Autumn 2021 Issue
72
Hort worth
$15 BILLION
p6
Perspectives ON SEASONALITY
p20
Avocados SET THE PASE
p31
The magazine of
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CEO comment It is amazing how quickly the world changes. Thirty years ago, having a computer in your pocket was unthinkable and yet today we don’t give a thought to the amazing power that is a smartphone. Now, we are witnessing a dramatic uptake in technology and innovation in the wake of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. In this edition of Fresh Source, we are highlighting one of these technologies on the increase by including QR codes throughout the magazine as a way to link you to further information and video content. Use your phone to scan the QR codes throughout or, if you are reading the digital edition, you can also click on the code to be linked to the additional material. It will be very interesting to see what sticks around long after COVID-19 ceases to be a threat to our daily lives.
Growth in value for fresh produce It is heartening to see that the value of Australia’s horticulture production has increased again (see page 6) and as an industry we continue to grow to new heights. However, these figures reflect the 2019/20 financial year and do not capture the whole impact of COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures. While the beginning of the vaccine roll-out across the world shows us there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the COVID-19 health crisis, this is by no means the end of the pandemic’s impact on the fresh produce supply chain. The continued international border closures will have a lasting impact on Australia’s growers’ ability to pick fresh produce and it shouldn’t be a surprise if this becomes reflected in the volume, price and quality of produce coming through the market. The industry has proved resilient so far, but when reviewing the results of the National Lost Crop Register (see page 10) it is clear that the long-term financial and emotional costs are just beginning to be counted. As reported on page 11, there is currently no end in sight and won’t be until state and federal governments put a workable solution in place.
After 18 months of carting water to nourish the region’s horticulture, the rain provided relief for growers but we will need to see this significant rainfall continue over the course of the year to ensure it makes a lasting dent on the devastating drought.
Piece rates under review The Australian Labor Party and the Australian Workers Union (AWU) are attempting to change the Horticulture Award to provide a floor of the minimum hourly rate for all pieceworkers. However, the Horticulture Award already stipulates that piece rate payments must allow the average worker to earn 15% more than the minimum wage. The floor already exists. If individual growers or labour hire companies are not meeting this requirement, then the Fair Work Commission needs to be investigating those operators that are not doing the right thing. The entire industry should not be tarnished by the actions of a few.
Worthy honour for BML Chair The announcement of the Australia Day Honours List saw fresh produce industry stalwart and Brisbane Markets Limited Chairman, Tony Joseph, recognised for his dedication, service and commitment to the industry, extending over 50 years. While involved with his own business interests, Tony’s passion for the fresh produce sector extended to a tireless commitment to industry organisations at both a state and national level. I have worked alongside Tony over many years and his dedication to the industry and BML together with the support he has provided to me and my team has always underpinned the ongoing stability and success we have been able to achieve. It is great to see Tony rewarded for his service to the industry. You can read more about his career and his appointment to the Order of Australia on page 15.
Cloudy skies provide relief It was heartening to hear that the Granite Belt region received significant rainfall in March, with Warwick, Stanthorpe and Applethorpe all receiving well over their monthly average.
Andrew Young, Chief Executive Officer, BML and Brismark Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE
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Contents 6 Fresh Updates 6 7 8 9 10 12 12 14
Horticulture production now worth over $15 billion Banana growers face long recovery after Tropical Cyclone Niran BML shouts growers to Bulls Masters BBQ in Bundaberg Fightback starts against fall armyworm Counting the cost of COVID’s impact on growers Industry feedback to inform piecework defence Calls to review flawed health rating Connecting the industry in the year of fruit and vegetables
15 Fresh Markets 15 16 16 16 17
Lifetime of service recognised Collaborative approach to safety Arcella moves in Keeping market memories alive Valentine’s sales point to another strong year for flower industry 18 Lychees growth on track 19 Markets show support for Fair Farms 19 Flair for business awarded
20 Fresh Perspectives 20 Working together through every season
23 Fresh Retailing 23 24 24 26
Shop local and win off to a flying start Geo-targeting gets results for members Pick of the Crop swings into action A better choice! member spotlight
27 Fresh Industry 27 28 28 29 29 30 30
Mushroom industry votes to keep levy Siebum takes reins at Freshcare Kelly takes the lead for mangoes Sharing skills to solve problems Projects in the pipeline Alliance elects new chair Caring community supports dam class action
31 Fresh Export 31 32 32 33 34 34 34
Stepping up the PASE for avocados Reports make export decisions easier Keeping track of melon exports Pandemic drives exports down China challenges cherries Strategic pivot helps citrus in Asia Fakes found
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
Autumn 2021
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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Horticulture production now worth over $15 billion
Supply chain metrics for all fruit financial year ending June 2020 Fresh Import 108,263t $416m
Fresh Export 515,435t $1,475m
Horticulture exceeded $15 billion in production value in the financial year ended 30 June 2020, according to the latest Horticulture Statistics Handbook released in February. The Hort Innovation report showed that although production volume decreased by 1.5% due to seasonal conditions such as drought and bushfires, value increased by 4.5%, from $14.4 billion to $15.1 billion.
According Hort Innovation Head of Data and Insights, Adam Briggs, the growth in horticulture’s value showed that consumers were still supporting and purchasing Australian fruit, vegetables and nuts despite price increases.
88%
Production 2,574,347t $5,695m
61% 19%
1,673,661t $5,406m
195,586t $662m
Supply chain metrics for all vegetables financial year ending June 2020 Fresh Import 32,845t $100m
Fresh Export 210,824t $276m
Retail
100%
FRESH SOURCE
1,854,332t $4,279m
6% 83%
Production 3,723,506t $4,851m
59% 35%
Fresh Supply 2,242,095t $5,204m
Processing 1,303,433t
6
12%
Food Service
492,265t
“Almonds continued their expansion, with value growth of 14%, while macadamias bounced back from a tough 2018/19 to experience value growth of 26%. Apples have had two years of double-digit value growth (10% and 13%), despite two years of slight reductions in volume due to seasonal conditions.
To read the Horticulture Statistics Handbook visit https://bit.ly/303NapW.
Fresh Supply
Processing
“Nuts have performed extremely well again, having grown by $221 million, one-third of the total growth in horticulture value,” Mr Briggs said.
“While COVID-19 represented challenges, such as the disruption of export supply chains, the industry showed great resilience in its response. Some industries even experienced an increase in demand, such as sweet corn, which increased in value by 48% from $76.90 million to $113.80 million.”
1,478,075t $4,744m
20%
In the financial year ended 30 June 2019, both Victoria and Queensland produced 30% of Australia’s fruit with the sunshine state just ahead of Victoria on tonnage (810,771 compared to 802,818). In the financial year ending 30 June 2020, Queensland had the largest share of fruit production, accounting for 32% of all fruit production with 821,484 tonnes. Across both financial years, Queensland remained the biggest producer of vegetables with a 24% share in both years, producing 908,399 tonnes in 2019 and 906,550 tonnes in 2020.
Retail
100%
Autumn 2021 Source: Horticulture Statistics Handbook
17%
Food Service 387,762t $924m
Banana growers face long recovery after Tropical Cyclone Niran Devastating winds wreaked havoc on many banana farms in Far North Queensland (FNQ) at the beginning of March, as a result of Tropical Cyclone Niran. While the cyclone remained hundreds of kilometres off the Queensland coast, the associated weather system saw communities along the coast between Cape Melville and Innisfail hit with wind gusts of around 100km per hour with areas including Cooktown, Port Douglas, and Cairns feeling the full impact. Banana crops across the Cassowary Coast and Northern Tablelands have been impacted with some properties around Innisfail, particularly Boogan and Wangan, reporting up to 100% losses. Crop losses of between 20% and 100% have been reported from Fishery Falls, Cowley, Mission Beach and inland across to Walkamin, Atherton Tablelands. There have been no reports of damage from the Tully Valley or Lakeland, and only minor damage in the southern Tablelands. Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) chief executive Stephen Lowe said about 150 farms were damaged and 5,000 hectares of the 11,000 hectares of banana crops in north Queensland were affected, with estimated damage ranging from $180 million to $200 million. “On an individual basis, some growers will be without an income for up to nine months. After at least 18 months of poor prices and a severe worker shortage, this is particularly devastating,” he said. “I know there were a lot of growers out there that were extremely distressed even before this weather event and I would imagine this has only compounded their hardship.” The varying levels of damage, combined with the spread of farms across FNQ, means consumers shouldn’t expect price or supply issues in the short term. Boogan fifth generation grower, Charles Camuglia, lost all of his crop to extreme wind on 1 March.
ABGC chair Stephen Lowe with grower Tony Alcock. Tony lost about 50% of his crop in the recent storm. IMAGE: Australian Banana Growers Council.
“This is 100% of our income,” he said. “It’s going to be hard.” In addition to the clean-up and recovery, Mr Camuglia holds very real concerns about being able to retain workers or find them once back in production. “I’d like to see the government step up and put something towards helping us growers keep staff through times like this. We’ve come off the back of a 12 to 24 months of pretty average pricing, so there’s no money in the kitty to be splashing around,” Mr Camuglia said. Mr Lowe echoed these thoughts and described the situation as a double-edged sword. “These growers have been trying to get as many workers as possible – still not enough – and now they’re concerned that they won’t be able to pay them or find them again when needed,” Mr Lowe said. While the ABGC continues to advocate for affected growers to receive federal government disaster recovery funding, Mr Lowe emphasised the best thing Aussies could do for the industry right now is to keep buying bananas. “Remember, we’ve had some rough times in certain parts of the growing area. If you see a banana on the shelf that’s got a slight mark on it, pick it up – it’ll still be great on the inside,” Mr Lowe said Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner, said individual property owners who have suffered significant loss because of the cyclone can apply immediately for an Individual Disaster Stricken Property declaration, which makes immediate assistance available to them. “As we go through the Federal Government’s required assessment process, my Department right now has IDSP declarations activated that mean producers can access up to $5000 for freight costs and low-interest loans up to $250,000,” Mr Furner said. Impacted farmers can apply for the Queensland Government’s natural disaster assistance by visiting https://bit.ly/2OhUBHE.
Boogan grower Charles Camuglia lost 100% of his crop in the recent storm. He’s pictured on his farm with ABGC chair Stephen Lowe. IMAGE: Australian Banana Growers Council.
Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE
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Updates
BML shouts growers to Bulls Masters BBQ in Bundaberg Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) headed to Bundaberg at the end of February to take part in a special night of food and fun with cricketing legends, the Bulls Masters. BML and the Bulls Masters decided to hold the event to show gratitude to Bundaberg’s growers for their hard work throughout a challenging 2020. Ian Healy, Andrew Symonds, Jimmy Maher, Darren Lehmann, Ken Healy, Chris Simpson and Carl Rackemann were in attendance to socialise with local growers and participate in a Q&A session.
Jimmy Maher, Ian Healy, Darren Lehmann, Andrew Symonds, Tony Joseph (BML), David Younger (Zanthe), Joe Lyons (Lyon Farming and BFVG Chair), Kylie Jackson (BFVG), Bree Grima (BFVG), Ken Healy, Chris Simpson, Seren Trump (BML), and Carl Rackemann.
The cricketers paid particular attention to the questions of the youngsters in the group, hoping to inspire them to pursue the game themselves. According to BML Chairman, Tony Joseph AM, the event was enjoyed by all who attended. “It’s been a challenging year where we have all been asked to focus on staying healthy. The fresh produce industry’s core message of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has never been more relevant,” Mr Joseph said. “BML is delighted to be aligned with Bulls Masters who share these values. It’s also very important to Brisbane Markets to connect with the growing regions throughout Queensland, which is why we support Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers (BFVG) in a partnership that has continued for more than 10 years.
Garry Shoobridge (Shoobridge and Sons) and Brad Piper (Piper Family Trust).
“Our relationship sees growers and wholesalers supporting one another to address issues affecting the industry, facilitating greater industry representation to government and achieving wider community recognition. From an industry perspective, I am incredibly proud of all we do to promote the fresh produce industry throughout this state, and that starts in regions like Bundaberg and the great work done by growers.” Hayden Lahey and David Younger (Zanthe) with Jason Cox and Anthony Teeuwsen (Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics).
Dale Steele (Sorcha Farms) with BFVG Chairman Joe Lyons (Lyons Farming). 8
FRESH SOURCE
Autumn 2021
Bulls Masters Darren Lehmann and Andrew (Roy) Symonds.
Fightback starts against fall armyworm With confirmed detections of fall armyworm (FAW) in a Victorian maize crop, the fight against the pest has started in earnest in Queensland. After its first sightings in the Torres Strait at the beginning of 2020, it has taken less than a year for the pest to make its way down south, with South Australia the only state that is yet to detect it within its borders. The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) has received approval to import a biopesticide for research purposes, marking a significant step in the fight to combat FAW. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) approval to import Fawligen® meant the Queensland Government could start working on management packages for impacted industries.
Above: The larvae form of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). IMAGE: Frank Peairs, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org. Inset: The adult moth of the fall armyworm. IMAGE: Lyle Buss, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Mr Furner said having access to biopesticide would allow DAF researchers to immediately commence small scale work with the producer, AgBiTech, to assess its performance on FAW populations under local conditions and in various crops. “This will generate information for an Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Authority regulatory submission,” Mr Furner said.
“Fawligen® is a biopesticide targeting the FAW caterpillar which ingests virus particles, becomes infected and dies, spreading the virus to other FAW larvae in the crop,” Mr Furner said.
“Natural biological control agents, like Fawligen®, reduce grower reliance on conventional insecticides for FAW control, reducing the risk of insecticide resistance development.
“Getting DAWE’s approval to import Fawligen®, a naturally occurring caterpillar virus which targets FAW, is a key step forward as it has the potential to be a game changer for producers.”
“Another significant advantage of this biopesticide is that it only kills the FAW and is non-toxic to beneficial organisms including honeybees and beneficial natural enemies such as spiders, wasps and ladybeetles.”
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Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE
9
Updates
Counting the cost of COVID’s impact on growers The shortage of seasonal harvest labour in Australia continues to choke the productivity of the horticulture industry and impact the mental health of the country’s growers. To measure the cost, both financial and emotional, Growcom has implemented the National Crop Register designed to allow growers to anonymously report the impacts of international border closures on their business. The register recently topped $52 million and 84 growers Australia-wide have reported losses as a direct result of insufficient labour for harvest. Growcom’s CEO, Stephen Barnard, said that not only is the current labour shortage impacting businesses and livelihoods today, but also that a lack of confidence in the steps taken by government to resolve the shortage is causing many growers to reconsider and reduce their plans for future production. “We are hearing from a significant proportion of growers who have already experienced crop losses due to a lack of labour that they are, perhaps unsurprisingly, looking at cutting back production, and some in a big way,” he said.
Measuring the losses The register allows growers to anonymously report whether or not they plan to reduce their production over the next six months at least partially because of a shortage of labour. Four in ten growers said they were planning to reduce production by between 10% and 50%. A further 7% of growers said they were slashing their production by more than half. Just under 40% reported they’d keep production the same as the previous year. Fresh Produce Group reported losses to its Queensland blueberry operations of just under $3 million. Executive director Anthony Poiner said despite the group’s best efforts it was left short by 150 harvest staff. “I conservatively estimate that we left over 400 tonnes of blueberries out in the field,” Mr Poiner said. Pinnacle Hill Lychees outside Ingham, in northern Queensland, was only able to recruit two seasonal workers for its harvest — resulting in the loss of about half the crop, conservatively worth $500,000 at the farm gate. Pinnacle Hill Lychees normally employs upwards of 20 backpackers and 12 contractors. “The risk here, albeit small, is that many growers making rational business decisions in their own interest, when taken together, could undermine our food security as a nation. This is a risk that will obviously continue to grow until we have more people willing and able to get involved with the harvest,” said Mr Barnard. Just under two-thirds of all respondents flagged reduced future productivity after struggling to harvest produce within the desired time frame this season.
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Autumn 2021
Growers face tough decisions when considering planting in the wake of labour shortages.
Impact on the market According to Brisbane Produce Market wholesaler and Director of United Lettuce, Joseph Spoto, labour shortages are currently impacting the table grape season. “Growers have been saying for a year that they won’t be able to get their crops picked and now that prediction is coming true,” Mr Spoto said. “They are having to make hard decisions about which crop to pick and when. Normally, a grower will be picking two to four varieties each week, now they are having to concentrate on getting one line off the vines in order to manage the shortage in pickers they are facing. “My growers are having to walk away from blocks that are too far gone. Grapes need to be picked at the ideal time, otherwise the sugar content increases and the quality reduces, it’s not a matter of just leaving them on until pickers are available. For instance, the crimson variety will get soft if they have been left on the vine too long.” While supplies are already being reduced, Mr Spoto said that the real impact will be felt at the end of the season. “Usually, we would see good quality white grapes coming through until the end of May, but at this stage we will be lucky to have good supplies until Easter,” Mr Spoto said. “Due to the current labour shortages, as we get into the tail end of the season prices will go up but they won’t necessarily reflect the quality of the fruit. There’s really no end in sight, it is up to state and federal governments to come up with a solution to the labour shortage caused by international border closures – it’s out of our hands.”
Lack of leadership National Farmers’ Federation CEO Tony Mahar said the seasonal labour shortage has been predicted since the very start of the pandemic and that the industry has gone from concerned to alarmed at the lack of interest shown by many governments around the country. “The lack of action from governments has clearly caused growers to reconsider planting their next crop. What the future impact on food supply will be is anyone’s guess, but it will be governments, state, territory and federal, that now own the result,” Mr Mahar said.
“Back in April last year when the Prime Minister was telling backpackers to go home, industry was instead saying we should be encouraging them to stay, keep working, and putting them on a pathway to permanent residency. “It’s never going to be too late to start turning this labour shortage around. We need decisive action from the National Cabinet. We need a solution for the quarantine of seasonal workers from Pacific Island countries at a scale that meets the needs of growers. “The Federal Government needs to err on the side of caution and create powerful incentives for Australians to take up harvest jobs. This could include adding even more speed to the Youth Allowance fast track for students or special provisions for unemployed to keep JobSeeker payments while working in horticulture.
In addition to mental health impacts, most growers have signaled the financial stress caused by their crop losses has critically undermined their ability to invest in their next crop and harvest. Some respondents to the register are even reconsidering their future in the industry. Five growers have been so severely impacted they are at risk of being foreclosed on by their bank or are considering selling their properties and leaving the industry altogether. “Our last option is to sell the farm which may end up a reality. We have no confidence that there will be adequate workers available in 2021,” a Queensland grower reported.
“Longer term, we need structural reform of our seasonal workforce and reduce our dependence on any one source of labour.”
Toll on mental health The National Lost Crop Register allows growers to anonymously report the costs of ongoing labour shortages, beyond those that are purely financial. A concerning number of growers are reporting not just financial losses, but also a decline in mental health, strain on personal finances, and doubt surrounding their future participation in the industry. Nearly one in every four respondents reported impacts on their physical and mental health including increased working hours, elevated stress levels, loss of confidence, and depression. “It is an incredibly demoralising situation. On the one hand you just keep saying to yourself ‘Keep going, it will get better, you will catch up’ but what ends up happening is you fall further and further behind,” a Queensland grower reported.
Growers urged to report and seek support The National Lost Crop Register was launched in December to quantify the true cost to industry and the national economy from a lack of seasonal workers available to harvest fresh fruits and vegetables. The register will remain open as long as labour shortages continue to impact production. Growers can record their losses anonymously at: https://bit.ly/NationalLostCropRegister. Growers feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping should call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Growers experiencing financial hardship should contact the Rural Financial Counselling Service on 1800 686 175.
Any crop losses resulting from worker shortages caused by the global pandemic can be logged anonymously via the National Lost Crop Register.
What growers are saying Here are just some of the anonymous comments from growers being logged on the National Lost Crop Register. “When the labour shortage hit hardest, we could not keep up with the ripening fruit. The financial loss will impact on the speed of new farm developments and re-development of our existing farm.” “I have not been able to harvest any produce. I am also struggling to meet my commitments and living expenses as a result of this. I am very stressed and worried that the bank will foreclose on me.” “We had a substantial amount of stress – seeing abundance in fruit, all just hanging there, dilapidating. We lost a prodigious amount of income.”
Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE 11
Updates
Industry feedback to inform piecework defence The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is calling for growers to provide further information to help fight the Australian Workers Union (AWU) call to institute a ‘floor’ on the Horticulture Award’s piecework arrangements. The move comes after the AWU made an application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to change the Horticulture Award, so that the worker must earn at least the minimum hourly rate (presently $24.36 for casuals) and require employers to keep a record of the pieceworker’s hours as a time and wages record. The NFF is contesting the application and is seeking statements from growers and workers that demonstrate the importance of piecework rates to the farm businesses’ and individual workers’ financial returns. The NFF is also seeking general economic data regarding the use of piece rates by horticultural industries. NFF General Manager Workplace Relations and Legal Affairs, Ben Rogers, said most underpayments involve labour hire operators, a reason why the NFF has called for national labour hire regulation. “The NFF would dispute any implication that the Horticulture Award’s piece rate system inevitably leads to underpayments,” Mr Rogers said. “That said, the language of the Award is somewhat ambiguous, especially to newcomers, and that can be a source of confusion and dispute about what the correct rates should be and what take-home-pay a worker can expect.” Mr Rogers said the idea of a floor rate was a naive suggestion. “If the claim is that Australians don’t want the work because of low pay rates - which the NFF disputes - then abolishing
Growers using piecework as a method of payment are being asked to provide information to help the National Farmers Federation contest the Australian Workers Union’s calls to implement a floor on the current arrangements.
piece rates won’t fix it, given that piece rates should enable a competent worker to earn 15% more than the minimum wage,” he said. “If the claims are that a fear of underpayment is what keeps Aussies away then, one, why aren’t other sectors (such as hospitality) struggling to find workers when allegations of underpayment are even more prevalent and, two, the answer is to police underpayments not eliminate piece rates,” he said. “Aussies’ indifference to the work is a deeper-rooted cultural problem, for example farm work doesn’t have enough social caché, which is compounded by the fact that most farms are in rural regions.” If you use piece rates and are concerned about the AWU’s application, please contact Ben Rogers at brogers@nff.org.au or (02) 6269 5666 to discuss. The NFF’s submission, including any grower statements, must be submitted by 14 May 2021 and the FWC is scheduled to hear the matter from 6-8 July 2021.
Calls to review flawed health rating Citrus Australia and Australian Pear and Apple Limited (APAL) have called for a review of the Health Star Rating (HSR) system to rectify flaws, after changes were made in February.
“The stars are meant to assist consumers make healthier and more informed choices that reflect the nutritional value of the product – but the system is so heavily skewed to reflect sugar content that other health benefits are invisible,” Mr Griffith said.
The Forum on Food Regulation approved changes to the HSR calculator that will see diet coke receive 3 ½ stars and fresh 100% Australian juice as low as 2 stars.
“At this stage we are strongly urging our members to reconsider the value of participating in this voluntary program – and we encourage consumers to do the same.”
APAL and Citrus Australia had lobbied for amendments that would recognise the many other nutritional benefits that fresh juice provides. These changes were suggested by the Federal Department of Health but were rejected by the majority of state governments, including Queensland.
Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said the HSR system was confusing for consumers, misguiding and needed to be overhauled.
According to APAL Head of Government Relations, Jeremy Griffith, that health stars should not be used if they do not reflect a common-sense guide to a product’s full nutritional value.
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Autumn 2021
“It does not provide enough information for consumers to make educated decisions; it does not recognise the importance of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet; and it is easily manipulated by manufacturers of highly processed goods who simply adjust their additives to beat the system,” he said.
Updates
Connecting the industry in the year of fruit and vegetables The premier event for Australian horticulture, Hort Connections, is returning to Brisbane in 2021. Delivered by AUSVEG and PMA Australia-New Zealand (PMA A-NZ), the conference and trade show will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 7-9 June. This year’s theme, ‘Celebrating the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables’, will recognise the horticulture industry and the important role fruits, vegetables and floral industries play in human nutrition, health and wellbeing as well as global food security. Australia’s Fresh Produce Markets, the collaboration between Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) and Central Markets Association of Australia (CMAA), has been announced as official Hort Connections 2021 Trade Show sponsor. AUSVEG National Marketing Manager, Nathan McIntyre, said that having the industry body for fresh produce markets sign up as the Hort Connections Trade Show sponsor for the fourth time will provide further opportunities for the event to reach a wider number of industry members. “We are thrilled that the FMA and CMAA collaboration has once again signed on as co-host and trade show sponsor for Hort Connections. Its presence has been a focal point of the trade show for many years and the organisation represents a large and critical sector of the horticulture industry,” Mr McIntyre said. “We hope that having Australia’s Fresh Produce Markets back for Hort Connections 2021 enables the conference to reassert itself as the place to be for the Australian fruit and vegetable industry. “It was a difficult decision to postpone the event last year, but feedback we are hearing from industry at the moment is that people are keen to meet up in person to celebrate the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and reconnect after a tumultuous 18 months that has resulted in significant hardship for many growers and their businesses, and tested the industry’s resolve.” FMA Chairman Shane Schnitzler said that it was important for the broader industry to take the opportunity to meet with friends and colleagues from across the sector and forge new connections to strengthen their business networks.
Not just onions: part of the Fresh Markets Australian display at the 2019 Hort Connections Trade Show.
“Hort Connections 2021 will be a true celebration for what the industry has achieved and how growers, central markets and the broader supply chain have banded together to ensure continuous supply of fruits and vegetables in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Mr Schnitzler. “We are proud to continue supporting the industry through the sponsorship of the Hort Connections Trade Show and encourage people from across the supply chain to attend to learn about the latest innovations and technologies in the industry, and to connect over the challenges everyone has faced, which in many respects have made the industry even more resilient.” Register for Hort Connections here: https://events.hortconnections.com.au/2021/.
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Autumn 2021
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Lifetime of service recognised Fresh produce industry stalwart and Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) Chairman, Tony Joseph, has been recognised for his dedication, service and commitment to the industry, extending over 50 years. Mr Joseph was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) as part of the Australia Day 2021 Honours List announced by Governor-General and Chancellor of the Order of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd). Mr Joseph commenced in the Brisbane Markets in the late 1960s working for a number of businesses before establishing Alfred E Chave Pty Ltd. While involved with his own business interests, his passion for the fresh produce sector extended to a tireless commitment to industry organisations at both a state and national level. This includes 34 years as a director of the industry representative organisation The Queensland Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries Co-operative Limited (Brismark) including terms as President, Vice President, Treasurer and, from 2002 until 2017, Deputy Chairman. Mr Joseph was involved with Brismark through the Queensland Government’s sale of the Brisbane Markets and the successful fruit and vegetable industry-based bid for the markets in 2001/02 which resulted in the establishment of BML. Mr Joseph has been Chairman of BML since 2002 and oversaw the transition of ownership from being a state government owned entity to being a commercially operated, unlisted public company. BML’s ownership, operation and development of the Brisbane Markets has been a tremendous success, with ongoing growth and recognition within the industry as one of Australia’s leading marketing, wholesaling and distribution hubs for fresh produce. BML CEO, Andrew Young, said: “Tony is extremely well known and respected throughout the fresh produce industry. His guidance and leadership has been a hallmark of his involvement in all facets of the sector.” His service to both the fresh produce industry and the community has also included time as a director of the Brisbane Markets Trust and Brismark. Mr Joseph is also a passionate
Deserved recognition: Tony Joseph was appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) as part of the Australia Day 2021 Honours List.
supporter of Queensland Rugby League and the Surf Lifesaving Foundations and has served as a director of the Brisbane Broncos Football Club and Brisbane Broncos Leagues Club. Brismark’s Chairman, Gary Lower, who served alongside Mr Joseph on the Brismark Board over many years, said “the recognition was well deserved” and praised Mr Joseph’s contribution to the wholesaling sector of the fresh produce industry, the Brisbane Markets and his industry leadership. Mr Joseph said he was humbled by the recognition. “I am honoured to receive this award, which pays tribute to the collective efforts of everyone I have worked with over the years. I love Brisbane Markets and the fresh produce industry, being able to serve both has been a privilege of which I am immensely proud,” Mr Joseph said. Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE 15
Markets
Collaborative approach to safety Brismark and Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) continue to lead the way in site safety at Brisbane Markets, and it is not only Brismark members benefiting from the collaboration. Their joint Site Safety Program, which launched in 2020, aims to raise awareness of a wide range of safety topics, including the Brisbane Markets Regulations, the effects of drugs and alcohol in the workplace, traffic management plans, chain of responsibility requirements, and workplace bullying, violence and aggression. This has been done through a series of workshops, the development of template documents to assist tenants to comply with their legal requirements and the implementation of random drug and alcohol testing for forklift operators. According to Brismark’s HR and Business Services Manager, Lisa Dwyer, for a decade the wholesaler organisation has been providing annual ‘safety scans’ to assess the general application of Work Health and Safety (WHS) systems and processes for Brismark members, as well as creating additional tools and services to assist member businesses with safety compliance. “Brismark and BML work hard to promote a site-wide safety culture and provide support to all Brisbane Markets tenants through the Site Safety Program,” she said. This sentiment was echoed by BML’s Assistant Manager – Site Safety and Compliance, Chris Kane. “All businesses based at Brisbane Markets have a shared responsibility to ensure their workers follow safe practices while operating vehicles and high risk plant, to protect the safety of market users. Our primary objective is that all workers and market users go home safely at the end of each day,” he said. As part of the Site Safety Program, Brismark assists businesses to refine and implement their drug and alcohol management policy, supplies accompanying policy templates and offers staff training on a range of safety and compliance matters.
Market memories: (back row) Con Leontsinis, John Green, Max Norris, and Ashley McCullagh, (front row) Dick Baptist, Geoff Haddock and Bill Lovell.
Keeping market memories alive Every month, a group of men meet for lunch, coffee and to reminisce. The one link that ties them all together is the time they spent at Brisbane Markets. Aged between 71 and 99, these men have over 300 years of Brisbane Markets experience between them. While Geoff Haddock, Max Norris and John Green were all wholesalers, Ashley McCullagh had a fruit shop and lettuce farm in Cleveland. The oldest member of the group, Bill Lovell, worked for the Department of Primary Industries alongside Market Reporter, Dick Baptist, who continued as a Brisbane Markets Limited Market Officer right up until his retirement in 2017. The newest addition to the group, and the only member to still be working at Brisbane Markets, is the Fruitologists’ Con Leontsinis, who started attending the lunches 16 years ago. “It was so interesting to hear all their stories I just had to keep coming!” Mr Leontsinis said. All but Mr Leontsinis witnessed the transition from the Brisbane Municipal Market in Roma Street to the Brisbane Markets in Rocklea in 1964. “We tend to tell the same stories every month, because our memory is going it is nice to keep it fresh,” Mr Leontsinis said.
For more information visit: https://bit.ly/3cL50UO.
“There’s a certain camaraderie that comes from working in such a tight knit community. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you will run into someone with a connection to Brisbane Markets!”
Arcella moves in
the banana ripening process to produce fruit that looks and tastes better, and stays fresh for longer.
Arcella Bananas Company has made a move into Brisbane Markets, taking on a selling floor tenancy in Building A and signing a two-year agreement to make use of Montague’s ripening rooms.
“We are delighted to team-up with Montague to utilise their world-class facilities, and access this new technology to ripen our Arcella Bananas. We think consumers will be very pleased by the outstanding quality and flavour of the fruit ripened in Rocklea,” said Dom Arcella of Arcella Bananas.
Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) completed construction of Building C1 in late 2019, an example of BML’s investment in significant infrastructure that tenants need to grow their business. Arcella Bananas were impressed by the tarpless technology in Montague’s ripening rooms, which offers control over 16 FRESH SOURCE
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General Manager of Montague Queensland, Hamish Montague, said “Supporting local growers and businesses like Arcella Bananas is of great importance to us here at Montague. We will continue to innovate in fresh produce industries, delivering excellent produce for our consumers while striving to be energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly.”
Valentine’s sales point to another strong year for flower industry Following strong sales in 2020, this year’s Valentine’s Day continued the trend for tenants of the Brisbane Flower Market. Traditionally, when Valentine’s Day falls on the weekend, lovers tend to head out for romantic dates while flowers are more popular when the event falls on a weekday. However, romantics proved to be more organised this year, with both wholesale and retail demand being strong in the week before Valentine’s Day, with sales slowing down over the weekend. Over 150,000 stems of roses were sold by Brisbane Flower Market tenants, with slightly increased demand for both roses and other flower varieties. Tenants also experienced an increase in requests for locally grown flowers, another change in consumer behaviour that can be linked to the pandemic. Thankfully, there was no repeat of the quarantine hold ups for imported flowers that were experienced at Mother’s Day last year, with only a slight increase in pricing due to increased air freight costs as available flight numbers remain low. Brisbane Flower Market cold rooms were bursting with colour in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.
Let us help you make Mother’s Day special!
Brisbane’s only flower market with multiple wholesalers in one location.
385 Sherwood Road, Rocklea | 07 3915 4200 | www.brisbanemarkets.com.au/bfm/flower-market-tenants/
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Markets
Lychees growth on track The Australian Lychee Growers Association (ALGA) says despite some adverse weather, new tree plantings in recent seasons will increase volumes of the fruit in the next five to ten years. Despite a tough start with challenging weather conditions in growing regions and labour shortages in North Queensland, ALGA Executive officer, Jill Houser, said there was an abundance of great quality lychees in the market over the summer season. “Production is heading upwards although extreme weather events, for example, dry and hot days, as well as rain and cyclone events all have an effect on lychee production and quality,” Ms Houser said. “Lychees are shipped by road transport which can be affected by torrential rain and cyclonic events although the northern production season did not experience these weather events until after the season had finished,” Ms Houser said. “Air transport has been affected by COVID as the number of international flights is reduced so this has created logistic problems but exporters are working through these problems. The North Queensland harvest was affected by labour shortages although other production areas appear to have fared a lot better.” According to Ms Houser, demand for Australian lychees is increasing every year. “Lychees from Vietnam and China are imported during June/ July which does not compete with the local produce,” Ms Houser said. “Australian lychees are marketed as fresh fruit because the industry uses road transport, airfreight and cool chain to provide fresh, best quality ‘chemical-free’ lychees to markets. The demand can be contributed to promotion from industry and domestic and export marketing agents and an increase in export demand.”
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This summer’s lychee marketing campaign, spearheaded by Hort Innovation, inspired Australians to add some pop to their summer celebrations with fresh Australian lychees. Highlighting the versatility of the fruit, and its unique flavour, Aussies werew encouraged to incorporate lychees in their meals for the perfect addition to summer. The season commenced in late October/early November in Far North Queensland growing areas and then progressed down the Queensland Coast to the South East Coastal areas. The season ends early in March with the northern NSW production. Exports represent approximately 25% of the total annual production, but the industry expects this to increase as more lychees are being exported to overseas destinations each year. The ALGA says overseas destinations for Australian lychee are: Hong Kong, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, UK, Europe and Tahiti. “Hong Kong has always been the highest importer for Australian lychees although the USA will overtake the Chinese market in the 2020/2021 season,” she said. Ms Houser added that well-known varieties grown in Australia are: Kwai Mai Pink, Wai Chee, Salathiel, Sah Keng, Souey Tung, Fai Zee Siu, Kaimana, Tai So and Bengal. While new varieties that the industry is now producing are: Erdon Lee, Chompogo and Baitaying. “Kwai Mai Pink is the most widely grown variety and the biggest export variety,” she said. “This variety grows in nearly all growing areas throughout Queensland and Northern New South Wales. Salathiel, Wai Chee and Tai So are also varieties which are exported but in a smaller capacity.” A version of this article first appeared in FreshPlaza and you can read the original at https://bit.ly/2OeCp1e.
Lychees on the rise: The volume of and demand for Australiangrown lychees is expected to increase over the next decade.
Markets show support for Fair Farms Fresh Markets Australian (FMA), the organisation representing Australia’s fruit and vegetable wholesalers, has endorsed the industry-developed workplace training and certification program, Fair Farms. The program, designed and delivered by Growcom, assists employers in the Australian horticulture industry to create commercially sustainable, profitable businesses through the adoption of fair, ethical, and safe work practices for the people who make up their labour force. According to Gail Woods, FMA General Manager, the organisation will represent the fruit and vegetable wholesaler industry on the Fair Farms External Stakeholder Reference Group, the advisory body that provides Fair Farms management with relevant feedback, advice and recommendations on matters relating to the successful implementation of the Fair Farms program. “As an industry-led initiative, Fair Farms allows each player in the supply chain to take ownership of their employment practices and access appropriate training and certification to demonstrate compliance to customers and the wider industry,” Mrs Woods said. “Importantly, Fair Farms meets the responsible sourcing policies of the major supermarkets making it a viable alternative that provides easy and affordable access to the resources businesses need to understand and conform to the best work practices without burdening them with meaningless and unnecessary red tape,” Mrs Woods said. Wholesalers and their growers alike can be certified to the Fair Farms program. “The pathway to Fair Farms certification is straight-forward with a confidential self-assessment that is used by the business themselves to work out if they need training prior to an audit. The outcomes of the audit then decides if the re-certification cycle is one, two or three years,” Mrs Woods said. “The cost of doing business, be it time or money, is increasing in part due to the escalation of compliance requirements across the industry. FMA sees Fair Farms certification as working to
Ethical farming: Growcom’s Fair Farms National Program Manager, Marsha Aralar.
reduce the financial and time impact of the compliance burden while supporting ethical practices across the horticulture supply chain,” Mrs Woods said. Growcom’s Fair Farms Program Manager Marsha Aralar said FMA represents a significant segment of the fresh produce supply chain. “FMA represents over 430 market wholesaling businesses operating in Australia’s central fresh produce markets, and having their support is a great step for ethical practices across the supply chain,” Ms Aralar said. “This is a clear signal that the horticulture industry is standing firmly behind Fair Farms, which is about creating an industry standard for ethical employment practices which all horticulture businesses can subscribe to. “Clarity of responsibilities is what the industry needs and what will have the most positive impact for workers. We are excited about the commitment from FMA and look forward to the collaboration.” To begin the Fair Farms certification process, growers and other members of the supply chain can register at www.fairfarms.com.au.
Flair for business awarded Brisbane Markets secondary wholesaler Peter Marinos has been named the 2020 Multicultural Entrepreneur of the Year for his work at Big Michael’s Fruit & Vegetables. The Award was presented as part of the 2020 Lord Mayor’s Multicultural Business Dinner and Awards held in November. The award recognises a multicultural Brisbane business leader that demonstrates, through their business success, entrepreneurial flair and embeds a culture of innovation as a central pillar to their growth strategy. They should possess a range of qualities from clear leadership and sound management to determination and ambition. Mr Marinos started Big Michael’s in 2009 by borrowing his father’s ute and worked seven days a week for over a decade. Through hard work and determination, he now has a fleet of over 14 trucks and a clientele of over 1,000.
Mover and shaker: Peter Marinos accepting his award as the 2020 Multicultural Entrepreneur of the Year.
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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.
Working together through every season The horticulture industry is driven by a desire to provide Australians with fresh, healthy, locally-grown fruit and vegetables. It is not a goal that can be achieved by any one person. Instead, every link in the supply chain works collaboratively to keep growers producing, wholesalers selling and retailers meeting the needs of the end consumer. Andrew Martens is a grower from Bundaberg, and he started Marto Farms with his parents, Keith and Karen, and brother, Paul, in the late 90s. After working as tradies, Andrew and Paul decided to move into growing, starting with a four acre block that Keith and Karen owned at the time. In the intervening years the business has grown to 2,000 acres. While watermelons have always been the main commodity grown, the Martens have dabbled in sugar cane, pumpkins, capsicums, zucchinis and, most recently, they have branched into macadamias. Andrew Martens said: “I enjoy the farming lifestyle and the challenges it brings. Our latest foray into macadamia trees is exciting because I get to learn about new growing methods and the technology that comes with having permanent tree plantings. But if I was to call myself anything it would be a watermelon grower. Everything else is secondary, even if zucchinis are an eightmonths-of-the-year side hustle!” Sean Russell was an electrician by trade and started working as a labourer for Brisbane Markets wholesaler, JE Tipper, because he wanted a year off from his high-pressure job. Little did he know that 29 years later he would have built 20 FRESH SOURCE
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a career in the fresh produce industry, working his way up to company director, responsible for marketing passionfruit, limes, avocados and other tropical fruit.
diversifying growing regions also helps to mitigate the risk of natural disasters impacting supplies. “Over the last few decades, we’ve worked very hard to encourage growers to grow in different regions, so the fruit can be ready at different times of the year,” Mr Russell said.
“I just loved it, the people, the characters, the growers, and it is just a great industry to be involved in. All of a sudden I was working in a role that I was passionate about, that was also fun and enjoyable. In our industry, we all operate in completely different ways but we are all part of the same team. We’re selling a product that everybody needs and will benefit from,” Mr Russell said.
“Where originally around 90% of our tropical produce came from Far North Queensland, now we’ve moved to different parts of the Queensland coast and into Western Australia to fill in those seasonal gaps. If a cyclone comes through an area, it’s not taking out 100% of our supply all in one hit. Depending on the area it may take out between 2040%, but there is still enough product to continue retail supply.”
Originally, Luke Goody worked part time for his father’s business, Central Park Produce, and when he left to qualify as a commercial helicopter pilot he swore he’d never come back to work at Brisbane Markets. Over a decade later, now he is a partner in the business and can’t see himself working anywhere else.
The main focus of Marto Farms has always been their watermelons, with both a spring and an autumn crop each year, but it was their response to a natural disaster that resulted in zucchinis becoming firmly entrenched in their planting calendar.
“My appreciation of the job is definitely better now that I have an interest in the business, I’m invested in making it grow. I really enjoy the sales and the social side of running a wholesale business. If you are willing to work hard and really put time into your business, then wholesaling is a great industry to be in. But you have to be here: as an owner or a salesperson, you need to be on the ground and responsive to changes in the industry,” Mr Goody said.
Weathering the seasons Australia is in a unique position with its ability to extend the availability of seasonal produce by shifting production from the warmer northern regions to the cooler southern states depending on the needs of the commodity. Furthermore,
“In January 2011 Bundaberg flooded and we lost our entire watermelon crop. I had heaps of employees and nothing for them to do. The timing was right so we thought we’d give zucchinis a go because they are a reasonably quick-growing crop. We started with 40 acres and now we do 500 acres a year,” Mr Martens said. Pivoting to different growing regions is essential to the fresh produce industry’s response to changing growing conditions and seasonal shifts. “When we first took over the business we got a lot of our fruit from Stanthorpe. But climate change has made a huge impact on the region, those growers have really copped it over the past decade. It’s unfortunate but we have to adapt to a changing environment. In response, we’ve had to put more emphasis on the
Andrew Martens Marto Farms
southern parts of the country when it comes to apples,” Mr Goody said. However, being in a southern state doesn’t mean you can avoid natural disasters. “2020 was really rough and I’m not just talking about the pandemic. The year started with bushfires in Batlow and hail in two major growing areas in NSW and South Australia. Conditions in Victoria were also difficult throughout the year and it was challenging to get quality apples. Already we can tell that this year is looking more positive,” Mr Goody said.
Keeping information flowing The key to making the best out of a bad situation, especially when it comes to natural disasters, is making sure growers and wholesalers keep communicating, according to Mr Martens, and both Mr Goody and Mr Russell agreed communication is essential. “You need to communicate with your growers regularly, even daily at times, so that you can then pass that information to the buyer. We value our relationships with our growers and we will be frank with them. I’ll tell them if the product they’re sending is not worth their money or they could get more in another market,” Mr Goody said. Mr Russell said: “Communication between grower and wholesaler is key to ensuring you are both heading in the same direction with the same goal, working as a team. Even if the grower isn’t in season at the time, I’ll ring to see how they are going. Then when they are getting closer to their season we have contact 24 hours a day if need be.” There is no doubt that technology has improved communication across the supply chain, however it is important not to let convenience overtake in-person relationships. “Technology has changed the way we communicate and I don’t know if that’s
Luke Goody Central Park Produce
for the better. I still think in-person interaction has its place. Whether wholesalers come here or we go to the markets, you get to see each other’s businesses and you need to do that,” Mr Martens said. “Normally I’d spend February visiting the central markets in Sydney and Melbourne and I try to get to Brisbane Markets three or four times a year. In this industry, it is very easy to get stuck in your own bubble so it’s always good to see what other people are doing and how they run their business differently.” Mr Russell agreed with this approach, saying he preferred to visit grower districts at least once a year. “I like to see what growers are doing and the problems they encounter on the farms. By learning more about their operations, I may be able to help come up with solutions to address the challenges they have, or ensure the product they send me is at a premium,” Mr Russell said.
Sean Russell JE Tipper
By communicating both the positives and negatives about crop quality to wholesalers, growers can enlist wholesaler support to build a strong brand and customer loyalty for their produce. In return, wholesalers can work to find the ideal buyer for specific product lines, be they the highest quality or seconds. According to Mr Martens, technology and communication go hand-in-hand to make sure brand loyalty is strong. “People will never remember the 100 good consignments you sent, but they will remember a bad one forever. You need to have systems in place to ensure that your quality is consistently high. If we know there is a problem with the produce that’s about to come through, we talk to our wholesalers,” Mr Martens said. Mr Goody agreed this is the best approach to ensure buyers stay loyal to brands.
This collaborative approach to problem solving also applies to relationships with buyers, in particular independent fruit and vegetable retailers. “I like to visit the shops on a regular basis as well, because it is good to see how retailers are displaying the produce, what works for them, and what their customers are looking for. You need to understand the challenges that each other faces, so you can work together as a team to overcome them and get that best result for everyone,” Mr Russell said. Mr Goody said communicating the quality and availability of a product with buyers is of vital importance. “There’s no point sending produce out and hoping for the best. That doesn’t instil confidence in the buyer. I’d rather tell a buyer that it isn’t good enough this week but this other wholesaler has a great line at the moment and we’ll be back next week. We might lose one week of sales but if you do the wrong thing you could lose that buyer forever or hurt the brand’s reputation,” Mr Goody said.
JE Tipper supplier Skybury Farms in Mareeba took part in the viral Jerusalema Challenge. Scan the QR code to watch the video. IMAGE: YouTube
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“If your produce is not at the same standard as usual, let us know. I don’t want to promise it to someone and then discover it doesn’t live up to expectation. Conversely, if there are any issues with the produce at the buyers’ end, I’ll always let the grower know because if they don’t know there is an issue, they can’t fix it,” Mr Goody said. This free flowing feedback allows growers to improve and buyers to confidently purchase consistent quality products, season after season.
Telling grower stories With consumers increasingly wanting to know more about the origin of the fresh produce they eat and the people that grow them, social media content and QR codes are just two examples of the innovative technology that are being used by the fresh produce supply chain to communicate directly with the public. “We’re utilising digital platforms to tell consumers the story of what goes into producing the food that we eat. People like to see the faces of the people behind the product. It’s about bringing us all closer together and understanding what it takes to get Australia’s fresh produce to your dinner table,” Mr Russell said. Furthermore, digital technology allows consumers to communicate directly with growers, providing valuable feedback which two decades ago was virtually impossible. Mr Martens is currently trialling QR codes for his watermelons (see page 32 to read more) and while it is predominantly to provide the ability to trace produce back to the farm of origin, the ability to receive direct feedback from customers is a serendipitous biproduct of the trial. “I always say that you know you are doing a good job if you don’t hear anything back, which I don’t like. I want to know if I’m doing a good or a bad job, I don’t get to see the finished product. With the trial I’ve been receiving a lot of messages, it’s great!” Mr Martens said.
full of the product you want,” Mr Russell said. “Understanding where and when produce is grown makes a big difference. If you follow the growing seasons, you will be rewarded in both flavour and prices,” Mr Goody said.
Linking fresh produce Across Australia’s capital cities, central markets provide a link between growers and the buyers who distribute fresh produce to the end consumer via local fruit and vegetable shops, restaurants, cafes and other food service outlets. Brisbane Produce Market is the heart of Queensland’s fresh produce industry, located at Brisbane Markets. It is here that prices are set depending on supply and demand. According to Mr Martens, central markets keep everyone on a level playing field. “Central markets allow growers to do our job, which is farming, and wholesalers do their job, which is selling. Their business is our business and our business is their business. We’re all in this together,” Mr Martens said. While Mr Russell and Mr Goody acknowledge that working in such close proximity to their competitors can prove challenging at times, both agree that the benefits far outweigh the negatives. “Being in the Brisbane Produce Market is great for our business. We don’t want to bypass the market and neither do our growers. We provide a valuable service for growers because they know that we can find the right buyer for their product,” Mr Goody said. While competition for buyer attention is fierce, wholesalers and buyers work as a team to ensure the fresh fruit and vegetables growers produce reaches the ideal consumer. “Having all the wholesalers in one location allows you to work together to
build product lines and, if you have any shortfall in supply, usually you can find someone to help you fill the gaps. Most importantly, it also brings all the buyers to one central location, which makes it a lot easier for the retailers to find the product that they want and keeps the market dynamic and busy,” Mr Russell said. There are also administrative and operational benefits to being located in the Brisbane Markets. The wholesaler co-operative, Brismark, provides financial security for wholesalers and growers through its Credit Service, which also gives buyers a streamlined invoicing system. The established site infrastructure, ongoing maintenance regime, and robust security, provided by the market landlord, Brisbane Markets Limited (BML), allows tenants to concentrate on the operation of their business while knowing their interests are being looked after. These comprehensive services proved essential in assisting those located within Brisbane Markets meet the challenges of a global health pandemic. “BML did a really good job keeping the site safe from COVID-19. We have been very, very lucky, both here at the Brisbane Markets site, but also Australia in general,” Mr Goody said. By supporting each other through the good times and the bad, the industry works together to keep Australians fed and healthy with fresh, locally-grown produce. “In the end we all want to grow the fruit and vegetable industry: make it safer and healthier, while providing a future for our growers. If central markets didn’t exist, sourcing produce would be very hard for independent retailers, so it is important to show growers that they have the support of not just individual wholesalers, but Brisbane Markets as a whole,” Mr Russell said.
Mr Russell and Mr Goody said they hoped that the increase in story-telling in the fresh produce industry would help to develop a greater understanding in consumers of the impact of seasonality on the products available. “We don’t sell a manufactured product, Australia’s fresh produce is grown with different weather conditions at different times of the year. Sometimes that does affect the price or the availability of produce. But our industry is doing the best we can to make sure the shelves are 22 FRESH SOURCE
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Scanning a QR code on Marto Farms watermelons allows consumers to watch a video about their operation. IMAGE: YouTube
Shop local and win off to a flying start The next bi-annual marketing campaign for A better choice! and its retailers has launched with the new national team putting together an exciting opportunity for retailers and consumers alike. We have seen so many retail companies launch their own rewards programs. It is slowly becoming standard practice, be it in food, liquor, fashion, electronics or hardware, more and more chain companies are launching these programs to incentivise their customers to shop with them. However, when it comes to independent retailers, a rewards program is much easier said than done.
in mind. It may only be the start of the year, but the team has plenty more exciting plans to come throughout 2021 to grow the online community and spread the word of supporting locals to more people than ever before. So keep your eyes peeled and stay tuned to their channels to find out more as it unfolds. Details of the national Shop & Win competition can be found at www.abetterchoice.com.au.
The first-ever nationwide competition championed by your local, independent fruit and veg shops was launched on 1 March 2021. With weekly winners the Shop & Win competition is the independent answer to a rewards program where every shop gives consumers a chance to win. With prizes such as Apple Watches, Kitchen Aids, Sony Cameras, Vitamixes and so much more, consumers are going to be even more eager to support locals. Queensland’s first winner, Kendry Corcut, won a Nintendo Switch for nominating her local fruit and veg store, Crisp on Creek in Mount Gravatt East. ABC will broadcast news of this competition across all digital channels, exciting point of sale merchandising, as well as collaborating with a collection of high calibre microinfluencers from all over Australia. Now these are not the only collaborations A better choice! has
Consumers can win by snapping the QR code in their local A better choice! retailer.
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07 3040 4343 | EFFIGY.COM.AU PROUD DESIGNERS OF FRESH SOURCE MAGAZINE
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RETAILING
Geo-targeting gets results for members In digital and social media marketing, geo-targeting delivers content or advertisements to consumers based on their geographical and personal information allowing paid online marketing campaigns speak to a specific audience in a defined location. In November 2020, the Queensland A better choice! (ABC) retailer program introduced their very first geo-targeted initiative in support of the Spring Fresh campaign, with a focus on Facebook and YouTube. Unique and individual Facebook ads were created for each ABC store with their store names in the post ad copy to drive in-store foot traffic. On YouTube, a Spring Fresh video filmed at Brisbane Produce Market and a 15-second TV commercial were used to promote shopping local and making A better choice! The Facebook and YouTube ads were geo-targeted to the grocery buying audience within each store’s postcode and proved to be a tremendous success.
Brismark’s marketing and engagement team, custodians of the ABC brand in Queensland, recently implemented the same geo-targeted ad strategy across Facebook for all ABC stores as an ‘always in market’ initiative. These unique ads commenced at the beginning of February, providing store specific advertising leading into the new national campaign launched in March. The ads featured a 30-second video, with the individual store names in the post copy, and a call to action by clicking on the ad to visit the store’s website or Facebook page. The aim of this digital marketing activity was to raise the visibility of ABC, engage communities, drive local store awareness and educate consumers on why they should buy from their local fruit and veg shop. It represents a huge opportunity for ABC stores in Queensland to convert new customers and retain loyal patrons alike. ABC retailer Facebook geo-targeting is set to be an ongoing tool, deployed for its ability to reach the right person, in the right location, at the right time.
Ads on target: An example of the A better choice! geo-targeted social media advertising.
Pick of the Crop swings into action Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQld)’s Pick of the Crop program has swung into action in primary schools across the Logan, Bowen and Bundaberg regions with the start of the 2021 school year.
“We like to boast we have a crop for nearly every letter of the alphabet, ” Ms Grima said.
The program will see grower organisations partner with local schools to increase opportunities for children to learn about and consume vegetables and fruit.
“We’re proud to be working with HWQld on this program to bring the farm to the classroom, strengthen the link between grower and consumer, and showcase how easy it is to incorporate healthy foods into lunchboxes and onto dinner plates.”
HWQld Chief Executive Dr Robyn Littlewood said most children currently did not meet recommendations for healthy eating, with only 6% of 8-11 year olds consuming enough vegetables.
Bowen Gumlu Growers Association President Carl Walker said teaching children to experience and enjoy vegetables and fruit from an early age would also help them develop healthy eating habits for life.
“A healthy diet means eating lots of tasty and colourful vegetables. We have incredible fresh produce grown here locally in Queensland, yet as a population we’re not meeting our recommended fruit and vegetable consumption – and when it comes to vegetables, we’re not even coming close,” Dr Littlewood said.
“The Bowen Gumlu region is the largest winter vegetables growing region in Australia, supplying high-quality healthy produce for the nation and for the world,” Mr Walker said.
“Through Pick of the Crop, we will support schools to work with growers to create opportunities to increase kids’ vegetable and fruit intake.” Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers Managing Director Bree Grima said Bundaberg was a vibrant horticulture region with an incredible diversity of fresh produce. 24 FRESH SOURCE
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“It’s important that we can teach our children where the food is coming from, and why it is so important to eat healthy. It’s showing them that veggies can be yummy to eat and can be part of an exciting meal for them. This is good for kids and it also helps our local economy to be sustainable.” Participating schools will have the opportunity to access grants of up to $5,000 for small projects that support the implementation of Pick of the Crop. Learn more about Pick of the Crop by visiting https://hw.qld.gov.au/pick-of-the-crop/.
PROUDLY SUPPORTING 500 INDEPENDENT FRUIT AND VEGETABLE RETAILERS ACROSS AUSTRALIA EXCLUSIVE MEMBER BENEFITS: Representation in your local community Multi-channel marketing campaigns Managed digital & social media presence In-store promotions & point of sale materials Discounted business services
www.abetterchoice.com.au
RETAILING
A better choice! member spotlight With the popularity of A better choice! (ABC) continuing to grow, retailers are seeing the benefits of being part of a national program that educates consumers, encourages local purchase behaviour and helps independent retailers compete with the large multinational chains. Along with the current ‘Shop & Win’ competition (see page 23) and geo-targeted social advertising (read more on page 24), Brismark’s ABC team has been rolling out remerchandising for the program across all of its member stores.
Birthday celebrations In December, Feast on Fruit and Delicatessen celebrated their 21st birthday. Since 1999, the business has been owned and managed by brothers and cousins, Joe and Sergio Carbone and John and David Rotolone, and now employs 35 people. “We are driven by our customers, which gives us great joy. They are what propel us to do better and to ensure that our products and brand are always top of mind with consumers when they are shopping for their family,” Mr Carbone said. “Picking produce daily at the local Brisbane Produce Market means the produce in store is fresh, ripe and ready to eat, and consumers appreciate this aspect of shopping with us.”
Joining the ABC family ABC is a joint initiative by industry group Fresh Markets Australia (FMA) and the Central Markets Association of Australia (CMAA). The ABC family continues to grow with each member gaining access to a dedicated marketing team without the huge price tag. Being a member of ABC allows retail fruit and veg stores to use the ABC brand and receive a managed social media presence, representation on the ABC website, participation in multiple marketing campaigns each year, in-store point of sale material to help promote the benefits of shopping local, and, in Queensland, access to business services provided by Brismark. ABC retailer Barry Haskins, from Top Spot Fruit Mart in Aspley, is a proud supporter of the brand.
Fresh family: The Amazons Family Fresh Markets team.
“Being part of A better choice! has always been a priority for us as it assists with our marketing efforts to encourage consumers to shop local,” Mr Haskins said. Retailers are encouraged to look out for ‘pop up’ stands in the Brisbane Produce Market’s Central Trading Area, where Brismark’s ABC team meets with existing retailer members, shares ABC program information and welcomes new members to the program. “It is great catching up with existing members and thanking them for being part of the national program and sharing program benefits with new faces,” Brismark’s Communications and Program Executive, Lisa Alexiou, said.
New additions Recently the ABC program welcomed two new local members. To join them in the ABC family or to inquire about the program contact Lisa Alexiou on 0447 498 108.
Meet the team: Earth Markets Tweed City has joined A better choice!
Amazons Family Fresh Markets John Samios, owner of Yamanto Country Markets, is no stranger to ABC and has now added to his portfolio the newly created Amazons Family Fresh Markets, which recently opened at the redeveloped DFO Jindalee. Mr Samios and his family have been part of the retail industry for generations and, as a result, they are passionate about local produce and great customer service.
Earth Markets Tweed City Across the border, the family-owned and operated Earth Markets Tweed City also recently joined the program. John and Marie Rouse run the store with their sons, Tumai and Jason, and two of their eleven grandchildren. They don’t just supply fresh produce, they also sell a wide range of grocery products providing local businesses the opportunity to sell their goods. 26 FRESH SOURCE
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Feast on Fruit owners Sergio and Joe Carbone and David and John Rotolone.
Mushroom industry votes to keep levy The Australian mushroom industry has voted to maintain the current statutory levy. But the need for some changes has been noted by the industry association. The results of a ballot showed just under 82% of votes were in favour of retaining the research and development levy, while just under 79% of votes were in favour of keeping the marketing and promotions levy. Australia’s largest mushroom producer, Costa Mushrooms, used its right as a levy payer to call for a vote on the Mushroom (Agaricus) Statutory Levy in November. About 72% of levy payers voted in the ballot. The ballot asked levy payers to provide their support for the abolishment of the marketing component of the mushroom levy, as well as to provide their support for the abolishment of the research and development component of the mushroom levy.
Costa, acknowledges that there are some imperfections with the current management of the levies,” an AMGA statement said. “AMGA has commissioned a business case for presentation to Hort Innovation in early 2021. Details will be shared with industry, following the outcome of the presentation.” Costa Mushrooms General Manager, Jose Cambon, said: “Costa hopes that any serious attempt to address the imperfections that exist with the current levy and the way it is applied will result in a more effective consumer marketing strategy for mushrooms, which would add value to the whole supply chain. The AMGA, who support keeping the levy in its current form, need to take ownership of it and be fully responsible for its performance, good or bad.” This story contains extracts of an article that first appeared in Good Fruit and Vegetables. You can read the full story at https://bit.ly/3dT4fuL.
The Australian Mushroom Growers Association (AMGA), encouraged all levy payers to have their say, and participate in the voluntary postal vote. AMGA chairman, Dr Geoff Martin, said the AMGA’s role was to advocate for its members and to act in the best interest of the industry. “This vote allowed all levy payer voices to be heard,” Dr Martin said. “Our statutory levy is the envy of many mushroom associations around the world, particularly our research and development (R&D) levy, which is extremely important to our industry as it is to any other.” The R&D levy is matched dollar-for-dollar with Australian Government funding. “AMGA is committed to working with all levy payers, large or small, to preserve and grow the industry through shared knowledge and effective marketing and advertising that will increase volumes and market share for levy payers,” Dr Martin said. While the majority of votes were in favour of maintaining the levies, the AMGA noted the need for some changes. “The AMGA board and members, including AMGA member,
Mushroom growers have voted to keep their statutory levy, but are still pushing for change.
Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE 27
Industry
Siebum takes reins at Freshcare Jane Siebum has taken the leading role at Freshcare as the industry-owned and operated assurance standards program’s new Chief Executive Officer. According to Freshcare Chair, Allan Dall, the Board was confident that Ms Siebum, with her authentic leadership, out-of-the-box thinking and broad skills, was the right person to lead the organisation. “As the custodian of Australia’s most widely used standards across the horticulture and viticulture sectors, we have an obligation to position Freshcare for a sustainable future. This means ensuring as an organisation that we have the right corporate structure and the financial capacity to continue to deliver in the long term,” said Mr Dall. Ms Siebum joins Freshcare following three years at Scouts NSW, including two as CEO, and with extensive experience in business transformation across various industries. She has extensive knowledge in the technology sector and is known for delivering business solutions that drive efficiencies and productivity. Ms Siebum said she was proud to join Freshcare with its established reputation in the industry and at such an exciting time for members following the organisation’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) accreditation last year. “Freshcare provides such an important enabling role for the industry and I am looking forward to strengthening our position and providing a strong voice for our members and participating businesses,” Ms Siebum said. “My approach is very much about listening and getting out to hear feedback from our industry stakeholders before using these insights to form a view, and work with the team and Board on the opportunities and what the next stage of evolution might look like for Freshcare. “This will include consideration of what emerging technologies we may be able to offer our members to support improvements in productivity, efficiencies, and sustainability. It’s a great time to be involved.”
At the helm: Jane Siebum is the new CEO of Freshcare.
Keeping up to code Freshcare is introducing QR codes on certificates across all its Standards to add a greater level of security and allow users to access real time up-to-date information on a business’s certification at the click of a button. The QR code is embedded in the certificate, helping to protect against misuse and minimising the ability to fraudulently alter data; strengthening the trust of the certification process in global supply chains. According to CEO Jane Siebum, Freshcare is continually looking at ways to add value for participating businesses and members, particularly through emerging technologies that provide efficiency savings in terms of time and resources. “We are thrilled to be one of the first to bring this technology to our certified businesses and increase the speed and ease at which the supply chain can access and verify the latest Freshcare certification information,” Ms Siebum said. Each certificate will have its own unique QR code relevant to the standard held with Freshcare. The linked data will include the latest certification and audit details, number and location of sites, and any notifiable changes to the business’s status.
An example of the new Freshcare QR codes.
Kelly takes the lead for mangoes Brett Kelly has taken on the role as CEO of Australian Mango Industry Association, after previous CEO position at the Oz Group (2018 to 2020) and Norco (2008 to 2017). Outgoing CEO Robert Gray had held his role for six years and cited the industry’s commencement in renewing its Strategic Investment Plan beginning in 2021 as the reason behind his resignation. 28 FRESH SOURCE
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“I believe it is the perfect timing for me to step down and for a new chief executive to come on board to both participate in this process and to lead the implementation of the plan which will shape the direction of the mango industry over the next five years,” Mr Gray said.
Sharing skills to solve problems By Dr Olive Hood, Regional Extension Manager for Northern Australia, Hort Innovation Horticulture is rapidly growing as an industry in Australia, with a 40% rise in value over the last five years. Growth is expected to continue with the sector’s farm gate production having the potential to increase to between $20 and $30 billion by 2030.
exploring supply chain alternatives. These are huge multiindustry opportunities that will benefit from a collaborative and capable extension effort that is integrated through RD&E across horticulture sectors.
To support this growth, Hort Innovation has launched an extension initiative to enhance the coordination, communication, and application of research and development outcomes.
Current key projects
The team includes Regional Extension Managers, based in the regions, who will play a linking role with industry to bring broad coalitions together to share skills and capacity, to solve identified regional problems.
Opportunities in Northern Australia As the Regional Extension Manager for Northern Australia, I cover the area from Broome in WA through to Darwin in the NT and Far North Queensland down to Mackay. In this region, we have several opportunities such as the development of Northern Australia and securing domestic and international markets’ confidence in the sustainability of our practices, most notably in the Great Barrier Reef Catchments. There is also the prospect of developing niche markets and
I am currently working across the tropical cluster portfolio on renewing their Strategic Investment Plans (SIP) for 2021-2026. These plans direct and inform how Hort Innovation invests levy funds, so it is essential that each industry has ownership of their plan. This involves a high degree of industry consultation about the current SIP and what has worked, what still needs working on, and what is on the horizon. The SIP discussions have been valuable for informing the identification of opportunities across the sector. A Northern Horticulture Extension Network is also forming and will ultimately be a key part of building the conditions and relationships required. I love to discuss all things horticulture, research, development, and extension, so phone calls are most welcome on 0428 255 506. Alternatively, you can email me at olive.hood@horticulture.com.au.
Projects in the pipeline By Sarah Limpus, Regional Development Officer, Bowen Gumlu Growers Association
The National Vegetable Extension Network project funded by Hort Innovation is designed to map pathways to deliver extension priorities specific to the regional vegetable industry with the aim to roll out future development projects.
2. Productivity
Through a consultation process with regional growers and Regional Extension Advisory Group (REAG), key priorities were highlighted and refined in-line with the Horticulture Innovation Strategy 20192023 to maximise funding opportunities for the region. These priorities are:
3. Sustainability
1. Biosecurity a. Developing networks and systems to track and forecast endemic and exotic pest and disease incursions. b. Establishing a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to regional pest and disease management.
a. Developing cost-benefit scenarios for adopting or innovating new practices and technologies for crop, and pest and disease management.
a. Facilitating grower directed information and feedback sessions for new water quality regulations. b. Developing opportunities for study tours and community of practice groups to improve grower knowledge and skills to drive practice change. While this project is a medium to longterm planning strategy for the region, there are opportunities to deliver some outcomes in 2021. One such outcome is the micro-climate
sensor network. Established in late 2019, it is getting a head start in delivering outcomes at Bowen. This project is a development project funded by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and hosted by the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association to deliver three automated weather stations in strategic locations in Bowen to monitor microclimatic conditions. The aim of this project is to develop and expand on a community-owned weather station network generating vital data for crop and farm management decisions. We are currently developing a delivery method for access to information generated from these sites. This is an exciting phase of regional development in North Queensland and I look forward to seeing these projects come into fruition in the future.
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Industry
Alliance elects new chair Anthony Di Pietro has been elected as Chair of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA). CEO of the LaManna Premier Group (LPG) since 2016 and the merged Premier Fruits Group for 13 years prior, Mr Di Pietro is also currently the Chairman of Melbourne Victory FC. Mr Di Pietro will take over from Perfection Fresh’s Michael Simonetta. “The past year has been particularly challenging for the horticulture industry, with the changing environment as a result of COVID creating uncertainty across domestic and export markets,” Mr Di Pietro said. “During a year that has seen some of the toughest and most uncertain operating
conditions for industry, Michael Simonetta has provided strong leadership to the AFPA and industry and I would like to thank him for his commitment and leadership over the past year.” Members of the AFPA are 13 of the largest growers, suppliers and marketers of fresh produce in Australia, representing half of the industry turnover annually. The AFPA is entirely funded by membership fees and membership is at the CEO level of each member company. The election of a new Chair will start another busy year for the AFPA, with an ongoing focus on our industry workforce challenges, sustainable packaging and food waste, and trade and market access.
Anthony Di Pietro has been elected as Chair of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA).
Caring community supports dam class action By Bree Grima, Managing Director, Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers In December last year, Bundaberg received a title that was worth bragging about, being named ‘most generous town in Australia’ by GoFundMe. This title proved what everyone in the region already knew, that we are a caring community who band together when it is needed. Since the announcement was made by then Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy in October 2019 that water was to be released from Paradise Dam for works to be undertaken to improve the dam’s stability, there has been an outpouring of concern from industry and community members alike. A Commission of Inquiry into the structural issues of the dam was announced after technical reports showed the faults originated with the initial construction. But that was not enough for the farmers and community members who relied on and invested heavily in the region based on the water security that Paradise Dam provided. Growers rallied together and funded an international dam expert to come to
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Australia and inspect the dam himself. Dr Rizzo’s reports can be viewed on the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers website and when the world leading expert on dam safety uses words like: “The distressed state [of Paradise Dam] can be remediated at a reasonable cost as accomplished at other dams around the world, without negative consequences or extreme actions” we would have thought that was enough. But water continued to be released and the dam wall eventually came down 5.8m. We are now faced with little water security and an extremely anxious wait on a delayed report telling us our fate.
that is the largest supplier of five commodities (sweet potato, macadamia, passionfruit, chilli and avocado), it is vital that policy for water security moves beyond the immediate needs of the region and plans for the future to ensure producers in the region have capacity to expand to meet market demand. Water security supports healthy communities, jobs and productive economies and that is why we are calling for the Queensland Government to stabilise Paradise Dam, which supplies irrigation to over 1,000 customers in the region and to reinstate it to full supply level.
That was not good enough for the region who has rallied together again and generously contributed to a cause they believe in. Over a million dollars has now been raised by farmers and business owners to fund a class action against the Queensland Government. It should not have come to this, but it has. Water security and food security are intricately linked. For a growing region
Read more about Paradise Dam, the class action and download the technical reports.
Stepping up the PASE for avocados Two federal government grants are assisting avocado growers who wish to break into the Japanese and New Zealand markets. Avocados Australia is managing the two Package Assisting Small Exporter (PASE) grants: Online Export Registration and Export to Protocol Market Module. Both projects are expected to be completed by June 2021. The Australian Government investment is worth $109,176, and will help to streamline avocado industry export processes for markets with phytosanitary protocols. Avocados Australia CEO John Tyas said the Online Export Registration project involved the adaptation of the existing Australian Table Grape Association (AGTA) online registration system for use by the avocado industry. “The project includes education for current and potential avocado exporters on how to use the online system,” he said. “Work on this is progressing well, and the system is expected to be ready in time for growers and packhouses to use for export to Japan in 2021.” The Export to Protocol Market Module project will provide specific information for those seeking to access the Japanese market. “This new information will be available via the Avocados Australia Best Practice Resource, to provide clear guidance to export capable growers and packhouses with regard to exporting to Japan. Resources supporting the New Zealand protocol are also being developed,” Mr Tyas said. “The information will include educational guidelines and checklists to simplify the process for growers and packhouses to participate in avocado exporting.” The materials will provide guidance on the regulatory requirements and export registration process for export capable growers and packhouses. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said Australian avocados were a significant horticultural industry renowned for its premium produce here and abroad. “Australian growers produced 87,546 tonnes of avocados in 2019/20, 2% more than the previous year, bringing gross value of production to an estimated $493 million,” he said. “With volumes of exports on the rise and more opportunities for trade, the Australian Government is helping to ensure growers have access to modern, efficient export systems. “Projects such as these will not only save producers time and money but help ensure Australia continues to build on its reputation as a reliable supplier of clean, safe, quality produce.”
Steady PASE: Two grants are assisting avocado growers who wish to break into the Japanese and New Zealand market.
DID YOU KNOW? In 2019/20 Australia exported 4,051 tonnes, its highest volume of fresh avocados to date, representing 4.63 per cent of the 87,546 tonnes produced. Malaysia and Singapore are currently Australia’s main avocado export markets. The Package Assisting Small Exporters was established in 2014-15 to improve market access for small exporters in the dairy, fish, eggs, grain, plant, horticulture, meat and animal industries. The original program supported 58 projects to a total value of $10.45 million.
Autumn 2021 FRESH SOURCE 31
Export
Reports make export decisions easier Melon growers can now access the most up-to-date analysis of trends in key export markets, with the commencement of a new melon-levy funded Hort Innovation project to provide monthly and quarterly insights into export pricing and quantities. VM 18005 Market Intelligence Reports Melons (Protocol & Non-Protocol Markets) will provide market intelligence for melon trade in the industry’s main protocol and non-protocol markets. The project will provide thirteen monthly export updates and five quarterly reports in greater depth to track Australian melon export trade and competitive positions in strategic markets. In addition to the data reports, an innovative set of targeted market insights reports with input by in-market specialists will be available to growers and exporters. These specialised
reports aim to increase industry understanding of factors that influence trade opportunities as the industry regains traction after the challenges of 2020. Project leader, Wayne Prowse from Fresh Intelligence Consulting, is passionate about making sense of evidencebased data to assist growers in making effective export decisions. “I am pleased that the melon industry has invested in expanding its export knowledge base with timely reporting and market insights,” Mr Prowse said. “This is an opportunity to work closely with growers to provide the insights they really need to understand and consolidate their export markets, while expanding into further markets.” Reports are available at https://bit.ly/2NHvIVQ.
Keeping track of melon exports The Australian Melon Association (AMA) has received a federal government grant to bolster their research into digital traceability methods in the export supply chain of fresh melons. Under Round 1 of the Traceability Grants Program, AMA was awarded $296,190 funding for the project, which hopes to enhance consumer trust and drive export opportunities. Bundaberg watermelon grower, Andrew Martens, is currently trialling stickers with QR codes on each individual watermelon. “I could see that this was a part of the future for melons so I was happy to be involved,” Mr Martens said. “Not only does it provide consumer confidence because each melon can be traced back to the farm of origin, but also when you scan the QR code you get to watch a video about who we are and what we do. Because this is linked to our Facebook page, it also means we receive direct customer feedback, which we have never experienced before.” According to Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, a digital traceability system would open up more export opportunities for Australian melon growers. “We gain a market edge if our exporters can access the latest digital traceability innovations to demonstrate to overseas customers clear provenance and care in the supply chain,” Mr Littleproud said. “Our delicious, nutritious melons are the taste of summer for millions of Aussies. We want to tell the whole world how good our melons are and a modern, cost-effective traceability system capable of identifying individual pieces will help industry to do that. “A traceability system suitable for the melon export supply chain could also be applied to other fresh produce such as pineapples, pumpkins and cabbages. The project will include growers, wholesalers, exporters, importers and retailers, enabling each step in the supply chain to add value in recording and managing the product.” 32 FRESH SOURCE
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Marto Farms in Bundaberg has been trialing barcodes on each of their watermelons. The system allows customers to trace each melon back to its farm of origin, see a video of the farm and rate the product with feedback is delivered back to the grower directly. INSET: Scan the barcode and see the result for yourself.
Pandemic drives exports down By Andréa Magiafoglou, CEO, Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association
Heading into 2021, a greater emphasis towards market diversification has been in the forefront for many horticultural exporters and industry representative bodies, and rightly so. Without doubt, Australian fresh produce exports are viewed favourably in the global market, and the sector is well positioned to draw on its production of counter seasonal high quality and nutritious fresh produce. However, across the sector a spectrum of trade opportunities remain unrealised and significant work is required to achieve market expansion and new market access. These are not unfamiliar problems and the path towards achieving new market access is often frustratingly slow.
Federal funding In late 2020, the Federal Government announced the Agri-Business Expansion Initiative, a $72.7 million funding package directed towards helping Australian agribusinesses expand their export markets in 2021. It is pleasing to see funding within this package includes activities intended to progress market access priorities and reduce the time required to negotiate new and improved market access. Alongside this sits the previously announced Busting Congestion for Agricultural Exporters reform package ($328.4 million over four years). The Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association (AHEIA) welcomes these funding streams, and advocates that, as always, a strong focus will need to remain on directing efforts that support trade via commercially viable and competitive export pathways.
Reductions in air freight capacity impacted the exports of Australian fruit and vegetables in 2020.
2020 trade data Shifting towards trade figures for 2020, it is unsurprising that overall export volumes for both fruit and vegetables are down. For the 2020 calendar year, fruit exports recorded 489,441 tonnes, down 10.4% from the previous year. Downward pressure was also seen for vegetable exports where volumes declined to 214,321 tonnes, a 6.9% reduction. Fruit and vegetable import volumes for 2020 indicated diverging trends, with the volume of fruit imports increasing by 14.6%, and vegetable import volumes declining by 12.7% in volume. Within select export commodities, orange volumes decreased 8% for the 2020 season, with Japan, Hong Kong and China the top export destinations. Mandarin export volumes also declined by nearly 30% from the previous year, a result partly impacted by lower production. China remained the leading
destination for mandarins with a 22% market share, however volumes to this market were significantly lower than those reported for 2019. Melon exports have been strongly impacted by loss of trade to New Zealand, due to COVID-19 impacts on airfreight and food service demand. For the six months to December, exports for this commodity group reached 6,094 tonnes, down 56% from the previous year. Japan was the largest destination accounting for 41% of the trade followed by Singapore. A more detailed breakdown of export and import trade statistics is available to AHEIA members on the Association’s website. The AHEIA is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation, with a primary focus on advocacy to enhance the trade of horticultural produce in and out of Australia. For any membership queries, contact AHEIA at admin@horticulturetrade.com.au.
Horticulture Import and Export Figures - Calendar Year 2020 Fruit – Exports Vegetable – Exports Fruit – Imports Vegetable – Imports
Tonnes (Change from 2019) 489,441 (-10.4%) 214,321 (-6.9%) 103,420 (14.6%) 28,777 (-12.7%)
Million AUD (Change from 2019) 1,459.3 (-2.8%) 280.70 (-6.3%) 459.10 (27.7%) 84.70 (-6.8%)
AUD per kg 2.98 1.31 4.44 2.94
Source: ITC Trademap; Fresh Intelligence analysis
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Export
China challenges cherries Australian cherries were targeted in January as part of ongoing trade disputes between Australia and China.
in the [Chinese] market. The principle thing we trade on is how fresh our food is,” Mr Eastlake said.
The Chinese state-run newspaper, The Global Times, reported that the Australian share of the market had fallen due to buyers favouring the Chilieangrown product.
“There are no passenger planes flying and that’s limiting our ability to supply to an extent.
However, these claims were refuted by Cherry Growers Australia President, Tom Eastlake, who said that any reduction in exports were the result of a lack of air freight capacity due to the health pandemic, not quality of the fruit. “We are positioned as the premium cherry product in the world. Seventytwo hours from hanging on a tree, it is
“We have spoken to our key contacts in China, both wholesalers and people in government, and both have told us they would like more fruit but getting it there is proving difficult to manage.” Australia exports between 5,000 and 7,000 tonnes annually with China the biggest international destination for the fruit, on average taking normally about 30% of all product exported.
Fakes found The use of unique QR codes has uncovered cherries that were falsely labelled as having been grown by a Tasmanian brand. At the beginning of February, Hong Kong customs seized 196 boxes of cherries after it raided a local fruit shop. The suspected counterfeit-branded cherries weighed about 400 kilograms and had an estimated market value of HK$80,000, or about $13,400. The cherries emulated the 43 Degrees South brand of Tasmanian grower, Howard Hansen, however they lacked the unique QR codes that proved authenticity. “Counterfeiting of our brand is something that’s been going on in advance of 15 years, but now with the traceability and unique identification numbers using QR codes that are on the carton, that’s something that they aren’t able to replicate,” Mr Hansen said.
China criticised cherries as part of their trade dispute with Australia.
Strategic pivot helps citrus in Asia The 2020 Australian citrus season showed some success in key Asian export markets with an increase in value from the previous season seen in Japan and Vietnam. Japan was a key market with Australia exporting 50,175 tonnes of citrus produce valued at A$92.7 m, a 38% increase in value from the previous season. Vietnam also saw strong trade with 8,566 tonnes exported and valued at A$18.6m, reflecting a 44% increase in value from the 2019 season. The volume of citrus exported in 2020 dropped compared to the previous year, due to it being a biennial bearing year. However, total export value in 2020 was higher than in 2018 for a similar tonnage of exported citrus. According to Hort Innovation General Manager Marketing and Trade, Justine Coates, the 2020 Taste Australia Citrus campaign helped to ensure the success and continuation of citrus exports to key Asian markets. As the campaign launched during the COVID-19 global outbreak, all markets were impacted in some way. A review of the campaign was undertaken to ensure that the planned 34 FRESH SOURCE
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activities were appropriate to the evolving consumer landscape. In response COVID-19 induced lockdowns and the subsequent drop in footfall in stores, marketing activities were adapted to invest more heavily in e-commerce and digital promotion. “The citrus season success was underpinned by the production of high-quality produce and the hard work of the industry, as well as the adaption of the Taste Australia citrus campaign from the traditional in-store marketing activities to digital and online modes” Ms Coates said. Drops in in-store traffic, meant that the campaign focused more heavily in e-commerce and digital promotion, with a focus on social media, influencers, and digital advertising to reach consumers in their homes. Citrus Australia CEO, Nathan Hancock said, “In a difficult year our growers and marketers tapped into the pandemic-driven demand for citrus by reaching health conscious consumers. Our growers worked hard to provide high quality produce despite the challenges, and I look forward to seeing continued growth next year.”
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Montague Montague Queensland Queensland hashas hadhad thethe pleasure pleasure of working of working with with SBPSBP Australia Australia on large on large andand smaller-scale smaller-scale building building projects projects for for over over 30 years. 30 years. These These projects projects were were delivered delivered within within thethe established established schedule, schedule, budget budget andand they they were were executed executed in ainprofessional a professional manner manner with with care, care, precision precision andand of aofquality a quality thatthat hashas continually continually exceeded exceeded ourour expectations expectations with with thethe highest highest level level of work of work by the by the entire entire SBPSBP team. team. TheThe management management team team at SBP at SBP have have thethe experience, experience, knowledge knowledge andand skillskill setssets necessary necessary to properly to properly design design andand execute execute large large projects projects effectively. effectively. Most Most recently, recently, SBPSBP worked worked closely closely with with Montague Montague andand BML BML on our on our refrigerated refrigerated produce produce distribution distribution centre centre at Rocklea at Rocklea known known as Building as Building C1.C1. Montague Montague Queensland Queensland looklook forward forward to working to working with with SBPSBP Australia Australia wellwell intointo thethe future future andand we we would would have have no hesitation no hesitation in recommending in recommending SBPSBP as aassuitable a suitable candidate candidate for for anyany construction construction andand insulated insulated panel panel work work after after such such a great a great result. result.
Murray Murray Bros Bros hashas been been doing doing business business with with SBPSBP for for over over 15 years. 15 years. Over Over thatthat time time we we have have worked worked with with SBPSBP to build to build newnew coldrooms, coldrooms, ripening ripening rooms, rooms, fumigation fumigation rooms, rooms, pallet pallet racking, racking, total total warehouse warehouse refits refits andand repairs repairs andand maintenance maintenance on older on older infrastructure. infrastructure. I cannot I cannot speak speak more more highly highly of the of the quality quality of work of work andand professionalism professionalism of SBP of SBP in all in that all that work work andand business business dealings dealings over over such such a long a long period. period. If we If we areare looking looking to do to any do any work work in relation in relation to refrigeration to refrigeration panel panel or pallet or pallet racking, racking, I would I would notnot be looking be looking for for anyany company company other other than than SBPSBP to do to that do that work. work. Stephen Stephen Edwards Edwards – Managing – Managing Director Director – Murray – Murray Bros Bros
Hamish Hamish Montague Montague – Executive – Executive Director Director - Montague - Montague
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