update POMEWEST
POMEWEST
Report
Heatwave
HAVOC
Unprecedented early harvest and heat events have been demanding, but while the weather will ease off, the industry will keep hotting up. with events and activities.
Words Nardia Stacy, executive manager
THE extremely warm start to the flowering season has resulted in an early harvest with some sun damage to pome fruit and many other fruit commodities. Thankfully, however, local retail shelves now offer a good supply of sweet and high-quality new-season apples and pears. To celebrate the start of the 2024 season, there are plenty of exciting season opening events and in-field activities planned for the WA pome fruit industry throughout the year, kicking off this March.
“ ... FFS investment in R&D projects is paying off in promoting environmental resilience and climate change... ”
February was Scorching
There are concerns about sun damage affecting the quality of early varieties due to scorching temperatures recorded across all regions in February. Growers who have installed netting may have already implemented the best tool to minimise the adverse effects of browning caused by heat. It is evident that embracing the latest technologies, which result from research and development, as well as government funding support, can help overcome some of the current production challenges. Hopefully, this will reduce the effect of extreme heat and weather on crops, and enhance the returns for our producers. We are excited to offer even more assistance to growers to combat risk with our soon-to-be-launched R&D projects.
Farewell Cirino
“ … Cirino Licciardello, a respected and kind man who was considered a legend in the sector ”
Many in the fruit-growing community of Donnybrook are mourning the loss of Cirino Licciardello, a respected and kind man who was considered a legend in the sector. He passed away too soon and was laid to rest in late January in a beautiful and respectful service. Many stories were shared, and many tears flowed. Sam Licciardello, Cirino’s best mate and son, expressed gratitude to those who attended the funeral and burial services. Although he is gone, his legacy will continue through his devoted family. He will not be forgotten. We deeply sympathise with his beloved wife Maria, son Sam and the rest of the family for their immense loss.
FFS Investment Multiplied
PIPS 4 Profit leverages the APC fee for service investment to maximise impact for WA Growers over the next five years. Pomewest and DPIRD are directly involved in co-design and delivery of PIPS4 for West Australian conditions, with all trials taking place on commercial WA orchards. This has significantly enhanced our ability to carry out the key tactics from our strategic plan, which is focused on improving and building production capacity and capabilities.
Our organisation has recently welcomed Jennifer Riseley as our new project officer dedicated to the PIPS4 program. Her role is to assist us in helping the industry increase productivity and profitability by managing risks associated with pests, soil health and productivity efficiencies. We express our gratitude to DPIRD, and the collaborators involved in the PIPS4 program, for their support in funding this new position.
Most of our growers have already been introduced to Jennifer and we all look forward to working with her. An overview of the PIPS4 program is in this issue.
In addition, the committee has invested grower FFS funds to support the DPIRD apple production team in Manjimup in delivering the Narrow Orchard Systems project. This project looks to improve orchards with new methods, including crop monitoring, protection, remote sensing and robotics. In the next few years, field days and events are planned to introduce growers to this innovative approach and help them graduate to new technologies in orchard planning. Presentations and field days are planned around the Pomewest Annual dinners (scheduled for August 27-29 this year) in all our major growing areas. Throughout the year, we will provide articles and updates to introduce and report on the program’s results.
Roundup
Future Orchards Autumn Walk
During the Autumn Future Orchards walk on March 18 at Prime Organics in Donnybrook, Escavox (a contracted supplier), presented the findings of an APAL-funded/Pomewest managed WA trial. This trial tracked apples to determine temperature variation along the supply chain. This is a further development to ensure quality in-store. Various articles will detail outcomes, with recommendations for quality improvement on all communication platforms.
Donnybrook Apple Easter Festival
It was great to say ‘hi’ at the Donnybrook Apple Easter Festival on Saturday, March 30. We were excited to sponsor and host a fruit sampling and sales stall for the local community in the main street of Donnybrook over the Easter long weekend. The annual event aims to connect with our customers and promote local produce and growers. This year’s event was particularly special as it celebrated the historic 70th anniversary of the festival, the 50th anniversary of Pink Lady and the 10th anniversary of Bravo apples. We are grateful to all the local growers and packhouses who generously donated fruit to make this event successful. We would also like to thank Sam Licciardello and Orchard 1Sixty for their contributions to storing all the fruit for the event and setting up our stalls. We couldn’t have done it without all of you!
2024 APAL Awards for Excellence
Nominations for the 2024 APAL Awards for Excellence, which celebrates the exceptional contributions made to the apple and pear industry, have been put forward. This program has been running since 1999 to recognise the achievements of growers, researchers and businesses, both established and emerging, who are dedicated to advancing the apple and pear industry. The recipients of the awards will be announced at the APAL Awards for Excellence function on June 2, 2024, preceding the APAL Industry Forum on June 3, 2024. This event will provide a platform to honour those who are shaping the future of the apple and pear industry.
Quality is Key
Quality is still the key strategy to building demand and consumption. It’s true that customers buy with their eyes, but they come back for the taste. As such, we have again notified the industry that the 2024 maturity testing program has commenced. Early results have indicated that galas from the Perth Hills were marketed in late January. A few issues with starch levels were noted early, but most lines have since passed, ensuring that consumers had good eating experiences with new-season WA apples. The Pomewest team will continue to report passes and fails as the season progresses for Granny Smith and Pink Lady varieties. The project team is poised to assist and support growers with pre-harvest analysis, advice and iodine supplies for testing purposes. We are confident that our efforts have been fruitful because APAL is now implementing similar quality programs for other states to enhance retail consumer experiences. It is a matter of pride that WA has been at the forefront of this initiative for many years.
Quality is Key
Nardia reports on the 2023 national apple retail sampling activation managed and implemented by Hort Innovation under the direction of the panel managing the Apple and Pear Marketing Levy Fund. Jennifer (Jen) Riseley introduces herself and the PIPS4Profit project, and explains the strategies and projected outcomes of the program. On behalf of the committee, Susie, Jen, and myself, we are excited to continue our work in the upcoming year and look forward to achieving great things for the industry together.