Australian Fruitgrower

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CONTENTS
Vol. 8 Issue No. 11
December 2014/January 2015
Australian Fruitgrower
Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) is the
peak industry body representing the interests of
commercial apple and pear growers in Australia in
matters of national importance including regulation,
legislation, marketing, research and development.
Australian Fruitgrower will be published monthly,
except for combined issues in December–January,
to bring industry news to orchardists in Australia.
APAL Chairman’s report
. . . . . . . . . . . . .4
APAL CEO’s report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
ARTICLES
APAL news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
EVENTS
Pome fruit R&D forum . . . . . . . . . . . .10
State Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Granny Smith apple festival . . . . . . . .11
International R&D update . . . . . . . . . .34
INDUSTRY STATISTICS
Wholesale apple price trends . . . . . . .14
Weather and Greg’s Quiz . . . . . . . . . . . .35
PROFILE
Hamish Montague . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Publishers
Apple and Pear Australia Limited
39 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
t: (03) 9329 3511 f: (03) 9329 3522
w: www.apal.org.au
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
Critical time: orchard management . .22
Stop illegal chemical use . . . . . . . . . .25
Managing Editor
PACK SHED MANAGEMENT
The “best” cool room refrigerant . . . .26
Sophie Clayton
Communications Manager, APAL
e: [email protected]
MARKETING
New Aussie Apples campaign . . . . . .28
Technical Editor
Angus Crawford
Online Manager
OUR COVER:
Hamish Montague heads Montague Fresh,
Queensland (see page 18)
EXPORTS
Thai buyers visit Australia . . . . . . . . . .30
Getting mainland apples into China . .32
Richelle Zealley
FROM THE EDITOR
Advertising
The publishers accept no responsibility for the
contents of advertisements. All advertisements are
accepted in good faith and the liability of advertising
content is the responsibility of the advertiser.
Enquiries: Hyde Media
t: (03) 5792 1314
Graphic Design
Vale Graphics
t: 0409 887 706
Copyright
All material in Australian Fruitgrower is copyright.
NO material can be reproduced in whole or in
part without the permission of the publisher.
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy
of contents, APAL accepts no
liability for the information.
Disclaimer
Australian Fruitgrower’s content is intended for
general informational purposes only and may
not be suitable for your particular purposes. In
particular, APAL is not responsible for any
information which is supplied from external sources.
You should obtain independent expert advice if
you are considering relying on any information
published in Australian Fruitgrower. APAL is not
responsible for any loss, damage, cost or expense
incurred by you or any other person as a result of
any error, omission or misrepresentation in the
contents of Australian Fruitgrower.
W
e are very happy to welcome Dr Michele Alan as
the new incoming Chair of the APAL Board and
sadly farewell John Lawrenson who has been a committed
contributor to Australian Fruitgrower. Thanks John.
This issue we have a short, pointed article from APVMA
warning the industry about the manufacture, supply and
use of fake and illegal chemicals. A good reminder to
stay vigilant about only purchasing and using registered
chemicals for your own health and of course to help our industry maintain its impeccable
clean, green and safe standards.
If you’re still using HCFCs as refrigerants for your cool rooms then take a look at Annie
Farrow’s article on choosing refrigerants. A timely reminder because HCFCs will be
phased out by 2016. And Jesse Reader is back to give you a long list of orchard chores
for the Christmas season! But don’t worry – he makes it all sound quite do-able.
We also meet Hamish Montague in our grower profile, get a glimpse of how the Aussie
Apples’ marketing campaign is developing and look at the export situation in Thailand
and China.
Merry Chirstmas everyone and we’ll be back again for the February 2015 issue. In the
meantime, please follow us on twitter @applesnpearsAU for daily news and updates
about our industry.
Sophie Clayton
Edition
Booking and Editorial copy deadline
Ad material deadline
February 2015
3 January 2015
14 January 2015
March 2015
3 February 2015
13 February 2015
APAL would like to thank our partners who provide us with funding and support.
ISSN 1447-5618
www.apal.org.au
AUSTRALIAN FRUITGROWER DECEMBER 2014/JANUARY 2015
03
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
By John Lawrenson
Chairman, APAL
Firstly, congratulations to the government, and to the Hon Andrew Robb, Minister for
Trade and Investment, in particular, for the conclusion of an agricultural-friendly free
trade agreement with China. In our industry this will initially benefit Tasmania as import
tariffs on horticultural produce are phased out over four years. Now the challenge for
us is to get access to the China market for mainland apples so that all growers have the
opportunity to reap the benefits of the FTA.
N
ovember was a busy month with the appointment of
a new Chair, the inauguration of the new R&D body
(Horticulture Innovation Australia – HIA), recommendations
for improved food labelling laws and further lobbying by APAL
on a range of issues.
“
Following an extensive search the APAL Board was delighted to
announce the appointment of Dr Michele Allan as the next APAL
Chair. Michele, who is profiled elsewhere in this issue (see page 7),
was a standout candidate and I have no doubt that with her board
and agriculture experience she is the ideal person to lead APAL over
the coming years. Michele has already been appointed a director
and will take over as chair on 1 January 2015. Welcome Michele.
I mentioned the establishment of HIA in last month’s magazine.
This new company, which is charged with investing and managing
grower R&D and marketing levies, could not have commenced
in a worse fashion as it was unable to operate for the first three
weeks or so of its existence due to government processes not
being completed. This hiatus was a most unfortunate start –
horticulture deserves better. The challenge now is for HIA to outline
how it will communicate with, and take advice from, industry. APAL
has a key role on behalf of the industry and looks forward to
working with HIA to get the best outcomes from levy investments.
Our most recent visit to Canberra included some growers meeting
with Members of Parliament (MPs) and coincided with the release
To say that it has been a privilege is
an understatement: who could not
have found the role to have been
fulfilling, working with a dynamic
industry full of passionate and
committed growers?
04
of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture’s
report on country of origin labelling of food. While not going as
far as we would like, we nevertheless welcome the Committee’s
recommendations for a significant tightening up of labelling laws
so that consumers can readily identify the origin of food they
purchase. MPs were readily supportive of improved labelling and
we hope the government will now act on the recommendations.
I’ve mentioned in recent months the Senate Committee enquiry
into agricultural levies. We have made a detailed submission
(available at www.apal.org.au) and have requested to appear at
one of the public hearings to be held early next year. I can’t stress
enough the importance of this enquiry as its recommendations
may impact on how your levies are raised and managed.
Submissions made to the enquiry are on the www.aph.gov.au
website as are the schedule of public hearings. Thank you to
those growers who have made their own submissions.
This is my last contribution to the Australian Fruitgrower. I have
been a director of APAL for ten years, the last three as your
Chairman, during which time I’ve witnessed considerable change
in the apple and pear industry. To say that it has been a privilege
is an understatement: who could not have found the role to have
been fulfilling, working with a dynamic industry full of passionate
and committed growers? My stint at APAL has been one of the
highlights of my career which, by coincidence, commenced in
the UK horticultural industry where I was fortunate in working
as CEO of a marketing co-operative whose board was in many
ways similar to that of APAL.
As Chairman I have enjoyed working with two highly skilled
CEOs, John Dollisson and Jon Durham, our very professional
staff and a highly supportive Board. Inspiring growers, who are
in abundance, have provided the motivation for me to serve the
industry to the best of my ability. APAL’s role is ever more important
in assisting you in getting the best results from your business. I
wish APAL and the industry every success in the future – I’ll watch
progress with a great deal of interest in retirement. :afg
John Lawrenson
I m: 0417 391 786 I e: [email protected]
www.apal.org.au
FROM THE CEO
Just like Scott Fitzgerald’s quote from the Great Gatsby,
I feel the same about this summer!
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves
growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies,
I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning
over again with the summer.”
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
A
s we ready ourselves for the upcoming harvest and
keep our fingers crossed that the weather is kind with
good rain, but no hail, frosts or excessive heat. And as
we manage the birds and bats so that we produce a profitable
apple and pear crop for 2015, there is change around us.
were heard. APAL will be an active player in the Voice of
Horticulture that will tell the positive stories of horticulture
and represent the industry.
The Abbot government has signed a historic Free Trade Agreement
with China that I believe signals a real embracing of Australia by
China. This means we must redouble our efforts to gain market
access into China for our apples and pears – the world’s best
and safest.
The Minister of Agriculture has signed and approved the new
grower-owned Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd body to
replace Horticulture Australia Limited and we need to step up
and participate to ensure ongoing effective investment of our
levy funds and the matching government funds. Rest assured,
APAL, your grower representative body, will take a very active
role in this regards and we need to change the way we do
business to achieve this.
We have created the Voice of Horticulture, an industry voice to
speak up on behalf of Australian horticulture who seems to get
left behind by the more dominant voices of agriculture such as
the NFF, Meat and Livestock Australia, Dairy Australia, Grain
Producers Australia etc. Horticulture is the biggest employer in
agriculture and is worth in excess of $11 billion at the farm gate
and probably 4-5 times that at retail. It’s time we stood up and
As we cope with this new change we lose one of the great
assets of APAL, our Chairman, John Lawrenson, who retires
at the end of the year after 10 years of service on the Board
and the last three as Chairman. I was fortunate to have known
John 30 years ago in the advertising industry when it was under
significant pressures from government restrictions. When the
industry was asked to step up, John led the charge selflessly,
setting a precedent for other advertising CEOs to follow, and I
am pleased to say, with success. He has not changed and to his
many credits, the Voice of Horticulture has been his baby and he
managed its creation, gestation and now birth.
John leaves a big pair of shoes to fill. But like all good leaders he
does so with the confidence that our new Chair, Dr Michele Allan,
a truly outstanding person with great political, strategic and
governance skills, along with the new and refreshed team at
APAL, are ready to fill his shoes.
John will now start a new well-earned career in photography
and will hopefully enjoy his retirement. He will have time to not
only smell the roses, but also photograph them!
While John’s departure is sad, we welcome the change this
summer. :afg
John Dollisson | t: (03) 9329 3511 | e: [email protected]
www.apal.org.au
05
APAL NEWS
Market trial aims to
Dynamic Control
of Respiration
improve record keeping
C
urrently on trial at Melbourne’s
Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable
Market is a mobile technology
that could replace paper-based plant
health certificates to improve efficiency,
traceability and biosecurity of fresh fruit.
Recently Atmosphere Control
Systems has been able to inform
apple, pear and berry growers from
all over Australia and New Zealand
of Van Amerongen’s next revolution
in CA Storage Control Systems.
VA’s product App|ell is the only
system on the market capable of
automatically measuring respiration
quotient of an entire room of fruit
and automatically adjusting O2 values
at levels safe for long term storage.
App|ell is now in operation in many
commercial stores overseas.
Dynamic CA fruit storage searches
for the lowers possible O2 level, just
above the point where fermentation
starts. Storing at that minimum
O2 level extends the storage period,
reduces the risk of scald and
maintains firmness during shelf life.
In 2010 VA joined a research
project funded by the European
Union to dynamically adapt the O2
concentration in the cold store based
on the real-time fruit’s respiratory
activity. This is called DCR.
With DCR O2 levels of less than 1%
are no problem because the O2 level
will be immediately adjusted if the
first signs of fermentation emerge.
Chris MacTavish,
Atmosphere Controls
t:
m:
m:
f:
e:
06
(03) 9399 8422
0418 999 465
0409 357 302
(03) 9397 8199
[email protected]
Plant Health Certificates are issued in
Victoria by authorised inspectors to show
that plant material (such as fresh fruit
and vegetables) complies with quarantine
conditions specified by another state, before
movement into that state. They may also
be issued for intrastate movement where
quarantine conditions apply to specific
areas within Victoria.
The app will allow all the data to be
saved in one place immediately and
presents the opportunity for businesses to
better capture and store data, improving
billing efficiency.
“Large horticulture growers and
agribusinesses at the Wholesale Fruit
and Vegetable Market who currently
complete paper applications, manage
paper certificates and undertake payments
based on carbon book issued invoices,
could incorporate this technology easily
into their businesses,” said Aimee. :afg
Department of Environment and Primary
Industries (DEPI) Plant Program Manager
Aimee Liston said the newly developed
mobile app could combine several manual
processes into one.
Under the trial, buyers will be able to
enter the necessary information at a
mobile kiosk in the market or approach a
DEPI field officer with a mobile device to
assist them.
A new mobile app is being tested at the
Melbourne Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable
Market to improve the traceability and
biosecurity of fresh fruit.
It’s official: new starts HIA
H
orticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) Limited has now officially commenced
with a new funding agreement with the government in place and its own
constitution.
“This is the beginning of a new era for horticulture, with those who pay production
levies to also become the owners of the new industry services body, as opposed to
the previous governance arrangements in which the former industry services body
was owned by 43 peak industry bodies,” said Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.
The Minister encouraged all growers to become HIA members and said that he was
confident that the new HIA would deliver even greater transparency and accountability
to levy payer owners and give them a real say in how their levy funds are invested as
well as the outcomes they want to achieve for their industries.
HIA Chair Selwyn Snell added, “HIA will work in partnership with Australia’s horticulture
industries to invest more than $100 million in research, development and marketing
programs that provide benefit to industry and the wider community.” :afg
Source: horticulture.com.au and maff.gov.au
www.apal.org.au
APAL NEWS
APAL appoints
new Chair
D
insights to help advance the interests of
apple and pear orchardists.”
r Michele Allan has been
appointed as the new Chair of
Apple and Pear Australia Ltd,
effective 1 January 2015.
Michele is currently the Chair for Meat
and Livestock Australia and a director of
Grain Growers and Tasmanian Irrigation
as well as a number of other agricultural
organisations. She has also had a successful
career as a CEO.
“The APAL Board is very pleased to have
Michele join APAL,” said John. “She
brings with her a wealth of skills in
agriculture, food and research as well
as excellence in governance.”
“Her experience as an independent Chair,
her extensive networks in the agricultural
sector and government as well as her finely
tuned commercial skills and financial nous
will serve the apple and pear industry well.”
“She has a passion for working for growers
and I think she will add valuable leadership
Dr Michele Allan will become the new
APAL Chair on 1 January 2015.
“I look forward to working with the management and Board of APAL,” said
Michele. “The industry has an exciting
future and I look forward to working with
members of the industry.”
APAL directors assisted in the selection
process to recruit Michele that involved a
wide and rigorous executive search Australiawide assisted by a recruitment agency.
Michele replaces John Lawrenson who
has been a Director of APAL since 2005
and Chair since 2011.
The full APAL Board endorsed Michele’s
appointment and have welcomed her to
the position. :afg
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07
APAL NEWS
Taiwanese delegation
visits Australia
T
aiwan’s Institute of Economic Research (TIER) and Council
of Agriculture visited Australia in October to gain a better
understanding of Australia’s fruit industries.
Hosted by the Office of Horticultural Market Access, the Taiwan
delegation met with APAL’s Industry Services Manager Annie Farrow.
“Exploring possible business opportunities and cooperation
with Australian fruit farmers to learn about variety licensing
and contract cultivation was another key area of interest for
researchers from TIER,” says Annie. “For example, TIER has
looked at the Pink Lady™ model extensively which they may
wish to apply to some fruits that are grown in Taiwan.” :afg
“Mainland Australia lost access to export pome fruit to Taiwan
in 2006 when the Taiwanese Government banned imports of
all commodities listed as hosts to Queensland fruit fly,” explains
Annie. “Australia lodged an application to regain access in 2012
and we await advice on the progress of that application.”
Taiwan represents a good market for Australian apples, pears
and nashi because consumers purchase a lot of fruit and the
volume of imported fruit continues to climb. Taiwanese people
consume 127kg of fresh fruit per person per year – making
them among the largest fruit consumers in the world.
Moreover, in 2013, Taiwan imported 144,127 tonnes of apples
and 10,740 tonnes of pears.
The Taiwanese delegation visiting Australia to better understand
Australia’s horticultural industries.
Tasmania inks China-Australia FTA
MOU with China
T
he China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will see the tariff on
Australian apples decrease from 10 per cent to zero over four years.
asmania has strengthened its export
ties with China through a memoriam of
understanding (MOU) with China’s Shaanxi
province. Chinese President Xi Jinping was on hand
to witness the signing on his visit to the state.
T
“We commend the government on the pending China FTA that will put
Australian apples on par with our strongest competitors, Chile and New
Zealand, both of whom secured FTAs with China some years ago,” says
APAL’s Industry Services Manager Annie Farrow, who also represents the
industry on the Office of Horticultural Market Access.
The agreement will have a particular focus on
supporting the growth of Tasmania’s fresh fruit
export industry. Tasmanian growers are set to
benefit from the exchange of industry specific skills
and technologies, facilitated visits between relevant
government departments, and the enhanced
communication between state and province.
“Australian apples are automatically 10 per cent more expensive than
apples from Chile or New Zealand. This just adds to the burden because
we are already a high cost producer because we pay much higher wage
rates than in competing nations.”
And in related news, Tasmania’s Reid Fruits,
which exports cherries to China, has welcomed
Chinese investment company Jinsheng Group
as a shareholder. Jinsheng will invest millions in
developing cherry orchards across the state. :afg
Source: fruitnet.com and abc.net.au
08
The FTA Declaration of Intent was signed during the visit of Chinese
President Xi Jinping to Australia on 17 Nov 2014. Now the legal texts,
translation and domestic treaty approval processes will take place with
the FTA expected to be signed in 2015 when the first reduction of 2.5
percentage points will occur.
Only apples from Tasmania can be exported to China because it is the only
state that retains a fruit fly free status. The FTA also applies to pears. However,
APAL has not yet lodged an application for pear exports into China. :afg
Source: dfat.gov.au
www.apal.org.au
APAL NEWS
Growers head to
NEWS
SNIPPETS
Parliament House
Buy local
R
APAL is supporting SPC Ardmona and
other industry bodies including the
VFF, the Australian Food and Grocery
Council, and AusVeg in calling on the
Victorian government to source food
for its departments and agencies from
local growers.
epresentatives of Australia’s apple
and pear industry including APAL
and growers visited Canberra in
October to update Senators and Members
of Parliament (MPs) on key industry issues.
The Liberal Dialogue in Horticulture lunch,
organised by the Member for Casey Tony
Smith, was a highlight of the visit. It was
attended by a small but influential group
of backbenchers interested in the fruit,
vegetable, nut and nursery industries.
At the lunch, APAL showcased Pink Lady™
apples because it was West Australian born,
was the first fruit/vegetable to have a
trademark, extracts a premium in overseas
countries, and is an internationally
recognised brand.
Greg Mouat, APAL Director NSW,
acknowledged that the attendance of
Melinda Hashimoto, Horticulture Advisor
to Minister Joyce was also significant.
Growers were very grateful of the time
that she spent with them afterwards,
listening carefully to a range of views
across a number of issues.
As part of the event, APAL’s John
Lawrenson, John Dollisson and Annie
Farrow joined with the growers to meet
around 24 MPs and ministerial advisors.
The current Senate inquiry into the R&D
levy was a key issue, with the delegation
stressing the importance of matched
government funding and keeping the
apple and pear levy siloed rather than
forming a basket of all horticulture
commodity levies.
Delegates commended the government
on progressing the Free Trade Agreements,
but advised MPs that tariff reductions
were only beneficial if market access was
granted and if phytosanitary protocols are
commercially viable. The country of origin
labelling laws were raised and APAL
indicated initial broad support for the
findings of the House of Representatives
Agricultural Committee Report.
APAL would like to thank the NSW
growers who participated in the event:
Greg Mouat, John Power, James Oag,
Barney Hyams and Ian Cathals from
Batlow; Joanne and John Fahey of Darkes
Forrest Joe Caltabiano, Ian Pearce, and
Ralph Wilson from Orange. APAL also
acknowledges the support given by the
Batlow Co-operative who provided several
cases of Pink Lady™ apples for the lunch.
:afg
Orchard spray guide
A revised ‘Pome and stone fruit
orchard spray guide’ for 2014-15 has
been released by the Department of
Agriculture and Food, WA.
It provides comprehensive information
on integrated pest management, and
crop protection products and use for
orchardists.
Source: agric.wa.gov.au
Flying fox strategy
NSW’s new Flying Fox Management
Strategy will allow land managers to
use noise, water, smoke and light to
disperse bats, and remove vegetation.
This is on top of the extended netting
subsidy that will meet half the cost of
installing netting, which is available
until 30 June 2016. Orchardists can
also apply to get shooting licenses in
rural areas.
Source: environment.nsw.gov.au
Exotic fruit flies
A global research effort has revealed
that the Oriental fruit fly, the Philippine
fruit fly, the Invasive fruit fly and the
Asian Papaya fruit fly are actually the
same species. Combining the four
species will mean a major reassessment
of Australia’s exotic fruit fly risk.
Meanwhile, a cost-benefit analysis by
ABARES has shown the amount spent
on detecting and eradicating fruit fly
and other exotic pests in the Torres
Strait Islands is worth every cent.
Source abc.net.au
APAL’s John Dollisson talks to parliamentarians and their advisors about Pink Lady™ apples at
the Liberal Dialogue in Horticulture lunch.
www.apal.org.au
@applesnpearsau
09
EVENTS
Stome and pome fruit
research and development forum
By Angus Crawford
Apple and pear growers met with
scientists at the Regional Stone and Pome
Fruit R&D Forum in Tatura, Victoria, to hear
about the latest research and development
for the industry.
T
he forum had a strong technical focus with 45 growers
attending, as well as a range of industry service providers
including local and interstate agronomists and scientists.
It was a great opportunity to hear about the R&D activities of
the Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Victoria
(DEPI) and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), and engage
directly with scientists.
Each presenter was given 15 minutes to present, allowing a
large number of topics to be covered. DEPI also hosted an outside
session with an orchard walk through their experimental pear
and stone fruit blocks demonstrating the different rootstocks
and intensive training system experiments.
DEPI researchers took the main stage presenting Integrated Pest
and Disease Management with research in bio-control in Codling
Moth, bio-control of Woolly Apple Aphid, improved trapping
methods of Codling Moth and black spot modelling. On the
topic of irrigation, DEPI’s Ian Goodwin presented methods on
how to estimate tree water use of both apples and pears based
on measuring the effective area of shade and evapotranspiration.
The day also covered fruit quality improvement and consistency
as well as managing climate variability and extreme heat.
A session on improving orchard performance featured TIA
researcher Sally Bound, who discussed Artificial Spur Extinction
as a management tool to improve crop load management and
partitioning of resources early in the season. Artificial Spur
Extinction is a process of calculating an appropriate target floral
spur density and then physically removing the excess floral buds
to achieve an optimal crop load. This process usually occurs in
winter and saves vast amounts of tree reserves by not having to
support excess fruit, which eventually would be removed anyway.
“
Not to be outshone, Nigel Swarts, also from TIA, presented
the research findings from the apple fertigation and irrigation
management trials that show the effect of the rate, timing and
longevity of nitrogen fertigation on yield and fruit quality. Nigel
is clearly passionate about his work, presenting a highly detailed
account of his research showing how slight treatment changes
affect fruit colour and size.
The highlight of the forum was the high calibre of the questions,
indicating that people had a really good understanding of the topics.
Most of the research presented on the day was the result of
the successfully managed Productivity, Irrigation, Pests and Soils
(PIPS) program led by Dugald Close at TIA. Starting in 2009,
PIPS brings together multiple projects and disciplines under a
single project. It is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia
Limited (formerly HAL) and supported by APAL. :afg
The highlight of the forum was
the high calibre of the questions,
indicating that people had a really
good understanding of the topics.
10
www.apal.org.au
EVENTS
Festival celebrates
Granny Smith apples
UPCOMING
EVENTS
APAL Board meeting
Melbourne, VIC
9 Dec 2014
SmartFresh™ for pears
Tatura, VIC
10 Dec 2014
Before Pink Lady™ apples, Australia already had its very
own apple – the ‘Granny Smith’ apple – which is celebrated
every year in its ‘home’ in NSW.
T
he annual Granny Smith Festival is held every October in Eastwood, NSW, by
the City of Ryde to celebrate the life and legacy of one of its district’s most
famous citizens, Maria Ann Smith – aka Granny Smith. Back in 1868, Granny
Smith ‘accidentally’ grew the first batch of little green apples that bear her name and
are now grown all over the world.
The Granny Smith Festival began in 1985 and is now regarded as one of Sydney’s
largest street festivals, a true community carnival, full of colour and good old fashioned
fun. The 2014 event attracted over 80,000 people and was supported by local businesses,
sporting and service organisations, schools and the wider community.
The event is supported by Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd (HIA) through the
Aussie Apples marketing program. :afg
Innovation and leadership event
Tatura, VIC
11 Dec 2014
New research proposals due for
National Fruit Fly R, D & E
12 Dec 2014
Horticulture: the next generation
free online training
Last day to register: 19 Dec 2014
Australia Business Week in India
11-15 Jan 2015
APAL New Horizons Scholarship
Applications close:16 Jan 2015
Photos from the 2014 Granny Smith Festival.
Deborah Pendell’s commended photo from
the 2014 ‘Pink Lady® Apple a Day’ category.
Pink Lady™ Food Photographer of
the Year
Entries due: 8 Feb 2015
More event info:
apal.org.au/events
We want to know about your
local events for fruit growers!
Please submit your events to
[email protected] to get listed
here and on APAL’s website.
www.apal.org.au
11
S TAT E R O U N D U P
State Associations
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Pome West
t: (08) 9368 3869
www.fruitwest.org.au
NEW SOUTH WALES
NSW Farmers Association
t: (02) 8251 1700
www.nswfarmers.org.au
New South Wales
NSW growers joined APAL in Canberra and welcomed the flying
fox management strategy, while Orange City Council sets up
improved accommodation for fruit pickers.
QUEENSLAND
Growcom
t: (07) 3620 3844
www.growcom.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
SA Apple & Pear Growers
Association
t: (08) 8389 8300
[email protected]
TASMANIA
Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc
t: (03) 6231 1944
www.fruitgrowerstas.com.au
VICTORIA
Fruit Growers Victoria,
t: (03) 5825 3700
www.fgv.com.au
A few people from NSW
went along to a luncheon in
Canberra this month to meet
with Federal Ministers. The
feedback was that these
individuals were well received.
However, they believed it may
have been more beneficial to
in fact speak with the advisers
as opposed to the ministers
themselves.
Orange has been experiencing
a shortage in camping facilities
available for seasonal pickers.
It is great to see Orange City
Council being pro-active in
making available another
60 camping sites, which
equates to 150 seasonal
workers being accommodated.
Well done.
It is also good to see the
state government releasing its
new flying fox strategy. In a
nutshell, councils should be
able to move flying foxes,
especially if they become a
nuisance or danger to residents.
What is more rewarding, is
the acknowledgment from
our local Member of
Parliament, Mr Andrew Gee.
In his words: “Thank you
to our local orchardists for
leading the state in the
formulation of this policy.
You’ve done extraordinarily
well!”
Finally, we would like to
extend our best wishes to
John Lawrence in his retirement.
Guy Gaeta
Communication Officer,
NSW Farmers Association
www.apal.org.au/
about-apal/our-partners
12
www.apal.org.au
S TAT E R O U N D U P
Queensland
drier years have
experienced since records
began in 1885. Coming off
Queensland growers are gearing up for
the back of a dry 2013, farm
what looks like a very dry and hot season.
with all orchards looking to
water storages are very low,
irrigate strategically, while still
maintaining fruit size.
Conditions on the Granite
Belt in the last few months
have been very similar to this
time last year with very warm,
dry conditions persisting. The
spring months this year have
been very dry with no relief
in sight. Since this time last
season only 442mm of rainfall
has fallen at Applethorpe
while temperature records
have been broken. Only six
South Australia
Dry conditions prevail in SA with
growers irrigating ahead of time. And
congratulations to all newly elected
committee members of APGASA.
After a wet winter where
most water storages and soil
profiles were filled, we have
gone through a very dry
spring period which has
rapidly depleted subsoil
moisture reserves. Growers
have begun watering much
earlier than the last few years
and are facing a long irrigation
season ahead. Fruit set
appears to be quite strong,
although variable between
varieties, so it will be important
for growers to keep on top of
their water management to
achieve good fruit size.
Fruit set across the district has
improved on the last season
with considerable thinning
to be done in ‘Fuji’ and Pink
Lady™ apples.
South Australian growers
and industry supporters were
thrilled with Lenswood apple
grower Robert Green being
announced as 2014 Farmer
of the Year. It was a terrific
recognition of his meticulous
growing practices and importantly, great for the profile of
our industry.
Congratulations also to Ashley
Green, Carey Schultz, Michael
Stafford, Tony Ceravolo,
Matthew Flavell, Damian
McArdle and Jody Schultz,
who were all re-elected to their
positions as committee members
of the Apple and Pear Growers
Association of South Australia
Local researchers recently
benefitted from visits of
overseas pome fruit specialists
from South Africa and Italy.
The South Africans in
particular were struck by the
similarities of some of the
issues facing apple producers
in both countries.
Peter Nimmo
Research Station Leader,
Applethorpe Research
Station, Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry, Queensland
at our recent Annual General
Meeting. Ashley Green will
continue on in his role as
Chairman. The committee
has worked hard and shown
strong industry leadership
over the past two years.
For so long we having been
hoping for rain. At last, we
have received some with
60mm falling at the end of
October. Just as well, for we
are now busy starting to
irrigate. Hopefully, we will
get some more soon.
Susie Green
CEO
SA Apple and Pear Growers
Association
SA fruit growers have been irrigating their orchards early this year to mitigate dry conditions.
www.apal.org.au
13
I N D U S T R Y S TAT I S T I C S
Melbourne wholesale apple
price trends – what do they
tell us?
By Charley Xia
By analysing the Melbourne wholesale prices of apples, Charley Xia explores how
understanding historic price data could help growers improve returns.
T
he Melbourne Wholesale Fruit Vegetable and Flower
Market is used by grower, wholesaler and retail businesses
with more than 7,000 individuals trading on the site
daily. Each week, the prices for a 12kg carton of apples and a
13kg carton of pears are collected by Fruit Growers Victoria and
passed on to APAL. By analysing a historical time series of apple
prices since 2008 we have looked for statistical patterns and
regularities. APAL may look at pear pricing later.
opposed to monthly highs or lows, which ensures better statistical
properties of our estimates.
We focused on the four major apple varieties: ‘Fuji’, ‘Royal
Gala’, Pink Lady™ and ‘Granny Smith’, which together account
for 75% of Woolworths’ apple sales within any particular season.
We tracked three components of interest:
Apples
Historical monthly prices exist for ‘Fuji’, ‘Golden Delicious’,
‘Granny Smith’, Pink Lady™, ‘Red Delicious’, ‘Royal Gala’,
‘Sundowner’ and Jazz™ from January 2008 to October 2014.
The analysis presented here is concentrated on average prices as
• Trend: acts as an anchor around which realised prices fluctuate.
• Seasonality: is governed by the calendar month, because
there are periodic patterns in price premiums and deficits
depending on the month.
• Cycle: can be described as irregular patterns and cycles that
can impact on short- to medium-term prices.
Figure 1: Wholesale prices per 12kg carton broken into trend, seasonality and cycle for the four main apples.
u
14
www.apal.org.au
u
A word of warning is that the pricing data is from the Melbourne
Market (which may not be reflective of other wholesale markets
nor major supermarkets), and therefore most of the insights
discussed here may only apply to that particular market. The
methodology of analysing trend, season and cycle is universal, and
can be applied to any pricing dataset. In this regard, the study
here is a template for growers to think about maximising returns.
Price components
The trend, season and cycle of each apple is shown in Figure 1.
Some immediate features of these graphs show that realised
prices fluctuate closely to the trend, while the seasonality prices
have regular patterns, which are repeated every year. Cycles are
very regular for ‘Fuji’ and ‘Royal Gala’, but are harder to identify
for Pink Lady™ and ‘Granny Smith’.
Trend
Growers making new planting decisions, need to consider the
cost of production, yield and potential future prices of each type
of apple. The pricing trend (Figure 2) is an indicator of potential
future prices, since there is a tendency for prices to revert back
to a trend.
For growers supplying into the Melbourne Market, ‘Fuji’ has the
longest period as the variety with the top trend price. ‘Royal Gala’s
trend price in the Melbourne Market seems to fluctuate less
than ‘Fuji’ and Pink Lady™, with a peak realised in January 2011
at approximately $36 per carton and a trough realised in July
2012 at approximately $26 per carton. Pink Lady™ has the
most volatile prices overall in the Melbourne Market, and this is
captured in its trend component. ‘Granny Smith’ has the lowest,
but most stable prices, of the four major apples in the Melbourne
Figure 2: Long term trend prices for the four main apples.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Market, but as growers will know, typically it has a higher yield
than the other varieties.
Seasonality
There are regular price premiums and deficits in each calendar
month, which is captured by the seasonality (Figure 3). Growers
looking for a month to sell during the year will give considerations
to date of harvest, cost of packing and storage, transportation
costs and sales price.
In terms of patterns in monthly sales price in the Melbourne
Market, seasonality affects ‘Royal Gala’ and Pink Lady™ the most,
with premiums of up to $13 per carton in March and deficits of
$7 per carton in October for Pink Lady™, and a $9 per carton
premium in January and a $4 per carton deficit in June for
‘Royal Gala’. Generally across the four apples, the premiums are
paid at the tail-end of seasons due to supply shortages and for
new seasonal harvests.
Cycle
A cycle consists of an expansion phase from trough to peak plus
a contraction phase from peak to trough, that is, a trough to
trough measurement (Figure 4). Cycles act irregularly on prices
and are a main driver of price volatility in the system. The causes
of cycles are difficult to identify, but factors such as biennial
bearing, foreign exchange rates, prices in competitor markets,
and consumer sentiments can all contribute to pricing cycles.
From a grower’s perspective a variety with small and regular
cycles means price stability and hence consistent returns in the
short to medium term. A variety with large and irregular cycles
have tendencies to surprise and shock.
Figure 3: Seasonality of prices for the four main apples.
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Fuji
Pink Lady
Royal Gala
Granny Smith
Harvest
www.apal.org.au
Price deficit
u
Price premium
15
u Figure 4: Cycles for the four main apples.
The Melbourne Market data shows that Pink Lady™ has the
largest cycles, while ‘Fuji’ has small price volatility. The estimated
period of pricing cycles in the Melbourne Market are approximately
10 months with the exception of ‘Granny Smith’, which is much
longer at 23 months. What this means is that if we currently
identify a price trough in Pink Lady™ at the Melbourne Market,
then we can expect a price peak in five months’ time and
another price trough in ten months’ time.
What this all means for growers?
For apple growers supplying or looking to supply into the
Melbourne Market, this study gives a historical perspective of
wholesale prices by analysing the trend, season and cycle of the
four major apples. For growers not supplying into the Melbourne
Markets, the above analysis is a template for thinking about
maximising returns through opportunities in market prices.
monthly prices, which is as at the tail-end of seasons and during
new harvests. The monthly premiums and deficits helps to make
decisions such as: should I incur costs and store my Pink Lady™
apples for another month to get an extra $5 per carton?
Identifying cycles are useful to find which types of apples have
the highest price volatility, while also helping growers to prepare
for pricing troughs and peaks in particular markets. For example,
the length of cycles for ‘Royal Gala’ in the Melbourne Market is
nine months. If we currently identify a pricing peak for ‘Royal
Gala’, then it’s worth considering supplying elsewhere in the
next four to five months as we can expect a contraction phase
from peak to trough for ‘Royal Gala’ in the Melbourne Markets.
Studying past pricing data is an interesting exercise, but the
ultimate question is always “Is this really useful for predicting the
future?” To answer this question, I like to leave you with a famous
joke from a celebrated American economist Paul Samuelson:
Growers making new planting decisions will have an array of
decisions to make, one of which is potential market prices. One
of the best indicators of future market prices is the historical price
trend; and in the Melbourne Market, ‘Fuji’ has the best trends.
For growers looking for months of the year to sell their produce,
they will have to weigh up the supplying costs against monthly
prices. The seasonality identifies the best months to maximise
16
“To prove that Wall Street is an early omen of movements
still to come in Gross National Product, commentators quote
economic studies alleging that market downturns predicted
four out of the last five recessions. That is an understatement.
Wall Street indexes predicted nine out of the last five recessions!
And its mistakes were beauties.” :afg
www.apal.org.au
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GROWER PROFILE
‘From trees to sea’
The journey of an industry achiever
By John Fitzsimmons
Earlier this year, at the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Connections
conference held in New Zealand, Montague Group’s Hamish Montague received the
Col Johnson Young Achievers Award. However the 38 year-old remains somewhat
bemused when asked how he was regarded as “young” and to expand on the “achievements”
that qualified him for this industry award.
H
amish is one of the current working generation of the
Montague family very well known in the Australian
fruit-growing industry for generations. On the wall of
his office in Brisbane Markets is a large and detailed family tree
going back as far as George Montague (born Marylebone,
England in 1797) and his wife Mary Howard, and referencing
George’s parents William Montague and Anne – details unknown.
Over time the Montague family has represented many backgrounds
and industries but the latter day core has been in fresh produce
– growing, supply and trade.
However Hamish may struggle to document his achievements,
they are many. Son of Frank, grandson of Bill, Hamish has been
a shareholder of Montague Fresh since 1993 and Executive
Director of the Montague Group since 2004. He has also been
a Director of various industry bodies including the now defunct
Australian Fresh Fruit Company (AFFCO), the Orchardists and
Fruit Coolstores Association of Victoria (OFCSAV) and Fruit Growers
Victoria (FGV). Since 2011 he has been a Director of Brismark
Pty Ltd, and a Director and Vice President of the Australian
Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries Ltd since 2013.
Montague Group took over the established Brisbane Marketsbased business of A.J. Carter Pty Ltd in 1995 but it wasn’t until
2006, when Hamish moved north to become Business Manager
of what had become Montague Fresh (Queensland), that there
was a “family presence” in the northern state. Living on the
Gold Coast with wife Sara and their young family Hamish says
they have embraced the Queensland lifestyle following a move
“from trees to sea”.
While acknowledging the sometimes difficult hours people are
expected to work in the central markets, Hamish admits he has
referred to the Brisbane market as “the gentlemen’s market –
because the hours are so much more reasonable than the
Melbourne and Sydney markets”. Brisbane buyers are not
allowed entry until 6am.
“When I worked in the Melbourne Market we were serving
people at midnight right through until 9am which just stretched
the whole day out for the wholesaler/s; you had to be there at
all ends to service all customers,” says Hamish. “Whereas here
(in Brisbane) you can still serve customers the night before and
get them sent out early in the morning before they come in –
and take early morning orders and do those sales, but the buyers
can’t physically walk into the market until 6am.
“The buyers are therefore organised, they’re in a hurry – like we
need to be to serve them, because they all want to be gone in
two and a half hours. Serving hundreds of customers in such a
short period has its own challenges and difficulties, but it allows
you to streamline your business in some ways because you’re
not standing around for eight hours trying to serve people –
you’ve got to do it in three – and get it in and out and done.”
Brisbane Markets is home of Montague Fresh (Queensland).
18
According to Hamish there’s always something going on at
Montague Fresh Queensland that keeps the drive and passion alive.
www.apal.org.au
u
GROWER PROFILE
Standing in front of the Montague family
tree, Hamish Montague represents the family
company in Queensland as the Business
Manager for Montague Fresh (Queensland).
u
“I do like to know what’s going on – to get a feel for how the
sales are going for the day and any issues going on and when I
am away in general I don’t come back to too many surprises,”
says Hamish.
to the main chain supermarkets. It is the source for lots of small
business owners to create their own smaller family empires as
independent retailers – the fruit shops around Australia. Without
central markets systems those other businesses would never survive.
“I have a ‘dashboard’ that I live and breathe by which gives me
all the numbers on the business on a daily basis that I can access
from anywhere any time; it’s a rudimentary spreadsheet that has
grown over the last 4 or 5 years into quite an in-depth analytical
tool – sales and products and people, margins against budgets
and those sort of things.
“The hard part for the wholesaling sector is that it is heavily
regulated by the Horticulture Code of Conduct and, as a
mandatory code, it hamstrings us somewhat. The supermarkets
don’t have to abide by it – they are proposing a voluntary Code
– we have a mandatory code – so we have that layer (of red
tape) that they don’t.
“While I am very focused on the numbers, we also have various
structures in place for our people to help with their work/life
balance. We reward our staff with a massage once a month.
I’ve also installed a gym on-site at Brisbane Markets and the
personal trainers are there for the staff Tuesdays and Thursdays;
otherwise the gym is available to them 24/7, they just have to
pass a fitness test and get the OK from the personal trainer first
before they can use it.”
“In the time that the Code has been in place there has been
something like an average of only two complaints a year for the
Horticulture Mediation Advisor office to deal with – there are
no real complaints coming out of it.
“The main thing is that if Grower A was unhappy with Wholesaler B
they wouldn’t supply them any more. If they felt like they were
ripped off getting low prices they just wouldn’t supply, so the
relationship just wouldn’t build.”
Real world experience
Linking supply and demand
“I went to the markets with my dad as a kid, when I first started
out of school I was working in our packhouse,” explains Hamish.
“I worked in the markets in Brisbane as a 19 year-old, I started a
distribution facility for us at our head office in Narre Warren North
(Vic.), drove trucks, forklifts, tractors, worked in the orchards,
worked in our cold storage division (unrelated to the Montagues’
fruit business) – all those sort of things – real world experience.”
He also imported ‘Ya’ pears when they first came in from China
back in 1999. Hamish is also the one who normally chooses new
machinery for the company’s packhouses and pre-packing operations;
he started a new pre-packing division in Queensland in 2009.
How does he view the wholesaling industry in 2014?
“The central market system around Australia provides an
integral part of the fresh produce industry,” says Hamish. “It is the
basic price setting mechanism for lots of growers, wholesalers,
secondary wholesalers and suppliers to large supermarkets. There
are companies that work outside the markets and companies
within it; it is an integral part of creating many produce buying
options for the end consumer, rather than just having to just go
www.apal.org.au
“We don’t have buyers and sales people, we have procurementsales people – they’re one and the same - traders essentially,” adds
Hamish. “There’s no good the buyer having 1,000 packages
and the sales person can only sell 200; you can’t get paid on
procurement until or unless you can sell it. It’s linking supply
and demand in the central market system.”
A career option
“There are some exceptionally highly paid employees in the
central market system but the general sales wage should
represent a good career choice for generally uneducated people
– (because) that relates mostly to simply dollar volumes and
tonnage. Dollar sales and margin earned – it’s pretty simple
stuff,” says Hamish.
“But on the back of that come good suppliers – good growers,
and then good customer service. If you’re missing one of those
factors, well, someone is unhappy, so if you’ve got no growers
you can’t sell much, if you’ve got bad growers you won’t have
sales as good as you could.
19
GROWER PROFILE
u
“If you’re taking advantage of the grower – you’re not going
to get continued supply. If you’re not getting good margin then
your employer isn’t going to be happy. If you’re ripping off the
customer then they’re not going to come back.
“So you’d better have all of those parts in some sort of harmony
so that the employer is happy with the sales and the margin
throughput, the customer is happy and feels appreciated, and
looked after and respected, and the grower needs to be happy
– confident that the agent is doing the best they can possibly
do with their product and their brand.”
Is it important to be regarded as a good employer? “Absolutely.”
Is it a challenge getting good people? “Definitely.”
“It’s still largely a physical job in the markets,” says Hamish.
“That’s not to say there are not some opportunities in different
areas for young people with different skills. This is still a ‘people
business’ from the sales point of view and it’s a people business
in terms of getting on a forklift and picking the orders and
delivering them around the place. I can’t see the physical
handling of product changing anytime soon.”
20
In Brisbane, Montague Fresh especially trades in apples and
stone fruit. It is regarded as one of the leading apple floors
and the leading stone fruit floor in the Brisbane Market.
The name Montague is almost synonymous with apples in many
parts of the supply chain, but it has been said that, to make
money in the future (from new varieties) you’ve got to have a
marketing plan.
“I think that’s right,” Hamish commented, with lines like Jazz™
on his mind.
“We’ve been looking at these products for a long long time and
it takes a long time for these things to come through and I think
they’re just finally hitting their stride now. But it’s been a lot of
hard work and effort there, and a very good marketing plan in
place – developed well and implemented well. I think everyone
throughout the chain is getting value out of it. There will be
knockers but the proof is in the pudding – sales have been good
and demand is very high.”
“I think people are still going to want to eat a lot of the
commodity lines. Space will be made for good product when
www.apal.org.au
GROWER PROFILE
Shane Schnitzler (left), president, Australian Chamber of Fruit and
Vegetable Industries Limited presents Hamish Montague (right),
Montague Fresh (Qld), Brisbane with the Young Achievers Award
at the PMA Fresh Connections gala dinner, July 2014.
Photo credit: PMA Australia and New Zealand
it’s available and if the fruit eats well there will be a home for it
in some market somewhere I would say.”
Pears?
”I asked for a pear report only today,” says Hamish. “I felt that
our pear business had been falling but we’re actually doing about
the same as we were doing in 2010-11, sales were down in
2011-12 and 2012-13, but are up for 2013-14. We have some
more analysis to do on the detail. I think new varieties always have
a place in any market, so if new varieties and types re-invigorate
things that would be a good thing for the pear industry.”
Hamish pointed out the Australian Chamber of Fruit &
Vegetable Industries also planned to unite the similar yet individual state Chamber marketing programs supporting independent
greengrocers under one coherent national campaign.
“We’re currently doing the same thing five or six times over in
each state market to achieve the same result. The united
approach is about branding and uniformity, getting bigger bang
www.apal.org.au
for the buck, and also about offering an online solution to the
independent retailers to access a market they may not otherwise
have been able to access due to cost and ability,” he explained.
So, young? An achiever?
“I’m still young – according to that trophy behind you, and if it’s
about recognition then I’ll take it as recognition,” says Hamish.
“I was shocked but happy to accept it. It motivates you a bit
more to become even more involved in the industry activities,
to try and add value where my skills and experience are.” :afg
21
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
A critical time
for orchard management
By Jesse Reader
To help growers in this busy time of year, AgFirst’s Jesse Reader gives a run-down on the
important orchard management activities that need to be done now to help optimise
orchard productivity.
2
014 is all but over and it’s around
this time we often hit the panic
button and fear that the ship has
sailed on important tasks in the orchard.
However, to the contrary, the current list of
jobs to do is extensive and worthy of your
time and attention. Whilst fruit set has
occurred, trees are planted and chemical
thinning is more than likely done, several
key areas are begging for your attention.
With the platform for the season set, it is
often a nice time to take stock, make a list
and look at your obligations as a business
owner/manager going forward. Furthermore,
both timeliness and efficiency of execution
in the following areas is critical and often
the difference between ‘the best and the
rest’ – where do you sit?
Soil moisture monitoring and
irrigation management
With a dry start to the season in
many growing regions across Australia,
irrigation and soil moisture management
will be front of mind. It is likely that
several growing regions of Australia are
experiencing up to 1.5 to 2 inches of
evaporation/week. To put that in
perspective, that’s up to
500,000L/ha/week in evaporation! If
needed, are you equipped to replace
40-50 per cent of that?
The scientists refer to this stage of irrigation
demand as stage three, where rapid fruit
growth is occurring and can last between
four to eight weeks prior to harvest. Shoot
and root growth is slow and bud formation
for the following season’s fruit begins.
Irrigation is critical at this stage and soil
moisture should be readily available.
Furthermore we know varieties such as
‘Royal Gala’ respond positively to water
right up to harvest.
Conversely, it’s not too late to use soil
moisture management and deficit irrigation
as a tool to your advantage in managing
vigour, colour and fruit size in varieties
such as ‘Cripps Pink’ and ‘Cripps Red’.
See the APAL website for further details
on deficit irrigation in the ‘Guidelines for
irrigation management for apples and
pears’ document.
Tree support
Productive young trees will likely require some support and training.
22
By now, productive young blocks of trees
will have put on two thirds of their season’s
annual growth and will likely require some
support, training and essentially growth
optimisation. Begin by ensuring all central
leaders are straight to maximise the apical
dominance and ensure the trees don’t
have an excuse to terminate earlier than
desired. This will require the use of either
a good tree clip, a flexible rubber tree tie
or in some cases the attachment to a
‘guide string’ with a MaxTape gun. This
process of tree support goes hand in hand
with ensuring the tree is carrying the
appropriate crop load for the tree’s size, the
system adopted and the climatic conditions.
Wires should be in place for the attachment
of future growth and leaders should remain
free of fruit unless secured to the wire.
www.apal.org.au
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
u
With a dry start to the season, it’s time to check your soil moisture and irrigation systems.
Summer pruning
For early season varieties such as ‘Royal
Gala’, summer pruning is often undertaken
prior to Christmas to optimise light
distribution in blocks where the inherent
vigour is excessive, crop load is light or
simply where the crop’s final outturn will
benefit from the activity. Summer pruning
(when required) plays a crucial role in
allowing light to penetrate the canopy and
assist in the development of next year’s
buds whilst maximising colour development
at the same time. In addition, the technique
of summer pruning for the creation of
short fruiting shoots and subsequent buds
for next year is becoming widely used.
This technique was explained in detail by
Alberto Dorigoni during a Future Orchards
event in June 2012 and his presentation is
well worth revisiting on the APAL website
for a refresher.
Hand thinning
Hand thinning should be well and truly
underway by now for early season varieties
that have had their secondary shed and
are now being groomed for optimal fruit
distribution and size maximisation. For
most varieties, it’s not too late to begin
www.apal.org.au
hand thinning and in some instances
such as ‘Cripps Pink’ blocks it may well
be too early for you to thin due to the
lighter crop load and potential for large,
unmarketable fruit. Whatever your scenario,
hand thinning is a significant part of
achieving an optimum crop load and needs
to be seen as an integral part of setting
up a high quality crop and maximising
potential block profit. Furthermore, timely
hand thinning is directly linked to return
bloom as total seed number per tree is a
key driver in biennial bearing.
Things to consider when developing a
hand thinning and crop loading strategy
include available water to see the crop
through to harvest and current level of
vigour in the tree. Do you need to be
mindful of carrying a larger crop and
‘pulling up the tree’ too much or is vigour
out of control and will that influence
where you place the remaining fruit to
optimise the capture of light? What is the
desired fruit size for your chosen market,
how many days until harvest and will
bunchy fruit expose you to pest and
disease pressure? Be thorough and think
about the flow-on effects of your hand
thinning decisions.
“
Ordering planting material
It’s not too late and it’s never too late to
start talking with your preferred nursery
to assess your future requirements. This
could include grafting material for re-working
existing blocks or it may be ordering new
rootstocks/varieties. This is a discussion
that should be ongoing to avoid surprises
and ensure your next block is primed for
take-off. There are some handy templates
in the Future Orchards archived library on
the APAL website that will help you provide,
and commit to paper, a description/picture
of what you desire, which you can then
give to your nursery.
There are webinars on
APAL’s website guiding
you through the process
and I strongly encourage
you to watch them.
u
23
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
u
Throw over nets are a cost effective solution – but get them out now!
Vigour control/return bloom
sprays
Early December is an ideal time to be
introducing low rate applications of
certain plant growth regulators into the
system for return bloom benefit and mild
vigour control.
As is well documented, flower initiation is
inhibited in the bourse shoot by gibberellins
(GA) produced in the seeds and shoots
and then transported down the stem and
shoots. Studies have shown that NAA and
Ethrel® applied in early summer can
counteract the effect of seed- and shootproduced GAs and stimulate more flower
bud initiation. It is likely that a temporary
reduction in shoot growth rate is the
mechanism at play. There is some fantastic
information around this topic in the Future
Orchards library by Steve McArtney and
also some applied trial results from these
spray applications to counteract biennial
bearing in the Adelaide Hills.
Applying Ethrel in this situation will also
assist with terminating annual shoot growth,
thus providing some bonus vigour control
in the process. This is a complicated topic
and one which you should seek advice
about before applying in your orchard.
24
Fertigation
Reflective mulch
Fertigation will be well underway on
young trees and continuing into the new
year, however supplementary fertigation
to heavily cropped, mature blocks is
equally important. It is vital to remember,
big crops need feeding and many of our
emerging varieties are inherently big feeders
regardless of crop load. Monitor your leaf
and soil nitrogen levels to ensure fruit
quality and colour are maximised but
revisit your phosphorus, potassium and
calcium requirements and get a soil and
leaf test done if needed, it’s not too late!
By the time you read this, several regions
will be rolling out reflective mulch under
‘Gala’ to optimise colour consistency and
maturity throughout the canopy. It’s not too
late to ensure your equipment is serviced
and all the associated attachments are in
stock and of working order. Be prepared.
Netting
Overhead netting in hail prone areas (in
whichever form) will be out by now no
doubt, but if you are one of the many
Australian orchardists who use a ‘throw
over’ style net for bird control, sunburn
protection and simply improved pack out,
then make it a priority to get it out now.
Too often these type of jobs are the last
to be done and can have the biggest
consequences. Furthermore, begin looking
at your winter requirements if moving to
a permanent set, I know it seems early,
but risk mitigation needs to be a priority
in your business.
Fruit sizing and monitoring
Finally, the Future Orchards favourite, the
orchard steering wheel as I like to call it –
fruit size monitoring. It should have begun
by now but it’s not too late to start,
particularly on mid-late season varieties.
The data that can be gained between
now and harvest is extremely valuable in
maximising this season’s crop and laying
a road map for next year’s crop. There are
webinars on APAL’s website guiding you
through the process and I strongly
encourage you to watch them. :afg
About the author: Jesse Reader is
the General Manager of AgFirst
Australia.
m: 0419 107 245 or
e: [email protected].
www.apal.org.au
ORCHARD MANAGEMENT
Use registered chemicals
or pay the price
“
The APVMA is on the hunt for illegal and fake chemicals and is urging growers to only use
registered chemicals and report the manufacture, supply and use of illegal and fake chemicals.
A
ustralian law requires chemicals to be registered by the
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
(APVMA) to ensure the health and safety of people, animals and crops; and to protect the environment and Australia’s
trade and export interests.
With other agencies the APVMA checks for the supply of illegal
and unregistered chemicals as well as making sure registered
products continue to meet agreed registration requirements.
Using fake or unregistered chemicals is
illegal and can have unpredictable and
unpleasant consequences.
Reporting adverse effects from any chemical means the APVMA
can investigate the issue and take appropriate action to protect
other users, and their animals and crops. If you experience an
‘adverse effect’ arising from the use of any chemical product —
legal or illegal— please report it to the APVMA.
Supply of illegal chemical
products has potential for
catastrophic and even fatal
Chemical products are specifically designed
to destroy unwanted insects, plants or
animals or to treat a disease. Unless an
APVMA permit applies, all chemicals need to
be used according to the label instructions.
effects…
Testing has found illegal chemicals to contain unknown and
potentially harmful chemicals and impurities; or too much or too
little of the ‘active’ chemical in the product.
Supply of illegal chemical products has potential for catastrophic
and even fatal effects on people and animals, failure of crops and
poisoning of the environment. Incidents reported include:
• breathing difficulties, sight impairment and nervous system damage
• loss of an entire season’s crop or significant reduction in yield
• poisoning of soil and waterways
The APVMA’s priority is to protect growers
and their crops and we encourage people to
voluntarily report all unexpected experiences
even if they know they could be using an
illegal chemical.
Stopping illegal use
The Agvet law gives the APVMA a range of
ways to deal with people who manufacture,
supply and promote unregistered products.
The APVMA will assist voluntary returns to compliance, however
if noncompliance is high risk and deliberate, more serious action
may be taken. For example, if a company deliberately imports an
unregistered chemical product for supply in Australia the APVMA
can take both civil action and/or commence criminal prosecution.
The APVMA’s compliance operations are risk-based. This means
resources are directed to areas of higher concern and where
minor contraventions are involved, the APVMA will work with
the person to get back into compliance.
Report illegal chemical supply and use
• pesticides residues above maximum limits, affecting trade
• killing of other plants and animals
Overseas farmers have reported crops being chemically burnt
beyond recovery by unknown chemical additives and farmers
overcome by fumes. Australian farmers risk the same consequences if they choose to order, import or use chemical products
which have not been checked by the APVMA to make sure they
can be safely applied, and that they actually work.
www.apal.org.au
”
All products registered in Australia will have the words ‘APVMA’
or ‘NRA’ followed by a registration number printed on the label.
Check to see if the registration number is an approved chemical
by searching for it on the APVMA chemicals database or downloading the APVMA iPhone App.
Report adverse effects
The APVMA is responsible for registration of chemicals up to
and including the point of retail sale. Various state and territory
agencies have responsibility for monitoring and managing how
chemicals are used on farms and elsewhere.
Don’t use fake or
illegal chemicals
Check products are registered
The smallest pieces of information can be useful and while the
APVMA cannot always tell you what action it takes as a result of
your information, it does mean it can be included with intelligence
already collected and evaluated. Any information you provide is
held in confidence unless the APVMA is legally required to provide
it to another body. :afg
This article has been submitted by the APVMA compliance team
who can be contacted on [email protected].
25
“
Selecting the “best” refrigerant
for cool rooms
By Annie Farrow
HCFCs are commonly used as refrigerants in cool rooms that store fruit, but they are
being phased out and by 2016 no more imports will allowed. Therefore, packing shed
managers need to start planning to replace them now.
H
CFCs are being phased out.
HCFCs which include R22s and
R123s are being phased out. I
can’t say to you enough that HCFCs are
being phased out. They are being phased
out.” So said Amanda Booth from KMH
Environmental in her presentation about
energy efficiency saving opportunities as
part of the shed walks held across the
country recently.
Amanda reported that refrigerant
alternatives was one of the most frequently
asked questions put to her by the 30
growers who had energy audits done
in their packing sheds and orchards to
identify ways to cut energy costs, as part
of the ‘Watts in Your Business’ Energy
Efficiency Information Grants program.
She said that some people have become
confused, believing that HCFCs
(Hydrochlorofluorocarbons) would no
longer be phased out because of the repeal
of the carbon tax. However, this is not
true as the two events are unrelated and
as part of Australia’s obligations under the
Montreal Protocol, HCFCs will be phased
out by 2016.
Anyone who has had to replace their R22
refrigerant recently would know the high
cost of that phase out. Growers report
that the cost is currently averaging $180
to $220 per kilogram. “So don’t get a
leak, first of all,” advises Amanda, and
“maintain your equipment”.
“
But the best advice is to consider your
R22 or HCFC exit strategy, and make
plans now.
“Understand what your refrigerant options
are, where you can go for specialist
expertise and when you might be able
to fund the switch to an alternative. Have
the conversation with your refrigeration
provider now,” says Amanda.
To assist packing shed and cool-store
operators the ‘Watts in Your Business’
program looked at the most common
available refrigerants and considered the
pros and cons of each because none of
them are perfect.
HCFCs which include
R22s and R123s are
being phased out.
Amanda Booth at an energy-saving event confirmed that HCFCs will be phased out by 2016.
26
u
www.apal.org.au
u
Blends
Many operators are adopting R427a or
similar blends.
“The thing you should realise with blends
is that there is an efficiency loss in energy
use of approximately 7 per cent for R427a
when compared to HCFCs – as well as a
loss in the overall capacity of the
refrigeration system,” says Amanda. “If a
system is already struggling to keep up with
the current load because it is undersized,
then it will really struggle with a blend.”
Amanda also adds that blends comprise a
bunch of different refrigerants each with
different properties.
“Sometimes one refrigerant will leak more
than others and if you have a leak that
loses more of one refrigerant than the
others you may have to flush the whole
system and recharge it and this can be
expensive,” says Amanda.
Additionally, operators should be aware
that these blends are HFCs and China and
the US have already signed onto the
Montreal Protocol to include the phase out
of HFCs in addition to the aforementioned
HCFCs. It is a real possibility that Australia
will also sign on to the phase out of HFCs
sometime in the future.
Natural refrigerants
Natural refrigerants represent a
real alternative to HCFCs and HFCs
(hydrofluorocarbons) and include ammonia,
CO2 and natural hydrocarbons.
Ammonia has an incredibly high capital
installation cost because often you have
to install steel or stainless steel piping to
prevent corrosion.
“Nevertheless, it is a really good refrigerant
that has been used for hundreds of years,”
says Amanda. “They are easy to maintain
and very efficient. It is easier to justify the
www.apal.org.au
If you use R22 or HCFC as a refrigerant for your cool room you need to identify a replacement
refrigerant and a plan to shift to using it.
capital cost in an apple shed that operates
for almost 12 months of the year but for
those industries like cherries and stone-fruit
it becomes much more difficult as it is
not as cost effective for a site that only
operates for 2 to 3 months of the year.
Also there are safety issues with leaks
because it is toxic.”
Natural hydrocarbons
Another option is the so-called natural
hydrocarbons.
“But they are a propane mixture and hence
are flammable,” explains Amanda. ”You
have to have emergency procedures in
place and if there is a leak it can go boom,
so it is a real issue. You have to maintain
the system and know the safety risks.
“Also, some sites, not all sites, had
insurance companies that would not
insure the site if natural hydrocarbons
were installed. But for other sites this
was not a problem. Check with your
insurance company.”
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Finally we looked at CO2.
“We see more and more usage [of CO2]
in Australia but we are not aware of any
examples in the fruit industry,” explains
Amanda. “That means that there are few
local rural contractors that are trained in
installing and maintaining CO2 systems.
“But Coles and Woolworths are using
CO2 systems in their new sites. So one
day there may be trained specialists in
your area. But because there are no
examples in the industry it is hard to gauge
whether CO2 would be cost effective
refrigerant option.”
Amanda concluded by saying that this
is not an exhaustive list of all of the
alternative refrigerants available. Her take
home message is that you need to talk to
your refrigeration specialist as there is no
silver bullet. Each alternate has its pros
and cons, but if you are using R22 or
HCFC, get an exit strategy soon.
More information about refrigerants can
be obtained from
http://www.refrigerantsaustralia.org/
fact-sheets.html and from
http://www.minus40.com.au/R-22phase-out. A case study of the switch to
ammonia can be found at
http://apal.org.au/watts-in-your-business/.
Acknowledgement
‘Watts in Your Business’ is managed by
APAL, undertaken with Summerfruit
Australia Limited and Cherry Growers
Australia Inc., and funded under the
Australian Government’s Energy Efficiency
Information Grants program. KMH
Environmental conducted the audits and
are preparing the reports. :afg
Annie Farrow,
Industry Services Manager, APAL
t: (03) 9329 3511 | m: 0408 526 786
27
MARKETING
Developing the new
Aussie Apples campaign
By Luke Westley
With input from new marketing research, Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd
is preparing a new marketing campaign for Aussie Apples for 2015 with a focus on
promoting apples as a ‘refreshing’ snack food.
D
eveloping a new marketing campaign to talk to
consumers and create desire for a product can be a
challenging one. It starts with asking ourselves some
hard and honest questions about who we really are and the role
we currently, and will play, in the lives of consumers.
From there, a research program can commence to better
understand what consumers are thinking. In developing the new
Aussie Apples strategic marketing plan, we used a research model
that was somewhat different. Market research consultants BDRC
Jones Donald used the market research tool ‘ZMET’ to identify
the emotional connection Australians have with Aussie Apples
to unlock ways to increase their desire for consumption over
other snacking options.
The three key learnings from this study that will help in developing
the new marketing campaign are:
1. Consumption in both volume bought and amount spent is
increasing.
2. Apple consumers cannot necessarily be divided into the
traditional life stages as previously measured, but can be
better segmented around lifestyles and behaviours, which
directs how they interact with the product.
3. ‘Refreshment’ is transformational in both a physical and
emotional sense – Aussie Apples are considered ‘refreshing’
but they also make me feel ‘refreshed’ because I feel like I’m
doing something good for myself.
28
The study also identified some key marketing dangers that could
be avoided:
1. Consumers said: Stop telling me apples are healthy, I know
they are, and you’re turning me off them by nagging me
about it.
2. The fact that apples are not always ‘in season’ stops consumers
buying apples and maybe the ‘new season’ campaign scan
be damaging to overall sales.
As a result, the brief to the new creative agency, The Works,
who are now developing material to promote Aussie Apples for
2015, was: ‘Show me transformation through refreshment with
Aussie Apples’. They developed a range of creative marketing
ideas and graphics that they presented to consumer groups to
test them before further refinement took place.
Through this process, we also needed to consider the behaviour
of consumers and how this may change in time with a focus
on convenience and on-the-go snacking. We set ourselves the
challenge, to stop behaving like a fruit and more like a viable
snack option, not just in our communications but also our
distribution channels and promotions.
These challenges and this brief naturally produce a challenging
campaign compared to what Aussie Apples has ever produced.
We really are breaking new ground.
www.apal.org.au
“
”
MARKETING
I have no doubt that the
creative that we put
before the market and
industry will challenge
your thoughts about
Aussie Apples, and stand
out from the crowd.
Creative concepts have been put before
the previous HAL marketing subcommittee
of the IAC, and further research has been
undertaken to ensure we are producing
the best possible and highest impact
creative to drive sales. Adjusting colour,
whether an apple has a crunch or not, and
the facial expressions of models can change
the perception of the creative, so we are
undertaking due diligence to ensure we
get these elements right.
I have no doubt that the creative that we
put before the market and industry will
challenge your thoughts about Aussie
Apples, and stand out from the crowd. This
is exactly what we’re trying to achieve to
re-engage consumers in this exciting and
modern product as we ask consumers to
consider us in a new light and create a
habitual snacking routine with Aussie Apples.
The consumer reaction to the work so far
has been positive, and I look forward to
sharing this work with you as we embark
on what will be an exciting phase with the
new Aussie Apples strategic marketing
plan in 2015. :afg
About the author:
Luke Westley Apple and Pear
Marketing Manager, HIA
t: 02 8295 2375 | m: 0404 842 980
www.apal.org.au
29
EXPORTS
Thai fresh produce buyers
visit Victoria
By Claire Fitchett
Hosting international fruit importers is continuing to build export opportunities
for growers with 2015 shaping up as a positive year for pear exports to Thailand if
good management is followed.
T
he Department of Environment and Primary Industries
Victoria (DEPI) hosted a group of leading fresh produce
buyers from Thailand in October. The group came to
Victoria to source cherries, pome fruit and stonefruit and included
a mix of retailers (Central Food Retail and Tesco) and importers
(Cititex and Global Trade) as well as staff from Austrade and a
Thai marketing and promotions support company for fresh
produce. As part of the week-long visit program, I organised
a trip to the Goulburn Valley for the delegates to meet with
growers and exporters who are registered to supply apples and
pears to Thailand in 2015. Having just completed the Thailand
export listing process with the Department of Agriculture the
visit was very timely.
We visited Radevski Coolstores and inspected their impressive
new facilities and packing equipment. Radevski have supplied
premium pears to Thailand over the past few years and have
developed a strong relationship with their buyer in the market.
Promotions on the pears sent by Radevskis have been supported
by APAL, DEPI and HIA.
Next we visited Valley Pack and spoke to Mark Hall about in-transit
cold treatment (ITCT) shipping which is required under the
Thailand protocol. This visit was very insightful. It was evident
that there is added complexity to successfully manage the ITCT
process. From choosing the right freight company, properly cooling
all fruit (not just fruit on the outside of the pallet), how to load
The Thai delegation visited the DEPI pear trials at the Horticulture Centre of Excellence, Tatura, to see the research available to support
Australian growers.
30
www.apal.org.au
u
EXPORTS
u
Radevskis supply premium pears to Thailand. They showed the Thai delegation of importers around their new facilities and packing equipment.
the container efficiently to ensure the best airflow and completing
all paperwork correctly to avoid rejection in Thailand, there is
a lot that exporters need to be aware of. Market access is so
difficult to gain so everyone must do their bit to protect our
access. As Australia’s citrus industry saw, not meeting the protocol
requirements can result in losing access for the industry. I encourage
any growers or exporters not familiar with the complexities of
ITCT to use the services of a specialist.
Local growers were invited to a networking lunch to meet the
buyers then we ran an interactive workshop focusing on fruit
quality, market requirements and opportunities. The buyers
are keen to trial different varieties of new season pears with a
particular focus on ‘Packham’ pears for their durability and eating
quality. There are also opportunities for ‘Beurre Bosc’, ‘Corella’
and ‘Josephine’. Or course, quality and price are key to ensuring
success and growing the market for Australian pears.
Buyers are seeking technical information to help them drive
sales, including specifications of acceptable/unacceptable
blemishes and rots as well as useful information such as nutrition,
usage ideas and seasonality. On our recent export market visit to
Thailand in August I ran training sessions with two retail chains
in Thailand on Australian pears. There is a need to run further
training with additional retailers, as well as the wholesale sector,
to promote the benefits of Australian pears. APAL will continue
to work with industry members to supply information to and
support our customers in Thailand.
I am very confident that Australian growers can really make a
splash in Thailand in 2015. We have legal access to the market
(with South Africa still excluded), we have a workable protocol,
premium quality fruit, genuine interest from buyers in the market
and importantly, a commitment from our leading pear growers and
exporters to supply fruit. There is no reason why we can’t make
2015 our most successful pear export season to Thailand! :afg
If you would like to export apples or pears to Thailand in
2015 please contact Claire Fitchett, Market Development
Manager. e: [email protected] or t: 03 9329 3511.
www.apal.org.au
To export pears, don’t forget:
• Follow the APAL Integrated Pest
Management manual throughout the
growing season
“
• Understand the Thailand protocol
and workplan
• Ensure all paperwork and carton
labelling is correct
• Fruit temperature is key – cool fruit
properly and load the container
quickly
• Allow extra time from container
loading to shipping to deal with any
temperature issues
• If in doubt, use an expert in in-transit
cold treatment shipping
There is no reason why we can’t
make 2015 our most successful
pear export season to Thailand!
31
EXPORTS
Apples next on trade
priority list for China
By Annie Farrow
Australia’s new Agriculture Counsellor – Technical in China, Adam Balcerak, recently
visited orchards in Victoria and is committed to getting Australia’s mainland apples
access to China.
P
rior to departing for his new post in Beijing as Australia’s
new Agriculture Counsellor – Technical, the Department
of Agriculture’s Adam Balcerak took time out to visit a
number of horticulture farms and packing sheds in Victoria in
mid-November.
Adam has most recently worked in the south-east Asian section
of the Trade and Market Access division of the Department of
Agriculture and is familiar with protocol negotiations. Adam
acknowledges that this recent visit to meet growers from across
the key horticulture industries has provided a good introduction
to the myriad of expectations around China access.
“
“My work program will be driven out of Canberra in the sense
of priorities across the agriculture sector including the priorities
within horticulture,” said Adam. “But the trip around Mildura
to meet with almonds, citrus and table grapes and the visits to
apples in Narre Warren North and cherries in Wandin on the
outskirts of Melbourne has exposed me to the visions that each
industry has for China and the particular issues they face in
improving existing access or gaining new access. I thank APAL
very much for organising the trip.”
Adam has a big role to play in assisting the Australian agricultural
sector to build a sustainable export presence in China. He will
act as one of two on-ground Department of Agriculture officials
to promote Australia's agricultural interests in China, facilitating
trade and pursuing Australia’s agri-food trade policy objectives.
His key focus will be to work with Chinese officials to progress
technical market access issues, of which there are many. The
livestock, grain and dairy sectors all have market access issues
to varying degrees. For horticulture, the list is also long. In the
Once the stone-fruit protocol is
signed mainland apples will
move into first spot on the
market access queue for
Australian horticulture.
32
immediate term Australia is seeking access for nectarines. The
application for access for Australian stone-fruit into China was first
lodged in 2006 but finally a trade protocol is believed to be imminent.
According to Rowan Little, General Manager at Montague Fresh,
the Chinese market for nectarines and plums will be important
to the Australian stone-fruit industry.
“Just to get 3-4 per cent of product off the domestic market
and into exports in the last few years has had a staggering
impact on grower returns,” said Rowan. “Growing that export
base and capturing a small slice of the market prior to Chilean
product arriving in China will similarly be of enormous benefit.”
Once the protocol is signed Montague Fresh plan to export the
bulk of product directly to Chinese retailers rather than into the
wet market. Montague Fresh has visited China a number of times
in recent years to identify target retailers and build relationships
prior to trade.
“Nectarines and plums are delicate and require specific handling
and storage knowledge so having direct relationships with the
retailer is important,” explained Rowan. “But we will also be
able to assist those retailers to market our branded products.
“Nevertheless, we will probably also place some product through
the wet markets because that importer then has a vested interest
in monitoring and ensuring that no copy-cat unlicenced brands
enter the Chinese market.”
Once the stone-fruit protocol is signed mainland apples will
move into first spot on the market access queue for Australian
horticulture. The site visit by Adam provided an opportunity for
APAL and Montague Fresh to stress the importance of mainland
apples remaining as the next fruit to be assessed by Chinese
officials for resolution around a trade protocol.
Montague Fresh Marketing Manager and APAL Director Scott
Montague said, “As is the case for stone fruit, shifting product
into export markets will help keep domestic apple prices firm.
Export avenues provide growers with another suite of buyers
and helps dissipate the pressures created by the competitive
domestic trade.”
This point was a major focus of discussions at the July Key
Stakeholders Roundtable where the major industry players gave
commitments to work toward greater export volumes. The
www.apal.org.au
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EXPORTS
u
Chinese market is incredibly important to Australia’s mainland
apple industry, particularly as plantings of ‘Cripps Pink’ continue
to dominate, accounting for over 50 per cent of the crop in some
regions. To avoid Pink Lady™ apples from becoming a commodity,
volumes need to be shifted offshore.
“We need to be able to get our produce into the Chinese markets
before the Chileans do,” said Rowan. “There is little difference
between the cost of air freight and shipping freight for us and
the freight obviously handles much better by air because of the
considerably shorter time frames involved.
In recent submissions to government, APAL has stressed that
industry has no pretences that we could ever hope to compete
for the attention of the Chinese middle class consumer, despite
their numbers exploding. We are too costly compared with Chile
and New Zealand, our main southern hemisphere competitors,
as well as the USA. Instead, we believe that Australian apple and
pear growers should focus their attention at the elite consumer
who wants and can afford a high-priced premium product that
is safe, clean, green and Australian. Initiatives to establish a Pink
Lady™ brand presence in China have commenced.
“Chile can only airfreight into China via Los Angeles and the
additional time lags and airfreight charges adds to their overall
costs. So we have an airfreight advantage.
”The Chinese market for mainland Australian apples is some
time off,” said Scott. “We first lodged the application for access
for both stone-fruit and mainland apples into China in 2006. We
hope that the access for mainland apples doesn’t take as long as
the stone-fruit protocol has.”
The nature of the forthcoming protocol for stone-fruit into China
is not yet known. It will be most disappointing if it specifies a
sea freight protocol and not an air freight protocol as well.
“Australian product quality is much better than Chile’s partly
because they pick early to keep fruit firm during the long sea
voyage. So the Chinese will pay more for the better quality
Australian product. But the price for Australian fruit will be driven
down once the Chilean sea freight enters the market – just
because of the sheer volume involved. So we really will need
an airfreight protocol,” Rowan added.
On a final note Adam said that building rapport with the key
Chinese officials and trying to understand the level of influence that
various organisations might have on speeding up the resolution
of commercially-workable trade protocols will take him some time.
“Nevertheless, I am keen for industries to contact me when they
are in China so that I can assist with introductions and discussions
around creating sustainable and profitable trade with China,”
concluded Adam. :afg
Annie Farrow, Industry Services Manager, APAL | t: (03) 9329 3511 | m: 0408 526 786 | e: [email protected]
www.apal.org.au
33
R&D
International apple and
pear research update
Compiled by Dr Gordon Brown
Research snippets are sourced from abstracts of published scientific papers collated in the CAB direct database. To get the
abstract related to any snippet please contact Gordon Brown on [email protected] or 03 6239 6411.
Nurseries and
New Varieties
China
The optimum rooting medium
for three new apple rootstocks
was identified as a QL (Quoirin
and Lepoivre) medium
containing 0.5 mg/l IBA and
2% sucrose.
Iran
Analysis of 47 pear accessions
including European, Asian and
wild genomes has identified
that leaf blade and length are
positively correlated with fruit
size.
USA
Nursery trees sprayed with
promalin, benzyladenine or
cyclanilide produced additional
lateral branches although
cyclanilide also reduced the
growth rate of the leader shoot.
Germany
An apple by pear cross (hybrid)
tree bred in the 1980s has
produced fruit and seeds have
been germinated allowing for
incorporation of pear genes
into commercial apple cultivars.
Production
India
A new bacteria, Bacillus
methylotrophicus from apple
roots can actively solubilise
phosphate from the soil and
control five root diseases
resulting in superior tree growth.
34
Taiwan
When pear trees experience
frequent and severe soil
moisture fluctuations in autumn,
late season leaf development
is stimulated and root mortality
is increased.
China
The application of Promalin two
young Fuji apple trees reduced
shoot length but increased
trunk diameter, number of
leaves as well as leaf area.
USA
Trials have confirmed the
potential of Metamitron as
a thinning agent in apples,
capable of thinning large fruit,
late in the season.
Pests and
Diseases
China
The application of actinomycetes
strain A1 is effective in
protecting apple fruit against
Botryosphaeria dothidea
(apple fruit ring rot) infection.
Switzerland
Fire blight resistance from
ornamental apples can be
bred into commercial cultivars
but requires five back crossings
each taking 5 years. GM plants
which flower 5 months after
germination are reducing this
timeframe.
China
Carbendazim 10gai,
thiram 10gai or fludioxonil
2.5gai/10kg soil applied over
2 years reduced soil Fusarium
levels and increased apple size.
USA
Incorporating 20t/ha grass
residue into orchard soil
before planting generated
volatiles and anaerobic
conditions which reduced
root infections by Pythium,
Rhizoctinia and Fusarium as
well as nematodes.
USA
Spain
Iran
Initial trials indicate that the
ethylene precursor, ACC,
applied at 250 mg/L may be a
useful naturally-occurring fruit
thinner of apples.
Studies have identified that
Salmonella can remain on
apples after washing and
survive for up to 12 days.
Coating apple slices in
edible films of whey protein
concentrate, soy protein isolate,
carrageenan and alginates
extend the shelf life of the slices.
USA
Argentina
In Bartlett pear orchards
living windbreaks reduce
wind damaged fruit for up to
5 times the windbreak height
and there was no effect of
long or short pruning methods.
Postharvest
Hungary
Apple cubes that had been
soaked in pH 9 water prior to
freeze drying had a faster rate
of drying and had a softer, crisper
texture with superior colour.
Human Health
In 2010, 85% of Penicillium
expansum isolates were resistant
to pyrimethanil in a packhouse and in 2011 fludioxonil
controlled the disease with
only 4% of the isolates being
pyrimethanil resistant.
Compounds present in apple
peel have been found to
inhibit the growth of isolated
colon and breast cancer cells.
Poland
Estonia
Pullulan, a natural polysaccharide,
when coated onto apples
provides a glossy finish with
modified atmosphere properties,
which, when combined with
sweet basil extract is anti
microbial.
Consumer surveys in 2007
and 2012 show that over this
period the preference for
domestic and organic apples
has decreased, but taste and
colour preferences have
remained unchanged.
Sweden
www.apal.org.au
W E AT H E R A N D Q U I Z
1/10/2014 – 31/10/2014
Ave
Temp
Min
Ave
Temp
Max
Ave
Ave
Humidity Soil
Temp
Ave max
wind
speed
km/h
Evaporation Ave leaf
mils
wetness
for the
per/day
period
Rainfall
for
period
Rainfall
to date
from 1st
Jan 2014
Degree
Total
Days for Degree
the month Days from
1st Sept
Frost Hrs
under
1ºC for
period
Ave
daylight
hr/day
Orange NSW
8.9
20
53
14
30
89
n/a
60
560
159
195
2.5
12
Huon TAS
6
17
69
12
35
85
11
70
496
82
145
2.5
12
Manjimup WA
9
20
76
16
23
92
31
49
819
132
219
0
12
Batlow NSW
6.2
25.6
61
-
8.6
-
3.3
59
861
184
256
6
0
APFIP are undergoing an upgrade of its weather stations, above is the new reporting format displaying new data collected from
the first 3 station upgrades. This Data is from the APFIP evaluation Sites only and may not be representative of the total District.
Degree Days are now being reported from our stations for the period 1st September - 30th April. Calculation parameters are
10ºC low point / 32ºC high point.
This project was facilitated by HAL in partnership with Apple & Pear Australia Limited and is funded by the apple and pear levy.
The Australian Government provides matching funding for HAL’s R&D activities.
Greg’s Quiz
About
weather data
QUESTION 1:
QUESTION 3:
QUESTION 4:
(True or False): A strawberry
is actually not a berry, but a
banana.
According to the Dead Sea
Scrolls, what properties did
cherry seeds possess?
A: Satanic power.
B: Aid to healing.
C: Aphrodisiac.
D: Hallucinogenic.
Collectively, how many
kilometres would multiple
honeybees have to travel to
gather enough nectar for a
kilogram of honey?
A: 1,000.
B: 5,000.
C: 10,000.
D: 65,000.
QUESTION 2:
Apples float in water
because they contain a certain
percentage of air. How much
air does an apple typically
contain?
A: 10%.
B: 20%.
C: 25%.
D: 35%.
QUESTION 5:
During the 3-5 weeks a
codling moth larvae lives
inside an apple, how many
instars (developmental stages)
does it go through?
A: 3.
B: 5.
C: 6
D: 8.
The Australian Pome Fruit
Improvement Program Ltd (APFIP)
is undergoing a upgrade of its
evaluation site weather stations.
The new stations are live online
and display a much larger range
of data. The first three have been
commissioned and are located
in the Huon Valley, Tasmania;
Orange, New South Wales; and
Manjimup, Western Australia.
APFIP hopes to complete the
upgrade of the remaining five
over the next 12 months.
Growers can login to the stations
via www.apfip.com.au under
the weather data tab at the top
of the home page. A Google map
displays the station positions;
growers then can click on the
station icon and access a number
of live reports and graphs.
Anyone requiring more
information or assistance with
navigating the display please
contact Mark Hankin
m: 0408 503 528 or
e: [email protected].
Question 1 – True. Question 2 – C: 25%. Question 3 – A: Satanic power.
Question 4 – D: 65,000. Question 5 – B: 5.
ANSWERS:
www.apal.org.au
35
Merry
Crunchmas!
The APAL Board and
staff would like to wish all
apple and pear growers a very
Merry Christmas and a bountiful
apple and pear harvest in 2015.
APAL’s 2015
wall calendar
As a special thank you to APAL
members for your ongoing support
you will soon get an APAL 2015
wall calendar in the post.
www.apal.org.au

Australian Fruitgrower

Transcription

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