Tree Crop News

Business solutions & labour

Australian growers welcome increased backpacker numbers

Australia’s National Farmers’ Federation has welcomed results showing a 20% increase in the number of backpackers applying for a second year working holiday maker visa. 43,219 second year visas were granted under the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program last financial year – 7,000 more than the previous year.

Pome fruit - Stone Fruit

Construction of new packing and export facility commences

Montague have commenced construction of a new packaging facility at Narre Warren North.

Avocado

Manjimup packing facility expands capacity

Increased avocado production leads to expansion of packing facility.

Almonds - Packaging & labelling

Almondco Australia cracks $28.5 million expansion

Major South Australian nut producer Almondco will expand its Renmark processing facility creating 50 new jobs, thanks to a $28.55 million Marshall Liberal Government loan.

Pome fruit - Stone Fruit

New state-of-the-art, produce facility in Rocklea, Queensland

Montague open world-class produce and packing facility opens at the Brisbane Markets.

Pome fruit - Stone Fruit - Marketing & export

N&A Group and Plunkett Orchards join forces

The N&A Group & Plunkett Orchards are joining forces in a new partnership that will expand their existing alliance to become one of Australia’s largest growers, packers and marketers of all tree fruits.

Almonds

Almonds trialled in outback NT

Almond crops are being trialled in the Northern Territory for the first time, with hopes that Central Australia can become a commercial producer.

Pome fruit - Stone Fruit - Packaging & labelling

Research under way to strengthen the safety of apple and pear packhouses

Australian apple and pear packhouses have the opportunity help build industry wide knowledge of absolute microbial risks, and a develop a risk assessment model to best manage them.

Nuts

Pecan Market is anticipated to witness a growth rate of 6.9% during the forecast period 2018 – 2026

The market of pecans is witnessing an upsurge with the rise in product adoption. Persistence Market Research (PMR) highlights the growth trajectory of the global pecans market in a new report titled ‘Pecan Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013 – 2017 and Forecast 2018 – 2026’.

General - Spraying equipment & application

New weather stations to protect Riverland food producers

Localised automatic weather stations, will provide key data to help inform growers’ throughout the Riverland and Mallee .

Mangoes - Disease & weed control - Post harvest

A potential fungicide for postharvest disease control in mangoes

Stem-end rot (SER) is one of the most frequently occurring postharvest diseases of mango fruit grown in the Mediterranean climate, and it is caused by a variety of fungal pathogens. The main cause of SER in Israel is Lasiodiplodia theobromae, which is not effectively controlled by the current fungicides.

Fruit Fly

Sterile fruit flies soon to hit NSW and Victorian skies

Millions of sterile Queensland Fruit Flies to be released over trial sites in western NSW and northern Victoria.

Business solutions & labour

Nine Mile Fresh install massive solar generation

One of Victoria’s largest industrial solar power stations has been powered up at the high tech Nine Mile Fresh apple processing and packing facility in South East Gippsland.

Packaging & labelling

Packaging key to reducing food waste

Research indicates that fresh produce packaging can help mitigate the estimated $20 billion of food lost or wasted in Australia every year.

Almonds

Commercially reared bees deliver active ingredient to protect crops

Bee Vectoring Technologies International has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved Clonostachys rosea CR-7 (CR-7) for use as a fungicide on commercial crops.