Welcome to the latest edition of the Guacamole newsletter. Get all the latest avocado industry news at your fingertips every fortnight!

Ag visas shelved. 26/9/18.
A new class of visa for farm workers has been shelved indefinitely. An announcement was abandoned after concerns were raised by Pacific Island nations that the ag visa would disrupt their existing seasonal worker programs.

BioSecure HACCP gets tick of approval. 25/9/18.
Ten years of work to develop a certified on-farm biosecurity program for the nursery industry has resulted in the announcement of BioSecure HACCP as the first ever ‘approved’ third-party biosecurity scheme under the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014.

Scholarships for women in horticulture
Women who are current and emerging leaders in the Australian horticulture industry can now apply for a leadership development scholarship valued up to $10,941. Funded by Hort Innovation and Women & Leadership Australia (WLA), the scholarship grants cover up to 60% of the cost O. Expressions of interest close on Friday, December 7 at 5pm AEDT.

New trucking chain of responsibility laws. 13/9/18.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has released new information videos, ahead of the law changes on 1 October 2018. You can read an ag-focussed Q&A from VFF here.

Michoacan growers demand better prices. 27/9/18.
Growers in Uruapan, Michocan took over the city’s APEAM office, and other locations, demanding a better return for their fruit. The growers are upset the price per kilogram has dropped and that while they are paid in pesos, intermediaries are paid in dollars.

EU buyers visit Colombia. 26/9/18.
A group of European Union avocado buyers and importers visited avocado nurseries, farms and packhouses in Colombia this week to learn more about the rapidly-growing industry’s up-and-coming production regions.

GEM promotions utilise social media influencers. 25/9/18.
Westfalia Fruit has begun a social media marketing drive on its gourmet avocado brand Gem as the product enters its second season at Tesco.

China supports emerging Honduran avocado industry. 24/9/18.
The goal of the National Avocado Plan is to support the production of Hass avocados in high altitude areas of the country and the Antillean varieties in the lowland areas. The Republic of China is a plan ally.

US: lawsuit launched against illegal clones. 17/9/18.
Dominican company Agroindustria Oceana has launched legal action to protect its exclusive rights to sell the Carla variety.

New Zealand plans digital marketing push in China. 18/9/18.
New Zealand Avocado has engaged a digital marketing agency to create and manage its presence in China, as part of an overarching strategy to quadruple sales to $280m and title productivity by 2023.

New Zealand: avocado thefts taking toll. 18/9/18.
Avocado growers are sleeping in their orchards, patrolling the streets at night and using CCTV to protect their 'green gold' from organised crime groups and a fruit blackmarket.

South Africa to double exports. 17/9/18.
Avocado growers in South Africa will have doubled their exports by the time this season draws to a close.

Chile finds expanding market in China. 17/9/18.
Chilean avocado growers have found a rapidly expanding market in China as the consumers there develop an appetite for nutritional produce, industry officials say. Chile has been actively diversifying its markets.

Easy peeling to life extending. Is there anything avos can’t do?
A Melbourne café’s $18 deconstructed smashed avo raised eyebrows; here’s how they make that avocado toast white chocolate; Tesco launches an “easily peelable” avocado; avocados could extend your life; Chrissy Teigen has her own version of avocado toast; Asda has an avocado-themed Christmas bedding range.

Avocados Australia AGM

Notice has been issued to the Members of Avocados Australia Limited that the 15th Annual General Meeting of Avocados Australia Limited will be held at the Brisbane Markets Rocklea, Brisbane, Queensland 4106 (Training Room 2, Martin Taylor Drive off 385 Sherwood Road), on Friday, 2 November, from 1pm to 2pm.

HARPS training dates set

The next HARPS training courses are in Cairns Q and Perth WA in October (see calendar below). The course has been designed to reflect the immediate needs for producers to meet the HARPS requirements, using case studies and practical examples where possible. In addition, the course will include Food Safety Risk assessment and the HACCP process. Attendees will receive a handbook, example templates and pro-formas that attendees can use to adapt to their own specific activities. The fee for the course is $680 per person (plus GST). To ensure each attendee is able to get the most out of the training, HARPS will try to cap the number of attendees to 15 per daily session. Other locations will be announced soon. For more information: https://harpsonline.com.au/.

Calendar

2018

4 Oct – HARPS training course, Cairns Q
17-18 Oct – NFF National Congress 2018, Canberra
18 Oct – HARPS training course, Jandakot, Perth WA
18-20 Oct – PMA Fresh Summit, Florida USA
2 Nov – Avocados Australia AGM, Brisbane Q
9-12 Nov – Australian Biological Farming Conference, Gold Coast Q
23 Nov – Hort Innovation AGM, Brisbane Q

24-25 Nov – Avocado Festival 2018, Araluen WA

2019
6-8 Feb – Fruit Logistica Berlin 
24-26 Jun – Hort Connections, Melbourne V
23-27 Spt – IX World Avocado Congress, Colombia