News Forum to bring industry together

Forum to bring industry together

Dried Fruits Australia will bring growers, processors and industry stakeholders together at this year’s Grower Forum in Nichols Point.

The DFA Annual Grower Forum was scheduled to be held last year, however Covid-19 restrictions meant it was not possible to host the event.

DFA CEO Anne Mansell said the forum would be an opportunity for growers to connect at the end of harvest and hear the latest from experts both within and outside of the industry.

“It’ll be a chance for growers and industry people to get together, winddown after another big year, while this year also hearing from a range of speakers,” she said. Speakers will explore topics including chemical application, industry projects, markets, water, technology and sustainability, while representatives from the industry’s processors will take a look at the season, provide a market update and share news from the industry.

The forum, this year sponsored by Hort Innovation, will be hosted at Willow & Ivie, Nichols Point, on 28 April.

DFA will provide nibbles and drinks at the conclusion of the forum, where there will be a chance to talk with the guest speakers. v

DFA Annual Grower Forum guest speakers:

Kevin Bodnaruk

Kevin Bodnaruk currently works in the area of pesticide regulation and risk assessment. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the areas of pesticide development, use and regulation, having worked in both government and private enterprise.

Kevin currently works as a consultant providing technical and regulatory input/support to Australian agricultural industries, government agencies, research and development corporations, such as Hort Innovation and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, and internationally with the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Kevin is an expert on maximum residue limits (MRLs), and will discuss the impacts for spray programs in markets, particularly Europe.

Ferdie Botha

Ferdie Botha is the general manager of Raisins South Africa (Raisins SA). Raisins SA is a non-profit company, with its main revenue derived from statutory levies, investment income, consultation fees and products. Raisins SA represents about 1000 growers. The mandate of the organisation is to manage industry-related research and development, to maintain an industry database, administer the statutory levy in terms of the regulations of the National Agricultural Marketing Act and the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) and to disseminate information to the larger value chain participants. Ferdie will share his knowledge from the industry in South Africa and allow forum attendees to ask questions about an industry outside of Australia.

Tyson Milne

Tyson Milne is the assistant director operations improvement with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). Based at the Mildura office of the MDBA, Tyson has a wealth of experience in horticulture, irrigation management and water operations. Ceres Imaging

Ceres Imaging provides precision irrigation solutions that help farmers build more profitable and more sustainable operations.

This presentation will provide information about Ceres Imaging, which was engaged by Dried Fruits Australia to assist with the 10 Tonne Project.

By combining advanced analytics and high-resolution aerial imagery, Ceres Imaging provides the full picture of irrigation system performance and crop health.

The technology is used to pinpoint irrigation issues before they're visible to the naked eye, and discover opportunities to maximise returns across properties. The data can be used to optimise irrigation strategies to boost yields and profits.

Adam Briggs

Adam will represent Hort Innovation, and present on the recently-released Australiangrown Horticulture Sustainability Framework and benefits for dried grape production systems.

The new framework is a guide to help the horticulture sector share its sustainable, ethical, and safe farming practice stories with stakeholders. Stuart Putland

Dried Fruits Australia field officer Stuart Putland will present on the Australian Government-funded 10 Tonne Project, which will be finalised in March.

The project collected data that aimed to demonstrate the potential for properties to produce 10 tonnes of dried product per hectare, using the assistance of agritechnology. The project used aerial imagery and soil moisture monitoring, as well as assessed fertiliser programs over the three years of the project. This season, the project also included a trial of yield monitoring equipment to more closely assess the performance of vineyards, with data to be shared at the Grower Forum.

Processors

The forum will hear from representatives from both of the industry’s processors, Australian Premium Dried Fruits (APDF) and Sunbeam Foods.

APDF CEO Craig Greenwood and Sunbeam Foods general manager Grant Leyden will present on the current market and the season that was, as well as share news from within the industry and a look ahead to the future.