Industry body APAL teams up with Hort Innovation to develop expertise in areas such as data acquisition and new technology
Australian R&D centre Hort Innovation and industry body Apple & Pear Australia Limited (APAL) have unveiled a new pilot project that they say will train a new generation of apple and pear growers in the country.
Called Developing Orchardists of the Future, the initiative builds on APAL’s own Future Orchards extension programme and aims to provide young growers with advanced professional development opportunities.
For those involved, the partners say they aim to progress their technical expertise and improve financial literacy, so that ultimately they can “seize big opportunities and develop solutions to horticulture’s major challenges”.
“With the support of Hort Innovation through their Frontiers investment programme, we can enhance our extension activities for apple and pear growers across Australia, extending successful programs like the Future Orchards walks and the Quality Program,” said APAL chief executive Phil Turnbull.
“This Frontiers support allows us to sharpen our focus on emerging talent, drive modernisation and ensure the future resilience of the industry,” he added.
According to APAL, the training involved will put a lot of emphasis on improving orchard profitability, fruit quality in market, on-farm trial viability, and the technical aspects of fruit production.
It will also promote data acquisition and show how such information can be used to support and improve business development, for example through the introduction of new technology and orchard modernisation to achieve greater industry resilience.
“We’re excited to collaborate with APAL through this Frontiers program to strengthen the capabilities of the apple and pear industry,” said Dr Anthony Kachenko, general manager for production and sustainability R&D at Hort Innovation.
“By extending education, practical in-orchard knowledge-sharing, and deeper engagement through APAL’s integrated extension programme, we aim to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector.”
