The 2024 event saw 20 per cent increase in both delegate and grower attendance on previous year
Australasia’s record-breaking premier fresh produce event, Hort Connections 2024 held on 3-5 June, set the tone for strategic industry growth, renewed grower confidence and is estimated to have injected A$10m into the Victorian economy.
The Melbourne event, organised by International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand (IFPA A-NZ) and Ausveg, was the biggest in the eight years of delivering the event, convening more than 4,200 delegates including 1,200 growers, 226 exhibiting companies, and 80 speakers and panel members. It also served as a springboard for significant industry announcements including Hort Innovation’s Hort Frontiers Fund and IFPA’s Future Trends Report 2024.
IFPA managing director A-NZ Ben Hoodless said there had been a 20 per cent increase in both delegate attendance and grower attendance on the 2023 conference in Adelaide.
“We broke records across the board including the number of nominations from throughout the supply chain for the Horticulture Awards for Excellence. There was standing room only at speaker sessions and member networking events and delegates were highly engaged at the trade show, and retail and farm tours,” he said.
“There were many firsts. We put on four new panels to discuss big-picture industry issues including how to secure consumer confidence while ensuring food safety; the influence brands have on consumers; how technology and innovation is changing the industry; and presented global packaging and sustainability case studies.
“The post-Covid buzz has settled, and people are now hungry for the next best thing including technology, access to market and sustainable packaging alternatives. Technology is being seen as the key to labour issues.”
Hoodless led a state-of-the-industry panel where he launched the Future Trends Report 2024 and industry leaders discussed opportunities in upcycling, innovation, climate change, and protected cropping. IFPA vice president sustainability Tamara Muruetagoeina presented a global perspective on sustainability in fresh produce.
The Horticulture Awards for Excellence including the prestigious Seeka Marketer of the Year Award (MOYA) produced by IFPA and Produce Plus, recognised achievements from across the industry. The awards were presented to ten outstanding individuals or companies at the conference’s plenary sessions and gala dinner.
Hort Innovation invests A$500m in R&D
Hort Innovation Australia chief executive Brett Fifield announced the ambitious goal to invest an additional $500m over the next decade in research and development to bolster Australia’s A$16.3bn horticulture industry.
“Our new Frontiers programme will complement the existing levy-funded portfolio and attract new investors and transformative innovation streams to Australian horticulture, aiming to seize the big opportunities and develop solutions for growers,” Fifield said.
“We also launched a new platform, Hort IQ, to provide access to the latest, most comprehensive Australian fruit, vegetable, and nut consumer data. Understanding how consumers act, think, and feel about horticultural produce is an essential step in accelerating local and global demand for Australian horticultural produce.”
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry senator Murray Watt told delegates Australia’s horticulture sector was achieving historic results.
“Australia’s agricultural production is forecast to rise to A$84bn next year, the third highest result on record. Horticulture output is forecast to reach A$17.4bn over the next financial year and exports are forecast to surge 11 per cent over this period, to hit A$4bn,” he said.
Horticulture Awards for Excellence
The Horticulture Awards for Excellence including the prestigious Seeka Marketer of the Year Award (MOYA) produced by IFPA and Produce Plus were presented to ten outstanding individuals or companies at the conference’s plenary sessions and gala dinner.
Perfection Fresh Group marketing manager Kristie Emerson was named Seeka Marketer of the Year for the multi-channel Qukes baby cucumber Quke O’Qlock campaign, created to encourage Australians to eat more fruit and vegetables after identifying 96 per cent were not getting their recommended daily intake (RDI).
“The whole team is proud to have won MOYA alongside such high-calibre nominations. It’s testament to the hard work of the whole team and is great motivation for us to keep innovating in fresh produce campaigns. We hope it inspires consumers to include Qukes baby cucumbers at every snacking occasion,” Emerson said.
The campaign which was created around snack occasions for Perfection Fresh’s hero baby cucumber snacking line, targeted adult and family households and ran for 17 weeks. It reached some 9.9m consumers and achieved a sales volume increase of 9.7 per cent through more than 350 independent retailers, she said.
Nutrano Produce Group was named Hort Innovation Exporter of the Year.
“We are honoured to be recognised for our contribution to Australia’s horticulture industry and our dedication to exporting quality citrus and mangoes worldwide,” export manager Mathew Roberts said.
Evolving conference enters new phase
Hort Connections 2025 returns to Brisbane on 4-6 June. IFPA A-NZ and Ausveg will conduct a comprehensive survey of the market and set the event’s strategic direction over the next few months, looking ahead with a five-year vision, before planning gets underway for 2025.
“For the first time in the event’s history, it will be held from a Wednesday to Friday, offering delegates a refreshing change to enjoy the gala dinner on the Friday night and stay on in one of our leading producer states to celebrate Queensland Day (June 6),” IFPA membership and marketing manager A-NZ Tim Withers said.
“Hort Connections continues to evolve and is a major drawcard for cities vying to host it. It is now the largest event of its type for the fresh produce and floral sector in the Southern Hemisphere.”
