Hort Innovation said Australian horticulture growers have partnered with state agencies in a $15 million effort to improve supply-chain efficiencies and strengthen their domestic and international trade offerings.
In a statement, Hort Innovation stated the project will be delivered through the company and led by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Queensland with financial and research support from various industry partners. The 3.5-year project, according to the company, will assist growers in reducing produce loss and managing supply chain risks.
Hort Innovation Chief Executive Brett Fifield said the project was motivated by a desire to consistently provide quality produce to buyers in the face of supply chain disruptions caused by Covid-19.
“It’s no secret the past two years have been challenging with Covid hindering all stages of the supply chain from farm to retail. What this project will do is draw on some of the best research talents in the country as well as the knowledge and networks of key industry partners to make the business of getting quality horticultural products to market, domestically and overseas, that little bit easier,” Fifield said.
According to Hort Innovation, current and emerging export cultivars of avocado, mango, nectarine, peach, plum, strawberry, and vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, and lettuce will be the focus of the project’s work. Research and extension specialists will develop and promote cultivar-specific decision aid tools based on shelf life prediction models, which factor in regional variability, harvest, harvest maturity, postharvest treatments, and cooling procedures across different modes of transport.
Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said the decision-aid tools would draw on data from real-time consignment monitoring to inform handling strategies and commercial decisions when ideal supply chain conditions have not been met.
“This research will provide Australian horticulture producers with the skills, confidence, and necessary decision support to identify, assess, and manage current supply chain risks in the pursuit of delivering more predictable product quality,” he stated.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has assembled a national team, which includes research, technical, and extension personnel from Agriculture Victoria, the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism, and Trade, and the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. According to Hort Innovation, the project has attracted co-investment from leading mango grower and marketer Piñata Farms, AUSVEG, and Summerfruit Australia through the Agriculture Victoria grant and berry and avocado growers through levies.
AUSVEG Chief Executive Michael Coote said the project would provide valuable information to growers when reducing food waste and ensuring supply chain efficiencies have never been more critical.
“This project will deliver grower-friendly resources with clear, concise advice confirming pathways for vegetable crops to different markets. It complements other vegetable export development initiatives and is an opportunity for growers to secure outcomes as part of a broader industry supply chain improvement approach,” Coote stated.
Meanwhile, Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism, and Trade spokesperson Muhammad Sohail Mazhar said the project would allow Australian producers to continue to deliver the quality fruit and vegetables that buyers expect.
Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Senior Research Scientist Dario Stefanelli said the research would involve completing a series of time-by-temperature simulation trials and monitoring commercial consignments to characterise fruit and vegetable quality responses and cultivar performances.
