Cherry Industry Annual Report 2011–2012
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Cherry INDUSTRY ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12 Overview The cherry industry has faced a number of towards marketing projects. The Australian Strategic objectives key issues in 2011/12, including: market Government provided $639,146 of The process for determining the industry’s access and creating workable export matched funding to support 48 R&D priorities begins with the development protocols; poor fruit quality through projects in the R&D levy program. of the industry’s strategic plan. The adverse weather conditions; and lifting In addition to levy funds, $163,213 of plan guides future R&D and marketing domestic sales through improving the voluntary contributions (VC) was provided investment over a five year period. quality and presentation at retail level. to the industry for supplementing Activities in the 2011/12 period were During 2011/12, the cherry harvest was levy‑funded projects and/or solely funding therefore guided by the Cherry Industry affected by cherry cracking in some VC‑only projects in the R&D and marketing Strategic Plan 2008–2013, which can regions resulting from excessive rainfall programs. VC funds are matched by the be found at www.horticulture.com.au/ events during the later stages of growth. industries/cherry. Australian Government. This is now the second successive year These plans are developed to reflect both of downgraded industry yield. Strategies HAL is responsible for managing these the industry’s priorities and the Australian to reduce the impact of cracking include funds and takes advice on how to invest Government’s rural R&D priorities. The varietal selection, soil and irrigation the funds from the Industry Advisory plans are reviewed regularly. management. Australia is continuing to Committee (IAC). Consultation with the IAC find it difficult to attain openings to new is essential in determining the most critical The industry’s objectives, as outlined in the markets such as China due to constraints investment priorities for the industry. strategic plan, are to: on market access. In 2011/12, Cherry Growers Australia acted 1. Build a competitive supply of quality Levy investment as the service provider on 12 projects. Australian cherries to ensure consumers can confidently purchase consistently The total levy income received for 2011/12 The industry also contributes 2% of levy and/ high quality fresh cherries at retail level was $710,736. The current levy is seven or voluntary contributions (matched to 4%) 2. Facilitate a profitable production sector cents per kilogram (4c/kg for R&D to an across industry program that addresses by increasing demand for Australian and 3c/kg for marketing). A total of issues that affect all of horticulture, such as cherries in line with increasing supply $1,304,291 was invested into Research and water availability, climate change, biosecurity Development (R&D) projects and $251,604 and market access. 3. Ensure the Australian cherry industry has appropriate and sufficient capacity to manage change and industry expansion. R&D program The 2011/12 R&D program includes 48 new and ongoing projects. 38 of those projects are levy funded, five are funded through voluntary contributions (VC) and five are funded with a combination of levy and VC funds. continued on page 2 The projects in this report have been funded by HAL using the cherry levy and/or voluntary contributions from industry with matched funding from the Australian Government for all R&D activity. 1 The 2011/12 R&D program has focused on developing workable protocols for Build a competitive supply of quality Australian cherries continuation of exports in Thailand, gaining market access to the emerging to ensure consumers can confidently purchase Chinese market and maintaining access OBJECTIVE 1 consistently high quality cherries at retail level to Taiwan and Japan as well as other underpinning work developing industry biosecurity and export plans. Investment continues in the key area of fruit quality, especially reducing the impact of late Improving stem retention to meet season rainfall through ‘cracking’. Marketing program quality specifications The 2011/12 cherry marketing program The aim of this project is to enhance the Preliminary data analysis was completed focused on: quality of sweet cherries by understanding and presented at the AFFCO/Victorian • Driving consumption for fresh the poor stem retention in sweet cherries Cherry Association Workshop at Alexandra Australian cherries by increasing observed in recent seasons, and to in March 2011. purchase penetration, frequency and investigate treatments which may help weight mitigate this effect. A scientific poster of the trial proceedings • Promoting the health credentials was prepared by Agrisearch and accepted From information gained in the literature in the program at the Horticultural associated with cherry consumption review and personal communication with Conference in Lorne, Victoria in September. • Encouraging impulse purchase of cherry experts and scientists, test protocols cherries at the point of purchase. were established. In 2009/10, a field In season 2011/12, Agrisearch conducted trial program was conducted to screen three field studies across three climate Based on the consumer research plant growth regulators, which may aid in conducted by industry the profile of zones on the variety Lapins at Yarck, Tatura improving stem retention and other quality and a cool climate site at Tolmie. Australian cherry buyers was collated characteristics. A number of products were including lifestyle attitudes, purchase identified as showing promise in reducing this Data has been collected from the field trials regularity and their associated media problem and improving fruit quality generally. and is being analysed. Improvements in habits and localities. fruit firmness, size, stem pull force and stem In the 2010/11 season, six field studies were In addition, a comprehensive category colour have been measured. conducted by Agrisearch Pty Ltd across overview was undertaken for cherries three climate zones in Victoria to further which entailed an analysis of homescan Les Mitchell from Agrisearch presented evaluate products that showed promise in data and sought to build on the principle information learned from the project at the the previous season, as well as investigating of ‘growing the cherry pie’ (selling more Fruit Growers Tasmania Conference in May the inclusion of products that might provide cherries across the whole industry). of this year. an additive or synergistic benefit. A summary of the cherry marketing levy Project CY08003 Field trials were carried at Tatura on the activities for 2011/12 includes: varieties Bing and Lapins, at Yarck on Van For more information contact: • Public Relations through Crossman and Lapins and at Silvan on Ulster and Ken Gaudion, Victorian Cherry Association Communications Lapins. At Yarck, the Van trial was destroyed T 03 5825 3700 • Public Relations Ambassador by hail and could not be harvested. E [email protected] • State specific promotions activities • Collaborative promotions with supermarkets • Involvement in Australia Fresh™. Conclusion This report provides a snapshot of project activities in the 2011/12 year. The report’s sections are divided by the industry’s objectives to reflect the activities being undertaken that address these industry issues. For more information contact: Stuart Burgess, HAL T 0417 536 300 E [email protected] 2 Improving cold treatment for Q-fly Queensland fruit fly (Q‑fly) is a major and hence reduced the time in cold The necessity of finding alternate practical quarantine pest for many Australian cherry disinfestation. In addition, this treatment and cost‑effective disinfestation treatments producers, particularly as treatment to did not significantly affect fruit quality after for market access of Australian cherries combat infestation can often affect fruit treatment and storage. requires more research and adoption of quality and marketing flexibility. results. The use of alternative treatments, which This project examined a range of combined different cold and ‘safe’ Project CY09006 postharvest disinfestation treatments fumigants, were trialled and showed some For more information contact: against Q‑fly in cherries. A short‑term promise such as the possible the use of Dr John Golding, NSW DPI postharvest, high carbon dioxide (CO2) Vapormate™ (active ingredient, ethyl T 02 4348 1926 treatment in combination with cold formate). Vapormate™ is a fumigation E [email protected] treatment was shown to consistently treatment that is already registered in increase the mortality of Q‑fly larvae Australia for use in horticulture. Preparing for cold and fumigation treatment. The cherries which have been infested with Q-fly larvae are treated with cold and a fumigation Infesting cherry fruit with Q-fly for disinfestation treatment in drums Managing European earwigs with pheromones This three‑year project aims to according to cherry variety. Analysis of understand the impact of earwigs in this data is ongoing. cherry and pome fruit orchards and to Field testing of putative pheromone manipulate earwig numbers by identifying components emitted by earwigs has the aggregation pheromone used by been completed. Two compound blends earwigs. provided significant increases in the It was hypothesised that tighter fruit earwig trap catches. These compounds bunches provide earwigs with more are known pheromone components and shelter and that earwig damage occurs are consistently