Tree Crop News

Pome fruit

Ricó pears ready to roll

New red-blush pears being grown in Australia's Goulburn Valley, with sales to begin in July.

Specialty tree crops

Small, sweet and high in Vitamin C — Australian growers are backing the jujube

With an increasing international population and a big focus on healthy eating, some Australian horticulturalists are pushing to expand and establish plantings of a fruit barely known to most of the country — the jujube.

Business solutions & labour - Technology in agriculture

Goulburn Valley farmer cuts power costs by $62,000 a year

A fruit grower in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley has cut its grid power consumption by one-third.

Mangoes - Business solutions & labour - Technology in agriculture

New software boosts mango operation

Software developed for Australian mango producer Piñata Farms, was instrumental in streamlining ripening and distribution operations during the 2018-2019 season.

Nuts

Demand for pistachios is going nuts giving growers good reason to smile

A cold winter and hot summer has given pistachio growers good reason to celebrate, with many farmers harvesting great volumes despite being in the "off-year" crop cycle — and demand for the green nut is rising rapidly.

Post harvest

Detecting ethylene, the fruit ripening hormone

National University of Singapore chemists have developed fluorescent probes for the detection of ethylene gas for fruit harvesting and storage.

Pome fruit

Industry blindsided by 15 April deadline

The apple and pear industry has been blindsided by a 14-day timeframe for the implementation of complex casual wage changes.

Pome fruit - Stone Fruit

Montague to open new Queensland facility

Montague Queensland will increase its focus on third party logistics through its new warehouse and packing facility in Brisbane.

Nuts

Australian pecan industry set to take flight as interest swells

THE trees have no major insect pests or diseases, they can live up to 400 years and their produce is currently bringing the same money per kilogram as macadamias. They sound almost too good to be true. Welcome to the burgeoning world of pecan nuts.

Fruit Fly

Research Impact: Management solutions for pest fruit flies in Australia and south-east Asia

Pest fruit flies cause fruit and vegetable production losses, food shortages in developing countries, and severe trade restrictions preventing export of horticultural products.

Almonds

Door open for Aussie almonds to Chile

Australian almonds growers can now export to Chile.

Avocado

Avocado oil sales to be upheld by surging investments

Global demand for avocado oil is estimated to witness growth at a Y-O-Y of over four per cent in 2019, according to the Avocado Oil Market report put out by Future Market Insights. This growth can be ascribed to a cohort of factors, ranging from changing lifestyles to rising gravitation toward health and well-being. The ever-evolving dietary preferences aligned with the health and wellness trend is foreseen to boost growth of avocado oil.

Pome fruit

Robotic apple harvest under close scrutiny as world-first commercial harvest underway in New Zealand

Australia apple growers are watching closely as a world first commercial harvesting of apples using robotic machinery gets underway at an orchard in New Zealand.

Flowering, thinning & PGRs

Chalkbrood fungal disease on the rise in Australian beehives — and poor nutrition could be to blame

Beehives around Australia are succumbing to the deadly chalkbrood disease at a faster rate than their overseas counterparts, despite having better hygiene practices.

Marketing & export

Launch of Australian Fresh Produce Alliance

The Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA) brings together Australia’s key fresh produce growers and suppliers, with the common purpose of being the first choice fruit and vegetable industry group for government and retailers to engage with.