Fresh Summer 2019

Summer 2019 Issue

68

BML releases annual results p14

Lord Mayor shows support for Market p17

Arj

wows the crowd! p20

AT GALA DINNER

The magazine of

Your source of fresh information for the fruit and vegetable industry Print post approved pp 100001181

BRISBANE MARKETS

FEEDING QUEENSLANDERS! Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) proudly owns and manages Queensland’s only wholesale marketing and distribution facility for fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers located at the iconic Brisbane Markets® at Sherwood Road, Rocklea. A major economic hub, Brisbane Markets® plays a critical role in Queensland’s fresh produce supply chain. Every year approximately 670 million kilograms of fresh produce is received from growers to feed hungry Queenslanders.

BML is proactive in building new purpose-built facilities for our tenants and upgrading the site to meet the needs of the fresh produce industry.

The company has invested in excess of $140 million on major infrastructure works and site upgrading projects over the past decade.

We are Queensland’s

Our company structure was established to reflect the critical role that the Brisbane Markets® plays in the life of everyday Queenslanders:

• We provide certainty through experience and a razor sharp focus on the effective operation of the Markets.

• We are a destination for farm-grown fresh produce from some 7,000 growers.

• We are in it for the long-haul and support the long-term operation, upgrading and development of the site.

• We have over 170 businesses at the Markets, servicing more than 1,000 wholesale customers ranging from independent retailers to retail chains, secondary wholesalers, food service businesses and exporters.

• We understand the importance to Queensland families of food security in the supply chain for fresh produce.

! s r e d n a l s n e e Go Qu

• We are focused on the safety and security of the 4,500 hard-working Queenslanders who work or do business at the Markets.

A

If you are interested in more information, visit BML’s website at: www.brisbanemarkets.com.au

Sherwood Road, Rocklea, Brisbane

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T 07 3915 4200

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E admin@brisbanemarkets.com.au

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CEO comment A thought for others

Opening opportunities overseas

Queensland is currently in the midst of catastrophic fire conditions, with blazes threatening communities across the state. Our thoughts are with those affected and we hope this is not a sign of the summer to come.

Many grower and industry representatives have travelled overseas with their state and federal government counterpart recently to explore opportunities for growth in export markets.

Drought strengthens industry resolve Growers around the state are facing hard times and it is important that we all continue to support their businesses.

Stories in this edition indicate that, as individual businesses and as an industry, we can learn from calamity and discover innovative, sustainable techniques to ensure Queensland continues to produce world-class fresh fruit and vegetables.

Many growers are investigating adaptable business plans to adapt to unpredictable weather, such as the Granite Belt growers who travelled to the United Arab Emirates (see page 8) or Ben Martin’s response to Cyclone Debbie (see page 28).

It is heartening to see different stakeholders join together to discover practical solutions to long-term problems, such as those being investigated by the Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative (see page 9).

Busy time for Brisbane Markets® Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) has completed some considerable developments in recent months including completing the extension to Building A1 (page 18) and Stage 3 of our Solar Project (page 19), as well as beginning work on the new Building E1 warehouse (page 19).

The latter half of the year has seen a number of events at Brisbane Markets®. Arj Barker was a hit at our Gala Dinner in July (pages 20 and 21) and the hotly contested Forklift Operator of the Year competition had a record number of participants (pages 22 and 23).

The symbolic first tray of mangoes of the season went to the new Mango Queen, Alexandra Catalano (page 24) and Montague held the official opening of their new Produce Facility (page 18).

Consumer tastes and import protocols vary dramatically from country to country, so these trips allow participants to understand and build networks within these foreign markets.

You can read about the combined Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers, Lockyer Valley Growers Association, and Bowen Gumlu Growers Association trip to South Korea on page 30.

Taking stock of our performance BML released its Annual Report in September 2019, which outlined our current company position.

In the 2019 financial year, our net operating profit after tax of $10.7m was up by 1.95% from the previous year, while net assets increased 20.7% to $187.7m.

The delivery of several key infrastructure projects has resulted in a 3.4% increase in net lettable area and solid foundations have been laid to increase this again in 2020.

BML’s Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday, 13 November 2019. You can read more about the meeting on page 14.

Season’s greetings I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season, spending time with loved ones and enjoying fresh Australian produce.

Andrew Young, Chief Executive Officer, BML and Brismark

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE

5

20

16

24

Contents 8 Fresh Updates 8 9 10 10 10 12 12

Growers learn from desert experts Searching for water security Long dry costs Granite Belt economy Changes to Paradise Dam dampen spirits Brief relief Blackbutt puts on a show for Avo Festival Newstart trial fails to deliver

14 Fresh Markets 14 15 15 16 17

BML Board focused on futureproofing site Chairman welcomes new investors Board re-appointed for 2019/20 Market bids adieu to Christensens Lord Mayor pays a visit to the Market

18 Fresh Developments 18 18 19 19 19

End in sight for important extension Montague produce facility officially open Ground-breaking start to E1 New buyer loading area project underway Sun sets on solar project at Brisbane Markets

20 Brisbane Produce Market Gala Dinner 22 Feature: Forklift Operator of the Year 22 Finau finds favour in forklift final 23 CHEP containers prove up to the challenge

26 Fresh Perspectives 26 Cultivating trust across the supply chain 28 Aftermath of a disaster

29 Fresh Export 29 Exports rise in value, volume 30 Queensland growers foster trade relationships in South Korea 31 Seeking export opportunities in India 31 Expanding stone fruit’s reach 31 China welcomes Australian grapes

32 Fresh Retailing 32 32 33 33 34

Boulus brothers bag customer service gong New member of the fruit shop family Strawesome campaign comes to an end Have you made ‘A Better Choice’ yet?

Fruit in the office: good for staff and your business’ bottom line 34 Cruise into Your Local Fruit Shop

36 Fresh Industry 36 36 37 37

Plans for Paradise Dam concern Bundaberg growers Guide to improving safety in fresh produce released Encouraging a culture of compliance at work Creating networks for Bowen Gumlu growers

38 Fresh Calendar

24 Feature: Focus on Mangoes 24 Mango Queen crowned thanks to juicy $25k bid 25 Fresh face at Australian Mangoes 25 Man-go crazy at Night Market

BRISBANE MARKETS LIMITED | ABN 39 064 983 017 PO Box 80, Brisbane Markets®, Rocklea, Queensland 4106 E communications@brisbanemarkets.com.au W www.brisbanemarkets.com.au ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Editor: Seren Trump, Brisbane Markets Limited P 07 3915 4200 E communications@brisbanemarkets.com.au DESIGN Effigy Creative P 07 3040 4343 | PRINT Buckner Printing P 07 3865 9677

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FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

Fresh Source is the magazine of Brisbane Markets Limited. New editions of the magazine are printed three times a year. Advertising and editorial inquiries are welcome and media outlets are invited to use material without acknowledgement. Fresh Source is printed on Australian made recycled stock.

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Growers learn from desert experts A delegation of fruit and vegetable growers and representatives from the Granite Belt and Lockyer Valley regions travelled to the Unites Arab Emirates (UAE) in October for a practical lesson on farming techniques in harsh and arid environments.

Despite wide open desert plains, the UAE region produces significant amounts of fresh produce including high-quality tomatoes, capsicums, leafy vegetables and berries.

The group discovered how innovative techniques and technology can enable horticultural productivity in extreme environments and produce high quality fresh produce that meets the demands of consumers.

Key challenges addressed by local farming systems included poor water quality due to salinity, climatic extremes including temperatures exceeding 50oC for weeks on end, and limited or no rainfall for more than eight months of the year.

Tomato and capsicum producer from the Granite Belt, Orazio Cannavo, said: “We are experiencing one of the worst droughts in history in our region, so the trip was a fantastic opportunity to learn from those that farm successfully with these conditions all of the time. It has shown us that nothing is impossible and that despite the climate forecasts the problems

Green in the dry: The Australian delegation with local postgraduate students at Gracia Farms Hydroponics, Abu Dhabi.

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Summer 2019

we face shouldn’t be impossible to overcome.”

The group visited commercial fruit and vegetable businesses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi including Elite Agro, Alfafa, Emirates Hydroponic Farm and a Gracia Group farm. The delegation also visited the Al Aweer Fruit and Vegetable Markets, an import facility, and numerous retail outlets to gain insight into the key international competitors and retail price points for fresh produce in the region.

Tim Sweet, from Sweet’s Strawberry Runners based near Stanthorpe, said: “It was incredible to see revolutionary technology like atmospheric water harvesting in-action at the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture. Everyone on the delegation picked up at least one idea that they will now try to apply to their own business operations.”

The project partners will share further learnings from the tour to the wider vegetable and berry industries over the coming months.

The tour was part of a project managed by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, supported by the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture in the UAE and funded by CAAR - the Council for Australian-Arab Relations.

Inside a greenhouse growing capsicums at Alfafa Farms, Abu Dhabi.

Searching for water security With water scarcity a hot issue for the state’s growers, and few signs that drought conditions that are sweeping Queensland’s south will abate, one group is looking for a long-term solution in the Lockyer Valley.

A coalition of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council, the Somerset Regional Council, Queensland Urban Utilities, the Chamber of Commerce and local grower groups, the Lockyer Valley and Somerset Water Collaborative (the Collaborative) is investigating opportunities to bring a new, sustainable water source to the region. Whilst principally for horticultural purposes, it is hoped that the storage of a consistent water supply would also bolster tourism, recreation and water sport opportunities.

Chair and Project Manager of the Collaborative, Stephen Robertson, said that the recently completed strategic business case looked at 39 possible scenarios. The Collaborative has received around $1.4 million from the Queensland Department of State Development to fund a detailed business case to determine costings and procedure for the two options most likely to be successful.

However, neither option will be a quick fix for the region. To ensure a cost-effective solution, the Collaborative has settled on options that will come into effect after the reestablishment of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline Scheme (the Scheme) by SEQ Water.

Built during the millennium drought, the pipeline was designed to treat and distribute recycled water for industrial and consumption purposes, but was never fully commissioned as the flooding that hit south east Queensland in 2011 broke the long dry.

“The government of the time put policies in place that govern when the scheme will be recommissioned and basically the trigger is when south east Queensland’s combined water storage reaches 60% of their full volume,” Mr Robertson said.

With the current extended drought, water capacity is reaching the trigger point and Mr Robertson said SEQ Water is undertaking preliminary work to inform government as to how they might recommission the Scheme. This would involve delivering recycled water into

Queensland drought situation, 1 September 2019

Wivenhoe Dam and both options on the table would kick in once Wivenhoe reaches a sustainable level.

said the Collaborative understood the competing interests and policy drivers that can either make or break a proposal.

“Instead of stopping the Scheme once Wivenhoe is secured, our proposals would involve the Scheme continuing and the additional water being delivered to the Lockyer Valley, either via local storage facilities such as Lake Clarendon, Atkinsons Dam and Lake Dyer and then piped to local growers, or piped directly to local growers,” Mr Robertson said.

“We understand that the priority for SEQ Water, and indeed the Queensland Government, is to ensure that drinking water supplies for south east Queensland are secured. We aren’t trying to compete with that, but by using existing infrastructure there is an opportunity to access new or additional water supplies,” Mr Robertson said.

The major unknown is when exactly the Scheme will be recommissioned.

A wet summer could push the trigger point back again. However, given a million people have moved to south east Queensland since the 2011 floods, there is a high likelihood that the Scheme will need to be recommissioned to secure drinking supplies for the region’s growing population.

While solutions to water scarcity come and go, Mr Robertson says the difference this time is the unity of purpose of the Collaborative’s members and an understanding that there needs to be sufficient demand and capacity to pay for the water from the region’s growers.

For a solution to be sustainable in the long term, it will need to pay for itself.

While there is a great deal of uncertainty as to when the Scheme will be recommissioned, Mr Robertson says the outcome of the detailed business case will mean that current or future generations will be able to be responsive when the time comes.

Mr Robertson is no stranger to the politics involved in an undertaking of this sort. Having served as the state’s Minister for Natural Resources, he

“There is a single voice coming out of the Lockyer Valley and a unified determination to make this happen. But there is also a very realistic and practical understanding that what we are looking at is an opportunity into the future, that doesn’t set us in competition with the broader community. The project will only work if there are sufficient customers prepared to pay an appropriate price for the water that could be delivered,” Mr Robertson said.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE

9

Updates

Long dry costs Granite Belt economy

Changes to Paradise Dam dampen spirits

Growers on Queensland’s Granite Belt are keen to let the rest of the supply chain know that despite the dry times the quality of available produce remains high.

A surprise decision by SunWater to reduce the capacity of Paradise Dam by 42% has been met with consternation by the region’s growers and industry representatives.

President of the Granite Belt Growers Association, Angus Ferrier, said that while some growers in the region were having a tough time as a result of drought and fires, wholesalers should not assume there was no produce available.

The Dam, which services the Wide Bay Burnett region, is being reduced so that works can be undertaken to lower the spillway by five metres after the summer wet season.

“Many local growers are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure they are able to provide a continued supply of high quality produce and wholesalers should reach out to their suppliers to see what is available, rather than assuming there will be nothing available,” Mr Ferrier said.

The Granite Belt Growers Association, which represent horticulturalists in the area, recently conducted a survey of growers to quantify the reduced production forecast in the 2019/20 season due to drought and irrigation water shortages.

“The survey results point to reduced production across most categories, but varied considerably between growers. The survey also revealed an estimated reduction in wages and local expenditure of over $100 million from the sector this financial year,” Mr Ferrier said.

Mr Ferrier said some respondents revealed the extra effort and considerable expense they were prepared to incur, such as transporting water and leasing other land where water is available, to maintain all or part of their usual fruit and vegetable production.

A total of 105,000 megalitres was released over 10 weeks and of that about a quarter will be stored downstream in the Ned Churchward Weir and Ben Anderson Barrage. The remaining amount, about 80,000 megalitres, was made available for free for the release period.

Queensland Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister, Dr Anthony Lynham, said reducing the water level would allow works to improve the dam’s stability during extreme rain events.

“The decision to release water has not been made lightly with the ongoing drought and water supply issues in other Queensland communities,” Dr Lynham said.

“Importantly, none of this will affect water supply for irrigators or the town of Bundaberg. The water that’s being released will be free, including for trucking to other areas.”

Managing Director of the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Bree Grima, said many growers were unable to access the released water and, with the current drought conditions, it was upsetting to see the precious resource go to waste.

“Producers in the region have been devastated by the recent announcement, both by the immediate release of water in a drought declared region and also the potential of reduced capacity,” Ms Grima said.

“Large investments and farm diversifications have been made on the premise of water security and producers are asking what the state government has planned to restore water capacity to its original volume.”

Brief relief Late October rains provided a temporary reprieve for some drought-stricken areas. While in no way a solution to the extended drought, the rain made its way to areas in the central west, some of which hadn’t seen rain since March.

Fairview, Quilpie, Blackall, Longreach, Duneira and Tambo all reported rain with Blackall receiving 120mm. According to Blackall-Tambo Mayor Andrew Martin the rain was a beautiful sight.

Many growers are using creative solutions to maintain consistent, high quality produce on the Granite Belt.

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Summer 2019

“A couple of good storms can set us up right through the Christmas period coming into the expected wet season,” he said.

While in an elevated catchment area which flows to the Lake Eyre Basin, it’s unlikely the rain or the water it brought with it will flow that far.

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Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 11

Updates

Blackbutt puts on a show for Avo Festival The Blackbutt Avocado Festival, held on 14 September, was a raging success with organisers claiming the event as their best yet.

The town of Blackbutt, located just 150 kms north-west of Brisbane, has been growing the festival for nine years and is known for producing avocados and Blackbutt timber.

This regional event isn’t just providing a reason for visitors to enjoy a country escape, a place for growers to come together, or an event for the community to celebrate – it’s also stimulating the town of Blackbutt which is also suffering the effects of drought. According to committee chairman, Jeff Connor, 5,000 visitors attended the Festival.

Fresh produce on display at Blackbutt Avocado Festival.

“It’s been our best year yet in every way,” Mr Connor said.

“Every year our small committee of volunteers comes together to one-up the year before, so nine years on it’s starting to get really exciting. In 2019, some of our businesses in the main street traded their best day ever.”

The addition of the wheelbarrow races had the crowd laughing-out-loud and onlookers clapping as four men jumped from the sky for the Avo-Drop, a world-first parachute jump onto a giant avocado.

“We can’t do it without support from mums and dads who get in the car and drive the hour and a half to Blackbutt for a country adventure with their children. When the families arrive, they really enjoy the fun floats in the street parade, food mascots, market stalls and fun avocado games,” Mr Connor said.

Plenty of avocado-themed products were available.

“It’s a weekend activity that you recount over the table the next week or over lunch at work. We are seeing our attendance figures boost year-on-year, simply because everyone enjoys their experience and tells their friends.”

The next Blackbutt Avocado Festival will be held on Saturday, 12 September 2020 and the organising committee says there will be more stalls, another parachute drop, a fundraising fun-run with ‘colour-bombs’, glamping and much more.

Newstart trial fails to deliver

Best dressed at the Avo Fest.

Industry groups have labelled the federal government’s $27.5 million Seasonal Work Incentives Trial a flop, after it failed to attract even 10% of the 7,600 places originally expected for the project.

The Seasonal Work Incentives Trial aimed to encourage Newstart and Disability Support Pension recipients to work as seasonal pickers and packers by allowing them to earn up to $5000 a year from farm work without it affecting their payments. Only 669 potential positions were created and the trial was halted in July, after only finding places for 478 people.

Feeling fun: playing the tourist at Blackbutt.

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BML Board focused on futureproofing site The Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) Board received strong shareholder support to continue operating the Brisbane Markets® in the long-term interests of shareholders and the fresh produce industry at its 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, 13 November 2019.

During the course of the AGM, the Board reported on a number of key figures relating to BML’s ongoing investment in developing and improving the Brisbane Markets® site.

As at 30 June, BML had total assets of $379.4 million, up by 4.9% on last year’s figures of $361.8 million. The net asset figure stood at $187.7 million, up by 20.7% on the prior year.

BML CEO, Andrew Young, told shareholders that these increases in asset value related largely to the capital raising completed during the financial year, and the completion of the Building C1 development.

“This revenue-producing investment, combined with the completion of Building E1, which is expected to occur by August 2020, collectively are expected to generate a revenue increase of $2.3 million in rent per year,” said Mr Young.

“These projects demonstrate BML’s focus on investing in the long-term best interests of shareholders and the fresh produce

BML Chief Executive Officer Andrew Young and Chairman Tony Joseph during the Annual General Meeting on 13 November.

industry,” he said.

The Board reported that BML’s continued investment in creating new lettable space has seen the total lettable area within the site, excluding land leases, increase to 141,603m2 at 30 June 2019. This figure has shown an upward trend over time as a number of older properties have been refurbished and as new premises, predominantly warehouses, have been constructed, creating additional revenue streams for BML. The Board also reported that the group has maintained a fully franked dividend at 16.25 cents per fully paid share, which is the same level as the prior year. However, the total value of the dividend paid has increased due to the share issue completed during the financial year.

Over the 15 year period since the first full financial year of operation, dividends have increased from 8 cents per share, fully franked to 16.25 cents per share, fully franked.

TOTAL LETTABLE AREA (EXCL. LAND LEASES)

DIVIDENDS PAID (CENTS PER SHARE) 17.00

150,000

16.00 15.00

140,000

14.00 13.00 12.00

130,000

11.00

cents

120,000

10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00

110,000

6.00 5.00

100,000

4.00

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Graph shows the increase in total lettable area of the Brisbane Markets® since 2003.

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2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

Brisbane Markets Limited shareholders have seen an increase in returns over time.

Chairman welcomes new investors BML Chairman, Tony Joseph, described the 2019 financial year as a productive year for the company, which commenced with the issue of a Prospectus in July 2018.

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A N N U A L R E P O R T I N C L U D E S

F I N A N C I A L

R E P O R T

“The subsequent capital raising included a placement, rights issue to existing shareholders and a public offer that provided an investment opportunity for new shareholders, which was heavily oversubscribed,” said Mr Joseph.

On completion of the capital raising, BML welcomed 138 new shareholders onto the share register and Mr Joseph said this clearly demonstrated that shareholders see the value in investing in the future of the Brisbane Markets®.

“We would like to thank our shareholders for their continued support and to extend a warm welcome to our new investors who have joined BML in a strong vote of confidence in the direction of the Brisbane Markets under BML management,” Mr Joseph said.

Brisbane Markets Limited released its Annual Report in September. You can read it at https://bit.ly/33GcjHA.

Board re-appointed for 2019/20

It was announced at the BML AGM that Director, Mr Peter Tighe, was due to stand for re-election. As no other nominations were received, Mr Tighe was re-elected unopposed.

Following the AGM, the BML Board convened for its November Board Meeting. At this meeting, Tony Joseph was returned as Chairman and Tony Kelly was re-appointed as Deputy Chairman for the 2019/20 term.

Shareholders at the AGM showed strong support for the direction of the Company under the leadership of the Board of Directors, which remains unchanged.

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Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 15

Markets

Market bids adieu to Christensens After 70 years working with flowers, Bent Christensen is hanging up his secateurs.

He started his journey when he was seven years old, working with his father in Denmark at their flower shop and roadside stall. From these humble beginnings, Bent became the biggest flower wholesaler in Denmark, with 11 shops scattered across Copenhagen.

Seeking a two-year getaway in a nicer climate, Mr Christensen came to Australia in 1980 and has been associated with the Brisbane Flower Market, inside the Brisbane Markets® site, almost from the start.

“Soon after I arrived, I got an opportunity to lease a section of the Flower Market. At the start we were only allowed to sell dried flowers so Australian Dried Flowers was born. But before long we had also opened Christensen Wholesale Flowers, which also had a plant nursery out the back of Building T,” Mr Christensen said.

Eventually Australian Dried Flowers moved to Building G2 and their fresh flower section was sold to an investment company, which only lasted a few years.

“When that happened, we decided to start the fresh flower section again and that was when Christensen Flower Auction was created,” Mr Christensen said.

Bringing Europe to Australia Mr Christensen was a pioneer for the Australian flower industry and used his experience of the European system to create the only flower auction in Australia.

“When I arrived in Australia, it was really hard. People weren’t used to buying flowers for home and prices in Brisbane have always been very high,” Mr Christensen said.

“So when we put the auction system in place we finally got realistic prices in Queensland. For the first time, flower wholesalers were able to buy flowers through auction which had never been done before in Australia.”

Thanks for the flowers: Bent and Julie Christensen have sold Flowerlovers and are saying goodbye to the Brisbane Flower Market.

“We only reopened thanks to our amazing staff who supported us and encouraged us to get started again,” Mrs Christensen said.

It isn’t only the face of wholesale flowers that changed, the Christensens have always aimed to change attitudes towards buying flowers so that they are considered as part of the regular family budget just like fresh fruit, vegetables and other groceries, rather than just for special occasions like weddings and funerals.

“Three weeks after the floods we started again with nothing: all we had was a bum bag, we didn’t even have a cash register.

I was so relieved when we sold $300 worth of flowers, I cried, the support of our customers and staff was so overwhelming.”

“In Europe, people buy flowers every week for their home and whenever they go out they take flowers for their hosts rather than wine or chocolates,” Mrs Christensen said. “So we wanted to make it affordable for the Australian public to buy flowers every week and enjoy them all the time.”

When the Christensens were approached to sell Flowerlovers to Herman Su of Winter Glads, they felt that the timing was right for themselves and the business.

Life after the floods After Bent met his wife Julie in the late ‘90s, Christensen Wholesale Flowers changed direction and eventually rebranded to Flowerlovers in the early ‘00s while Christensen Flower Auction was passed on to son Nick.

The 2011 floods were devastating for the Christensens, who lost their home and their business to the floodwaters.

Afterwards, Bent and Julie questioned whether they should continue and Nicky moved Christensen Flower Auction out of the Brisbane Flower Market.

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Filling the future without flowers While they won’t miss the early starts and the red tape that faces small business in Australia, Mr and Mrs Christensen said they would miss the people they get to deal with regularly especially their customers and the growers, many of whom have supplied the business for 30 years.

“We form really strong attachments to our customers because we go through major milestones with them: we’ve seen brides married, we’ve seen their children be born, supplied flowers for their christenings, and we’ve done funerals for their families. It’s a very special industry, I can’t really imagine our life without the flowers,” Mrs Christensen said.

Lord Mayor pays a visit to the Market The new Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, toured the Brisbane Markets® on Thursday, 3 October.

The visit, prompted by an invitation from Brisbane Markets Limited (BML), included a meeting with the BML Board and a tour of the Brisbane Produce Market.

It is the first time Cr Schrinner has visited since taking on the role in April this year, an important step given the significance of Brisbane Markets® as a hub for both employment and industry in Brisbane.

“Brisbane Markets® is a large employment hub in Brisbane, which provides quality fresh produce for the region and supports our local farmers,” Cr Schrinner said.

“This fantastic asset also offers night markets in South Brisbane, which are great family-friendly destinations, with quality food, artisan gifts and live entertainment. Brisbane is the best city in the world and, with great assets like these, it just keeps getting better.”

Touring the Market: Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and BML Chairman Tony Joseph during the visit to the Brisbane Produce Market.

DID YOU KNOW? Since acquiring the Brisbane Markets in 2002 BML has invested nearly $200 million in site upgrading and development projects.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 17

End in sight for important extension The extension to Building A1 is expected to reach practical completion this month, having commenced construction in July 2019.

The new extension to the Murray Bros warehouse provides an additional 160 m2 of floor area and houses two multifunction fumigation rooms, which can also be used for gas ripening and fast cooling of fresh produce. It also includes a load out area complete with a new hydraulic dock leveller.

Mr Edwards said he expected the internal fitout and audits complete before the end of the year.

“Murray Bros, BML and contractor SBP Australia (SBPA) worked very well together to achieve approval of the development application and the process of dealing with BML and SBPA in relation to the construction has been fantastic. It has been a great team effort from everyone involved to achieve the common objective of getting it built and running as quickly as possible,” Mr Edwards said.

The facility is designed to enhance Murray Bros’ range of third party logistics and export/import services. Murray Bros Managing Director, Stephen Edwards, said providing fumigation services was a focus for the development.

“This extension completes our business model by ensuring we can look after all aspects of the importation of fresh produce, particularly if imported products require fumigation to obtain biosecurity clearance to be released in Australia,” Mr Edwards said.

Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) CEO, Andrew Young, said the extension was another example of BML meeting its commitment to supporting tenants by providing the infrastructure necessary to assist their growers, their premises and the services they offer.

The extension to Building A1 nears completion.

Montague produce facility officially open Montague officially opened its worldclass produce and packing facility at Brisbane Markets® on Friday, 20 September 2019.

The facility was officially opened by Montague founder Bill Montague, with a ceremonial ribbon cutting and plaque presentation held in the bustling Brisbane Markets®, with speeches from Montague General Manager of Queensland, Hamish Montague, Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) Chairman, Tony Joseph, and Queensland Minister for Agricultural Industry

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Summer 2019

Development and Fisheries, The Honourable Mark Furner.

“We are delighted to see the launch of the new C1 Facility in the Brisbane Markets®. The new facility will help support local growers and businesses maintain the quality of fresh produce to the wider community, as well as become an important resource for horticultural farmers in Queensland,” the Hon. Mark Furner said.

The state-of-the-art 5,451 m2 facility is Australia’s first fully-automated, temperature-controlled environment,

complete with a 24/7 monitored cold storage space and ripening rooms equipped with the latest European tarpless technology. The specialised equipment introduced in the facility, ensures the reduction of ethylene and airborne pathogens.

The storage facility marks a substantial increase on the 1,000 pallets that Montague previously accommodated across its two Brisbane warehouses. It’s estimated that this advancement will be a catalyst in Montague’s expected growth over the next twenty years.

Ground-breaking start to E1 Construction on Brisbane Markets Limited (BML)’s latest development, Building E1, has commenced and is scheduled to achieve practical completion by August 2020.

This state-of-the-art facility will feature nine dock levellers, two finger docks, 10 fast coolrooms/ripening rooms, 10 cold storage rooms, fumigation facilities, AQIS facilities and offices over two levels.

The first stage of piling works for this development involved the installation of 214 precast concrete piles, representing approximately 3.5 km of reinforced concrete piles driven into the ground. The second stage of piling commenced in late October with over 180 piles expected to be installed by midNovember.

The construction of masonry walls around the perimeter of the building is also well underway with walls along the eastern, northern and much of the western elevations completed.

Filling of the site is well underway with approximately 8,000 cubic meters of fill already transported to site, placed and compacted.

Underground services around the perimeter of the site have been installed in preparation for work on the hardstand area along the western edge of the site, which commenced early in November. The erection of the structural steel skeleton is expected to commence towards the end of December and continue through January and February 2020.

Brisbane Markets Limited has now installed well over 15,000 solar panels across the Brisbane Markets® site.

Sun sets on solar project at Brisbane Markets In July 2019 Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) completed Stage 3 of its $8.3 million Solar Project.

Stage 3 saw 6,802 solar panels installed on 12 buildings across the 77ha Brisbane Markets® site. The Solar Project, which began with a Stage 1 pilot in 2015, has involved replacing roof sheeting on older buildings, strengthening roof structures and the installation of supporting rails, solar panels and inverters, along with the associated upgrading of distribution boards across the site.

As one of the largest integrated commercial rooftop solar installations of its kind in Australia, the BML Solar Project provides a buffer against the dramatic increases in the costs of electricity seen in recent years.

The Brisbane Markets® rooftop solar installation now includes 15,603 solar panels on the roofs of 21 buildings, generating an estimated 7 GWh of power each year.

This is the equivalent of powering approximately 1,400 households for a year and equates to approximately 15% of the site’s total annual projected power requirements for the next 12 months.

Breaking ground at E1: Brisbane Markets Limited CEO Andrew Young and Chair Tony Joseph joined Darling Group Managing Director Andrew Darling, J.H. Leavy & Co. CEO Peter Tighe, and J.H. Leavy & Co. General Manager Ben Bartlett.

New buyer loading area project underway

Brisbane Markets®’ tenants handle over 670 million kilograms of fresh produce annually and collectively utilise in excess of 85,000 m2 of cold room space. All electricity generated by the solar installation is consumed within the site. According to BML CEO, Andrew Young, the project will result in considerable power savings for BML with flow on benefits for its tenants.

“BML has worked hard to ensure the Solar Project ran smoothly to produce a timely and cost-effective energy solution for our site,” he said.

The development site for the new Covered Buyer Loading Area at Brisbane Markets® is now in the hands of principal contractor, Stokes Wheeler.

The Covered Buyer Loading Area provides a weatherproof environment in close proximity to the Central Trading Area with a total covered area of 2,353 m2 featuring six columns and a maximum clearance of 6.5 meters.

The new facility is programmed for practical completion at the end of January 2020.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 19

The Vintage Circus theme proved the perfect backdrop for the 2019 Brisbane Produce Market Gala Dinner held on Friday, 26 July at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Over 450 wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, grower organisation representatives and special guests were treated to a stylish evening of great food, plenty of drinks, hilarious entertainment and rocking music.

Arj Barker wowed the crowd with his comedy antics while six-piece band Magic Carpet Ride played classic tunes to get people up for a boogie. By popular demand, the caricaturist was back to draw the funny side of guests.

Classic comedic entertainment was provided by international celebrity Arj Barker.

Crowd favourite caricatures by Ro dolfo Almeida were a hit again this year.

Abbey Boulus, All dolled up: Bart McGovern, Jacinta McGovern, Matthew Boulus, les, Toowoomba.

Luke Boulus and Megan Boulus from Westridge Fruit & Vegetab

20 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

Raising muchneeded funds, the Dia Queensland vo betes lunteer crew.

Ben Davis.

Master of Ceremonies

t guests dancing.

Magic Carpet Ride go

A number of dignitaries were in attendance on the night, including State Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Susumu Hamamura, Consul-General of Japan in Brisbane Kazunari Tanaka, and Councillor for Pullenvale Ward Kate Richards.

The Brisbane MarketsÂŽ community raised $8,810 dollars for its charity partner, Diabetes Queensland, with a raffle staged during the evening.

The evening was made possible by Brisbane Markets Limited and Brismark, who thank major sponsors Toyota Material Handling, Origin Energy, HopgoodGanim Lawyers, SBP Australia, Suez, and Crisp Power & Control.

Market community gathered for a night of delicious food and side-splitting laughs.

One of the dignitaries on the night was State Minister for Agricultur al Industry Developme nt and Fisheries, the Hon. Mark Furner.

Enjoying the event are Crisp Power & Control’s guests (sitting) Hailey Mayes, Carleigh Fraser, Elliott Fraser, Andrea Walk, (standing) Nick Mayes, Debbie Passlow, John Passlow, Matthew Free, Morgan Free, Ryan Walk.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 21

Feature Finau finds favour in forklift final Na’a Finau has been crowned the 2019 Brisbane Produce Market Forklift Operator of the Year after a hotly contested Grand Final at Brisbane Markets® on Wednesday, 28 August.

The 26-year-old Nutrano forklift operator narrowly beat 2017 winner Joseph Kalolo and 2018 winner Soolefai Fale to take home the $3,000 top prize. Joseph received $1,500 for second place, while Soolefai was awarded $500 for third.

The 2019 Forklift Operator of the Year competition was sponsored by CHEP, Toyota Material Handling, and SBP Australia, with the event hosted by Brisbane Markets Limited and Brismark.

It is the fifth year that the annual competition has been run at Brisbane Markets®, which is home to the largest concentration of forklifts on any site in Queensland with 383 registered forklifts and 1,129 forklift operator permits active on site.

Originally launched to promote forklift safety, the competition has steadily gained traction and is now a fan-favourite fixture in the Brisbane Produce Market events calendar.

This year saw a record number of entries with 62 forklift operators registering for the month-long observation period.

During this time, operators were scored on their adherence to safety and traffic rules on the Brisbane Markets® site.

After collating over 1,800 scoresheets, the entrants were narrowed down to the top 10 who competed in the Grand Final obstacle course in front of the crowd that gathered within the Brisbane Produce Market to watch the spectacle.

Mr Finau was overwhelmed and excited by his win, admitting nerves got the better of him in 2018 and that his goal this year was to stay focused and calm.

“I love a challenge so I set myself a task to win. Last year, I came second but this year I was in it for redemption. I knew I was a good operator and was very hungry for the first place trophy,” Mr Finau said.

Mr Finau said that all those who attempted the course deserved applause and admitted he was pretty nervous beforehand.

22 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

Winners are grinners: Na’a Finau was jubilan t when he was announced as the 2019 Brisbane Produc e Market Forklift Operator of the Year.

“I enjoy the atmosphere at Brisbane Markets®, it’s a massive place and I get along with everyone. I’m surrounded by a good bunch of people,” he said.

“It’s easy to drive the forklift in your day-to-day work, but when you are driving in front of everyone it is so nervewracking, big congratulations to everyone who competed.”

For those forklift operators considering challenging him for the title in 2020, Mr Finau encouraged them to get involved.

“Do it! It’s good experience, it really tests your level of skill and, most importantly, it is good fun,” he said.

Finau, Soolefai Ah Hohi, Ziggy Chmierlarski, Na’a Fantastic forklift finalists: Fefe Joseph, Toni Tony rman ph Kalolo, BML Chai Fale, John Coleman, T.J. Pulou, Jose . pson Phili Craufurd, Jimmy Shannon and Ryan

Eye on the ball: T.J. Pulou makes his way through the course.

Thanks to our sponsors:

ion as l concentrat oleman is al C hn .

Jo or e: ez rrid A tight sque e tricky CHEP pallet co th he navigates

CHEP containers prove up to the challenge Over the past 30 years, CHEP and Brisbane Markets® have developed a strong partnership that continues to bring together key players in the fruit and vegetable industries, including growers, wholesalers and buyers, to unlock supply chain efficiencies.

This year, CHEP Australia proudly sponsored the Brisbane Produce Market Forklift Operator of the Year competition.

CHEP’s Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs) were featured in the competition for the first time as they are becoming more popular as an efficient and environmentally sustainable packaging solution. During the competition, forklift operators are provided the opportunity to display their skills in precision driving and safe handling of both the pallets and RPCs. Simon Johnson, Senior Manager, Crate Solutions at CHEP Australia, said “We’re thrilled to be involved in this year’s event again. With Brisbane Markets® having such a high concentration of forklift operators, this is a valuable event to promote the message of safety.

“This event aligns strongly with our commitment to build safer, smarter working environments with our customers.”

“We look forward to building on our strong partnership with Brisbane Markets® and Central Markets across Australia, supporting more sustainable and better functioning supply chains”, said Mr Johnson.

What are Reusable Plastic Containers?

RPCs are specifically designed for fresh produce, ensuring optimal performance from field to point-of-sale. They are better for protecting and transporting fresh food than cardboard with stronger construction and superior ventilation optimising product quality and freshness. Using these containers eliminates single-use packaging, which eliminates significant disposal costs and reduces the environmental impact.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 23

Feature

Focus on Mangoes

2019

Mango Queen crowned thanks to juicy $25k bid Arise! A new royal has been crowned as the 2019 Mango Monarch following the annual Brisbane Produce Market Mango Auction held on 19 September.

Alexandra Catalano of Yuen’s Farmers Market in Underwood and Waterford, and Discount Fruit Barn in Harbour Town and Helensvale, took home the season’s first tray of mangoes and the coveted title of 2019 Mango Monarch thanks to a generous $25,000 winning bid.

Crowds of bidders attended, eager to dig deep and raise their paddles for a range of auction items including the sought-after mango tray, raising a total of $34,841 for Diabetes Queensland and the MND & Me Foundation.

Newly crowned Mango Queen, Alexandra Catalano, said mangoes are a summer favourite for Queenslanders and the annual Mango Auction is the perfect way to give back to the community.

“I grew up going to the Markets every week with my dad, who owns our local fruit shops, and have always wanted to win the Mango Auction,” Ms Catalano said.

“I have a few diabetics in the family and I’ve known two people whose lives were unfortunately claimed by Motor Neuron Disease, so I’m very happy to be supporting these charities,” she said.

Adding to the morning’s fruit frenzy, NRL Legend and Your Local Fruit Shop ambassador

24 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

Sam Thaiday scored first place in the hotly-contested Mango Seed Squeeze competition, which saw participants squeeze a mango seed as far as they could from a slippery mango skin.

n’s xandra Catalano of Yue New mango queen Ale Waterford, and and od wo der Un in t Farmers Marke lensvale.

Harbour Town and He Discount Fruit Barn in

Brisbane Markets Limited Chairman, Tony Joseph, said the Brisbane Produce Market hosts the only Mango Auction in the country, and annually brings fruit shop owners and mango fanatics across Brisbane together for the high-stakes event.

“Mango season is one of my favourite times of the year, and our annual mango auction is the perfect way to remind us that summer’s on the way,” Mr Joseph said.

Mango seed squeeze was won by Your Loc al Fruit Shop ambassador and NRL Legend Sam Tha iday with a four metre squ eezing effort.

“With the winning bid for this year’s symbolic first tray of mangoes and our combined fundraising activities associated with the Mango Auction, we are thrilled to donate over $34,000 raised to our charity beneficiaries in 2019,” he said.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Man-go crazy at Night Market As the home of fresh produce in Queensland, Brisbane Markets® has long celebrated Queensland mangoes with their famous charity event, the Brisbane Produce Market Mango Auction.

This year, Brisbane Markets® shared the celebration of mangoes with the whole Brisbane community with a month-long Mango Festival at Brisbane Night Market held from 20 September to 11 October.

The Mango Festival featured all things mango including mangoinspired street food and drinks, mango games, and a mango eating competition.

“As Brisbane’s original market and foodie precinct, we brought mangoes to life with a fun filled event series dedicated to all things mango,” Brisbane Markets® spokesperson Luke Leeson said. a Food vendors provided l. throughout the Festiva

ed range of mango-them

dishes

“Visitors were able to bite into the freshest Queensland mangoes, enjoy mango-inspired food as well as frozen mango drinks from our pop up bar. There was entertainment for the whole family and all your favourite Market stalls, with a mango twist.”

Fresh face at Australian Mangoes Australian Mangoes is excited to announce the arrival of their new Industry Development Manager, Bryony Hackett.

Ms Hackett has worked in the horticulture industry for 15 years, with roles including senior management positions at Costa Group, Australia’s largest grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, and AIS Greenworks.

Her agribusiness experience has seen her manage and lead teams in all aspects of horticultural production including: growing, agronomy, quality assurance, safety and logistics.

“A key part of my role will be managing the best practice project, Building Best Management Practice Capacity for the Australian Mango Industry, which will deliver important outcomes for our industry stakeholders,” Ms Hackett said.

“I’m looking forward to meeting everyone who contributes to this vibrant industry, in particular, getting on farm and getting to know the mango producers who work tirelessly to deliver our wholesalers and end customers the taste of summer.”

New face for mangoes : Australian Mangoes has appointed Bryony Hackett as their Indust ry Development Manager.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 25

Central Markets are important links joining on e vast horticulture supply chain.

Fresh Perspectives provid es an insight into this rich and varied industry, focusi ng on the characters, and characteristics, of the wo rld of horticulture.

Cultivating trust across the supply chain Australia’s fresh produce industry is driven by the passion of the people involved in all aspects of the horticulture supply chain.

Whether it is the grower who uses innovation to create the best tasting varieties, the wholesaler who stores and markets the produce, or the retailer who provides the consumer with a quality eating experience: their passion for fresh produce is undeniable.

“Micro herbs are delicate and time sensitive from harvest to plate. We have to be tough on our stock and anticipate demand so that we can give the grower an indication of quantity required and they can grow to meet the demand, rather than having to create demand.”

According to Mr Guardala, his job is to teach the consumer that they can trust Indooroopilly Fruit to select the best tasting fruit and vegetables every single time.

Ben Martin is a mango grower from Bowen and believes in giving back to the horticulture industry. He is currently Chair of the Australian Mango Industry Association, Vice President of the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, and is the ABC Rural and Kondinin Group 2019 Young Farmer of the Year.

“It’s a very basic formula: I am passionate about my work, I buy on taste, and my customers buy on taste. I need to know that when my customer buys a piece of fruit they will get a consistent flavour every time. If I bought it, I’ve tasted it and I believe in it,” Mr Guardala said.

Joseph Guardala is a third generation fruiterer and started his own business, Indooroopilly Fruit, when he was just 19 years old. Six years later, he and business partner Robert Camuglia have found the formula for customer satisfaction: tip top taste and constant consistency.

“From the moment you walk into my shop it’s like fruit heaven.

It’s bright, it’s colourful, it smells like fruit and vegetables. We have the produce cut up so our customers can taste everything, because I want people to understand how good Australia’s fruit and vegetables are.”

Stephen Gollagher has owned Gollagher Bros, with business partner and brother Chris, for 20 years and prior to that worked in wholesale and retail fresh produce since leaving school 40 years ago. Gollagher Bros is a speciality wholesaler, focusing on small line produce such as micro herbs, sprouts and salad mixes.

Strength in innovation

Produce made easy Mr Guardala and Mr Gollagher share a similar business philosophy: make buying fresh produce easier for the customer. And for both, it comes down to a matter of trust.

For Mr Gollagher, it is important that buyers trust Gollagher Bros to select the best in the small lines, such as micro herbs, so they can spend more time worrying about their big ticket items.

“Buyers have a lot on their shopping lists these days, so we concentrate on the little lines and make it easy for them to purchase from us. They know they can give us their list and trust us to deliver. Most of the restaurants and retailers we sell to are looking for a point of difference to differentiate themselves from the larger chain stores, so we are always on the lookout for new lines,” Mr Gollagher said.

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Summer 2019

Mr Gollagher attributes the strength of Australia’s horticulture industry to the innovation and professionalism of the growers.

“Australia’s growers are brilliant, they drive innovation and the produce keeps getting better. Most of them are busy trialling new varieties, they don’t just plant what grandad planted. They are always looking to improve their product,” Mr Gollagher said.

This is certainly the case for Mr Martin. Family owned and operated, Marto’s Mangoes originally started out as a side hustle for Mr Martin’s parents Bernadette and Gary who purchased their first farm in 1990. Since then, the family has been slowly adding more land to their holdings and Mr Martin recently took the plunge, giving up his full time job to concentrate solely on the family business.

Their mango operation is based on high density plantings, a technique that was virtually unheard of when Ben’s parents began growing R2E2 mangoes. With high density planting, trees are trained as either hedges or espalier on trellis with at least 1,250 trees per hectare.

“We’ve had to use a lot of innovation in pruning techniques.

With high density planting, efficiencies per acre are a lot higher than conventional farming with labour savings, higher yields, and easier disease control. We’ve also found that the quality of fruit is improved as well,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin has continued his parents’ innovative thinking, including developing a business management app when they couldn’t find any on the market that suited the way their business operated.

“The app handles everything from spray records, purchase orders, invoicing, payroll, freight management, quality control, stock management, and planting records. We track everything and can see how much it costs us to pick and pack a block.

We also use it for forecasting each year for our suppliers,” Mr Martin said.

Joseph Guardala, Indooroopilly Fruit

For Mr Guardala, innovation is a matter of constant improvement in educating the end consumer.

“I learn something different every day at the Market, that’s why I love it. So I try to pass that knowledge on to my customers. I introduce them to new varieties and take the time to educate them on how hard our growers work to produce premium quality fruit. I make them understand how hard it is to pick one single blueberry or take care of a plant for a year and a half before the fruit can be picked,” Mr Guardala said.

Heart of fresh produce Mr Guardala says it is the relationships, and the knowledge he gains from those relationships, that makes the Brisbane Produce Market special.

Stephen Gollagher, Gollagher Bros.

“All the wholesalers are so knowledgeable. I love that they tell me so much: what’s happening for the growers, what’s good to eat, what’s in short supply, what is plentiful, what is coming in, the new varieties that are available. We have so much variety and so many growing regions around Australia that we can source through the Brisbane Produce Market, so we are able to get consistent, delicious varieties for most of the year,” Mr Guardala said.

Over the years, Mr Gollagher has seen massive changes in the type and variety of produce available.

“The Australian palate has expanded and there are many more lines of produce available. Buying for the consumer has gotten a lot more complicated. Forty years ago there were no zucchinis, capsicum or eggplant. I would never have thought they would become so popular,” Mr Gollagher said.

Ben Martin, Marto’s Mangoes

But no matter the changes, the village-like camaraderie of the Brisbane Produce Market has stayed the same.

“I have always enjoyed working with the growers, retailers, secondary wholesalers and hospitality people, they have always been very nice. Now, I am really enjoying serving the children of people that I have served all my life,” Mr Gollagher said.

Trade Tips

Mr Guardala is one of these children who have grown up in the Market, with his grandfather, father and uncles owning fruit shops across Brisbane.

For Growers

“My dad had a fruit shop in Toowong for about 21 years.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been coming to the Brisbane Produce Market with him. Everyone has known me since I was a little kid,” Mr Guardala said.

Mr Martin supplies Alfred E. Chave at the Brisbane Produce Market and the company also assists Marto’s Mangoes with exports.

From Stephen Gollagher

“Get to know your agent and spend time on the floor if you can. Talk to the customers and take constructive criticism.”

For Retailers “Understand the product and the work that the growers put into it. Don’t always go for price, look for consistency.”

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 27

PERSPECTIVES “Brisbane Produce Market is a good trading floor. When you can work with good suppliers and good wholesalers in the Central Markets they can be a lot more than just a wholesaler.

What we are doing currently with freight forwarding and dispatch with Alfred E. Chave works really well for us,” Mr Martin said.

Vital connections Both Mr Gollagher and Mr Guardala said that the Central Markets were vital for independent retailers.

“If there were no Central Markets, I couldn’t hand pick and select my produce. I’d need to source directly from growers and would have to call hundreds of people each day to find the quality of produce I require, when I need to be spending time working in my shop and creating an experience for my customers,” Mr Guardala said.

According to Mr Gollagher, the Brisbane Produce Market is an important link between growers, secondary wholesalers and independent retailers.

“Ultimately, if you want to send your produce interstate or to north Queensland, it has to come to a central point to be consolidated. You can’t just send seven punnets of alfalfa to Cairns, it wouldn’t be cost effective,” Mr Gollagher said.

Both Mr Gollagher and Mr Guardala highlighted the importance of feedback across the supply chain.

“I stopped servicing the big chains 20 years ago, I wanted to concentrate on the independents because I like to see the faces of my customers and hear how their customers reacted to the produce,” Mr Gollagher said.

Mr Guardala said he loves the relationship he forms with wholesalers, consumers and the growers whose produce he sells.

“I love it when growers get in touch. I send them photos of their produce in the shop and they get excited,” Mr Guardala said.

Meeting future challenges Labour costs and access, cracking the export market, competing with supermarket chains, and building the consumers’ knowledge of where their fresh produce comes from are all important aspects of securing the future of Australia’s horticulture industry.

Mr Martin sees a lot of opportunity in both import and export markets, but is worried about the challenge of labour for growers.

“If we can capitalise on the demand for Australian produce overseas and build our domestic supply even further with good marketing campaigns then I believe the future is pretty bright in horticulture. In my opinion, we have the perfect opportunity to really influence the international markets, but if we sit back for too long and keep resting on our current successes, then I think we’ll miss the boat,” Mr Martin said.

“There is the challenge of getting access to labour in different regions across Australia. Seasonal worker programs are really good but there needs to be more flexibility around those programs. And then there is the costs of labour. We are seeing the award wage rising each year, but the return we get for our produce is the same as it was ten years ago. It’s really putting pressure on farmers.”

According to Mr Guardala, the current challenge for independent fruiterers is competing with the convenience of the big supermarket chains, but that there are opportunities in strengthening ties between the consumer and the growers.

“We need to keep pushing the variety and consistency of Australian produce. We need to encourage the consumer to make the extra effort to go to a dedicated fruit and vegetable shop because they know they are going to receive a better product from a fresh produce specialist,” Mr Guardala said.

“Not a lot of people understand what happens with their fresh produce, it just appears in their shopping. I would like consumers to understand what growers go through: the hard work and the love they show their plantings. Growers are putting this beautiful produce on the table which makes us healthy and helps us to live longer.”

Aftermath of a disaster When Cyclone Debbie hit on 28 March 2017, the extent of the devastation left Bowen’s fruit and vegetable growers struggling.

For Ben Martin, it meant 70% less fruit and a loss of almost 10% of his mango trees. While devastating at the time, the knowledge gained in the face of adversity has proven to be a boon for Marto’s Mangoes. This year, Mr Martin is predicting a yield of 90 to 95%, a vast improvement on 2017’s harvest.

“Mangoes aren’t a quick growing crop, so they take a long time to recover from this kind of damage. We are still not quite back to 100% production yet, but it has taught us a lot about tree health and tree architecture,” he said “Because of what we saw during Cyclone Debbie we have

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Summer 2019

reduced the height of the trees, which in turn reduces their shear load. We have been using different fertilisers and chemicals at different times of the year to try to keep the trees healthy throughout the whole process.”

To avoid the same scale of damage occurring again, Mr Martin has enlisted the support of a hedging contractor.

“They are on stand-by during cyclone season, so if it looks like another large cyclone event is going to occur then he will come in and take at least a metre off the top of our trees. It will be a big call to make, we’d have to wait until the cyclone is just off the coast and risk it changing direction,” he said.

But it will be a risk Mr Martin will have to take if he wants a quick recovery when the next big storm hits.

Exports rise in value, volume

By Andréa Magiafoglou, CEO, Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association

The 2018/19 trade figures are now in and the results speak for themselves.

Fresh horticulture exports have exceeded expectations yet again, with the sixth record-breaking year in a row. Fresh fruit and vegetable exports surpassed $1.6 billion, representing a 20% increase in value and 8% improvement in volume from the previous year.

Table grapes have been the standout commodity, with over half a billion dollars of fruit exported and achieving the title of the first fruit commodity to reach this mark. Vegetable exports rose a solid 10%, with onions regaining ground and achieving export volumes not seen for several years.

More recently, an excellent season is currently being reported for Queensland mandarins with high quality fruit and

strong prices. We expect this will bolster trade export volumes over the coming year for this commodity.

China has maintained its position as the number one trading partner for fresh Australian fruit by both volume and value. Table grapes significantly contributed to this result, however improved pathways for both summerfruit and cherries have helped solidify this trade destination.

Around the Brisbane ports, some stevedore and shipping line problems associated with capacity issues have been experienced, however these are hoped to be addressed prior to next year.

For fresh vegetable exports, Singapore took out the top position for value, while carrot exports to United Arab Emirates pushed this market to the number one position for volume.

Half a year has now passed since enhanced air cargo security measures were implemented. Reports coming in from industry members and

participants of the Air Cargo Security Advisory Forum (ACSIAF) held earlier this year indicate the transition was smoother than expected with no major impediments with the exception of higher operational costs.

Moving forward, the Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association is preparing to host industry information-exchange meetings in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne Markets for members, exporters and importers alike. More information will be provided on this in due course. We hope to see and hear your views on issues affecting your business.

Fresh fruit and vegetable exports - 2018/19 Fresh Fruit

Fresh Vegetables

499,521 t

232,991 t

up 7.1% from 2017/18

$

$

1,393 m

up 22% from 2017/18

Source: ABS (2019) via ITC Trademap; Fresh Intelligence analysis

up 9.9% from 2017/18

$

$

298.7 m

up 13.8% from 2017/18 Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 29

Export

Queensland growers foster trade relationships in South Korea In August a delegation of Queensland vegetable growers and industry representatives undertook a trade mission to South Korea.

Members of the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers and Bowen Gumlu Growers Association joined the Lockyer Valley Growers Association on the tour as part of their ‘Enhancing in-roads to export Queensland vegetables to South Korea’, funded by Austrade through the Free Trade Agreement Market Entry Program.

South Korea imports more than 70% of its food and agricultural products. The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA), which started in December 2014, reduces trade and investment barriers and helps level the playing field for Australian exporters competing with those from the USA, Europe, Chile and ASEAN countries.

Growing South Korean networks were Monica Lee (Austrade), Bree Grima (Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers), Michael Sippel (Lockyer Valley Growers), Mick Maguire (Rugby Farms), Darren Howard (Lake Howard Farm), Mr Lee (SPC – Food Service, Seoul), Mr Kim and son (Myungil Nongsan, Seoul) and Legend Lin (One Harvest) .

Market access for broccoli was obtained

by Lockyer Valley Growers in July 2017 and the first trial shipment of broccoli to Seoul occurred in August of that year.

Since then, Lockyer Valley growers have secured market access to South Korea for a large variety of vegetables including lettuce, spinach, kale, cauliflower, cabbages, radicchio and other leafy green vegetables.

South Korea has a population of 51.4 million people and the capital Seoul is home to 26 million people.

Australia produces clean, green and safe vegetables which has helped drive the growth of broccoli exports to date.

The extensive itinerary of the trade mission, coordinated with support from Austrade and Trade and Investment Queensland, involved visiting the wholesale markets, port facilities, buyers and importer warehouses, a farm visit, as well as formal meetings with trade officials and retail and wholesale buyers.

According to President of the Lockyer Valley Growers, Michael Sippel, the tour highlighted that the Queensland vegetable industry, which is valued at about $1.3 billion, can capitalise on the reduction of import tariffs across many vegetable crops as a result of the KAFTA. “A key factor for success was exporting samples of a variety of vegetables that were then showcased during key meetings with retail and wholesale buyers and importers,” Mr Sippel said.

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Summer 2019

Showing the goods: Michael Maguire (Rugby Farm) with the product samples showcased to buyers.

“It is brilliant that the three Queensland grower groups have continued to work together to deliver greater export opportunities for vegetable growers in Queensland. Securing market access and tariff reductions enables our industry to continue to gain market entry and greater market share.”

Managing Director for Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, Bree Grima, said she had returned confident of opportunities for local growers, particularly those who grew lettuce, spinach, broccoli, kale and radicchio.

“We can be limited by market access to particular countries and therefore we focus on those that we have direct entry to. The Free Trade Agreements have made it easier for growers to export and as tariffs into those countries reduce the financial incentive to consider these

markets rise. Exporting is a commitment and producers need to display capacity to meet importer expectations, however, many producers in this region are already successfully exporting to places including Singapore, UAW, Hong Kong, Malaysia and many more,” Ms Grima said.

Ms Grima said the next step would be for producers to establish business relationships with potential importers and, if the price was right for both importer and exporter, doors could open.

“Establishing export markets is important for economic development and can assist in reducing pressure on the domestic floor, which may result in better prices all round for producers.

Exporters tend to be innovative, provide safer work environments and better job security,” she said.

Seeking export opportunities in India In late July, representatives from Australian horticultural industries travelled to India to gain a better understanding of the growing demand for high quality imported fruit into the country.

Organised by AusTrade and Hort Innovation, the six-day trip included meetings in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, three of India’s largest and wealthiest cities.

AusTrade coordinated delegates from key importers, wholesalers, and retailers with a series of meetings in each city. Horticultural representatives included APAL’s Industry Services and Export Manager Justin Smith, CEO of Table Grapes Australia Jeff Scott, CEO of Avocadoes Australia John Tyas, CEO of Citrus Australia Nathan Hancock, two export delegates from Summerfruit, and Hort Innovation Trade Manager Jenny Van de Meeberg.

All representatives came from industries that currently have export access into India, though high tariffs currently make exporting impractical (50% for imports, though still less than 70% for the US).

Australian growers are starting to receive inquiries directly as other southern hemisphere countries run low on fruit to export.

India is changing rapidly, even on a local level, but despite the country’s growth fresh produce is primarily limited by a lack of an effective cold storage supply chain and less modern retail conditions.

As a result, there is growing demand for premium quality apples in India, especially counter-seasonal apples, a market Australia is in a somewhat unique position to provide compared to regions in the northern hemisphere. Indian consumers only have near 12-month-old apples from Washington State at this time of the year, and, with the recent increase to a 70% tariff for US fruit, Australia can fill the window better than most.

Bound for China: Around 37% of Australian grapes exported from January to late June are destined for Chinese consumers.

China welcomes Australian grapes Australian grapes have had a strong season in China with newer varieties gaining traction with consumers.

According to Shanghai-based importer Frutacloud, 9 kg packs of Autumn Crisp grapes hit a record high price of RMB 700 (US$101.86) before Mother’s Day (12 May), while the most popular variety, red, seedless Crimson grapes continued to see strong demand.

Large volumes of Crimson were shipped by sea to meet strong demand with the peak period falling between March and April.

The company said Australian Crimson is the first choice during this period as domestic production of Crimson has not started in China and grapes from Chile and South African could not compete for colour and taste. Meanwhile, packaging innovation also helped to meet a wider demand.

“The 9 kg coffin pack continues to be used, and more and more gift boxes in 4.5 kg stem up packs arrive to cater to the trend of Chinese consumer’s demand,” Frutacloud said.

Other varieties which saw increased volume and were received well included Sweet Sapphire and Cotton Candy. Even with these promising results, Frutacloud believed the Australian grape industry has even more potential in China.

“In the long run, Australian grapes have an anti-seasonal production superiority and enjoy zero tariffs in China starting from this year,” Frutacloud said.

Expanding stone fruit’s reach Expanded market access has seen a surge in cherry, peach and nectarine exports to China over recent years and this is expected to remain steady over the 2019/20 season.

Production of Australian cherries is expected to increase with Foreign Agricultural Services, Canberra, forecasting production at 18,000 metric tons (MT), an increase of 1,000 MT from the revised MY 2018/19 estimate in part driven by strong export demand into Asian markets such as China.

Exports on the rise for stone fruit, including cherries.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 31

New member of the fruit shop family Service with a smile from Matthew and Luke Boulus of Westridge Fruit & Vegetables.

Boulus brothers bag customer service gong Luke and Matthew Boulus have been rewarded for their top notch customer service at Westridge Fruit & Vegetables in Toowoomba.

Local newspaper, The Chronicle, put out the call for readers to nominate and vote for the Best of Toowoomba 2019, and A Better Choice (ABC)/ Your Local Fruit Shop (YLFS) retailer Westridge Fruit & Vegetables took out the prize for the best customer service.

The Boulus family bought Westridge Fruit & Vegetables in 2007, but the fruit and vegetable business has been in their blood much longer than that, with father Anthony (who also works in the store), grandfather and greatgrandfather all working as fruiterers.

Despite their impressive history, Westridge Fruit and Vegetables brings a fresh and modern approach to their clients’ needs, striving to deliver first-grade fruits and vegetables with their trademark friendly, personalised 32 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

ABC/YLFS is pleased to announce the newest addition to their team of participating retailers: Wright’s Fruit Barn at Bribie Island. Owners Michael and Kristy Taddio came to Bribie Island for holidays with their children and were fascinated by the beauty of the Island and the friendliness of the islanders. So the joyful couple decided to move to the area and spread the message of eating healthy and supporting locals.

service in a hectic and demanding market.

The team is always happy to recommend fruits and vegetables, explain cooking methods and recipe ideas, pack purchases carefully, and even carry them to your car for you!

Luke, Matthew and Anthony visit the Brisbane Produce Market twice a week to hand-pick the best fruit and vegetables for their customers.

They also support local farmers in the Toowoomba and surrounding areas.

The mantra that drives their customer service philosophy is that they go out of their way to fulfil any customer request and focus on developing friendly personal relationships. At Westridge Fruit & Vegetables, the staff is empowered with extensive product knowledge through oneon-one training. Therefore, you can expect expertise of what is in season and what is a great buy every day of the week.

Welcome to the family Michael and Kristy Taddio from Wright’s Fruit Barn.

Strawesome campaign comes to an end Throughout August and September, A Better Choice (ABC)/Your Local Fruit Shop (YLFS) in conjunction with the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association ran an ‘Experience #Strawesome’ consumer campaign.

The campaign focused on encouraging consumers to taste and purchase Queensland-grown strawberries from their ABC/YLFS retailer and to educate them on different ways to enjoy sweet ruby red fruit.

During the campaign, 55 ABC/YLFS retailers held strawberry tasting events, which were well received by

participating retailers and consumers.

Many retailers shared the activity on their own Facebook page resulting in positive feedback while in store customers enjoyed the luscious strawberries resulting in increased sales.

In addition to the in-store tastings, all ABC/YLFS retailers also received the point of sale items including posters, basket lines, and recipe cards.

A series of recipes and content was advertised through a range of digital channels which assisted in creating awareness and consumer demand for Queensland-grown strawberries.

Strawesome sweetness showcased by James at Cooly Fruit Gold in Gympie.

Have you made ‘A Better Choice’ yet?

Shopping and eating local is a better choice. And A Better Choice (ABC) is the first national initiative designed to educate consumers about the quality, service and freshness of produce at their local fruit and vegetable shop.

A Better Choice was launched in 2018, and is a joint initiative

by Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) and the Central Markets Association of Australia (CMAA), seeing FMA and CMAA working hand-in-hand with industry partners to conduct a range of branding and co-promotional activities.

The program is already supporting more than 400 fruit and vegetable business owners across Australia who supply 20% of the nation’s fresh produce sold each year. ABC presents an opportunity for consumers to come together to help create a positive future for business owners, produce wholesalers and the local growers who supply them.

The ABC team has surveyed thousands of Australian consumers, and identified what matters most to them when it comes to purchasing fruit and vegetables. When you shop local, you’re getting better quality, freshness and range of produce, which is hand-picked by the store owners. And the ‘A Better Choice’ campaign is here to spread that message.

Through a strategic national awareness initiative, the program has already reached millions of consumers and will continue to promote the benefits of shopping local into 2020.

For more information about ‘A Better Choice’, contact: info@abetterchoice.com.au.

In 12 months:

16m

Social media views

120,000 Facebook followers

500,000

Australians engaged with content

The message ABC is sharing with millions of Australians through both digital and traditional marketing channels is: • A Better Choice of available products • A Better Choice for freshness • A Better Choice for knowledge and service • A Better Choice to support your local community • A Better Choice for Australian families ABC is busy supporting retailers with a comprehensive communications program, including complimentary photography and profiling of your local store. If you haven’t already signed up to be a part of A Better Choice, now’s the time as the team are gearing up for an exciting year of activity in 2020.

Making a better choice is easy when you link consumers with independent fruit and vegetable retailers.

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 33

RETAILING

Fruit in the office: good for staff and your business’ bottom line

This can help your business to improve employee job satisfaction, productivity, employee energy levels at work, and team effectiveness. BuyFruit.com.au delivers to your door lush, overflowing boxes of hand-picked delicious seasonal fruits from local growers and suppliers, so call it a luxury if you must – just one that will easily pay for itself.

Are you tired of chasing down workers who ‘chuck sickies’ constantly or ready to scream at your co-worker who has been sneezing at his desk for the last four days? If so, it is time to invest in employee health and wellness and take advantage on the return on investment you’ll get.

A 2010 study from Harvard University found that absenteeism costs fall by $2.73US for every dollar spent on health and wellness in the workplace. Employees with good health behaviours such as healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and who are not overweight or obese have lower absenteeism. You can read the study yourself at https://bit.ly/2N1Dq6T. Fruit box deliveries can be an easy, convenient way to cut absenteeism, compared to more expensive health and wellness perks – a fruit box is an affordable alternative with all of the benefits and none of the pitfalls. It also shows your employees that you care and value them, their health, and their contribution to your company.

Invest in your employee health and wellness with a BuyFruit box.

Cruise into Your Local Fruit Shop The summer season remains the most popular time for vacations among Australians. With school holidays, good weather and less hectic work everybody dreams of escaping daily life and enjoying some time away with their families.

Cruise Into Summer with Your Local Fruit Shop Campaign is designed to reward customers for supporting the A Better Choice (ABC)/Your Local Fruit Shop (YLFS) retailers throughout the year.

The campaign features a competition in which customers can enter by single or multiple entries based on their minimum spend. The more they spend in their local fruit shop the more chances they will have to win prizes. The prizes include a cruise for a family of four plus other minor prizes such as cooking classes and movie experiences, which will be drawn throughout the campaign. The campaign aims to increase foot traffic, repeat sales and customer engagement within ABC/ YLFS stores through a competition offering them experiences to get away, relax and spend time with their families.

WINNER 2018

34 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

WINNER 2018

Brand Ambassador Sam Thaiday and his wife Rachel are promoting the message of buying more fruit and vegetables from YLFS to win a cruise for four or other prizes through print, radio and digital advertising. Each retailer has been supplied with a personalised Cruise Into Summer poster with their logo on it to encourage uniqueness. Great recipes, such as carrot and beetroot salad, pawpaw and melon balls in grapefruit juice and chargrilled mango and red capsicum skewers with sweet chilli dip, are promoted both instore and online with a message of freshness and seasonality.

D A 0 Y 0 S 1 The Australian Cherry Season lasts 100 days from November through to February.

Share the love with Aussie Cherries…

The little taste of summer that’s close to everybody’s heart!

Plans for Paradise Dam concern Bundaberg growers

By Bree Grima, Managing Director, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers

The announcement that storage of Paradise Dam will be reduced has been met with a wave of concerned growers and community members (see page 8 for more details).

As the regional representative body, we are extremely concerned that reducing the dam’s capacity will have a severe and negative impact on the industry moving forward. We are calling on state government for a full-scale upgrade to ensure one of the state’s youngest dams achieves what it was designed for: water security for the region.

Dam safety is paramount and, if investigative reports due in February 2020 indicate the dam cannot sustain its original volume, industry requests other plans to reinstate the region’s water security to its previous capacity.

The region’s landscape has changed dramatically during the last ten years with many producers transitioning to tree crops on the premise there was enough access to water and this demand will increase significantly as the trees mature. There are significant investments in the region that depend on this water security and many more future investments that are awaiting the outcome.

Producers can, however, have confidence that even at 42% capacity with no significant rainfall their allocations are secure for a few years; it is future water security we are advocating for.

36 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers (BFVG) sit on the irrigators’ advisory committee and together with Canegrowers ISIS and Canegrowers Bundaberg are ensuring Industry concerns are understood and that longterm plans are investigated to return the region’s water security.

We encourage producers, particularly those with on-farm storage, to make the most of the free water which does not impact your allocation. We also advocated to ensure more irrigators could access this water which is now also available to irrigators on the Elliott River, Mahongany Creek, Gregory River and Logging Creek.

On behalf of the current Board and members of BFVG we would like to thank Brisbane Markets Limited for its ongoing support of industry in 2019 and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2020.

The BFVG Annual General Meeting will be held in late November with four grower and two independent positions available in addition to the executive roles of Chair, Deputy Chair and Treasurer.

Guide to improving safety in fresh produce released

The BFVG Board is a progressive, passionate group who advocate for the entire horticulture sector of the Wide Bay and we welcome your contribution.

The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia-New Zealand has released the 2019 Guidelines for Fresh Produce Safety.

If you are a commercial producer or independent who can spare two hours per month for meetings please contact me, we would greatly appreciate your input.

The Guidelines set out the procedures and steps to prevent or deal with contaminations, and covers a comprehensive list of practices and potential hazards to assist growers, packers, transporters, wholesalers and retailers along the supply chain.

Upcoming AGM

The Guidelines can be viewed or downloaded from https://fpsc-anz. com/food-safety-guidelines-2019/.

Encouraging a culture of compliance at work

By Gail Woods, General Manager, Brismark

Whether we like it or not, modern businesses have to operate within an environment of regulatory compliance.

Everyone needs to be aware of, and take steps to comply with, the relevant laws that affect the way your business operates.

potential monetary penalties or even imprisonment.

drug and alcohol testing; and Workplace Bullying, Violence and Aggression.

In the Markets environment, workplace health and safety (WHS) is under intense scrutiny particularly because of the financial and, potentially, lifethreatening impact of forklift accidents.

Nearly all businesses provide some sort of training to employees to meet compliance obligations, but a culture of compliance goes further than a oncea-year mandated training. A culture of compliance is embedded across everyday work practices and sets the standard of individual employee behaviour. WHS culture is gauged by the way employees act when no one is looking.

The initiative was kicked off with a series of workshops across the focus areas. To support the adoption of the Program, template policies are available to Market businesses as well as ongoing awareness training.

Market businesses must stay up-to-date with regulatory expectations around compliance. The regulator, Workplace Health Safety Queensland, looks to ensure that a business is putting policies and procedures in place to mitigate and respond to risk, with the consequence of non-compliance being

The Brisbane Markets® 2019/20 Site Safety Program was launched during ‘Safety Month’ in October. It is a joint initiative of Brismark and Brisbane Markets Limited that focuses on five key areas: Traffic Management Plans (TMP); Chain of Responsibility (CoR); Drugs and Alcohol Management; site wide

The success of the Site Safety Program will depend on the support and commitment of the Market community.

We must all be committed to adopting and implementing compliance across the five key focus areas and ensure a good WHS culture of compliance is implemented and adhered to. Even when no-one is looking.

Creating networks for Bowen Gumlu growers

By Cherry Emerick, Industry Development Officer, Bowen Gumlu Growers Association

Strategic planning has been top of the list recently with Hort Innovation looking at the VegNET project – Industry Development Officer role. A successful workshop was held in Bowen to hear the voices of vegetable growers and stakeholders as to how they see the role being delivered in the future.

Impact of Award changes

Industry visitors

Although there have been sufficient workers to fill the roles required, the number of hours worked by individuals has been significantly reduced.

President Carl Walker successfully arranged for Hort Innovations Chairman Selwyn Snell, along with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Deputy Director General Bernadette Ditchfield, to participate in a grower and stakeholder event with key management from the DAF presenting.

Positive discussions on the day will now lead to stronger collaboration between organisations to provide more of a regional focus in the future. A field walk in corn trials at the DAF research station and farm tours finished off the visit on a high.

Producers in Bowen, Gumlu and the Burdekin have been heavily impacted by the changes made to the Horticulture Award early in the season.

A fond farewell On a completely different note, this is the last column I will write as the VegNET project Industry Development Officer as I am taking up a new challenge.

I’d like to say a big thank you to all the industry people I have met and been supported by over the past two and a half years. It has been an amazing time and an absolute pleasure to be part the horticulture industry/family.

Visiting corn trials at the DAF research station in Bowen were: Ian Walker (Principal Experimentalist), Vicki Lane (General Manager, Horticulture and Forestry Science), Gary Hopewell (Business Manager, Horticulture and Forestry Science), Shane Mulo (Acting Director, Subtropical Fruit and Genetic Improvement), Stewart Lindsay (Acting Director, Tropical Fruit and Market Access), and Tim Smith (Director Forestry and Biosciences).

Summer 2019 FRESH SOURCE 37

DECEMBER 2019 5 December

30 March – 1 April Australian Melon Conference & Field Day Perth, WA

Brisbane Markets® Supplier Drinks Brisbane Produce Market, QLD

12 December Brisbane Markets® Christmas BBQ Brisbane Produce Market, QLD

2020

30 March – 1 April Global Berry Congress

5-7 February

MAY Tocal Field Days

Riverland Field Days

Paterson, NSW

15-16 May Riverina Field Days

Primex 2020

18 February

Casino, NSW

evokeAG Conference

Newdegate, WA

Blackbutt Avocado Festival

21-23 May

Berlin, Germany

Newdegate Machinery Field Days

12 September

Griffith, NSW

Fruit Logistica

2-3 September

Rotterdam, Netherlands

1-3 May

FEBRUARY

SEPTEMBER

Blackbutt, QLD

18-19 September Barmera, SA

22-24 September Henty Machinery Field Days Henty, NSW

23-25 September Asia FRUIT LOGISTICA Hong Kong

JUNE

OCTOBER

Restaurant Asia 2020

6 June

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Bowen Gumlu Growers Association Gala Dinner

Elmore & District Machinery Field Days

Melbourne VIC

20-22 February

Bowen, QLD

MARCH

15-17 June Hort Connections

3-5 March

Wimmera Machinery Field Days Longerenong, VIC

4-5 March

Brisbane QLD

AUGUST

Citrus Market Outlook Forum 2020

11-13 August

Melbourne, VIC

Eyre Peninsula Field Days

10-13 March

Cleve, SA

Foodex Japan 2020

18-20 August

Chiba, Japan

AgQuip Field Days

19-20 March

Tamworth, NSW

South East Field Days

26-27 August

Lucindale, SA

Dowerin Machinery Field Days

26-29 March

Dowerin, WA

Farm World Warragul, VIC

38 FRESH SOURCE

Summer 2019

6-8 October Elmore, VIC

15-17 October PMA Fresh Summit Texas, USA

16-17 October Wandin Silvan Field Days Wandin East, VIC

17-18 October Murrumbateman Field Days Murrumbateman, NSW

22-24 October Australian National Field Days Borenore, NSW

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