Vine magazine February 2021

Investing IN POTENTIAL

g n i t p o d A STANDARDS NEW

VOLUME 17 ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2021 | WOMEN IN HORTICULTURE: SERIES BEGINS SEND-OFF FOR INDUSTRY STALWART | SETTING INDUSTRY PRIORITIES

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Contents 4

Cover story Project highlights industry potential

30 Biosecurity Key to fruit fly control

8

News Maturity project’s next phase

32 Processing & marketing APDF

10 DFA chair & CEO news

33 Processing & marketing Sunbeam Foods

11 ATGA chair & CEO news

34 Processing & marketing MRO

12 Dried grape news

35 Marketing Campaigns & digital gains

14 Table grape news

36 Outlook Horticulture in focus

16 Prune news COVID boost for prunes

38 Profile Adrian Cordoma

18 Feature Women in horticulture

39 Community Notice board

22 News ALTSA’s passing the test

39 Board members

24 News Stakeholders set industry priorities 25 Best practice Protection from effects of rain 26 Research Tackling weeds together 29 Biosecurity High priority exotic pest threat

The Vine is a joint publication of the Australian table grape and dried fruits industries. For editorial and advertising enquiries, contact: Dried Fruits Australia T: (03) 5023 5174 E: enquiries@driedfruitsaustralia.org.au W: www.driedfruitsaustralia.org.au Australian Table Grape Association T: (03) 5021 5718 E: enquiries@atga.net.au W: www.australiangrapes.com.au Editorial committee: DFA Anne Mansell, Lauren Roden, Megan Frankel-Vaughan ATGA Jeff Scott, Terryn Milner Design: Kylie Norton Design Printing: Sunnyland Press Cover photo: Duxton Dried Fruits Liparoo farm manager Mark Luehman and Duxton Dried Fruits chief viticulturist manager Sam Bowman.

Photography by David Sickerdick. © Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited 2021 This publication has been funded by Hort Innovation using the table grape and dried grape levies and funds from the Australian Government.

Wherever you see a Hort Innovation logo, the initiative is part of the Table Grape, Dried Grape, Dried Tree Fruit or Prune Fund. Some projects also involve funding from additional sources.

For further publication details, see page 39

Table Grapes

Dried Grapes

Combined Industries

Prunes

Darkest before dawn Business was anything but usual in 2020. Even our most resilient growers were challenged.

Some of these challenges continue. The events of the past year, and the knock-on effects, have made it difficult to look ahead with positivity at times as COVID-19 continues to rear its ugly head and aftershocks affect industry.

While the benefits are, quite literally, in the pudding for dried fruits, they are subtler for table grapes: a time for reflection, a chance to rally.

We are ever grateful for the strength of our regional communities, and know the fruits of our labour will pay off, even if in unforeseen ways.

– from the team

Project highlights industry potential A corporate dried fruit producer says there’s huge potential in the dried grape industry and has joined a Dried Fruits Australia project to demonstrate its possibilities.

Duxton Dried Fruits’ Liparoo property has joined DFA’s 10 Tonne Project, and is among three other properties at Red Cliffs and Merbein all aiming to achieve high production and improve land and water efficiency.

The sites will be used to demonstrate how to consistently achieve 10 tonnes per hectare, compared to the industry average of five tonnes per hectare.

The 10 Tonne Project is a three-year project funded by the Australian Government through the Murray Darling Basin Economic Development Program.

The project includes grower technology training sessions to demonstrate the use of pest and disease modelling, NDVI (normalised difference vegetation index) imaging, and soil moisture monitoring.

Monitoring to achieve high yields Duxton Dried Fruits chief viticulturist Sam Bowman said the company was keen to be involved in the 10 Tonne Project to show what a property could produce at scale.

“A lot of the smaller growers have dropped out of the industry and larger corporates are taking more of a dominant role in the industry, so for us it’s about showing – on a commercial scale as well as on small blocks – that you can achieve those yield targets,” Sam said.

The Liparoo block involved in the

4 VINE MAGAZINE

10 Tonne Project is a patch of Sunmuscat, while the remainder of the dried fruit on the property is a mix of sultana, Sunmuscat and Sunglo.

Sam said the 10 Tonne Project complemented Duxton’s approach to horticulture production across the company, including closely monitoring soil moisture and nutrients.

“Water management is the most crucial thing for us because it’s a hot, arid climate,” he said.

“Nutrient management is a big key, too, as is getting that microclimate management right.

“Achieving those high yields for us is about making sure we’ve got the right nutrition, right water and right balance for the soil.”

Sam said monitoring through the 10 Tonne Project would teach the company and its farm managers – as well as the broader industry – more about effective and efficient farm management.

“Using aerial imaging and having monitors within the canopies is going to teach us about how we’re going, what we’re doing and how we can start using that information as a resource across the other farms, too,” he said.

Sam said while it would likely be a full 12 months of monitoring to capture a complete picture of how the farm was operating, he could already see the benefits of being part of the project and how it would contribute to overall industry knowledge.

Investing in potential Duxton Dried Fruits’ 200ha Liparoo property was acquired in 201516, while another larger 600ha development at Euston has been underway since 2017.

COVER STORY

VINE MAGAZINE 5

COVER STORY

Sam said the investment was driven by the potential Duxton saw in the dried grape industry.

“We see heaps of opportunity in dried fruit – we wouldn’t be investing in it as heavily if we didn’t see the opportunity with it,” he said.

“The industry is undersupplied and we’re importing fruit into Australia that we could be growing ourselves and supplying from Australian growers, so it makes sense for us to try to fill that gap.

“We think it’s pretty exciting and it’s a great place for growing dried fruit as well.”

Sam explained Duxton Dried Fruits was heavily involved with offtake partner Australian Premium Dried Fruits, who had given the company confidence in pursuing large planting developments.

“We’re continuing to develop and look

6 VINE MAGAZINE

at other potential development sites in the next couple of years, too,” he said.

“In the past couple of years we’ve seen Australian Premium Dried Fruits with their own farms, and Murray River Organics and larger corporates moving into the space, so for us there’s a fair bit of pressure to make sure we perform.”

Planning for success at scale Duxton’s Liparoo site is 50-50 dried grapes and wine grapes, while the Euston property will be solely dried fruit.

The Euston site will produce a variety of dried grapes to ensure production is efficient and timely and to mitigate risks.

“If you’ve got 600ha of one variety that’s all ready at the same time, the logistics management is pretty tricky to get it all harvested in time, so we’re

staggering that with some of the other varieties, like Selma Pete and currants, just to make sure our operation flows as efficiently as possible,” Sam said.

“It’s also mitigating that seasonal risk, because often around April you get that late rain and that’s horrible for dried fruit. If 50 per cent of the farm is early and mid-varieties and 50 per cent is late, it spreads that risk across the season.”

Sam said the information and methods involved in the 10 Tonne Project would guide and inform future developments.

Adapting to an ever-changing landscape Sam said growing strategies and ideas continue to change as the climate changes and as more research becomes available.

He said the 10 Tonne Project monitoring would provide a clear

COVER STORY

picture of how improvements could be made.

to gain a full picture of how a farm is performing.

differences, and in some cases have made changes,” he said.

“We’re a pretty arid climate here, with low organic matter,” he explained.

Agtech company Ceres Imaging is contracted to perform eight plane flights over each property throughout the season to capture a range of imagining.

“It provides a snapshot in time, so growers can see how their property changes.”

“We’ve got the land, but we really need to work it.

“We try to focus on increasing the microbiology in the soil because that helps for our nutrients that are bound up in the soil and adding back organic matter to the soil as well.

“The tricky thing with having low organic matter is that the water holding capacity of the soil is a lot lower, so you’re putting water in and a lot of it is just evaporating or draining away.

“The more we can build on increasing the organics on the vine and basically the whole area we’re farming, water use efficiency will get better over time.”

Bird’s-eye view adds value One of the key components of the 10 Tonne Project is aerial imaging

Ceres Imaging customer success manager for Australia Scott Gillett, based in Loxton, said the company provided a range of imagery, including water stress, thermal and NDVI, to give growers a clearer picture of how their crops are performing.

“This means we can identify growth areas and growers can decide to fix problem areas as they arise,” Scott said.

Scott said the Ceres Imaging team was able to work alongside growers to teach them how to read the data and patterns captured through the flights, which gave them a chance to make truly informed decisions about their farm management.

“They’re really interested to see

He explained growers could improve their water efficiency and yield quality with the help of Ceres Imaging’s analytics products that make it easy to identify and prioritise issues in their high-resolution imagery.

“For example, growers are alerted to high water stress issues by email before they are visually noticeable to the naked eye, so managers can be more proactive with remedial actions instead of waiting,” Scott said.

“It’s a really good way to improve production and, as a grower, there’s potential to compare in terms of where you’re sitting in the industry and to see where properties vary.

“Being able to compare could definitely add value.” v Pictured: Duxton Dried Fruits Liparoo farm manager Mark Luehman and Duxton Dried Fruits chief viticulturist manager Sam Bowman.

VINE MAGAZINE 7

NEWS

Maturity project: adapt and adopt A new three-year project to promote the adoption of the national minimum maturity standards (MMS) is now underway.

how retailers handle table grapes

sample variability led to decreased

through their supply chains.

acceptability. More immature fruit

Tristan said prior to the development of the MMS, it was really important for table grapes to focus on improving the consumer offer, like other

early in the season would lead also to a decrease in acceptability, and evidence showed a rapid decline when consumers exited the category after a poor experience.

The Hort Innovation project – Minimum

seasonal commodities had in recent

maturity standards adoption across

years, to boost sales, increase repeat

the table grape supply chain – is

By combining a Brix of 16° and

purchasing and improve the consumer

funded by the table grape research and

measuring the “minimum” instead of

eating experience.

average, together with a consumer

“When you compare what competitor

acceptability level of 80 per cent,

development levy and contributions from the Australian government, led

by Kitchener Partners and supported by the ATGA, with fruit monitoring by Andreas Klieber of Quality Associates.

categories are doing, relative to what grapes are doing, these industries

consumer satisfaction increases.

are really starting to lift the bar –

“For seasonal products, getting it right

competition is intensifying,” Tristan

In the previous maturity project –

said. “Berries have invested heavily

Table grape supply chain quality

in improving genetics for yield, berry

2017–2021 – research, monitoring and

size and flavour and extending season

consultation led to the development

through covered cropping. You see how

of the minimum maturity standards,

the sales volume of raspberries and

which were announced in October

blueberries has increased dramatically

2019.

over the past two to three years,

The new phase of the project, which runs from 2020–2023, will see implementation of the MMS and

with berries moving from perhaps an occasional indulgent purchase to an ‘everyday’ purchase.

support adoption by the broader table

“With stone fruit, a lot of the inferior

grape supply chain through grower

varieties have been taken out and

activities, workshops, engagement,

removed. Cherries are now using

consultation, collaboration, and review.

optical degraders to provide better

In December 2020, at the first grower forums since COVID restrictions relaxed late last year, Kitchener Partners managing director Tristan Kitchener spoke to growers in Mildura and Robinvale about why the MMS

sample variability decreases and

product quality and consistency. Citrus has minimum maturity standards.

Mangoes has minimum maturity

first time is really critical, which is why you see stone fruit and mangoes focus on early season quality, early season consistency, because they know if they get it wrong early on they’ve lost a consumer for six weeks, and that could be half their season,” Tristan said.

While the MMS weren’t officially implemented until the 2020/21 season, the 2019/20 season achieved a consumer acceptability level of 79 per cent, just shy of the 80 per cent target. That’s a promising result.

ATGA CEO Jeff Scott said it was important for growers to maintain maturity testing protocols when harvesting fruit. There were concerns

standards, where they’re actually doing

early in the season that buyers were

on-farm testing and publishing that

pressuring growers and exporters into

data as an industry.”

supplying fruit that, while colouring well, was not ready for market.

were so important, how they were

Tristan said that substitutability was

developed during the previous project,

high with grapes, with consumers

“Sending immature fruit is a selfish act

and how the ATGA would be working

trading in and out of the category for

and will only hurt the Australian brand

with growers to guarantee adoption

a number of reasons, and that one bad

and reputation in the long run,” Jeff

across the board.

experience could lead to a 4–6 week

said.

purchasing hiatus.

The ATGA has worked with Kitchener

key component of the implementation

With demand closely linked with

Partners and research partners to

phase of the project, and ALDI was in

acceptability, and acceptability

develop protocols for growers to

attendance at both grower roadshows

hinged on a good eating experience,

utilise pre- and during harvest

and took part in an open session to

earlier research and consultation

when conducting maturity testing

answer growers’ questions and explain

showed that lower Brix and greater

on samples.

Engagement by the major retailers is a

8 VINE MAGAZINE

NEWS

These protocols are available on the ATGA website and Jeff urged all growers to adhere to the protocols and treat them as if they were part of an exporting country’s workplan.

The ATGA’s new industry development

top front

top back

manager and officer will be visiting growers over the next six months to help growers adapt to and maintain the new maturity standards.

“It is great to see the uptake of the minimum maturity standards by the growers,” Jeff said. “Many growers have commented to me it is great the ATGA is making a statement on maturity.

Unfortunately a minority of growers are still tempted to harvest before the desired maturity but everyone in the industry knows who they are so hopefully by shaming them constantly they will fall in line with the rest of

middle sunny

middle shady

the growers and support the great reputation the Australian industry has internationally of supplying clean, safe and mature fruit.” v

tip “For seasonal products, getting it right first time is really critical”

Sample size = 10 berries from each bunch bag Fruit locations within a bunch Top, Middle, and Bottom North, South, East and West Sample each fruit wihtout bias i.e. do not select only “good-looking” berries

VINE MAGAZINE 9

DFA CHAIR & CEO NEWS

Hope for a new year A note from our chair What a challenging year 2020 was and it looks like 2021 is heading the same way.

For dried fruit growers, as well as those in other horticulture industries, labour will be a big issue this year. Either at harvest or later at pruning time, it looks like finding workers will get harder, not easier.

The 2021 crop will be better than last year, but it will be an average crop at best. For us, the crop at Pomona looks good for most varieties, while sultana varieties look to be average.

Thanks to everyone who attended DFA’s planning forum in January to help us identify the industry’s key research, development and extension needs for the next few years. The group came up with some great ideas to improve the productivity of the industry. You can read more about it on page 24.

I’d also like to thank Valentina Tripp and wish her all the best for the future as she finishes up at MRO to spend more time with family. Val achieved a lot over the past three years and, not being from a dried fruit background, was never afraid to ask a question. It was a pleasure working with her.

News from our CEO

2021 has finally arrived and we are all hoping this year will be much less problematic than 2020.

With all the issues and challenges everyone experienced globally with COVID-19, we can only hope the year ahead will provide us with short, medium and long-term solutions.

DFA certainly has quite a bit in the pipeline for 2021: 10 Tonne Project Through new technologies generating detailed information on inputs like nutrition and irrigation, along with management of issues such as disease, this project is collecting comprehensive data on production that will assist the overall industry. Led very capably by field officer Stuart Putland, and with both corporate and family owned vineyards involved, DFA believes this project, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), will continue to deliver information and opportunities for all growers.

Best practice guides This year will see the release of DFA’s updated Dried Grape Best Practice Guides, funded by the Dried Fruits Trust.

The latest information, developed in consultation with industry, has been incorporated into the new-look guides.

Mark King | Chair

10 VINE MAGAZINE

Originally produced with the support of Hort Innovation, the guides have been well received by industry, but after five years it was time to revise and reflect on what other production techniques should be included.

Biosecurity levy The new biosecurity levy came into being from 1 January. Set at $1/tonne, the levy was officially voted on by dried grape growers to assist with management of issues and biosecurity training. The levy will be collected by the Federal Government in a similar manner to the research and development levy, except the biosecurity levy will be passed on to Plant Health Australia and only utilised to assist DFA with issues impacting dried grape production.

DFA is a signatory to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and costs are incurred by members each time a biosecurity issue occurs. The new levy will provide a more equitable ability to respond to these issues.

AGM 2020 DFA’s annual general meeting was held online on Friday 27 November. There were three nominations for three vacant board positions, with Mark King, Tony Martin and Stephen Bennett all reappointed for another two-year term.

The 2020 Annual Report is available for members on the DFA website or a hard copy can be posted on request. v

Anne Mansell | CEO

ATGA CHAIR & CEO NEWS

Uncertainty, but opportunity A note from our chair We’re well into the new year now, and while the early season growers have completed their harvest, export season has only just begun.

Quality has been a bit up and down, due to weather events. An electrical storm during flowering potentially affected production quality in the Mildura region, and it has been a wetter than average season.

While many growers say they are confident they will have enough seasonal workers come the peak of harvest, I am concerned that labour will still be an issue.

Other industries like berries and citrus have had serious concerns about the expected critical labour shortage, and state and federal governments have announced several initiatives to increase seasonal worker numbers, despite low uptake.

We’d like to wish Richard Lomman all the best following his resignation from the ATGA board. At our last AGM in November, we welcomed new Victorian delegate Dominic Sergi to the board, and Rocky Mammone to the role of deputy chair.

On behalf of the ATGA board we wish everyone a successful harvest and 2020/21 season.

Jeremey Boyd | Chair

News from our CEO The Australian Table Grape Association board has lost one of its stalwarts, Richard Lomman, who resigned at Christmas.

Apart from a few years, Richard served on the ATGA board since its inception and was a previous chair for five years.

He contributed greatly to the success and status of today’s table grape industry within the horticulture world.

I would like to thank Richard for his contribution to the table grape industry over the past few decades, and wish him all the best in any future endeavours on behalf of all table grape growers Australia-wide.

The ATGA has begun a new chapter, appointing two new staff members to work within the best management and extension project. Our new industry development manager Jenny Treeby and industry development officer Karen Connolly both have years of experience working on farms and in research centres and will begin on 1 March. They will visit farms over the next six months to talk and listen to what growers would like to see or be educated on regarding best practice management. All major growing regions will host forums, workshops and field days on an annual basis to support growers in improving production practices.

industry as a whole. Alison MacGregor, who most know within the industry, will be supervising and leading the project.

Sunraysia’s export season has commenced and it could prove a very challenging year compared to previous years. While South Korea agreed to interim measures prior to the revised protocol being accepted, it is important that you do not include the packhouse number on your boxes if you are not packing in the shed. South Korea is very strict on correct labelling so it is important to adhere to requirements, as detailed in the work plan.

Hopefully everyone will have sufficient labour this harvest. The large number of growers I have spoken to believe they should get through their harvest but I am concerned at the peak of the harvest there may be a shortage.

Governments, in particular the Victorian government, are doing all they can with incentives and enticements to bring a labour supply to Sunraysia but there has been very little uptake by people to want to work on farms. Let’s hope everyone can get the labour they need to harvest their crops. v

Many growers have requested an extension project for years now, so I hope you all embrace Jenny and Karen and work with them to improve the

Jeff Scott | CEO

VINE MAGAZINE 11

DRIED GRAPE NEWS

Year in review

News from our field officer 2020 was a different year for all of us and our Hort Innovation-funded extension project had to join the global shift to being flexible and innovative.

If anybody had suggested to me 18 months ago that we would have groups of dried grape growers running meetings and engaging in seminars and field days from their homes through online video conferencing, I would have had to reference great Australian film literature and simply say, “tell him he’s dreaming”. But I was so wrong.

12 VINE MAGAZINE

In the beginning, we created informative videos and put them online for growers and other interested people to watch. These included the final stages of the minimal pruning demonstration at Ashley Johnstone’s, where the video showed that the demonstration rows were mechanically cut and harvested without any issues arising from the lack of rolling on. I was also able to put together a video to introduce DFA’s 10 Tonne Project. With the first three videos having a combined 600 views on YouTube, I had to finally concede that this was a good idea – much to the amusement of the younger staff at DFA!

The next leap of faith was into online video conferencing. With the help of the team at Agriculture Victoria and our own Stephen Bennett, our first online workshop involved learning about the capabilities of the IrriSAT program, which uses free online NDVI imagery to track and predict vine irrigation requirements. That seemed to work even better than sharing a video online, so now we were off and running with online delivery.

What followed was a wide range of online interactive seminars and events on topics including: - new varieties - 2020 harvest information from our processors

DRIED GRAPE NEWS

- collaborative farming systems in the grains industry - updates on downy and powdery mildew and the new disease prediction model from Growcare - how to use the Green Brain system for monitoring irrigation application.

All of these events were recorded and posted on the DFA YouTube channel, making them an ongoing source of information for everyone in the dried grape industry.

With an eye to the benefits of these new online skills, we will always try to integrate components of video conferencing and YouTube content in all our future programs. It has proved effective and will probably give us better access to experts that aren’t able to travel to our region – no matter where they are in the world.

During our brief COVID reprieve in the middle of the year, and again at the end of the year, we were able to run a few face-to-face, barbecue and beverage events. These were great opportunities to have a look at our 10 Tonne Project demonstration sites, including our new site at Duxton’s

Liparoo property as part of our Sticky Beak Tour and the results of our herbicide trial run by Frontier Farming Systems and Mallee Sustainable Farming.

Other things we continued to develop during the year were: - a Growcare disease modelling system using DFA and Murray Valley Winegrowers’ infield microclimate monitoring systems - aerial NDVI imaging for our 10 Tonne Project sites with Ceres Imaging - collecting the second year of data for our benchmarking program - setting up the second year of our trial on chlormequat (Get Set) rates for growing Carina currants. v Stuart Putland Dried Fruits Australia field officer 03 5023 5174 projects@driedfruitsaustralia.org.au

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VINE MAGAZINE 13

TABLE GRAPE NEWS

Send-off for industry’s knight Former ATGA chair and long-term board member Richard Lomman has resigned from his role on the peak industry body.

sceptical about whether it would work,

ideas, happy to be challenged, and

and the extra efforts everyone had to

always happy to listen to others and

put in,” Anne said.

encourage others to contribute”.

“Throughout the first trial in 2004

A knight of the table grape industry

and in subsequent years, he led a

and industry body, Richard’s advocacy

team of 30 growers and 13 wholesale

extended past the northern region,

The king of his St George property,

partners that increased the proportion

including encouragement of the

Camelot, and leader within the table

of grapes on the market that were of

southern growers and market access.

grape industry, Richard has been a

satisfactory eating quality – from only

champion of growers at state and

44 per cent to over 90 per cent. It was

national level.

a huge turnaround.”

The only ATGA chair to have been

Anne said that maturity program led

situated outside of Sunraysia, and the

to the early season grapes’ ability

inaugural and long-standing chair of

compete effectively against other

Table Grapes Queensland (formerly

summer fruit.

GrapeConnect), Richard has a long list of achievements within industry, including establishing minimum maturity standards for Queensland growers, pioneering table grape production in non-traditional regions,

“It significantly reduced the market build-up and collapse in prices that had started to threaten the viability of many growers and the strength of the category.”

engaging growers and stakeholders

ATGA CEO Jeff Scott said the success

and supporting regional community.

of the program was a “testament to

Former industry development officer

Richard’s perseverance”.

for Growcom and private consultant

Richard – who resigned from his

Anne Larard worked closely with

posts in December last year – was a

Richard and applauded his efforts over

driving force behind the Table Grapes

the past few decades.

Queensland program, which heralded

“Richard had a vision in 2003 that ended up transforming consumers’ experience with early season table grapes, and got people purchasing grapes more frequently again,” Anne said.

“He worked incredibly hard with other growers, and with marketers, to find ways to fund research into eating quality and then to introduce a minimum maturity standard for grapes from Queensland.

the adoption of national minimum maturity standards, now accepted by national retail chains and growers, and enabled a “large shift in the purchasing behaviour” of Australian table grapes, said Anne.

Queensland delegate for the ATGA board Mark Leng said Richard’s commitment to improving industry also included supporting his regional community and district, campaigning for table grape production in nontraditional growing regions, being

Anne said there were many within

prepared to face a challenge and “very

industry who were dubious about the

dogged in his determination to see the

efforts required for the program.

best result reached”.

“It involved a lot of extra work and

Mark said during Richard’s time within

travel, and many in the industry were

industry he was “supportive of new

14 VINE MAGAZINE

Jeff expressed his gratitude to Richard for his role in improving the industry as it is today.

“I have enjoyed Richard’s objective and thoughtful input into many discussions we have had in regards to improving the table grape industry for the long term over the past many years.” v

TABLE GRAPE NEWS

New SIP for table grapes Table grape levy-payers are set to get a new strategic investment plan (SIP) this year.

of investment suggestions via the

Dumisani said recommendations would

investment idea form, Hort Innovation

be incorporated into a draft SIP and

will consult more broadly with growers,

then reviewed by the ATGA, strategic

industry stakeholders and the research

industry advisory panel and key

Hort Innovation industry strategic

community during the development

stakeholders for prioritisation.

and ongoing life of the SIPs,” Dumisani

“This consultation is intended as an

partner Dumisani Mhlanga spoke about the process of developing the SIP and what levy-payers can expect.

said. “Consultations will utilise multiple engagement opportunities such as

The research and development

existing industry meetings, surveys and

corporation is currently future planning

via zoom conferencing opportunities.”

for the new “roadmap”, which will aid in

All Strategic Industry Advisory Panel

the oversight and management of the table grape fund levies for the next five years.

Dumisani said that, previously, consultation on levy investments came from the investment idea form (sometimes known as “the funnel” or the “concept form”), but this process had since changed.

“Rather than inviting a broad selection

(SIAP) members are invited to a SIP

opportunity to ensure Hort Innovation has captured the key priorities for the industry,” Dumisani said. “Once the new five-year SIP is approved, AIPs (annual investment plans) will be developed and reviewed annually for

consultation on 24 March to capture

the remaining years of the SIP.

their input.

“These will be shared with the

Due to travel restrictions, Hort

relevant SIAP, industry bodies and key stakeholders. In the first year of the

Innovation will conduct targeted phone calls to individual growers and invites wider industry to have their say by completing the following survey

new SIP development, the first AIP will be developed simultaneously (for 2021–2022).”

(https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/

The new SIP will come into effect on

GTPT9MT).

1 July 2021 and last five years. v

WHO IS YOUR STRATEGIC INVESTMENT ADVISORY PANEL (SIAP)?

2017–2021 SIP OUTCOMES Increased demand for Australian

Domenic Sergi

SJDC Produce

VIC

table grapes by strengthening and developing domestic and export market opportunities that

Enrique Rossi

Budou R&D / Budou Farms

VIC

will improve industry viability and sustainability.

Demand-building strategies and

Roger Fahl

Fruitico

WA

increased prices for Australian table grapes supported by improvements in product quality.

Jeff Scott

Australian Table Grape Association

VIC

Production efficiency improved and biosecurity threats mitigated by growers applying knowledge,

Mark Krstic

The Australian Wine Research Institute

VIC

skills and tools.

Improved capability across

Brendan Larkin

Michael Treeby

Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

Agriculture Victoria

the industry to implement VIC

improvements in supply and quality.

VIC

VINE MAGAZINE 15

PRUNE NEWS

COVID boost for prunes Prune sales are up thanks to the COVID-19 lockdown, and the trend looks set to continue with market research targeting consumers.

At the 2020 Australian Prune Industry Association Annual Conference, Angas Park marketing manager Matt Jenkins told delegates that dried fruit channels would reach close to $200 million by the end of 2020.

Matt said the big five fruits – sultanas, prunes, apricots, cranberries and dates – accounted for 60 per cent of the value and 70 per cent of the tonnage.

“Sultanas are the biggest category, worth $40 million, and are followed closely by prunes at $32m,” he said.

“But all eyes are on prunes, which have shown remarkable growth in the past couple of years.”

Monthly prune sales in August 2018 were $2.50m, rising to $2.78m in 2019 and $2.94m in 2020 (Figure 1) – a 5.6 per cent increase in the last 12 months.

The most significant increase occurred in March 2020, at the onset

“Angas Park has the largest market

(3.7m people) is aged 65 and over.

share (59 per cent of value in 2020),

However, an ageing population sees

with other suppliers including private

this figure triple to an estimated

labels from Chile (18 per cent of

12.8m and 25 per cent of population

market), California’s Sunsweet label

by 2057.”

(13 per cent) and Australia’s Verity Fruits (10 per cent),” he said.

The elderly are not the only ones to eat prunes, and if the industry is to

“If Ausprunes are to maintain and grow

continue to grow it will be important to

their market share in what is becoming

introduce prunes earlier in life.

an increasingly global marketplace, it is important to know what is driving sales of prunes and how we can affect this.”

Analysis of September 2020 scanned shopping purchases in Australia showed 75 per cent of Australian households bought dried fruit.

Currently, more than 25 per cent of unit sales come from families, but this could be much higher.

“Very few consumers purchased prunes to use in a recipe – perhaps because they don’t know how versatile prunes are, and are unaware of the

Over one million households purchased

various uses in snacking, cooking and

prunes last year and prunes accounted

entertaining,” Matt said.

for six of the top 20 dried fruit SKUs (stock-keeping unit; a scannable bar code).

“Or it could simply be that purchases are not made because no one in the family ate prunes. Almost half of the

“It showed that prune eaters really love

respondents identified this as a huge

prunes and eat lots of them,” Matt said.

purchase barrier.

“Those households that purchased

“Broadening the appeal of prunes is

dried fruits consume 2.4 kilograms of

vital to growing future sales.”

prunes annually, compared to 1.6kg of sultanas and 742g of apricots.

APIA has been working to educate consumers about the health benefits

“But only 1 in 9 households purchased

of prunes as well as providing

prunes.”

innovative recipe ideas that feature prunes in a variety of dishes.

of COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia,

Matt said the key was to find out who

when sales went from $2.28m in 2019

was, and was not, eating prunes and

APIA president Tony Toscan said

to $3.49m in 2020 – a massive 52 per

what were the purchase drivers and

COVID-19 had disrupted the industry’s

cent rise.

barriers.

hands-on promotional effort, but plans

The data shows an upward trend in

Traditionally, older, “health conscious”

sales for the entire 2020 year, where

Australians have been the main

2800 tonnes of prunes were packaged

consumers of prunes. Encouraging

“Experience has shown sampling is an

into 5.3m units and sold for $32m.

early adoption of a healthy lifestyle

important tool to overcome purchase

among this group will be an important

barriers,” he said.

long-term driver of growth, Matt said.

“After all, we all know, if you try prunes,

“The significance of this demographic

you’ll love them. We just need people to

is realised when you look at the number

try them for the first time.” v

Most of the prunes are sold on the domestic market.

Matt said Australian prunes dominated the local market, but the marketplace was becoming increasingly complex due to the number of international competitors.

16 VINE MAGAZINE

of potential prune purchasers it represents,” he said.

“In 2020, 15 per cent of the population

were to resume attendance at food fairs when possible.

Phil Chidgzey APIA national secretariat secretary@ausprunes.org.au

PRUNE NEWS

PURCHASE DRIVER

PRUNES

SULTANAS

APRICOTS

I wanted a healthy treat

46%

44%

52%

Because they are healthy

52%

38%

40%

I wanted something to snack on during the day

29%

40%

46%

I planned to use them in a recipe

18%

40%

27%

48%

20%

22%

PURCHASE BARRIER No one in my family eats them

Table 1: Drivers and barriers affecting purchase of Australian dried fruits

Australia, Dollars (000s) Australia, Dollars (000s)

4,0004,000

+52% +52% 3,491 3,491

3,5003,500 3,0003,000

2,781 2,781 2,783 2,783 2,743 2,743 2,576 2,576 2,525 2,525 2,543 2,543 2,505 2,451 2,511 2,519 2,505 2,451 2,511 2,519 2,460 2,460 2,348 2,348 2,302 2,302 2,287 2,287 2,264 2,264 2,5002,500 2,228 2,228 2,169 2,169 2,184 2,184 1,999 1,999

+5.6% +5.6%

2,934 2,934 2,940 2,940 2,754 2,739 2,672 2,672 2,754 2,739

500 500 0

AU G SAE 20 UPGT 18 SOE 20 CPT 18 2 NOO 018 CVT 2 NDO 018 EVC 20 DJAE 18 NC 20 FJAE 189 NB 2 MF 01 AER 9 B2 MA 01 APR 9 20 A MP 19 AYR 220 MJU 0119 ANY 9 2 JJUU 01 NL 9 AJU 201 UGL 9 2 SAEU 01 PGT 9 220 SOE 0119 CPT 9 T2 NOO 2001 CVT 199 2 NDO 01 EVC 9 20 DJ E 19 ANC 220 0 FJAE 1290 NB 20 2 MF AEBR 0 2 MA 020 APR 2 AP 020 M AYR 20 2 MJ UANY 0 20 JJUU 20 NL 20 AJU 20 GL 2 20 AU 0220 G 0 20 20

0

MAR 2020

MAR 2019

1,0001,000

MAR 2019

1,5001,500

MAR 2020

2,0002,000

Figure 1: COVID-19 lockdown has helped drive growth of Australian prunes

Grams per household per year Grams per household per year 2,4352,435 1,6021,602

2.4KG 2.4KG PER HOUSEHOLD PER HOUSEHOLD 742 742

SULTANAS SULTANAS

PRUNES PRUNES

APRICOTS APRICOTS

925 925 482 482 CRANBERRIES CRANBERRIES

DATES DATES

Figure 2: Breakdown of annual household consumption of dried fruits in Australia. This represents households that purchase dried fruits, not total households. Consumers who eat prunes eat lots of them, but only 1 in 9 households eat any.

VINE MAGAZINE 17

Paving their path W OME N I N H O RTI C U LTU R E

18 VINE MAGAZINE

FEATURE

Women have played an integral role in horticulture for centuries, from areas as diverse as production, research and business management. In part one of our series, to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March, we speak to women in all areas of horticulture, from trailblazers to emerging leaders.

is slowly expanding but not in high numbers.

Megan: I can’t speak to wider changes in the industry as I haven’t been involved in it for that long, but at Mannes Entomology the majority of employees are women. I think that’s definitely a step in the right direction.

What is an accomplishment/career moment you’re proud of?

Megan Bennett & Charlotte Dent Mannes Entomology Horticulture consultants How long have you been working in horticulture?

Charlotte: Two years.

Megan: Only in the past year or so have I been working full-time at Mannes Entomology.

Did you always want to work in the sector?

Charlotte: It was always an interesting area, as I know a lot of family members that work in horticulture.

I was intrigued by the industry, but never thought it was something for me, until a job came up with Mannes Entomology.

Megan: When I was a kid, I definitely had an interest, but it was never a career path that I actively pursued throughout school or uni as I grew older.

Who or what has inspired you in your career?

Charlotte: Working at Mannes Entomology has shown me what it takes to work in the horticulture industry. My inspiration comes from working alongside Lachlan Mannes.

He’s a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry – makes

you ask questions and be intrigued to know more every day.

Megan: I’ve lived on a rural property my entire life. My parents used to grow dried fruit, and then made the switch to almonds when I was young, so I’ve always been involved with agriculture to a varying degree. That definitely helped me in this career path, even though I’m dealing with different crops and industries.

What is your favourite thing about working in your industry?

Charlotte: The flexibility and variety.

Most days are similar, but visiting different farms, seeing different diseases and bugs in varieties of table grapes, citrus, and almonds keeps you fascinated and interested for the days ahead.

Megan: I love that I get to be outside every day (weather permitting) and that every day is different. Being situated in Sunraysia means there’s a number of different crops I get to work with. The fact that I’m not just looking at the crop specifically, but also the entomology, means I’m always learning something new.

Charlotte: I am proud of being given the opportunity to do the the LBAM (light brown apple moth) trap and the red scale traps. I was able to venture out on my own and familiarise myself with the farms that we work with.

Megan: As I haven’t been in the industry for very long, I’d have to say the first few times I got to visit farms by myself gave me a great boost in my confidence and abilities.

What advice would you give to the next generation of females about working in horticulture?

Charlotte: Be yourself. Being yourself is the how people in the horticulture industry will see you, so pave a path you’re proud of.

How would you encourage women to take on roles, or get promotions, in horticulture?

Charlotte: When an opportunity comes up in the industry, women shouldn’t be afraid to step forward and have a crack. Horticulture is an industry fit for all, being confident and willing to work hard is all it takes to take on a role or go higher in this industry.

Has your industry changed (in general / for women) since you began? If so, how?

Charlotte: Since starting at Mannes Entomology in 2019 the amount of women around the work place

VINE MAGAZINE 19

FEATURE

started doing the finances for our family farm and after that became involved in policy areas, including taking on leadership roles in local and national horticultural organisations such as Sunraysia Citrus Growers and the former Australian Citrus Growers.

I’m a generalist not a specialist and I’ve learnt a lot along the way. I’ve also brought my own experiences and perspectives to the table when making decisions for industry. Having that variety of perspectives is important.

Who or what has inspired you in your career?

What is an accomplishment/career moment you’re proud of?

Involved in small family citrus enterprise

People who are compassionate, considered, and who are positive about future trends and deliver a strategic focus – whether in horticulture or for the general community.

Northern Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network (NMLLEN) Chair

What is your favourite thing about working in your industry?

La Trobe University Mildura Regional Advisory Board member

The people. What I’ve witnessed over my 35 years in horticulture is innovation, dedication, resilience and people who are determined to find solutions to immediate and longer term challenges.

Working in partnership with other industry representatives to attract large scale hort investments and solar investments to the Mildura region.

Also being involved with so many other people from hort, agriculture and the community in the Save the Food Bowl Alliance, which worked hard to stop the toxic waste facility from being located at Nowingi.

Anne Mansell Dried Fruits Australia CEO

Mallee Regional Innovation Centre (MRIC) Strategic Advisory Panel member How long have you been working in horticulture?

I’ve been directly involved for over 35 years as part of a family horticultural enterprise. However, my family background – parents, grandparents and great-grandparents on both sides – were all involved in horticulture and horticultural developments/ businesses in the Mildura region.

Did you always want to work in the sector?

Initially I trained as a nurse and then studied for a Bachelor of Arts. I then

20 VINE MAGAZINE

Has your industry changed (in general/for women) since you began?

If so, how?

Women have always been involved in horticulture, working alongside their partners or managing their own property, yet we still haven’t seen as many involved at peak industry levels.

Certainly 100 years ago it was very challenging for women to be part of industry decision making. However, in this era I would encourage all those interested to have a go. For my part,

What advice would you give to the next generation of women about working in horticulture?

The great people, great future and great challenges all make it worth it.

Horticulture is an extremely broad and growing area in Australia with a great number of opportunities – markets, agronomy, irrigation and business management to name a few.

We need people with skills and ideas to contribute to the next stage of development and growth.

FEATURE

somewhere tropical. My first real (a.k.a. paid) job was with the then CSIRO Division Of Horticulture at Merbein, working on the domestication of the native quandong – I was very lucky.

Who or what has inspired you in your career?

Jenny Treeby Working partner in a horticultural enterprise Dried Fruits Australia board member Incoming ATGA industry development manager Horticulture Industry Network project officer, Agriculture Victoria Victorian and Murray Valley Vine Improvement Association board member How long have you been working in horticulture?

My work in horticulture began with marrying into a dried fruit family (on the original soldier settlement block) about 30-plus years ago. My first job in horticulture (and in Australia) was weeding the then drying green with my mother-in-law!

I really liked the variety of research undertaken at CSIRO at the time, the inflow of researchers from overseas, input from growers and industry organisations and later Riverlink.

It has always been inspiring how resourceful this region is collectively, what it produces and how it deals with setbacks. Luckily, I have also had some awesome mentors along the way (not sure they saw themselves as mentors at the time) that encouraged me to undertake leadership courses, gave me time and space to study viticulture, and guided my thinking and what I am doing now.

What is your favourite thing about working in your industry?

Did you always want to work in the sector?

My favourite thing about the dried fruits industry is that it shares its knowledge freely, and growers are constantly improving the way they do things, and that it produces an attractive end product (without sulphur).

Having studied agriculture in Germany, I really wanted a job in plant breeding, plant nutrition or

Has your industry changed (in general/for women) since you began? If so, how?

Since we started on our property, we have been mirroring the industry in many aspects – change of trellis system to swingarm, new varieties, and change from only overhead irrigation to drip (with the occasional overhead irrigation to wet the soil quickly and to cool the vineyard), trying out ways to mechanise, improve our productivity, etc.

What is an accomplishment/career moment you’re proud of?

Representing the industry at the national level on biosecurity matters and having been asked to sit on a committee for the review of the biosecurity plant pest deed, which is like reviewing an insurance framework, putting it through its paces and being able to improve it.

What advice would you give to the next generation of women about working in horticulture?

For me this is not about gender but about skill sets, passion and enthusiasm! Like everywhere, a good sense of humour and being practical does go a long way – as does persistence (and not taking one’s self too seriously). v

VINE MAGAZINE 21

NEWS

ALTSA’s passing the test “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.”

Arthur Conan Doyle’s mastermind

belly of Sunraysia’s next generation of

in a place like this, I’m in. “We want to

science and agriculture students.

recover that. We want ALTSA to be a

Since establishing the site, restoring the building and grounds and acquiring

welcoming place to work and to visit, for customers and school kids.”

technical equipment fit for an industry-

Alongside operating a commercial

leading facility, the ALTSA team began

laboratory, Ray said one of ALTSA’s

offering its key services, including soil

main goals was to give back to the

and plant nutrition testing, chemical

community, particularly through

The same can be said about ALTSA –

and residue analysis, food and wine

science education and exposure.

Analytical Laboratories and Technical

microbiology and environmental

Services Australia – which is putting

testing – most of which is provided to

Sunraysia back on the map for its first-

the horticulture industry.

detective Sherlock Holmes knew the value of analysing data, imparting, “I cannot make bricks without clay”.

rate analytical capabilities.

Many Sunraysia growers would be

Housed at the former CSIRO Merbein

familiar with ALTSA and general

South location, ALTSA has tasked

manager Ray Harris – if not through

itself with the goal of becoming a

their soil and plant nutrient analyses

world-class laboratory and centre

or MRL tests, through Ray’s extensive

of excellence.

career in science and large regional

For the fledgling facility opened in

network.

2018, what that entails is operating

“I came (to the CSIRO) as a work

a commercial state-of-the-art

experience student from Mildura

laboratory with a focus on expert

High School when I was 15, and I

agricultural and environmental

thought this was one of the most

analyses, channelling the brilliance of

beautiful workplaces I’d ever been

its predecessor through research and

to,” Ray said. “I thought, I want to be

innovation, and lighting a fire in the

a scientist, because if you can work

22 VINE MAGAZINE

“We’re big on having students come through when COVID goes away, because we see that it’s in our interest,” he said.

“Down the track they could be future recruits who come and work for us, or these same kids could end up working for our customers.

“Science is so critical to farming, it’s becoming more and more. Farmers have got to be up with everything, and the students who come through could become agronomists, laboratory people, farm managers or processing managers.”

Such high-end tests require

NEWS

certification and accreditation, and

testing for E.coli and coliform is

to pass the most important test – the

ALTSA is an approved lab for Freshcare

six hours.

test of time. v

and GLOBALG.A.P., as well as National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation, which is highly regarded both nationally and internationally as a reliable indicator of technical competence.

“That’s an ongoing process that as we keep adding tests we have to keep getting accreditation for them … but it reassures supermarkets and foreign

“I guarantee there wouldn’t be many instances where you could get a sample sent from here to a Melbourne lab within six hours. The bacteria that are present could actually die in the excessive time can all impact and give a false positive, or a falsely high result.”

With so much for growers to “keep an eye on”, Ray said ALTSA could be a

One major benefit of using a regional

but information.

was generally quicker, Ray said, which could potentially impact the accuracy

valuable resource for not only testing,

“We want to work with the ATGA in particular to look at how can we make

of results if samples had to travel

it easier for growers to make sure

to capital cities, were exposed to

they comply because it’s in all our best

differing conditions along the freight

interests to avoid a container going

process, or had to wait for tests to be

across the sea that doesn’t comply.”

carried out.

Opposite page: ALTSA’s specialist staff conduct a wide variety of testing and analysis.

process of getting it there. Heat, cold,

governments,” Ray said. laboratory was that turn-around time

Below: General manager Ray Harris wants ALTSA to become a world-class lab and centre of excellence.

With big plans to be a “one-stop

“That’s where we have an advantage

shop” for laboratory services, as

over the city labs,” Ray said. “A grower

well as a source of information and

collecting a sample and sending it to,

support for regional growers and their

say, Melbourne – the parameters for

communities, ALTSA seems well placed

VINE MAGAZINE 23

NEWS

Stakeholders set industry priorities Representatives from all sectors of the dried grape industry have contributed to setting priorities that will form the backbone of Dried Fruits Australia’s strategic direction for years to come.

Growers, processors, contractor services and Hort Innovation were at the recent DFA research, development and extension planning forum.

Facilitated by DFA field officer Stuart Putland, the event aimed to identify opportunities to improve the economic productivity of dried grape

from growing through to marketing.

“There was a particular focus on the

coming years.

production systems, and how we focus

Due to the success of the forum, and

on that to make it successful at scale,”

how productive it was in exploring key

he said.

industry priority areas, he flagged

Stuart said larger dried grape growing properties also presented the opportunity to develop and implement more automation and autonomous

the need to host similar events more regularly to continue collaborative discussions on how the industry can adapt and grow.

systems, including GPS-driven

“The discussion was really solid

tractors.

and well thought-through; people

“It may not necessarily make sense for a small property to invest in this type

were really thinking about what the industry needs,” Stuart said.

of system, but when you get to scale

“There was agreement on priorities by

you can start looking at those things –

the end of the day, and that’s a good

different opportunities start to open

indication that we’re focused on the

up with scale,” he said.

areas the matter most and have also

production systems.

The forum found dried grape

Stuart said through rigorous

own industry to gain knowledge from

discussion, the workshop participants

planning and operations over the

producers could look outside of their

come away with a good list of things to guide the industry in research, development and extension.”

other producer industries to adapt

Staff will now work through the

and implement systems to improve

information gathered at the event, in

wetting, pruning, spraying and

conjunction with the DFA Board,

New equipment and automation

harvesting.

Hort Innovation and the Dried

systems, trellis design and on-farm

Similarly, attendees identified a

formulated their priorities for research, development and extension.

management systems, and education

range of ways education and training

and training were identified as the

could be improved to benefit the

top three priorities. Other key areas

industry – from school programs,

included new varieties, nutrition,

through to online learning, and sharing

efficient cell size including replication

experiences through field days and

and utilistion of agronomy services.

mentoring programs.

Stuart said discussions looked at the

Stuart said the forum’s findings would

entire production of dried grapes,

guide DFA’s investment and strategic

24 VINE MAGAZINE

Grape Strategic Investment Advisory Panel. v

BEST PRACTICE

Protecting grapes from the effects of rain When it rains, grapes respond in a variety of ways. Not all growers have entire crops covered with plastic, so with a wet season forecast, it’s important to prepare for and manage the effects of rain.

During veraison Grapes are particularly susceptible to moisture during veraison – especially grapes with thinner skin. Generally, the crispier or crunchier the texture, the worse the impact.

Look out for soil saturation, which can be as bad as over-irrigating.

Rain and grape production Botrytis is more prevalent during wet seasons. Fungal spore levels can easily be 25 times greater. Wet seasons typically produce weaker, softer grapes that are more sensitive to SO2 (sulphur dioxide), which can lead to a higher risk of bleaching.

Rain and harvest During the day, water flows from the roots to the leaves and also from the

Monitor for soil saturation during veraison

fruit to the leaves. Photosynthesis results in the constant expulsion of moisture.

However, at night, the situation reverses. Excess moisture from the plant now flows toward the grape berries and they quickly swell, often resulting in splitting.

After rain, it is prudent to suspend harvest for at least three days. If fungal infections do occur, this time period allows symptoms to develop and pickers to trim infected and split berries. Even so, fruit picked soon after rain should be sold quickly, or closely monitored in storage for signs of decay.

Check the Brix levels of your fruit before harvest, as these do change after rain.

Also, following heavy rain, it is best to harvest in the afternoon (contrary to popular logic of morning harvest) to exploit the ebb and flow of water in the vine.

Optimising post-harvest quality after rain

Forced air coolers can help dry fruit before it condenses as free water inside the liner bag – better to dare a little dry stem than to have a split berry in the box.

If padding and lidding must occur immediately after harvest, it is critical to use liners and cartons with perforations, which will hasten the cooling period and allow heat to escape.

Consider a 5mm perforated liner and tissue/wadding on the bottom of the box to absorb any extra moisture, and be sure to select the right SO2 sheet for grape variety and box size.

Depending on seasonal growing conditions, the timing of harvest, grape variety, and vineyard management, utilising an extra half SO2 sheet can help if harvesting and storing after rain. It’s vital to monitor fruit for fungal development. v Compiled with the support of Tessara Pty Ltd.

The most important factor in maximising grapes’ storage potential is to keep the grapes dry.

Postpone harvest for three days after rain

Botrytis and other fungal infections increase during a wet season

Keep fruit dry to optimise quality and shelf life VINE MAGAZINE 25

RESEARCH

Tackling weeds together C ON T ROL L I N G F L EA B A N E & RYEG R AS S AC ROS S D I F F ER EN T L A N D U S ES A novel approach to weed management in Australia is being investigated with the start of a project that aims to research the management, economic and social benefits of tackling weeds on a broader scale.

The traditional approach to tackling weeds has been to focus on paddock or farm scale management. Instead, this project aims to take an area-wide approach to weed management.

The theory being that if the number of weeds over the entire landscape can be reduced, everyone in that area should benefit – especially when dealing with weeds with mobile seed and pollen. This includes considering potential benefits across different land uses such as dryland, irrigated horticultural land and public areas like roadsides.

Mallee Sustainable Farming (MSF) program manager Tanja Morgan said the Mildura-based farming systems group traditionally provided RD&E services to broadacre farmers, but it has targeted a new audience to try and address area wide weed management of fleabane and other weeds like ryegrass and sowthistle.

“In the Sunraysia region, MSF is working with broadacre, wine grape, dried fruit, citrus and almond growers to trial different weed management practices to control fleabane and other important weeds, especially where industries share a boundary,” Tanja said.

“There are a number of potential weed issues related to fleabane’s ability to move across farm borders. This includes herbicide resistance spread, new weeds entering districts, and spray drift, and this has prompted the establishment of trials in the region where weed management practices and the broader economic impact will be evaluated with local stakeholders.”

A survey to assess the herbicide resistance status of fleabane plants across the Sunraysia region was conducted in January 2020.

Resistance to glyphosate was identified in 21 of the 50 fleabane samples – or 42 per cent. Therefore, ongoing repeated use of glyphosate is likely to give poor weed control.

in dried fruits and a broadacre setting to try and address issues faced by the different sectors and improve weed control.

“In dried fruits, the focus has been on herbicide options for controlling ryegrass and fleabane escapes where there is a heavy reliance on glyphosate application to control weeds within vineyards,” she said.

“As vineyard weeds are more of a nuisance for operations and harvesting, rather than competing with the crop for water and nutrients, there has been less focus on alternative strategies to glyphosate simply because of cost.

“This is a high-risk scenario for the development of resistance within weed populations and from dispersal of weed seeds from survivors as farmers are motivated to repeatedly use broad spectrum, cheap herbicide options such as glyphosate.”

The trial

Importantly, none of the fleabane samples tested were resistant to paraquat plus diquat, therefore alternative herbicide options are still available.

Treatments applied in early November 2020 include a range of alternative herbicides and mixtures registered for use within vineyards and with label claims for control of ryegrass and/or fleabane:

Tanja said herbicide trials had been established over the 2020/21 summer

- Glyphosate 540 2L/ha + Cavalier 75 ml/ha - Glyphosate 540 2L/ha + Chateau 700 g/ha - ParaTrooper 2.4 L - ParaTrooper 2.4 L + Chateau 700 g/ha - Basta 5 L/ha - Basta 5L/ha + Chateau 700 g/ha

Control treatments: - Nil - Glyphosate 540 2 L/ha DFA field officer Stuart Putland at a recent field walk discussing a weedicide trial in a dried grape vineyard.

26 VINE MAGAZINE

RESEARCH

Results The following graphs show the results of weed control treatments applied to the fleabane and ryegrass escapes, taken two and four weeks after spraying using NDVI as a measure. The lower the NDVI reading the better the weed control.

Fleabane control was improved using the more expensive treatments, so it is likely some glyphosate resistance is present. Herbicide resistance

sampling will take place to confirm this.

For ryegrass, the more expensive herbicide mixes did improve control, but generally not enough to justify the higher cost of treatments. The early November timing of treatments also meant the ryegrass was close to natural senescence and ryegrass plants would have been large, mature and hard to kill anyway.

“If the number of weeds over the entire landscape can be reduced, everyone in that area should benefit “

Fleabane

Ryegrass

0.8

0.4

weeks

2 4

2 4

2 4

2 4

2 4

2 4

2 4

2 4

2 4

0.0 2 4

0.0 2 4

0.1

2 4

0.2

2 4

0.2

2 4

0.4

2 4

NDVI

0.3

2 4

NDVI

0.6

weeks

Key: Nil Glyphosate 540: 2L/ha Glyphosate + Cavalier-75 ml/ha

Glyphosate + Chateau 700 g/ha ParaTrooper 2.4L Paratrooper 2.4L + Chateau 700 g/ha

Basta: 5 L/ha Basta + Chateau 700 g/ha

HERBICIDE

$ PER HA

Glyphosate 540 2L/ha

15.10

Glyphosate 540 2L/ha + Cavalier 75ml/ha

16.30

Glyphosate 540 2L/ha + Chateau 700g/ha

138.30

ParaTrooper 2.4L

16.40

ParaTrooper 2.4L/ha + Chateau 700g/ha

139.60

Basta SL/ha

72.60

Basta SL/ha + Chateau 700g/ha

195.80

VINE MAGAZINE 27

RESEARCH

Recommendations University of Adelaide weed management professor Chris Preston gave the following recommendations for spraying weeds at a recent Dried Fruits Australia field walk: -E xpensive treatments work but don’t need to be used all the time. They can be used strategically to stop seed set, particularly with ryegrass.

-C onsider a cover crop in the interrow that will compete with weeds to help reduce the build-up of weed seeds in the system.

-S mall weeds are easier to manage than large weeds – spray early to target small weeds even if it means one more control may be required.

This will help with long-term weed management.

- Get your application right – make sure water rates are not too high so as not to dilute the surfactant that is sprayed with glyphosate (diluting the surfactant will give a poorer result).

- If you can’t reduce the water rate, consider increasing the surfactant in the mix to improve the efficacy of glyphosate.

This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program and the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Cotton Research and Development

A video explaining the concept of area wide management for cropping systems weeds is available on the “Taking an area wide management approach for cropping system weeds” YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ nP-bw4XOfs4 For an overview of the weedicide trials, see this video filmed at a DFA field walk in November 2020 on the Mallee Sustainable Farming YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zHHLBxvibxg

Corporation. v For more information or to be involved, contact Tanja at tanja.morgan@msfp.org.au

“Expensive treatments work but don’t need to be used all the time.

They can be used strategically to stop seed set, particularly with ryegrass.”

Pictured: Left: Ryegrass escapes from glyphosate application.

Right: Fleabane escapes from glyphosate application.

SOIL SURVEY Geoff Kew Qualified for soil survey and land evaluation - 30 years’ experience throughout Australia - Soil amelioration, crop suitability, rootzone depths - Readily available water (RAW) for irrigation Contact: geoff@soilprofile.com.au | m 0409 690 46

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BIOSECURITY

High priorty exotic pest threat BAC T E RI A L B L I G H T O F G R A P EV I N E

Bacterial blight of grapevine is a serious disease that affects commercially important grapevines in South Africa, Europe and Argentina.

It is caused by the Xylophilus ampelinus bacterium which lives in the vascular tissues of infected plants, causing extensive damage to vines and major harvest losses.

Signs and symptoms Bacterial blight can affect the whole vine, from leaves and flowers to roots.

Look for linear reddish-brown streaks that appear and expand upwards on the shoot, then darken, crack and develop into cankers.

Shoots subsequently wilt, droop and dry up and young shoots may develop pale yellowish-green spots on the lowest internodes. Discolouration is less common on very young shoots, but the whole shoot dies back.

Stem cross-section reveals tissue browning. Cankers can also appear on the sides of petioles leading to onesided leaf necrosis.

Necrotic leaf spots sometimes occur as well as cankers on flower and fruit stalks. Flowers that have not reached maturity turn black and die back, and roots may stunted.

Laboratory diagnostics is needed to confirm the absence or presence of bacterial blight.

Protecting your vineyard Bacterial blight is spread from country to country in infected cuttings. Once in a vineyard, blight infects rows of vines through irrigation and infected pruning tools.

To protect your vineyard against bacterial blight: - source high health status plant material (preferably certified) only from reliable and accredited suppliers - check your vineyard frequently for the presence of new pests and investigate any sick grapevines for unusual symptoms - make sure you are familiar with common grapevine pests so you can tell if you see something different

- ensure all staff and visitors adhere to on-farm biosecurity and hygiene practices. v If you notice anything unusual in your vineyard call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline 1800 084 881.

This series from Plant Health Australia features exotic pests that would survive, spread and establish in Australian vineyards should they get through border quarantine controls.

Growers should be familiar with their appearance and symptoms so that they can distinguish them from the pests that they normally encounter.

Left: Parts of the grape bunch may become necrotic and die back.

Image: ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, South Africa Middle Top: Symptoms of infection on shoots of grapevine. Image: C.G. Panagopoulos, Agricultural University, Bugwood.org Middle below: Cankers will darken, crack and spread throughout the grapevine stem.

Image: ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, South Africa Right: Leaf spot and marginal necrosis on leaves are symptoms of bacterial blight of grapevine.

Image: C.G. Panagopoulos, Agricultural University, Bugwood.org

- keep records of anything unusual

VINE MAGAZINE 29

BIOSECURITY

Vigilance KE Y TO F R U I T F LY C O N TR O L

It is crucial for growers to be out in the vineyard monitoring for signs of pests and disease – especially this season – according to horticulture professionals.

“We have to be extra vigilant during a mild and humid year as an environment like that can be conducive to insect pests and fungal diseases,” advised viticultural consultant Alison MacGregor.

“A season like we’re having across most of Australia this year highlights the value of a routine monitoring program and making your responses quick and targeted to ensure maximum effect for minimum chemical, time waste and risk of damage.”

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Alison said the weather conditions were ideal for Queensland fruit fly (Qfly), with activity building up over the past few months.

“Incorporating scouting for fruit fly as part of the overall monitoring program is essential – it’s not an optional extra anymore,” she said.

Agronomist Tim Brown from Bro-Kit Agronomy agreed, saying growers “can’t relax” this year.

“Growers need to be extremely vigilant for signs of Qfly, and, particularly in light of the current export challenges, we really need to be on top of it,” Tim said.

“Farmers also need to be mindful of any adjourning bushland or alternate crops that have fruit on the ground, like citrus or stone fruit, which come in prior to grapes. It’s critical they put

traps out through there to check on it.

“Also, growers really need to understand what fruit fly looks like to help them monitor for it. Awareness is everything.”

Alison said monitoring for Qfly was quite straight forward. Traps should go out from very early in the season – around September – particularly if a grower or their neighbour has had fruit fly previously or if they’ve heard of Qfly being in their district. Then, as soon as Qfly is detected in a trap, they should start baiting.

“Baiting is simple, quick, reliable, and much more cost effective – in terms of the volume of the chemical and the speed in which you can apply it – than putting on a cover spray,” she said.

“It also won’t upset your integrated

BIOSECURITY

pest management program in any way. It allows all of the predators and parasites that are doing a lot of work in the vineyard to keep going about their business.”

While some growers will already be applying a cover spray for other purposes, the closer it gets to harvest, there are fewer options.

“We cannot compromise an MRL by

Table grape growers in southern regions can learn more about integrating Qfly bait spraying into their pest management program by downloading the table grape baiting fact sheet from the Greater Sunraysia Pest Free Area website: www.pestfreearea.com.au/growers v Growers can also contact the GSPFA for advice directly on (03) 5022 0327 or at info@greatersunraysiaspfa.com.au.

putting on an insecticide that’s not tolerated by any of our overseas markets,” Alison said.

“However, there are no concerns associated with baiting – it’s our solution here. Baiting doesn’t leave any residues because it doesn’t contact a bunch. The bait is made of a tiny amount of chemical incorporated into a protein food source. The smell of the protein attracts the flies, and the bait lasts for a week or so. You can apply it easily from a quad bike or UTV. You don’t have to spray the whole canopy, because the flies are attracted to the bait.”

Protection of the Ralli Seedless We pride ourselves on the high quality that Ralli Seedless have come to be known for.

We’ve received many enquiries about the availability of Ralli Seedless vines and cuttings from next year - once its PBR protection expires.

It’s important that industry members understand that this expiry does not put G & I Ralli & Sons Pty Ltd’s (“G & I Ralli”) rights in the Ralli Seedless vines into public domain.

All Ralli Seedless vines that are in the possession of nurseries or growers have been supplied by G & I Ralli (or else are illegal), which has never sold the rights of ownership of any Ralli Seedless vines, cuttings or plant material and has only granted leases or licences to the right to grow or propagate fruit from such vines, cuttings or plant material.

The PBR expiry next year does not change the fact that all of those vines, cuttings and plant material are still the property of G & I Ralli. Any person who attempts to deal with them in a way inconsistent with our company’s property rights will be pursued to the fullest extent permitted by law.

We welcome all enquiries pertaining to the supply of Ralli Seedless vines, cuttings or plant material.

Please contact: Joe Ralli joe@ralliseedless.com.au m: 0427 375 625

Anyone parting with possession of Ralli Seedless vines, cuttings and plant material or purporting to sell or lease the same, without our company’s prior written approval, or in any other way to deal with them free of our company’s rights and not subject to our prior approval will be, in effect, dealing with our company’s property illegally. Our company would, in such circumstances, be entitled to take court action whether a private prosecution under the criminal law for theft or under the civil law for conversion and it will not hesitate to do so if necessary.

VINE MAGAZINE 31

PROCESSING & MARKETING

Future bright - rain, hail or shine AU ST RA L I A N P R EM I U M D R I ED F R U I TS

After a challenging 2020, dealing with COVID-19 and all the uncertainty it created, we thought we were heading towards a very solid 2021 with some terrific growth.

That was until the very first evening of 2021 when a very isolated and extremely severe hailstorm went through the 2200-acre Golden Dried Fruits property in Nangiloc. The hail – as large as tennis balls – persisted for 20 minutes and was coupled with up to 100mm of rain.

Shannon Sharp and his team did an extraordinary job to start turning around the Advinco property (now called GDF Kulkyne) since taking over the lease on 1 July , while the GDF Sunrise property was also looking promising for a strong season.

We are absolutely amazed at the positive attitude of GDF staff since the great disappointment of the hailstorm. The main effort now is to get the cane growth needed for a crop result in 2022 (15 months away!).

This positive attitude with a longer view for the future is replicated throughout the entire APDF business.

We are obviously upset by the crop loss at Nangiloc, but the long-term projections for 14,000-plus tonnes from the entire grower base means we are remarkably busy preparing and optimistic for the future.

We remain completely committed to working with our existing grower partners and introducing new growers to help grow our own (and industry) volumes to a scale where the industry has a bigger global presence. We are convinced there is a place for a highly efficient and productive dried grape industry in Australia. It’s an opportunity and challenge we are excited to make a success.

As with all agricultural crops, dried

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grape production comes with climatic risk, so the events of 1 January at Nangiloc are unfortunately part of the journey. Hopefully Mother Nature can be a little kinder in the coming months and years so we don’t see this scale of devastation again anytime soon. But whatever she wants to throw at us, we are ready and will be in this great industry for an exceedingly long time.

Market update This year’s grower prices are affected by a separate set of dynamics compared to 2020. The major issue of 2020 was water supply and unsustainable prices. We felt it necessary to support the growing district in such difficult circumstances, so a water support payment of $200 per tonne of fruit was added to last year’s base prices. Good rains in catchment areas over the past six to nine months have seen pressure on water pricing ease, however, now market conditions created by the impacts of COVID-19 have become the dominating factor in the 2021 pricing offer.

Due to the very small production volume of Australian dried grapes, the entire industry still has strong demand for the crop, so selling the 2021 crop is not a major risk. The risk this year will be the price range we can achieve from customers as global prices are much lower than 12 months prior.

As usual, we can only sell certain qualities into premium export markets and this is mainly dictated by the weather at harvest. The balance is sold to domestic customers for retail and manufacturing products. Export markets still offer a premium price to the domestic market, so we aim to export as much volume as possible to take advantage of these premiums.

Since the 2020 harvest, the Australian dollar has firmed substantially (15–25 per cent), which makes our prices more

expensive to most markets without any increase in price to APDF. Coupled with this, we have seen some bigger crops and/or lower sales volumes from the major producing origins of Turkey, USA, Iran and South Africa to name a few, which has seen their prices soften (10–20 per cent on average) from the same period a year prior.

The uncertainty created in many countries due to COVID-19 has also seen a more conservative consumer that currently buys less of the premium or luxury food items. This has seen some of our key markets consume less dried grapes and it’s something we are cautious of for the coming selling season.

We are fully aware that without growers supplying our factory we do not have a business, so we will always act fairly with our pricing decisions to support the strong relationships we currently have with them. Strong yields and consistent quality will always offer the best return for a grower, no matter what the season. Therefore, we hope our fair prices coupled with good farming results will continue to offer a long-term sustainable industry for us all.

We wish all growers the best of luck for harvest and look forward to receiving some strong volumes in coming weeks and months.v Enquiries: Grower liaison officer Larry Dichiera | 0408 054 517 larry@apdf.com.au

PROCESSING & MARKETING

Focus on quality S U N B E A M F O O D S & A N G AS PA R K

The last 12 months have seen a dramatic upheaval across the world as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

Changes have been made to our everyday lives, but overall the dried fruits industry has operated with minimal disruption to production, processing and marketing and increased sales have reflected the reliability, stability and healthy image in the consumer’s eyes.

Dried vine fruit With the uncertainty around group gatherings and interstate border restrictions, we decided not to hold our January grower functions. Instead, we updated growers on company and industry news in our seasonal information pack and regular field officer visits.

An even budburst and berry set established a very good crop across most varieties, while winter and spring rainfall increased water allocations and stable temperatures put the vines in excellent condition through to harvest.

The La Niña weather pattern was a positive for the growing season but became a concern towards harvest.

2020 quality awards Sunbeam’s All Australian 18 Quality Awards have been awarded since 2010 and each year we recognise the best of the best of our suppliers, who have supplied high grade, contaminant-free, free flowing dried grapes. Suppliers from various property sizes with high yields are recognised, with our five best performers awarded “best on ground” for their outstanding achievements and 13 suppliers completing the 18 team members selected.

Congratulations to all 2020 award winners!

Best on ground performers: - AD & CF Dichiera - Grapeland Pty Ltd (S Costantino) - J & J Hunt - P Liakos - Sunraysia Institute of TAFE

2020 team members: - C & D Batty - K & K Finnemore - TJ & BJ George - R & E Kennedy - DP Langdon - J & J Lory - Nicholls Mildura Trust - T & L Palamara - J & MG Paradiso - V & T Primarano - Quible Pty Ltd (R & M Burton) - D & N Smith - G & D Tiller 2020 export award: Since 2012 we have awarded a $5000 cash prize to the supplier who delivers the best export quality sultanas or Sunmuscats. In 2020, Grapeland Pty Ltd (Sam Costantino) was selected to receive the export award for their high quality Sunmuscats. Congratulations to Sam and his business on this exceptional achievement.

Yield improvement award In 2018, we introduced the Sunbeam Yield Improvement Program Award to recognise one of the most important aspects of production – increasing yield to maximise returns. Our field officers are working with suppliers to implement management practices to maximise yield potential. Congratulations to SS Gill (Bobby Gill) who received the 2020 Yield Improvement Program award for the improvement to his four-hectare patch of reworked poorly performing sultanas to Sunmuscats. By following a program that included close monitoring of nutrition and irrigation requirements, the first production crop achieved over seven tonnes per hectare and is projected for further increase this season.

weather pattern has created harvesting concerns as above average rainfall was experienced in late January and early February.

2020 Prune Quality Awards We introduced our Angas Park Prune Quality Awards in 2015 to recognise our best producers of optimum sized, high quality, free flowing, efficiently graded and efficiently processed prunes, which meet our customers’ requirements. Our outstanding achievers for 2020 were: - A & G Delves (Allan & Grant Delves) - Paeco Pty Ltd (Peter & Liz Cremasco) - Palatic Pty Ltd (Frank & Lucy De Rossi)

Dried tree fruit There were a number of significant challenges this dried tree fruit season.

The lack of labour available for harvesting and processing required continual recruitment efforts while the fruit fly outbreak prior to Christmas caused some dramatic changes to harvest and fruit movements. At the end of the day, most of the fruit got harvested and dried and the quality and size that has been delivered to Angas Park is very good. The dried peaches delivered are also very good quality and Angas Park has received increased enquiries of late. v Enquiries: Supply manager dried fruit David Swain | 0407 834 044 Field officer (including SA) Alan Lister | 0409 437 801 Field officer Gary Simpson | 0429 960 234 Dried tree fruit operations manager (Loxton) Luke Fitzsimmons | 0431 894 515

Prunes Our annual Angas Park grower function couldn’t be held due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, which was disappointing as it’s always a great opportunity to get our suppliers together before the frantic harvest period.

The trees have responded well to the winter/spring rains and going into harvest they were showing a good crop of good size plums. The La Niña

VINE MAGAZINE 33

PROCESSING & MARKETING

Innovate to regenerate MU RRAY R I V ER O R G A N I C S

At Murray River Organics we know that to stay ahead we need to stay in touch with the wants and needs of our customers. That’s why we keep moving forward with innovation and product development. We believe consistent betterment is our differentiator.

We’ve been growing organic dried vine-fruit for more than 10 years, but that hasn’t stopped us from continuing to better ourselves and our offering, evolving as our customers do.

We are constantly striving to do better by people and planet, driving innovation to improve taste and nutrition and to protect the natural environment as we move towards a sustainable future for everyone.

And innovation is not just what we do, it’s also how we sell.

We are under no illusions that our success depends on the customers who decide to board the MRO train and ride with us as their preferred carrier of organic pantry products.

And while we might have hooked them in with our delicious own-grown organic sultanas, that’s not what will keep them engaged in our brand for years to come.

Consumers, or “people” as we like to call them, are continually evolving in their preferences. Life happens, values change, and we’re not so stuck in our ways to think that our product will retain its relevance without even a little spruce up along the way.

The events of the last 12 months, with COVID-19 impacts being felt around the globe, is the perfect example of rapid change in the consumer space.

The global pandemic has brought with it an opportunity to showcase the

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value of organics to our community and food ecosystem. Consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious and are demanding cleaner foods, free from chemicals. They still want good taste, but in the most natural and simple form possible.

As reports begin to roll in across the board in Australia we’re seeing a momentous shift towards health and wellbeing among other interesting trends including uptake of fromscratch baking and an increase in “health tribe” affiliations such as plant-based and veganism.

In a recent snapshot prepared by Davidson Branding, we saw that “46 per cent of Australians try to buy food that is free of additives” and “globally 81 per cent of consumers believe short and simple ingredients lists are important”.

More and more we’re seeing customers checking the back of packs and researching before they buy to ensure they’re choosing the best, most nutritious products for themselves and their dependants. It’s no longer enough to claim an “all-natural” stance.

Customers want validation that their products are truly as good as they say they are on the front-of-pack.

Consumer trends are vast and varied, but we don’t limit ourselves only to the prepared reports from others to gather worthwhile information.

We are a customer-centric business, committed to keeping the lines of communication open between us and our MRO shoppers.

It can be a habit of many businesses to push customer feedback to the bottom of the priority list. For us, it’s up there at the top. Without feedback – good or bad – we cannot continue to evolve and develop. Customer enquiries received at MRO are shared between teams and genuine action is taken off the back of them.

Innovation isn’t always about being first, sometimes it’s just about being relevant and being there when a customer needs you. As a business committed to betterment, we believe it is critical that we continue to innovate to regenerate, lest we end up deteriorating by stagnating. v Enquiries: Birol Akdogan bakdogan@murrayriverorganics.com.au

MARKETING

Campaigns and digital gains Campaign promotes life’s little joys Hort Innovation’s domestic marketing plan launched in late November for the 2020/21 season.

Promoting the idea that table grapes “bring a bunch of joy to any occasion”, Hort Innovation’s marketing team aims to reposition table grapes as a “healthy and fun fruit which can be enjoyed on any occasion”.

Previously, consumer behaviour had seen table grapes replaced with other fruits such as bananas, apples, berries and mangoes, while awareness of inseason varieties was low.

The domestic campaign aims to address this, creating a positive perception of table grapes as a fruit to be consumed at any time, and will attempt to encourage more frequent repeat purchasing across the entire season.

Directed toward older couples and singles (45–60-year-olds), the national and bespoke Western

Australian campaigns feature a series of videos and static images, with targeted placement on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

One 15-second hero video featured across social media and digital advertising is supplemented by three 6-second short videos, three recipes shared on social channels, and static image posts, all at different stages in the campaign, peaking in January/ February.

The domestic campaign concludes at the end of March, tacking on an additional export variety shoot in February to develop content for use across the 2021 export marketing campaign.

Hort Innovation’s table grape marketing activities are funded by the table grape marketing levy. For more information on the fund and strategic levy investment visit horticulture.com.au

ATGA launches new website The australiangrapes.com.au URL received a face lift last year.

ATGA’s main objectives included improving user experience through added accessibility, functionality, level of information for levy payers and other stakeholders.

The redesign features information on production and business for growers, market intelligence and trade, Hort Innovation and other projects, information for consumers, buyers and importers, news, tools, and much more.

Further industry consultation will be done in the months following the website’s launch to ensure it is fit for purpose and contains all relevant information.

The website also hosts the industry’s 2021 Table Grape Exporter Directory, which provides a snapshot of the Australian table grape industry and features more than 40 growers and exporters.

VINE MAGAZINE 35

OUTLOOK

Horticulture in focus I N D U ST RY L OO KS TO 2 0 2 1 & B EYO N D

Hort Innovation Horticulture is the third largest sector within Australian agriculture and comprises fruit, vegetables, nuts, flowers, turf and nursery products. The industry is labour intensive and mostly seasonal, contributing significantly to the prosperity of people living in rural and regional Australia.

There are some 10,500 businesses located in every state and territory, nationally employing 61,800 Australians with a total farm gate value of $14.4 billion. The industry has a domestic and international reputation for producing quality products due to our high standards across all stages of the supply chain, from farm to consumer.

alone, horticulture’s average compound annual growth in value terms has been 5.6 per cent, or a total of 31 per cent.

A not-for-profit, grower-owned research and development corporation for Australia’s $14.4 billion horticulture industry, Hort Innovation invests around $110 million in research, development and marketing projects annually to provide benefit to industry and the wider community.

Horticulture is projected to be the fastest growing agricultural sector to 2030, with total growth of 33.1 per cent from 2017/18 to 2029/30. In the last five years

Table grapes The ripple effect of COVID-19 and less than favourable seasonal conditions are set to produce a tough and challenging year for the table grape industry.

Weather events have triggered a decline in production and quality of some new varieties.

COVID-19 has had an impact on most countries, particularly Asian markets. On the whole, consumer confidence is lower post-COVID, leading to reduced consumer spending and decreased consumer demand for fresh fruit – and export conditions are extremely stringent.

While some growers will be insulated from the brunt of international and state border closures, many will be affected in some way by the labour shortage.

Although it might be a difficult year, securing the industry’s first extension project, and recruiting an industry development team to aid growers in their best practice management, is a positive achievement.

Focusing on protocols and improving best practices provides an opportunity to consolidate and progress industry in areas traditionally lacking.

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Dried grapes Demand for Australian dried grapes remains strong in both the domestic and export markets. With new investment entering the dried grape industry, and new technologies being implemented to assist productivity, the industry is keen to facilitate further growth to meet increasing demand.

Representatives from DFA, Hort Innovation, the Strategic Investment Advisory Panel, processors and growers met in January to focus on future needs for research and development. Identifying and prioritising R&D will enable the development of new efficiencies across the entire industry. There will be further trials this year with the mechanisation of winter pruning. With a prototype already in place, and researchers from La Trobe University assisting, this should prove to an extremely beneficial innovation.

Promotion of dried grapes as a healthy food will also be a priority in 2021. High in fibre and low in glycaemic index, DFA will work with Hort Innovation in delivering this message to the public.

OUTLOOK

Prunes The outlook for the Australian prune industry this season is positive.

At the time of writing, growers are preparing to begin the 2021 harvest with the crop estimated to be 2500 tonnes – only marginally lower than the 10 year average of 2700t. Quality is excellent and fruit size is large, which should provide the basis for growers to achieve good returns.

Market reports indicate domestic prune consumption is on the rise. While COVID-19 may have helped promote consumption of prunes, social distancing restrictions have limited APIA’s on-the-ground promotion activities.

Promotion efforts are currently focused on social media posts and the website redevelopment project, with additional activities to be actioned as COVID restrictions are lifted.

Communications and extension will continue through regular e-news instalments. Yenda Producers will coordinate a couple of field events when possible.

Citrus

Almonds The almond industry will produce a record crop in 2021, with 123,400 tonnes forecast – an increase of 12,000 tonnes.

The global almond price fell during 2020 due to California’s tonnage increasing 18 per cent over the previous year, but it is clearing rapidly with monthly shipment rates running well ahead of the supply increase percentage leading to a firming market.

Australian exports of the 2020 crop were hindered by the pandemic, with logistics impacted as the world came to terms with the virus. The later months of 2020 saw record monthly shipments to export markets and strong domestic market growth. Heavy investment in consumer promotion and new retail food products using almonds as an ingredient, together with strong interest in plantbased meals, are driving increased global consumption of almonds. The health benefits of eating almonds is also a significant factor in their increased consumption, particularly in countries suffering high rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiac health issues.

Summerfruit

A major challenge for the citrus industry in 2021 is securing a seasonal workforce for harvest. Citrus Australia has been working with state and federal government and the relevant departments to clearly express the urgency of the situation and demand solutions.

The Australian summerfruit (stonefruit) industry is an important sector of Australian horticulture with an:

Demand for all citrus – both domestic and export – was strong in 2020 due to the quality of fruit and we expect similar demand this season. Our growers continue to adopt new management techniques and invest in infrastructure to maintain their place as the world’s premium producer.

- export value (2018/19) of $89 million

Citrus Australia successfully completed a $200,000 trial of traceability technology for citrus exports last year which saw more than 400,000kg of premium fruit traced and verified from Mildura orchards through to international retail markets. Fruit was scanned at over 50 retail and wholesale locations by overseas consumers, allowing them to verify that the fruit is a genuine Victorian product and to view the journey from “tree to table”.

- annual farmgate value of $461 million - farmgate investment of $3.69 billion - total annual production of 138,000 tonnes - export (2018/19) of 23,046 tonnes (an industry record) - estimated 800 growers across all major growing regions of Australia - an estimated 250 growers producing 80 per cent of production.

Summerfruit Australia Limited (SAL) is the industry voice on a national and international level for Australian peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots. It is recognised by government as the peak industry body for growers and works closely with other interested groups, government and supply chain partners to maximise profitability for the industry.

SAL is a communications channel, a lobby group, a provider of technical information and a promoter of stonefruit as a healthy nutritious fruit.

VINE MAGAZINE 37

PROFILE

Profile Adrian Cordoma

Adrian Cordoma is the youngest grower on the ATGA board. As the export manager of Cordoma Group, Adrian has a leading role in growing and sales and, with his marketing experience, he has expanded the family business’s top label in South East Asian markets.

How long have you been in the industry?

I’ve been in the industry about 10 years.

Is the family involved too?

Yeah, both sides of the family are in and around the industry in some way.

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How things have changed over the years?

Increased market access has allowed the industry to become more lucrative, as well as allowing our industry to grow at a rapid rate. It’s been a very productive few years from where I sit.

A lot of family growers have turned into large enterprises and previously large enterprises have turned into cooperative style operations.

Where do you see the industry going?

I feel mainly new hybrid varieties and new growing regions all over the world as well as Australia will mean there is no week of the year grapes will not be over supplied. Therefore brand and quality will be more important for success than beforehand. Also possibly as our costs increase, technology will assist to reduce some grower costs.

What do you love about the industry?

I think it’s nice to be part of an industry that is known on a world stage.

Australian grapes are really demanded on a global scale and I think we are only scratching the surface of our demand so we still have a lot of miles to cover and a lot of future growth.

Is there anything unique that your business or you individually are looking into, in terms of innovation?

Mainly new trellising styles that aren’t traditional to Australia and some agtech automation, which will help reduce some costs hopefully. v

COMMUNITY

Notice board ATGA hosted grower roadshows in Mildura and Robinvale in December to present on new projects and market updates.

Kitchener Partners managing director Tristan Kitchener spoke on the new maturity project, while Aldi’s David Welfare addressed grower questions.

Dried grape industry members Tony Martin, Michael Treeby, Warren Lloyd and Stephen Bennett at DFA’s research and development planning forum in January.

BOARD

Mark King (Chair) Producer, Pomona

David Swain Sunbeam Foods

Warren Lloyd (Deputy Chair)

Grant Leyden Sunbeam Foods

Producer, Irymple

Craig Greenwood

Jenny Treeby Producer, Red Cliffs

Australian Premium Dried Fruits

Stephen Bennett Producer, Merbein

Michael Scalzo

Tony Martin Producer, Merbein

Australian Premium Dried Fruits

Luke Lory Producer, Loxton

Caroline Ayling Murray River Organics

Ashley Johnstone Producer, Irymple

Jeremey Boyd (Chair), Victoria

Adrian Cordoma Victoria

Rocky Mammone (Deputy Chair)

Joe Garreffa New South Wales

David Agg South Australia

Peter Nuich Western Australia

Dominic Sergi Victoria

Mark Leng Queensland

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Your grapes deserve the best Using fresh science to protect fresh produce