Produce Plus Magazine - Winter 2023

EDITORIAL

editor Matthew Jones +61 3 9040 1604 matthew@fruitnet.com

staff journalist Liam O’Callaghan +61 3 9040 1605 liam@fruitnet.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Adios Adelaide

Adelaide. The city of churches, pie floaters and, for us AFL fans, Gather Round –what a four days that was! The South Australian capital is also the proud host of Hort Connections 2023. As you’ll see over the coming pages, the three-day event (5-7 June) promises to be the biggest and best on record.

Exhibitor space for the trade show sold out in April. We profile some of the 200plus companies showcasing their wares in this edition – just look for the exhibitor badge on selected pages. One such company is Result Group, whose general manager Michael Dossor is the subject of our cover story for this edition (p12-14). As you’ll read, Michael has an eye for innovation, evident from the packaging and labelling solutions he has brought to the Australian market. Be sure to stop by the Result Group stand in Adelaide for a look at his newest toy, the EcoMark Natural Branding system – it’s set to be a game changer.

The Hort Connections 2023 speaker programme is jam-packed with experts from across the fresh produce supply chain, and beyond. You can read about some of the highlights in our overview of the conference programme (p8-9). Don’t forget about the IFPA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award Showcase (p10).

And of course, there’s plenty of networking events where you can meet new customers and catch up with old friends. It’s something I really love about this event – serious business done in a social setting.

Sadly, it will be my last Hort Connections as editor of Produce Plus. After ten great years with Fruitnet Media, it’s time for a fresh challenge. I’m pleased to say that I’m staying in the fresh produce business, and I look forward to working with some of you in my new role. In the meantime though, a sincere thanks for all the support you’ve given me and this publication over the years. It’s been a true pleasure producing these pages for you, and with you. n

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MANAGEMENT

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DESIGN

Simon Spreckley

Qiong Wu

Magdalena Witecka

Mai

Luong

CONTRIBUTORS

Christian Bajonat

Wayne

Prowse

It’s been a true pleasure producing these pages for you, and with you

from

FRESH BITES

Need a bite-sized guide to what’s new in the Australian and New Zealand markets? The team rounds up the latest news and views from the industry.

A genetically modified (GM) variety of the Cavendish banana that’s said to be highly resistant to Panama Disease TR4 has been submitted for Australian government regulatory approval.

Developed by the Queensland University of Technology, the QCAV-4 banana is the first Australian GM fruit to be submitted for assessment. QCAV4 bananas have been grown in field trials in the Northern Territory for over six years.

INVESTMENT IN LEADERSHIP

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers (NZKGI) will continue its advocacy work for at least the next six years.

The decision was approved in a recent referendum, where New Zealand kiwifruit growers voted in favour of retaining a compulsory levy on their exports, except fruit sent to Australia. The levy is used to fund NZKGI’s work.

Australian researchers have reached a milestone in their search for a solution to citrus greening after mapping the genome of a native lime species.

University of Queensland researchers have sequenced the genome of the Australian round lime, also known as the Gympie lime, and are now looking at five other native citrus species, including the finger lime.

Hort Innovation is encouraging growers around Australia to apply for a range of levy-funded leadership development opportunities.

Chief executive Brett Fifield said the grower-owned organisation is delivering more than A$6m in development initiatives for the horticultural sector.

EVOKEAG HEADS TO PERTH

AgriFutures Australia’s EvokeAg event will be held in Western Australia in 2024.

The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre will host the event, which runs from 20-21 February. EvokeAg will again bring together the agrifood technology ecosystem.

NEW GM BANANA TO TACKLE TR4

NZ KIWIFRUIT LEVY RENEWED

CITRUS GREENING RESEARCH

Asia Fruit Logistica is back in Hong Kong this September, and exhibitors from all over the world are moving quickly to secure their space at Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable trade show.

Exhibitors representing 32 countries and regions have already registered to showcase their products and services at the show, which takes place on 6-8 September 2023 at AsiaWorld-Expo.

Access to emerging Asian markets could boost Australian melon exports. That’s according to peak body Melons Australia.

“Korea presents a strong opportunity for development as Koreans are large consumers of melons,” said Melons Australia’s Johnathon Davey.

“Vietnam is a melon producer but also a significant importer with a growing melon-consumer base. In India, we’re seeing the rise of the middle class and growth of the upper class driving a focus on beneficial diets and increasing life expectancy through eating fresh produce.”

Montague is ready to introduce Australian consumers to the Kissabel range of colouredflesh apples.

The family-owned fresh produce company will begin marketing small volumes of Kissabelbranded fruit this season.

A strategic marketing campaign has been developed to generate demand for the unique offering. The campaign will include marketing and communication activities, such as PR activations, collaborations with influencers and ambassadors, and tastings.

New Zealand’s citrus season got under way in April. Wayne Hall, chair of peak industry body Citrus New Zealand, said a “good supply” of fruit is expected this year.

“While damage was sustained on citrus orchards following Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle, our growers have worked hard to ensure the citrus crop is available and tasting great,” Hall said.

Challenging weather events throughout the 2023 growing season have contributed to a lower-thanexpected New Zealand kiwifruit crop, Zespri has confirmed.

The marketer now expects to export around 136m trays of Green, SunGold and RubyRed this season (see p69).

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA SEES STRONG EXHIBITOR DEMAND

MONTAGUE DEVELOPS KISSABEL CAMPAIGN

NEW ZEALAND CITRUS SEASON BEGINS

AUSTRALIAN MELONS CHASE BIGGER SLICE OF ASIA

PEOPLE

New Zealand Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular (pictured) has announced her resignation after 12 years in the role.

“Under Jen’s leadership, industry value has increased from NZ$82m in 2011/12 to NZ$231m in 2021, and the New Zealand market value from NZ$19m to NZ$62m in 2021/22,” said Linda Flegg, chair of the New Zealand Avocado Growers’ Association.

“During her tenure, the industry successfully achieved market access for avocados into both China and India, joined the biosecurity partnership with the government and achieved the first horticulture primary growth partnership in 2014, which finished in December 2022.”

Australia’s National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of Jolyon Burnett as the new chair of its Horticulture Council. He succeeds Fiona Simson, who is stepping down from the role.

Burnett brings a wealth of experience to the position, having held a range of executive and governance positions in a horticultural career spanning four decades.

New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research has announced the appointment of Mark Piper (pictured) as its new chief executive.

Piper is a senior leader with 30 years’ global experience in the food and primary sectors. He succeeds David Hughes, who held the role since 2018 and announced his retirement in 2022.

Long-serving Sydney Markets (SML) board chairman John Pearson has announced his retirement. He held the position since 2005.

Under Pearson’s leadership, the Sydney Markets has invested over A$100m in various improvements, while substantially reducing overall debt.

GÜNTER

Blueberry growers across the globe have paid tribute to Bernadine Strik, who passed away recently.

Through her ground-breaking research and trials over more than 30 years, Strik helped transform the way in which blueberries are grown. This included improving yield through closer plantings, along with the use of trellises.

Leon Collins has replaced Stephen Lowe as chair of the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC). Collins, a Far North Queensland grower, has served on the ABGC’s board for more than six years.

Lowe, who has served as chair since 2016, will remain on the council’s executive as deputy chair.

Günter Schweinsberg, the fresh produce business journalist, publisher and chairman of Fruitnet Media International, died peacefully at his home in Düsseldorf, Germany, in the early hours of 21 April, aged 93.

“Günter was a fine man and a great servant to the international business of fresh fruit and vegetables, and his loss is deeply felt by us all,” said Chris White, managing director of Fruitnet.

JEN SCOULAR

JOLYON BURNETT

LEON COLLINS

JOHN PEARSON

SCHWEINSBERG

MARK PIPER

BERNADINE STRIK

Hort Connections bigger and better in 2023

Adelaide ready to host Australasia’s premiere horticulture conference and trade show.

by Matthew Jones

Record exhibitor numbers, a highpowered speaker programme and ample networking opportunities – Hort Connections 2023 has something for everyone in the fresh produce industry.

Organised by Ausveg and the International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand, Australasia’s premiere horticulture conference and trade show runs from 5-7 June at the Adelaide

Convention Centre.

Produce Plus provides a preview of what you can look forward to at the three-day event.

TRADE SHOW

Exhibitor space for the trade show sold out in early April, making it the largest exhibition in the event’s sixyear history.

Ausveg’s national marketing manager, Nathan McIntyre, says

exhibitors represent a wide cross-section of the horticultural supply chain.

“I attribute the strong interest to the increase in grower numbers attending over the last couple years and the opportunity Hort Connections provides to enhance business connections,” McIntyre explains.

“With over 200 exhibiting companies, the entire supply chain is represented in various forms. From agchem and fertiliser companies, through to machinery and technology services, there is an exhibitor of interest for every delegate at Hort Connections.”

The trade show begins on Monday (5 June) evening, with visitors also able to tour the exhibition floor on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Read more about some of the companies exhibiting at Hort Connections in this edition of Produce Plus Just look for the Hort Connections Exhibitor badge in the right-hand corner of the page.

SPEAKER PROGRAMME

The full speaker programme for Hort Connections 2023 is now live and available via the Hort Connections website and event app.

“This year is looking to be one of the strongest speaker programmes we have produced,” McIntyre says. “The plenary sessions will be headlined by Stephanie Alexander – a well-known cook, restaurateur, food writer and

champion of the quality and diversity of Australian food – along with ‘food futurist’ Tony Hunter, who will dive into what is in store for the industry moving forward.”

Plenary speakers include Paul Turner, commercial director fruit and vegetables at supermarket giant Woolworths; Gus Balbontin, former executive director and CTO of travel guide publisher Lonely Planet; Max Teplitski, chief science officer of the International Fresh Produce Association; and Katie de Villiers, head of customer experience at leading fresh produce company One Harvest.

Other highlights on the speaker programme include the popular Women in Horticulture session, which will feature a presentation from behavioural scientist Milo Wilkinson.

A ‘Supply Chain and Consumers’ stream will take place on Wednesday (7 June), which will run parallel to a ‘Growing and Farming’ stream.

Speaker sessions will also take place on the trade show floor, with two dedicated presentation areas set up to facilitate content this year. This includes the Marketer of the Year Award Showcase (p10).

NETWORKING

Hort Connections visitors can also

gain insights and make new contacts through several events running alongside the trade show and conference.

Farm and retail tours are planned for Monday (5 June), while an official welcome reception will be held at the convention centre later that evening. The trade show doors will open as part of the welcome reception.

The Perfection Fresh Breakfast will take place on Tuesday (6 June) morning, while there is a trade show happy hour from 5pm later that afternoon.

The event concludes with the ever-popular Hort Connections Gala Dinner, held at the convention centre on Wednesday evening (7 June).

“This year, Hort Connections has really leaned into the networking aspect and much of the programme has been built around providing visitors with the chance to catch up as an industry cohort,” says McIntyre.

“After what has been an extremely challenging time for industry, we want Hort Connections to be a space for growers and supply chain stakeholders to learn, network and engage with colleagues to further their own businesses and the outcomes for the entire industry.”

Affiliated events will also be held

(picture 01) Around 3,000 delegates from across the supply chain are expected to attend Hort Connections

(picture 02) Exhibitor space for the trade show has sold out

(picture 03) The 2023 Horticulture Awards for Excellence will be presented at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner

at the convention centre on Monday (5 June). These include the Annual Vegetable Industry Seminar, Potato R&D Forum and Avo Connections 2023.

AWARDS

The Hort Connections Gala Dinner will include the 2023 Horticulture Awards for Excellence.

The awards programme celebrates individuals and companies within the Australasian horticulture industry who have achieved outstanding success over the past 12 months.

Key awards include the IFPA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award, the Syngenta Grower of the Year, the Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year, the Boomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture Award, and the Hort Innovation Exporter of the Year. n

More info

For more information about Hort Connections 2023 – including the full speaker programme, exhibitor list and events schedule – download the official Hort Connections app from Google Play or the App Store. New functionality has been added to the event app this year, including wayfinding to assist with navigating the Adelaide Convention Centre, and a new feature being trialled for 2023 – exhibitor meeting scheduling.

Alternatively, you can visit the Hort Connections website: www.hortconnections.com.au

MOYA 2023 finalists announced

ing excellence in the Australasian fresh produce and floral industries attracted an impressive field of entries from all points of the value chain, with the MOYA judges having their work cut out to select the award’s finalists.

The 2023 MOYA finalists, in no particular order, are:

• Zespri International for the ‘Crazy Tasty’ campaign

• Belinda Van Schaik of Hort Innovation for the ’Australian Mangoes’ campaign

• Red Rich Fruits & Manbulloo, led by Erin Hart, for the ‘Kensington Pride Mangoes’ campaign

Each entry was assessed on how compelling the campaign was, its unique features, how appropriate the marketing tools were to the product and target audience, how well it was targeted at the particular market segment, and evidence of its success.

“We received a great field of entries this year,” said Produce Plus editor Matthew Jones. “While we have traditionally named five finalists for MOYA, the judges felt that these three campaigns really elevated the level of competition and were the clear standouts when assessed against the award’s criteria. Put simply, they are outstanding examples of highly visible and effective marketing campaigns.”

Ben Hoodless, chief executive of International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand said: “It’s

be involved in the MOYA award and we look forward to the winner being announced at Hort Connections 2023.”

The three finalists will showcase their campaigns on the trade show floor at Hort Connections 2023 on 6 June from 11am–12noon.

The winner of the 2023 IFPA-Produce Plus Marketer of the Year Award will be announced as part of the Horticulture Awards for Excellence, being held at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner on 7 June.

IFPA and Produce Plus congratulate this year’s finalists and thank all nominees for their entries. n

MOYA Showcase

See the three MOYA 2023 finalist present their campaigns as part of a showcase event at Hort Connections, being held at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

Date: 6 June

Time: 11am–12noon

Location: Trade Show Floor – Exhibition East Halls

Michael Dossor: Challenging the status quo

Fresh from being named PIDA Industry Packaging Professional of the Year, Result Group’s general manager Michael Dossor reflects on his career in the packaging industry and discusses the opportunities and challenges for the sector.

by Matthew Jones

WHAT IS PIDA?

PIDA stands for the Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards, which are coordinated by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP). The awards are designed to recognise companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field in Australia and New Zealand. The PIDA Awards are the exclusive award programme for all Australia and New Zealand entries into the prestigious WorldStar Packaging Awards. n

Congratulations on winning the 2023 PIDA Industry Packaging Professional of the Year Award. What does winning the award mean to you?

Michael Dossor: It’s a big question…Where do I start? There have been so many great winners of this award; people in the industry who I have looked up to and who have

supported and mentored me. Based on that alone, it means the world to me and is very humbling.

My fellow nominee for the award, Anhely Millán, is simply an inspiration with her story and the work she has undertaken in developing recycling initiatives for children. She is a published author, and I am just a ‘packaging nerd’, so it was also a very big surprise.

I am really proud and thankful to the team at Result Group. I am nothing without these amazing people. They inspire me and I hope I inspire them.

The judging criteria for the award includes ‘vision and leadership’, ‘innovative thinking’, and ‘a willingness to take risks’. Can you reflect on how you’ve displayed these attributes over your career, and how they’ve influenced the development of the Result Group business?

MD: I hope people see me as someone who never accepts the status quo. We all talk about ‘points of difference’ but it’s honestly something imbedded in the culture at Result Group. Making things happen, not watching them happen, that’s something I am very proud of.

We are constantly pushing the boundaries and we try to stay ahead of the curve. If I am honest, sometimes we probably jump a bit too far ahead, but that’s helping us big time right now.

We are constantly innovating, and we are also constantly collaborating. We’re not just sharing ideas with our partners and clients; we’re undertaking a process we call ‘deep collaboration’. If we are going to tackle some of the biggest issues the packaging industry has ever seen then I don’t see another way to do it.

All of our ‘standard products’, like an Inkjet Coder for example, have at least one feature that is game-changing for our customers and the broader market. All of our ‘new development products’ are the same, but they add another layer – something outside of the machine or material becomes a tangible benefit.

If my industry peers have seen fit to see those values in me and Result

Group, then that’s all the endorsement I need.

What are some of your proudest achievements over your professional career?

MD: Making mistakes, learning from them, resetting, then making it work. For me, there are only wins and learnings, not losses.

Creating something from nothing with Result Group and seeing where the brand and business is now, it’s absolutely amazing. It’s something not only I but many inside and outside the company should be very proud of.

Launching new concepts and product developments in both packaging materials and machinery is also right up there. There are too many of these to count!

But above all, it’s about people and the impact I have been able to have on them and they have had on me. Seeing someone develop and grow within Result Group – even leaving the company and taking on senior roles elsewhere – is what really matters to me. The people are the number one value for sure.

A minimum 20-year contribution to the packing industry is also a prerequisite for the award. Can you explain how the packing sector has evolved over your time in the business?

MD: There are people far more qualified than me to answer this one, and 20 years is a long time!

The biggest change I think is the rate of development we see today, versus what it was 20, ten, or even five years ago. It’s ridiculous how quickly technology is developing, evolving and changing. We have some big issues to deal with – there’s that sustainability word again – and knowing your customer is simply not enough these days. You need to be across the

(picture 01) Michael Dossor with his PIDA Industry Packaging Professional of the Year Award

(picture 02 & 03) Dossor says EcoMark Natural Branding is a game-changing solution for the fresh produce industry

(picture 04) Result Group will have information on the Herma InNo-Liner linerless labelling system at Hort Connections

entire supply chain, up and down. The circular economy means there is no choice, and nor should there be.

Looking forward, what trends and/or requirements are shaping the future of the packaging industry in Australia?

MD: For me, the buck stops in two places – sustainable packaging and food waste minimisation.

Stakeholders in fresh produce don’t need me to tell them that produce packaging has got a bad rap recently – unnecessarily of course.

There are many things that can be done and are being worked on that can turn that around. For example, clam shell packs are being replaced with lidding film options – reseal lidding films are even better. One change reduces plastics and limits food waste.

At Result Group we are working on laser-based natural branding with our EcoMark Natural Branding system. This solution has the potential to replace labels on a

single piece of produce with a natural ‘tattoo’, if you like. No labels, no consumables, no production bottlenecks. It’s removing an element that is causing all sorts of challenges in a circular economy and delivering improved ROI in terms of consumable savings.

Labelling in general is a big one. Linerless labelling is evolving at a rapid rate. Materials are evolving. There are solutions available now and they are game-changing for any market, especially fresh produce.

Interesting, where do other growth opportunities lie for your business?

MD: Traceability. At Result Group we have very much tried to take a market leading position on traceability. The world is getting smaller and governments are already legislating around traceability.

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when traceability is going to be required. It will become as important as a use by or best before date.

Smart brand owners will be ready and will capitalise on being ready before it’s mandated. I then go back to the natural branding with our EcoMark Natural Branding and linerless labelling. Also, label materials that are defined ‘sustainable’.

As you’ve mentioned, Result Group is a specialist in product identification. What gives you such a good eye for what your customers want and need?

MD: Our people and our experience base. We are one of the few companies that work in both packaging machinery and materials. Having strategic relationships with brand owners, as well as packaging material suppliers and the recycling industry is crucial. It enables us to deeply collaborate with industry and get results – pardon the pun!

Result Group is exhibiting at the Hort Connections trade show in Adelaide this June. What products and/or innovations will you be showcasing?

MD: At Hort Connections we will have the EcoMark Natural Branding system in full working capacity. Our Herma InNo-Liner linerless labelling system for carton printing and apply labelling will also be on display, and we will have information on our traceability platform, which is already being used in the fresh produce sector. There will also be a range of our reseal packaging materials on display. n

Vitor bunch bag makes Autumncrisp stand out

Novel paper packaging format highlights premium positioning of SunWorld variety and targets sustainability goals.

by John Hey

Costa Group has successfully trialled an innovative paper bunch bag for premium Vitor-branded Autumncrisp grapes on Australian retail shelves this season, with plans to build on the offering in 2024.

The ‘kerbside recyclable’ bunch bag – developed together with packaging specialist Gilad Sadan of NAVI Co Global – was launched in February with a focus on differentiating the premium table grape variety on

retail shelves, explains Costa’s divisional manager for grape marketing, Campbell Banfield.

“Autumncrisp is an ultra-premium white grape and we’ve had great success with it in Asia. We were keen to see how we could differentiate it domestically at store level and not have Autumncrisp confused with other white seedless varieties on the shelf,” he says.

“We decided to develop a bespoke packaging with a much higher spec,

and we approached the project with a focus on sustainability and finding alternatives to plastic packaging.”

The packaging design, which was developed and selected for trial after what Banfield describes as “an exhaustive process”, has several unique features.

The brown paper bunch bag makes the grapes stand out on the shelf, and it underlines the premium quality of the Autumncrisp offering under the Vitor brand, Sadan explains.

“Autumncrisp is a great eating variety. When consumers eat it, they go ‘wow, this is really crunchy, crisp and sweet’. And it’s very moreish. From a consumer perspective, it’s one of the varieties consumers are beginning to recognise and come back to repeat-purchase,” he says.

“What the bunch bag enabled us to do was differentiate on the shelf from the plastic bunch bag and clamshell offerings. We were able to signpost and direct consumers to the Autumncrisp variety and help them recognise it as the one that carries that premium.”

DISPLAY WINDOW

Sadan says the paper bunch bag is the first of its kind to include a viewing window that clearly displays the product, protected by a robust paper webbing.

“Paper bunch bags do already exist for grapes and they’re more common in Europe, but most of them s

(picture 01) The paper bunch bag was designed so that it could be packed in the field (picture 02) NAVI Co Global’s Gilad Sadan developed the novel packaging format with Costa 01

Visualise it. Materialise it.

Space is scarce on the supermarket shelves. It’s more important than ever to make sure your product stands out. Creating your product in a 3D environment provides competitive insights and helps you determine the best location for your product when negotiating with buyers.

This amazing technology, used throughout the FMCG category, will speed up your development process, reduce costs and bring your concept to life. Seeing your concept in 3D enables you to trial and re ne it before sharing with your potential customer.

are gusseted with string handles and no viewing window. When you merchandise a product upright, you can’t see through the side, so the only visibility you have is through the top of the funnel,” he explains.

While Sadan notes there has been move away from plastic packaging in the fresh produce business over the past few years, he says concerns remain over the lack of product visibility in paper and carboard alternatives.

“It’s about finding a balance – showing enough of the fruit to gain consumer confidence but not as much as you can with plastic packaging.

“With this particular design, the size of the window is quite large, and the webbing is strong, so it doesn’t tear. The mesh moulds around the shape of the bunch so you can see the fruit clearly from the side.”

Another distinctive feature of the packaging is that it’s kerbside recyclable for consumers, Sadan notes. “We’ve made a point of underlining this message on the pack to say ‘I’m 100 per cent kerbside recyclable’ – a call to action to consumers directing them to dispose of it in their recycling bin.”

FIELD PACK-FRIENDLY

In addition to addressing targets from a sustainability point of view, Banfield says the packaging had to work from an efficiency perspective.

“It was important for us that the paper bunch bag replicated the field packaging process into bunch bags,” he explains. “We trialled other sustainable premium packaging options, but they would only work when packing in shed [packhouse]. We needed a format we could pack

in the field rather than in the shed.”

Sadan says developing a sufficiently robust paper packaging to stand up to these rigours of the supply chain was one of the key challenges. “Plastic is very malleable, soft and strong. In some instances, plastic bunch bags are considerably stronger than the paper alternative,” he says. “So we had to design it with enough strength to carry the product throughout the entire chain, to handle storage and maintain structural integrity.”

Banfield says the packaging has held up well in terms of product integrity and factors such as condensation. “We made some tweaks to the packaging to avoid things like ripped handles and we’ll refine it further, but overall, it’s been a very successful trial season.”

Costa has marketed close to 500,000 units in the new packaging this year, representing a significant commercial trial, Sadan notes. “It was important to trial the bunch bag in sufficient volume to get a clear insight of how it behaves across the entire supply chain, to get a cross-section representation,” says Sadan.

The cost of the paper packaging is significantly higher than plastic alternatives, which means it is only viable for use on premium varieties at this stage, Banfield notes.

“We’ll focus on increasing the use of it on Autumncrisp next year, with more tonnage and an extended season to provide greater availability on shelf,” Banfield concludes. n

(picture 03) Costa grape grower Rocky Garreffa (left) displays the new packaging with Mark Harriot, national sales manager for grapes

Bendotti Avocado automates its palletising

West Australian grower-packer turns to P&C Automation for robotic solution.

by Matthew Jones

P&C Automation has designed and delivered its first robotic palletising system specifically for avocados.

The solution, installed by West Australian avocado grower-packer Bendotti Avocado, interlocks fruit trays to build multi-layered pallets.

The system was designed to offer Bendotti Avocado a high-speed, continuous palletising solution that reduced its reliance on manual labour.

It also offers a repetitive pallet stacking quality, with each pallet aligned and stacked identically.

“The throughput of the system allows our client to

palletise much faster, thus reducing the required palletising locations compared to using manual stacking staff,” says Hayden Stewart, director of P&C Automation.

Bendotti Avocado was able to pack fruit using the robotic system towards the end of the 2022 avocado harvest in Western Australia. Early signs suggest it will deliver on its intended purpose, according to Trevor Bendotti of Bendotti Avocado.

“The system delivered has not been without its challenges, as is the case with all new systems. That being said, we have no doubt that in the long-term, as we battle staff shortages and increased wages, this system will be extremely beneficial to our operation,” Bendotti explains.

From P&C Automation’s end, the project offered a challenge to effec-

tively interlock trays at high speeds while maintaining produce presentation within the tray and preventing other movement that could damage the product.

“Some of the key learnings from this project included control system changes to better suit the operational requirements of the client and adapting to pre-stacking lines to offer smoother tray handling, in order to preserve fruit presentation during pre-stacking,” Stewart explains.

“The system performed as designed, offering effective and repetitive interlocking of trays to provide full-height stacked pallets.”

Bendotti admits the move to automate part of the packing process was initially “quite nerving”, however the professionalism of the P&C Automation team shone through.

“We were unable to go and see any operating system in avocados or discuss with any packhouses their experiences with robotic palletising in Australia,” Bendotti says.

“However, our nerves were quickly put at ease with the professionalism and diligence that the team at P&C Automation were able to offer us throughout the whole process, from design and quote all the way through to the installation and handover.”

Stewart says there has been strong interest in the system from other Australian fresh produce packers.

“These potential clients can clearly see the effectiveness and flexibility of our robotic solution and the value it provides,” Stewart says. “All of our solutions are custom designed to specifically suit the fresh produce industry. We see the interest and implementation of these sort of system growing in future years, as labour availability and costs continue to eat into the bottom line of produce packers.” n

(picture 01 & 02) The solution interlocks fruit trays to build multilayered pallets

Make the weighing process count

by Robert Marguccio

weight, temperature and moisture can all affect the accuracy of what is portioned out.

Robert Marguccio is the business team manager – packaging at Heat and Control. He operates from the company’s Melbourne sales/service office. Robert has an Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering, as well as an MBA. He has over 20 years’ experience in the packaging industry, along with extensive experience in general management, manufacturing, sales, marketing and R&D.

As traditional farmers and growers invest in new technology and equipment, automation in fresh produce operations is on the rise.

Check-weighing equipment is one such example; it’s now an important part of the packaging and inspection process. While the primary function of this equipment is to monitor the end weight of your product, it also helps you gain peace of mind for your business, and your customers.

Check-weighing is key to delivering what your consumers expect by providing accurate verification of the package weight or count and detecting missing components. A variety of check-weighing equipment is available for a wide range of applications. This equipment will bring speed and accuracy to your operation.

In a perfect world, every package would weigh the same. But weighing processes are not infallible and equipment issues, problems with baseline zeroing, product build up, or even product density can cause variations. Product characteristics, product piece

Ready to take your product inspection to the next level? Check-weighing equipment will help you to make data-informed decisions; like identifying trends periodically during production, or on a continuous live basis. The equipment is easily programmed and has a range of features that can handle different types of produce.

The checkweigher is also a compact piece of equipment. The best ones will be simple to operate and easy to clean. They are also available with integrated metal detection and reject systems for expanded produce inspection — should your operation require it.

CONSUMER REGULATIONS

Consumer regulations dictate that a packaged product cannot be sold under the marked weight. To comply, many fresh produce processors increase pack weight to a level that an ‘underweight’ will not occur.

When using portioning methods such as multi-head weighing, volumetric weighing (auger or rotary cup filler), or even piece counting, statistical mean and standard deviation will occur in every batch.

Here’s an example. A 200g pack weight has a standard deviation of 2g. A processor may set the packaged weight to 206g as a mean number and to ensure there are no underweights. This translates to an extra 6g per package and around three standard deviations,

resulting in a shift of the statistical bell curve, meaning a max weight of 212g can be produced.

Using a checkweigher allows you to easily monitor where the mean is trending. The equipment will raise the alarm if weights start to drift too high.

AVERAGE WEIGHT SYSTEM (AQS)

Most processors of fresh produce have adapted to the Average Weight System, or AQS, to avoid packing overweight.

AQS looks at average content in a sample, instead of dictating each pack is above weight, or ‘not less’ than the marked weight. It provides 97.5 per cent assurance that goods are correct in quantity and within prescribed tolerances. Tolerances are proportional to the quantity of product and related difficulty of accurate weighing.

While a couple of grams per item may not seem much, growers understand that over many runs, savings in giveaway equates to huge profits. To use and comply with AQS, a company must use a check-weigher, further underlining the importance of this equipment. n

Check-weighing helps you gain peace of mind for your business, and your customers

Robert Marguccio Heat and Control info@heatandcontrol.com

Mario’s Packhouse upgrades with Reemoon

Reemoon has set a new milestone in Australia, installing a six-lane sizer at a Griffith packhouse.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Reemoon has completed its largest Australian installation yet, delivering a new six-lane sizer to Mario’s Packhouse in Griffith, New South Wales.

As one of the region’s leading citrus packing operations, Mario’s grows and packs fruit for local and export markets. It handles all citrus varieties including navel, blood and Valencia oranges, grapefruit and lemons. Export accounts for around 80 per cent of its business, servicing markets including Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific, the US and Canada.

It was a change in export markets that prompted the installation. Directors Gary and Robert Pandolfo noticed buyers becoming stricter on Australian citrus quality grades because of the premium price exporters are demanding for the product.

In response, Mario’s added a sixlane sizer equipped with Reemoon’s latest Fruscan 7.0 Pro system – and

its nine cameras per lane – to help improve its packout.

Reemoon vice director Dennis Clock says Reemoon was tasked with integrating the new installation into an existing system that had a six-lane pre-grader and a tenlane sizer at the end of the line.

“In between these machines Mario’s employed manual sorting to break up the grades. The new Reemoon machine is being installed to remove all of the manual sorting and just allow for check sorting when required. We even tailor-made some of our machines to meet the design,” explains Clock.

According to the Pandolfos, this will help improve consistency and capacity.

“The Reemoon system will become the middle auto grader that will allow us to split up the grades onto sorting tables for checking by humans. We have taken out all manual sorting by doing this so

that the grades can be close to 98 per cent consistency,” they say.

Ordered in early November 2022, the sizer was delivered at the end of December with Reemoon engineers working onsite with Mario’s team to have the sizer fully operational just before the 2023 navel season peaks.

“We have graded mainly Valencias so far and the

machine is grading very well. There are always teething issues when implementing a new machine but the Reemoon team has remained onsite to ensure any questions we have are answered quickly,” say the Pandolfos.

“We are about to enter into the navel season so this will put the machine through its paces, but the experience we have so far is positive.”

Clock says this latest installation is representative of the progress Reemoon has made in the Australian market since its first one-lane installation in 2018.

“Now we are capable of multi-lane installations with multi-camera sizers. We can also supply a full solution, from bin tipping at the beginning to robotic palletising at the end,” Clock notes.

Reemoon’s commitment to meeting the needs of its Australian customers was exhibited when managing last year’s albedo outbreak. Clock says Reemoon engineers spent days taking sample photos, processing images and fine-tuning its system to detect albedo, all to great effect with one customer reporting zero albedo rejections on their supermarket orders last season.

“We are continuing our defect data collection on Australian citrus. Our system is AI-powered and is capable of evolving, deep-learning and continuous self-iteration. The more data we collect, the better our machine will be,” Clock says. n

(picture 01) The six-lane sizer was tailored to fit within Mario’s Packhouse’s existing setup (picture 02) This is Reemoon’s largest installation in Australia to date

J-Tech Systems partners with GreenKeeper

Shelf-life extension solution brought to the Australian market.

by Matthew Jones

J-Tech Systems has signed a partnership agreement with GreenKeeper.

The deal makes J-Tech Systems the Australian supplier of GreenKeeper’s shelf-life extension solution.

GreenKeeper’s granules packet is added to pre-packed or bulk packed cartons to create low levels of ethylene and a stable modified

atmosphere environment that considerably prolongs the shelf-life of fruit and vegetable products.

“We’ve developed a strong partnership with GreenKeeper that allows J-Tech to support the fresh produce industry’s move to a sustainable future, as well as delivering another solution for combating food waste,” says J-Tech Systems’

packaging sales manager, Mitchell Pursehouse.

“J-Tech Systems is all about delivering the best solutions and innovations into the marketplace nationally. With this latest ethylene absorbent product from GreenKeeper, we’re again leading the way by delivering another great solution for reducing food waste right across the supply chain in the Australian fresh produce industry.” n

(picture 01) (l-r) Mitchell Pursehouse of J-Tech Systems with Brent Rogers of GreenKeeper

Propak Industries unveils new stretch film

Ventilated film can wrap an entire pallet with as little as 82g of plastic.

by Matthew Jones

Propak Industries has unveiled a new macro-perforated stretch film, designed to offer more value with less material.

Extremely light and resistant, the 800 EP Series film can wrap a 2.2m-high pallet with as little as 82g of plastic. The ventilated film is suitable for wrapping and stabilising all kinds of loads that require air flow, including fresh produce lines. There is no need for stabilisers or corner edging.

Propak Industries account manager, Isaac Sandercock, says the 800 EP Series is the most cost-effective and sustainable pallet wrapping film on the market.

“It uses less material than anything else out there,” says Sandercock. “By using less, the cost and the weight of the film used to wrap a pallet are drastically reduced.”

The 800 EP Series is

designed to be used on automatic or semi-automatic wrapping machines with medium or high pre-stretching systems.

Like all of Propak Industries’ macro-perforated stretch films, the 800 EP Series is approved and accepted by the distribution centres of all major supermarket chains across Australia and New Zealand.

An Australian company with its head office based in South Australia, Propak Industries looks forward to showcasing the 800 EP Series at the Hort Connections trade show in Adelaide this June.

It will also exhibit its range of MAS automatic and semi-automatic wrapping machines, along with other macro-perforated stretch films and wrapping equipment.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming existing and new customers to Adelaide for this year’s event and displaying a wide range of our innovative packaging solutions,” Sandercock says.

“Through years of experience and product development, we can tailor our packaging solutions to our customers’ needs, creating value and sustainability in the process. Our focus is on providing solutions, not problems.” n

(picture 01 & 02) The ventilated film is suitable for wrapping and stabilising a wide range of fresh products (picture 03) Propak’s MAS500 pallet wrapper

MG FINALISES SOUTHERN PAPRIKA ACQUISITION

New Zealand grower cooperative Market Gardeners (MG) has finalised the purchase of Warkworth-based Southern Paprika (SPL).

Featuring 27ha of modern glasshouses across five developments – housing up to 1m capsicum plants and producing 7,000 tonnes per year – SPL is one of the largest hothouse operations in New Zealand.

Canadian fund buys into Mitolo Family Farms

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan set to acquire majority share in Australian fresh produce company.

by Matthew Jones

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has invested in leading Australian potato and onion producer Mitolo Family Farms.

Pending regulatory approval, the deal will see the Canadian pension fund’s subsidiary, AustOn, acquire the majority share of the vertically integrated fresh produce business.

The Mitolo family will retain an ownership stake in the South Australian-based company.

The business will continue to operate under the Mitolo Family Farms brand and under the leadership of managing director Frank Mitolo. The current executive leadership team, including John Mitolo and Darren Mitolo, will also remain in place. The transaction does not include Mitolo Wines.

“The next steps in our growth

trajectory will require additional capital to enter into new markets and pursue strategies that will help us profitably respond to emerging trends in agriculture and food manufacturing,” says Frank Mitolo.

“The family realised that the additional capital would require partnering with the right investor who understands the cyclical and long-term nature of agriculture, and we believe Ontario Teachers’ is the ideal partner with which to take the business forward.”

AustOn is the Australian agriculture arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. It has operated in Australia since 2018.

AustOn employs teams to manage Aroona Farms, which produces almonds in South Australia and Victoria; Jasper Farms, which

MG has acquired the full SPL business and assets, including land, buildings, intellectual property and the trademark for the SPL brand.

All 170 employees of SPL will remain in the business, ensuring a seamless continuity of operations.

MG chief executive, Peter Hendry, says the acquisition provides the cooperative with greater security of supply of capsicums, along with opportunities to align supply with demand in other hothouse categories for New Zealand’s North Island market.

“The purchase of SPL presents the opportunity for MG to expand its footprint in the North Island with the addition of a hothouse operation which offers a wide range of benefits and advantages to our existing grower-suppliers, shareholders and customers,” says Hendry. n

produces avocados in Western Australia; and Pomona Valley, which produces apples and stonefruit in Victoria.

“Ontario Teachers’ and AustOn have a proven track record in investing in the farming sector both in Australia and worldwide, and we are focused on using this experience to deliver long-term, sustainable growth with Mitolo Family Farms,” says Christopher Metrakos, senior managing director, natural resources at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. n

(picture 01) Mitolo Family Farms is one of Australia’s leading potato and onion producers

Brisbane Markets does some growing of its own

Green Endeavour moves into new A$25m warehouse at Brisbane Markets.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) has officially opened Building H1, a new A$25m warehouse and administration building.

Occupying the development pad in the South Gate West warehouse precinct, the facility features a total lettable area of 6,144m2, including the main warehouse and an administration hub over two levels. It is adorned by a rooftop terrace and garden.

The official opening was held on

17 May and attended by Queensland minister for agricultural industry development and fisheries, Mark Furner, and a wide range of key players from Brisbane’s wholesaling sector, who marked the occasion with a tour of the state-of-the-art facility.

BML chair Anthony Kelly says Building H1 is the result of a thorough design and development process, which commenced in early 2021.

“It is not only exciting that we are delivering our third major warehouse development in five years, but also encouraging that we continue to meet the needs of our tenants in providing the infrastructure necessary for their businesses to expand and grow,” says Kelly.

Adam Dilworth, managing director of incoming tenant Green Endeavour – a joint venture between Fruitlink and Suncoast Fresh – says it is crucial to have the right space to run a business.

“We had a situation where we had two businesses, both growing beyond our existing warehouse space, and now to have this warehouse, it feels like unlimited potential. We’re so pleased with the support we received

By combining the two businesses in modern facilities, we will actually be able to save money

from BML, not just for this build, but over a long time,” says Dilworth.

“Our first build on site was back in 1998 and I remember thinking we were never going to fill that warehouse and look how far we’ve come.”

Despite construction challenges including subcontractor and materials shortages, and the flooding of

the Brisbane Markets site a year ago, Max Burns, managing director of SBP Australia, says his team enjoyed delivering the project.

“We always enjoy working with BML,” says Burns. “Even with the challenges we’ve faced over the past year, the fulfilment for us comes from watching the Brisbane Markets grow – it’s a great industry to be a part of.”

Green Endeavour’s director, Graeme Twine, says the new warehouse will allow both businesses under the Green Endeavour banner to offer supreme service to their customers.

“By combining the two businesses in modern facilities, we will actually be able to save money on our energy costs and reduce other costs simply by working together,” says Twine. “The facilities are not only created to look after the produce, but it’s also going to be an environment where people are going to want to come to work.” n

BUILDING H1 FEATURES

• One freezer

• One dispatch room

• One heavy produce room

• Seven cold rooms

• 11 loading docks

• 3,360m2 hardstand

• 4,100m3 concrete

• 20km of general wiring/6 km of data cabling

• 1,000m of cable tray

• 2,500m of PVC electrical conduit

• 1,000 m of fibre optic cable

• 370 tonnes of structural steel

• 1,336 pallet spaces

(picture 01) ( l-r)Graeme Twine, Green Endeavour director; Doug Rylance, Green Endeavour director; Adam Dilworth, Green Endeavour managing director; Mark Furner, Queensland minister for agricultural industry development and fisheries; Anthony Kelly, Brisbane Markets Limited chair; Peter Tighe, Brisbane Markets Limited deputy chair; Andrew Young, Brisbane Markets Limited managing director and chief executive (picture 02) Building H1 was officially opened on 17 May

Pathway to public listing for Brisbane Markets

Brisbane Markets Limited and Brismark agree to plan for possible future listing on ASX.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Brisbane wholesale market operator Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) and representative organisation Brismark have agreed to terms that create a pathway for the possibility of BML listing on ASX at some point in the future.

The plan, which is subject to shareholder approval, follows two years of negotiations between the two organisations.

In a circular to shareholders on 4 May, BML chair Anthony Kelly said the agreement marked a significant occasion.

“This historic agreement will create options for the next stage of growth of each organisation following the successful Brismark-led acquisition of the Brisbane markets site by BML just over 20 years ago,” said Kelly.

“Over the coming months, BML and Brismark will each engage with their respective shareholders and members, providing full details of the terms of the arrangement and seeking the required shareholder and member approval of this arrangement.

“What this will mean is that at some point in the future, if the various conditions relating to the arrangement are met and the BML board resolves to proceed with a listing on the ASX, BML would be in a position to progress the necessary steps to apply to list on the ASX.”

When BML acquired the Brisbane Markets from the Queensland state government in 2002, the constitution of BML provided for four industry shares, with the holder of each industry share able to appoint a director to the board of BML. These industry shares were established as a separate class of shares to BML’s ordinary shares.

Brismark, as the wholesaling sector’s representative organisa-

tion, retains the four industry shares and continues to appoint four directors to the BML board. The four Brismark appointed directors currently include three independent directors and a nominee director from the Brismark board.

Kelly said this structure creates some limitations for the strategic direction of BML, including, considering the option of listing on the ASX.

“To have as one of BML’s options for future growth a potential listing on the ASX, the BML board has been negotiating with the Brismark board in relation to an arrangement which enables the removal of the industry shares and the benefits provided to the holder of the industry shares from BML’s constitution,” said Kelly.

“Having this option is seen by the BML board, if supported by BML’s shareholders, as creating a significant opportunity for future growth as a specialised fresh produce market, warehousing and distribution facility. While there is no current intention to pursue an ASX listing in the near future, having the ability to do so does provide flexibility,” said Kelly.

“Similarly, the Brismark board sees the terms of the arrangement as providing recognition of the value of the four industry shares (and) providing for Brismark’s ongoing representation on the BML board.” n

(picture

01) The new agreement provides a path to list BML on the ASX at some point in the future

John Baker: a career in produce

Retiring industry stalwart reflects on a remarkable 50year career which has taken him all over the world and produced many milestone developments.

by John Hey

You recently closed Produce Marketing Australia, the business you set up with your wife Jacquie more than 25 years ago and ran with

your son, Mark. What prompted the decision?

John Baker: We knew it was time

to retire, particularly after Mark, who has been with us in the business for over 20 years and chief executive for the past five years, decided it was time to do something different. With a knowledge-based business like ours, closing the business is really the only retirement option.

Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you get into the fresh produce business?

JB: Agriculture has always been in my blood, from the time I was born and raised in outback New South Wales. While studying for an Agricultural Science Degree at Sydney University, I was fortunate to be awarded a Traineeship with the NSW Department of Agriculture. After graduation in 1970 I chose a career in Agricultural Extension, resulting in being appointed as the state’s first Vegetable Extension specialist. I worked with the vegetable industry on the New South Wales North Coast, centred at the time in the Tweed Valley.

It was the Tweed growers who first encouraged my interest in marketing, when we worked together in 1975 to establish one of the first farmers’ markets in the country, targeting the large and growing population on the Gold Coast.

They also stimulated my interest in travel, when they asked for trips to be organised to counter-seasonal growing areas in the US, Mexico, and later Asia. The visit to the US resulted in the first of many fresh market bean harvesters being introduced to Australia.

I progressed through various key roles at the NSW Department of Agriculture, before the opportunity came to move to the Sydney Markets, where many new contacts were made and still remain.

After managing Sydney Markets in the 1980s, you joined and swiftly became managing director of the newly formed Australian Horticultural Corporation (AHC) – now known as Hort Innovation. You promoted greater focus on export for the Australian industry. How do you see the development of Australia’s fresh produce exports over your career?

(picture 01) John Baker has been a regular contributor to Asiafruit and Produce Plus over his career (picture 02) At the Great Wall of China after a SHAFFE meeting in 1993 with (l-r) Jon Durham (apples & pears), Bob Curren (citrus) and Graham Mackey (AHEA)

Yves Salmon

JB: Three of the AHC’s foundation members – apples, pears and citrus –were strong exporters when I joined in 1989. The citrus growers, packers and exporters continued to expand their exports, both in volume and markets serviced. Unfortunately, the apple and pear industries today are domestically focused and the continued rise of South Africa, New Zealand and Chile makes it difficult for Australian exports to compete.

More recent members of the AHC and its successors, such as table grapes, cherries, blueberries and macadamias, have seen major growth in exports, supported by a focus on marketing as well as sales.

What are some of your proudest achievements and major highlights over your career in the industry?

JB: Looking back, communication and networking events come to mind. While on the North Coast, I started a regular weekly agricultural feature in the local paper, and that spurred my interest in writing, which has continued ever since, especially contributing to Asiafruit and Produce Plus

The North Coast was where information and networking events were first developed, organising an annual Vegetable Conference at

CAREER TIMELINE

1970

Graduated with Bachelor of Agriculture Science, Sydney University

NSW Department of Agriculture

1970-72

Agronomist in training

1972-1977

District horticulturist (vegetables), Murwillumbah

1977-1980

District horticulturist (vegetables), Windsor

1980-81

Tweed Heads, progressing to the AHC Marketing Edge Conferences, with international and Australian speakers, then the PMA A-NZ Fresh Connections conferences.

Export became an increasing interest, spurred on by being awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1988. As a result of that experience, I worked with John Antico at Antico International to demonstrate Australian avocados could be successfully shipped by sea to France and the UK, using contacts and technology discovered in California and Europe during the fellowship.

In the mid-1980s, John Antico and I worked together to establish the NSW Horticultural Exporters Association, which soon led to both of us being the driving forces to establish the Australian Horticultural Exporters Association, now the Australian Horticultural Exporters & Importers Association.

While at the AHC, there were a number of new initiatives. One was to successfully propose, then manage, a Horticultural Market Access Committee, involving industry and government, to better coordinate market access priorities and resources.

After Australian oranges gained access to the US in the late 1980s, the citrus industry was encouraged to develop a marketing approach

Minister for Agriculture’s ministerial advisory unit

1981-84

Director of advisory services, Leeton

1984-86

Export development officer, research officer

Sydney Market Authority (now Sydney Markets)

1986-89

Secretary/manager

Australian Horticultural Corporation

1989-90

Marketing manager

1990-98

Managing director

Produce Marketing Australia

1998-2017

Chief executive

2017-2023

Chief operating officer

managed through export licensing powers held by the AHC. As a result, the US became the industry’s most profitable market for over a decade, generating returns to re-invest in orchards and packhouses and setting the industry up for expansion into other markets. It was at this time that Bob Egan from DNE, the sole import company in the US selected by the industry, came to Australia each season to provide advice on orchard and packhouse practices, leading to improvements in Australia’s reputation in all export markets.

Another initiative was to coordinate and lead Australia’s representation on the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE), which also included New Zealand, South Africa, Chile,

s

Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. The Australian ‘gang of four’ at annual meetings included a representative from the apple and pear and export industries, later expanding to include citrus, and it brought many benefits. As Jon Durham, former chair and CEO of Apple and Pear Australia’s (APAL) precursor organisation, wrote to me recently: “I firmly believe those early years of travel under your leadership and guidance set the scene for the development of the international Pink Lady apple business that APAL enjoys today.”

Much of your work at Produce Marketing Australia has focused on marketing fresh produce in Australia, where you have helped to develop counter-seasonal import programmes from the US. What are you most proud of in this legacy of development?

JB: The assessment by leading Australian cherry and stonefruit growers that counter-seasonal imports has lifted local performance is very satisfying. When the first shipment of US Northwest (Washington and Oregon) cherries arrived in Australia in 2001, one of the leading Australian growers rang immediately to say that was the standard the Australian industry had to reach, and they have. Similarly, California stonefruit has minimised poor quality low-chill stonefruit being on the

(picture 03) John has delivered retail training programmes in a range of global markets, including the UAE

(picture 04) John and son Mark (right) have done much to promote new retail concepts

market, providing a better seasonopening for the high-chill growers in spring, at the end of the California supply season.

Our marketing support programmes have focused on trade communication to importers, wholesalers and retailers, plus getting it right at retail and targeted consumer promotions. It is satisfying when walking through wholesale markets in May to hear wholesalers say it must be getting close to cherry season.

Mark’s promotions for Zespri are a stand-out in putting Zespri Gold kiwifruit on the map in Australia. Many in the trade still remember the ‘Zespri’ beetles and bikes used in wholesale markets, outside and inside stores, coupled with sampling, point-of-sale and other merchandising. The pinnacle was collaboratively setting a goal with one of the supermarkets to retail one sea container of kiwifruit in one store in one week. The integrated promotion was so successful, more fruit needed to be supplied. This activity highlighted the benefits of developing promotion programmes collaboratively with retailers, which we have done annually.

You have also been active internationally in the fresh produce business, from working on poverty alleviation projects in Vietnam to conducting hundreds of retail training programmes in numerous

markets around the world. Can you tell us about the change and development you’ve seen over your years of doing this work?

JB: The Vietnam projects have been very rewarding because they have made a long-term difference to the many farming families and others involved. Fundamental to success has been having marketing linkages in Asia, especially expat Australians John Piper and John Glover, both ex-Woolworths executives.

The project in the Mekong Delta resulted in a change from survival farming in 1996 to annual fruit exports of 30,000 tonnes to Asian and European markets.

The projects in north-west Vietnam resulted in fivefold-plus increases in farming family incomes. Linking improved and safe farming practices with modern retail made all the difference. A key measure of success has been ongoing improvements long after the projects were completed, as well as significant improvements all along the supply chain.

The retail training programmes for modern retailers in 15 developing countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Europe have given me a new passion over the past 14 years. Everywhere people have been keen to learn and improve. For example, I have just returned from delivering another training programme in India for USA Pears, which has been one of the main partners in the programmes, along with Washington Apple Commission. Major improvements are obvious across all Indian hypermarkets, supermarkets and speciality stores since the first programme over a decade ago.

Looking forward, retail training internationally is one area of continued interest, if the opportunities arise.

Another international development has been through our representation of the US-headquartered Produce Marketing Association, which commenced in the 1990s. It has been very pleasing to see the growth in membership and coverage expanding to include New Zealand, establishing the first semi-autono- s

mous Country Council, creating the PMA A-NZ organisation, more recently renamed the International Fresh Produce Association, and particularly the evolution of the annual PMA Fresh Connections conference we initiated, into Hort Connections, a true peak event for the fruit and vegetable industry.

Now you’re retiring, what will you do with your spare time?

JB: The plans Jacquie and I have in place mean there is not much ‘spare’ time. For example, we are both involved on the management committee of a local Probus Club.

I am also a volunteer ethics teacher at our grandchildren’s school. Naturally we are close to both girls (who are 13 and 8), particularly as they live only 5km away, and that is always time well spent.

In addition, I am a volunteer driver for Little Wings, a children’s charity that provides free air and ground transport for sick children and their families in rural and regional NSW, and who need access to specialist care in Sydney.

Gardening is a favourite pastime and 15 years ago Mark and I developed a Japanese Garden (Emily’s Garden); more recently an Australian native garden has been created (Lauren’s Garden). The gardens are a great escape, no more so than during Covid.

Finally, Jacquie and I enjoy ‘travel with a purpose’, both in Australia and internationally. That includes hiking, with both of us already walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain before I hiked the Kumano Kodo in Japan. There are some great walks yet to be experienced in Australia.

Do you have a philosophy you live by, either in business, or life more generally?

JB: Be positive, be passionate, strive to make a difference and pursue life-long learning.

If I had my time over, I would do it all again. n

A RELATIONSHIP FORGED IN ‘91

When Fruitnet managing director Chris White – then editor of Eurofruit – touched down in Australia after a long flight from London in January 1991, he was taken on a tour of the industry by John Baker, who had just been appointed managing director of the Australian Horticultural Corporation. It was to signal the start of long and productive friendship.

“I’ll never forget my first visit to Australia, not least because it was John who showed me round part of this vast and very beautiful country,” says White (pictured below right with Baker). “John’s enthusiasm for Australia, for the business of fresh fruits and vegetables and for the many people in it, made an immediate impression on me. It’s an approach to life that continues to sustain me more than 30 years later.”

White’s trip began in Adelaide, then ran along the Murray River (Riverland and Sunraysia), before heading down through the Goulburn Valley to Melbourne and Tasmania, and it finished off in Sydney. He visited many growers, packers and exporters along the way, producing a 15-page report in Eurofruit on the back of his visit.

A few years later, in 1995, Market Intelligence (now Fruitnet), which had been publishing Eurofruit and organising the Eurofruit Congress for a number of years, launched Asiafruit. It was followed in 1998 by the first edition of Asiafruit Congress. Baker played an important role to support the successful development of Asiafruit and Asiafruit Congress, particularly in Australia.

“Communication and networking within and between industries, both in Australia and in Asia, have always been important. What was satisfying was to know Chris White and others at Fruitnet saw the merits of expanding their publications and events into Asia, and to work with them to make them the success they have become,” says Baker.

“These initiatives brought people in the global industry closer together for the first time, at a time when Asian markets were rapidly developing. The Asiafruit Congress is a good example, where it annually brings together suppliers and buyers connected with Asia and for many it is the ‘must-attend’ event.” n

(picture 05) John and Jacquie Bake enjoying some time out in Moscow in 2011 between retail training

Fresh salad on top

Christian Bajonat NielsenIQ Australia

Christian.Bajonat@nielseniq.com

Christian Bajonat is an associate director at NielsenIQ with over four years’ experience at the company. In his role he partners with fresh and packaged goods manufacturers to deliver consumer insights.

Coming out of the challenges brought upon by the Covid-19 pandemic, Australian households are now feeling unsettled regarding their finances with costof-living pressures rapidly rising.

Australian households are also extremely conscious of the current cost-of-living crisis. There are many simple strategies being adopted by consumers to manage their overall grocery spend.

Across the broader Australian FMCG market, consumers are more commonly purchasing whatever brand or product is on promotion, selecting the lowest priced prod-

uct from their preferred repertoire and some households have even stopped purchasing certain products altogether. These strategies are also very applicable to fresh categories and can be seen through the changing consumer metrics in some fruits and vegetables in this year’s rankings.

In the 2023 Produce Plus-NielsenIQ Top 20 Products rankings, fresh salads have risen to the top after registering at number three in 2022. Fresh salads include various products like pre-washed salads, kale, and salad bowls/ mixes. This rise in the rankings was due to experiencing

a 2.9 per cent growth in value, with much of that growth being attributed to a higher average retail price (up 3.2 per cent) compared to the previous corresponding period.

Bananas, which were the top ranked product in 2022, have fallen to the number two spot with sales value

declining by 3.7 per cent. A key reason behind this reduction in sales is ideal growing conditions, which resulted in an abundance of banana supply in Australia. This translated to a lower average retail price, down 4.5 per cent on the 2022 data. Even with the lower average price of bananas, households

only slightly increased their volume consumption (+0.8 per cent volume growth), which in turn produced the decline in sales value.

Tomatoes were number three in the 2023 Top 20 rankings, dropping one spot from 2022. Tomatoes experienced a minor decline in value sales (down 0.9 per cent). The average retail price increased by 3.9 per cent, which had a negative impact on shoppers. Household penetration declined, with consumers also responding by reducing their consumption (-4.5 per cent in volume growth), driven by reduced purchase frequency and volume purchased per occasion.

Other products to rise in the Top 20 rankings were avocados and capsicums. However, with significant price growth being the key driver, both experienced a decline in penetration, with households also reducing their frequency of purchase over the year.

Out of the 2023 Top 20 products, all but three saw an increase in average price. With no end to this cost-ofliving crisis in sight, the expectation is that households will continue to adjust their behaviours to manage their grocery spend.

NielsenIQ will continue to monitor these trends in the fresh space and will be interested to see how the change in consumer behaviour will be reflected in next year’s Top 20 rankings. n

* The Produce Plus-NielsenIQ Top 20 ranks the largest fruit and vegetable products purchased by Australian households by their share of total take-home fresh fruit and vegetable dollar sales. Calculations based in part on data reported by NielsenIQ through its Homescan Service for the total fruit and vegetable category to MAT 26 March 2023 vs YA, for the total Australia market, according to the NielsenIQ standard product hierarchy.

Copyright 2023, Nielsen Consumer LLC

(picture 01)

Fresh salad topped the rankings for the first time in 2023 (picture 02)

Bananas, the top product in 2022, came in at number two (picture 03)

Tomatoes dropped one ranking position to number three

(picture 01)

Hectre’s Spectre app provides growers with size profiles within seconds (picture 02) The Spectre dashboard shows sideby-side data insights for fruit size and colour

Showtime for Hectre

Award-winning company to showcase its orchard and postharvest management technology at Hort Connections.

by Matthew Jones

Hectre completed a rare double at the 2023 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

The fruit technology company won the ‘Gold Stevie’ for Most Innovative Tech Start-up of the Year – Software. It also took out the top award for Most Innovative Tech Start-up of the Year – Business Product Industries.

More than 800 nominations from organisations across the AsiaPacific region were considered for the 2023 Stevie Awards.

“The Stevie Awards are considered one of the most prestigious awards programmes in the world of business due to their rigorous judging process, high standards of excel-

lence, and global recognition,” says Hectre’s co-founder and chief executive Matty Blomfield.

The company will showcase its mobile early fruit sizing app, Spectre, at Hort Connections 2023.

Designed with user simplicity and speed in mind, Spectre delivers a large sample set of fruit size data as soon as the first bin is picked.

“All you need is a standard iPad,” says Blomfield. “Just take a photo of your bin of fruit and within seconds, you'll have a size distribution graph – we might even throw in some colour data too!

“With Spectre, we help growers and packers to know their fruit size at the earliest possible time, reduce

fruit loss, improve efficiencies, and gain the best price for their fruit.”

Hectre recently unveiled Spectre Dashboard, which instantly delivers the early fruit sizing data to a laptop. With easy-to-use table views of multiple size and colour distributions, Hectre’s customers can now share their data with anyone they choose.

“If you have QC staff using the Spectre fruit sizing app in the orchard, and you're at your laptop, you can dig into your fruit size data in real time, as soon as the first bin has been sized by Spectre. Likewise for the packhouse,” says Blomfield.

The company will also exhibit its Hectre Orchard Management App at Hort Connections. The platform is designed to help growers optimise their orchard performance by making the management process as simple as possible.

“With digital timesheets that flow all the way through to payroll, auto-calculation of minimum wage rates and top ups, geo-harvest tracking and in-field bin ticketing, scout task management, and one of the best digital QC modules on the market, we support the success of growers as they rise to the challenge of feeding an ever-increasing population,” says Blomfield.

Hort Connections visitors will be able to learn about the Hectre Orchard Management App’s new payroll locking feature. Blomfield says the feature brings more security to payroll data and enables payroll administrators to lock pay-runs after they've been processed.

“This innovation ensures completed pay-runs

cannot be mistakenly (or intentionally) altered – another feature for greater peace of mind and keeping the auditor happy,” explains Blomfield.

As well as exhibiting, Hectre has been invited to speak at Hort Connections. Blomfield will take the stage on 7 June for a session themed

AUSTRALIAN DEVELOPMENT

Hectre’s footprint is growing in the Australian market. The company currently has customers in the Goulburn Valley, Gippsland and Batlow regions.

“Australia is definitely a market we are keen to develop further,” says co-founder and chief executive Matty Blomfield.

“We are receiving great levels of enquiry from both growers and packers, so we look forward to expanding these regions and bringing the benefits of our simple to use apps to more people.

around ‘demystifying artificial intelligence’.

“This session is for anyone interested in how tech can be simplified and covers a real industry story of how some of the biggest fruit leaders in the world have transformed their early fruit sizing practices,” Blomfield says. n

“We will be attending, and speaking at, the upcoming Fruit Growers Tasmania Conference, so we are excited to connect with the Tasmanian community too.”

Having started working with apple growers in New Zealand in 2016, Hectre’s technology is now used worldwide in the cherry, pear, kiwifruit, grape and citrus industries. n

Chris White in conversation with the world’s fresh produce business leaders

Premier Fresh Australia moves to reassure quality

One of Australia’s biggest fresh produce suppliers is banking on unique supply chain monitoring technology to protect the quality of its premium brands.

by Matthew Jones

ESCAVOX IMPROVES SUPPLY CHAINS

Since attending Hort Connections as an exhibitor in 2022, Escavox has welcomed new clients from Australia and New Zealand who span the supply chain, from growers, to transporters, wholesalers and retailers.

The company is now tracking more than 100 different categories of fresh produce.

Data sharing capabilities have been expanded and enhanced, enabling the whole supply chain to view the movement of food at the same time from the one, real-time data feed, meaning everyone gets the same picture as the journey unfolds.

Escavox now allows exporters to connect their food’s movement on the water to global shipping data, giving them greater forecasting ability to predict quality and remaining shelf-life when their food arrives at port.

New probes that monitor pulp temperature of fresh produce have also been developed, while Escavox continues to conduct and fund research with key government bodies to improve export supply chains.

“Escavox has developed many long-standing relationships with Australian fresh produce suppliers that started at Hort Connections,” Escavox chief executive Luke Wood says.

“Many of these customers have continued to grow and increase their international footprint with the security Escavox technology offers in global supply chains.”

As an experienced fresh food export specialist, Frank Frappa knows the risks that come with distributing tonnes of fresh produce over long distances.

An executive general manager at Premier Fresh Australia, Frappa is responsible for the international distribution of the company's avocado, citrus, grape and stonefruit categories.

"I've been in the game a long time and when you're moving fruit thousands of kilometres from its point of origin to the customer in environments that are often unfamiliar

to you, and using partners that you sometimes don't know, things can, and do, go wrong,” Frappa tells Produce Plus

Frappa cites times when temperature has been poorly controlled at various points of the supply chain journey, impacting quality.

Escavox will again be exhibiting at Hort Connections 2023. n (picture 01) Frank Frappa is protecting the quality of Premier Fresh Australia’s exported produce with Escavox supply chain monitoring technology

On those occasions, Frappa and his team were able to locate the source of their quality issues thanks to the data loggers they had on board with the produce.

Furnished with that kind of experience, which proved the value of supply chain monitoring,

Escavox gives us confidence about what’s happening across the supply chain - it’s that simple

Images: Trevor Pendock

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Premier Fresh Australia looked to Australian supply chain data provider Escavox in late 2022 to safeguard its growing outbound volumes on domestic and export routes.

While there is other supply chain technology in the market, the Australian-owned and operated Escavox is the only data provider focused on fresh food and how it responds to conditions in the supply chain.

“The fundamental difference with Escavox is that we help manage the food, not the assets in the chain,” says Escavox chief executive Luke Wood.

“This also means the technology has a global application and can be deployed seamlessly with any food category in any environment.

“You can literally start tracking tomorrow anywhere in the global supply chain network with no changes to your operation required.”

Escavox offers its solution as an integrated hardware and software service, where the monitoring devices, fondly referred to as 'blue box trackers’, focus not only on the location of the food, but also what it experiences in the supply chain when it is exposed to the vagaries of temperature, light, humidity and movement.

As Escavox chief customer officer Nici Sanderson explains, serious breaches on the journey are not the only risk; small variations that accumulate on a long voyage can have just as big an impact on food quality and shelf-life once the destination is reached.

“What we have built is a foodcentred technology solution, where our devices capture and convey all this data in real-time back to the customer,” Sanderson says.

“Users of the Escavox system can not only see what is happening to their food as the journey unfolds –

from the significant failures to the small fluctuations – but how those conditions are impacting their food.”

Sanderson says the Escavox platform is unique in its field, described by some as world-leading for both the level of detail it provides and the speed at which information is delivered directly to a computer or mobile device from any point in the global supply chain network.

“While Escavox provides a solution that draws on cutting-edge technology, we don't see ourselves strictly as a 'tech’ provider,” she says.

“What sets Escavox apart is that the people who designed our platform have deep knowledge and experience in supply chains, transport logistics, cold storage and wholesale and retail channels.

“As supply chain specialists first and foremost, we have built a solution to address a very real, industrywide challenge – the need to provide end-to-end visibility of supply chains across the globe.”

It is that level of transparency that has given more certainty to exporters like Premier Fresh Australia, especially in a sector still trying to recover from the disruption of Covid, global upheaval from geopolitical tensions, labour shortages, shipping and airfreight logjams, and rising energy and container prices.

“Escavox gives us confidence about what's happening across the supply chain - it's that simple,” Frappa says. “And why are we doing it? Because we want to make sure our products are being well looked after every step of the way.

“In the last six months, Escavox has given us a deeper dive and more information on our supply chain

(picture 02) (l-r) Escavox sales and business development managerVictoria, Alan Torrance, with Frank Frappa at Melbourne Market

(picture 03) An Escavox ‘blue box’ tracker with premium citrus

than anything we've used before.”

Monitoring data on export legs via boat or air, Frappa says the volume of information – backed by independent, verifiable data – provides robust protection for their premium brands.

“In terms of international loads, we don’t necessarily need to look at the data day-to-day, it's just a great peace of mind to know that it's there and easily available in case we have to quickly resolve an issue,” he says. “When you think that a container of fruit is worth somewhere in the order of A$70,000 to A$100,000, and these trackers can give you information that you can quickly pull up, it's incredibly cost-effective insurance to protect against loads being rejected or revenue downgraded.”

Sanderson says with supply

chain schedules and budgets under stress, food suppliers and transport managers appreciate Escavox’s realtime, data-driven insights, which empower them to adjust their

supply chains with confidence.

“The data doesn't lie,” Sanderson says. “If managers listen to what their food is telling them, it will result in fresher quality, lower costs, strengthened revenue protection and reduced waste in our supply chains.” n

Eden Towers’ expansion continues

Vertical farming company expands into Adelaide and unveils plans for West Australian mushroom farm.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Eden Towers has passed a number of milestones in its plans to expand across Australia, establishing a high-tech environment-controlled vertical farm in Adelaide. It has also announced plans for an automated mushroom farm in Western Australia.

The vertical farming specialist’s first South Australian facility is located in Wingfield, 15 minutes from the Adelaide CBD, and is currently being used to run market trials, R&D, technology assessments and supply into the wholesale market. The farm harnesses new technology to deliver up to 5 tonnes of produce per year and operates with ultra-low energy and water requirements.

Eden Towers has secured longterm offtake agreements for the Adelaide farm and is currently planning to develop it into its next commercial scale site in Pooraka, with local production supplied into the Adelaide wholesale market via its sales and distribution partner.

In addition to its progress in Adelaide, Eden Towers has contracted its system integration partner in Western Australia, Bon Electrics, to build its first controlled environment agriculture (CEA) mushroom farm in the state.

The resulting technology – a joint effort by Eden Towers’ and Bon

Electrics’ engineering teams – will provide the basis for the roll-out of a series of specialised mushroom farms for Eden Towers in the future.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PROGRESS

Christian Prokscha, co-founder of Eden Towers, says detailed engineering is already underway for the establishment of a large-scale farm in Pooraka.

“The commercial scale farm will be located even closer to the offtake market and requires a footprint of only 600m2 to supply up to 200 tonnes of incredibly fresh, local, environmentally sustainable, pesticide-free and highly nutritious food into the Adelaide market,” says Prokscha.

Eden Towers has also appointed experienced agricultural engineer Santiago Insaurralde as its Adelaide lead. Insaurralde has been tasked with fast tracking Eden Towers’ growth into the east coast markets.

“We focus on crop diversity, our efforts go beyond traditional food crops like spinach, basil, and rocket. In addition, we have been hard at work growing indigenous crops to provide a new sustainable, secure supply of indigenous crops into Adelaide market,” says Insaurralde.

MUSHROOM MOVE

Prokscha says Eden Towers’ diversi-

fication into the mushroom category marks an important milestone for the company in its transformation into a ‘future food’ company, with mushrooms providing a broader crop mix and opportunities for value-added downstream processing.

The initial production from the new facility will be up to 6 tonnes per year and will focus on growing a variety of specialty mushroom crops for the wholesale and HORECA markets across Western Australia.

“The existing specialty mushroom market in Western Australia cannot meet demand, so there a lot is imported into Western Australia every week. Working with our partners, we see an opportunity to scale the business very quickly and meet growing demand from wholesale, HORECA and grocery stores,” says Prokscha.

The facility design is being completed with modularity in mind. It will allow Eden Towers to provide fresh, clean and ready-to-eat mushrooms using a local approach, and to scale with ease across different geographic locations. n

(picture 01) Santiago Insaurralde has been tasked with growing Eden Towers’ presence in Australia

Progress constant for ABC Software

New

by Liam O’Callaghan

Founder and managing director Sharon Chapman says recent changes made by Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) prompted the company to make updates to its on-farm labour management solution, ABCgrower.

“We made significant enhancements to our software to accommodate the FWO legislation changes for paying piece rate and minimum wage last year,” says Chapman.

“After working with our clients through a season, we have now relaunched our time capture module in our offline app to make it easier to collect time records on the farm. We’re pretty excited to show it off.

“We have also expanded the

inventory management capabilities in ABCgrower, most recently having added a palletisation module. This allows scanning of uniquely barcoded containers onto pallets for the tracking and provenance of produce.”

Chapman says ABCpacker, a post-harvest packhouse solution for packing, marketing and trading, is also getting an upgrade.

“ABCpacker is ‘on-premise’ software, born of the fact that internet connection in packhouses has traditionally been poor. With connectivity on the rise, we are developing ABCpacker SaaS, that is “in the Cloud”, to make packhouse software more accessible for growers and packers,” says Chapman.

As a New Zealand-headquartered company with a predominately Australian client base, Hort Connections is an important event for ABC Software. This year, Chapman will be sharing her expertise as a speaker at the event. Her session takes place on the trade show floor, Exhibition West Halls, at 9:30am on 6 June. n

Dogtooth robots pick Burlington Berries

one of Dogtooth’s Gen3 robots and the relationship has quickly grown.

“We're currently on our fifth deployment and the focus has grown from improving individual machines to running a full scale integrated harvest operation,” says Thilderkvist.

Autonomous fruit picking robots

deployed on Tasmanian farm to ease labour strain.

by Liam O’Callaghan

A fleet of autonomous robots shipped from the UK has been helping Tasmanian berry grower Burlington Berries harvest its fruit.

The robots are supplied by Cambridge-based technology start-up Dogtooth Technologies, which has developed the state-of-the-art intelligent robots for soft fruit picking

Since 2016, Dogtooth has developed five generations of fruit picking robots, and now has 70 robots deployed across Europe and Australia.

Eva Thilderkvist, Dogtooth’s Tasmanian site manager, says the two companies first partnered in 2016 to trial

“Both speed and extraction rates are constantly evaluated and improved, and the on-farm implementation allows us to better understand the practical challenges of robot picking and the needs of the growers.”

Dogtooth currently has 16 Gen4 robots deployed at Burlington, operated by a team of three seasonal workers who share the operating and deployment workload as well as general plant care duties.

“We have taken over a number of tunnels from the normal picking rotation, which are now exclusively robot harvested,” says Thilderkvist.

“The robots are stored and charged in a shipping container overnight. We start the day by running them out to the field and setting them up to run autonomously in the tunnels. Two operators share the responsibility of monitoring their progress by following their teams of eight robots each on a tablet.

“As the field is Wi-Fi equipped, all communications with the robots can be done from handheld devices. All data collected by the robots is automatically uploaded to the cloud. This helps the engineers in the UK to be in touch with the operation over here, as well as the farm to get a live update on the progress of the harvest.”

(picture 01) Dogtooth’s robots have near-human levels of dexterity (picture 02) Burlington Berries deployed 16 Dogtooth robots this past season (picture 03) Dogtooth has developed five generations of robots since 2016

HARNESSING DATA

In addition to physically picking berries, Dogtooth’s robots are able to capture and process an immense amount of data as they work. Thilderkvist says the robots can give the growers a report on the health of the crop as well as a forecast of the yield as they sweep through.

“As they travel down the strawberry rows they take a lot of images at the same time. These images are analysed and used for yield forecasting by counting the number of fruits at different ripeness stages,” explains Thilderkvist.

“The robots also gather quality insight using an onboard inspection system where, under controlled lighting, the strawberry is scanned to detect 16 types of defects such as bruising, mould and asymmetry before being placed into a punnet or waste chute. Berries are weighed, and punnets are filled until they reach the required retail weight. This data is essentially an automatic waste analysis, which can be fed back to the growers.”

ROBOTIC ADVANTAGE

As the robots continue to evolve, so do their potential

uses. Although strawberries were the first target for Dogtooth’s robots, their machine learning and computer vision technology can achieve the near-human levels of visual acuity and dexterity required to pick other delicate berry fruits without damage. The technology has been successfully demonstrated on other fruits like raspberries and apples.

Thilderkvist says a focus of the next generation of development has been nighttime picking and new lithium-ion batteries have been added to double the robots’ shift times from eight to 16 hours.

“The robots are capable of picking at night, which has been trialled in the UK already, but it has not been a part of the objectives for the Burlington deployment this season. Picking in cooler night temperatures drastically improves the fruit's shelf-life as well as extends the number of harvest hours in a day,” says Thilderkvist.

“Strawberries rapidly lose their freshness and quality if they spend more than an hour in warmth and sunlight after being picked. Picking at night reduces the temperature and light stress on fruit and maintains better internal and external quality with regards to sugars, colour and firmness.

“The chassis and each pickerhead is fitted with LED lights, which together with machine learning allows the robots to more accurately identify ripe fruit than humans navigating the fields with aids such as headlamps.”

Thilderkvist notes robots certain-

ly won’t be replacing human labour overnight but there will be progression in this direction as high quality labour becomes harder to secure.

“Deploying robot operations like this both in Tasmania and on farms in the UK is already demonstrating its viability,” she concludes. n

Radfords in high demand

Software provider expands its global reach into new territories and categories.

by Matthew Jones

New Zealand-based fresh produce software provider Radford Software (Radfords) continues to ride a wave of increased demand for its solutions, which create operational efficiencies across the supply chain.

Customer success manager

Royce Sharplin says the company has onboarded and implemented new solutions for multiple New Zealand fresh produce businesses in the last 12 months. These include kiwifruit packers DMS Progrowers and Birchwood Packhouse, cherry exporter Hortinvest, onion exporter Southern Packers of New Zealand, berry producers Maungatapere Berries and Kaikohe Berries, and avocado exporters Just Avocados and Southern Paprika.

Across the Tasman Sea, Radfords has also onboarded leading Australian potato and onion producer Mitolo Family Farms.

Imminent implementations include a large operator in Western Australia and a new project with an existing customer, kiwifruit growerpacker Trevelyan’s of New Zealand.

“We have experienced unprecedented demand for our solutions since the global pandemic – spurred in part by labour constraints, supply chain challenges and also as a result of consolidation with some larger entities acquiring smaller businesses and seeking to create efficiencies from the outset,” Sharplin says.

Sharplin says Radfords is also expanding its footprint in the US, Canada and Europe, where it is working with customers in the apple, citrus and kiwifruit sectors.

Radfords’ software products have been designed to transform day-today operations for those who grow, pack and market fresh produce.

Its range includes farm management solution FreshGrow,

packhouse solution FreshPack, quality solution FreshQuality, and sales and insights solutions FreshSales and FreshInsights.

“There was a surge in demand for all products postpandemic as well as via customer word-of-mouth referrals and this has not abated,” says Sharplin. “This was especially the case for our post-harvest solution and our flagship product, FreshPack, which is the most configurable and full-featured solution of its type, enabling more efficient grading and packing and full traceability of produce from harvest through dispatch and to the customer.

“Demand has been such that we have added functionality such as handling unit traceability (to include batch tracking of packaging) and new sales ordering capabilities that enable EDI with most major retailers in Australia and New Zealand. We’re also giving our customers the ability to track their pack-run downtime, we’re providing new integration with RFID technology for bin validation, and we’re introducing an approval process for emailing invoices.”

Sharplin says there has also been increasing demand for FreshGrow, which has been rolled out at multiple operations in the past year.

“Further enhancements recently rolled out include the ability to manage chemical inventory, with further functionality coming. This includes harvest scheduling, tracking of bins and variety check summaries,” he explains.

To capitalise on ongoing demand in Australasia, Radfords will double its stand footprint at this year’s Hort Connections trade show, being held in Adelaide in June.

Sharplin says the Radfords team looks forward to showcasing its new product features at the event.

“There’s no better function or event that has the capacity for so many existing and prospective customers to connect with us in one spot.” n

(picture 01) Radfords’ packhouse and coolstore solutions target workflow and quality management efficiencies (picture 02) Access to solutions via tablets and mobile devices enables operators to move around

AgPick redevelops app

New platform provides real-time reporting on productivity and quality issues in a rolling dashboard.

by Matthew Jones

South Australia’s AgPick Technology will showcase its redeveloped harvest management app at Hort Connections 2023, being held in its home state.

In the past 12 months, AgPick’s technology has been implemented at various fresh produce operations

throughout Australia, including in the new categories of apples, strawberries and baby broccoli.

The business has also deepened connections with existing cherry customers, Tasmania’s fruit growing community and table grape growers in South Australia’s Riverland.

Peaches from California – in sea son now

The app is now used in a wide range of fresh produce settings where hand-picking applies, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and citrus.

AgPick’s redeveloped app includes a more contemporary platform that captures specific data to provide real-time reporting on productivity and quality issues in a rolling dashboard. This allows growers to easily match quality issues to individual pickers so they can act on productivity peaks and troughs and gain control over their harvest.

The scanning app’s piece-rate feature captures all activities, such as harvest start, stop and break times, along with crop work outside harvest periods. It also calculates top-up payments, as required by changes to Australia’s Hort Award, which came into effect in April 2022.

The payroll reporting interface includes functionality to upload data to Xero. It has also recently added functionality to apply piece-rates to packhouse jobs for punnet packing and lidding.

AgPick is currently transitioning customers from its original AgPick Green App to its new AgPick Blue App. It is also extending the range of staff management and payroll programmes it integrates with. n

to inspire home grown chefs with winter warming recipes

Warm peach and prosciutto salad – for starters

Air flown tree ripened fruit in our market within a few days of harvest – great taste

Don’t miss out – contact your importer now

For information: www.stonefruitfromcalifornia.com.au

(picture 01) AgPick’s technology has been implemented by fresh produce businesses across Australia

New campaign for Californian stonefruit

Recipe suggestions designed to entice more Australian consumers will be shared via social media.

by Wayne Prowse

As the Australian stonefruit season wraps up, Californian stonefruit will arrive to satisfy the tastebuds of Australian consumers.

Following good winter rains and favourable chilling hours in California’s San Joaquin Valley, this season’s crop looks great, according to Caroline Stringer from the Californian Fresh Fruit Association.

The cooler temperatures have delayed the harvest in California by a couple of weeks. Fruit is expected to arrive in Australia from late June, with the campaign extending into September.

Californian stonefruit is all tree ripened and delivered by air to Australia to be in the market within

Plums from California – in sea son now

days of harvest, according to one of the leading Australian importers of US stonefruit.

Demand for Californian stonefruit in Australia has floundered over recent years, with imports falling to around 1,000 tonnes in 2022. This performance was impacted by retail ranging decisions, depressed exchange rates and macro-economic conditions impacting on the cost of living.

Although the import volumes contribute less than 2 per cent of Australia’s total annual stonefruit consumption, there are avid consumers who purchase

Ca lif o rni a’s s t o ne fruit cr o p s a re l ook ing gre a t this season– July to September

New Australian targeted social media program to inspire home grown chefs with winter warming recipes

Plum chutney rack of lamb – for the main

Air flown tree ripened fruit in our market within a few days of harvest – great taste

Don’t miss out – contact your importer now

For information: www.stonefruitfromcalifornia.com.au

Source: ITC TradeMap; Fresh Intelligence analysis

stonefruit year-round and seek out Californian product when no local production is available.

High-end independent retailers make up one of the largest distribution channels for Californian stonefruit in Australia.

Consumers who love to entertain and look for fresh stonefruit as an ingredient for winter dishes, along with sections of Australian-based Asian communities, are the main consumer demographics.

“Australia is a great market for California stonefruit,”

says Stringer, who is enthusiastic about the excellent tasting fruit soon to be made available.

Even though the volumes were not great last year there is a positive expectation from the industry that this year will be different. Lifting volumes above 2,000 tonnes is certainly achievable, according to importers.

The Californian Fresh Fruit Association is funding a new promotion programme this season, which will be anchored by digital and social media activations targeting consumers who love to use fresh stonefruit in winter recipes.

New recipes are being prepared by an Australian chef in California to deliver a range of winter serving ideas. These recipes will feature in the social media campaign to create new interest and demand among stonefruit consumers. n

Rustic Nectarine Galette – for dessert

Air flown tree ripened fruit in our market within a few days of harvest – great taste

Don’t miss out – contact your importer now

(picture 01) High-end independent retailers are a key distribution channel for California stonefruit

Demand creation key for Australia’s macadamia industry

by Clare Hamilton-Bate

Clare Hamilton-Bate Australian Macadamias clare.hamiltonbate@macadamias.org

Clare is the CEO of the Australian Macadamia Society, bringing her 30 years of fresh produce industry experience to a role of advocacy, representation, facilitation, and collaboration, leading the representative body for the Australian macadamia industry.

The macadamia industry is one of the jewels in Australia’s horticulture crown, having grown exponentially in its relatively short history to become a world leader in terms of product quality and marketing.

Macadamias, which first evolved in the rainforests of Australia’s north-east coast 60-million years ago, are now the fourth largest Australian horticultural export and second-biggest nut export. For an industry that only established its first commercial processing plant in 1954, and was unknown outside of Queensland before this time, these are remarkable achievements.

However, it’s no secret that our industry is currently navigating a challenging chapter. While growers have rebounded from multiple natural disasters in recent years to deliver an

abundant, quality crop, this is being accompanied by the softest farm gate prices in more than a decade.

PERFECT STORM

Several factors have converged simultaneously to create the ‘perfect storm’ we are now experiencing.

The first is the changing global production landscape. For many years, Australia has represented a significant proportion of the global macadamia crop, alongside South Africa. New plantings and improvements in on-farm and post-harvest practices have seen Australian production volumes increase steadily over time.

While Australia and South Africa are still producing the lion’s share of the global crop, other origins are now making their mark, particularly China and Kenya, who have both invested significantly in establishing their own macadamia industries.

This increase in global supply is a shift we knew was coming, and until recently, our demand creation activity aligned with the supply increases we were seeing. This was typically 5-10 per cent growth in Australian production, and around 6 per cent globally. Since then, growth has accelerated and last year the global crop grew by 24 per cent to 300,000 tonnes (at 3.5 per cent moisture).

While we were anticipating global production growth, what none of us could prepare for was the Covid-19 pandemic. Like so many industries, the impacts were profound, and it compounded the challenges of increased supply by impeding demand when we needed it most. With foodservice and travel sectors shut down, and new product development constricted, demand from the hospitality, travel and ingredient sectors dropped substantially.

Unlike other fresh produce that cannot

be stored for extended periods, macadamias have a long shelf-life, and this has seen an accumulation of inventory which will need to move through the supply chain before we see sales growth rates return to pre-pandemic levels. Covid also made it difficult to execute our market development strategy in full, hampering our ability to drive new demand.

GROWTH POTENTIAL

While current conditions are challenging, the longer term outlook is brighter. There is enormous headroom to grow demand for Australian macadamias, especially considering only 2 per cent of the world’s population is eating the recommended daily intake of nuts.

The ingredient market offers substantial opportunities. With increased macadamia production comes greater surety of long-term supply, so food and beverage manufacturers can feel confident to invest in the development of new products containing macadamias, with around 60 per cent classed as ingredient styles when cracked.

While the perception of macadamias as a snack rather than an ingredient is a challenge, our research tells us that use in bakery items, chocolate confectionery, ice cream and cereal products presents a huge opportunity, and the marketing programme is heavily focused on inspiring and supporting product development in these popular food categories.

Consumers love macadamias and recognise they’re a premium plant-based product that is healthy, indulgent, tasty and versatile, with a unique ability to elevate any meal or product they’re added to. Our Australian provenance story adds a powerful layer to our messaging, especially considering 82 per cent of consumers say origin is important to them when purchasing macadamia nuts, according to consumer insights research con-

ducted by Kantar Singapore in 2020. We have a strong domestic marketing presence and with 80 per cent of Australia’s crop being exported, we have also focused on diversifying the market for our product. Our marketing programme targets both trade and consumers in several key Asian markets including China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Each of these markets is unique and our activity is tailored to account for their differences, particularly in terms of macadamia awareness and the rate of conversion to purchase.

Important connections are now being forged in India as part of our long-term market development strategy. We’re excited for the opportunities this dynamic market holds, especially now that the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement has entered into force, which will see the tariff on Australian macadamias eliminated by 2028.

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

The macadamia industry has a reputation for its supportive and collaborative approach, and this extends to demand creation too, with multiple origins and stakeholders involved. From Australia’s perspective, macadamias are marketed at three different levels, and the interplay between these will be instrumental in navigating a path to better times.

The first is general category macadamia marketing. Until recently, most of the world’s macadamia marketing was conducted by Australia, but this changed in 2021 with the establishment of the World Macadamia Organisation (WMO). Established to execute category macadamia marketing for multiple origins, its current focus is on promoting awareness of macadamias, and particularly their health benefits, in the US, China and India.

The second is Australian macadamia

marketing. With many of the broader macadamia benefits being marketed by the WMO, the Australian industry can concentrate on driving preference for Australian origin by promoting the fact that Australia is the natural home of macadamias. Our industry’s marketing programme is developed in consultation with the Australian Macadamias Marketing Committee, which consists of ten members who represent the interests of Australian macadamia growers and the commercial supply chain. The committee provides advice, strategic direction and recommendations to enable the industry’s marketing manager to develop and execute long-term strategic marketing plans.

The third is the Australian processing sector. The Australian macadamia industry has 12 processors who supply nut-in-shell, kernel, oil and paste to manufacturers and retailers globally. The Australian industry’s marketing activity supports the individual sales and marketing efforts of these organisations.

KEEN TO KNOW MORE?

Australian Macadamias marketing manager Jacqui Price will be presenting at Hort Connections 2023. The session takes place on the trade show floor, Exhibition West Hall, on Tuesday (6 June) at 4pm. n

Australia and South Africa remain the world’s largest macadamia producers

Return to form for Costa

The 2023 citrus season is showing more positive signs for leading Australian fresh produce company Costa Group.

by Liam O’Callaghan

As the citrus season ramps up, Costa Group is enthusiastic about its ability to meet demand for Australian fruit in export markets.

Divisional citrus packing and marketing manager, Simon Campbell, says the outlook for the current season is positive, a welcome change from a 2022 season that had its challenges.

STARTING WITH QUEENSLAND

Costa’s citrus season begins in Queensland where its early production is located in Emerald, a different location to Central Burnett, the latter of which is home to the major-

ity of the state’s growers. Campbell says quality is looking positive after a much drier summer and autumn than in 2022.

“(It’s a) large crop and we are expecting a good supply of 2PHbranded Honey Murcott, Phoenix and Afourer/Amorette,” he says. “Fruit size is likely to be better in Queensland across all varieties.”

LOOKING GOOD

Costa’s southern citrus production is spread across the growing regions of Sunraysia and the Riverland, and is set to provide a range of fruit to meet customer demands in 2023.

“Crop yield is looking normal. While it does not appear to be as large as last year given the improved external quality, it will result in more packed cartons,” says Campbell.

“Sizing is smaller than usual. While later varieties are larger, the earlier varieties of mandarins and navels are smaller due to a cooler spring and early summer. Despite smaller size profile, we will have plenty of medium and some large fruit available.”

External quality was one of the major challenges of last season and Campbell says currently fruit is generally looking clean with low levels of light blemish.

“We have no reason to expect the issues the industry had in 2022 will be repeated,” he notes.

Costa has already started to export Satsumas and plans to start shipping navels in early May.

“Current Brix levels are very high and internal quality looks very positive in navels,” adds Campbell.

MEETING DEMAND

In an encouraging sign for Costa and the wider citrus industry, the hunger for Australian fruit remains high in key Asian markets.

“Export demand is very strong. We recently visited China where buyers are very positive about improved trade relations and the coming season. We will visit Korea and Japan over the next two weeks, but the current expectation is for strong demand,” says Campbell.

“Mandarin demand is continuing to improve and with improved shipping reliability we have more confidence to send to longer transit markets.”

Logistics and rising costs continue to provide challenges but there is optimism for improvement on both fronts. “While shipping costs are still far higher than prior to the pandemic, we are seeing higher service levels with container and vessel availability continuing to improve and ships mostly running to schedule,” says Campbell.

“Growing and supply chain costs have increased dramatically over the last two to three years with labour, shipping and fertiliser being the main drivers of this. While we’re optimistic of some decreases soon, we haven’t really seen much yet.” n

(picture 01) Growing conditions have been much more encouraging for the 2023 Australian citrus season

Imperial harvest delivers strong start for Red Rich

Late start proves blessing in disguise for Imperial mandarin harvest in Gayndah.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Growers are often at the mercy of timing but this year’s later-thanusual start to the Imperial mandarin harvest in Queensland's Gayndah region coincided perfectly with a return to school, an ideal start for Red Rich Fruit’s citrus season.

Tim Teague, Red Rich Fruits’ national farming manager, says the return to school period after Easter helped drive demand for healthy lunchbox options.

“Although the season is late, generally speaking, growing conditions have been perfect. The fruit is excellent, with few marks and it’s eating exceptionally well,” Teague explains.

“This season we were extremely well-timed for the return to school, so we saw that volume uplift quickly.”

The cooler weather that accompanied the delay also contributed to the improved quality of the fruit, with growing conditions in the Gayndah region near-perfect so far.

Teague is hoping for the good weather to continue so Red Rich can maintain its momentum through the remainder of the Imperial mandarin season.

“Fruit volumes are good. My feeling is that they’re up 5-10 per cent on last year. At the start of May we were sending 150 bins of Imperial mandarins a day to the major markets,” says Teague. “If the weather stays like this for the rest of the

season with just a scattering of rain, we are going to have a great year with positive flow-on effects for our later varieties.

“We expect to finish the Imperial mandarin harvest somewhere toward the end of May in the Gayndah region, on both our own orchards and those of our growers. We’re looking for the good weather to continue so we can continue our momentum through the remainder of the Imperial mandarin season, and on into Murcotts.”

LIGHTENING THE LOAD

The later start to the season also provided Red Rich with some operational benefits on the labour front, an area in which the company is proactively searching for improvements.

“Typically, we would be picking and packing over the Easter long weekend, which means paying weekend and public holiday wages. This year we managed to minimise the expense, which really helped us manage costs in the current economic climate,” notes Teague.

Red Rich has seen its seasonal labour force return to almost pre-pandemic levels this season in Gayndah, thanks to the return of backpackers.

Effectively utilising the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme has also provided a boost. Its core team of workers from the scheme travel between the company’s citrus harvest in Gayndah and its mango harvest in Darwin. This allows the workers to stay with the company for the duration of their contract, providing more stability for the workers and Red Rich. n

(picture 01) Tim Teague says a late start to the season proved a blessing in disguise

Celebrating 75 years of superior quality fresh fruit.

Since 1948, Red Rich Fruits has been a leading, verticallyintegrated, family-owned grower, packer, marketer, and exporter of superior quality Australian fresh fruits. Our range includes apples, pears, stonefruit, citrus, cherries and mangoes.

WWW.REDRICHFRUITS.COM.AU

Australian citrus bounces back

Exporters are eager to service strong demand across a range of markets this season after a tough 2022.

by Liam O’Callaghan

The Australian citrus industry faced a multitude of challenges in 2022, the most notable of which was issues with albedo, which saw reduced availability of export quality fruit.

As the 2023 season enters full swing the situation appears to be much improved, giving exporters confidence that a more positive season is on the cards.

Valleyfresh director Ryan Smith says a good forecast is the first step towards a strong export showing in 2023.

“The 2022 citrus season was a very tough season. Consistent wet weather through winter and ongoing albedo issues made for quite a frustrating few months. We are certainly hoping for an improved winter ahead in 2023, particularly from a weather point of view,” Smith explains.

“Currently, things are looking okay. It will have a lot to do with the weather we get going forward, but as long as things remain dry, that will be half the battle won for export arrivals.”

Despite the challenges of last season, leading exporter BGP International had a relatively successful campaign last year, according to chairman Neil Barker. He hopes good weather in the growing regions this season will deliver better quality and improve the fruit’s ability to withstand long transits.

“Last season, notwithstanding the difficulties with some quality issues, a number of shipping delays and long transits and the high freight rates, we found the season was quite successful,” says Barker.

“A wet season and long transits are a recipe for disaster, however, we managed record numbers of mandarin containers and we improved in our orange exports.”

AMPLE DEMAND

Smith says demand is strong, which will assist with the industy’s effors to bounce back across key export markets.

(picture 01) Improved quality should see exports increase in 2023 (picture 02) Better quality allows for longer shipping journies s

“Export demand is currently looking very good for Australian producers. Our season will start a week or two late, and this will give Australia a clear run into markets with reduced volumes of US citrus stocks,” says Smith.

“We do need a good year for Australian citrus arrivals in our overseas markets, especially because last season was frustrating for all concerned in the industry. Good quality arrivals always provide a boost for the citrus industry because it encourages repeat orders and cements Australia’s position as a high quality fruit producer.”

Barker agrees that quality will be key to the fortunes of Australian citrus this season, especially as orange exports look set to rebound, and the trade contends with rising costs.

“In line with the broader economy, production costs have increased significantly, forcing up prices. To a certain extent this has been moderated by more reasonable freight rates and a lower Australian dollar helping to keep us competitive against other US dollar suppliers,” notes Barker.

“There is however an understandable caution on the part of importers who have faced a number of difficulties and losses over the last two seasons.

“Despite this, interest in mandarins remains strong and I am hopeful that the orange market will recover lost ground.”

The China market serves as one example of the importance of quality, according to Barker, particularly for Australian citrus, which can find it difficult to compete at lower prices.

“The recent political tensions with China have had little impact on demand for Australian citrus with the market remaining strong, particularly for mandarins,” says Barker. “Any weakness in the market has actually been related to quality issues rather than a lack of demand. The Chinese market demands premium quality – anything less is of little value.”

INDIA OPENING

The Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement is the latest breakthrough on the market development front for Australian citrus, with India’s import tariff on Australian oranges and mandarins recently halving from 30 per cent to 15 per cent (on an annual quota of 13,700 tonnes).

Barker says the interim free trade agreement (FTA) is a welcome boost, but the Indian market does have its limitations

“We constantly face competition

from South Africa. This market is price-driven and it has been very difficult to establish a quality differential for Australian citrus,” he notes.

Smith believes the tariff reduction will help provide a better platform to find an opening in the Indian market. “I think this year with the new India-Australia FTA, and the large crop of smaller sized navels on the trees, there could be a good opportunity to explore India,” he says.

LOGISTICS LOOKING UP

One of the most encouraging signs for the upcoming season is the apparent reduction of logistics disruption.

“We are seeing the return of normal logistics (shipping) conditions, by which we mean pre-Covid conditions. This makes exporting citrus and other fruits out of Australia considerably easier, which is one less thing to worry about,” explains Smith.

However, these challenges have not completely disappeared, and Barker says the issues that remain still force exporters to exercise caution.

“While the shipping problems through the pandemic have eased a little we still face a lack of equipment, uncertain transit days, and higher than usual freight rates,” says Barker.

“In all our export programmes we have decided that if a shipping line cannot be relied upon to make transhipments on time then we would rather not export to that market. It is disappointing that shipping lines refuse to accept responsibility for their own failures.”

BRAND BUILDING

A big focus for Valleyfresh this season will be its Tangold mandarin programmes into Asia. Smith says the seedless offering continues to build momentum across a number of markets, which will be supported by increasing volumes this year.

“Over the years, we have been building up the Tangold brand in each market and customers have been getting very promising results year-on-year. We are looking to build on this as our export volumes increase.”

BGP International will support its exports with promotional activities across a range of Asian markets, building upon similar efforts in recent years.

“In the past, we have run promotions in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, and we plan to continue activities for the coming mandarin season,” says Barker. n

(picture 03) Thailand has become a key market for Australian mandarins, with further potential for growth

ProdOz builds customer base

Australian company to introduce new biologicallyenhanced efficiency fertiliser at Hort Connections.

by Matthew Jones

Sustainable agriculture specialist

ProdOz International has had an exciting year, marked by significant growth and expansion.

The company has launched multiple new products that have been widely embraced by growers across Australia. These developments have enabled growers to improve yield, quality, and shelflife by focusing on soil health,

plant health and plant protection.

The ProdOz team will showcase a variety of sustainable products designed to improve soil health, yield, quality, and shelf-life at the Hort Connections trade show in Adelaide this June. The range includes smart fertilisers, biologically enhanced compound fertilisers, soil amendments and substrates.

A new product, Fertica H+, will

be introduced at Hort Connections. A biologicallyenhanced efficiency fertiliser (EEF), it offers compound granular NPK+TE fertiliser elements, compounded with organic amendments such as humic acid and high-quality seaweed extract to improve soil structure and nutrient retention, reduce leaching and stimulate microbial activity.

For ProdOz, exhibiting at Hort Connections offers an opportunity to connect with industry professionals, build relationships, and gain insights into current issues facing the agriculture industry. n

(picture 01) ProdOz products are in widespread use, including spinach production

Queensland tropical fruit on show

Taste of Tropical Queensland Showcase welcomes buyers and distributors from around the country and globe.

by Liam O’Callaghan

A diverse group of Queensland’s leading food and beverage companies showcased its products in the state’s tropical far north as part of Trade and Investment Queensland’s Taste of Tropical Queensland Showcase on 8-10 May.

The Taste of Tropical Queensland event connected both international and domestic buyers with Queensland exhibitors, including fresh produce growers such as Rocky Creek Orchards, Rock Ridge Farming and Skybury Plantations.

The event attracted around 80 buyers and distributors, threefifths of which were based in overseas markets across Asia and the Middle East.

The exhibition in Cairns marked the fourth iteration of Taste of Queensland, with A$18.5m in export outcomes generated since the first edition in 2019.

Queensland has a global reputation as a clean, green and reliable

source of incredible food and beverage products, notes the state’s treasurer and minister for trade and investment, Cameron Dick.

“Queensland is home to a thriving food and beverage sector that reflects our tropical heritage. The exhibitors on show at Taste of Trop-

ical Queensland are our state’s best and have the necessary experience, expertise and creativity to deliver vibrant products that appeal to international buyers,” he says.

“There has never been a better time to be exporting from Queensland and our government is proud to support their endeavours through events like these.”

Candy MacLaughlin, general manager of papaya and coffee grower Skybury Plantations, says the event provided a great opportunity to make international connections.

“The tropical tablelands of regional Queensland have long been referred to as the food bowl for the country and beyond with vivid, diverse and sustainable produce.

“The Taste of Tropical Queensland affords producers like us the opportunity to share ideas and connect our glorious region to buyers from around the world.” n

(picture 01) Taste of Queensland attracted around 80 buyers and distributors, with 60 per cent based in overseas markets (picture 02) Bananas and avocados featured among the fresh fruit products promoted at the event

NutriKiwi feeds a broad church

The fun, healthy messaging behind NutriKiwi’s promotions aims to get everyone eating green kiwifruit.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Whether it’s as a snack in the lunchbox of a student or a health boost for an older consumer, green kiwifruit has a place in the fruit bowl for every Australian fruit lover.

To connect with these demographics, NutriKiwi’s general ma-

nager Michael Leach says the kiwifruit brand will focus its promotional efforts on two key pillars this year, fun and health.

The health message is one that has been amplified in recent years by the pandemic and its importance

has not faded. NutriKiwi has always put a spotlight on the health properties of its fruit – highlighting its high Vitamin C content – a theme that will return in this year’s campaign.

“The health benefits of kiwifruit, with each piece of fruit containing twice the Vitamin C versus a comparable fruit, are unique,” says Leach.

“People are much more aware of their health since the pandemic and that messaging has definitely resonated. But now that things are getting back to normal we want to get back into the fun and enjoyment of eating fruit.”

Leach says NutriKiwi has always been a fun brand that has engaged with the humour of Australian consumers, which helps to cultivate a connection and amplify other messages.

“We’ll promote through social media, online and point of purchase to reinforce the message that getting double the Vitamin C should be an enjoyable experience,” Leach says.

“You have an older demographic that eats a lot of fruit because they know it’s good for them and then a younger generation that is coming through and likes to put kiwifruit in smoothies.

“We’re targeting all of these spectrums with our promotions, for example we’ll target young kids with fun, engaging and creative activities on social media.”

This season, Leach expects to be able to supply the Australian market for a longer period, compared to the short crop of 2022. This will be despite the poor weather New Zealand has faced in the last nine months.

“This year is by no means a normal season but there should be more fruit than there was compared to last year, which was a very short year for the Australian market,” says Leach.

“The storage characteristics on the late-season fruit weren’t that good last year, but it’s looking like the complete opposite this year. It should mean a longer season with a bit more fruit available for later in the year.”

Logistics disruption also provided a major hurdle last year, with conditions often changing on a daily basis. Leach says the trade will have to wait and see if things have improved this season but there are some positive signs.

“We’ve got our fingers crossed for this year and if it flows correctly then we’re closer to normal service for the Australian market,” he concludes. n

(picture 01) Fun, healthy messaging will power NutriKiwi’s campaign

‘Crazy Tasty’ kiwifruit

Zespri’s ‘Crazy Tasty’ promotional campaign will return for a third year on the back of successful brand awareness growth.

by Liam O’Callaghan

Zespri’s SunGold kiwifruit is increasingly capturing the attention of Australian consumers. The New Zealand marketer will deploy its ‘Crazy Tasty’ campaign again in 2023 to cultivate further growth.

The ‘Crazy Tasty’ campaign was first launched at the start of the 2021 season to drive awareness of the sweet taste of Zespri SunGold

kiwifruit. Zespri’s brand manager – Australia, Sally Burtonwood, says the campaign was created after an opportunity to grow household penetration of gold kiwifruit in Australia was identified.

Kantar research commissioned by Zespri indicated taste was a category growth driver and that many consumers were surprised by the

sweet taste of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit.

Zespri worked with new creative agency partner Dentsu Australia to develop the taste-focused creative idea and campaign in response.

In addition to focusing on the taste of SunGold kiwifruit, the campaign also saw the introduction of Zespri’s KiwiBrother characters to the Australian market. The characters had long featured in Zespri’s marketing efforts in Asia and were incorporated into the Australian market to help enhance the connection with consumers.

The integrated campaign – launched by Zespri, Dentsu and Mindshare (Zespri’s media agency) –was rolled out across high-reaching channels such as TV, online video (YouTube), paid social media and consumer PR.

Burtonwood says the new creative idea was also brought to life across major supermarkets and independent stores to drive awareness and purchase of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit in-store, and the results spoke for themselves.

“We’re thrilled with the results from our ‘Crazy Tasty’ campaign. We’ve seen brand awareness up 44 per cent, brand power growth of more than 13 per cent, household penetration grow 7.3 per cent, and record volume sales (up 2 per cent) during 2022 – exceeding all our goals,” Burtonwood highlights.

Burtonwood says Zespri hopes to build on this momentum in 2023, engaging with consumers across a wide range of channels.

“This year, the 2023 ‘Crazy Tasty’ campaign, which will run nationally, sees the return of the Zespri KiwiBrothers across TV, online video (YouTube) and social media. There are also shopper marketing initiatives, such as Zespri SunGold kiwifruit branded shelf tickets, display bins and point-of-sale materials in major supermarkets and independent stores,” details Burtonwood.

“We’re also pleased to be partnering with Fresh Markets Australia’s ‘A better choice!’ programme across fruit and vegetable stores with a trade promotion, consumer promotion and point-of-sale materials again this year. We are looking forward to another strong season this year.” n

(picture 01) Zespri has been able to grow its brand awareness in the Australian market

Sustainability: a consumer preference

by Samrat Acharya

categories where sustainability matters most are in food and related spaces, with fresh fruits and vegetables taking the number one spot in both Australia and globally.

Sustainability has become a topic of great concern for consumers worldwide. With the catastrophic impact of global warming on the environment, consumers have become more conscious of their environmental footprint.

In Australia, the memory of the devastating 2019 bushfires remains fresh. Although the Covid-19 pandemic diverted attention from sustainability temporarily, momentum has continued to build back.

In fact, the pandemic has changed the way consumers look at the world and priorities are being recalibrated, with sustainability issues increasing in importance. A recent NielsenIQ sustainability report revealed that 69 per cent of consumers consider sustainability much more or a little more important than two years ago, and 55 per cent of them now consider it very important when making purchasing decisions.

Despite the challenge of balancing affordability with sustainability, many consumers remain committed to sustainable living and actively seek costeffective ways to achieve their goals.

When it comes to actually buying a product, food is the priority category where sustainability currently matters to the consumer. Four of the top five

Besides shopping for more sustainable products, most consumers also adopt sustainable living practices, such as reducing packaging and waste. However, consumers also hold producers, brands, and governments responsible for making progress towards sustainability.

Consumer preference is not the only reason why businesses should adopt sustainable practices.

Governance and cost will soon accelerate momentum beyond consumer demand as the frequency and severity of natural disasters continue to rise worldwide. The resulting extreme climate events will have severe impacts on the cost of goods and supply chains.

Therefore, it has become increasingly crucial for businesses to implement sustainable practices. Failure to do so can lead to financial losses and, in some cases, business failure.

Businesses across the supply chain have recognised the increasing consumer demand for sustainability and made significant changes to their business practices, offering more sustainable options to consumers.

It is encouraging to see companies in the fresh produce industry implementing sustainable practices such as reducing waste, improving water security, and lowering

greenhouse gas emissions.

By continuing to reduce their environmental footprint and promoting the enjoyment, health, and wellbeing of consumers, the industry can remain profitable and competitive, while also catering to consumers’ growing sustainability preferences. Companies that understand their consumers’ sustainability preferences and offer products that meet those preferences are more likely to succeed in the long-term.

Sustainability is not only intertwined with the long-term viability of our industry; it is foundational to any fresh business, with the climate becoming more unpredictable, natural disasters more frequent, and climate-related risks threatening crop production, poor soil quality, and water security. We need to remain focused on making strides to continue to push sustainable transformation.

Furthermore, the industry can use sustainability as a platform to connect directly with consumers and elevate its relevance. n

Samrat Acharya Binary Consulting Group samrat@binaryconsultinggroup.com.au

Samrat is the managing consultant for Binary Consulting, a creative data and insights consultancy specialising in the fresh produce industry.

Food is the priority category where sustainability currently matters to the consumer

Arnold’s, AlburyWodonga

For more than a century, a family-run business has been a fresh produce hub for the border-city of Albury-Wodonga.

Drive just over three hours from Melbourne’s CBD and you’ll find Arnold’s, one of the largest regional retail, wholesale and online fresh produce businesses in Australia.

The business’ rich history spans over five generations. In 1892, JG Arnold began a small business selling and delivering fresh fruit and vegetables to the people of Albury, New South Wales, with a horse and cart. Flash-forward 130 years and the Arnold family continues to operate a successful business, offering fresh fruit and vegetables to the people of Albury-Wodonga, and beyond.

The business moved across the Victorian border to Wodonga in 1980. Expansions and improve-

ments were made to the retail store, extending its reach from primarily fruit and vegetables to include a butcher, nursery and expanded grocery lines.

Louise Arnold, a fourth-generation family member with over 30 years’ experience, has been instrumental in expanding the successful store. Louise has a passion for great quality produce and shares her love of local fruit and vegetables with an active community of like-minded shoppers.

Louise loves to connect with her shoppers. She has developed a strong online community through Arnold’s social media channels, with many shoppers thanking her for the delicious recipes she shares online.

“Everything we do at Arnold’s is about our community and our customers,” she says.

Family is front-and-centre for the Arnold family. Louise, together with her brother Roger and his children, Ben and Maddy Arnold, currently operate the store. Many other family members have worked in the business over the years.

Educating local families, especially children, about the value of eating and buying local produce is front-of-mind for Arnold’s.

With such a strong history comes years of tight-knit relationships with growers, wholesalers and suppliers. Five days a week, a semi-trailer heads to the Melbourne Market to purchase fresh produce, with seasonality and quality in mind. A host of local farmers also deliver their produce direct to the Arnold’s warehouse.

Arnold’s has built itself up as a primary wholesaler in the region, delivering fresh produce to local cafes, restaurants, clubs, hospitals and schools.

If you find yourself in the charming border-city of Albury-Wodonga, it is well worth a visit to this iconic fruit and vegetable shop to experience the quality fresh produce, sense of community and incredible customer service firsthand. n

ABOUT ‘A BETTER CHOICE!’

This article was prepared by ‘A better choice!’, Australia’s first national programme designed to encourage consumers to shop for fresh produce at their local independent retailer. The programme aims to unite the fruit and vegetable industry and buy back customer loyalty. A joint initiative by industry group Fresh Markets Australia and the Central Markets Association of Australia, the programme supports more than 700 retailers across Australia who supply over 1m tonnes of fresh produce to households each year.

(picture 01) Arnold’s was the Victorian winner in the 2022 ‘A better choice!’ Retailer of the Year, People’s Choice Awards

Editor-at-large: on Fiji time

On a recent holiday to Fiji, I popped into Nadi Market, a direct-to-consumer market run by individual vendors selling a variety of fresh produce lines. Here are some of my observations.

by Matthew Jones

(BELOW & BOTTOM) There was an abundance of fresh locally-grown produce, the majority of which was well presented and offered at very reasonable prices.

a big

to deliver

(BELOW & BOTTOM) No matter where you travel, consumers seem to be increasingly conscious about how their produce has been grown and is being sold. These ‘no chemicals’ bananas caught my eye, while the bag of carrots was one of the very few examples of plastic packaging I saw at the market.

(LEFT & BELOW)

There was a small selection of imported fruit on offer. This included New Zealand apples, mainly smallsized Royal Gala, along with Australiangrown Valencia oranges.

(ABOVE) I also visited a nearby Max Val-U supermarket. The store had a selection of larger-sized New Zealand apples, Australian Red Globe grapes, and US navel oranges.

(right) You don’t need

budget

an eye-catching display.

Put

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