Horticulture

Apple harvest comes to a close

Growers across the Goulburn Valley have finished picking apples as the season comes to a close with the arrival of winter. Integrity Fruits orchardist Peter Hall said he had just finished picking apples for juice last week, and the last of the red...

Country News

Australian Organic chief executive officer Niki Ford to work with NFF and ACCC

Australian Organic chief executive officer Niki Ford has been appointed to the ACCC’s Agriculture Consultative Committee and will also join the National Farmers’ Federation Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program 2020. As part of the...

Country News

Successful walnut season for local growers

Walnut harvest has come to an end and local growers are pleased with the results. Katunga Walnuts owner Chris Bethell said he finished harvesting by hand on his 2 ha farm a few weeks ago. “We do it by hand in two or three goes, we...

Country News

Successful walnut season for local growers

Walnut harvest has come to an end and local growers are pleased with the results. Katunga Walnuts owner Chris Bethell said he finished harvesting by hand on his 2 ha farm a few weeks ago. “We do it by hand in two or three goes, we...

Country News

New podcast for horticulture growers

Horticulturists across Australia can now get industry news on-the-go thanks to the latest podcast released by life science company Bayer. HortCast, targeted specifically at horticulture growers and advisers, will delve into market trends, seasonal...

Rodney Woods

Deterring Queensland fruit fly

Nearly 80 000 unmanaged fruit trees have been removed to deter Queensland fruit fly, as part of Goulburn Murray Valley Fruit Fly Project’s free tree removal program. GMV regional fruit fly co-ordinator Ross Abberfield said the program...

Country News

SPC begins processing new super fruit

Pomegranates will now be processed at Shepparton’s SPC factory, just as tomato season comes to an end.

Country News

Growers supported through visa extensions

Temporary visa extensions will help Australian growers by allowing visa holders to work in agriculture until the coronavirus crisis passes. The new amendment applies to the Pacific Labour Scheme, Seasonal Worker Program and working holiday makers...

Country News

Rain, rain go away, come again another day

The recent rain across Victoria’s north-east has done more bad than good, according to Agriculture Victoria’s seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey. Mr Grey said despite 50 mm falling across the region so far this year, it had not improved soil...

Rodney Woods

Finding farm work in Shepparton region

Several foreigners on working holiday visas looking for work in the Goulburn Valley have taken to advertising their skills on the Australian job seeker website Gumtree. Rémi Naudin from France is 20 years old and came to Australia on...

Country News

New podcast for horticultural growers

A new resource designed to arm horticultural growers with everything they need to grow their business has been released by Hort Innovation. The podcast series, titled Growing Matters, is now freely available to download or stream through Apple...

Rodney Woods

Automation the future of packhouses

A report written by 2018 Nuffield scholar Olabisi Oladele from Orrvale examined the business decision-making around automation in packhouses. Dr Oladele is a technical manager at Geoffrey Thompson Holdings in Shepparton, an apple and pear...

Country News

Cobram trials to stop Queensland fruit fly

Two million sterile Queensland fruit flies will be released near Cobram in an attempt to manage pest populations. Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly co-ordinator Ross Abberfield said the release of sterile flies over Cobram was an innovative...

Country News

Federal Government commits to netting funding for fruit growers

Apple and pear farmers across Victoria will soon be able to access up to $4 million to install new or replace damaged netting. Eligible growers will be required to at least match the Commonwealth contribution and the trial program will be...

Rodney Woods

Horticulture labour shortage questioned

A report by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has led to debate about whether there is a shortage of labour in the horticulture industry. The ABARES report titled, Demand for farm workers - ABARES farm survey...

Rodney Woods

Lions Club V5 district governor supports fruit fly project

At a recent Lions conference in Yarrawonga, Lions District 201V5 governor Kumar Swaminathan agreed to join District 201V6 in support of the Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly Project throughout the area covered by his district, which includes...

Jamieson Salter

Proposed citrus export charges rile growers

Proposed massive increases in charges applying to some horticultural exports have angered the citrus industry. Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie said the fees outlined were only in a draft and growers would have the opportunity to submit...

Geoff Adams

Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly Project wins two state awards

The Goulburn Murray Valley Regional Fruit Fly Project has been recognised twice for reducing pest numbers by more than half in the past two years. The project took out the Prime Super Agricultural Innovation Award at the Victoria Regional...

Country News

$10m to help combat pest

A further $10million has been invested into sterile fruit fly research as part of a three-year Hort Innovation-managed project.

Country News