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About us
Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc is the peak body representing apple, pear, cherry, berry and stonefruit growers in Tasmania. It is a not-for-profit, incorporated, industry body that represents the interests of Tasmanian fruit growers. It is run by Tasmania's fruit growers, for Tasmania's fruit growers.
Fruit Growers Tasmania key focus areas are to support growers with matters of pest and disease management, strengthening of national and international trade and to support industry development.
What Fruit Growers Tasmania do:
- offer information and support services to make life easier for members as well as other Tasmanian fruit growers.
- organise industry information sharing activities, including orchard walks, field days, and the annual conference.
- representatives and other industry leaders serve on industry Strategic Industry Advisory Panels, representing the State and their colleagues on the boards of national industry peak bodies.
- assist growers with navigating government export registrations and audit processes. Members can use our website to keep up to date with industry and government export information including audit scopes, work-plans, and other relevant information.
- assist growers meet the growing national and international food safety quality assurance certification auditing requirements by coordinating microbiological and residue testing services.
Our history
Fruit Growers Tasmania was formed in 2004 through the merger of two industry associations, the Tasmanian Apple and Pear Growers Association and the Tasmanian Stonefruit Association.
The Tasmanian Apple and Pear Growers Association emerged from being a commodity council under the Farmers Federation in 1979, and was incorporated in 1992. The first President was Murray McDonald with members including John Shield, Peter Calvert, R Wolfe, Michael Salter, L Griffiths and representing the northern growing regions were Bruce Hewitt, D Bulman and J Clark. The following year saw Carl Hansen and Tom Reid join the Executive. Rex Lansdell undertook the task of Public Officer, Secretary and industry historian from formation until 1995.
The Tasmanian Stonefruit Association represented the cherry, apricot, nectarine, peach and plum growers in Tasmania for 20 years. Many new growers relied heavily on the contacts made through the Association to design and develop their orchards. During these 20 years the industry grew from a few growers with a couple of thousand trees servicing mainly the local market to one of hundreds of thousands of trees, where the vast bulk of product was sent to other Australian states and then overseas.
Today, thanks to the dedication and commitment of many people over many years, we have a new, dynamic fruit industry, that is more diversified with many new growers and high levels of new investment.