Contents

Australia 2

Woolworths signs $3m deal to buy Aussie grown fruit 2 Woolworth’s decision to benefit struggling industry, says Peter Darley 2 Aussies love apples at the Brisbane Ekka 3 Pear recipe competition and dinner a huge success 3 ‘My Office Rules -With Pears’ and an FGV ‘Pear Inspired Dinner’ 4 Australian farmers turn to on-line sales to ensure survival 4 Climate change project and survey an opportunity to have your say 5 GV fruit employment scheme underway 5 Labor offers to save SPCA, but two of three factories will go 6 Call for further investment and value adding of food production 6 Batlow apples shine 7 Robot farming benefits for apples 8 Kalei ‘super apple’ developed in Queensland 9 Australia’s organic sector booming 10 WA fruit growers appeal to the public to prevent fruit fly outbreaks 10 Irradiation to control QFF 11 Opportunity for additional R & D funding 12 Strong Tasmanian presence at Asia Fruit Logistica 12

New Zealand 13 $130m of new funding for agricultural industry 13

UK / Europe 13 France: Top three diet fruit 13 Spain: Apple and pear trend - exports down, imports up 13 Belgium: Good season for overseas apples 14 Italy: apple and pear market outlook 14 Germans eat 105kg of fruit per person 14

North America 15 US: CMI introduces Sweet Gourmet Pear™ 15 Stemilt launches ‘Tasty, Healthy & Fun’ apple promotion 15 US: Pear Bureau NW keen to enter Chinese pear market 16

South Asia 16 The health benefits of pears 16

UK Market Report 18

Information about APWN and Disclaimer 19

Week Ending: 06/09/2013

Volume 16, Issue 27

Published by Apple & Pear Australia Limited

2

Australia

Woolworths signs $3m deal to buy Aussie grown fruit

www.freshplaza.com , source: dailytelegraph.com.au, 4 September 2013

Woolworths has committed $3 million to sourcing local fruit ensuring its own Select brand of tinned

fruit products is fully Australian grown. Jim Stephan, Woolworths’ head of canned and frozen goods,

said the extra spend would support 118 growers and save 50,000 fruit trees from being destroyed – a

strategy that will affect other packaged fruit and vegetables in future.

Last month Woolworths announced a deal worth $7 million with Goulburn Valley fruit growers in

Victoria to supply Woolworths Select canned apricots, peaches, apples and pears in natural juice. This

moved supply from overseas product to SPC Ardmona (SPCA), Woolworth’s largest supplier of own

brand canned fruit.

Industry Minister Senator Kim Carr said earlier this week that a Federal Labor Government would

commit the $25 million if SPCA promised to remain operating until at least 2020. Mr Kelly said the

funding would be invested in a ‘super centre’ in Shepparton, securing more than 3,000 jobs associated

with fruit production in the Goulburn Valley.

Woolworth’s decision to benefit struggling industry, says Peter Darley

Central Western Daily, NSW, 5 September 2013

Woolworth’s decision to use Australian-only fruit for its home brand canned fruit is a shot in the arm

for the local industry, according to grower and chair of the NSW Farmers’ Association Horticulture

Committee Peter Darley. “This is a step in the right direction in response to the public demanding to

buy Australian made – they are not doing this as an act of charity,” Mr Darley said.

He said while he is encouraged that the people of Orange and district have been supportive of growers

and tuned into buying Australian fruit for some time, the tide is now turning in the nation’s

metropolitan areas. “People are now coming round in the big cities and recognising this has to happen

or our horticultural industry will collapse,” Mr Darley said.

Woolworths said it will now source all its apple, pear, peach and apricot fruit from Australia as part of

its new plan. “While we acknowledge that this alone is not enough to reverse the spiralling decline of

the processing fruit sector, it is a good sign,” Mr Darley said.

He said he would like to see supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles take another step and start using

Australian pulped fruit concentrate. “We have an excellent facility here in Orange for example that

does that very well,” he said. Mr Darley would also like to see the new rules apply to sliced, bagged

fruit.

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“To think we are buying South African sliced apples in supermarkets here is ridiculous,” he said.

Woolworths has announced it will invest a further $3 million to source all its own brand canned

apples, pears, peaches and apricots from SPC Ardmona. That follows on from an earlier commitment

of $7 million to source 13 lines of canned fruit from Ardmona in August. In June last year Coles

announced a plan it intended to source more fruit and vegetables for its supermarkets that were locally

grown in Australia.

Aussies love apples at the Brisbane Ekka

APAL Industry News, 4 September 2013

Royal Show season started last month with the Growcom team manning the Aussie Apples stand at

Ekka. Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) Marketing Manager Luke Westley was in Brisbane and

said thousands of Aussie Apple slinkies were sold and fun was had by all. “Our prime position saw

lots of through traffic – we were even visited by some famous faces including Australian singer

Anthony Callea,” Luke said.

During September the Aussie Apples Royal Show Roadshow will continue its travels around Australia.

“We’ll be at the Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth shows in the coming weeks and require volunteers at

all the stands,” he said. “It’s a great event to be a part of, show-goers love meeting our growers. It’s

also the best consumer research you’ll ever get your hands on!”

Growers interested in volunteering at the remaining shows can contact their state associations to

become involved. Alternatively contact Luke at luke.westley@horticulture.com.au or on 02 8295 2375.

Pear recipe competition and dinner a huge success

FGVL, Corefacts, Goulburn Valley, 3 September 2013

Last Wednesday evening saw the conclusion of the ‘My Office Rules’ Competition, with the winners

being treated to a special private master class with celebrity chef, Janelle Bloom. Janelle prepared and

demonstrated three of her delicious pear inspired dishes for the winners to sample: a Pear Margarita;

Pear, Silver beet & Ricotta Crostata; and Roasted Pear & Cauliflower salad.

Fruit Growers Victoria (FGV) would like to thank all growers who participated in the competition and

attended the dinner – with a special thanks to Jimmy Kalafatis who did a wonderful job as Master of

Ceremonies (MC) for the evening. “It was great to see the growers and local businesses enjoying the

night as well as supporting the fruit industry,” a spokesperson for FGV said. Horticulture Australia

Limited (HAL) Marketing Manager Luke Westley also attended and took the opportunity to discuss

the marketing campaign for 2013 and discuss what to look forward to next year.

The night was a huge success with over 100 attending, which exceeded expectations. “We need to

express our gratitude and thanks to Jill & Bernard Hayes from The Connection, their support and

assistance throughout the competition and dinner has been amazing. The pear inspired menu on the

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night was creative and showcased the use of pears in a variety of dishes and had many people

commenting on how delicious the meal was,” the spokesperson said.

‘My Office Rules -With Pears’ and an FGV ‘Pear Inspired Dinner’

APAL Industry News, 4 September 2013

Congratulations to Vanessa Tartaglia of Kidstown Shepparton the winner of the ‘My Office Rules –

With Pears’ competition. To celebrate the occasion Fruit Growers Victoria (FGV) hosted the ‘Pear

Inspired Dinner’ last Wednesday, 28 August at The Connection in Shepparton. Prior to the dinner

Vanessa and her office enjoyed a master class pear cooking demonstration with Celebrity Chef Janelle

Bloom.

Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) Marketing Manager Luke Westley attended the pear inspired

event hosted by Jimmy Kalafatis from Kalafatis Fresh Farm in Shepparton and Janelle. “The dinner was

a great opportunity to celebrate the Australian Pear industry in its main region, the Goulburn Valley,”

he said.

“Kath Boast and the FGV team did a great job pulling together a fantastic promotion and celebration

dinner. “The winning dish – a pear, orange and chocolate cake looked pretty good too!”

Click here to view Vanessa’s cake and other competition entries on the FGV Pinterest board. Click

here for more information about Australian Pears or contact Luke Westley at

luke.westley@horticulture.com.au or on 02 8295 2375 to discuss promotional and marketing options.

Australian farmers turn to on-line sales to ensure survival

www.freshplaza.com , source: dailytelegraph.com.au, 2 September 2013

A growing number of farmers have taken control of the food chain and have gone virtual – selling

directly to city consumers – to ensure their future survival on the land. By selling direct from paddock

to plate, they hope it gives them an alternative market to get better prices for their product. It’s become

so popular that one farmer has even franchised his online shop.

Instead of becoming another farming statistic, Tamworth fruit and vegetable grower Brendon North set

up his online shop Paradise Fresh in 2009. He now has four franchises including his own at Tamworth

as well as Narrabri, Dubbo and Sydney’s northern beaches. “The concept has just taken off,” he said.

One of the largest online farmers store is Aussie Farmers Direct which started with one man and a

delivery van to 100 customers eight years ago. It has now grown to delivering approximately 1.2

million farmers products to households on a weekly basis. It has 130,000 households on the books in

six states. “People want to know where their food comes from, they want to support Aussie farmers,”

the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder Jordan Muir said.

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Climate change project and survey an opportunity to have your say

APAL Industry News, 4 September 2013

Apple and pear growers are invited to participate in a survey studying the effects of climate change in

Australian orchards. The survey forms part of the ‘Understanding apple and pear production systems

in a changing climate’ project funded by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL).

Horticulture Industry Network and Productivity Services Project Manager Jenny Treeby said the

project is exciting as it aims to identify potential long term impacts of climate change on temperate

fruit. “The plan is to reduce those impacts through research in the orchard combined with high tech

modelling and discussions with growers about their first hand experiences,” she said.

“Results will be made available through workshops, manuals, websites and APAL publications, so

growers can see how the consequences of predicted climate change could affect their own orchard.”

Researchers from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Queensland (DAFFQ), the

Department of Environment and Primary Industries Victoria (DEPI) and the Department of

Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) are working together to develop strategies to

overcome predicted climate change impacts.

“As part of the extension component the team would like to understand the opinions of how climate

variability impacts growers and their orchards,” Ms Treeby said. Click here to complete the five

minute survey to assist the group in understanding what apple and pear growers think about climate

change.

For more information about the project, or to register your interest in talking with the research team,

contact Jenny at jenny.treeby@depi.vic.gov.au or on 03 5051 4537.

GV fruit employment scheme underway

www.mmg.com.au, Country News, GV/ Victoria, 3 September 2013

Four Fruit Industry Employment Program (FIEP) crews will start work on environmental projects with

the City of Greater Shepparton and Moira Shire councils, Parks Victoria and Goulburn Broken

Catchment Management Authority (CMA) this week.

Goulburn Broken CMA received $2 million from the Victorian Government to deliver the Fruit

Industry Employment Program to secure jobs for orchardists, workers or those affected by SPC

Ardmona’s fruit intake reduction. Goulburn Broken CMA Chief Executive Officer Chris Norman said

18 people had undertaken first aid training and completed chemical user and construction card

qualifications and would be employed.

“While many of the program participants have a range of relevant skills, it’s important they have the

opportunity to update their qualifications, and acquire new ones, that will help them with their long-

term employment opportunities,” Mr Norman said.

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He expected to recruit more program participants in the coming months. “The orchard industry told us

that a flexible work program would best meet their needs. Therefore we expect some people will be

part of the program for only a couple of months while others may seek six to 12 months’ work.”

Mr Norman said the FIEP aimed to keep fruit growers and their workers gainfully employed while

longer term horticulture industry transition decisions were made. “Importantly too, during a time of

uncertainty and change, the program will encourage people to mix with others and talk about and

share their experiences, rather than feel isolated and forgotten,” he said.

For more information about how to apply for FIEP positions, contact Toni Jacobson at Programmed

Integrated Workforce on 03 5831 7676.

Labor offers to save SPCA, but two of three factories will go

ABC Rural, 2 September 2013

SPC Ardmona (SPCA) said it will close two of its three Goulburn Valley factories, even if it receives

money from the Federal Government. Labor has promised $25 million for the fruit canner if it wins the

election. The funding would require a commitment from SPCA to stay in Australia, repayments to be

made if it does close and no money to be used for redundancies or executive bonuses.

The company said a high Australian dollar and cheap imports forced it to cut half its grower contracts

and halve the amount of fruit it takes from those remaining. SPCA Managing Director Peter Kelly said

factories at Mooroopna and Kyabram are still earmarked for closure.

“We’ve already told the staff the same thing – if we get the money for this big project, we’ll be doing

that. Sure, it will involve the staff taking a bit of a drive to come to Shepparton, but it’s not that far.

“If it means working for a very, very strong company with a strong future, who wouldn’t do that, you

know? It’s crazy.”

In a release, Labor noted: “without a serious upgrade to its operations, SPC Ardmona said it may be

forced to close operations in mid-2014.”

Call for further investment and value adding of food production

Food Magazine, 4 September 2013

Elizabeth Proust, Chair of Nestle Australia has said that new investment in food manufacturing and

production is essential if Australia intends to become Asia’s food bowl. Executives from SMS

Management, NAB group and Nestle Australia came together at a recent round table forum and were

asked to identify sectors of the Australian economy with the best potential for future economic growth.

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The sentiment that the Nation has a unique opportunity to capitalise on its reputation for clean and

green food production, or ‘Brand Australia’, was at the top of the list, and Ms Proust said value-adding

is the key.

“If you use the analogy of the mining industry, where all we did was largely export the raw product,

we’re in danger of just doing that with agriculture, wheat, milk, etc, and the real challenge is can we

find ways to value/add to all of our superb natural products and farm produce,” she said.

“There’s almost no new investment in food production, in food manufacture and, in fact, if you look at

what’s happening in the Goulburn Valley, fruit is rotting on the ground because of closures of factories

there.

“I’d be very cautious about seeing us as an exporter of raw materials, so to speak, rather than

somebody who can be really smart and clever, and find ways of really making export dollars by

exporting the final or the almost final product.”

Michaela Healey, NAB Group Executive for People, Communications and Governance said that further

challenges lie in motivating people to move to regional areas in order to foster the sustainable growth

of the industry. “One of the other challenges is how do we create viable farming communities, and the

willingness of Australians to go and live in remote areas, work in abattoirs, pick fruit, harvest,” she

said.

Nicole Birrell, SMS Management Director and Former ANZ Executive said the Australian agricultural

industry could have a ‘very bright future’ should the appropriate levels of investment be made. “The

recent news on China’s interest in our wheat, just to name one thing, is very encouraging and

something that’s probably been coming for a long time,” she said. “There’s a lot of innovation

happening in that sector.”

Batlow apples shine

The Weekly Times, Victoria, NSW, 28 August 2013

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, imagine the health of a business that produces 80 million of

them a year. The Weekly Times visited Batlow, a farming community in the foothills of the New South

Wales (NSW) Snowy Mountains. It’s there – 775 metres above sea level – approximately 10 per cent of

the national apple crop is grown. For more than a century Batlow has prided itself on its apple

credentials.

As you approach the town, a sign screams the not-so-creative ‘Famous for Apples’ slogan. Further

down the road sits the Big Apple, a tall, striking concrete homage to the district’s orchard links. But the

centrepiece of the town’s success is the 91-year-old Batlow Fruit Co-operative.

It’s made up of 23 family apple growers representing 34 orchards which produce about 40,000 bins of

apples a year. At its core is John Power. With a background in Queensland sugar mill operations, John

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moved to Batlow to take up the position of co-operative General Manager two years ago.

He said the co-operative was set up as a cool-storage facility and “then developed over the course of

the next 30 years”. It now turns over approximately $40 million a year, is one of the region’s biggest

employers and ranks in the top four apple packing sheds in Australia.

Gala is the biggest variety produced by the co-op, followed by Red Fuji, Pink Lady™ and Red

Delicious. The remainder of the varieties – of which there are about 15 – account for 10 per cent of

production.

John said Batlow was renowned for its ‘rich, red volcanic soil’ which is “very, very deep and holds a lot

of moisture” – making it ideal for apple growing. The region’s rainfall is quite high and reliable,

averaging approximately 1,200 millimetres (mm) – but ranging from 1,000mm to 1,400mm.

All the co-operative’s orchards are within 20 kilometres of Batlow. Harvest starts in mid-February and

finishes at the end of May. John said the better fruit was “literally locked down” in controlled-

atmospheric storage in the facility’s 38 cool rooms (totalling 1,000 square metres), each of which can

cater for approximately 650 tonnes.

“Our biggest customers are high-quality, independent fruit retailers – the corner fruit stores – and they

still all buy from the fruit markets,” he said. John said more than 60 per cent of the apples went to

Sydney, 20 per cent to Brisbane and about 10 per cent to Melbourne.

In July 2011, the co-operative entered the cider market with cider maker brothers Sam and Rich

Coombes. John said it was “highly leveraged, marketing wise, on our Batlow brand”. To protect the

quality, the juice used must be from the Batlow Fruit Co-op and juicing is done in Batlow.

He said while apple prices were a little bit better than they were last year, they remained low for any

fruit not considered mid-range. “It is an issue the industry needs to spend some more time and effort

on promoting to consumers. A lot of people prefer the big apples, but they don’t get a choice because

someone within the major retailers says, ‘no, we’re only stocking from that size to this size’. They are

making it harder for the growers to be sustainable,” he said.

Robot farming benefits for apples

www.freshfruitportal.com, 2 September 2013

Some orchardists were sceptical when the idea of robot field trials was proposed by Professor Salah

Sukkarieh and his team at the University of Sydney. They sought to detect key agronomic indicators

like yield, tree health and flowering intensity. A wide range of benefits to the technology have been

shown in the first two years of the project funded by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL), but

Sukkarieh’s ultimate goal is to solve Australia’s pressing issue of labour shortages through automated

harvesting.

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“After the first year when we’d demonstrated all these things they (orchardists) were quite over the

moon. Automatically what they see is not just a crop yield, not just the detection of the fruit but the

potential behind all of that,” he said.

“At the apple farm we could go down a row, count the number of apples and could tell the farmer the

crop yield. That was something they used to do once before but it was too laborious.

“The fact that you could just take the robot up and down the orchard for an hour and get a crop yield

was something phenomenal for them.”

He added that from a field intelligence perspective, robotics experts had already done a great deal of

work in monitoring invasive species. “We can detect weeds on the ground, we’ve got high resolution

sensors so we can detect insects on the trees, but there are other aspects such as the health of a tree so

that’s a little bit harder. You need a bit more work and interaction with plant biologists.”

The expert said robot harvesting could be a reality within a couple of years if funding were no issue –

but it would most likely only be suitable for certain types of orchards. “To reach in to harvest what’s on

the inside is going to be impossible, robotically anyway, for a long time,” Professor Sukkarieh said.

He highlighted there had been a great deal of activity in changing tree shapes for biological purposes,

and these same set-ups were also favourable for robot harvesting. “It’s been found out that if you grow

certain crops on 2D (two dimensional) trellises and you have these trellises turned at a certain angle to

light then you get optimal photosynthesis and the most efficient type of tree, and you get to improve

crop yield. “In those types of situations the fruit is hanging on one side of the tree only, and that will

open up a lot of opportunities for automation.

“These structures are already being used with apples for example, so you can imagine the apple

industry will probably be one of the first to see automated harvesting happen,” he said.

Kalei ‘super apple’ developed in Queensland

Food Processing, 30 August 2013

A new ‘super apple’ will soon be available to Australian consumers. The Kalei apple – meaning

‘loveable’ in Hawaiian – is the result of 20 years of breeding research conducted by the Queensland

Government. The Kalei is reported to be high-yielding, sweet and resistant to apple scab, a fungal

disease that costs the Australian apple industry more than $10 million each year in lost production and

chemical control.

Its most significant feature, however, is the ability to stay fresh for longer. According to the

Queensland Government Kalei will retain its firmness, texture and crispness for up to three weeks.

With support from Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and Apple and Pear Australia Limited

(APAL), the Queensland Government developed the apple through cross-pollination, without using

chemicals or genetic modification.

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APAL is the Queensland Government’s commercialisation partner for the Kalei and has been selected

to bring the apple into local supermarkets.

Australia’s organic sector booming

Food Processing, 30 August 2013

Business is booming in Australia’s organic sector. The biennial independent Australian Organic Market

Report showed organics is worth $1.27 billion and is predicted to grow by up to 15 per cent each year,

putting it within the top five growth industries in Australia.

In contrast, global growth trends sit between 2 and 11 per cent. Since 2010, farm gate sales of organic

products have risen by 34 per cent and organic meat sales have experienced a dramatic increase. Sales

of organic beef are up by 111 per cent to $72.7 million, lamb is up by 64 per cent to $18.6 million and

poultry has increased by 15 per cent to $17.8 million.

The report, commissioned by Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA), was officially launched on 26

October to mark the BFA’s 25th anniversary, which the organisation says celebrates a quarter of a

century of formalised organic market industry self-regulation and advocacy.

The report states consumers are embracing organic produce with more than one in 20 shoppers

regularly buying organic and almost two in three having purchased organic in the past year.

“Shoppers are voting with their wallet and supporting foods and fibre that are not only quality

products that are good for us but are also good for the environment,” said Dr Andrew Monk, Director

of the BFA and co-author of the report.

Strong growth areas include wine grapes, up 107 per cent, and dairy, which has increased by 63 per

cent. Fruit and vegetables are the most commonly purchased organic items, while non-alcoholic

beverages rank as the highest frequency purchase. The Australian Organic Market Report is co-funded

by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL).

WA fruit growers appeal to the public to prevent fruit fly outbreaks

West Australian-Countryman, 2 September 2013

The Western Australia (WA) stone fruit industry is appealing to people with fruit trees to spring into

action to help fight a pest which last year destroyed half its crop. Group spokesman Brett DelSimone

said there was a danger fruit fly numbers could explode in spring unless all fruit growers – commercial

and residential – were vigilant.

“There was wholesale devastation of residential crops last season which then in turn led to medfly

(Mediterranean fruit fly) finding their way on to commercial orchards and devastating our crops as

well,” Mr DelSimone said. “There were record levels of crop loss on commercial orchards and the

residential population was at a loss at how to deal with it.”

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Commercial growers are asking people to: hang fruit fly traps and monitor them regularly, bait once or

twice a week, pick up fallen produce and boil, freeze or solarise it (never just throw it untreated into

the bin), put physical barriers such as nets over trees and report abandoned trees to the Department of

Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) or FruitWest.

Mr DelSimone said it was in everyone’s interests to fight the pest and to limit the use of pesticides. “We

are relying on backyard growers to help keep the problem in check, we are asking for help,” he said.

“One of the main benefits is that if residents can maintain control of their fruit fly, it very much helps to

lessen our chemical usage as we don’t have to fight that external population coming into our

properties.”

Irradiation to control QFF

APAL Industry News, 4 September 2013

Apple and pear growers may be able to use irradiation as a method of protecting fruit from pests and

diseases such as Queensland fruit fly (QFF). According to leading sterilisation service provider –

Steritech – irradiation can be used to eliminate insects, bacteria and other pathogens in food.

Irradiation helps farmers and processors protect the environment and meet biosecurity requirements as

it is highly effective against common insect pests including fruit fly.

Steritech’s General Manager (Queensland) Glenn Robertson delivered a presentation in Melbourne last

week and said irradiation of food is safe. “Food irradiation is used around the world and the widely

held scientific consensus – after more than fifty years of research – is that when carried out within

specified standards, irradiation produces food that is safe to eat,” Glenn said.

“Irradiation has the support of all the leading international scientific health and food safety bodies.”

Glenn said the irradiation process is an ideal plant health treatment as it leaves no toxic chemical

residues, doesn’t change the appearance or taste of food, is effective against a wide range of pests, and

can be performed while fully maintaining the product at desired cool-store temperatures.

Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) Industry Services Manager Annie Farrow attended the

presentation and said Glenn explained how irradiation can be used as a broad spectrum treatment as it

kills or sterilises a range of pests and diseases.

“Research on the effectiveness of irradiation on fruit fly and other pests and diseases in fruits such as

apples, peaches, plums, apricots and cherries is being conducted by the Department of Agriculture,

Fisheries and Forestry Queensland (DAFFQ), through Steritech facilities,” Annie said.

The research is expected to be submitted to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) mid-

September and will outline why irradiation is a practical, efficient and effective plant health treatment

for fresh fruit and vegetables. For more information contact Annie at afarrow@apal.org.au or on 03

9329 3511.

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Opportunity for additional R & D funding

APAL Industry News, 4 September 2013

Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) recently introduced a new tender process for those applying for

research and development (R&D) funding. The process provides an opportunity to submit additional

projects to be funded commencing later in the 2013–2014 financial year.

Successful proposals will fall into two categories:-

1) Proposals strategic in nature in the area of: climate change adaptation; food safety and quality; fruit

fly sterile insect technique (SIT) and integrated pest management (IPM) systems demonstrations;

supply chain research; horticultural careers and education; protected cropping research and; sector

innovation and productivity benchmarking.

2) Proposals that meet established industry investment priorities to be funded through industry levies

with matched funding from the Australian Government addressing relevant industry R&D priorities.

All applications must address the Australian Government’s Rural Research and Development

Priorities.

The call for proposals opened Tuesday, 20 August and closes on Tuesday, 15 October 2013.

Click here for more information about the funding assessment criteria, relevant policies and the

priorities or visit the ‘applying’ page on HAL’s website.

Strong Tasmanian presence at Asia Fruit Logistica

www.freshplaza.com , source: abc.net.au, 5 September 2013

Lara Giddings the Tasmanian Premier recently touched down in Hong Kong for Asia Fruit Logistica.

The three day expo is one of the biggest fruit and vegetable trade shows in the world. “The size you

can’t even begin to imagine… to find our three cubicles full of our Tasmanian fruit growers was quite

something. They’re telling me that the response to Tasmanian products is very strong,” Ms Giddings

said.

Ten Tasmanian fruit growers were at the expo to spruik their goods including Reid Fruits, Hansen

Orchards, TopQual and Fruit Growers Tasmania.

While 60 per cent of inquiries in Tasmanian cherries came from Chinese distributors, buyers from other

countries such as Thailand, Italy and Indonesia have also been showing strong interest. Chinese

quarantine authorities granted Tasmanian cherries access to China last year following the Premiers last

Asia trade mission.

Meanwhile, back in Tasmania, the Labor government has pledged $15 million to vegetable growers

and processor Simplot for a reform package if they win the federal election, and called on the State

Government to contribute $5 million.

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New Zealand

$130m of new funding for agricultural industry

www.freshplaza.com , source: business.scoop.co.nz, 4 September 2013

In the latest round of Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment funding, the five partners in

the Lincoln Hub – AgResearch, DairyNZ, Landcare Research, Lincoln University and Plant & Food

Research – secured grants totalling $133 million. The grants will go towards 21 new research projects to

support innovation and environmental management in the dairy, meat, horticulture, cropping and

wider agri-food sectors.

The Lincoln Hub brings the five partners together to create a world-class agricultural research and

education facility. The Hub will support the doubling of exports from New Zealand’s primary sector to

$60 billion by 2025.

UK / Europe

France: Top three diet fruit

www.freshplaza.com , 30 August 2013

The apple is a natural appetite suppressant: eat an apple to satisfy those cravings for snacks in the

afternoon. The apple contains pectin, is easily digestible, quenches thirst and contains 60 calories per

fruit, making it the weight loss product par excellence. The grapefruit and papaya were listed as

second and third diet fruit.

Spain: Apple and pear trend - exports down, imports up

www.freshplaza.com , 30 August 2013

The Spanish Federation of Associations of Producers and Exporters of Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers and

Live Plants (FEPEX) Pear and Apple Committee – formed by representatives of the associations from

the main producing regions – recently met in Lerida, Spain, to analyse the prospects for the 2013-2014

campaign. Catalonia expects a 4 per cent recovery in apple production volumes and 11 per cent in

pears, totalling 262,290 tonnes of apples and 206,340 tonnes of pears, as predicted by the Association of

Catalan Fruit Businesses (AFRUCAT). Catalonia is Spain’s largest apple and pear exporter, followed at

a considerable distance by Aragon.

Apple and pear exports have been on a downward trend in recent years, quite in contrast with the

growth of imports. Apple exports in 2006, for example, amounted to 119,946 tonnes, and in 2012 they

were down to 100,173 tonnes. Meanwhile, imports have been on an upward trend; in 2006, they stood

at 172,794 tonnes, while in 2012 they reached 196,972 tonnes.

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The same thing happened with pears. Pear exports stood at 125,962 tonnes in 2006, while in 2012 they

were down to 114,335 tonnes. Pear imports in 2006 amounted to 29,671 tonnes, while in 2012 they

increased to 32,224 tonnes.

Belgium: Good season for overseas apples

www.freshplaza.com , source: sales@vdfb.be, 3 September 2013

The season for apples from overseas is good as good as over. “It’s been a beautiful season,” Jos de Bast

of Van Dijk Foods Belgium said. “The apples from South America, South Africa and New Zealand

came to an almost empty market in Europe. Also supply and demand was in perfect balance, which

allowed for the realisation of some good prices.”

Importer Van Dijk Foods receive almost all apple varieties. Popular varieties are Pink Lady™, Jazz®,

Fuji, Granny Smith and the traditional Royal Gala. Mr de Bast said Pink Lady in particular is much

sought after. “This we receive from New Zealand, Chile and Argentina, and this season we have had

difficulty to keep up with demand,” he said. Jazz apples however, were in abundant supply.

At the beginning of the European season, overseas production was as good as gone, leaving room for a

good start. He said, over production and good demand coming from Asia play an important role.

“Fewer apples have made it our way, but because of that, supply and demand were in balance.”

Italy: apple and pear market outlook

www.freshplaza.com , 4 September 2013

Mr Paolo Bruni, Chairman of Ferrara’s Cso-Centro servizi ortofrutticoli has commented on apple and

pear market prospects. “We can say that there is quite a bit of excitement regarding apples and pears.

Expectations talk about 740,000 tonnes of pears in Italy (14 per cent more than 2012) and 2,236,000

tonnes in Europe. This figure is important, as it stresses an 8 per cent decrease in the last four years,” he

said.

“Finally, regarding apples, 2,148,000 tonnes are expected in Italy, which is 3 per cent less than the past

four years, but 10 per cent more than last year. Therefore, the outlook seems good for Italian apples

even though we are waiting for data from Poland, which is the main European producer.”

Germans eat 105kg of fruit per person

www.freshplaza.com , 3 September 2013

Germans consumed 105 kilograms of fruit per person last year (including fruit in processed products),

according to German website Fruchtportal.de. The apple is still their favourite fruit, with an annual

consumption of 25.9 kilograms per person, followed by the banana with an annual consumption of 10.5

kilograms per person. People ate 36.7 kilos per person of the various types of citrus.

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In total the German people consumed 8,668,000 tonnes of fruit in the 2011-2012 financial year. Less

than a fifth of this fruit was grown abroad. The domestic fruit harvest for apples, pears, cherries,

plums, yellow plums, strawberries and berries for the 2012 market was 1,255,815 tonnes in total.

North America

US: CMI introduces Sweet Gourmet Pear™

www.freshplaza.com , source: cmiapples.com, 4 September 2013

CMI, one of Washington State’s largest grower/shipper of premium quality conventional and organic

apples, pears and cherries, is rolling out their new Sweet Gourmet Pear™ Program.

As one of the first pear pouches to hit the industry, CMI created a new two box shipping display to

maximise cross merchandising opportunities. The pear pouch line-up includes two pound pouch bags

for D’Anjou, Red Pear, Bartlett and Bosc varieties. Each pouch bag showcases a deliciously fresh recipe

that is centred on each variety and when offered as a program, is sure to increase sales within the

category.

Putting pears into a pouch bag is a first for CMI. The high impact graphics, centred on easy to make

gourmet dishes will attract the consumer to try pear varieties they never have before – which will

result in increased sales and repeat purchases.

Bob Mast, President of CMI explained how his team chose the Sweet Gourmet™ packaging, “A lot of

planning went into designing this into a two pound pouch, over a one or a two pound bag. Ultimately

we wanted to increase the average weight of each pear transaction,” he said. CMI will roll out with the

Bartlett variety bag and other varieties will soon follow.

Stemilt launches ‘Tasty, Healthy & Fun’ apple promotion

www.freshplaza.com , source: stemilt.com, 30 August 2013

Stemilt is helping retailers achieve Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® Role Model status through its

new ‘Tasty, Healthy, and Fun’ More Matters promotion for apples.

According to Stemilt Marketing Director Roger Pepperl, the ‘Tasty, Healthy & Fun’ promotion blends

Stemilt apples with the popular More Matters logo in a kid-centric campaign that also appeals to

mums. Stemilt created three different themes for the promotion in order to provide retailers apple

promotion options for the entire season. Each theme fits a standard 11x7 point of sale (POS) sign.

Tasty: The ‘Tasty’ theme focuses on the flavour profile of different apple varieties, including: Pink

Lady™, Gala, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious.

Rotating through the signage as part of a robust Apple of the Month program is recommended with

this theme.

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Healthy: The ‘Healthy’ theme focuses on the health attributes of apples in order to educate shoppers. It

states approved health claims for apples like high source of dietary fibre. This theme can be used when

promoting any apple variety or multiple varieties at a time.

Fun: The ‘Fun’ theme provides shoppers with creative and healthy ideas for using apples at home. It

also includes a link to make Stemilt’s simple recipe for Apple Smiles.

US: Pear Bureau NW keen to enter Chinese pear market

www.freshplaza.com , source: aginfo.net, 5 September 2013

Kevin Moffitt, President of Pear Bureau Northwest (NW) will be traveling to Asia this week to discuss

the latest developments now that China has opened their doors to United States (US) pears.

“We have shipped now just about 10 to 12 containers from last season’s crop. I think about a third of

that were red pears and now there’s already some fruit on the water from the new crop. So we will be

at Asia Fruit Logistica. Jeff, my Export Director and I will be travelling up into China to talk to

importers and look at the supermarkets and make sure our strategy is on target for continuing to open

that market,” he said.

There is a lot of room for growth in China: “we believe that this year we could be in the neighbourhood

of 100-thousand boxes or a hundred loads. Which probably a third, maybe 40 per cent, would be red

pears, so we really expect this to be a good red pear market for the industry.” He said this is quite

exciting for the industry.

“It’s very exciting for us to open any new market but this one especially being the size that it is, in the

neighbourhood of 1.3 billion people and there are estimates that 200 to 300 million are in the middle

class in China these days so their middle class is growing rapidly. They have a lot of shiny new

supermarkets to sell this imported fruit so it is definitely a prize when we can open up a market that

size.”

South Asia

The health benefits of pears

The Times of India, 1 September 2013

The humble pear is an innocuous looking fruit with tonnes of health benefits. Packed with

phytonutrients known as flavonols, pears provide antioxidant protection against several diseases.

Health benefits of pears include that the skin of a pear comprises even more phenolic phytonutrients as

its flesh. These include antioxidants and anti-inflammatory flavonoids, apart from anti-cancer

phytonutrients such as cinnamic acids. Also, rich with fibre, pear skins should always be consumed.

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Some researchers say that flavonoids, which have three groups — flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and

anthocyaninsin — are abundantly found in pears. This is especially beneficial for those who have type

2 diabetes.

Pears contain phytonutrients, which are known to have anti-inflammatory benefits. This results in a

decreased risk of common chronic diseases that start with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress,

like type 2 diabetes and even heart disease.

The low acidic nature of pears makes it easy to digest. Pears are also known as being a hypoallergenic

food, which means that the chances of one getting an allergy from pears are very rare. The dietary fibre

in pears makes them a good source of immune-supportive vitamin C and bone-building vitamin K.

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UK Market Report Fresh Produce Journal, www.fpj.co.uk, 30 August 2013, United Kingdom wholesale apple & pear

prices. Price range indicates across one or more UK wholesale markets.

Variety Source Pack Pence Min

Pence Max

AU $ Min AU $ Max

Braeburn Chile 18.0kg 1600 0 27.34

Braeburn New Zealand 18.0kg 2200 0 37.59

Braeburn New Zealand 12.5kg 1700 0 29.05

Bramley UK 12.0kg 1000 1425 17.09 24.35

Cripps Pink Chile 18.0kg 2000 0 34.18

Discovery UK 13.0kg 1200 1525 20.51 26.06

Early Gold France 13.0kg 1200 0 20.51

Elstar France 12.0kg 1500 0 25.64

Fuji Brazil 18.0kg 1450 0 24.78

Fuji New Zealand 18.0kg 2200 0 37.59

G. Dels Chile 13.0kg 1600 0 27.34

G. Dels France 18.0kg 1600 0 27.34

G. Smith Chile 18.0kg 1600 1750 27.34 29.91

G. Smith France 18.0kg 1850 0 31.62

Jonagold New Zealand 18.0kg 2300 0 29.31

Jonagold Netherlands 12.0kg 1200 0 20.51

Pink Lady New Zealand 13.0kg 1750 0 29.91

Pink Lady Sth Africa 18.0kg 1600 0 27.34

Red Chief Chile 18.0kg 1500 0 25.64

Red Del’s USA 12.0kg 1800 1850 30.76 31.62

Red King Chile 18.0kg 1650 0 28.20

R. Gala Chile 18.0kg 1600 1700 27.34 29.05

R. Gala France 18.0kg 1825 2150 31.18 36.73

R. Gala New Zealand 12.0kg 1800 0 30.76

R. Gala Sth Africa 18.0kg 1800 2250 30.76 38.44

Top Red Sth Africa 18.0kg 1850 0 31.62

Nashi China 10.0kg 1050 0 17.93

Conference Belgium 12.0kg 1700 0 29.04

Guyot France 13.0kg 800 1225 13.66 20.92

Packham’s T Italy 7/8.0kg 1250 0 21.35

Packham’s T Sth Africa 12.5kg 1550 0 26.48

WBC France 13.0kg 970 0 16.57

WBC Italy 7/8.0kg 825 950 14.09 16.23

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Information about APWN and Disclaimer This bulletin is prepared weekly to bring you up to date with the latest information about apples and pears with some

reference to other commodities. Information is sourced from weekly and monthly publications and the electronic media and

is used in the next issue of the bulletin after it is received. All sources are referenced.

The Bulletin is compiled and edited by Apple & Pear Australia Ltd (APAL) from information researched by APAL staff and

consultants, in particular Ross Wall.

Every effort is taken to interpret and report accurately on information and events but no responsibility is taken for the source

or accuracy of either the information or the interpretation placed upon it in this publication. Similarly the authors do not

accept any responsibility for any action that may be taken by an individual following their interpretation of statements made

in this report.

Currency conversions are for guidance only and were obtained from the XE Currency Calculator which can be found at

http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/.

The editor is Sarah Kulman and her e-mail address is cm@apal.org.au

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