Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated support for the new Ag Visa program at the National Farmer’s Federation (NFF) Congress last week, but only on the condition that “hard data” was supplied. The NFF Congress convened in Canberra to discuss the most important issues facing Australian farmers. In addition to discussions about drought and diversity in […]
With growers looking to set up their crop for the coming season with the possibility of limited water, AgFirst’s John Wilton explores ways to grow marketable crops in a dry year; methods that are also relevant if water is not an issue. Matching crop load to tree canopy size and growing conditions determines fruit quality. […]
Collecting data may be time-consuming but, as Sarah Dunn from Battunga Orchards in West Gippsland shares, it can deliver significant cost savings and is vital in helping make good business decisions for long-term profitability. In an orchard, data collection can mean recording all daily activities including spraying, pruning, thinning, fruit measuring, pest monitoring, general maintenance, […]
Robotics and automation will play a key role in fifth-generation fruit grower Mitchell McNab’s plans to drive efficiencies and quality in his Goulburn Valley family orchard. For more than a century H.V. McNab & Son Pty Ltd has been at the forefront of apple and pear production in the Goulburn Valley – the epicentre of […]
The launch of a new premium-pear brand Goulburn River Gold® and blush pear Fránk™ at Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong in September attracted strong interest from international buyers. Australian exhibitors reported a string of trade enquiries for the blush pear ANP-0131 that was bred at the Agriculture Victoria’s Tatura-based Australian National Pear Breeding Program. […]
There are many paths to increasing apple and pear consumption – the ultimate target of levy-funded marketing activities. Hort Innovation’s Olivia Grey shares an update of targeted marketing activities part of the 2018 marketing campaign for apples and pears. Apples advertising wrapping up Most of the above-the-line advertising – advertising that targets a broad range […]
Wine Australia and Hort Innovation have teamed up through the Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative (PBRI) to safeguard the nation against a devastating bacteria that could cripple the country’s multi-billion dollar wine and horticulture sectors. Xylella fastidiosa is an exotic bacteria that prevents a plant from feeding by impeding the movement of rising sap. While Australia…
A powdery explosion of what was once an unripened green banana has turned into an agricultural revolution that reduces food waste, adds post-harvest value and serves the vegan and coeliac community. Krista Watkins, a banana farmer from Walkamin in the Atherton Tablelands, Northern Queensland, was awarded the 2018 National Rural Women’s Award in Canberra last night. Eight…
The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources will begin an import risk analysis for apples from the Pacific Northwest States of the USA in November 2018. The import risk analysis will involve a scientific assessment of the biosecurity risks and potential import protocols for US apples, and a draft is expected to be released for a 60-day public consultation period in March 2019.
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