fruit taste and texture,” he said.

Hort Innovation Hort Frontiers Business Development Manager, Alok Kumar, said the research, which is being conducted in consultation with Australian banana

growers, will meet the industry’s priority to develop new TR4 disease-resistant varieties that meet consumer quality expectations.

“TR4 is widely considered the most lethal banana disease in the world,” he said. “This new project will arm Australian growers with the tools they need to sustainably and effectively produce Australia’s number one selling grocery item for years to come.”

Australian Banana Growers’ Council Chief Executive Officer, Jim Pekin, said TR4 has been the predominant issue for the industry since it was discovered in Australia’s major growing region six years ago. He said access to a variety that is resistant to TR4 and continues to be market acceptable would give banana growers certainty about the future.

“TR4 presents challenges for Australia’s banana growers. If it is successful, this research to develop, gene-edited, TR4resistant varieties would change that,” Mr Pekin said.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 25

INITIATIVES

Biosecurity projects benefit from industry partnerships Plant Health Australia (PHA) has kicked off a number of biosecurity projects, in collaboration with relevant industry groups.

Australia has seen an increased investment in biosecurity with over $400 million in new funding to support reforms to ensure the biosecurity system is able to respond to the growing global threat of exotic pests and diseases.

Melon Industry Extension for Biosecurity A new project for the Melon industry aims to strengthen melon growers’ ability to respond and recover from biosecurity incursions as well increasing their understanding of proactive on-farm biosecurity practices.

The one-year Melon Industry Extension for Biosecurity project is a joint initiative from PHA and Melons Australia, funded from joint melon industry levy funds. The project will work with growers and agronomists around Australia’s melon growing regions to improve general biosecurity practices.

The project will also provide growers with an on-farm biosecurity toolkit, with resources to boost farm hygiene, biosecurity and monitoring practices. Extension workshops are also planned for each of the growing regions.

A surveillance component will aim to understand current levels of pest and disease monitoring, better educate growers on surveillance methods, and the benefits of increasing onfarm surveillance for exotic pests and diseases.

The project will also consider the melon industry’s understanding of production and supply chain economics in the context of a biosecurity emergency response.

CitrusWatch A new five-year national biosecurity program, CitrusWatch, is a collaborative effort that is designed to protect the citrus industry from harmful exotic pests and diseases such as Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) and huánglóngbìng (HLB).

CitrusWatch is funded by Hort Innovation, using the citrus research and development levy, the PHA biosecurity levy and contributions from the Australian Government. The Northern Territory Government’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade and research group, Cesar Australia, will provide surveillance, communication and research support.

Led by PHA, with activities coordinated by Citrus Australia, the program aims to expand surveillance, conduct industry training, lead risk assessment and modelling, and improve governance and collaboration.

“CitrusWatch is designed to bolster surveillance mechanisms and increase expertise to quickly detect, identify, and address incursions of high priority pests,” said Dr Sharyn Taylor, National Manager Surveillance and Diagnostics at PHA.

26 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

AUSVEG Biosecurity coordinator, Callum Fletcher, presenting to a room full of growers in Gympie, QLD in March 2021.

Early detection of an exotic pest means taking early containment or eradication action during an incursion, as was demonstrated in addressing citrus canker. A strong collaboration of industry, government and the community set a new standard in successfully eradicating citrus canker from the Northern Territory and north-west Western Australia.

Australia was declared citrus canker free within three years of first detecting the disease.

“Australian citrus is a mature export industry with access to most major markets around the world,” said Citrus Australia CEO, Nathan Hancock.

“An exotic pest or disease incursion could shut the industry down overnight. We have a strong focus on staying disease and pest free to maintain access to world markets and support our growers.”

AUSVEG Farm Biosecurity Project The second phase of the AUSVEG Farm Biosecurity Project, a collaboration between AUSVEG and PHA, is well underway and continues to improve preparedness and response capability to manage biosecurity risks for the vegetable and potato industries.

The key differentiator in the second phase of the project is the increased focus on the role and importance of urban biosecurity, with emphasis on research, development, and extension programs and farm biosecurity.

“Farm biosecurity is often perceived as unnecessary or too complex to implement by plant industries. Since future exotic pest incursions are inevitable, it is crucial to strengthen the resilience of biosecurity practices,” said Dr Mila Bristow, PHA General Manager, Partnerships and Innovation.

“A key success factor of the project is to create a better understanding of the shared responsibility to improve industry biosecurity resilience through increased levels of on-farm preparedness measures that can easily be implemented by growers to gain better protection for their crops and livelihoods.”

The project also aims to increase biosecurity risk preparedness and response mechanisms by working with industry and governments to strengthen biosecurity awareness and reporting and improve communication of pest issues and threats.

Compliance verification at your fingertips Verifying your compliance with good agricultural practices in food safety systems can be difficult to keep on top of, yet important in maintaining your reputation.

FreshTest, a Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) initiative, is an easy way to independently verify compliance with good agricultural and food safety systems related to produce testing. It provides low-cost chemical residue, microbiological and heavy metal testing for wholesalers and their growers in Australia’s Central Markets.

In Queensland, the testing is coordinated out of the Brisbane Markets by Brismark.

Since its introduction in December 2001, FreshTest has grown to become the largest and most comprehensive testing program in Australian horticulture.

Quality and Administration Officer at Pershouse Produce, Dolores Taylor, says that her organisation has been using FreshTest since inception as they could see the benefits and convenience the testing service would bring to her organisation and their growers.

“Although we are all over our quality assurance requirements, the FreshTest staff at Brismark are very knowledgeable and helpful, so can point us in the right direction if we have any questions,” Mrs Taylor said.

Key features of the new FreshTest App • Submission of test requests in real time 24/7 – no more filling out forms every time.

• A personal dashboard.

• Test tracking from submission to result.

• Searchable historic results with FreshTest Certificate and NATA Certificate available to view, print and download.

• Automated email reminders (annually).

• Ability to share test results with others by email or by providing portal access to that test result.

• Unlimited unique authorised users are available to the portal per business with an audit trail.

FreshTest offers a convenient, simple, and quick testing program, and is the only program to regularly test for microbial contamination on a large scale. Collection centres are based at all Central Markets around Australia, the test results are confidential, easy to read and are turned around quickly.

“There is a collection point at the Fresh Centre in the Brisbane Markets, so it’s easy because the service is right at your doorstep where you can drop off samples for testing each day,” Mrs Taylor said.

“A lot of our growers tend to do their testing through us using the FreshTest service as the process is so much simpler. All the hard work is done for you.”

To make FreshTest even more accessible and easy to use, a brand new FreshTest App was recently launched, providing a new business portal and improved user experience, giving users easy access to records and systems 24/7.

FMA General Manager, Gail Woods, said that the main goal when developing the new App was to deliver further efficiencies to the produce testing process for users through added accessibility and enhancements to make a useful, easy to use tool.

“The App provides enhanced functionality and data security, delivering pragmatic end user transparency,” said Ms Woods.

To find out how your food safety and quality assurance testing can be simplified, contact the FreshTest team at Brismark on (07) 3915 4222, email freshtest@brismark.com.au or visit www.brismark.com.au.

FreshTest’s new App takes the pain out of compliance verification.

Promoting career opportunities available at Brisbane Markets Want to help promote your job vacancies to thousands of job seekers?

Brisbane Markets and the career opportunities available at the site will be featured at the Brisbane Careers and Employment Expo, running on 20 and 21 May 2022.

The Brisbane Markets booth is being run by Brismark, in partnership with Brisbane Markets Limited, and there are opportunities for Markets businesses to sponsor the booth or list their job opportunities.

The Expo is Queensland’s largest careers, training, education and employment event and is the perfect platform to promote the wholesale fresh produce industry, educate students and potential candidates about the careers available in the Brisbane Markets, and ultimately attract and recruit quality staff.

Brisbane Markets businesses can get involved through sponsorship and job listings to promote your career opportunities to the 13,500 visitors expected to attend the Expo by emailing businessservices@brismark.com.au.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 27

INITIATIVES

Campaigns encourage A better choice!

If you are looking for fresh, quality fruit and veg with a variety of products to choose from, and the added benefit of knowledgeable staff who put their customers first, then head to your local fruit and veg shop – it’s A better choice!

That’s the message from the latest television advertising campaign that has been running across South East Queensland.

Airing from late November till early January, and again for six weeks from late February, the advertising campaign reached over four million grocery buyers in Queensland to remind and educate them as to why shopping at their local fruit and veg shop is a better choice! for them, their family, and their community.

To complement the television commercial, a substantial geotargeted social media ad campaign commenced in April, with local fruit and veg shops having the opportunity to showcase to their community what makes their store A better choice! It is essentially a digital

letterbox drop, with advertising targeting primary grocery buyers that live near member stores.

A better choice! National Program Manager, James Patrick, said that the purpose of the program is to have independent retailers’ band together with a strong, unified presence to give them a voice that can challenge the big supermarkets and their heavy advertising and marketing, maintaining and growing the market share for generations to come.

“Wholesaler Chambers and Central Market authorities across the country work together through the program to support independent fruit and veg retailers and reinforce the message about the benefits of shopping at your local fruit and veg shop,” Mr Patrick said.

planned to commence in May this year.

“Also, partnerships with industry bodies to support their promotions are in the works such as the recent successful partnership with the Australian Mushroom Growers Association and the past summer’s cherry season where a small social media advertising campaign throughout Queensland alone reached over 41,700 people.

“Local, independent fruit and veg shops provide customers with A better choice! of quality, freshness, and service. They give customers the opportunity to shop as close to home as possible while supporting their local community. It’s important to support your local fruit and veg shop so they can keep supporting the community.”

“On the back of our last campaign, the local youth sports initiative, which reached over 9.6 million Aussies and received media attention around the country, is our next national multichannel marketing campaign

To watch the A better choice! television commercial, click or scan the QR code.

Measuring ‘The Blend’ Over summer, A better choice! partnered with the Australian Mushroom Growers Association to help promote ‘Mushrooms + Mince = The Blend’. Here are the results from the digital marketing campaign.

EDMs

Social Media

(Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest)

3,513 views

Opens: Over 216 k

Link Clicks: Over 16 k

Website Pages

Reach: 457,043

Engagements:

Competition QR Codes

8,563

Click-Throughs: 6,711

28 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

4,199 scans

About “A Better Choice” ‘A Better Choice’ is the first national program designed to encourage consumers to shop for fresh produce at their local independent retailer. The program aims to make the consumer question their buying habits. Are they choosing price and convenience over quality and experience?

Central Markets supporting Independent Retailers By shopping at their local fruit and veg shop, consumers are making...

A better choice!

A better choice of available products A better choice for freshness A better choice for knowledge and service A better choice to support WKHLU local community A better choice for WKHP and WKHLU family

A joint initiative by industry group Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) and the Central Markets Association of Australia (CMAA), the program draws on marketing and business data from hundreds of independent retailers across Australia to create a national marketing and advertising strategy.

As part of the program, FMA and CMAA work hand-in-hand with state chambers and industry partners to conduct a range of co-promotional activities that engage consumers and highlight the benefits of shopping at independent retailers.

‘A Better Choice’ is simply that, a better choice for retailers, consumers and the industry. Collectively we can keep the Aussie fruit and veg industry thriving for generations to come.

WE ARE VERY SOCIAL! Ch Check us out by visiting: www.abetterchoice.com.au w Fa Facebook and Instagram

Get in touch with your local ‘A better choice!’ representative to find out more about the program. communications@brismark.com.au

Save the date for gala dinner Dust off those dancing shoes, straighten those bow ties because the annual Brisbane Produce Market Gala Dinner returns on Friday, 29 July 2022 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Hosted by Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) and the wholesaler member organisation, Brismark, this one-night-only event celebrates and acknowledges the people and culture of Queensland’s horticulture industry. This year will mark a special milestone for BML, celebrating 20 years of ownership of Brisbane Markets.

Guests can look forward to a fabulous three course meal, drinks and loads of entertainment, so keep an eye out for tickets over the next few months.

Get ready to boogie the night away at the Brisbane Produce Market Gala Dinner on Friday, 29 July.

Berry best place to be in July BerryQuest International will be held from 25-28 July at Sea World Resort and Conference Centre on the Gold Coast.

The event includes a trade show, workshops, farm tours, and international and local speakers from a wide range of fields in the berry and wider agricultural industry.

Berries Australia Chair, Peter McPherson, said hundreds of local and international berry growers and industry experts will converge on the Gold Coast for what promises to be an exciting event.

30 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

“BerryQuest International 2022 aims to bring together our community in a three-day event showcasing the latest innovations including growing techniques, research, packaging, export development, biosecurity, labour and marketing,” Mr McPherson said.

BerryQuest International will also provide great opportunity for relaxing and mingling, with several networking and social events including the Welcome Reception in the Exhibition Hall, a gourmet BBQ evening with Broadwater and Southport skyline views at the Boatshed Bar & Grill, and a unique

Conference Dinner in the Sea World Plaza including pre-dinner drinks and exclusive dolphin show at Dolphin Beach.

For more information and to register for the event, click or scan the QR code.

Giving back to growers with visit from cricketing greats Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) headed to Bundaberg at the end of February to take part in a special night of food and fun with cricketing legends, the Bulls Masters.

The event saw local growers and their families rubbing shoulders with the Bulls Masters cricketing greats, Allan Border AO, Jimmy Maher, Darren Lehmann, Ken Healy, Carl Rackemann and Michael Kasprowicz.

Throughout the evening, growers were treated to rare insight from the legends themselves, showing the kids a bat trick or two, while sharing tales of the good old days through a Q&A session.

According to BML Communications and Marketing Executive, Seren Trump, the event was a great way to give back to the region’s growers and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

“The fresh produce industry’s core message of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has never been more relevant,” Ms Trump said.

“BML is delighted to be aligned with Bulls Masters who share these values. It’s also very important to Brisbane Markets to connect with the growing regions throughout Queensland, which is why we support Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers (BFVG) in a partnership that has continued for more than 12 years.

Allan Border AO took time out to answering questions and sign merchandise for the kids.

Allan Border AO took time out to answering questions and sign merchandise for the kids that attended the BBQ.

Darren Lehmann and Bradley Penny.

“Our relationship sees growers and wholesalers supporting one another to address issues affecting the industry, facilitating greater industry representation to government and achieving wider community recognition.

“From an industry perspective, BML is proud of the work we collectively do to promote the fresh produce industry throughout this state, and that starts in regions like Bundaberg and the great work done by growers.”

Kylie Jackson (BFVG), Ben Bartlett (Jones, Jones, Jones) and Seren Trump (BML).

Bulls Masters cricket legends answer questions from the crowd.

Sam Formosa and Michael Kasprowicz.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 31

Events

Celebrate industry growing together Hort Connections is returning to Brisbane in June following a successful COVID-safe delivery of the event in 2021.

This year’s theme, Growing Together, aims to highlight the importance of uniting and supporting each other in building stronger, more resilient food systems.

Held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 6-8 June, the Hort Connections conference and Trade Show will offer growers and industry professionals the perfect setting to come together and discuss the issues important to their industries.

This year will see the return of key networking events, including the Welcome Reception, taking place on the Monday afternoon, while the Trade Show Happy Hour grower networking event will also make a return on the Tuesday.

AUSVEG National Marketing Manager, Nathan McIntyre, said Hort Connections 2022 presents unparalleled networking opportunities for everyone in the horticulture supply chain, a Trade Show showcasing leading local and global businesses, and world-class speakers.

“We’re proud that Hort Connections has become such a huge event for the horticulture industry, thanks to support from growers and other delegates who are returning year after year to take advantage of the opportunities on offer,” Mr McIntyre said.

“The Hort Connections team has worked hard behind-thescenes to improve the experience for those who want to attend the event by refreshing the conference website to make the experience of registering for the event as seamless as possible and making it easier to find information about the event’s program and speakers when they become available shortly.”

Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) and Central Markets Association of Australia will again be sponsoring the Trade Show under the banner of Australia’s Fresh Produce Markets.

FMA Chair, Shane Schnitzler, said that it was important for the broader industry to take the opportunity to meet with friends and colleagues from across the sector and forge new connections to strengthen their business networks.

“Hort Connections 2022 will be a true celebration for what the industry has achieved and how growers, Central Markets and the broader supply chain have banded together to ensure continuous supply of fruits and vegetables in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Mr Schnitzler.

“We are proud to continue supporting the industry through the sponsorship of the Hort Connections Trade Show and encourage as many people as possible from across the supply chain to attend to learn about the latest innovations and technologies in the industry, and to connect over the challenges everyone has faced, which in many respects have made the industry even more resilient.”

To register for Hort Connections, click or scan the QR code.

32 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

Wholesalers get $100 discount Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) is offering a special wholesaler discount for Hort Connections 2022 with $100 off the ticket price. Provided in conjunction with the state chambers, Brismark, Freshmark, Fresh State, SA Chamber of Fruit & Vegetables Inc. and Market West, all fruit and vegetable wholesalers who register via FMA will receive a $100 discount. Click or scan the QR code for more information or to register.

Popular tour returns The tour of the Brisbane Markets will be held again this year, after extensive positive feedback was received by attendees in 2021.

The tour is offered as part of both the Northern and Western farm visits and can be booked as part of your Hort Connections registration.

In 2021, over 50 growers and industry representatives undertook the tour of Brisbane Markets, which included visits to the Montague Produce Facility, the J H Leavy & Co warehouse and the Brisbane Produce Market selling floor.

Guests will be treated to breakfast and a guided tour of the facilities, learning how Brisbane Markets operates, how wholesalers utilise the purpose-built facilities of the site, and the history of Queensland’s Central Market.

Hort Connections delegates exploring the Central Trading Area in 2021.

Avocado growers building strong connections Avocados Australia’s annual industry forum, Avo Connections, is scheduled for Monday, 6 June 2022.

The event will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in South Brisbane just prior to the start of Hort Connections.

Avo Connections is a forum where key supply chain stakeholders come together to hear the latest news from

key speakers involved with the Australian avocado industry.

The event promises a broad range of speakers presenting on the latest developments related to the domestic market, export markets, food service and marketing of Australian avocados. Attendees will also gain insight into the current quality performance of Australian avocados based on industry retail and supply chain monitoring.

All members of the Australian avocado industry are invited to attend. Interested parties can book online by clicking or scanning the QR code.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 33

Fifield takes the reins at Hort Innovation After an extensive recruitment process, Brett Fifield has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Hort Innovation, following Matt Brand’s resignation.

“In this rapidly changing world, Hort Innovation’s role is more important than ever and so is its commitment to innovation and collaboration.

Mr Fifield joined Hort Innovation on 26 April, moving from his former role as the Deputy Director General, Infrastructure, Investment and Business Development for the NSW Department of Primary Industries in Orange.

“We have a firm responsibility to deliver real impact for growers and those across the supply chain. Our work in partnership with industry will be pivotal to Australian horticulture’s success.”

Mr Fifield said he was thrilled to be joining the Hort Innovation team and looked forward to working closely with, and supporting, the horticulture industry - one of Australia’s oldest, most diverse and fastest growing ag sectors.

“Horticulture’s great diversity comes with great opportunity and it will be a privilege to work across the breadth of Australian horticulture,” he said.

Hort Innovation Chair, Julie Bird, said the Board is delighted to have a candidate of Mr Fifield’s calibre and diverse experience as the new CEO. “Brett’s leadership and broad industry expertise across R&D, stakeholder engagement and innovation will be an asset to lead Hort Innovation toward the government’s Ag2030 vision of growing agriculture to $100 billion in value,” Ms Bird said.

Brett Fifield has accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer at Hort Innovation.

Having grown up on a mixed farm near Wagga Wagga and following an early career as a journalist, Mr Fifield has more than 20 years’ experience in agriculture including 10 years in senior executive roles working across agriculture, biosecurity, food safety, fisheries, policy and cabinet, business performance, communications and engagement.

New era as PMA becomes IFPA January 2022 saw the merging of the Produce Marketing Association, including PMA A-NZ, with the United Fresh Produce Association to create a brand new entity: the International Fresh Produce Association.

Globally, the organisation is led by CEO Cathy Burns with the IFPA Australia and New Zealand team continuing their hard work under the leadership of CEO ANZ, Darren Keating.

IFPA has committed to focus on three key aspects: conducting advocacy, connecting people and ideas, and offering guidance that will allow members to take action with confidence in improving their business’ outcomes.

According to the new-look organisation, current members of the former PMA A-NZ, now members of IFPA, have a lot to

34 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

look forward to, with increased access to global connection and insights, as well as tools and education to help them improve their profitability.

“One of the most significant benefits that members of IFPA in Australia and New Zealand will see is greater connection to colleagues from markets across the globe, allowing better sharing of ideas and access to importance industry information,” Mr Keating said.

“Whilst the past few years have certainly confirmed that we are entering a whole new era and the whole world continues to share in significant challenges, one thing is for certain: the International Fresh Produce Association, together with its members, are committed to creating a vibrant future for all.”

Markets leaders help guide Future Fields New teams of existing and emerging leaders have been appointed to bring the Queensland fresh produce sector and supply chain together, including Brisbane Markets Limited’s Anthony Kelly and Brismark’s Eddie Alvarenga.

“I am really impressed with the breadth of experience amongst my fellow participants and look forward to bringing the perspective of the wholesale fresh produce industry to the table,” Mr Alvarenga said.

Chair of Brisbane Markets Limited, Mr Kelly, has joined the Future Fields Advisory Committee, which will help guide the development of a new 10-year strategic plan for the fresh produce sector and supply chain.

Growcom CEO, Stephen Barnard, said it was exciting, and also essential, to have such a diverse and talented group to work with senior Growcom and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries staff in developing the strategic plan.

“As a vital link in the fresh produce supply chain, it is very important for Brisbane Markets to be involved in planning for the future of our industry in Queensland,” Mr Kelly said.

“The Future Fields Leaders are such an important part of our strategic planning process. To be successful, Future Fields must be owned by all stakeholders across the supply chain,” Mr Barnard said.

Over the next few months, a group of a dozen Future Leaders will work in small teams developing action plans around each of the four fields, or areas of strategic interest, that will be focused on over the first two years of the new plan, called Future Fields.

“Through Future Fields we are taking control of our own destiny, so it’s essential the team developing the plan and the actions we need to take together reflect the great diversity of interests and expertise in our industry.”

Joining the team and representing Brisbane Markets is Brismark’s Marketing and Program Executive, Mr Alvarenga, who said he is looking forward to working with the group to develop action plans for Queensland’s horticulture industry.

Brisbane Markets Limited Chair, Anthony Kelly, has joined the Future Fields Advisory Committee.

To read the Future Fields Interim Report, click or scan the QR code.

The Future Fields plan is expected to be released and launched during the annual Hort Connections national industry conference in Brisbane in early June.

Focus on four key fields The fresh produce sector and supply chain in Queensland has agreed on four key fields of strategic interest to pursue over the first two years of its new industry plan, Future Fields.

Through an extensive grassroots engagement and consultation process, these four fields have risen to the top in terms of the likely benefit to industry from taking action, and the level of collaboration required to bring that benefit about.

Innovate2Access:

Bio Strong:

Reaching new markets through innovation in food processing, packaging and logistics.

Managing pests, diseases and biosecurity risks using data intelligence and collaboration.

Working Smarter:

Coordinated Compliance:

Building skills to adopt and apply the new technologies that will reduce reliance on low skilled and labourintensive roles.

Making it easier for growers to comply with government regulations and meet market driven requirements through digitisation and eliminating duplication.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 35

Faces

Growing North Queensland’s horticulture industry

By Ry Collins, General Manager, Bowen Gumlu Growers Association

Over the past twelve months, Bowen Gumlu Growers Association (BGGA) has embarked on a plan to grow and advance the North Queensland horticulture industry developing a course of action to reaffirm the region’s place as one of Queensland’s leading production areas and capitalising on our unique strengths, now and into the future.

As of early 2022, this work has now been reflected in a new Strategic Plan for BGGA. The plan identifies 61 actions supporting our strategic focus in pillar areas of advocacy, development, workforce, promotion, services, events and governance.

This plan aims to inject a renewed focus on the key opportunities to advance the industry in our region, defining how we will represent and provide vision to our farming community, laying the foundation for our industry to continue to expand and remain a pillar of North Queensland’s economic and social future.

The plan seeks to support growth in investment, water, technology and export, whilst addressing our biggest challenges such as rising costs, agricultural waste and supporting the next generation of North Queensland growers.

The National Farmers Federation has set the ambitious goal of creating a $100 billion agriculture industry by 2030 and to position our industry as a foundational pillar in Australia’s future prosperity.

Waste innovation supports sustainability

further investigation into solutions and innovation that is occurring abroad to address waste issues was needed.

With the majority of growers in Northern Queensland located in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, the expectation of consumers, government and the community is that the industry must enhance the sustainability of its processes in order to preserve the surrounding environment for generations to come.

Through industry connection, we were introduced to chemical engineering company, Zero Emissions Developments (ZED), who are pioneering new agplastic recycling methods to reuse waste trickle tape and plastic mulch in a range of products.

For those in farming regions in Bowen, Gumlu or the Burdekin it’s of equal concern that there is a growing issue of agricultural plastic waste that threatens the ability of growers to operate sustainably and adds significant additional cost to effectively manage the issue.

Larger than average volumes of trickle tape and plastic mulch have now become stockpiled due to massive increases to waste disposal costs and lack of recycling options in North Queensland.

Late last year, BGGA coordinated a stakeholder forum of growers, local and State Government representatives and others from industry to better understand the extent of the issue and what was being done to address it.

A number of potential regional recycling options were discussed along with growing council landfill costs, but it became apparent that

A tour of their facility displayed a wide range of applications being undertaken by researchers and engineers through a process known as pyrolysis. This process is able to take a number of different plastic types, including ag-plastics, and turn them into outputs such as carbon, bio-diesel and graphene that can be made into new products, for example battery cells and even new trickle tape.

Encouraged by our visit, the ZED team has made a visit to Bowen to meet with BGGA and the Whitsunday Regional Council to inspect sample ag-plastic feedstock and have recently secured a development site that will house their future multi-million-dollar bio-waste facility.

We’re excited by the prospect of addressing this key challenge and will continue to work together to explore new developments to improve grower practice and support innovation as we progress toward a more sustainable future for our industry.

To achieve this, key growing regions such as North Queensland would effectively need to increase their output two-fold, to approximately $1.5 billion per annum of farm gate output.

With much work ahead and a new strategic direction to guide our association, the future looks bright for growing the North.

Plan for future: BGGA’s new Strategic Plan seeks to support growth in horticulture while address the industry’s biggest challenges.

36 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

Bowen Gumlu welcomes new RDO Bowen Gumlu Growers Association (BGGA) has welcomed a new Regional Development Officer, with David Shorten recently joining the team.

Mr Shorten has lived in the Bowen region for the past three years after moving from Tasmania where he was managing an oyster hatchery. He is a keen fisherman and has a background in agriculture, having worked most recently on farm with Pacific Bio in Guthalungra.

Prior to working in aquaculture, David completed a Bachelor of Science at James Cook University and a postgraduate diploma while studying and working on Bribie Island with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and CSIRO. According to BGGA Chair, Carl Walker, the organisation is pleased to finally welcome Mr Shorten to the team.

“It’s a positive step for BGGA so we can continue to address the challenges in our region as well as pursue and take advantage of opportunities that improve and progress our region and industry,” Mr Walker said.

Mr Shorten’s initial focus in the regional development role will be building grower relationships with an emphasis on soil health management, new agriculture technologies and helping growers reduce their ever-increasing input costs.

“The past two years have seen many challenges thrown at growers in North Queensland, including COVID-19 and supply chain issues, to name a few. I look forward to supporting the growers as they continue to evolve to meet new challenges in a post-COVID landscape,” Mr Shorten said.

BGGA’s new Regional Development Officer, David Shorten.

Support the Local Economy & Buy from an Aussie Owned Company A complete range of quality office products carefully selected by our industry experts to suit every room in your office.

• • • •

Cleaning Supplies Health & Safety Furniture Office Supplies

1300 88 22 44

• • • •

Technology Kitchen Packaging Print & Promo

www.cos.net.au

info@cos.net.au

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 37

Faces

Thanks flow after Paradise announcement

By Bree Grima, Chief Executive Officer, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Sheer joy was just one emotion that growers in the Bundaberg region experienced when the Palaszczuk Government committed to providing $600 million to rebuild Paradise Dam (see page 17).

This was then backed up the following week when the region received a visit from our Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP who, alongside our Federal Members for Hinkler and Flynn, came with another $600 million announcement that the Commonwealth would be matching the State’s contribution to ensure the $1.2 billion project went ahead.

That day a collective sigh of relief could be felt around the region as growers processed the impact of two and half years of strong advocacy protecting our water security. $1.2 billion is no small investment and we recognise these funds could have been used by the State and Federal Governments in other ways, but we’re pleased to see they truly value the farming sector, regional areas and where their food comes from.

There are so many people, groups and businesses that have contributed to keep the conversation going. Within our sector, our peak industry bodies have advocated alongside us for their growers. Growcom and the Queensland Horticulture Council also did what they could to ensure the topic was front of mind.

Within the region itself there have been many contributions by local businesses who acknowledged their customers work in agriculture. These businesses have donated funds, products, and time to protect the regional economy and they are the backbone of this region.

It’s where we shop, get our hair cut, access services and many are multi-generational small businesses. Their contributions have not gone unnoticed by the farming community.

Bundaberg Regional Council, who are one of the largest water customers in the region, also has not stopped on the

topic of water. By working with Council, a consortium of regional advocacy and industry groups were able to fund a joint economic report titled ‘The economic costs of inaction on Paradise Dam’ which reported the region would suffer a $2.4 billion loss if the dam wall was not reinstated.

It’s because of collaborations like this that the region was able to articulate the importance of water security and that future investment and income generating crops would be comprised.

This advocacy has brought the region together, collaborations have been forged and the best outcome has been achieved by all.

I look forward to continuing those collaborations as we work with the Government during the long years ahead to ensure not only are timeframes met, but focus is also placed on delivery infrastructure to expand who can access this water in the Bundaberg area.

We’ll also be asking what controls are in place to ensure we’re not in the same situation in another ten years’ time. We know dam design standards have shifted significantly in the last several years. What was once suitable is now no longer safe, we now need to protect for a 1 in 15,000-year flood standard.

Paradise Dam represents regional water security and a strong progressive regional economy, this was threatened when the dam wall was reduced. Reinstating the dam wall to its original capacity simply returns what was taken from us but it also provides the confidence for industry to continue to grow and expand, to attract investment and provide job security for the community.

The longer the dam wall remains lowered, the more water flows over and out to sea during weather events. We need to get on with the job so we can store this water for the Bundaberg scheme. But we also need to ensure it’s done right. Paradise Dam was built on a budget last time and we’re committed to ensuring that doesn’t happen again.

Said elected AFPA Chair Members of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA) have unanimously elected John Said as the organisation’s new Chair.

Mr Said succeeds LaManna Premier Group’s Anthony Di Pietro, who served as AFPA Chair in 2021.

“While most in the industry thought 2021 could not be tougher than 2020, the changing environment as a result of COVID-19 created some of the toughest operating conditions in memory,” Mr Said explained.

“Challenges with access to markets, labour and inputs have really pushed all producers to their limits. Under such difficult circumstances, I’d like to thank Anthony Di Pietro for his

38 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

leadership of both the AFPA and the industry more broadly.”

Mr Said co-founded leading vegetable grower-packer-marketer Fresh Select in 1993, and has overseen the expansion of the business for nearly 30 years. He currently serves as the company’s Managing Director.

In addition to his role at Fresh Select, Mr Said has previously held roles on the PMA Global board and served as chair of PMA-ANZ. Mr Said noted that AFPA intends to place a renewed focus on gaining new and improved access to international markets for its members, while continuing to monitor workforce challenges in the sector.

Local lychees fly into United States Sustained interest from markets in the United States of America (US) has helped Australia’s lychee industry weather the COVID-19 storm.

There are more than 250 lychee growers in Australia, with farms located from Cooktown in Far North Queensland to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, and the industry is set up for further growth with new plantings likely to increase production and exports by up to 20%.

According to Australian Lychee Growers Association President, Derek Foley, the high quality of premium Australian lychees means they are popular in global markets.

The Australian Government’s International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM) was designed to reconnect airlinks for the movement of high-value, perishable goods. Since April 2020, it has helped to connect nine Australian ports to 61 international destinations.

Mr Foley is also the Managing Director of Bundaberg-based Electra Farmlands.

The company has utilised IFAM flights from Brisbane to Los Angeles.

“All our produce usually goes in the belly of commercial aircraft, so having that was taken away from us was concerning,” Mr Foley said.

He says IFAM has been critically important to his business, estimating that the program has helped support 45 jobs.

“When the IFAM program came in it certainly helped relieve some of the pressure of moving our product. IFAM has really assisted us with being able to stay connected to our international markets,” Mr Foley said.

“We are confident exports will increase as productivity increases across the whole industry. The building blocks are in place and we are looking forward to watching the growth.”

Reliable supply is also a factor in global demand with Australia having the world’s longest production season, which runs for six months from October and March.

“The industry has had quite buoyant prices for a number of years now and that’s encouraged newcomers to come into the industry,” Mr Foley said.

Previously reliant on the Hong Kong and Chinese markets to supply the bulk of their product, Australian lychee growers are now zeroing in on their existing links into the US. Consistent interest from the US market has allowed exporters of the sub-tropical fruit to align their operating models to alternative supply chains during the health pandemic.

“We’ve only been exporting to the US for about five years, but interest has remained strong and there’s a really robust market there now,” Mr Foley said.

Australian lychees are also exported to New Zealand, Singapore and Canada.

Lychees lift off: Australia’s long lychee season has caught the eye of overseas markets.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 39

Export

Berry exports boosted A $239,000 Australian Government grant to Berries Australia Limited will help give the berry industry the tools needed to expand into export markets.

Berries Australia Executive Director, Rachel Mackenzie, said the project aims to build exporter confidence and grow exports in high-growth markets such as Singapore, India, Thailand and United Arab Emirates.

“The funding will provide the opportunity for exporters to reignite conversations and build relationships with importers and retailers in the target markets,” Ms Mackenzie said.

“Even if growers are not exporters themselves, they will also benefit as this grant will help grow the pie and boost returns for all growers.”

Federal Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud, said many berry growers are eager to export after doing it tough during the health pandemic.

“This project will provide them with the insights and resources to actively and strategically engage with importers and retailers,” Minister Littleproud said.

Berry boost: Funding from the Federal Government is set to expand berry exports.

“Berries represent a terrific opportunity for growth. In Australian supermarkets, berries are the single biggest fresh produce line with a combined value of more than $1 billion.

“There is enormous potential to translate this Australian success into a global export powerhouse, especially since Australia holds a number of the most prized berry varieties.”

Future for fruit in Indonesia Indonesian fruit consumption has been forecast to more than quadruple by 2050 in a new report from Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).

The report, ‘Analysis of Indonesia’s food consumption and trade: will domestic reform keep up with demand?’, describes the pressure that Indonesia will face over time to open up its market to more diverse food types, as consumer incomes increase and they demand a wider range of products.

In addition, it noted that three-quarters of the value of food consumption growth to 2050 will be supplied by imports, providing greater markets for Australia’s export-oriented fruit and vegetable sector.

Indonesia’s per capita consumption of fruit has more than doubled since 1990 and the report predicted consumption will further increase to approximately US$50 billion in 2050, a rise of 269% from 2009.

“Higher incomes have played a significant role in changing diets, by giving consumers more discretionary spending,” said the report.

40 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

“Urbanisation also has had wideranging impacts on food demand by increasing the availability of modern food consumption methods, moving consumption away from traditional ‘wet’ markets to super and hyper markets.

“Almost all the expected growth in Indonesia’s food market to 2050 is likely to come from non-staple food products, with the largest absolute increases projected for fruit and vegetables.”

The report said changing consumer preferences have led to strong demand growth for imported fresh fruits such as apples, berries, citrus, grapes and stonefruit. This trend would provide opportunities for exporters targeting the market, particularly Australia given its close proximity.

To read the ‘Analysis of Indonesia’s food consumption and trade: will domestic reform keep up with demand?’ report, click or scan the QR code.

Trade deal signed with India The horticulture industry has welcomed the recent signing of an interim trade agreement between Australia and India. The interim agreement sees a range of tariff reductions and eliminations for fresh produce that will create new export opportunities for Australian growers.

The interim agreement will see tariff elimination over seven years on a variety of Australian horticulture products including blueberries, avocados, onion, cherries, asparagus, lettuce and celery. Other significant gains for the sector include an immediate halving of the tariff within the tariff rate quota for oranges and mandarins.

The Federal Government has hailed the agreement as a significant step in its efforts to diversify export markets and reduce Australia’s economic dependence on China by opening up new opportunities in a large and expanding economy.

Aussie peaches, nectarines head to Vietnam Australian peaches and nectarines will soon be making their way back into Vietnam.

Growers lost access to the market 10 years ago when Vietnamese authorities decided a phytosanitary protocol was needed to prevent pests and diseases entering the country.

Summerfruit Export Development Alliance Chair, Ian McAlister, said the reopening of the market was a good development for the industry.

“I anticipate with the right promotion it could be a significant destination for us,” Mr McAlister said.

While the protocols between the Australian and Vietnamese governments have been signed off, Mr McAlister says nectarines and peaches cannot be dispatched until the specifics of the work plan are finalised.

“There could be a small amount of trade in March and April, but by the looks of it, I think we’ll probably start with serious volume in November and December,” he said.

Peachy keen: Peaches and nectarines will be sent to Vietnam after the successful negotiation of export protocols.

Each of these measures can be used alone or in combination, such as a systems approach together with cold treatment, or a systems approach and irradiation at a set level.

Orchards, packhouses and treatment facilities must be accredited to ship to Vietnam under the protocol.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says his department is working with the industry to enable trial exports in the coming months.

“Vietnam is a priority market for our premium produce and we are pleased that the completion of technical negotiations will mean our peaches and nectarines will be able to access this valuable market,” he said.

While Mr Littleproud said the $85.9 million Agri-Business Expansion Initiative supported the department’s efforts to accelerate market access outcomes in Vietnam, industry representatives said it could have been implemented faster if face-to-face discussions had been able to go ahead.

There had been plans to finalise the protocols to resume trade at a meeting in April 2020 before technical representatives from Vietnam visited Australia to carry out audits.

But instead, discussions were conducted via video conferencing and the negotiation process culminated in a virtual visit in January 2022 between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and Vietnam, enabling a protocol to be agreed.

Chair of Summerfruit Australia Limited, Andrew Finlay, welcomed the achievement which has been some five years in the making.

“I would like to thank all those who have played a part in achieving this market access, and who worked hard to negotiate a set of protocols agreed to by both countries,” Mr Finlay said.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to face-to-face meetings, negotiations continued, via video conference and the Australian agriculture counsellor based in Vietnam.

“As part of the process we worked with DAWE and a number of growers, packers, exporters and treatment facilities to provide a ‘virtual visit’ for the authorities from Vietnam.”

Deepening our relationship The Australian Government has published a roadmap to boosting trade and investment ties with Vietnam.

According to Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan, the Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy will unlock mutually beneficial opportunities and boost the countries’ trade and investment relationship, especially in key areas such as education, resources, agriculture, manufacturing and digital economy.

“Australia and Vietnam have complementary economies - we are partners more than competitors.

Our supply chains are becoming more closely entwined, meaning together we are exporting to markets around the world,” Mr Tehan said.

In endorsing the strategy, Vietnam’s Minister of Planning and Investment, H.E. Nguyen Chi Dung, noted, “Success in achieving the common objectives of the strategy will further enhance the economic position of Vietnam and Australia, contributing to the safety, security and shared prosperity of the AsiaPacific region.”

Click or scan the QR code to read the Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy and Implementation Plan.

The new protocol includes a systems approach for managing a number of pests; cold treatment for fruit fly; and irradiation as an end-point treatment.

Autumn 2022 FRESH SOURCE 41

Export

Opportunities abound in Taiwan A recent Austrade report has found that the nation’s vegetable produce has a competitive advantage in Taiwan, thanks to the reputation for safe, high-quality food and the ability to offer counter-seasonal supply.

According to the ‘Insight – Short and medium-term opportunities for vegetable exports to Taiwan’ report, the value of Australian fresh vegetable exports to Taiwan increased 21% in 2020/21 compared to the previous 12-month period, demonstrating the growing demand for premium Australian vegetable products in Taiwan. This points to increased opportunities for the Australian industry in future years.

“The Australian vegetable industry has been active in the Taiwanese market for many years, highlighted by the success of the industry to achieve a three-year compounded growth of 11% from 2018 to 2020 for fresh vegetable exports,” AUSVEG CEO, Michael Coote, said.

in the world. In addition, Taiwanese consumers prefer safe, healthy and convenient food products.

“Australian vegetables are known around the world for their high quality and reliable 52-week supply,” Mr Coote said.

“Australian growers have worked for many years to develop good relationships with buyers in Taiwan and to understand the Taiwanese market so that growers can capitalise on the opportunity to supply the market with high-quality produce.”

The report noted a water shortage from late 2020 to the first half of 2021 affected Taiwan’s vegetable production, which opened the door to more supply from Australia.

In terms of key produce, the report showed that onions were up 63%, potatoes 19% and carrots 144%.

“I’d recommend any growers who are looking to explore exporting fresh vegetables to Taiwan to get in touch with AUSVEG,” Mr Coote said.

“We have an experienced and dedicated international trade team that can help them navigate the market, provide advice on the specific requirements and expectations of the Taiwanese market and can connect them with other exporting growers and Taiwanese customers to provide strong industry networks that can be extremely helpful in the exporting process.”

Australian exports of onions, potatoes, asparagus and carrots to Taiwan. SOURCE: ABS 2021

In 2020/21, Australia’s major vegetable exports to Taiwan were onions ($4.8 million), potatoes ($3.3 million), asparagus ($1.2 million) and carrots ($1 million).

Click or scan the QR code to read ‘Insight – Short and medium-term opportunities for vegetable exports to Taiwan’.

Other factors assisting Australia’s exports to Taiwan was the rapid expansion of retail outlets in recent years, which has given consumers greater access to food, and the fact the country has the second-highest density of convenience stores

Difficult season for cherries, grapes

By Lesley Shield, CEO, Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association The export season for cherries is over.

however export markets are flat.

It has been a tough season for New South Wales and Victorian growers due to weather. Tasmanian growers had a good season.

The global COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame, but it is also due to shipping schedules being so erratic. This is especially noticeable in Japan, which is a crucial market for Australian table grapes.

Total volumes exported were down by 27% compared to last season, with Tasmania exporting the bulk of the cherries in 2021/2022.

The table grape season has just started.

Quality is good, better than last year, 42 FRESH SOURCE

Autumn 2022

As Japan predominately relies on third-party warehousing for storage and distribution, the Japanese logistics chains generally struggle to handle large volume arrivals whenever a group of ships arrive at the same time.

In addition, there is also a delay in devanning and clearing containers due to COVID affecting the port staff. The shipping issues are affecting trade worldwide, not just Australia, with the average shipping times being extended by more than two weeks.

AHEIA will have a booth at Hort Connections from 6 to 8 June 2022.

Rhoda and I will be there, and we are looking forward to meeting everyone.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE RECYCLING

Stay ahead of the waste levy and reduce your General Waste costs by using our Produce Waste Recycling Service!

We can tailor a solution that suits your tenancy: REAR LIFT BINS

SUEZ will: - Provide 240L bins at your site - Collect produce waste: Monday to Friday

What we need from you: - Fill the bin 3/4 not exceeding 70kg - Present your bin where your general waste bin is placed for service

For more information, contact Steven Marks M: 0408 663 303; E: steven.marks@suez.com

CCB-L72666