Summerfruit CEO, Trevor Ranford has received a 2022 Australian Biosecurity Award in the Industry category.

Mr Ranford is recognised for his contribution to the management of the 2010 to 2020 national chestnut blight emergency response.

Over the course of his 45-year career, he has been a passionate advocate for the industries he represents, including Chestnuts Australia, the Pistachio Growers’ Association, Hazelnut Growers of Australia, the Australian Walnut Industry Association and Summerfruit Australia.

Despite a difficult beginning and numerous challenges, Mr Ranford was instrumental in building a stronger partnership between Agriculture Victoria and Chestnuts Australia to ensure practical outcomes for industry for the long-term management of chestnut blight. Mr Ranford and the chestnut industry were adamant that chestnut blight could be eradicated, despite many views that it could not.

He worked proactively with Agriculture Victoria to develop a transition-to-management plan, which enabled the industry to manage chestnut blight. The plan focused on empowering growers to identify and manage the pest on their properties. Mr Ranford successfully recruited an industry biosecurity officer to support field work during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria in 2020.

According to a media release from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Ranford’s leadership has:

• strengthened awareness of the chestnut industry and the broader community in the management of chestnut blight

• resulted in a sustainable and effective industry-led surveillance program that supports ongoing on-property management of chestnut blight and pest status claims

• enabled the effective management of chestnut blight in a long-term, sustainable manner.

Despite the response officially ending in December 2020, Mr Ranford advocated to secure funding from Agriculture Victoria to support further work on chestnut blight until 2023. Funding will continue to support Chestnuts Australia and the industry biosecurity officer under Mr Ranford’s leadership to identify and manage chestnut blight into the future.

He was also involved in the national emergency response to khapra beetle (2020 to 2022). This response was coordinated by the Australian Government and delivered across five states – a first in size and scale for an emergency plant pest response.

Mr Ranford was open to the development of a risk-based approach, which led to the establishment of a technical working group focused on national risk pathways and mitigation measures.

His continued engagement with the group and open, inclusive approach with technical experts resulted in a practical, risk-based national position that contributed to a multimillion dollar saving in the program.

Mr Ranford was also lauded for his critical leadership role in past and ongoing exotic walnut pest and disease incursions by the Australian Walnut Industry Association (AWIA).

In a communique to members, AWIA president Michele Valier said, “On behalf of the Walnut Industry, I would like to offer our congratulations to Mr Ranford, he has been a tremendous supporter of our industry and thoroughly deserved of the award – well done!”

Mr Ranford was nominated for the award by Dr Rosa Crnov from Agriculture Victoria.