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CONTENTS Australian Fruitgrower Publisher From the CEO . .4 Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) is National netting program . .5 a not-for-profit organisation that supports and provides services to Australia’s commercial Pre-conditioning pears . .7 apple and pear growers. 08 Suite G01, 128 Jolimont Road, East Melbourne VIC 3002 LABOUR t: (03) 9329 3511 f: (03) 9329 3522 Fair treatment just smart business . .8 w: www.apal.org.au MARKETING Managing Editor Alison Barber Marketing to millennials . .14 e: [email protected] Positive trends for apple and pear sales . .16 State Roundup . 18 Technical Editor Angus Crawford BUSINESS e: [email protected] Capitalising on retail competition . .21 Advertising Packaging in a war on waste world . .25 The publisher accepts no responsibility for the contents of advertisements. All advertisements are Juice adds value at Huon Valley . .28 accepted in good faith and the liability of advertising content is the responsibility of the advertiser. Procurement for beginners . .30 Gypsy Media Introducing Future Business . .32 m: 0419 107 143 | e: [email protected] BRAND NEWS Graphic Design 28 ® Vale Graphics Red Moon licensed for Australia . .33 e: [email protected] FRUIT MATURITY Copyright Harvest timing key to quality . .34 All material in Australian Fruitgrower is copyright. NO material can be reproduced in whole or in part without Effect of crop load on fruit maturity . .36 the permission of the publisher. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of CLIMATE CHANGE contents, APAL accepts no liability for the information. The effects of climate change . .39 Disclaimer Managing climate risk . .42 Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited (Hort Innovation) and APAL make no representations and expressly disclaim all warranties (to the extent permitted by law) about the Canopy drives water use . .44 accuracy, completeness, or currency of information in Australian Fruitgrower. Reliance on any information R&D update . .46 33 provided by Hort Innovation and APAL is entirely at your OUR COVER: Seasonal worker Jamie own risk. Hort Innovation and APAL are not responsible Quiz and crossword . .47 Golchere picks pears at Lenne’s Orchard, for, and will not be liable for, any loss, damage, claim, expense, cost (including legal costs) or other liability Ardmona (see page 8). Photo: Liz Arcus, arising in any way, including from any Hort Innovation, Liz Arcus Photography. APAL or other person’s negligence or otherwise from your Edition Booking and editorial copy deadline Ad material deadline use or non-use of Australian Fruitgrower, or from reliance on information contained in the material or that Hort Winter 2019 12 April 2019 18 April 2019 Innovation or APAL provide to you by any other means. Spring 2019 12 July 2019 19 July 2019 ISSN 1447-5618 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS APAL would like to thank our partners who provide us Wherever you see this logo, the initiative is part of the Hort Innovation Apple and Pear Fund. Like with funding and support. this publication itself, it has been funded by Hort Innovation using the apple and pear levy and, in the case of R&D, with contributions from the Australian Government. Some projects also involve funding from additional sources. www.apal.org.au AUSTRALIAN FRUITGROWER Autumn 2019 03 FROM THE CEO Demand for high-quality Australian fruit up By Phil Turnbull CEO, APAL xtreme climatic conditions have severely tested growers In the meantime, industry calls to suspend further investment around the country with APAL news covering orchards in Get Your Crunch On were not met, with Hort Innovation Eunder threat from ice, fire, sun, and pests in just the electing to continue with the current campaign in the immediate first three months of this year. term. Hort Innovation outlines promising metrics in its update in this magazine (page 14) and we hope it will deliver traction When I initially sat down to prepare this CEO’s Report, early in 2019. crop estimates were favourable. Closely tied to marketing is APAL’s work to drive greater Talk of bumper crops was tempered by my natural inclination consistency of quality across industry. Addressing the issue for caution and experience that much can happen before all of immature and over-ripe fruit is the ultimate aim of the crops are safely delivered off tree. Apple & Pear Maturity Project but first we need to gather Since then, and by the time this magazine arrives in your the necessary data that will set a baseline for what will be an letterbox, unprecedented heat and drought has taken its enormously useful comparative benchmark in coming years. toll on the crop estimate. Since January, this data has been coming in weekly from the Regardless of ultimate harvest volume, one thing was growing regions across multiple maturity markers in Gala and ® made clear to me by importers at Fruit Logistica: Demand Pink Lady apples and Williams pears. for high-quality Australian fruit is up in the UK and Europe. Secondly, APAL is lobbying both State and Federal Government Historically serviced by South America and South Africa, to support a National Netting Program over the next five to internal browning issues with late 2018 season arrivals from 10 years. those markets has broadened importers’ outlook. As with all With well over half of apple and pear orchards not currently fresh produce exports into the EU, growers will need to meet protected, accelerated depreciation, grants and continued EU residue MRLs, notably DPA thresholds. low interest loans will provide a significant financial incentive As you dig deep at this busiest time of year, APAL has also been to growers to act now to protect crops against not only making good progress on a number of industry-critical projects: hail, but sunburn, flying foxes, birds, and as measure of water conservation. First, industry’s calls to establish an alternative marketing strategy and structure have shifted gear with APAL drafting We are hopeful SA Government’s decision to waive Lenswood the governance framework for a Strategy Marketing Panel, Cold Stores Co-Operative $1.3 million debt signals meaningful previously endorsed by Hort Innovation as the new, government engagement with industry, and a step in the right preferred approach. direction for much needed netting. Regular meetings between APAL leadership and the CEO of Next, the Biosecurity Committee, formed by APAL in response Hort Innovation continue as we share draft selection criteria, to Government’s risk assessment to permit import of US-apples position descriptions and communications. Consensus on the into Australia, has also made good headway. Kevin Clayton- qualifications, skills and experience required for Panel selection, Greene, our appointed biosecurity advisor, has completed an will be fundamental to success. independent risk investigation on behalf of industry. While the Department’s own draft assessment is now not expected until mid-way through 2019, Kevin and other senior APAL staff have met with the Government’s Biosecurity Plant Division during January to highlight early findings and concerns. Complementing the productivity strides made through Future Orchards®, APAL’s new Future Business offering has also kicked off. Designed to lift capability ‘beyond the orchard’, Future Business will provide the hands-on training, tools and insights to help you and your teams optimise the business from a commercial perspective. Your first chance to experience Future Business will come at the APAL Industry Forum – I look forward to seeing you there! :afg APAL is lobbying both State and Federal Government to support a National Netting Program. 04 AUSTRALIAN FRUITGROWER Autumn 2019 www.apal.org.au ADVOCACY A national netting program for apples and pears By Jeremy Griffith, APAL Extreme weather events this year have highlighted the need for netting to protect against hail, sunburn, birds and flying foxes. APAL’s Head of Government Relations and Advocacy Jeremy Griffith has been busy developing a submission to Government for a program of achievable support for growers to protect their crops and improve long term sustainability. Weather and drought are severely impacting value fruit industry in Australia, larger than citrus, bananas, Australia’s apple and pear industry and table grapes. The Australian apple and pear industry is struggling due to Apples and pears are a healthy and environmentally friendly ongoing hail damage, extreme heat, droughts, bird and flying product produced by many family businesses in rural and fox infestations. Repeated hail storm damage in SA has for regional areas. the second year in a row devastated the industry. Netting will help future-proof the industry Historically, unlike many other industries in the agricultural and improve Australia’s food security and manufacturing sector, the apple and pear industry has One highly effective method for protecting the industry is the received little or no support. It provides almost (99.3 per cent) use of orchard netting. Nets protect against hail, sunburn, bird all of Australia’s apple and pear requirements and is the highest and flying fox infestations, while reducing water requirements