ISSUE Piñata Farms Honey Gold MAY 2019 Congress GOforGOLD

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS BRIGHT FORECAST Key account manager Rebecca Scurr forecasts a consistently strong season for the second year running, following good flowering and fruit set during winter and an ideal, dry spring.

MESS-TIVAL LAUNCH Aussie mangoes arrive with a splash as the industry’s annual FARMING celebration of all things EXCELLENCE mango — Mess-tival — kicks off summer at North Piñata Farms wins The Bondi Beach, Sydney, in Weekly Times Coles 2018 December. Rebecca Scurr, Horticulture Farmer of the Jake Zalm and third-party Year award. grower Jan Williams of See story page 5. Euri Gold Farms, Bowen, North Queensland are there to represent the Honey Gold brand. Key achievements RIPENING ADVANCES bookmark strong Ripening efficiencies are achieved along the season supply chain as new software is implemented Milestones leading up to and throughout to track mangoes via Honey Gold season culminated in one of the live data entry between best seasons yet for consistent fruit quality. 20 packhouses and five ripening and distribution As GS1 labels became mandatory, traceability centres around Australia. software at national ripening and distribution centres contributed significantly to operational TOP QUALITY efficiencies. Piñata declares the 2018- Ideal growing conditions in all regions backed by 2019 season its best yet grower adherence to agronomic practices resulted in terms of appearance in consistently exceptional fruit quality — especially and shelf-life quality, 10 fruit appearance — across the board. Packhouse years after sending the output was also equal to the record volume first commercial volumes achieved in 2017-2018. to market. On the marketing front, the Piñata Farms’ crew joined mango growers and fans at North Bondi Beach to launch Australian mango season in a day packed with mango-themed activities and tastings. Rounding out the season came the news that Piñata Farms had been named The Weekly Times Coles 2018 Horticulture Farmer of the Year. GROWING TOGETHER

NORTHERN TERRITORY Piñata Farms: Darwin, Katherine, Mataranka Pandanus Farm: Katherine Razor Rock Farm: Katherine Our territory QUEENSLAND Euri Gold Farms: Bowen Bowditch Produce: Bowen Jade Mangoes: Giru M & M Cetinic: Mareeba Blushing Acres: Dimbulah JPK Farming: Mutchilba P, J & F Bosnic: Mareeba Mutchilba Valley: Mutchilba RJ & JC Sikes: Yeppoon IH & GA Pershouse: Benaraby Between Piñata Farms and some 30 third-party family farmers, more than Groves Grown Tropical Fruits: 170,000 Honey Gold mango trees are under cultivation over 570 hectares in every Yeppoon mainland state except South Australia. Evaldar: Rockhampton Year after year, our trees produce an trade and consumer events or customised, Benaraby GC & JM Pershouse: abundant and expanding crop against a retail-focussed product news. D & K McEachran: Yarwun dramatic backdrop of iridescent and ever- With a consumer audience positively changing colours in the Northern Territory Sunnybluff Produce: Bundaberg engaged in the Honey Gold brand, during to the vastly different and sometimes and out of season, the story continues Golden Mile: Mundubbera challenging climate zones of Queensland, year ‘round whether it’s planting, flowering, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Electra Farmlands: Bundaberg picking or pruning season. Consumer Australia. Simpson Farms: Childers education is a key focus as social media The crop and the people involved in insights show consumers are interested in Bundaberg Fresh Produce: Bundaberg bringing it to fruition generate news and how mangoes grow, where they are grown, social media news including profiles of how they are picked, and want to know The Longan Farm: Narangba farm managers and harvest crew, stories more about product attributes and tips for NW & EP Stokes: Gatton about grower innovations or expansions, use. Piñata’s adoption of new techniques or NEW SOUTH WALES technologies, commentary on industry developments, coverage of participation in SJ & TJ Baker: Byron Bay LT & JA Betland: Coffs Harbour

VICTORIA Belvedere Fruit Growers: Mildura Marrbiz: Mildura

WESTERN AUSTRALIA More than 170,000 Honey Kimberley Produce: Kununurra Gold mango trees are G & K Gibson: Carnarvon under cultivation over Sullivan Bros: Carnarvon 570 hectares in every mainland state except South Australia.

2 Images and videos of the Honey Gold crop or farm activities, especially those Scale shows which demonstrate scale such as those taken by drone, win media attention and excite consumers. Footage from photographers and videographers - and crop beauty sometimes talented seasonal workers - can create multiple marketing materials.

3 Piñata Farms’ packing shed processes fruit 52 weeks a year, including Honey Gold mangoes grown by third-party growers in Queensland seasonally and sent High-tech to head office at Wamuran for distribution. Facilities include cold rooms, loading docks, storage areas and forklifts. The packing shed has undergone several pack-out major expansions in its lifetime to accommodate new or expanding fruit lines.

4 It’s official! We’re the pick of the bunch

Piñata Farms was named The Weekly Times Coles 2018 Horticulture Farmer of the Year – the only Queensland farming business to win one of six awards which honour the best in beef, cropping, dairy, horticulture, sheep and niche farming.

Now in their seventh year, the awards were presented at a gala the supply chain who plays a part in getting our produce to function in Melbourne on February 22. market right through to the customers who buy our fruit.” Managing director Gavin Scurr and North Queensland “We do what we do because we love it and it’s great to see the operations manager Stephen Scurr accepted the award which hard yards we put in, recognised,” Stephen Scurr said. included $5,000 and extensive coverage in a 32-page feature in The Weekly Times editor, Ed Gannon, said the awards were the state and rural newspapers nationally in March 3. pinnacle of farming awards in Australia. Gavin Scurr said the win was a tremendous surprise. “The finalists and winners are the best “The awards boost the profile of farmers within the broader in the nation and show that farming is a community and recognise what farmers do in terms of dynamic and profitable industry. When innovation, creating jobs and feeding and clothing Australia. times are tough, as we are seeing with Farming today is particularly challenging due to climate drought and floods, it is vital Australian extremes and, the high cost and availability of labour is an agriculture is able to celebrate the issue,” Gavin said. innovators and show farming has a bright and prosperous future,” Mr He congratulated all finalists and paid tribute to Piñata Farms’ Gannon said. employees. New South Wales sheep farmers, “The dedicated people who turn up to work at Piñata Farms Tom and Phoebe Bull, won the overall every day actually won the award, as well as everyone along Farmer of the Year award.

A VOTE FOR GAVIN! MESS-TIVAL FUN IN THE SUN Managing director Gavin Scurr has been Nothing says summer quite like an Aussie mango. elected to the Northern Territory Farmers Combine mangoes with Australia’s iconic North Bondi Association. A former chairman of the Beach, colourful pink-clad surf-lifesaving nippers, a host Australian Mango Industry Association, of fun mango-themed activities and it’s the Australian Gavin served two terms as a director and mango industry’s annual mango season launch event, represents the Northern Territory on the Mess-tival. The Piñata crew handed out thousands board. His appointment is a major boost of Honey Gold samples from the first harvest in the to the Honey Gold brand, given Piñata’s Northern Territory, joined a grower’s tour and enjoyed the vested interest in the Northern Territory. festivities including a live weather cross by Channel 9.

5 Honey Golds hit the headlines

News about Honey Gold mangoes is issued regularly to a customised list of more than 1200 national and international media contacts throughout the year. News topics range from seasonal forecasts to outcomes, corporate or grower news, farm, product or packaging innovations and people stories. With the Honey Gold name now well established in food and trade media circles, journalists regularly request to interview key Piñata people or visit farms.

PRESS RELEASE

6 Mangoes in the spotlight Top 20 media hits

Business Acumen Magazine: North Queensland grower innovation Australian Food News: Record season for 2017/2018 Katherine Times: Expansion plans underway Stock and Land: Expansion plans underway Stock Journal: Gold season in 2017/2018 Good Fruit and Vegetables Magazine: Gold season in 2017/2018 Queensland Country Life: Research combats under skin browning ABC Western Queensland, Springs, Darwin: Gavin Scurr discusses record season The Australian: Seasonal Worker Programme North Queensland Register: Night picking in the NT Queensland Country Life: Night picking in the NT Atherton Tablelander: Bumper crop predicted The Courier-Mail: Mango season overview The Morning Bulletin: CQ growers face heat The Gladstone Observer: Benaraby growers celebrate The Weekly Times: Farming family feature Produce Plus: GS1 labels The Gladstone Observer: Columnist craves Honey Golds National syndicated publications (26): Farmer of the Year win

7 PRESS RELEASE

Talking to the trade

Trade media outlets around Australia and internationally which regularly feature Honey Gold news include Produce Plus and AsiaFruit magazines, Chilean-based Fresh Fruit Portal, Australian Food News and PKN Packaging. Peak industry bodies Growcom, Produce Marketing Association (PMA-ANZ) and Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA) distribute Honey Gold news via newsletters, social media and various other channels.

8 Rural Weekly - Northern Territory Friday 8/06/2018 Page: 4 Section: General News Region: Darwin, AU Circulation: 9569 Type: Regional press clip Size: 451.00 sq.cms.

MANGO INDUSTRY Social news End of THE PIÑATA NETWORK Piñata’s social media channels a record play a vital role in connecting the brand with consumers who choose various means to learn more season ProPhoto about how Honey Gold mangoes January, 201936 Page: General News Alexandra Laskie Section: National, AU [email protected] different regions flooding the are produced. Facebook posts no cyclones or major rains Region: 4000 AUSTRALIAN mango farmers market, and domestic retail Circulation: during the harvest period,” Mr Magazines Trade harvested a record crop this prices below the cost of Type: 543.00 sq.cms. capture newsy stories about Honey Scurr said. season, picking an industry production for about three Size: The season wasn’t as kind, high of almost 11 million trays. weeks. Gold people, crop information and however, for Australia’s Mr Gray said the mango But the 2017-18 season southernmost growers in wasn’t all good news for product facts and Instagram posts industry’s data forecasting Trentham Cliffs, just over the growers, with a glut in system didn’t predict the pressMurray clip River in the Sunraysia December depressing convey the beauty and landscape glut. region of NSW, where the Marr domestic prices for the “The fruit comes on very family have 3500 kensington summer fruit. behind Honey Golds. YouTube quickly and if it moves early by pride and 800 honey gold Australian Mangoes chief one week, it affects a third of mango trees. executive Robert Gray said the provides a gallery of the best your picking and that variation Marr said his biggest industry packed more than in timing is driven by the issue was the temperature 10.6 million trays between the mango videos shot during the year weather, so to a degree it’s extremes between winter and beginning of the season in outside of our control,” he summer. His honey gold crop August last year to April, when and the Piñata Podcast presents said. the last of the fruit was was still up slightly on last Plantings of new varieties picked. season however, but prices for the stories of those involved in such as honey gold, R2E2, the fruit were “disappointing”. The season’s crop was up calypso and are maturing about 15 per cent on the Despite a smaller producing Honey Golds in their and bearing more fruit. previous year, when about harvest The industry body will work own words. Social milestones 61,500 tonnes was produced. compared to the previous “For the majority of growers more closely with growers season – “a really good crop achieved are: it was a good volume year and next season to help predict a for us is 35 trays per tree, and a good price year, which more accurate harvest, Mr this year it was about 25” – equates to a good profit year,” Gray said. Mr Marr said he received Mr Gray said. Pinata Farms’ Gavin Scurr, record prices for Australia’s May 2018-May 2019: who grows honey gold most popular mango. “But unfortunately we didn’t mangoes across 40ha on The Marr family’s mangoes have that every week, with a 2,128 page likes gained Queensland’s Sunshine Coast are the last fruit to hit shelves period in December when we and on 250ha in Katherine, in for the season in Australia, had high numbers (of Likes: 8,046 the Northern Territory, said when the price is highest. mangoes) and low prices for production at his farm was up Followers: 8,189 some regions and varieties.” 30 per cent, “partly because Growers in Burdekin, Bowen of new trees, but overall it was and Mareeba saw their crops just a great season”. ripen around the same time, “We had a reasonably cool May 2018-May 2019: leading to fruit from the winter, so good flowering, and 328 followers gained Followers: 1,333 Top mango post: 600 Copyrightviews Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] Page 1 of 2 Ref: 965461451 Mango views: 37,300

Total plays: 2,883

PRESSQueensland CLIPS Country Life(Qld) QueenslandThursday 1/11/2018 Country 23 Life(Qld)Page: Section: General News Thursday 1/11/2018Brisbane, AU Region: 23 Page:Circulation: 22034 Section: GeneralRural News Type: Brisbane, AU Region:Size: 667.00 sq.cms. Circulation: 22034 Type: Rural Ref: 1052538824 press clip Size: 667.00 sq.cms. press clip

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[email protected] Copyright Agency LimitedNZ: (CAL)0800 licenced 1 SLICE copy AUS: 1300 1 SLICE DIGITAL Weekly Times (Vic) Wednesday 13/02/2019 TRENDS Page: 24 Section: General News Region: Melbourne, AU Circulation: 50808 DRONES IN Type: Rural Size: FOCUS press clip 399.00 sq.cms. The use of drones Weekly Times (Vic) in farming has risen Wednesday 27/02/2019 exponentially in recent Page: 19 years with footage Section: Supplements Region: Melbourne, AU used for mapping, land Circulation: 50808 HORTICULTURE FARMER OF THE YEAR inspection, intelligence Type: Rural and survey work as well Size: 1,293.00 sq.cms. as recreational use. The Weekly Times (Vic) sheer scale of Honey press clip Wednesday 27/02/2019 Page: 19 Gold plantations also Section: Supplements Region: Melbourne, AU Circulation: 50808 provides stunning and Type: Rural dramatic inspiration Size: 1,293.00 sq.cms. press clip for cinematic and documentary footage of the crop.

Business plan is 2 01 INDUSTRY EVENT ripe for the picking 8 Business plan is 2 0 18 Key Piñata Farms’ LQWKHIDUPLQJWUDGHLQWKHVDQG PINATA FARMS ZKLOHWKH\GLYHUVLoHGLQWRRWKHUFURSV Scurr family VXFKDVSRWDWRSXPSNLQZDWHUPHORQ personnel including DQG]XFFKLQLZKHQWKH\kFRXOGQ WUHDOO\ WAMURAN, QLD oQGDSRLQWRIGLIIHUHQFHyZLWKWKHP managing director Gavin ripe for the pickingWKH\GHFLGHGWRFRQFHQWUDWHVROHO\RQ SLQHDSSOHV 7KH\PRYHGLQWRJURZLQJVWUDZEHUULHV Scurr and key account +(< 5(oJXUHVWKDWDUHKDUG LQDQGLQSXUFKDVHGWKH PINATA FARMS HQRXJKWRZUDS\RXUKHDG KRQH\JROGPDQJRYDULHW\ DURXQGqOHWDORQH\RXUOLSV 7KHEXONRISURGXFWLRQLVQRZVSUHDGLQWKHIDUPLQJWUDGHLQWKHVDQG manager Rebecca Scurr %XWQLQHPLOOLRQSLQHDSSOHV DFURVVIDUPVDW:DPXUDQ6WDQWKRUSH WAMURAN, QLD PINATA FARMSPLOOLRQVWUDZEHUULHVDQG DQG0DUHHEDLQ4XHHQVODQGDQGZKLOHWKH\GLYHUVLoHGLQWRRWKHUFURSV Gavi will attend the 12th PLOOLRQPDQJRHVPDNHXSDSURYHQT +XPSW\'RR.DWKHULQHDQG0DWDUDQND n and Stephen Scurr oversee a EXVLQHVVUHFLSHIRU3LÁDWD)DUPVWKDW LQWKH1RUWKHUQ7HUULWRU\VXFKDVSRWDWRSXPSNLQZDWHUPHORQ that SUNNY HILL FLOWERS Scurr family LVZHOODQGWUXO\SDVVLQJWKHFRQVXPHU ,QDVLJQRILWVFRPPLWPHQWWRWKH grows nine million pineapples,f 130 million Biennial Australian Mango WDVWHWHVW LQGXVWU\3LÁDWDRSHUDWHVDPDQJRDQG]XFFKLQLZKHQWKH\kFRXOGQ WUHDOO\ amily business 5XQE\EURWKHUV*DYLQDQG6WHSKHQ EUHHGLQJSURJUDPLQ6RXWK$IULFD strawberries and 13 million man SILVAN, VIC WAMURAN, QLD6FXUUDQGWKHLUIDPLOLHV3LÁDWDKDV DQGKDVWHDPHGZLWK4XHHQVODQG VoQGDSRLQWRIGLIIHUHQFHyZLWKWKHP D Industry Association’s JURZQIURPKXPEOHEHJLQQLQJVWR DJULFXOWXUHGHSDUWPHQWWRUXQD 1010ha of fruit under goes a utch natives Ro EHFRPHDPDMRUSOD\HULQWKH$XVWUDOLDQ SLQHDSSOHEUHHGLQJSURJUDPWKH\GHFLGHGWRFRQFHQWUDWHVROHO\RQ year. It has trans b and IUHVKIUXLWPDUNHWZLWKKHFWDUHVRI ,WKDVDOVRMRLQHGIRUFHVZLWK the Northern Territorproduction in Queensland, formed a humble Mariske d annual conference in IUXLWXQGHUSURGXFWLRQLQVHYHQORFDWLRQV LQWHUQDWLRQDOSDUWQHUVWREULQJWKH e Wit have DFURVV4XHHQVODQGWKH1RUWKHUQ ZRUOG VEHVWIUXLWYDULHWLHVWR$XVWUDOLDQSLQHDSSOHV into a multi-million dollarflower-growing vertically integrated business 7HUULWRU\DQG7DVPDQLD FRQVXPHUVDQGKDVXQGHUWDNHQD y and Tasmania Darwin from May 14-17, ,WVXSSOLHV$XVWUDOLD VWKUHHELJJHVW VLJQLoFDQWH[SDQVLRQSURMHFW/DVW7KH\PRYHGLQWRJURZLQJVWUDZEHUULHV . company that produces up to six million stems o +(< 5(oJXUHVWKDWDUHKDUGVXSHUPDUNHWV‹&ROHV:RROZRUWKVDQG \HDULWSXUFKDVHGDVKHHSIDUPLQLQDQGLQSXUFKDVHGWKH 2019. $OGL‹\HDUURXQGWXUQVRYHUPRUH 7DVPDQLDZKLFKLWLVFRQYHUWLQJWRJURZ specialist lilies and Dutch iris annually Courier Mail WKDQPLOOLRQD\HDUDQGHPSOR\V UDVSEHUULHVDQGVWUDZEHUULHV HQRXJKWRZUDS\RXUKHDGIXOOWLPHVWDIIDQGVHDVRQDOZRUNHUV k:HVHHRXUVHOYHVEHFRPLQJDKRQH\JROGPDQJRYDULHW\ f Courier Mail Tuesday 18/12/2018 ,W VDIDUFU\IURPZKHQ*DYLQ VLJQLoFDQWSOD\HULQWKHSURGXFWLRQ Tuesday 18/12/2018 Page: 24 DURXQGqOHWDORQH\RXUOLSVDQG6WHSKHQ VEXLOGHUJUDQGIDWKHU RIUDVSEHUULHVZLWKLQo7KHEXONRISURGXFWLRQLVQRZVSUHDGYH\HDUVyVD\V . Section:Courier Mail Page: 24 Business News SXUFKDVHGDVPDOOIDUPDW:DPXUDQ *DYLQ Section: Region:Tuesday 18/12/2018Brisbane, AU %XWQLQHPLOOLRQSLQHDSSOHVMXVWZHVWRI&DERROWXUHRQ4XHHQVODQG V ,WLVWKLVGHGLFDWLRQDQGIRUHVLJKWDFURVVIDUPVDW:DPXUDQ6WDQWKRUSH Business News Page: Region: Circulation: 13500724 6XQVKLQH&RDVWRQZKLFKKHEHJDQ WKDWPDNHV3LÁDWD)DUPVDGHVHUYLQJ Brisbane, AU Section: JURZLQJSLQHDSSOHV ZLQQHURI Circulation: Courier Mail Type: CapitalBusiness City News Daily PLOOLRQVWUDZEHUULHVDQG DQG0DUHHEDLQ4XHHQVODQGDQG7KH:HHNO\7LPHV&ROHV 135007 Region: 7KHEURWKHUVMRLQHGWKHLUIDWKHU*HRII +RUWLFXOWXUH)DUPHURIWKH

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HORTICULTURE FARMER OF THE YEAR PRESS CLIPS

PINATA FARMS WAMURAN, QLD Gavin and Stephen Scurr oversee a that SUNNY HILL FLOWERS grows nine million pineapples,family 130 million business strawberries and 13 million man SILVAN, VIC 1010ha of fruit under Dutch natives Ro goes a year. It has b production in Queensland, transformed a humble an d Marisk the Northern Territor e de Wit have y and Tasmania into a multi-million dollarflower-growing vertically integrated business . company that produces up to six million stems o specialist lilies and Dutch iris annually f .

WINDHUM FARMS BUNDABERG, QLD Darren and Linda Zunker have horticulture business to a built their diverse supp p lies 100 pallets o oint where it now across Austra f sweet potatoes a week lia. Th sweet corn, watermeey have also venture lons an d into d macad amia nuts. Automation needs to be part of farming’s future landscape, Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy AUS: 1300 1 SLICE particularly when Australian NZ: 0800 1 SLICE [email protected] labour costs are so high. From automated irrigation to drones to monitorRef: 1077347291 crops, anything that reduces farm inputs is attractive.” —Gavin Scurr, managing director.

11 More than 30 third-party growers produce Piñata’s own Honey Gold mango variety in five states for national distribution between November Growers and March. Some have been on the Honey Gold journey since the very beginning, while others are new to the grower family and even the in focus horticultural industry. All are passionate about producing the best quality.

Embracing technology Crocodile’s Choice, Mareeba, QLD

Mareeba-based Honey Gold Grower of the Year 2018 award winners, Maurice and Madeline Cetinic of Crocodile’s Choice have implemented significant farm developments to equip their businesses for growth of the specialty Honey Gold line. Crocodile’s Choice has some 11,300 trees under cultivation and employs up to 60 seasonal workers during the six-week harvest between December and January. Of its 60 hectares, some 35 hectares are devoted to Honey Golds. Owner Maurice Cetinic says Crocodile’s Choice is investing in a solid future with Honey Golds after nearly a decade of producing the variety in commercial volumes. Two harvesting aids, manufactured in Mareeba at a cost of $400,000, were commissioned and there are plans to plant an extra 3-4,000 trees in the next two years. “We planted our first Honey Gold tree in 2002 after we were introduced to the variety by a visiting mango industry spokesman. We were immediately impressed with the variety’s attributes including its dark apricot colour and red blush, its firmness, fine Sandi, David and Ian Groves of Groves Grown Tropical Fruit. texture and distinctive taste. As experienced mango growers, we immediately knew it had legs. “As individual growers, we apply best practice but Collaborating with researchers we also don’t leave anything to chance in terms of nutrition, pruning or spraying. We do what we have to Groves Grown Tropical Fruit, Yeppoon, QLD do and then some.” Central Queensland’s Groves patrolled the orchard at night to Madeline and Maurice Cetinic of Crocodile’s Choice. Grown Tropical Fruit has monitor flowering and predict produced Honey Gold mangoes maturity at harvest. since before Piñata Farms “The autonomous harvester, acquired the breeding rights. which picked fruit on our farm It started with 1,000 trees and during the 2018/2019 season, has continued to plant more is now only a few years away over time. By 2023, some from being available to mango 6,300 trees will be in full mature producers. Affordability will be a production. key factor, moving forward. The business has collaborated “The scanning system is GPS- with Central Queensland located and can count the University’s Professor Kerry number of mangoes in a block Walsh and his research and what size they are, to within team for several years to test five per cent accuracy. This will technological advancements in be a game changer in mangoes mango production. as it will help growers plan their Ian Groves says two major harvests and book their labour technologies tested were an based on fruit quantity,” Ian autonomous harvester and says. a scanning system which

12 A growing family JPK Farming, Dimbulah, QLD

Australia’s newest Honey Gold grower, Jan van Niekerk, was born in South Africa and raised on his family’s extensive table grape and citrus farms, producing fruit for export. However, the economic downturn in South Africa prompted Jan and his wife Carina to move to Australia in 2014 to seek a more secure and stable life. When an opportunity arose to acquire (now retired) Adrian Zugno’s farms near Dimbulah, he jumped at the chance and, in 2018-2019, produced his first Honey Gold crop, sending 35,000 trays to market. It’s a far cry from the years he worked as a helicopter pilot for oil company Chevron, transporting workers to oil rigs and he’s the first to admit it was a steep learning curve. “It was a huge challenge, running the farm and my own packhouse, especially when we experienced a heatwave which ripened the fruit early and flooded the market, but it was also a very satisfying outcome,” he says. “The variety is very tolerant to climatic changes and the way it is marketed by Piñata means growers achieve great prices.” JPK Farming has some 36,000 mango trees of which 5,167 are Honey Golds Sam and Kylie Collins of Blushing Acres. under cultivation over 104 hectares. Jan is continuing the family growing tradition, with other members of his family also migrating to Australia to grow Early grading other fruit lines in the same region. His goal is to produce and market all lines under one trademark. adopters Jan and Carina van Niekerk with son, Kohen. Blushing Acres, Mareeba, QLD

Blushing Acres operated by and Kylie Collins near Mareeba, North Queensland, was among the first producers in the region to adopt optical grading technology and in-line labelling in 2014. Owner Kylie Collins says the technology achieved significant benefits in operational efficiency and product quality and provided a return on investment in its first year. “The Compac InVision system, made to our specifications in New Zealand, is programmed to look at every part of an individual piece of fruit and reject fruit that doesn’t meet customer standards. It also grades for weight and is consistently accurate,” Kylie says. “It was a significant investment as we had to extend the shed and set up mirror-image lines to accommodate it. The efficiency achieved has been worth it. In the 2017-2018 season, we processed 94 per cent premium fruit. Our ability to pack more premium fruit increases our returns. “We’re also using an in-line labelling “It was a huge challenge, machine which labels fruit automatically — and consistently — as presentation running the farm and my own with a premium line such as Honey Gold is packhouse, especially when paramount. we experienced a heatwave “These technologies have saved us five or which ripened the fruit early.” six people a day (in labelling), and two or three people a day (in grading). We need to ‘teach’ the software what to look for and we need to train our packing staff to support the technology, but the labour savings have been enormous.” Blushing Acres has approximately 7,000 Honey Gold trees under cultivation. The business won the 2017 Honey Gold Grower of the Year award. 13 Leading the way in food safety New live-scanning software implemented at provider LaManna Premier Group’s (LPG) ripening facilities further tightened quality control and traceability for the 2018/2019 Honey Gold season. Honey Gold mangoes are ripened by LPG “During mango season, it saved us one nationally, assessed within 24 hours and administration person at 40 hours per week for transported to the nearest supermarket 16 weeks.” distribution centres. All facilities now feature Piñata Farms became the first mango producer software developed by New Zealand to adopt the technology. horticultural software provider, Radfords. “Having centralised data reduced the need for a “The software scans every single tray live and lot of printed reports and gave us the confidence provides traceability data which can tell us when GS1 to make key decisions quickly and easily, based fruit was picked, where it was packed and where on fact. We had ‘to-the-minute’ knowledge of it has been sent so we can track and trace ALL GO our stock levels and where our stock was at any product as it moves all over Australia throughout given time,” Rebecca says. LABELS ROLLED the season. We want to ensure we’ve done everything we can to make our fruit safe,” key “It’s important to promote the use of new OUT account manager Rebecca Scurr says. technologies that make farming smarter and The GS1 roll-out of less risky,” managing director, Gavin Scurr said. The post-harvest solution allows Piñata and Honey Gold labels LPG reduces duplication of data entry and begin during the 2018- boosts confidence in product visibility. 2019 season and will continue to be phased in as existing label stock is used. GS1 barcode numbers are now It’s important to required by Australian retailers to aid traceability and is based on global promote the use of food safety standards. This development was new technologies that included in a seasonal preview press release make farming smarter and published by various trade media. and less risky.” SAFETY —Gavin Scurr, FIRST managing director. SECURITY UPGRADE Security has been upgraded at Piñata’s Wamuran packing shed with more CCTV cameras added to cover all corners. The upgrade is in line with Piñata’s commitment to food safety and has a twofold effect — making packers feel secure and providing evidence to support traceability. This story was shared on Piñata’s Facebook page, not long after the strawberry industry faced a national contamination scare, and was positively welcomed and applauded by consumers.

14 The life of Lindsay

In any given year, mango production manager Lindsay Hewitt notches up thousands of kilometres from his home base at Wamuran on the Sunshine Coast to the remote growing regions of Katherine and Mataranka during picking season. When he’s not supervising and planting, pruning and picking himself or providing agronomic support to growing teams, Lindsay single-handedly transports all equipment needed for the Top End harvest more than 3,000 kilometres from Wamuran by road train — a three-day round trip each way. Back home at Wamuran, Lindsay’s four children love hearing about his Top End adventures and are keen to share in the spoils of the Honey Gold harvest, keeping these special mangoes a keen family affair.

15 PICKERS Picking the best

More than 120 people, including some 30 people from Vanuatu recruited under the Federal Government’s Seasonal Worker Programme picked and packed Honey Gold mangoes at Piñata’s Northern Territory farms during 2018-2019. Seasonal workers are based in Katherine during the harvest and transported to work by bus where they pick overnight to avoid the heat.

SEE PUNCHLINE PAGE 20

16 Every aspect of the mango supply chain is strictly adhered to by our team of expert farm and operational managers, pickers, packers and Quality Assurance staff. Pickers undergo induction Top quality training and prepare for a hard day in the field by limbering up while our QA team employs above all high-tech tools to track and trace fruit as it moves throughout the chain. Activities carried out by packing and QA staff are frequently captured in social media channels.

PEOPLE

17 Mango madness

As October makes way for November and spring has well and truly sprung, the Honey Gold harvest unleashes one of the busiest times in the Piñata fruit calendar. Growers plan their harvests, set up their assembly lines and check their packing inventory as the Piñata crew descends on the Top End farms to check crop timing and confirm it’s hot! Customer orders start flooding in and consumer (and, in some cases, media) excitement reaches mango fever pitch.

Gladstone Observer Friday 11/01/2019 Page: 12 Section: General News Region: Gladstone QLD, AU Circulation: 3301 Type: Regional Size: 173.00 sq.cms. pressSEE clip PUNCHLINE PAGE 20

The New Year is in as mangoes headFortunately, out I’d been brainwashed by years of watching Sesame Street , so THIS SUMMER I we wound up divvying up the loot and CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE TESTS scurrying home to stuff our faces. ‘‘TO FIND OUT WHAT TYPE OF So each November as the mangoes ALCOHOL IS BEST SERVED hit the shelves my mental countdown to Honey Gold season begins. WRITIN RETURN WITH MANGO. In the meantime, I take the edge off GREG BRAY my cravings by slobbering through a mangoes with the desperation of a small mountain of Calypsos and pair of hobos duking it out for the last FOLKS, judging from the number of R2E2s like a starving fruit bat. swallow from a bottle of rotgut. Plus, this summer I conducted ex- ‘Back to School’ ads appearing on tele Sadly, I was one of them. tensive tests to find out what type of we must be getting close to the end of The vendor had just given the two mango season. alcohol is best served with mango. of us a piece each to sample and her And not a moment too soon; I’m The result? All of them. smile looked a lot like the one the evil just about mangoe’d out. Still, in the name of science, I re- stepmother had on her dial when she It’s one of the irony’s of my life that peated my research several times tossed Snow White the poisoned just as I reach the stage where chunks over; just to be sure. apple. As a result, I was a bit over man- of mango are falling out of my mouth She knew three things; the first was faster than I can stuff them in, the goes, just as the Honey Golds ap- my workmate and I would be instant- Honey Gold mangoes arrive. peared in my fridge. ly hooked, secondly, there was only Let’s not beat around the bush, I’ll wind up eating them all, even one box left and thirdly, we would Honey Golds are the cocaine of the the ones I’ve frozen to eat later in the both be extremely keen to buy it. year. mango crop. Extremely keen in a way that made How addictive are they? Fortunately I’ve got another 10 Gollum’s desire for the one ring look Well, I once saw two grown men months to tr y and kick the habit. ld like a passing whim. fighting over a case of Honey Go

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Ref: 1062012455 Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy [email protected] AUS: 1300 1 SLICE NZ: 0800 1 SLICE Best of Facebook

Dozens of mini news stories and images profiling the people and places at the heart of Honey Gold production are posted on the Piñata Facebook page throughout the year. Top performing posts are boosted to maximise reach, targeting specific audiences, depending on the content type. This means the Honey Gold story is conveyed to consumers, customers, partners and retailers around Australia.

19 Next season Depending on lead-in conditions coming into next season, the Honey Gold season may start a few weeks earlier than usual as trees growing at Piñata’s Humpty Doo farm, near Darwin in the Northern Territory look set to produce their first crop. The Darwin farm is set on a portion of a vast joint venture holding established in 2016. Three major plantings have been undertaken in the past three years. Ideally, consumers will be able to enjoy Australia’s favourite mango from October to March from next season.

Piñata Farms sent a record volume of Honey Golds Mango punchlines! to market during the 2017-2018 season, in line with an Australian mango industry record of 10.7 A joke competition conducted on the Piñata million trays. The 2018-2019 season is expected to Facebook page weekly gave consumers the have achieved a consistent result. chance to win $50. The answers that best finished the joke won the prize. And now for the punchlines from creative consumers: Page 16: We come in peace with pieces of Honey Gold to show goodwill! Page 18: He wanted to be a dirty double crosser.

Produced by Aqua Public Relations E [email protected]

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