Groundbreaking study reveals innovation is driving Australian horticulture
The study, conducted by the University of Queensland Business School, has received a 70 per cent response rate from growers in the almond, avocado, dried grape, lychee, macadamia, pistachio, prune, strawberry, turf, and walnut industries. Interim findings indicate that 81 per cent of these growers have introduced some form of innovation, ranging from planting new cultivators to high density planting.
“The majority of innovations were in the adoption of existing technologies and practices (77 per cent), however a significant proportion of respondents had introduced innovations that were new to their industry (54 per cent) such as spatial mapping to identify soil types and reduce chemical use,” said John Lloyd, HAL CEO.
When asked why innovation was important, growers cited increased profit and crop yields along with efficiency of supply as driving factors.
“We’ve also asked growers where their ideas for innovation come from, and pleasingly, over 65 per cent said that peak industry bodies and industry publications are their main source of information. This is significantly higher than the findings from comparative studies of growers in other sectors of agriculture,” said Mr Lloyd.
The study has also examined sources of competitive advantage and the managerial practices of growers.
“When it comes to competitive advantage, product or service quality (92 per cent), followed by an established reputation and responsiveness to existing customer needs (70 per cent) were listed as key, indicating that growers are working hard to keep up with competition and that they have the end consumer foremost in their thoughts,” said Mr Lloyd.
“In looking at the managerial practices of growers, we’ve found that training, strategic planning, human resource planning, marketing and crop planning are common practice. This tells us that growers are becoming better business managers, which further supports the growth prospects of the industry,” said Mr Lloyd.
“To build a more holistic picture cross sector, we’ll be seeking further industry support for this study over the next six months. On completion, the results will enable us to demonstrate the return on investment to our key stakeholders, growers and the federal government as we work to ensure the current R&D mechanism continues to provide competitive advantage for Australian horticulture.”
For more info:
Len Joynson
Horticulture Australia Limited
Tel. +61 2 8295 2319
Email: Len.joynson@horticulture.com.au