Australian Bananas Magazine Edition #31 - December 2010

Change an important part of growth

Cameron MacKay Australian Banana Growers’ Council Chairman

As 2010 draws to a close, we have the opportunity to reflect upon what are some of the tasks and issues we have faced over the past 12 months, and how these have assisted in making our organisation and industry one of strength and well positioned to take advantage of future opportunities.

Despite challenges such as climatic conditions, unfavourable market conditions, and unfavourable exchange rates, our industry isneverthelessrecordingsome of the most impressive rates of growth in productivity in the Australian economy.

Change has been important part of that growth. Whether through natural causes or wanted behaviour, change has given our organisation a chance to mature and reinforce the words as said by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who so famously proclaimed in her declaration of the 2010 election, “a chance to move forward. “

Some of these changes include the appointment of new CEO Jonathan Eccles, appointment of our Yellow Sigatoka officer Louis Lardi, progression of our Banana Bunchy Top program and appointment of our detectors David Peasley, Samantha Stringer, Wayne Shoobridge and Grant East. It has

included the start of our Communications program and appointment of our new Communications manager Jamie O’Brien, the closure of Horticulture Australia Council (HAC) and Bananas New South Wales, as well as our ongoing relationships with organisations such as Horticulture Australia, Plant Health Australia, Growcom, Government Departments and Universities.

In all of this, communication has been an important key. We are the guardians of our industry and must be adept at responding both proactively and reactively to developments and opportunities concerning us.

As we grow from strength to strength, it is important that we constantly assess what are the needs of our growers, and of industry, to ensure we remain, not only vigilant, but also relevant to the situations and environments around us.

Our challenge in the year ahead is to continue to remain sustainable, maintain a clear understanding the opportunities in emerging markets, as well as managing market volatility.

Tribute

The ABGC Board pays tribute to our departing board members, Tom Day and Mike Gaia.

Tom Day (featured on page 23) has been instrumental for our industry and it is because of his dedication and efforts that the industry is

where it is today. As well as being pivotal in establishing the Sweeter Banana Co-op, Tom has brought many new and younger growers into the Carnarvon industry and mentored them into leadership roles.

Mike Gaia has been equally instrumental for industry. Often termed as natures gentleman, together with wife Rene Mike has made every effort to do what is best for industry, actively engaging with industry. The results have flowed through and it has been my pleasure to have served with the likes of Mike on the ABGC Board.

I’d also like to congratulate our incoming Board members

Michael Nixon, for Western Australia (featured on page 22) and Doug Phillips for Queensland, who were appointed at our recent Annual General Meeting.

On a final note, we look forward to the coming year and what is has to bring, most importantly the start of our 50th Anniversary celebrations as well as the Ninth Banana Industry Congress to be held from June 1 to 4 at the Hyatt Regency Coolum. More information is available at our website, www.abgc.org.au.

On behalf of all the ABGC Board and staff, I’d like to wish you all a safe and Happy Christmas, and prosperous New Year.

Australian Bananas

Published by:

Australian Banana Growers’ Council Inc PO Box 309

BRISBANE MARKET QLD 4106

Phone: 07 3278 4786 Fax: 07 3278 4938 Email: abgc@abgc.org.au Internet: www.abgc.org.au

Board of Directors:

Chairman: Cameron MacKay Deputy Chairman: Adrian Crema Deputy Vice-Chairman: Paul Johnston Treasurer: Tom Day Directors: Peter Molenaar, Mike Gaia, Marc Darveniza, Stephen Spear

Staff:

Chief Executive Officer: Jonathan Eccles

Communications Manager: Jamie O’Brien Office Manager: Kareen Vitiello

Magazine production:

Editor: Jamie O’Brien jamie.obrien@abgc.org.au

Design and production: Elizabeth McCray mccrays@bigpond.net.au

Advertising: Annabelle deMilliere 0414 561 945 or 07 3375 6718 betlem.media@optusnet.com.au

Australian Bananas is the biannual magazine produced by the Australian Banana Growers’ Council Inc. Articles appearing in Australian Bananas do not necessarily represent the policies, opinions or views of the ABGC. R&D articles of the magazine have been funded by HAL using the National Banana Levy and/or voluntary contributions from industry, and matched funds from the Australian Government. ABGC is funded by a voluntary grower membership fee of 3c/13kg carton.

Chairman’s Comment 3

Congress to meet at Coolum 6-7 Growcom presents life membership to Banana 8 industry stalwart CEO’s comment 9

Study tour reveals advanced production methods 10-11 2009/2010 Annual Report 12-14

National Levy Update 15

Banana billboard blitz begins 16 Bananas First in Fitness promotions 17 Communications full steam ahead 18 Consultation the key in working party 19 Bundaberg offers growers fresh start 20-21

Nixon’s change the way to success 22 Mentoring the next generation 23 Carnarvon’s banana pioneers 24 The standard is sweet in Carnarvon 25-26 Biodynamic producers go ‘green’ 27

National Bunchy Top Project moving forward 28-29 Banana packing skills on show 31 PHA bolts into online training 32 Red tips point the way to sustainability 33-34 Growers meet leaf spot challenge 35-36 Grower wins Young Farmer of the Year 37 Dedicated to the cause of organics 38-39 Banana nutritional analysis results 40-41

Fertigation the key to good nights sleep in Reef 42-43 Rescue program

Tissue culture and variety research support 44-45 development of industry Postcard from the Canary Islands 46-47 Qld DEEDI managing fruit length 48-49

National levy vs ABGC membership fees 50-51 – why should I pay both?

COVER: Recently appointed ABGC Board member and Carnarvon grower Michael Nixon features on page 22.

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Congress to meet at Coolum

GROWING STRONGER with determination, purpose & vision

The 2011 Ninth Australian Banana Industry Congress will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coolum from June 1 to 4.

The theme chosen for 2011 will provide focus and direction not only for our presenters but for the duration of Congress and for the years ahead.

2011 is also a special milestone year for the industry. As ABGC celebrates its 50 th Anniversary, the Congress take a retrospective look into the past, honouring the individuals, families, companies and organisations who have been the backbone of this organisation.

For growers and industry whohavebeenassociatedwith the industry from 1961 to 2011, this is another clear-cut reason why this is an event not to be missed.

In a snapshot of what is to come, Marketing and Promotions will again be a key focus with David Chenu from Horticulture Australia (HAL) at the helm.

The session will take a closer look at what are the most effective methods of getting our message to the consumer.

The 2011 Congress will also feature a planning session with the retailing sector which will take a look at how we can take a different approach, delving into the workings of the internal supply chain within

the major supermarkets and independent retailers.

The 2011 Congress will also take a look into the future of the other main areas which are most important to the industry. Areas such as wholesaling, packaging, transport, the environment and the latest in Research and Development, focusing on what we can learn from other industries and commodities.

Wholesaling is always an insightful topic and Bill Chalk, President, New South Wales Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable industries will lead an industry panel to discuss the relevance and future of this system of produce marketing in today’s ever competitive world.

The session on Packaging titled ‘Keeping it Fresh – Packaging Trends and Innovation’, will be led by Adrian Dalgleish, Queensland General Manager, from Visy

Fibre Packaging, Congress Foundation Major Sponsor.

Richard Macchiesi, General Manager, Insights and Innovation, says Visy will discuss trends that are influencing the packaging industry today.

“We are experiencing many changes in the retail environment from online stores to big box formats, which is having an effect on the types of substrates and their performance due to new supply chains,” Mr Macchiesi said.

The session will look at social and packaging trends, consumer influences and buying decisions, a review of the latest packaging innovations and the best ways to keep up to date with sustainable business options.

Les Blennerhassett, CEO of Blenners Transport will lead the way with the session on Transport, titled ‘Moving Australian Bananas’.

Les will be presenting his views on the majorchallenges faced by his organisation – including transport rub caused largely by the move from eight per layer cartons to six as well as the further issue of efficient cooling of bananas in transit related to this move.

He will talk about the

YEARS YEARS

challenges of sourcing trucks in times of glut when they need to move more than 500 thousand cartons in the high production months.

Blenners Transport has 75 long haul vehicles and has been transporting bananas for more than 21 years.

Taking a very different approach and looking outside the industry will be Phillip Di Bella, Founder and Managing Director of Di Bella Coffee.

Phillip will come to Congress in 2011 to share his vision in a presentation entitled ‘Harvesting Your Inner Focus’.

Phillip is well known for his modesty and practical nature and can often be found making coffees or washing dishes in the retail section of the various Di Bella Coffee Roasting Warehouses. Internationally, Phillip is a major participant in the coffee industry and has a great story to tell.

There will be a significant R & D session with presenters offering the latest in their current and future projects.

Networking has not been forgotten as part of the extremely vital Social Program.

From start to finish Congress will present many special things that have not been possible at Congress in years gone past.

The Hyatt Regency Coolum with its championship golf course is

Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC – GovernorGeneral of the Commonwealth of Australia with Mr Nicky Singh at the opening of the Eighth Australian Banana Industry Congress

close to beaches, Noosa, the Sunshine Coast hinterland and with a planned break on Friday afternoon attendees will be able to take time out to enjoy the destination or join in the activities both on and offsite.

Deserving of special mention is the venue. The Hyatt is certainly great for conferencing; you can fly direct to Maroochydore from the southern Capitals and for those flying in to Brisbane from the north, it takes about the same time as the journey to the Gold Coast.

However, the biggest selling point is that the prices are extremely affordable, indeed the best for years. Shared accommodation (separate bedrooms) can be had for a little over $150.00pp per night including continental breakfast. The Resort has fantastic facilities not only for our meetings and Indoor Field Day but for any leisure time you may have during your stay.

This time we’re encouraging everyone to bring their families as this resort caters for children of all ages.

Please feel free to visit their website on http://coolum. regency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/ index.jsp?null – under the heading Photos.

However, for the first time in many years Congress will be able to accommodate everyone who would like to attend in the same venue at the same time.

The bottom line is, Congress is for everyone involved in anyway in the Banana Industry, from the smallest to the largest grower, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers and those involved in R & D.

GROWING STRONGER - with determination, purpose & vision

Since the early pioneers began planting small pockets of bananas in remote locations across Australia, we could never have imagined the Industry as it is today.

Over the past several years we have faced many challenges and each time we bounce back more determined than ever to succeed. We have purpose – we are committed to keeping Australian Bananas at the forefront of consumers’ minds and to do so we must have the vision to grow stronger as individuals and as an industry.

The Ninth Australian Banana Industry Congress coincides with a special milestone – the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council – it is fitting that we take a retrospective glance at the past before moving on to planning for the future.

The 2011 Congress will look outside the industry to see how we can learn from others as well as understanding better ways of how to keep Australian Bananas in the mind of every consumer. We will concentrate on our marketing strategies as well as investigating new ways and means of ensuring growth in terms of our market share.

We have chosen a venue that is family friendly, a place where all can enjoy the wide open spaces with plenty of things to do outside of the business sessions.

If you have never been to a Australian Banana Industry Congress, we encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to grow stronger together with us.

For those who are regular attendees, please ensure you mark these dates in your calendar as soon as possible.

Ninth Australian Banana Industry Congress

Growcom presents life membership to banana industry stalwart

Growcom has honoured one of the Australian banana industry’s most passionate advocates with the presentation of life membership to Len Collins for his dedication to the banana industry over many years.

Mr Collins has been a well known banana grower in Tully for more than 25 years.

A former chairman of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) Mr Collins spearheaded the ABGC campaign against banana imports from the Philippines.

As a banana grower himself Mr Collins had a substantial

interest in ensuring the industry marshalled its resources against imports and the potential exotic pest and disease incursions that he believed would be associated with any decision to bring in fresh fruit.

His ‘can do’ attitude, natural leadership and political savvy permeated all aspects of the industry’s campaign and he spent a lot of time and effort ensuring that no stone was left unturned.

Mr Collins is one of a handful of industry stalwarts to be awarded life membership to Growcom.

Growcom Chairman John Bishop (left) presents Len Collins (right) with his life membership award.

CEO’s comment

More than nine months have flown by since I first began as CEO of the Australian Banana Growers Council (ABGC) in February this year.

I’d like to thank all who welcomed me into the role, and I appreciate all your support.

During the course of the past year, I have made a concerted effort to visit as many growers as I can across the far north of Queensland and the Bundaberg region, as well as the upper and mid New South Wales coast.

This will only continue in 2011, and I look forward to coming to know more about our growers are and what are the issues affecting them.

I hope to bring to the

banana industry some of the benefits of more than 35 years of working in a variety of roles in the horticultural industry.

Looking back over the past year, we have seen a number of situations take place that have played a major role in our work – in particular the good weather conditions which has seen industry boom, the fluctuating world economic situation, rising food and commodity prices as well as ever increasing fuel and transport costs.

As a firm believer in the benefits of bananas – for the health and wealth of every Australian – I believe that every effort should be made to maximise the opportunities for our growers and industry.

Horticulture is one of Australia’s most important industries – not just for the future of agriculture, but also as key part of our national economy.

Bananas are a vital part of that and our growers look forward to being part of a profitable industry.

On another level, there have also been many comments throughout the year from growers, retailers and wholesalers in relation to who is buying our fruit and what motivates them to do so, which poses the question – do we know enough about our consumers?

It is evident that we need to get inside the minds of our consumers and understand what they are thinking when they are at the supermarket; as well as looking at what is the best way to promote bananas and its nutritionalbenefits.

The ABGC is making every effort to encourage the work of our research and development counterparts.

While the long-term benefits are still to come, industry has grown stronger from a nationally co-ordinated research and development program.

It is great to see the enthusiasm of growers and their participation in giving up their time to be involved in these projects. Your input is greatly valued and appreciated.

Projects such as the National Banana Bunchy Top project and the Yellow Sigatoka project have succeeded beyond expectation.

In closing, we look forward to a better new year, with the hope that returns to growers will improve, that our consumers will buy more (in quantity and frequency) and that our industry will be given every opportunity to grow and develop.

On behalf of all of us at ABGC, we’d like to wish you and your families a happy and safe Christmas and we Iook forward to working with you again in 2011.

ABGC Jonathan Eccles with Bundaberg grower Craig Van Rooyen

Jonathan Eccles

Study tour reveals advanced production

O’Brien and Marc Jackson

Central America was the destination of choice for some of Australia’s major bananas growers earlier this year.

The growers instigated the study tour to Costa Rica and Ecuador in the hope of taking a closer look at quality systems to compete in the markets of Australia and globally.

Co-ordinated by Marc Jacksons company, Global Fruit Protection P/L, the aim of the tour was to help growers come back to Australia and implement some of world’s best practices so that they can compete in a

global market place.

Costa Rica is a small strip of land between North and South America, and with its abundant vegetation and protected National Parks, the country is one of the richest in Central America, with more than 25 per cent of its territory protected.

Less than one per cent is used for banana production and banana production accounts for more than 15 per cent of exports from Costa Rica, generating some US$800 million in income and employing 40,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs.

It is the second largest exporter of bananas in the world and sells approximately 100 million 18kg cartons per

year to the United States and Europe.

Meanwhile for Ecuador, the distinct wet and dry seasons mean almost anything will grow in this very fertile country. The country produces some of the best fruit at the lowest prices.

Bananas are the number one export of fresh fruit and with its vast expanse of land, Ecuador also produces large amountsofmango,pineapple, coco, lemons/limes, soybeans, sugar, rice, coffee and tobacco.

Tour leader Marc Jackson,

Jamie

methods

from Global Fruit Protection said the attending growers were chosen as they are leaders and innovators keen to understand Central America production.

“Growers were able to get an understanding of some of the most advanced methods of production, including how farms use protective devises to protect the fruit during the growth period and during harvesting and transport to the packing shed.”

Mr Jackson went on to say that the Central American regions demonstrated the skills and experience of a range of banana growers, both conventional and organic, who export fruit to North America and Europe.

“The key staff are well trained and work effectively to produce export quality fruit,” Marc said

“All work on the farms is regimented and done in a timely manner with special attention to fruit quality.”

In Ecuador and Costa Rica, Mr Jackson said, employment within the banana industry is in high demand and is considered a well paid long

term profession.

“Ecuador and Costa Rica are two of the largest exporters of bananas worldwide and therefore their quality is of a very high standard,” Mr Jackson said.

Ecuador produces approximately 260million 18kg cartons per yearapproximately double what Costa Rica produces.

“In comparison, Australia produces approximately 21million 13kg cartons per year which is roughly six per cent of Ecuador’s production.

Mr Jackson continued by detailing that the high standard of quality and

seemingly minimal waste was the main interest for the Australian growers.

“The waste varied across the farms in both Ecuador and Costa Rica, from insignificant

to 30 per cent.

“The fruit quality has no doubt improved over the years as the farm systems and processing methods have developed.

Banana industry progressing ahead

Cameron MacKay Chairman’s report

The Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) has had another busy year in 2010 and one that has seen many changes and developments.

Change of CEO from Tony Heidrich to Jonathan Eccles

In February 2010, ABGC saw the departure of CEO, Tony Heidrich, who left to join British Gas. Tony held the position with ABGC for eight years and we appreciate all that he did in his role as CEO and wish him well in his future endeavours.

We welcomed Jonathan Eccles to ABGC who started as the new CEO in February. Jonathan has an extensive background working with horticultural industries in R&D and promotions business management,

strategic planning and communications.

Yellow Sigatoka Project

The Yellow Sigatoka project has been a great success and much of that has to do with the appointment of Liaison Officer Louis Lardi, who started in February.

ABGC believes it is vital that industry maintain a constant vigilance in keeping Yellow Sigatoka in check, however all growers need to take on the responsibility of maintaining a good deleafing program.

Banana Bunchy Top Virus Program

The Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) project has progressed extremely well in 2010 especially after a workshop held in May with all the relevant people from New South Wales and Queensland associated with Bunchy Top.

David Peasley has been appointed as National Co-ordinator of the project and is joined by Samantha Stringer, who is based on the Sunshine Coast, as well as Wayne Shoobridge and Grant East in Northern New South Wales, which means we now have three detectors working

following a comprehensive review of the communication needs for the industry, which was undertaken last year.

ABGC has been successful in receiving HAL Banana Levy funding to implement the recommendations for that review. In addition to existing activities such as

ABGC sees as vital that industry maintain a constant vigilance in keeping Yellow Sigatoka in check, however all growers need to take on the responsibility of maintaining a good delea fi ng program.

to eradicate the disease. New technology such as aerial photography and imaging is now being used identifying backyard and feral banana plants.

The other positive aspect of the project is the linkages industry has with the Queensland and New South Walesgovernmentbiosecurity authorities. The model that has developed in managing an existing disease with the aim to eradicate it from Australia is being held up as an ideal model of industry and government partnership inmanagingendemicdiseases in Australia.

Communications

We have also taken another first in appointing a full time Communications manager to oversee all the communication activities. Jamie O’Brien was appointed

the magazine growers and industry alike will be seeing a lot more communication initiatives coming from ABGC.

Some of the areas that Jamie will manage include the re-vamp of the current ABGC branding, logo and website and I encouraged growers to take every opportunity to be involved where possible.

National levy and R&D and Promotions

The Banana Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) has held two meetings in 2010, one in March and the other in August. Many programs have now been put into place and are operational, with results feeding out to growers throughout the year. Our challenge now is to understand how best to

with strategy and innovation

communicate the outcomes of the projects in a timely and meaningful manner.

In March, the ABGC held the first workshop with representatives from regional banana groups. We had briefings on all the activities with the national promotions and R&D program. The feedback we have had is that everyone found the day informative and we plan to hold another workshop to coincide with the next IAC meeting in February.

Imports

This year has seen a lot quieter on the imports front but this doesn’t mean we become complacent.

Many thanks to Patrick Leahy who has kept up to date with the political scene and imports issue and there is still ongoing scientific work to bolster our position should the Australian Government receive any application to import bananas.

Plant Health Australia

ABGC continues to have a good working relationship with Plant Health Australia (PHA) to ensure our industry has the necessary backup should any incursions of an exotic pest or disease come into Australia.

While ABGC, on behalf of the banana industry is a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed, the Australian Government is now expecting industries to have a levy mechanism in place in order to repay the industry’s contribution to the costs of pest management eradication and grower compensation for crop destruction.

The Australian Government is essentially offering to advance industry’s share of costs upfront with a repayment over 10 years if a levy is in place.

Nearly all industries have set this levy at zero and will only revisit it when an incursion affecting their industry actually happens.

Early next year, the ABGC will start the consultation process for this zero levy. It will not be as comprehensive as the consultation process for the national promotion and R&D levy. We are one of a handful of industries that knows only too well what impact a new incursion can have on our industry and we need to ensure we are well prepared for any future biosecurity events.

Horticulture Australia

We are now in our

The other positive aspect of the project is the linkages industry has with the Queensland and NSW government biosecurity authorities.

second year of the R&D and promotions programs which is supported by the national banana levy. Despite many changes at HAL, our relationship with the HAL Board and staff has been productive and we are now starting to ‘bed down’ a number of major projects that address issues highlighted in the Banana Industry Strategic Plan.

We have had considerable discussions in planning the new Plant Health Program with the Queensland and New South Wales government departments and University of Queensland. The development of the program has been over seen by Dr Andre Drenth together with a huge involvement from the Plant Health Subcommittee.

Many thanks to Dr Drenth and his team for bringing together all the plant health related projects into a single program, which is aimed at delivering better outcomes for the Banana Industry. The five year program has been submitted to the HAL Board for approval and should be underway early in 2011.

Horticultural Australia Council

It is with regret that after nine years, Horticulture Australia Council (HAC) has closed its doors as the peak body for all the horticultural industries.

Recognising the need for some collective group to work on issues common across all of horticulture, ABGC has

been involved in the new Horticultural Task Force (HTF) which consists of the CEOs of the major national horticultural industry groups.

The HTF has identified a small number of issues to work on next year including using an advocate working in Canberra to be the HTF’s eyes and ears in the Federal arena.

Bananas NSW

In June, the New South Wales Banana Industry Act legislation was repealed by the New South Wales Government which means that New South Wales growers no longer contribute to the State levy. As had been agreed with Banana NSW, the residual funds from the state levy fund will be held in trust by ABGC when transferred after the New South Wales Government has completed an audit. A management group which includes representatives from the four New South Wales banana grower associations will advise ABGC on the future spend of these funds on R&D projects.

Ninth Banana Industry Congress in 2011

I hope everyone has made note in their calendar for the Ninth Banana Industry Congress to be held from June 1 to 4, 2011.

We have chosen a fantastic venue in the Hyatt Regency at Coolum on the Sunshine Coast which not only has

great conference facilities, but is ideally set up for families as well.

The Organising Committee is busy preparing an exciting and stimulating program which will conclude with the Banana Industry Gala Ball.

ABGC to celebrate 50 years

2011 is the 50th anniversary of the formation of ABGC and is now one of Australia’s oldest horticultural organisations.

We plan to celebrate this milestone and acknowledge the efforts and contributions from the many people over the years, and we look forward to the future for one of Australia’s most important rural industries.

We have been an incorporated association for many decades but our incorporation is only in the State of Queensland. As a national organisation in today’s world, the Board has

agreed to move to a Company limited by guarantee. We will still have the same non profit income tax exempt status but as a Limited Company we now have the necessary legal protection befitting a national organisation undertaking activities across state borders.

Membership of ABGC

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind growers that it important that growers continue to support the ABGC. There is much the organisation does and can only do with support from growers. This means becoming a member and paying the voluntary membership fee.

Since the introduction of the national banana levy for R&D and promotions, I have found that many growers believe the national levy also includes the ABGC membership fee, This is not the case and growers need to be proactive in becoming an ABGC member and giving their wholesaler the authority to deduct the membership fee and forward to ABGC.

Over the next few months, the ABGC office will be contacting growers to

In March, ABGC held the fi rst workshop with representatives from regional banana groups and provided a briefi ng on all the activities with the national promotions and R&D program.

update contact details and membership.

Board of Directors

2009/20010

The Board met on the following occasions over the last 12 months:

• Friday December 4, 2009, Centre for Wet Tropics, South Johnstone Queensland

• Wednesday March 3, 2010, Novatel Pacific Bay Resort, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales

• Friday June 4, 2010 Centre for Wet Tropics, South Johnstone, Queensland

• Wednesday August 18, The Elandra Resort Hotel, Mission Beach, Queensland

Composition of the Board for 2010 was as follows:

• Mr Cameron Mackay (President)

• Mr Adrian Crema (Vice -President)

• Mr Tom Day (Treasurer)

• Mr Marc Darveniza

• Mr Mike Gaia

• Mr Paul Johnston

• Mr Peter Molenaar

• Mr Stephen Spear (appointed June 2010 by the Board to fill the New South Wales director vacancy)

Staff

Finally, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge

the work of former CEO Tony Heidrich and former office manager Jann Bonsall, as well as current CEO Jonathan Eccles, recently appointed Office Manager Kareen Vitiello as well as new Communications Manager Jamie O’Brien.

Acknowledgements

On behalf of the council

I would also like to thank the following organisations for the assistance they have provided at various times throughout the past 12 months.

These organisations include:

Bananas NSW, Growcom, Northern Territory Horticultural Association, Carnarvon Growers Association, Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development & New South Wales Department of Industry & Investments, Western Australian Agriculture, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, Horticulture Australia Limited, Plant Health Australia, Australian Banana Wholesalers, Acclaim Special Events and Meeting Management, Milburn Media and local banana grower associations.

Your support is much appreciated.

National levy update

Banana Industry Advisory Committee and Sub-Committee

Meetings 19 and 20 August 2010

The Banana Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) and subcommittees meetings were held in Mission Beach on August 19 and 20 to review the current program and agree on R & D priorities for 2011-12.

It was also noted that a number of project ideas had not yet started for a variety of reasons which meant a number of funds were accrued into the current year.

Questions were raised as to whether there was any scope for additional projects for next year given the increase in the plant health budget that had not been anticipated when the budget was set.

IAC meeting

The IAC met the day after the sub-committee meetings and to recommend R & D

priorities for 2011-12. With little R&D levy funds available for new projects, the IAC deliberately did not create a ‘wish list’ for new proposals. The main priority identified was investigating the importance of the Banana Industry to local, regional

and national economies. This was advertised on the HAL website for the October general call for proposals.

The IAC and subcommittees will meet again on 17 and 18 February in Sydney.

Banana billboard blitz begins

The plan to make bananas Australia’s number one snack of choice by 2015 has entered an exciting new phase with the launch of the biggest billboard poster campaign in the industry’s history.

The Australian Bananas message will be delivered through hundreds of billboard sites, shopping centre lightboxes, and bus-back posters around the country.

These high-impact outdoor sites are designed to hit our young target audience while they are out and about looking for energy snacks to refuel on.

Grocery buyers will also be targeted through lightboxes and poster sites in close proximity to supermarkets and green grocers.

The key to the campaign is simple, striking messages,

designed to prompt people just before the point of purchase to choose bananas instead of unhealthy snacks.

The “banana in a wrapper” image will be the lead the campaign to firmly establish our new positioning as nature’s energy snack.

The creative execution will be supported by a series of other fun designs to keep the

campaign, the aim will be to convert that change in attitude to a change in behaviour. In other words, increasing demand by convincing more people to buy more bananas more often.

The other recent development in the campaign was the launch of our Banana Democracy online

from Justin Bieber haircuts, football teams, and prime ministerial candidates to 80’s music and vampire culture.

Consumers were also invited to submit their own suggestions about “what drives them bananas” for the chance to win an iPad. In the month that the promotion ran, over 2500 people interacted with the game and over 500 people entered their own topics. At the same time, we grew our Facebook fan base by over 700 people.

campaign fresh and engaging and will launch an important new phase of the industry’s promotional strategy.

Until now, the “nature’s energy snack” campaign has been focused on shifting people’s attitudes about bananas.

In this new phase of the

voting game, which was built directly into our hugely successful Facebook site.

The game invites people to vote on a series of bizarre topics, deciding if they are either good or bad - “no no” or “na na”. Hundreds of people have registered their opinion on topics ranging

Moving forward, we will continue to promote the Australian Bananas brand online, via radio and next year through television, in addition to the ongoing billboard campaign.

We will also continue to build our unique positioning as nature’s energy snack while building demand and driving sales.

This billboard campaign launch marks an important new phase of the industry’s promotional strategy.

Bananas First in Fitness promotions

Jamie O’Brien Communications Manager

Australian Banana Promotions has started a campaign with leading fitness chain Fitness First which is being shown in Fitness First gyms Australia wide, until the end of December.

General Manager, Marketing from Horticulture Australia, David Chenu said the campaign is a fantastic opportunity for bananas to be promoted as the leader in healthy fruit.

“With more than 400,000 members and 74 per cent of customers in the 18 to 39 year old age group, Fitness

First customers are the perfect target who we can encourage to supplement their physical fitness with nutritional health,” he said.

Sigatoka control comes

Nutritional based disease control has been successfully implemented on TGS banana farms for over 10 years.

On average savings on fungicide programs cover the cost of our complete package.

Some 279 panels have been installed nationally for 8 weeks of activity, until December 31.

Placed right near the entrance and exits to them gyms, customers won’t be able to miss seeing them.

Fitness First are also buying bananas and selling them on

special during the month of January.

“Bananas are the perfect energy snack after a workout,” Mr Chenu said.

The panels have the added benefit of being digital meaning that there is not the added cost of producing posters.

Fitness First customers are the perfect target who we can encourage to supplement their physical fitness with nutritional health.

as standard.

Communications moving forward

Jamie O’Brien Communications Manager

It’s been a whole new ‘ballgame’ since starting with the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) as the new Communications Manager in late August, but one that I am more than ready to tackle with a hands on approach.

For those of you that don’t know me, or haven’t met me yet, I come from a background majoring in journalism and corporate communications, most recently with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) and Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA). I am originally from Western Australia after some time with The Western Australian Farmers Federation (WAFarmers).

The thrust of my tasks stem from the Communications and Engagement Strategic Review which was undertaken by Innovac in late 2009 and will most certainly bring about greater communication tools and resources for the benefit of growers and industry alike. This task is one that I see

as vital for the industry as it will give growers more opportunities to know not only what is happening in the industry, but also how it affects them.

If you have any ideas that you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Since starting with ABGC, I haveundertaken a number of tasks aimed at getting the message of the benefits of bananas out into the public eye, primarily media releases in relation to retail prices, the new Bunchy Top Detector Sam Stringer, Yellow Sigatoka information and Banana Permits for Backyard growers. These were met with a strong response from the media, with CEO Jonathan Eccles appearing on the Channel 9 Today Show in early October.

I have also met with HAL Marketing Manager David Chenu and Wholesaler Greg Bradshaw so that I could

observe, with many questions, the goings-on at Sydney Markets at Flemington.

This was an extremely important and worthwhile part of my role as it enabled me to see firsthand who and what the wholesalers do and how my role can be linked with their work. I hope to continue the relationships and welcome any feedback as to how this can be best achieved.

just a little of what their day entails and the current situation of industry. I look forward to visiting the region more often so that I can build more relationships with growers, as well as taking note of the various opportunities to develop ABGC communications.

Fax:(

Towards the end of November, I had the pleasure of travelling to the Tully region to meet with Yellow Sigatoka Liaison Officer Louis Lardi, who introduced me to growers Adrian Crema, Cameron MacKay, Patrick Leahy and Mark Nucifora as well as a number of staff at the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI).

Many thanks to all the growers and staff at DEDDI who made time to meet with me, and explain to me

One final note is my strong encouragement to welcome you to attend the 2011 Banana Industry Congress, to be held from June 1 to 4 at the Hyatt Regency, in Coolum on the Sunshine Coast.

The event will not only be an opportunity for the Banana industry to showcase all that it is, but it will also be a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of ABGC and very much a time to celebrate the history and all that it encompasses. For more information, contact the ABGC office or you can also email me at jamie.obrien@ abgc.org.au.

Consultation the key in working party

Neville Sloss Subtropical communications

Consultation with growers and others in the supply chain is an important part of the Subtropical Banana Industry Market Development Project.

The six month project is currently underway to help in the development of markets specifically for subtropical fruit. A part-time Project Officer, Geraldine O’Flynn, is coordinating the project.

The project is being managed by the industry’s marketing manager, David Chenu of HAL, who was also involved in the development workshops held earlier in the year and reported in the last edition of Australian Bananas.

“The development of this project is very exciting. It is happening with the strong endorsement of both the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) and ABGC who are keen to give their support to the subtropical banana growers.

“Subtropical growers have a great product and the recent workshops highlighted some very clear strategies on how to differentiate and add value. This will mean they can work both on the local and national market place should they wish,” said David.

The project is being driven by a working party and a parttime Market Development Officer who is working with the group to explore ways and opportunities for subtropical growers to develop markets.

Well-known horticultural

advocate Geraldine O’Flynn has taken on the role as Project Officer.

Ms O’Flynn’s knowledge of the industry has been extremely important in her new role along with her past experience with the Commerce and Management School of Southern Cross University.

One proposed outcome of the project is the development of a three year plan for marketing subtropical bananas and she is hoping that it will be valuable to growers in New South Wales, South East Queensland and Western Australia.

“I know that we are primarily focussing on the east coast, but I am confident that there will be value to all subtropical growers in what is developed,” Geraldine said.

The first meeting of the Market Development Working Party for the subtropical industry was held in October and since then Ms O’Flynn has been attending regionalassociationmeetings, reporting on activity to date and seeking further input from growers.

Those attending the first Working Party meeting were Stephen Spear, representing Nambucca, Mick Gentle (Coffs Harbour), Paul Gibbins (Golden Dawn- local wholesaling), as well as ABGC CEO Jonathan Eccles and Subtropical Industry Communications Officer Neville Sloss. Jeff Zanette (Richmond), John Butterini (Tweed) and Kurt Lindsay (South-East Queesland) were unable to attend. Geraldine is

also involving other interested growers wholesalers and industry participants to get a broad cross-section of inputs.

Ms O’Flynn pointed out to the group that the exercise was not just about branding but would look at all components of the marketplace – growers, wholesalers, retailer and consumers.

“The supply chain network must be right before any promotion can be undertaken,” Ms O’Flynn told the group.

The working party is focussing on supplying locally either through wholesalers and retailers direct or at markets

Product offer important

It has been agreed that taste or full flavour was the number one selling point for subtropical bananas.

Differentiation in the marketplace is the key strategy based upon flavour, along with size, locality and region.

“One possible selling point is the nature of the subtropical industry – most are family businesses and there is growing interest in the story behind farm produce,” Ms O’Flynn said.

While it is generally agreed that subtropical fruit between 170 and 210mm was ideal, any marketing should not rule out large fruit.

The girth was considered to be as important as the length, so this will be taken into account when developing any

specifications.

In presentation, the prepack option has been ruled out in initial stages and stickers remain the best way of identifying fruit.

“Integrity around any brand that was developed is critical, as was commitment to the exercise from growers, wholesalers and retailers,” Ms O’Flynn said.

The working party also agreed that possible involvement or funding opportunities need to be considered from the Regional Development Australia organisations which cover the banana growing districts.

For example in the Northern Rivers, a major promotion is underway under the banner of Northern Rivers Foods.

The Subtropical Bananas Market Development Project is being supported by the National Banana Levy through Horticulture Australia Ltd.

The Working Party is scheduled to meet again in December.

Growers looking for further information can contact Geraldine O’Flynn on 0402 308 970 or via email at goflynn@aapt.net.au.

Project Officer, Geraldine O’Flynn

Bundaberg

Bundaberg offers growers fresh start

Neville Sloss Subtropical communications

Commercial banana growing is relatively new to Bundaberg. However, preliminary figures from the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation show that a small number of growers are producing a significant quantity of fruit.

The crop had an estimated gross value of $2.54 million from an estimated 60 hectares planted in the district. (According to DEEDI this is understated as some production figures were not available.)

With no ‘organised’ regional growers group, the majority of growers belong to the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (BFVGA) which represents the cross section of horticultural crops in the region.

Bananas are a very small crop for Bundaberg, as total gross value of the region’s produce is more than $2.5 billion, making it one of the most productive sources of food in Australia.

So what brought banana growing to Bundaberg? Flat land and plenty of water are the two main reasons according to growers who moved into the area from New South Wales.

Alberto Canale and his brother Giani are third generation banana farmers who moved from their family farm in Coffs Harbour and don’t miss working on the steep land.

“We have a plentiful supply of water from the Fred Haigh dam, the irrigation channel and dams on our properties,” Alberto said.

“We can work the property using tractors, we don’t have to spray as much and our fruit grows a little quicker than in Coffs as well.”

With adjoining properties inland from Bundaberg near Gin Gin, Alberto grows approximately 15 acres of Cavendish and has plans to plant out another patch, if prices get better.

The Jowett brothers also tell a similar story.

For Ernie and Gavin Jowett, the flat land of Bundaberg was much more attractive to work than the steep slopes of their family farm at Doon Doon, near

Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales.

“We thought about far north Queensland but we didn’t want to go that far from home,” Ernie said.

After starting with 11 hectares between them, they now have separate farms, and Ernie like many farmers in the district grows more than one horticultural crop.

He has only three hectares of Cavendish and 3.5 hectares of Lady Fingers on his property at present, with four hectares planted with sweet potatoes.

“We need something to happen regarding prices for our bananas to stay in the

business or we will plant more sweet potatoes,” says Ernie and his wife Linda. They say also they cannot stop the spread of Panama which means the probable end of growing Lady Fingers.

Gavin operates two blocks growing Cavendish on both.

“The ability to mechanise on flat land was a great attraction of Bundaberg for me!” he says.

First timers in bananas

The Lyons family made the move to Bundaberg from the western plains of Queensland where they had crops and

...the majority of growers belong to the Bundaberg

Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (BFVGA) which represents the cross section of horticultural crops in the region.

Bundaberg grower Alberto Canale with ABGC CEO Jonathan Eccles

pasture. They looked forward to a farm with water after years of drought.

Son Joe is the principal farmer with dad Bruce helping out with a variety of chores.

They have 32 hectares of Lady Fingers on their 810 hectare property south west of Bundaberg, as well as avocados, 7,000 macadamia trees and the rest as pasture.

After studying Agronomy at University, he has brought the skills he learnt to the family business.

The Lady Finger plantation is now well established and most of their fruit is sold into the Brisbane Markets, but like other growers, they question the returns in growing bananas.

“Unlike other agricultural produce there is no transparency in pricing in the horticultural sector. The industry also needs to grow the market particularly for Lady Fingers,” Bruce and Joe said.

Another grower who has moved into the area, this time from South Africa, is Craig van Rooyen. He has also established a diversified farm with 5,000 lychee trees, macadamias and Lady Finger bananas.

Having developed his own growing techniques, as opposed to trimming off suckers, he doesn’t bag his bunches and doesn’t use pesticides.

He comes from a farming family in South Africa where his family had five farms employing up to 120 people. “There is still good money to be made out of farming in South Africa but you risk your life to stay.”

Despite selling directly to Bundaberg retailers and finding different markets for

his fruit – he also sends dried banana to Japan, Craig shares the same view as most other Bundaberg banana farmers.

“When we get less than

80 cents a kilo for our Lady Fingers and retailers are still selling it for $4 to $6 per kilo, then we have to question whether it is all worthwhile.”

The Lyons family made the move to Bundaberg from the western plains of Queensland

Nixon’s change the way to success

Jane Milburn

After making the switch four years ago from broadacremechanised farming in the Western Australian wheatbelt to labour intensive horticulture 900 kilometres further north, Michael and Catriona Nixon have never looked back.

“I was on a header and sick of going around the same paddock for the past 15 years when I decided to do something different,” Michael says.

“I saw a good opportunity at Carnarvon because the potential return for each dollar you invest is very good and there’s no night shift,” he said.

Switching from mechanised broadacre – using a 450 horsepower tractor, 120ft boom spray and 50ft air seeder – to horticulture with no air seeder, a 50 horsepower tractor and backpackers’ has been an interesting transition.

“It’s been a good challenge learning to grow bananas, and the Sweeter Cooperative

Cooperative provides a strong mentoring network which has helped us to learn from other growers’ experience,” he says.

“We bought a good property that doesn’t flood. It traditionally grew bananas and we kept the reasonable ones and replaced the others. There was seven hectares of bananas when we got here and now we’re growing 11 hectares which puts us in the top five growers in Carnarvon.

The Nixon’s employ a manager and five backpackers of different nationalities. “They’re a valuable asset on the farm,” Michael says.

“Bananas are our mainstay and we are part of the cooperative because it gives us greater marketing strength. We have tightened up our quality control and are currently in the process of doing trials on shelf-life, chilling and ripening treatments.”

With a secure 225,000 kilolitre allocation of scheme water from the Gascoyne Water Scheme and 72,000 kilolitres of Basin

underground water, the Nixon’s say that fertigation allows them to be efficient and accurate.

“We have three main lines of irrigation on the property and they run seven days a week in summer with a sprinkler on every tree,” Michael says.

“Water is a precious resource so everybody is mindful of how much we use and when. Our dense planting helps create a full canopy micro-climate and conserve moisture.

“Our cost of production is $26/box, compared with about $16/box in north Queensland, because at Carnarvon they’re in the paddock longer so we have higher water, fertiliser and

labour costs.”

The Carnarvon growers are doing a trial with the Western Australian department and Horticulture Australia (HAL) funding growing bananas under a shade structure to combat the harsh, windy, arid climate and assessing whether buffering against the extreme 50 degree summer heat produces sufficient extra yield.

“I’ve always liked the science of agriculture. Changing and improving the way we do things is important for success.”

Michael is a board member for Sweeter Banana Cooperative while Catriona is involved with the marketing and promotions work.

As well as bananas, the Nixons grow out-of-season produce for Western Australia including basil, corn, butternut pumpkins and melons.

Michael Nixon sets fertigation levels

Mentoring the next generation

Recently retired board member and Carnarvon grower Tom Day has lived in the region for 70 years and there seems to be little going on that Tom or his wife Margaret don’t know abouut.

While Margaret runs a real estate agency, Tom has had a multitude of jobs ranging from operating mail runs, managing the fuel depot, running a pub, not to mention 15 years in local government including six years as president of the Shire of Carnarvon and chairing the Sweeter Banana Cooperative.

After purchasing their

farm 18 years ago, the Day family now produce more than 12 acres of eco-Freshcare accredited Cavendish bananas.

Tom says they are maximising their use of land and water, and harvest about 72 tonne per hectare compared to Queensland’s average of 30 tonne per hectare.

With their diverse business skills, Tom and Margaret were instrumental in establishing the Sweeter Banana Cooperative eight years ago as a marketing venture to boost production and quality, and improve returns to sub-tropical growers in this arid zone of coastal Western Australia.

The co-operative runs

courses in best-practise and expects all members to work at making the product better and helping each other.

There are regular shed meetings where growers are able to share information and discuss issues regarding production or marketing, and these are hosted in rotation at the shed of one of the members.

Earlier this year, the cooperative provided a fully franked dividend and bonus share issue to its members.

As a long-standing board member of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council, Tom has brought many new and younger growers into the Carnarvon industry and mentored them into leadership roles.

Jane Milburn

Tom Day in his plantation

Carnarvon’s banana pioneers

Jane Milburn

The De Boni family were pioneers of the Carnarvon banana industry after their elders emigrated from Era village in northern Italy to Fremantle in the 1930s.

Brothers Dominic and Peter De Boni, aged 59 and 55 respectively, are bachelors on the farm their father developed on South River Road alongside his brother’s place next door.

Their sister Theresa also grows bananas in the district.

Like many Carnarvon banana plantations, Dom and Peter work the land by hand.

There is no vehicle access between the rows which are closely planted to create a microclimate that combats

the hot dry heat. They use integrated pest management for dust mites, aphids and sugar cane moth, and only need to use sprays for weed control. They cut an average of 100 bunches per week, which results in about 150 cartons/week during winter and 400 cartons/week in summer.

The brothers say that after making good money for two years following Cyclone Larry in 2006, returns have slumped and were compounded by low yields in the past year with an average production of 37 tonnes per hectare.

Away from the farm, Dom’s hobby is sprint cars which he raced at the local speedway for many years and now prepares the car for a younger family member to do the driving.

Like all Carnarvon banana plantations, Dom and Peter work theirs by hand. There is no vehicle access between the rows which are closely planted to create a microclimate that combats the hot dry heat.

Dominic De Pioli with his hotrod

Dom and Peter De Boni

The standard is sweet in Canarvon

When Western Australians chose a small and sweet local banana, it will have been grown at sub-tropical Carnarvon under irrigation about 900 kilometres north of Perth.

The remote location means plantations face minimal pest and disease issues while the desert climate is overcome by the efficient and precise application of scarce water and nutrients through fertigation.

About 70 per cent of Carnarvon-grown fruit carry the Sweeter brand, being marketed through the Sweeter Banana Cooperative. The cooperative is owned and operated by its grower members, with some of the founding members being long-standing Carnarvon growers Tom and Margaret Day and Bruce and Darrell Munro.

In the 1990s, the industry was in decline with the Carnarvon banana production area falling from 350 to 150 hectares.

Bruce Munro said it was obvious then that unless growers improved their quality and consistency, the industry would not have a future.

The Sweeter Banana concept was developed 12-15 years ago with growers initially marketing under the same brand but still packing fruit in their own sheds.

“In 2002, the Sweeter

Banana Cooperative shed was built, and quality was standardised by having the same set of eyes grading the fruit.

That made all the difference,” Bruce says.

Sweeter pioneered the Lunchbox Banana, known for its small size, sweet taste and creamy texture. Packaging the bananas in lunchbox bags helps protect the skins from marking and keeps the fruit moist.

The co-op also markets loose extra-large Carnarvon Sweeter Bananas, and a recent new line is called Smoothies – singles and seconds that are light on looks and great on taste for cooking or milkshakes.

Bruce said the increasing volume of fruit coming to Western Australia from north Queensland is having a direct impact on prices, which all year have not been covering the cost of production.

“We differentiate ourselves from the Queensland fruit by being smaller, tastier and spray-free – and we have good local support from Woolworths and Coles, which sell both Carnarvon and Queensland bananas,” Bruce says.

“We are working to lift the price of the top range, but packaging and branding the seconds as Smoothies has been a great way to get a better price

bottom-

Jane Milburn

The Sweeter Banana concept was developed 12-15 years ago with growers initially marketing under the same brand but still packing fruit in their own sheds.

Bryce Guthrie at the Sweeter shed

for the

“I get a kick out of trying to make the industry more viable.”

Bryce Gutherie

range fruit.”

Sweeter Cooperative manager Bryce Guthrie says it costs more to grow bananas in Carnarvon than elsewhere in Australia, so growers need to get a premium return to be sustainable.

“This year the price has been less than $28/carton for premium fruit, and most growers are losing money at that price,” Bryce says.

Many of the workers employed at the Sweeter cooperative are Taiwanese, Korean and Vietnamese. There are nine local staff in permanent supervisory roles and a transient workforce of backpackerswhostaybetween three to six months.

Bryce says 30 growers running small-medium sized plantations supply the shed,

with the biggest producing 25-30,000 cartons, the smallest 5-6000 cartons, and the total annual throughput being about 260,000 cartons.

“We run the facility at cost as a way of marketing our fruit under one brand.

We sort and pack to the same specifications, and prices are averaged across our growers with any profits are rebated back to them,” he says.

Bryce has been running the co-op for nearly two years.

“I like to be challenged and I enjoy this job for that reason.

I get a kick out of trying to make the industry more viable,” he said.

The Sweeter Banana Cooperative won the innovation award at the 2009 Carnarvon Business Awards.

Bananas are easy to muster

Caroline and Bruce May came to bananas after running fat-tail sheep on a grazing property in Western Australia’s Pilbara and earlier ventures in Queensland.

“We pioneered the export of fat-tail sheep, damaras and dorpers, to the Middle East in 1996. Earlier we ran merinos but wool lost its mojo in the ‘50s and has been on a downward spiral ever since,” Bruce said.

“I love bananas. When you compare them with livestock, they’re much easier to muster because they just hang there and don’t run away.”

They bought a 3.5 hectare plantation of bananas on the north side of Carnarvon and market them through the Sweeter Banana Cooperative.

“If it wasn’t for the Sweeter co-op, the Carnarvon industry wouldn’t be where it is today. You’ve got to have ethics and band together. The co-op has carried us all along, including those who don’t supply the shed.”

Banana wash at sweeter shed

Caroline May with bananas

Jane Milburn

Biodynamic producers go ‘green’

to stimulate humus and earthworms in the soil.

For two years, Wes and Ketut Bassett have been growing biodynamic fruit, vegetables and herbs at Westut Plantation just outside Carnarvon.

Green manure crops such as chicory, lucerne and clover are planted between rows of avocado, mango, custard apple, black sapote and orange trees.

Every three to four weeks this is slashed then left to breakdown and replenish the soil.

On their four hectares of bananas they use fish emulsion to supply nutrients because there is not enough light under the canopy to grow the green manure legumes.

They also use the biodynamic fertiliser known as 500, which is fermented cow manure in cow horns which are buried for six months then spread by hand using a pressure pack

Wes says biodynamics is a niche sector and about 95 percent of their production goes to Perth to be marketed through Organic Fresh Australia.

They believe biodynamics ensures everything is in balance and that growing healthy plants, without herbicides or sprays, leads to healthy bodies.

“Traditional farming can affect the root system of plants if they are overfed with fertiliser which kills natural bugs in the soil.

Biodynamics is a slower process that results in full-flavoured food produced when the soil and environment are in balance,” Wes says.

After working around the world as an electrician, marrying Ketut and having three young children, Wes says the biodynamic farm is a good little property for a couple to run as they venture into local agriculture.

Weswithbiodynamicbananas

Jane Milburn

National bunchy top project moving

With the National Banana Bunchy Top Project now into its second year, some promising results have really started to come forth.

These results are most definitely through the efforts of the National Banana Bunchy Top team which includes National Project Coordinator, David Peasley, recent Queensland based Detector Samantha Stringer, as well as New South Wales based Wayne Shoobridge, Grant East and Tom Maher.

A more united approach to the Bunchy Top problem is now underway with detectors being given powers to work in both affected states.

“We have been able to have several joint sessions and exercises with the New South Wales team and the new South East Queensland detector Sam Stringer to help with training, identification and destruction of plants where Bunchy Top has been found,” David Peasley said.

“Importantly, following specific training, the New South Wales team have now been given powers to work in Queensland, which will provide excellent support for Sam,” he said.

The Banana Bunchy Top virus is spread by the banana aphid and they do not worry about state borders, a point which was recognised when the team made its first foray across the New South Wales – Queensland border and had an outstanding result, knocking out a major Bunchy Top hot spot.

More than 600 plants

were destroyed in a patch on the southern ridge of the Currumbin Valley, less than 100 metres from the border.

Due to new arrangements with the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) the NSW inspectors can now visit properties in Queensland.

“In two non-commercial plantings we found more than half of the total number of infections in New South Wales for the whole of last year,” said Project Coordinator, David Peasley.

“The owner of the major hot spot patch was happy for us to destroy the plants so the whole team got stuck into it.”

Mr Peasley went on to explain that the exercise had confirmed fears of New South Wales growers across the border that the occasional bunchy top find on their plantations was blowing in with north-east winds from across the border.

“In NSW over border there are commercial plantations around two kilometres from the hot spot so this should help reduce any future spread,” added David.

The team is continuing to make visits into South East Queensland to help push the southern boundary northwards.

Northern boundary more northern than expected

The northern extent of Bunchy Top was previously reported to be Yandina, just north of Nambour however in September a clump of severely infected Lady Fingers was found by Queensland based detector, Sam Stringer on a residential property at Cooroy, approximately 30 kilometres north of Yandina.

“We are taking the infection very seriously and since then we have been thoroughly inspecting the areas on the northern end of the Sunshine Coast to ensure we have found the northern extent of Bunchy Top infection in Australia,” said National Project Coordinator David Peasley.

“The New South Wales detectors are assisting Sam

in inspecting commercial plantations. In addition we will be targeting backyards and non-commercial plantings in the Cooroy, Yandina, Buderim, Nambour, Mapleton, Montville and Flaxton areas over the next 12 – 18 months,” Mr Peasley said.

“When we are confident we have found the northern boundary of Bunchy Top we can start moving the front line of infection south,” added David.

The plan ahead for 2011

South East Queensland

Three zones have been created for the projectSunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Taking on responsibility

Wayne destroys plants in an abandoned patch close to homes in the Currumbin Valley

forward

for the Sunshine Coast is Samantha Stringer, based at Maroochy Research Centre in Nambour.

Sam, David and the NSW Bunchy Top team have begun a program of visiting every commercial grower in the South-East Queensland Bunchy Top zone. An eradication plan is being developed in consultation with growers for each plantation including how they can be protected from outside infection.

New South Wales

The program for New South Wales is continuing with the priority being to clean up the ‘hot’ spots.

“While the inspections are continuing within the Bunchy Top zone, it is important that we ensure there is no infection in the ‘clean’ area of NSW,” said David Peasley.

“If eradication is considered achievable at the end of the first phase of the project, we must be able to show that all of NSW outside of the Bunchy Top zone has been inspected and found free of Bunchy Top.

Therefore, over the next two years all of the production areas from Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour and the Richmond will be inspected over the winter months.”

Other key activities now underway include:

• Standardising

destruction techniques The Queensland technique

of using diesel spray has been changed to the New South Wales system of dimethoate and glyphosate injection.

• Priority working areas

Currumbin Valley (Queensland section protect NSW commercial plantations).

Yandina/Buderim – SE Qld – northern most towns in Bunchy Top zone. Mullumbimby, NSW Nimbin, NSW

• Aphid Control trials

Three new systemic insecticides are being trialled at the Tropical Horticulture Station at Alstonville in NSW to find a safer and more effective product for killing the banana aphid. Presently Dimethoate is injected into the stem of an infected banana plant to kill aphids which spread Bunchy Top.

• Use of aerial photography to locate banana plants

High Resolution imagery is being made available from the Tweed Shire and Lismore

LGA areas and this will prove useful in identifying possible problem spots. We have now signed an agreement with the Sunshine Coast Council to access their aerial photo imagery for the entire Sunshine Coast area. We will also have aerial photography images of the Currumbin Valley and the Gold Coast. These will greatly assist in locating banana plants in backyards and bushland and greatly improve the efficiency of our program.

It is hoped that the high definition aerial photography will great assist in the identification process.

• Community liaison

Community liaison has been given a higher priority.

The community information leaflet has been revised to provide a better guide for home gardeners and hobby farmers in recognising possible symptoms and encouraging them to call the National Hotline.

The leaflet is dropped in letterboxes where suspect plants have been spotted in backyards or on properties.

Media activity continues to result in increased awareness of the virus and encourages people in the community to report suspect plants.

The complete Bunchy Top national team ( l to r) David Peasley, Samantha Stringer, Grant East and Wayne Shoobridge took part in the patch destruction

Something GOOD is happening in the plantation

The Changing of the Guard

Banana packing skills on show

Jane Milburn

Aunique competition featuring 22 teams of Banana packers from sheds across north Queensland gathered to test their skill, speed and precision at the Australian Banana Packing Championships in July.

There were three levels of challenge this year – team cluster packing for the coveted Gold Banana trophies, the State of Origin with teams from Queensland versus New South Wales, and the backpackers Best of the Bunch.

First-time competitors, Kate Harman and Shane Domara, from Tully took out the prestigious Gold Banana trophies in the official competition, which is held annually in conjunction with the Innisfail Show.

The exciting and wellsupported Best of the Bunch backpacker competition was won by the team of Tomokazu Nishino from Japan and Mari-Liis Martinfeld from Estonia, who work at Wadda banana plantation in Innisfail.

The Queensland team narrowly beat the New South Wales team in the inaugural State of Origin competition which engaged the more traditional method of packing bananas in hands, rather than clusters.

Organiser Des Rackley said thecompetitionshowcasesthe skills of thousands of workers employed in banana packing sheds along the far north Queensland coast preparing fruit for dispatch to markets in southern cities.

“We have a purposebuilt facility at Innisfail Showgrounds where we stage this unique competition that

“The State of Origin

and District Show Society

providing logistic support.

The gold banana trophies are provided by John Lowe from Frank Lowe and sons, while Frank Cutuli from Cumic Steel supported the backpacker event and Wayne Morton from GF Rural in Innisfail and Tully backed the State of Origin event.

does not happen anywhere else in the world to our knowledge,” Mr Rackley said.

“Backpackers make up about 40 per cent of the banana industry workforce, and the teams entered from Budget Hostel, Walkabout Hostel, Backpackers Retreat

attracted a lot of interest because much of the north Queensland industry was established by former New South Wales growers moving north to the tropics.”

The championships have now been running for 10 years, although they skipped a season in 2006 when Cyclone Larry wiped out most northern plantations.

It is a team effort, with co-organiser Barry Kanowski drawing in the Tully teams, Stewart Lindsay from the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) overseeing a team of judges, with Graheme Celledoni and the Innisfail

Mr Rackley said there is a lot of skill involved in efficiently packing 13 kilograms of bananas into a carton in such a way that they will travel and present well when they get to their destination.

De-handing the bunches then grading, sorting, packing and presenting the clusters of fruit into cartons takes talent – particularly when it needs to be done at speed, based on the commercial reality of packing tens of thousands of cartons every day.

“Consumers buy with their eyes before their taste buds and because bananas are a tender, odd-shaped fruit, there is real technique in packing a set weight into a set space,” Mr Rackley said.

…the competition showcases the skills of thousands of workers employed in banana packing sheds along the far north Queensland coast…

Banana Packing Championships – Betty Hankin and Charlie Darby from Mackay Estates

and The Codge Lodge Hostel brought a lot of energy and excitement to the championships.

Banana Packing Championships 2 - Chief judge Stewart Lindsay and organiser Des Rackley brief competitors

PHA bolts into online training

Minimising the biosecurity risks posed by insects, diseases and weeds that are found overseas or are new to Australia is a key focus for plant industries. To assist stakeholders maintain Australia’s world-class biosecurity system that protects our agricultural and horticultural sectors, Plant Health Australia (PHA) has launched its Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT) system.

BOLT explains Australia’s biosecurity system in detail and demonstrates how it helps ensure the viability of the Australian banana industry. In addition, it explains the emergencyresponseprocesses in place to tackle new pests that are detected in Australia, while outlining the roles and responsibilities of industry and government personnel in this process.

“Knowing how your industry is involved in responding to a new pest incursion means better protection for your livelihood,” says Dr Stephen Dibley, PHA Program Manager (Training and Biosecurity Preparedness). “BOLT helps growers and other stakeholders to gain a better sense of understanding of where their activities fit in the national biosecurity perspective.”

Another advantage of BOLT is that it demonstrates how industries are integrally involved in responses to new pests. Under the agreed arrangements of the Emergency Plant Pest

Response Deed (EPPRD), all affected parties, both government and industry, have an equal say in determining if a response will happen and if so how it will work. The EPPRD is a legally binding agreement between industry and governments covering the management and funding of responses to Emergency Plant Pest

in responding to any new pest that could impact on your industry. To be effective in protecting the industry, all stakeholders, from growers to executives, need to know where they fit into Australia’s biosecurity system. They also require open and free access to information and sound knowledge of their roles and responsibilities. All this

exotic fruit pests, such as Blacksigatoka(Mycosphaerella fijiensis) and Moko (Pseudomonassolanacearum), that could potentially devastate Australia’s banana industry. “To ensure they do not become established here, growers, industries and governments need to work together,” he said.

“For this partnership to be effective, knowledge of the system is required by all stakeholders across the biosecurity continuum. Access to this knowledge is really what BOLT is all about.”

(EPP) incidents and includes provisionsforreimbursements to owners who are directly affected by the response.

The Banana Industry is a signatory to the EPPRD, and therefore plays a crucial role

information can be found through BOLT, thus creating an even playing-ground for all those guiding biosecurity operations.

According to Dr Dibley there are a large number of

Access to PHA’s BOLT is free, open to all stakeholders and can be found at the PHA website at www. planthealthaustralia.com. au/training. For more information, contact Dr Stephen Dibley on (02) 6215 7709 or at sdibley@phau.com.au.

Knowing how your industry is involved in responding to a new pest incursion means better protection for your livelihood.

Red-tips point the way to sustainability

Jane Milburn

It is more than a decade since Dianne and Frank Sciacca began farming with nature and marketing a unique brand of eco-bananas identified by their distinctive wax tip.

In October, Pacific Coast Eco Bananas passed the 10-year milestone in a process of continual improvement to farm practices, fruit quality and marketing that has determinedly left no stone unturned.

With more than 5000 tonnes per year of bananas sold under the wax tip brand around Australia, international sales are

emerging in Japan, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. A recent innovation is the creation of a banana punnet, which adds value to smaller bananas and presents them in protective packaging made from recycled paper. The punnet addresses aspects of point of sale and weaknesses in the supply chain of freight damage

Pacific Coast Eco Bananas has been honoured with many awards, including the UNHabitat Green the Boardroom Award presented by the Governor-General Quentin Bryce at Parliament House Canberra last year.

“That recognition is satisfying because it shows

Frank values all creatures great and small

there is support for what

growers are doing,” Mr Sciacca says.

“We are constantly moving forward using a plan to review our processes.”

Frank went on to say that their journey has been, to develop a farming system that is ecologically sustainable as well as a product, that meets consumer taste.

“We haven’t got all the answers but we are constantly

analysing and working on all the fundamentals.”

With international environmental accreditation ISO14001 as a prerequisite, the Sciacca’s aim to continually improve farming practices through research and development and have registered the term ‘ecoganic’ as a way of differentiating their product and farming growing system.

Frank says there has

Dianne and Frank Sciacca

We are given natural resources such as air, sunlight and insects and we need to harness these resources to help us manage our farm systems rather than using chemicals.

our

been a lot to learn from working with nature to solve agricultural problems and grows bananas under ecoganic protocols which are third party certified by AUS-qual. The transition from conventional production to a low-input farming system was a difficult time for their business and their partnering businesses.

“We have an ecological farming system where birds, bees, grasses, weeds and insects are all playing a role in creating a healthy growing environment producing healthy food for healthy people,” he says.

“We are given natural resources such as air, sunlight and insects and we need to harness these resources to help us manage our farm systems rather than using chemicals.

Frank Sciacca says everyone makes claim to having a

sustainable farming system but very few realise this is not possible unless they have a sustainable marketing system.

“No one can sell for under the cost of production and be sustainable. Industry has a supply and demand marketing system with no regulatory body, and if there is oversupply that erodes sustainability. That is why we only supply to our market orders each week and so we

can attain a minimum price to cover cost.”

“You have to have the heart, commitment and belief

that what you are doing is accomplishing something that is good for all mankind. Ecoganic is that.”

Frankcapturedandidentifiedinsectslivinginbananas

Growers meet leaf spot challenge

Banana growers in far north Queensland are stripping their trees of diseased leaves before the wet season takes hold.

High levels of yellow Sigatoka and leaf speckle, commonly known as banana leaf spot diseases, can cause mixed ripening of bunches and can hide more serious leaf diseases such as the destructive black Sigatoka.

In a statement issued last month, the Australian Banana Growers Council and Biosecurity Queensland urged all growers to act now, before it’s too late.

Principal biosecurity officer Rebecca Sapuppo from Biosecurity Queensland, said ABGC’s Yellow Sigatoka liaison officer Louis Lardi had been on hand since February

this year to support the program.

“We’ve recently seen increased grower compliance with the leaf disease regulations, which I believe is a direct result of the joint effort between the banana industry and Biosecurity Queensland,” Ms Sapuppo said.

“Mr Lardi has worked closely with the banana industry, and as a former producer himself he understands their concerns, and is available to give sound advice any time.”

Mr Lardi went on to say that many growers were finding it exceptionally tough at the moment with banana prices being low for a prolonged period.

“When it comes to cost

cutting, producers might be tempted to reduce or stop spraying their crops, which is important for preventing pest and disease,” Mr Lardi said.

“However, this is the best time to ensure all biosecurity practices are undertaken to prevent fungal diseases from getting out of control.

“Disease management is a long-term economic

investment in plant health for the industry.

“We need to maintain our high standards for far north Queensland produce, so when the good times return we have ensuredconsumerconfidence in our quality product.

“It’s quite simple - we will not get high prices for disease-affected fruit in good times or bad.”

Mr Lardi has worked closely with the banana industry, and as a former producer himself he understands their concerns, and is available to give sound advice any time.

ABGC’s Yellow Sigatoka liaison officer Louis Lardi

Mr Lardi said the banana industry was renowned for its proactive approach.

“Self-regulation of leaf spot diseases has significantly reduced cases in the far north,” Mr Lardi said.

“Most growers comply with the regulations.

“Unfortunately, a handful of properties that are not maintaining good leaf spot disease control are a potential source of infection and could spread the disease to healthy properties.

“The beauty of it is that yellow Sigatoka is an easy disease to manage if growers implement a regular program of deleafing and follow up with a regular spray program.

“Deleafing is the key practice because it reduces the

amount of disease on the farm and chemical control doesn’t work without a regular, effective deleafing program.

“Once you can see the leaf spot no chemical can control that infection and it needs to be removed as soon as possible with deleafing to stop its production of spores.

“Deleafing is the most important part of breaking that cycle of re-infection because even leaf spot on dead and dried up leaves will produce spores for up to 18 weeks.

“Put that leaf on the ground and the spore production stops in about three weeks.”

More than 80 per cent of Australian bananas are grown in far north Queensland, worth $400 million to the

Leaf spot

Queensland economy.

“An unacceptable increase in the disease could restrict market access if other states declare quarantine restrictions,” Mr Lardi said.

“Fruit cannot be certified as hard green under an Interstate Certification Assurance (ICAA06) arrangement from plantations where a leave spot direction is in place.”

Banana leaf spot diseases are regulated under the Plant Protection Act 1989.

An inspector may issue a direction or requirement to control these pests.

A person must comply with a direction or requirement, unless the person has a reasonable excuse for not complying with it. Maximum penalty – 400 units or about $100,000.

ArticlecourtesyDepartment of Employment, Economic Development & Innovation

Dead leaf with leaf spot

Grower wins Young Farmer of the Year

North Queensland banana grower Robert Watkins, 26 has been declared Young Farmer of the Year at an awards dinner in Sydney hosted by Kondinan Group and ABC Rural last month.

Robert is the general manager of his family’s 400 hectare horticultural operation in Cairns, growing ladyfinger bananas, avocados and macadamia nuts.

Despite his age, Robert already manages 40 staff across three properties.

The judging panel said Mr Watkins was a great asset to the horticultural industry.

“To prosper in the future young people need to accept and meet the challenges of primary production and Robert clearly demonstrates this ability,” the judging panel said.

“He is committed to achieving industry best-practice and making Australian produce ‘top of the table’ around the world.”

Roberts says he is determined to open doors

for Australian agricultural products including finding export opportunities for ladyfinger bananas, avocados and macadamia nuts.

“I believe Australian growers are the best in world given the resources we have and the costs we have to deal with,” Robert said.

A self-confessed innovator in farming Mr Watkins said that farming was becoming more technical and costly as time goes on, so stakeholders needed to keep thinking of cost-efficient ways to help Australian agriculture.

Among his inventions to streamline farm activities and reduce costs, Robert has designed a new bananapacking product known as the ‘banana blankey’.

Constructed from 100 per cent recycled material it reduces transport and carton rub problems by 50 per cent.

“I am constantly brainstorming new ways for packing bananas and I love designing new, more efficient practices,” Robert said.

The inaugural national

Australian Farmer of the Year Awards are designed to promote a positive image of farmers, inspire and encourage career choices and investment interest in

Australian agriculture. Robert Watkins’ award was sponsored by the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

Dedicated to the cause of organics

Innovative and committed are two words to describe husband and wife team, Tony and Dianne Coe, in their banana growing.

They have more than 19 hectares of beautiful country on top of a mountain range at Bowraville on New South Wales’ mid north coast in the Nambucca district.

They were never banana growers until they bought the property eight years ago, which had been largely abandoned by the previous grower some years earlier. What bananas were left needed plenty of ‘TLC’ to get them back to good production.

Tony and Dianne are

certainly committed. Both are vegetarians, have strong Christian beliefs and both made a commitment to grow organically. Both of them work on the farm daily.

They are currently managing four hectares, just this year they have planted another one hectare and are steadily expanding.

While they say it is no more expensive, their commitment to organics and sustainable agriculture means lots of hard work, removing weeds by hand and the production of their own fish emulsion, which they foliar spray fortnightly. Foliar feeding is 8 to 20 times more efficient than root feeding, according to Graeme Sait from NutraTech Solutions.

“We found that we have

an excess of phosphorous in our soil so the microbes in our spray fertiliser help break down the phosphorous as well as other locked up nutrients.”

Zinc, iron, copper, sulphates are added into the

mix as well as Folvic 1400 to help the plants absorb the nutrients. Potassium silicate is also added to the liquid fertiliser.

They are concentrating on getting their soil biology right and use microbes to improve their soil.

“We also use Nutri-tech microbe food and Mother Earth organic fertiliser. We only use Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) certified products, apart from the natural products we get such as the fish emulsion and oyster shells,” says Tony.

The oyster shells are spread on the soil and break down over time adding calcium.

“Good mulching has also helped us bring back to life poor plants and keep down weeds.”

Their plantations are on very steep land so stopping soil erosion has been important for them as well, making sure that access tracks are well made and trash helps to stem the flow of any heavy rains.

Being organic, they don’t use

Neville Sloss

A new planting – those at the bottom have been eaten by the local kangaroos!

Tony and Diane proudly with a freshly cut bunch of their organic Cavs.

...their commitment to organics and sustainable agriculture has meant lots of hard work, removing weeds by hand and the production of their own fish emulsion, which they foliar spray fortnightly. any sprays to control pests. Old butts are cut open and left to dry to kill any beetle larva. They make beetle traps from cut up stools to attract the beetles, then they catch

them and destroy them, thus stopping the breeding cycle.

Attention to hygiene is also important and they try to keep the shed as clean as possible and also thoroughly

clean bags before re-using. When washing banana hands, ozone is added to the water to clean them without the use of any chemicals. Ozone is actually pure oxygen which kills the bacteria.

New suckers planted out have attracted the interest of local wallabies and they have been using a product called D.Ter to control them.

They are committed to

growing organically and while it means more work, they feel that once they have the plantation fully established, the work should ease a little.

For Tony and Dianne, getting production right has been their primary aim in their endeavours and while they market into Sydney, increasing their markets will be the next stage as they extend the plantation.

Australian Banana Growers’ Council

Weeds are kept down by constant maintenance and a good layer of trash

Tony cuts up the stools for trash and to create beetle traps

Tony checking his orrganically grown bananas

Banana nutritional analysis results

Glenn Cardwell Accredited Practising Dietican

The Australian banana industry requested that an independent laboratory analyse bananas from New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland to determine the content of certain nutrients and compare these findings with 25-year-old data published on-line (NUTTAB) by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Two samples of bananas were analysed at the commonly eaten stages of ripeness.

About three quarters of the banana is water, with Cavendish having higher

water content than Lady Fingers. As bananas have lower moisture content than other fruit, they also taste creamier. The protein content of Cavendish bananas is

slightly higher than previous Australian figures.

As the banana ripens, starch molecules fracture to become sugars (about half fructose and half glucose). About 20 per cent of the weight of a banana is natural sugar. There is slightly more total sugar in the Lady Finger bananas compared to Cavendish. Fructose has a higher sweetness level than does glucose and will provide most of the sweet flavour of the banana.

Starch

The starch levels in the ripe Lady Finger bananas were double that of the Cavendish and slightly higher than published figures. Some of

this starch will be resistant starch, which is found in bananas in much greater amounts than in other fruit. Resistant starch is resistant to digestion in the small intestine and enters the large intestine to be consumed by resident bacteria, producing compounds that protect the bowel from cancer cells. Resistant starch was not specifically measured in this analysis.

The total carbohydrate content (sugars + starch) of bananas was around 23 per cent in the Cavendish and 30 per cent in the Lady Finger banana. This is why bananas are so popular with athletes – easy to peel, easy to eat, taste great, and they

providevaluablecarbohydrate for muscle fuel.

A medium Cavendish provides around 10 per cent of our daily fibre needs, while the Lady Finger has around twice the fibre making it a great choice for those who struggle to meet their fibre needs (only 1 in 4 Australians eat enough fibre).

Potassium

Cavendish bananas have around 379 mg potassium, about 10 per cent higher than previously published data. Being low in sodium and high in potassium make bananas ideal for helping keep blood pressure normal. With potassium being a signature nutrient for the banana, it is good to see that bananas have more potassium than ever.

Folate

The new folate figures for bananas are very encouraging as they are higher than given by the US Department of Agriculture (20 mcg/100g) and the UK Food Standards Agency (14 mcg/100g). This may reflect freshness of the bananas submitted for analysis and the more accurate folate analysis now available. The Cavendish averaged 48 mcg, and the Lady Finger 51 mcg, in a medium banana (Table 2), making them a good source of folate, providing about 12 per cent of daily needs. The folate figures compare favourably with other fruits and vegetables (see Table 3). The banana is the best yearround fruit for folate.

Bananas bring out personal best when exercising

The launch of Heart Foundation Walking, a new national walking group program, is a reminder that world class athletes, casual walkers and health professionals all agree that if you are looking for an energy boost then reach for a banana.

Sports Dietitian Glenn Cardwell and author of the sports nutrition manual Gold Medal Nutrition said bananas have three great attributes to offer anyone involved in exercise.

“Bananas are easy to eat, they taste great, and they generate muscle energy to sustain athletes during events,” Mr Cardwell said.

“Bananas provide sugars in an easy-to-peel package,” he said.

Once digested, the sugars become glucose in the blood.

Glucose is the very same sugar that muscles use for energy, and the reason why the banana is a favourite of both elite and recreational athletes around the world,” says Cardwell.

The best banana for any active person is a ripe fruit, one that has begun to have brown mottling on the skin.

A riper banana has had a lot of its starch broken down to glucose, making it both sweeter and quicker to digest.

As the glucose is absorbed

from the intestine it goes to the muscles to be burned as fuel during muscle contractions.

Mr Cardwell went on to say that bananas can even play a psychological role in sport.

“Years ago, I met a footballer who always ate a banana before a game because the first time he did this he was best-on-ground,” Mr Cardwell said.

“Sometimes a banana’s power goes beyond its nutritional benefits.”

Bananas are also popular after sport to help replace the glucose stores burned up during activity, and equally valuable when walking, playing or gardening.

“I have worked with AFL footballers, Super 14 Rugby players and NBL basketballers and they all appreciate having bananas to eat, washed down with sports drinks and water as part of their post-game recovery.”

At the same time bananas offer a lot more than a convenient source of carbohydrate for muscles and energy.

They are a great source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C to keep active people in good health.

“Most importantly, as there is no fat in a banana, it helps athletes to keep in good shape too,” Mr Cardwell said.

“The banana is the healthy energy snack appreciated by all athletes,” he concluded.

Fertigation is the key to good nights

Terrain is a community-based not-for profit organisation supporting natural resource management in the region.

Many farmers are familiar with the benefits of the Reef Rescue program in helping to achieve more efficient farming systems and reducing agricultural runoff to the Reef, but for banana farmer Allan Aquilina it also means a good night’s sleep.

With the assistance of Reef Rescue funding, Allan was able to install an automated irrigation and fertigation system which is part of his long term plan for sustainable management on the farm and improving the quality of water leaving the property. Allan thinks the new system is ‘magic’, as now he doesn’t need to get up in the middle of the night to change valves.

Allan’s 41ha banana farm is located in the Wet Tropics, North Queensland near Mourilyan, where the annual rainfall averages 3,200 mm. Allan was concerned about heavy rainfall posing a risk to the creek that borders the property through leaching of nutrients during the wet season. He wanted to upgrade broadcast fertiliser application to best practice standard, but

the availability of resources had delayed him doing this. Allan estimates that it cost $8-10,000/ha to install the fertigation system.

“I wouldn’t have gone automated without Terrain’s help, I’d be still spreading fertiliser on top of the ground,” he said. Allan was successful in getting a Water Quality Incentive Grant of $25,000 in 2009, and he provided an additional 65 per cent of the cost to install the fertigation system. Funding recipients are required to contribute 50 per cent of the costs.

“Being able to implement the upgrade in stages made it not so daunting,” Allan said. As part of the farming system upgrade, Allan plans to investigatenutrientbudgeting and the viability of organic forms of fertiliser.

Applying leachable nutrients in small amounts regularly by an under-tree micro sprinkler system reduces the risk of leaching and ensures more of the total nutrient applied is available for the banana crop to use.

Allan has found that he has already reduced his fertiliser application from 10 to 6 tonne per month.

“Nitrogen rates have probably halved and I haven’t applied Phosphorus over the last 12 months,” he said.

“Fertiliser is applied every

week now instead of every 5-6 weeks so I’m not having nutrient losses during heavy rain periods.”

Allan says so far he is only using half the capabilities of the system and will eventually install moisture monitoring equipment. With this equipment, water and fertiliser application can be managed to suit the weather and soil moisture conditions based on daily monitoring. This will ensure nutrients are not applied to saturated soils during the wet season, therefore reducing the risk of nutrient loss. “I can now look at the computer and see what fertiliser has gone where and what is needed by the crop,” he said.

The fertigation system also allows more efficient water

Deb Bass

Terrain NRM

As part of the farming system upgrade, Allan plans to investigate nutrient budgeting and the viability of organic forms of fertiliser.

sleep in Reef Rescue program

use and reduced sediment losses from the paddock. The number of passes of heavy machinery during the wet season are reduced which minimises erosion and runoff of nutrients.

Allan estimates water use has reduced to 45 L/hr which is much less than with the overhead sprinklers. He has seen an improvement in crop yield but is not able to determine yet if this is due to watering or fertiliser efficiency.

Over 300 farmers received Reef Rescue Water Quality Incentive Grants in the previous two rounds to improve their farm management practices, affecting the quality of water runoff into the Great Barrier

Reef from approximately 219,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Wet Tropics.

Allan is one of 49 banana projects that have been funded in the Wet Tropics since the Reef Rescue program began in 2008.

The majority of these projects were aimed at reducing nutrient and sediment runoff through more efficient irrigation and fertiliser application.

Reef Rescue has been hailed as the Australian Government’smostsuccessful environmental initiative. The incentive grants are aimed at improving the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon by assisting landholders

financially to improve the way they manage their land.

Reef Rescue is part of the Australian Government’s $2.2 billion Caring for our Country initiative.

Terrain Natural Resource Management body makes funding available to farmers in the cane, banana, Tableland mixed cropping, papaw, grazing and dairy industries from the Daintree to Ingham and including the Atherton Tablelands.

For more information, visit the Terrain website at www.terrain.org.au/programs/ production/reef-rescue-wqig. html

Allan has found that he has already reduced his fertiliser application from 10 to 6 tonne per month.

Tissue culture and variety research

Sharon Hamill and Jeff Daniells Queensland Department Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

Ten new tissue culture selections, including a Cavendish banana from Samoa, have recently passed the quarantine requirements for safe entry into Australia.

The new selections add to the growing list of accessions imported into Australia and processed at the recently upgraded Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) tissue culture quarantine facility at Maroochy Research Station. The facility continues to

provide a valuable service for the Australian banana industry by facilitating safe entry of new banana varieties into Australia.

Some of the accessions imported under the HAL project ‘Strategic banana tissue culture research, industry development and biosecurity activities’ (a DEEDI, HAL and Australian Banana Growers Council project), recently completed the post-entry quarantine process, with 10 released.

Some of the recently released accessions included Cocos, Fa’i Palagi, GCTCV-106’ GCTCV-247’ IBP 5-61, IBP 5-B, IBP 12, Hom Thong Mokho.

In Australian Bananas Volume 28, pages 44-45, possible prospects for the

development of Gros Michel as a specialty niche variety were reported.

The imported accessions IBP 5-61, IBP 5-B and IBP 12 are selections of Gros Michel from Cuba which are

reported to have resistance to race 1 of Fusarium wilt, whilst Cocos, and Hom Thong Mokho are semi-dwarf selections of Gros Michel which may facilitate crop management and minimise losses due to wind damage.

GCTCV-106 and GCTCV-247 are selections of Cavendish which have shown some tolerance of tropical race 4 Fusarium wilt in Taiwan – a seriousdiseasealreadypresent in the Northern Territory and a major threat to our main production areas.

Fa’i Palagi is a selection

There is a strict process for the importation of banana cultivars that can only enter Australia via the DEEDI tissue culture facility.

Leisadispensingbananamedia

Banana tissue culture plants

support development of industry

Several other cultivars are currently in the process of postentry quarantine evaluation and have not been released.

of Cavendish from Samoa which performs better than Williams under rain-fed conditions.”

There is a strict process for the importation of banana cultivars that can only enter Australia via the DEEDI tissue culture facility.

The plants are imported and maintained as tissue culture, while some of the tissue culture plants are sent for post-entry pest and disease screening at the DEEDI Eagle Farm quarantine glasshouses.

Our plant pathologists effectively inspect plants for visual symptoms of pests and disease and virus index plants to detect any known pathogens before they are released.

Several other cultivars are currently in the process of post-entry quarantine evaluation and have not been released.

Banana varieties selected or developed from various countries around the world that have characteristics that the Australian industry may need are accessed.

They are imported as tissue culture under stringent quarantine conditions for restricted research evaluation

with the aim to find varieties that have the commercial attributes Australia needs now or in the future.

After quarantine release they are registered under the Quality Banana Approved Nursery scheme so that they can move anywhere in Australia.

The released plants will be sent to South Johnstone Research Station for agronomic evaluation and to other sites outside of the main Northern production area for screening for Fusarium wilt resistance under Australian conditions.

The work aims to allow growers to satisfy and capture expandingconsumermarkets.

DEEDI aims to help growers continue production when faced with destructive

banana pathogens or adverse growing conditions.

The goal is to identify commercially viable varieties

to develop premium products for the consumer and have a market advantage unique to Australia.

Joanna inspects quarantine banana plantlets

Meristemculturebanana

Postcard from the Canary Islands

Jeff Daniells Queensland Department Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

In August/September

this year I attended the 28th International Horticultural Congress in Lisbon, Portugal and took the opportunity following the congress to visit several banana farms on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

Private farm advisor Fernando Mendez del Hoyo was my guide.

Some readers may remember Fernando from his visit to Australia 10 years ago, shortly following which we prepared an information article about the Canary Islands industry for Australian Bananas (Vol 9 pp25-26). This report is an overview updatetoprovidebackground for further articles planned for the near future.

The Canary Islands, which are part of Spain, are situated off the north-west coast of Africa, 100 km west of the disputed border between Morocco and the Western Sahara.

The islands are volcanic in origin with the most recent eruption about 100 years

ago. The Canary Islands are a major tourist destination because of the mild sunny climate, proximity to mainland Europe and spectacular landscapes.

There are seven major islands in the group with bananas produced for export on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma.

The banana industry was developed at the end of the 19th Century with assistance from English interests and commenced production with the Dwarf Cavendish variety.

These days the production

area is more than 8,000 hectares, producing more than 350,000 tonnes from about 10,000 farms. With most of the crop ‘exported’ to mainland Spain, this makes them about the eighth largest exporter in the world after Ecuador, Costa Rica, Philippines, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.

Banana plants that I saw (towards the end of their summer) were amongst the best I have seen anywhere in the world. The average yield/ha of 43t/ha is much better than the wet tropical coast of Queensland which is surprising given the subtropical climate but temperatures are somewhat milder than equivalent latitudes in coastal eastern Australia [e.g. Brisbane av. temp monthly range is 14.825.0 ° C whilst Santa Cruz,

Tenerife is 17.6-24.9].

Other aspects of the environment contributing to the high yields are minimal pest and disease pressures due to the dry environment [Santa Cruz 270mm annual rainfall]; fertile soils –relatively recent volcanic activity; waterlogging is uncommon and plenty of sunshine.

All the bananas are grown on terraces and in the zone from sea level up to about 300 metres. Due to the dry coastal climate there has been little soil development necessitating the soil for the terraces to be trucked in from the mountains. About 1500 ha are grown in greenhouses (screen-textile netting or plastic) the first of which were constructed over 30 years ago. They are used in the most wind exposed areas (netting) and where salt spray

is an issue close to the coast (plastic).

Fruit exported to mainland Spain must compete with that from Central America. A subsidy paid by the European Union to growers of about 0.3 euros/kg helps them remain viable.

Dwarf Cavendish continues to be the main variety grown largely because of its difference in appearance [fruit is less curved and sap stained] compared with Williams/ Grande Naine etc. coming in from Central America so helping distinguish it in the Spanish marketplace. The Canaries industry promotes its bananas as being superior in flavour and sells fruit for a premium of about 0.2 euros/ kg extra.

In recent times Africa has been afforded special status by the European Union (EU) to promote its economic development including a non-requirement for African nations to pay tariffs for their bananas exported to Europe. This is a major concern to the Canary Islands because of reports of large plantings occurring in the Ivory Coast which may well spell doom for their industry.

Australian Banana Growers’

Qld DEEDI – Managing fruit length

Naomi King, Stewart Lindsay and Jeff Daniells Queensland Department Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

The recent changes in the market specification for fruit longer than 260mm has raised the issue of what banana producers can do to reduce the amount of fruit now considered too big for the market.

As a result of a number of enquiries from growers about management options Department of Employment, Economic Development and

Innovation (DEEDI) staff at South Johnstone have reexamined the data from local, interstate and international bunch trimming trials. Unfortunately the primary aim of previous research into bunch trimming and bell

at the impact of removing a number of lower hands and the bell, on fruit length. Despite the widespread belief that trimming the bottom hands of the bunch increases the finger length of the remaining hands

Bunch Trimming

removal has always been on increasing fruit length. With the new restrictions on fruit size are these practices still relevant?

In two trials conducted at South Johnstone in the 1980’s and 1990’s, researchers looked

recorded results on this topic are variable.

In order to clearly answer the question about reducing fruit length in the top hands some small scale bunch trimming trials are clearly needed.

In the South Johnstone trials on “Williams” Cavendish, bunch trimming 1 and 2 hands did not effectively increase the length of the remaining fruit compared to untrimmed bunches. While fruit length was slightly longer on bunches where 2 hands were removed the difference was consistently within 0.5cm. Bunch trimming did however reduce the total bunch weight which was the only consistent result across all the trials reviewed.

The conclusion drawn from these trials was that the main impact of trimming the bottom 1 or 2 hands in north

the

A number of varietal, management and climatic factors affect fruit length.

Effect of bunch trimming on finger length of each hand of the bunch

Queensland is the removal of the small, unsaleable fruit at the bagging stage rather than culling it in the shed during packing.

The only regions where trials have concluded that bunch trimming provides an economic benefit to growers are sub-tropical regions or areas with higher altitudes.

Leaving the Bell

Surprisingly in the trials carried out at South Johnstone, the most significant impact on fruit length occurred when the bell was left on. This result was overlooked at the time as the trial was focused only on increasing bunch weight and retaining the bell had a negative impact on bunch weight.

By leaving the bell on, the first and second hand were approximately 1 and 1.5cm

shorter respectively than the samehandsonbuncheswhere the bell was removed once the bottom hand was exposed. While this trend for reduced fruit length continued down the bunch, the difference in length between the two treatments reduced for the lower hands.

Leaving the bell on the bunch reduced the overall bunch weight by about 8 per cent. This total yield reduction may be offset by an increase in the amount of fruit meeting the 220mm to 260mm length restrictions, where better market returns are being achieved.

Things to consider

• A number of varietal, management and climatic factors affect fruit length.

• All the previous trial work looked at removing bottom hands to increase

the length of fruit in the remaining hands. No trial work has been conducted on the effect on fruit length of removing any of the top hands.

• Bunch trimming experiments previously conducted in NQ did not show any effective increase in length of the remaining fruit by removing the bottom 1 or 2 hands.

• Bunch trimming reduced the overall bunch weight in all the experiments.

• Leaving the bell on the bunch significantly reduced fruit length compared to early or late removal of the bell and reduced overall bunch weight. Fruit length in the top 2 hands was most affected.

• Trimming top hands from

bunches can result in yield reductions of 4-7 kg per hand removed compared with 2-3 kg for the bottom hands.

• To determine whether it would be worth changing pruning practices it would be necessary to determine what percentage of the bunch is too long for the market, how that varies throughout the year and whether an increase in the percentage of fruit in the 220-260mm size range compensates for the reduction in bunch weight that leaving the bell on the bunch or pruning top or bottom hands would produce?

ArticleCourtesyQueensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI)

Efffect of debelling on finger length of each hand of the bunch Debelled 0 wks Debelled

National Levy vs. ABGC Membership

Fees - why should I pay both?

Kareen Vitiello Office Manager

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding “levies” in the banana industry, and subsequently confusion when discussing membership of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC). The following information will dispel some of the confusion associated with levies.

Compulsory National Levy

The word “levy” is preferably applied to the compulsory national levy, introduced at the request of the Banana Industry and used to fund promotion, research and development (R&D) carried out via Horticulture

Australia Limited (HAL).

Since its introduction on July 1, 2008, this levy is calculated as 1.7 cents per kilogram of bananas (equivalent to 22c per 13 kg carton). It is collected by Levies Revenue Service (LRS), who forwards the funds to HAL and distributes the Australian Government’s matching R&D contributions.

For more information, visit the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website www.daff. gov.au/agriculture-food/levies/ horticulture/bananas_-_ annual/information_sheet.

ABGC’s Voluntary Member Fee

ABGC is funded from a voluntary membership fee. This fee is calculated as

3 cents per 13kg carton of bananas and can be collected through the wholesaler or paid directly to ABGC. Paying the national levy does not automatically make you a member of the ABGC. However, most grower members chose to pay through their wholesaler. However, paying this fee does not automatically generate an ABGC membership. To become an ABGC member, growers need to fill in a membership application form for approval at the next ABGC Board Meeting. All appliations received are considered for approval.

Members are then notified and will receive a Membership Kit containing the Rules of Incorporation, contacts and other important information including the forms for paying the voluntary member fee. Those forms allow Members to generate their own Tax Invoice either in hand-written format or as a spreadsheet that calculates all the formulas automatically. To download the latest forms, please go to the ABGC website (www. abgc.org.au) and click on the Membership tab.

Membership Focus

Over the coming months, ABGC will be focusing on a number of items regarding Membership. The Member database is being overhauled so information about our

growers is more up-to-date. We will be contacting growers and checking their existing details, as well as asking for more comprehensive information, for example, size of plantation, types of bananas grown etc.

Additionally, we want to offer growers as much as possible to ensure their voluntary member fees are “value for money”. We plan to contact organisations and negotiate special offers and/or discounts exclusively for our Members. ABGC organises many activities on behalf of its members and these activities are funded by the voluntary membership.

For more information about becoming an ABGC member, please email: kareen.vitiello@ abgc.org.au or phone (07) 3278 4786.