What did you learn at the WAHU?

f KEYNOTE speaker, Prof David Hughes talks about trends in consumer purchasing.

The WA Horticulture Update was held in Perth during November.

What did you learn at the WAHU?

BY BRONWYN WALSH INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, WA CITRUS

Four WA citrus growers plus the citrus research team attended the WA Horticulture Update in Perth in early November. What follows is some of what they learned.

1. What were some highlights for you?

The presentations encapsulated the real problems right now, being labour issues, wastage, packaging materials, costs and returns, consumption patterns and consumer trending. “The talk by ‘Dr Food’, Professor David Hughes, was very insightful. There was a lot of future casting based on what was going on in overseas markets, which as growers, we will need to make changes to the way we do business if it is to survive into the future.” Trends included the acceleration of consumers buying on-line during COVID, consumer consciousness about air freight and its related impact on the environment, similarly packaging, chemical use and “social license” for food production. The packaging panel session highlighted the different components of the future of packaging with multiple goals of reducing landfill of single use plastics (non recyclable), preventing food tampering and extending shelf life. “Having the video presentations in between speakers/panels was very well done. It gave an overview and insight into how different growers of different crops manage their businesses.” The videos are available on DPIRD’s YouTube channel. “The field trip was really good, particularly RichGro, seeing converting food waste to an energy plant and incorporating it into their garden product. Their business model is very clever.

f TANKS where gas accumulates after food waste has been processes, RichGro.

f A visit to Avowest highlighted the use of technology in managing irrigation and investigating the use of technology to monitor plant physiology.

f BENARA Nurseries reduce evaporation from dam with floating balls.

f BLACK soldier fly life cycle stages and a few current products such as in dog food and research into use of frass for soil amendments, Future Green Solutions (right). f CATCHING up with growers, DPIRD and industry all in one day was great.

“The Future Green Solutions presentation on protein production from black soldier fly larvae feeding on food waste was a highlight.” “The Innovation and technology session and Emerging data session were good too.”

2. Would you recommend other citrus growers attend the next one?

There was a unanimous “yes” from all the growers that attended that they would recommend other growers attend the next WAHU. “The networking with people from other commodities was great. The networking event was good to catch people you didn’t meet during the day.”

3. Is there anything you heard or talked about that other citrus growers should know?

“The importance of bench marking, sometimes having a third party looking in can open up ideas of how and where the 1% cost saving can be derived. Those 1%-ers add up and could be the difference between making a margin on sales or making a loss.” Presentation from Bryn Edwards ‘Building Better Businesses’. “I talked to an apple grower about a software program for tracking field labour called Tag Log which I didn’t know about. Other growers may like to know about that.” “Interesting to hear the plastics conversation and different perspectives.” “I think communicating the world trends that the keynote speaker spoke about, ‘like it or not sooner or later those trends land in Australia.”

4. Will you do anything with what you learned? Growers that attended recommend other growers attend the nextWAHU. MORE INFORMATION

Contact Bronwyn on 0400 873 875 or email industrymanager@wacitrus.com.au.

“Definitely approach social media with a different view. Ultimately, having a story that will reach the end consumer and increase category sales is a win for the industry. The importance is doing it right.” “Look into how our business benchmarks with others across the same industry and find how and where there can be improvements that can be made. Continuing to look at AgTech may in the long run save time and therefore money.” “As a packer, continue to monitor trends in plastics.” “I’ve invited Luke Wheat, from Future Green Solutions, to come to Manjimup to talk to the local fruit and vegetable producers to get a transfer station or satellite plant going.”

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