PRUNE NEWS
APIA awarded funds for tech uptake The Australian prune
scanning technology and its suitability
fruit size will increase, but you run the
industry has been successful
in prune crops.
risk of having too few fruit and thus
with a grant application
“The problem is that the Australian
to promote adoption of
prune industry produces a large
technology and increase grower profitability via a new grant application to AgriFutures Australia. Early in 2021, AgriFutures Australia launched a pilot Producer Technology Uptake Program to support eligible producer groups to increase adoption of technology solutions on-farm.
amount of small fruit that doesn’t meet the premium price market channel,” Michael said. “In recent years we have seen the market move towards pitted products. Unfortunately, small fruit is not suitable for pitting and it is increasingly difficult to find a buyer for this fruit, so the prices are low and often not sustainable for growers.
decreasing overall yield. Conversely, if you leave too much fruit on the tree, each fruit receives a smaller share of the finite nutrient supply resulting in small fruit.” APIA was unsuccessful with its grant application to the 2021 AgriFutures Australia pilot program but succeeded with a revised application under round three of the Producer Technology Uptake Program. The revised project aims to help address the problem of crop load
The pilot was a success and the rural
“The solution is to balance crop load
and thinning by demonstrating fruit
research facilitator has recently
to boost both the number of fruit and
scanning technology as a means of
invited applications for round three of
the size of fruit harvested so a greater
accurately determining the crop load
the program.
proportion meets premium price
and mechanical thinning requirements.
Australian Prune Industry Association deputy chair Michael Zalunardo said
grades and maximum profitability is realised.
Michael said there were many reasons why growers had been slow to adopt
APIA had successfully applied for
"However, this can be tricky. If you thin
on-farm technology to address the
a round-three grant to look at fruit
too much fruit from trees, individual
fruit size problem.
18 VINE MAGAZINE
