Western Australian apple growers are taking extra steps this season to ensure the quality of fruit, launching an intensive testing program to coincide with the launch of 2019 season.
The testing program has commenced with Gala apples now in season and in-store, and WA growers say they will be making sure that their apples will be hitting retail in peak eating condition.
Photo: Steele Jacob from WA DPIRD, testing apple pressures at a recent workshop in a local packshed.
Pomewest’s Executive Manager, Nardia Stacy says that the WA apple industry has an ongoing commitment to consistently delivering great apples to customers.
"With the ability to bring the whole industry together we are dedicated to provide excellence in eating quality," she said. "We aim to promote consumer confidence and increase demand for WA apples."
She added that the state's apple industry, through Pomewest, ran self- testing workshops, pre-harvest testing services, and compliance checking testing programs, as an ongoing commitment to consistently delivering great apples to build consumer confidence and increase demand for WA apples.
With a number of key speakers at the Donnybrook and Manjimup events, it communicated quality standards to grow apples for the WA industry, advised of market and retail compliance testing programs in place, and provided a step by step guide to test quality markers for growers to achieve the standards.
The quality program is an initiative of the Agricultural Produce Commission’s (APC) Apple and Pear Committee, Pomewest as part of ongoing strategic commitment to lift the quality of WA apples to market through innovation and quality standards.
Funded through the growers’ fee for service funding this industry program is supported by apple growers.
Other traditional favourite apple varieties Granny Smith and Pink Lady will follow. Pomewest says WA apple eaters can look forward to great tasting fruit and, in-turn, make a significant contribution to the future of the local apple industry by taking the time to choose WA grown apples. Display signs and fruit stickers should assist to identify and promote fruit origin in stores and if you are not sure, ask your friendly retailer.
For more information
Nardia Stacy
Pomewest
Phone: +61 8 9368 3869
Mobile: +61 411 138 103
nardia@fruitwest.org.au