PROCESSING & MARKETING
Challenging season’s silver lining S U N BE A M F O O D S & A N G AS PA R K
The season delivered an absolute belter in term of weather challenges, with weekly rain events from early April to late May. Few growers were able to harvest fruit without having a weather event influencing the drying times or quality. A number of factors added to the challenging season: - Later fruit maturity delaying the start of the harvest - A lack of available contract harvesters - A lack of available contract dehydrator operators - A lack of available people to undertake labour However, the range of newer varieties that have been introduced as sultana alternatives performed well. We need to recognise that the industry vine-breeding program
She retires after 26 years of dedicated, proficient and valued service to both companies. Kerry has in many ways been the first point of contact with our growers, through phone conversations and grower function interactions. We wish Kerry all the best in her retirement.
Electronic spray diary The electronic diary will be introduced for the 2022/2023 season. Our field officers will help growers transition from the paper-based system to the new online format. This will give growers quicker and up-to-date chemical information to better manage their spraying requirements.
successfully marketed in either the retail market, where there is strong demand, in export, where the recognition of darker fruit is emerging, or the industrial market, where darker fruit sales have been prominent.
Bon voyage Our long-time receivals administrator
of apricots is progressing to plan with the removal of the older trees and the land preparations in readiness for the irrigation installation and tree planting. In the first stage, 17,000 trees will be planted and established before
Supply manager dried fruit David Swain / 0407 834 044
replacement of the remaining older
Enquiries:
Field officer (including SA) Alan Lister / 0409 437 801 Field officer Gary Simpson / 0429 960 234 Dried tree fruits operations manager (Loxton) Luke Fitzsimmons / 0431 894 515
The group saw firsthand the advances made to the Sunbeam Foods factory, including robotic carton filling and palletising. This trip was funded through the Leadership in Agricultural Industries Fund (LAIF).
Good Food and Wine Shows
Kerry transitioned into the Sunbeam
The Sydney and Melbourne Good Food and Wine Shows were attended again this year after a couple of years off.
acquired in 2003.
Pike River Orchard with new varieties
This is 10 per cent lower than the previous season, due primarily to the larger crop and later fruit maturity. The rush to finish the harvest with wet conditions around was also a factor.
Kerry Evans retired in July. business when Angas Park was
The project to replant the Angas Park
trees.v
Twenty prune growers and industry representatives took a field trip to Mildura in July to tour the Sunbeam Foods factory along with Mildura Fruit Juices Aust, Mildura Fruit Company and the SuniTAFE Smart Farm at Cardross to view the innovations in horticulture technology being researched and implemented.
and brown fruit produced will be
Dried tree fruit
The 2022 prune grading is half completed and the pittable size range is sitting at 50 to 55 per cent.
APIA – Mildura Field Trip
fruit was minimal, the amber
Australian Prunes.
the second stage removal and
withstand extreme conditions and are While the volume of light coloured
Thanks to our growers and Cassandra for their dedication to promoting
Prunes
has targeted varieties that can consistently high yielding.
Some of our devoted and passionate growers staffed the stalls and provided a direct link to the production and drying of prunes.
VINE MAGAZINE 35
