WA STONEFRUIT conference

The 2024 Summerfruit conference and field walk were held on July 24th and 25th at the Tatura Smart farm (n=62, including speakers). These were the first events as a part of the Summerfruit Extension and Communication Project (SF23004).

Words Ross Anile, Project Officer and Value Chain Facilitator, WA Stonefruit

HELD over two days, there were important presentations from researchers and other industry bodies that generated great conversations about the Summerfruit Industry in Australia.

Day one was the conference, with the morning talks having a heavy focus on exporting and international markets. Growers got insight into market opportunities in both Vietnam and India, a state-of-play of trade negotiations into new markets as well as an update on FASTA and their plans to secure current market access pathways. These presentations lead to discussions about the sustainability, both environmentally and socially. Added value products of both fruit and other waste generated interest from growers, with Professor Asgar Farahnaki from RMIT and Melissa Rebbeck from Biochar presenting.

The final presentation of the day was on future planning for the regions water usage in the future. There is concern about the federal government’s plan to overcome drought pressures, and the impact it’ll have on the industry and the communities they support. There is a desire to improve outcomes for everyone involved.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=816119590711461&set=a.100338442289583&locale=ca_ES

Thursday was presentations from AgVic about current projects they are working on and how they will support the industry. Both Narrow Orchard Systems and Precision Summerfruit Orchard Management have the potential to significantly change the way the industry operates. This was followed up by a tour of the Tatura SmartFarm and a show-and-tell of technology that growers can potentially look forward to integrating into their orchards.

Overall, the conference and field walk ran successfully, with interesting and important topics to the summerfruit industry.

The attendance of researchers and other prevalent industry bodies was noted, however being able to engage a larger grower voice at the event would be beneficial. A survey has been sent out to attendees to seek feedback, so we can work towards better grower participation in future events.