Horticulture

Christine Webster. David Arnold, director of the long-established family fruit business that has been operating since 1915, said due to the long spell of hot weather, the harvest came early in the second week of February, and was over by the end of the month.

You’d be nuts not to get excited about the Highland cows at Peta Maloney’s property Nuts End at Hogarth Range ... Peta has the cattle as an addition to her main farm business of macadamias.

Mentoring to transform ideas into real solutions is one of the key offerings of a new program launched today by Hort Frontiers. The new program – Australian-Grown Innovation, developed in partnership with Startupbootcamp and Cluster Connect - is designed to drive innovation that will tackle the most pressing challenges in horticulture.  

Tucked in the picturesque and fertile Harcourt Valley is a hub of apple production and its annual festival is this weekend on Saturday 8 March from 10am to 3pm at Harcourt Leisure Centre. Harcourt Applefest 2025 features activities to please every member of the family and it has grown so much that it has now spread to a larger location.

The latest Monthly Commodity Insights report from Bendigo Bank Agribusiness flags a strong start for Australian agricultural markets in 2025.

Christine Webster. Riverland West certified organic horticulturist Bruce Armstrong is creating a niche market for his produce supplying wholesalers and customers in Adelaide, Melbourne, and the region ... "It usually took about 12 to 18 months to make an income from the organic wine, and this is why we started growing the organic vegetables," Mr Armstrong said.

Lockyer Valley Fruit & Vegetable Processing Company Limited (‘Lockyer Valley Foods’), the circular economy fruit and vegetable processing facility, has launched a $50M Series A funding round to begin construction ... Founder and CEO Colin Dorber said the Lockyer Valley – known as ‘Australia’s salad bowl’ – is vital to Australia’s food security ... ARR.News interviewed Chair Murray Chatfield to find out more about the facility, the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

In this interview with ARR.News, Churchill Fellow Kelly Lees shares insights from her experience with the intitial attempt to eradicate Varroa destructor, a parasitic mite of honeybees, and a little of her passion and vision for their successful management in Australia by our beekeepers who, as described by Kelly, are hard working, resilient and resourceful.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Riverland stone fruit growers have seen "large amounts" of certain crops wiped out at a critical time, following last week’s heavy rainfall ... "We all appreciate a good rain, and we all need it of course – especially the farmers – but the reality is that it does do a lot of damage, in terms of stone fruit, depending on timing'; Summerfruit SA executive officer Tim Grieger.

Australian native stingless bees are vital for pollinating many of the country’s unique native plants, but these bees may be facing challenges due to rising temperatures. Recognising the important role these bees play in the ecosystem, an AgriFutures Australia Business Innovation Grant supported Ann Ross and her team at Hive Haven to develop an innovative solution: the Hive Haven V10.

Labour shortages in the horticulture sector have eased slightly, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). ABARES executive director Dr Jared Greenville said the report, based on a survey of over 2,000 horticulture farms across Australia, showed a fall in the number of farms struggling to find workers.

Sebastian Calderon. Almost 40 women gathered within almond orchards in Loxton ... to welcome industry newcomers, compare notes and learn more about Riverland production. Believed to be the first time a gathering exclusively for women working in the industry had taken place ... the event was ... deemed a total success.

Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) has advised that entries are now open for the Giant Pumpkin Competition. The iconic competition offers $3,450 in prize money, including a bonus $1,000 for the heaviest pumpkin weighing more than 350kg ... Downlands College from Toowoomba carved their name into the record books in March 2024...

The NFF Horticulture Council ... confirmed it cannot support an updated Food and Grocery Code of Conduct that resembles the draft recently shared for comment. Chair of the Council, Jolyon Burnett said ... the core concerns of the fresh produce industry remained ignored ... "despite the time available and keen public interest, neither Dr Emerson or the Treasury appear to have been interested in understanding how fresh produce supply chains work and how best to protect vulnerable suppliers."

Queensland’s agriculture sector and local councils have united in a powerful call-to-action, urging the state government to prioritise biosecurity. With growing biosecurity risks on the horizon, industry and community leaders have called on the government to work with agriculture to develop and implement an effective plan, backed by an investment commitment, that will safeguard the future of our farms, environment, and economy.

Singapore horticultural show garden, Gardens by the Bay’s first Australian-themed floral display Carnival of Flowers, inspired by Toowoomba’s ongoing event, opened this week with a mini “floral float” parade. The iconic Singapore attraction, which was recently named Number 8 in the world by Tripadvisor, showcases plants from all over the world in thematic floral displays.

In a mission to develop a long-term sustainability program for the Rubus Berry industry, Hort Innovation and Lifecycles are embarking on a Life cycle assessment (LCA) project aimed at generating comprehensive information and metrics about the environmental performance of raspberry and blackberry production in Australia.

Sebastian Calderon, Hugh Schuitemaker. A senior local wine industry figure says some Riverland grape growers will experience "devastating" damage to vineyards from frost conditions. The Riverland recorded its lowest-ever Spring temperatures on Monday night and Tuesday morning, after near-zero temperatures were also seen last week.

Bumble bees in Tasmania are being geared up with micro radio transmitters and cameras to help scientists uncover their environmental impact and crucial role in crop pollination. Delivered through Hort Innovation’s Frontiers investment program and led by Western Sydney University, the $3.3M initiative will produce a comprehensive large-scale study of the Buff-tailed Bumble bee.

"Custard apples come lumpy, Quite seedy and bumpy, When added to fruit salad, They rhyme like a ballad." In case anyone hasn’t noticed we are well into custard apple season until probably October when the Qld fruit fly will start to get active with the warmer weather and sting the fruit.