Biosecurity Protection Levy – update

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Biosecurity Protection Levy consultation period has closed and Avocados Australia made a submission as part of this process.  You can access Avocados Australia’s submission HERE.

Avocados Australia’s view is that risk creators should be contributing more to biosecurity, and we will be pushing the Federal Government for a container levy to adequately fund border biosecurity.

We have concerns about the biosecurity protection levy and the legislation the Federal Government is planning to use.  The existing agriculture levy legislation applies to initiatives that the industry supports (eg. R&D or Marketing levies), and this is not the case with the biosecurity protection levy. The government also seems to be unaware of the significant contribution that growers already make to the cost of biosecurity. There are already numerous R&D funded projects in place to prevent and prepare for potential pest and disease incursions. Growers also contribute to the cost of managing incursions when border biosecurity fails.  The amount of time that industry bodies contribute to incursion management (such as the recent Varroa mite incident) is enormous, not to mention the cost of the response plan that growers will be required to contribute towards.  It is clear that the Federal Government doesn’t appreciate the level of contributions currently being made by the industry.

Another concern that Avocados Australia has is that this levy, along with the other new measures, is simply plugging a funding hole in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry so it is not expected to deliver any additional biosecurity services.

Whilst biosecurity is essential for agriculture, the entire country is the ultimate beneficiary which is why effective national biosecurity should be funded by the risk creators via the Government.

As you know, Avocados Australia ran a Members Survey in August seeking your opinion on a number of Government changes and initiatives, including your views of the Biosecurity Protection Levy. Thank you to those of you who took part in the survey. We shared your views with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Advisor (Jane Webster) at a meeting held at Avocados Australia’s office on 19 September which was attended by John Tyas (AAL CEO), Matt Kleyn (AAL North Queensland director) and Eric Carney (AAL Central Queensland/Sunshine Coast director). We will continue to liaise with Jane Webster to address the issue.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

New advisory mechanism update

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


The levy investment advisory mechanism for the avocado industry has undergone changes as part of a Hort Innovation initiative to ‘reset and refresh’ the investment prioritisation and feedback process across the entire horticulture sector.  Avocados Australia has worked closely with Hort Innovation to develop an advice mechanism that aligns with the specific needs and structure of the avocado industry. The result is that the industry now has two new Advisory Panels, the Production Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) Advisory Panel and the Market Development Advisory Panel.

The Market Development Advisory Panel met on 21 August to evaluate investment recommendations across export and domestic marketing and market development programs. This is the second Market Development Advisory Panel meeting. Click here, if you want to understand more about how levy investment decisions are made.

As a mark of Hort Innovation’s commitment to continuous improvement they held a Peak Industry Body (PIB) Forum in Melbourne on Wednesday 19 July. John Tyas and Brad Rodgers attended the forum that provided Hort Innovation with the opportunity to discuss the improvements, including opportunities for a tripartite collaboration between Hort Innovation, PIBs and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. John was asked to speak at the forum to share Avocados Australia’s experiences so far. Topics covered at the PIB Forum included what has been improved and what still needs to be worked on. This event was another positive step that Hort Innovation has made to improve engagement with PIBs. It also is evidence of their on-going continuous improvement program, a program of work aimed at making them more engaging and consultative.

On Wednesday, 6 September the Avocado R&D Forum was held at the Brisbane Airport Conference Centre. The forum was planned and convened jointly by Avocados Australia and Hort Innovation. The forum’s purpose was to provide an opportunity for networking and cross pollination of ideas, culminating in a suite of avocado R&D recommendations aimed at improving on-farm productivity, profitability and fruit quality, for potential investment through Hort Innovation or other avenues. Fifty-one people were in attendance including growers, researchers, packers, marketers, and Hort Innovation representatives, AAL staff, and extension staff. 19 presentations were delivered from representatives including AAL, Hort Innovation, Applied Horticultural Research, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, and Griffith University among others. During the day the themes for the forum were: 1) Farming into the Future, 2) Globally Productive Avocado production systems, and 3) Practice change and Future needs. An ideation day was held on 10 October as part of a Production R&D Panel meeting. At this event outputs from the forum were discussed and priorities agreed for avocado levy-investment recommendations.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

NFF Conference & “Keep Farmers Farming” Launch

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


Avocados Australia represented our growers last week at the launch of the National Farmers’ Federation’s new national campaign – Keep Farmers Farming at the National Farmers Federation Conference. The campaign is aimed at pushing back against numerous “anti-farming policies” the Albanese government seems determined to push through. The campaign has five themes: 1) Protecting Australia’s farmland, 2) Securing access to water, 3) Giving farmers a fair go, 4) Filling jobs on Aussie farms and 5) Safeguarding our export partnerships. Avocados Australia supports the campaign and ran a number of social posts to make growers aware of the campaign launch. Industry members are encouraged to visit the campaign website for more information and get behind the campaign.

The conference brought together farm leaders, agribusiness and government representatives together in one place. The theme this year was “Australia to the World” and looked at Australia’s role in “feeding the world”, our trading relationships, and our global leadership in sustainability and innovation. Over 80 speakers presented at the conference. To find out more visit their official website HERE.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

Domestic Market Policy Landscape Updates

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


On 23 August, we saw the treasurer, The Hon Jim Chalmers MP and the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Dr Andrew Leigh announce a review of competition policy settings in Australia.

The Australian retail landscape is dominated by predominately two large retailers and is potentially one of the biggest duopolies globally. We can see high price to earnings ratios for the major ASX listed retailers, with them currently valued above all of Australia’s major banks and mining companies. Does this indicate that investors are aware of the significant market share powers and therefore willing to over invest, as they can expect exceptional returns over a long period?

Regardless, it is fair to say that the Australian Horticulture sector is significantly exposed to the existing oligopsony in the domestic retail landscape and the avocado industry is no exception. The acknowledgement for action has been noted by the Federal Government, the former ACCC chair and the Treasury’s Independent Reviewer. That is why competition policy is a key area of focus for the National Farmers’ Federation Horticulture Council of which Avocados Australia is an active member.

There are a number of important events in the legislative landscape which you need to be aware of, they are:


Competition Policy Review – Announced 23 August, ongoing for 2 years.

 

The competition policy review announced on 23 August 2023 will look at competition laws, policies and institutions. There will be a focus on reforms that would increase productivity, reduce the cost of living and boost wages. You can read the National Farmers Federation (NFF) Horticulture Councils response to the announcement, here.

A Competition Taskforce has been established in Treasury to conduct the review, which will be progressed over two years and involve targeted public consultation. It will provide continuous advice rather than a formal report, so progress can be made over time. There is no doubt, the current Assistant Minister for competition certainly has an appetite for competition policy and with some heavy hitters recently being appointed to the competition taskforce, we remain optimistic.

You can read more on the Treasury Competition Taskforce, here.


Food and Grocery Code Review – opened October 2023

Following the review of the Dispute resolution process provisions of the Food and Grocery Code which was conducted in 2022. There will be a review of the remaining provisions of the Code, which kicked off in October 2023.

The Code is scheduled to sunset (be automatically repealed) on 1 April 2025. Prior to sunsetting, a review of the Code is also required to determine whether the Code remains fit for purpose.

In accordance with these requirements, a reviewer will be appointed to undertake this review of the Code, supported by a secretariat within Treasury.

The review will:

  • assess the effectiveness of the Code provisions (other than Part 5 of the Code) in achieving the purpose of the Code to improve the commercial relationship between retailers, wholesalers and suppliers in the grocery sector, and
  • consider the need for the Code, including whether it should be remade, amended or repealed.

In evaluating the purpose and features of the Code, the review will have particular regard to:

  • the impact of the Code in improving commercial relations between grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers,
  • whether the Code’s provisions should be extended to other retailers or wholesalers operating in the food and grocery sector,
  • whether the Code should be made mandatory, and
  • whether the Code should include civil penalty provisions.

A report of the review is to be prepared by 30 June 2024 for consideration by the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and the Treasury. The report will include findings and any recommendations based on the evidence received during the review process, in response to the terms of reference.

The review will include the release of a consultation paper to seek public submissions and consultations with key stakeholders (including the Code’s signatories, industry body representatives, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and other agencies).

Any submission is only as strong as the supporting evidence provided so we will be reaching out to members when appropriate for feedback to inform submissions.

 

Changes to the law on unfair contract terms

Changes to the law on unfair contract terms will come into effect on 9 November 2023.

From this date, proposing, using or relying on unfair contract terms in standard form contracts will be banned and penalties for breaches of the law will apply.

Other key changes relate to deciding whether a contract is a standard form contract and the definition of a small business contract.

The changes apply to:

  • standard form contracts made or renewed on or after 9 November 2023
  • a term of a contract that is varied or added on or after 9 November 2023.

Where a term of a contract is varied or added on or after 9 November 2023, the changes relevant to deciding whether a contract is a standard form contract apply to the whole contract.

Read More, here.


Unfair Trading Practices Provisions – Consultation Open until 29 November 2023

In September 2022, the Commonwealth, state and territory consumer ministers agreed that the Commonwealth would lead a public consultation on options to address unfair trading practices on behalf of all jurisdictions.

The Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (Consultation RIS) seeks further evidence on the nature of unfair trading practices in Australia and the extent of consumer and small business harm arising from potential gaps in the Australian Consumer Law. Treasury is also seeking stakeholder feedback on policy options to address unfair trading practices in Australia.

Unfair trading practices are particular types of commercial conduct which are not prohibited by existing provisions of Australia’s consumer laws, but which can nevertheless distort competition and result in significant consumer and small business harm.

Avocados Australia will provide input into this consultation, as a member of the NFF Horticulture Council.

Food & Grocery Code – Independent Review Supplier Survey – closed 3 October 2023

As part of the changes introduced in 2020, each year around mid-September the Independent Reviewer opens the annual “Survey of Suppliers”.

This was an opportunity for retail suppliers to provide anonymous, frank and fearless feedback on their dealings with the major supermarkets and wholesalers to the Independent Reviewer.

An anonymised high-level summary will be published on the Independent Reviewer’s website before the end of the year. Results from the surveys assist to identify emerging issues in the grocery supply chain and foster fair and effective relationships.  Results may also be used to inform future Government policy and regulations in the food and groceries industry.

Looking for resources to assist you right now?

We will keep members updated and represented as the above events continue to evolve. In the meantime, we recommend you familiarise yourself with a number of resources to support your dealings with retailers:

Food & Grocery Code of Conduct 

Are you across the Food & Grocery Code of Conduct? Read it here.

How to raise a complaint?

If you are a supplier doing business directly with ALDI, Coles, Woolworths or Metcash then you can benefit from the protections under the Food and Grocery Code (the Code). If you feel like you have experienced poor behaviours by the buying team within the major supermarkets or wholesaler you can lodge a complaint using the Code. Click here for more information.

Are you effective in retail negotiations? 

AUSVEG has recently run a FREE webinar on negotiating with retailers. If you haven’t seen it, it is available to watch HERE.

Collective Bargaining for the Agriculture Sector

This report commissioned in 2015, touches on a number of points which remain relevant today, read here.

 

BACK TO EMAIL

 


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

Market Access Update

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


Thailand

Thailand inspectors undertook their first inspection on registered and accredited properties in Western Australia during the week commencing 28 August. The inspection included the successful inspection of the verification shipment needed to open broader exports for WA. The Avocado Collective team were instrumental in executing this shipment and we thank Dawn Warmington particularly for her time and effort to support industry. There are 4 packers and 13 growers accredited for export to Thailand this season and the first commercial consignment to Thailand was sent by The Avocado Collective on Friday 31 August 2023.

 

India

Avocados Australia are in discussions with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) on the most effective plan to register and accredit industry to prepare for exports to India. Avocados Australia is waiting for the finalised protocol. We already have a plan in place that will include a launch, a study tour, and three networking functions that will be held in three main Indian cities.


China & Vietnam

China and Vietnam are two priorities in our avocado export strategy, and they are in the DAFF market access pool for negotiation. I recently visited China and Vietnam to undertake important market access meetings and research with importers, wholesalers, retailers, our Australian Agricultural Counsellors, and Trade Commissioners. AAL is working to co-host a China-Australia Avocado Seminar in Beijing in late 2023 to assist in building market access intelligence and advancing Australian avocado awareness within China. Ongoing work in these markets will continue.

Next week, on 10 November, an official signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between Avocados Australia and the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association will take place at the Park Hyatt in Beijing for the purpose of building capabilities toward technical market access. The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be in attendance along with representatives from Austrade, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Australian Chamber of Commerce China, and Trade and Investment Queensland. A guided tour of the Beijing markets will take place to assess what is happening in the markets. A meeting is also planned at the Australian Embassy in Beijing with the Australian Agriculture Counsellor and the Minister Counsellor for Agriculture.


Australia’s largest key Fruit Fly R&D Project to break new ground

As Brad mentioned, Australia’s largest and most significant fruit fly R&D investment program launched mid-August. The program is called Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA). The program will utilise $130m to help advance critical fruit fly R&D to help break new ground in demonstrating how fruit fly is not a barrier to opening and improving market access. AAL will be collaborating with the FASTA team to build a bespoke avocado R&D strategy. FASTA and Avocados Australia (AAL) will be jointly hosting a round table on 7 December 2023 with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF), Hort Innovation and other stakeholders to begin the development of the R&D strategy.

AFL & Hong Kong

In September, AAL participated in Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong which provided the opportunity to maintain and continue building key market access relationships. More information about this appears in the latest issue of Talking Avocados magazine.

Japan

5 packers and 19 growers have been accredited for exports to Japan this season.  For FY24 to 29 October, 552 tonnes had been exported to Japan.  Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) conducted their Western Australia inspection from 30 October to 3 November.  The inspection was a success and MAFF indicated they were encouraged by the export growth into their market from Western Australia this season. They look forward to continued growth over the coming years.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

WANTED: A Reliable Crystal Ball on Future Market Outlooks

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


How good would it be to have a crystal ball that predicted exactly how the next 10 years will play out for your business? Some may be happy with a crystal ball that could even just predict a few weeks in advance. Regardless, neither exist.

Change is constant and the past does not accurately predict the future. But perhaps at a minimum, we can draw hope and wisdom from the great Slim Dusty in his song ‘Looking Forward, Looking Back’ as we approach the next 12 months – where we utilise past lived experiences to look forward and be proactive in our planning to navigate the period ahead. Current forecasts indicate strong supply will continue out of production regions for the next 12 months. Hopefully you have already started planning what this means for your business but if not it may be worth starting the conversation now.

If you’ve forgotten the past few years, you can probably have many reasons to be grateful, but the below chart depicts what happened:

As we do not have a ‘one-size fits all’ solution to offer you or a crystal ball to tell you how the market will play out.  You are best to lean into your own lived experiences and the experiences of other growers, experts and your commercial partners for expertise to guide you through the challenges and opportunities ahead, specific to your business.

It also may be worth checking out the latest Economic Overview published by ABARES, here.

Some general observations based on the above historical information – which again is not an accurate predictor of the future are:

COVID certainly had its impact too during the past few years and this needs to be taken into account when looking at the chart above.

The September to January period tends to be more resilient to higher dispatch volumes in the domestic market. This could be for many reasons including stronger demand in summer months, possibly fewer suppliers, fewer regions supplying.

The autumn and winter period can be more challenging, and this has been evident especially in the last few years. Again, there is no one root cause, instead many contributing factors, some of which may include supply, multiple regions and multiple suppliers in market, increased offering with both Hass and Shepard available.

The October Quarterly Infocado report released on 23 October has two key call outs:

  • Both WA and NQ are forecasting strong supply into February, meaning there will be both Shepard and Hass in what looks to be about a 50/50 split dispatched from Australian packhouses in Feb 2024.
  • Packhouse forecasts over the next 12 months so far look relatively stable, therefore it may be valuable to work with you commercial partners to develop ‘your game plan’ and what markets/leavers you have available to maximise the unique opportunities ahead for your business.

The million-dollar question… so what can you do about it?

  • Do your groundwork – Utilise the resources and information available to you via Avocados Australia to gain a general understanding of what’s ahead. There are a number of resources available to assist you, here is just a few:
  • Quarterly Infocado Report – provides you with an indication of monthly forecasts and actual dispatch volume over 12 months periods to inform your strategies with commercial partners.
  • Weekly Infocado Report – provides more detailed weekly dispatch to inform your strategies with commercial partners.
  • Weekly Export Market Report – to provide a timely data on the weekly dispatch figures.
  • Monthly Export Market Report– provide not only our dispatch volume but also our market share in the key export markets with average FOB $/kg.
  • General Industry Communications– provides you with the latest news and information specific to Australian Avocado growers.
  • Best Practice Resource – provides a centralised source for all industry information.
  • AAL is working towards providing indications of wholesale market prices – Stay tuned.
  • Participate in Exporting – Get export ready, ensure you grow a product that is suitable for exports, connect with businesses that are experienced in exporting with a long-term commitment to growing the Australian avocado export business. You will find an extensive list of active exporters in our Exporter Directory HERE (see pages 10-15). Visit the Export section in the BPR for information about exporting (click HERE, log in and you will be directed to the Exports page).
  • Do your research, specific to your business– The information Avocados Australia releases is general in nature. Therefore, you need to use this general information and layer your own research by engaging with your trusted commercial partners on what opportunities and threats may be ahead specific to your business. Perhaps there are some experienced growers in the region who have lived through challenging times and perhaps, your input suppliers may have intel on the outlooks of input prices you can draw from.
  • Develop your seasonal ‘game plan’ – Work collaboratively and be transparent with your commercial partners to develop a plan ahead for the season well in advance. Discuss your crop forecasts, what markets you have available and how you can utilise these.
  • Be prepared to adjust your ‘game plan’ accordingly- Utilise feedback and the expertise in your commercial partners to be responsive and adjust plans accordingly to maximise opportunities. Seek feedback on market conditions and how your product compares on the market. If it’s an option, you may find it valuable to get to your key markets and see the market dynamics for yourself.
  • Don’t forget the long term –Chances are, if you are still in the industry after the last few years – you are long-term focussed. So hopefully, you don’t need reminding about making sure not to neglect your long-term business strategy development. Again, from an industry perspective there are resources available that are general in nature as a starting point for your long-term strategy including the Annual Facts at a Glance and Tree Census Report (the latest Tree Census Report is due to be released very soon). However, it is essential that you are seeking independent expert advice on your unique circumstances. It should be no surprise that as an industry we are on a strong trajectory of production growth. This situation is not unique to Australia, read more   What does this mean for your business?
  • Stay engaged – Key industry information, specific to avocado growers and packers is distributed fortnightly in Guacamole Newsletters. You can subscribe by emailing admin2@avocado.org.au.

Whilst there is no crystal ball available or one simple one size fits all solution that we can give you here, there is always support and a strong determination from your industry body to continue to drive demand both in domestic and export markets and provide you with the information required to support your business and make decisions.  We have a range of activities underway and are always open to any ideas members have, to better support the industry, so feel free to reach out anytime.

Data sources used in the chart above: The domestic volume data is taken from the Infocado Quarterly Report. The retail price data is taken from the Weekly Retail Pricing Report. Imports, Exports, and Export A$/tray data are all sourced from the IHS Gobal Trade Atlas. The wholesale price data for Hass and Shepard is sourced from Ausmarket Consultants Australian Daily Special 1 Crop Report. The wholesale price data for Hass is categorised as domestic or imported and prices are weighted accordingly.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

AGM – director changes & acknowledging members

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


Avocados Australia’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place last week on 24 October at Highfields Cultural Centre in Highfields Queensland. Avocados Australia Board directors, Daryl Boardman (South Queensland director) and Tom Silver (Tamborine/Northern Rivers director) did not stand for re-election so this was their last AGM. Both directors made significant contributions to the Australian avocado industry and served on committees representing the interests of AAL members and the greater industry. In recognition of their great service to the industry the AAL Board awarded both Daryl and Tom with Life Membership of Avocados Australia. Brad Rodgers, AAL’s Chair, presented framed life membership certificates to Daryl and Tom at a presentation held in the evening prior to the AGM. Brad also presented Daryl and Tom with thank you gifts for their years of service at the AGM.


Above, from left, Daryl Boardman and Tom Silver received Life Membership certificates.

New directors, Chip Saint and Izhar (Izzy) Adar, took up the positions of South Queensland director and Tamborine/Northern Rivers director respectively. The new directors were welcomed by the AAL Board. The position of Tristate director was up for election, Kym Thiel stood and was re-elected unopposed. The second Western Australia director position remains vacant.


Above, from left, Chip Saint (the new director for South Queensland) and Izhar Adar (the new director for Tamborine/Northern Rivers region).


Above, Daryl passing his official AAL shirt to Chip Saint.

The AGM also provided an opportunity to recognise a number of avocado growers who had recently retired from the industry in the region. Before vacating his position as South Queensland Director, Daryl Boardman presented retired member recognition certificates to Robyn Lubach, Col and Glennys Seccombe, Alan and Mary-Ann Scott, and Anthony and Alison Beutel (who also accepted the certificate for David and Dee Ann Beutel). Certificates were mailed to those who could not attend, this included: Terry and Annie Clark, Bev and Des McCulloch.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

Message from the Chair

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


Welcome to Avo Insider, our members-only enewsletter.

I am very pleased to say that ALDI has committed to stocking 100% Australian avocados in their stores this season. Avocados Australia worked in collaboration with ALDI on the official media release announcing the arrangement which reached an audience of over 24.4 million.  This commitment is an important milestone for the industry and comes at a good time. Western Australian growers who supply ALDI this season will have added security and a place for their product and this commitment that ALDI has made will benefit the entire industry. With a strong supply forecast the need for imports has diminished and the Australian avocado industry is more than able to step up and supply ALDI’s 586 stores. We encouraged the other majors to follow suit but they have declined to date.

I am pleased to see state and territory departments working together with universities and the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to grow Australia’s horticultural exports. They are doing this through the “Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance” or “FASTA” as it is known which was launched on 14 August. This is a $130 million collaborative research initiative formalised through the Hort Innovation International Markets Frontiers Fund, and it is hoped that this effort will strengthen Australia’s reputation as a responsible trading partner.

FASTA is unique in that it brings together world class scientists across Australia with recognised expertise in market access, biosecurity and pest management to deliver on national priorities. Also unique is the eight-year timeframe, which allows the entire research pipeline to be embraced, from technology development, to optimising application and evaluation of new tools in different cropping systems and regions, through to commercialising or integrating technologies into existing production and supply chain systems. All up I have high hopes that this will support our industry’s export activities and help us realise our Avocado Export Strategy 2022-2026 objectives (see the strategy online here).

In this issue of Avo Insider there is a Market Access article providing a high-level update on the progress of all our overseas market opportunities. This is important information that we are only sharing with you, our members, so I recommend that you read that article in full. Good progress is being made and export events are being planned in the coming months. More information about this will be sent out soon so look out for Avocados Australia’s email notices.

All the best,

Brad Rodgers

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

CEO roundup

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


Welcome to the November issue of Avo Insider.

At the time of writing, South Queensland, Tamborine/Northern Rivers and Central NSW have wrapped up and Tristate and Western Australia are in full swing.  We are well aware that market conditions have been tough with sustained heavy supply.

With Thailand market access now approved, audited and accredited Western Australian growers/exporters now have another market for their avocados which is great news.  We are also expecting the protocol for India to be formally approved which will provide another market for all regions for Hass.

Australian avocado exports for FY24 for the four months to 29 October were 7,474 tonnes which is 98 per cent above the same period in 2022/23. 665 tonnes were exported in week 38, an incredible achievement by all those involved, and this needs to continue to increase.

The largest destinations for our export volume continue to be Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia which accounted for 96 per cent of all exports in FY23. I’d like to urge exporters to plan to increase exports and tap into avocado consumers internationally.  The role for growers is to ensure they are supplying good quality fruit that is suitable for exports!

On 18 September we officially announced that Western Australian avocado growers had successfully shipped a verification shipment of Hass avocados to Thailand.  Avocados Australia’s Thailand Launch on 27 September at the Sukhothai Hotel in Bangkok was our celebration for achieving market access.  Over 100 people attended including Government officials, VIPs and leading local importers and retailers and suppliers had the opportunity to network with buyers.  The launch included a cooking demonstration with local Thai chef, Chef Jan, and Australian avocados was the star ingredient served in the buffet. Coverage of this event appears in the Spring issue of Talking Avocados magazine.

On the advocacy front, Avocados Australia took part in the consultation process in regards the Federal Government’s Biosecurity Protection Levy on producers (planned to start from 1 July 2024). Needless to say, we oppose this levy and believe that Australian avocado growers already invest heavily in biosecurity and that risk creators such as travellers and importers should carry the burden of providing additional funds to support the biosecurity system. A copy of our submission is available from the Members area on the website or directly HERE. For more information see the Biosecurity Protection levy article in this issue of Avo Insider.  We will continue to work with NFF and other industry bodies to try and prevent the levy from going ahead.

Our Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday, 24 October at Highfields Cultural Centre in Highfields, Queensland. See the AGM article in this issue of Avo Insider for the details. The Southeast Queensland Export Regional Forum happened the same day in the same venue and we had an excellent turnout of growers and other industry members.  Our export regional forums are essential for anyone thinking of participating in exporting avocados as they provide useful insights about our overseas markets. This should be of interest to all growers, as the industry’s sustainability will be closely tied to our export performance.  I strongly encourage members to attend our events and find out more about what we do and the services we provide as it all aims to benefit you, our members.

I wish everyone a successful fruit set.

 

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the November 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.

New advisory mechanism update

The Avo Insider and its contents are a member-only service of Avocados Australia. You will not see these articles in the media or our other publications.


As you know, the levy investment advisory mechanism for the avocado industry has undergone changes as part of a Hort Innovation initiative to ‘reset and refresh’ the investment prioritisation and feedback process across the entire horticulture sector.

All industries are being consulted and provided with an opportunity to select the investment advisory model that is best suited to their needs. Avocados Australia has worked closely with Hort Innovation to develop an advice mechanism that aligns with the specific needs and structure of the avocado industry. The result is that the industry now has two new Advisory Panels, the Production Research Development and Extension (RD&E) Advisory Panel and the Market Development Advisory Panel. Under a collaborative arrangement, Hort Innovation and Avocados Australia in April selected the members for the new Production RD&E Advisory Panel (nine members) and the Market Development Advisory Panel (11 members). There was a large number of high-quality applications, and the selection process used an agreed skills matrix to ensure the necessary range of skills are represented on these advisory panels. Both panels have met for the first time and are already fulfilling their advisory roles, so Avocados Australia is further along this process compared with most other PIBs. Both panels will continue to meet quarterly in a combination of virtual and in-person meetings to provide advice and monitor investments in line with the industry strategic investment plan developed in consultation with industry in 2022.

In addition to the structural change with the new panels, we are working closely with Hort Innovation to improve the entire process so that the best advice is being provided from an initial idea through to adoption.  AAL staff who are closely involved in various R&D and marketing initiatives will provide additional support and input to the advisory mechanism which will result in faster and better targeted R&D and marketing Investments.  This includes our Export Development Manager (Flora Zhang), Domestic Market Development Manager (Hayleigh Dawson) and our new RD&E Coordinator (Mary Burton).

One other change that has been made is that the AAL Board will be provided with agendas, meeting papers and minutes from meetings.  This will enable AAL Directors to be better informed of the work that is underway and being planned.  This will help our Directors communicate with our members about the Marketing and R&D programs from a more informed position.

As a mark of Hort Innovation’s commitment to continuous improvement they held a Peak Industry Body (PIB) Forum in Melbourne on Wednesday 19 July. John Tyas and Brad Rodgers attended the forum that provided Hort Innovation with the opportunity to discuss the improvements and opportunities for a tripartite collaboration between Hort Innovation, PIBs and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. John was asked to speak at the forum to share Avocados Australia’s experiences so far. Topics covered at the PIB Forum included what PIBs should be mindful of, what has been improved and what still needs to be worked on.

Given that we now have our two new advisory panels in place we are one of the leaders for progressing the new arrangements,” said John.

It was good to attend the PIB Forum and I believe that things are much more positive for PIBs now, there is a real cultural shift with Hort Innovation being more collaborative which is a positive change.”

Above, John at the PIB Forum talking about Avocados Australia’s experiences. Photograph taken by Brad Rodgers.

Hort Innovation intend to hold more PIB Forums in future.

The next important Hort Innovation event on the horizon is the Avocado R&D Forum that is scheduled to take place in Brisbane on 6 September. The focus of the R&D Forum will be on ensuring continuity and rhythm for R&D investment planning. It will be an opportunity for ideation, to start the meeting cycle for industry leaders and researchers to develop ideas into projects.

An Expression of Interest will be issued soon for those businesses wishing to attend. Unfortunately places will be limited, but we will ensure there is balanced representation across the industry.  Brad Rodgers and John Tyas will both be attending the R&D Forum. We will report back to you all on the outcome.

BACK TO EMAIL


This article was produced for the July 2023 edition of the Avo Insider.