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Productive Berry Industry Development Officer visit to Victoria
Fruit Growers Tasmania | Tuesday, 29 November 2022, 10.00am
Fruit Grower Tasmania Berry Industry Development Officer (IDO) Mark Salter recently visited Victoria to attend several key industry meetings and grower visits.
As an observer, he attended the Rubus Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) meeting. The SIAP panel recommended proceeding with three of the five projects discussed. The continuation of the berry communications project was one selected. After that meeting, the Rubus AGM was held, followed by a brief Rubus committee meeting.
The next day the berry IDOs from across Australia met to discuss the development of the next iteration of the Berry Communication and Extension project. The discussions were centred around how as a project team and an industry, they can work with Hort Innovation to develop the best extension strategy possible for the Australian Berry Industry.
The berry IODs also headed to the Yarra Valley for multiple farm visits. They first visited the Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority high health facility, which produces certified foundation stock under strict controls. The Certification Scheme involves the multiplication of runners over four generations, with specific procedures, practices, and standards for each production stage.
They visited two Toolangi Co-op runner producers, Shane Perry and George Weda. Shane produces tip/plug plants grown hydroponically in tunnels in substrate, and George produces bare rooted runners and is one of the largest runner growers in Australia. Both growers explained how there is demand for both types of plants, as plug plants give earlier production, and the bare rooted runners will generally be higher yielding and later producing.
The group then travelled to the Coldstream region to visit strawberry growers, producing high-quality fruit in the field. The feedback from the Victorian growers was that it has been a difficult season so far, with higher than average rainfall and fluctuating weather conditions affecting yield and fruit quality.
Overall, it was a highly informative and successful trip. It was productive to see the range of the Victorian industry and for Mark to meet with other Industry Development Officers to ensure that the berry industry continues to flourish.
