Market improvement remains the ‘principal focus’ of Cherry Growers Australia, Tom Eastlake, the industry’s newly announced President, assures members. “China is our top priority, and there’s a clear mandate from growers to pursue better access and relationships with China. Even Tasmanian growers who already ship there recognize the importance of market improvement and commercial access for mainland growers too,” he says.
Funding and levy talk will all be underpinning market access goals for a number of key markets, according to Mr Eastlake, and R&D will continue to support biosecurity and management of pests and diseases. “The focus is on giving the market fruit that is secure, and free of pests and diseases,” he adds. “We’ve looked at measures including brown sugar floatation, irradiation and protein testing to detect fruitfly as just some examples.”
The industry has held a number of ‘Export Ready’ workshops, which are showing promising signs that growers take these issues seriously, according to Mr Eastlake. “There’s been a definite evolution of the cherry industry over the last few years. We’ve moved up a few notches in terms of export readiness. We don’t want new market access and improvement agreed to, protocols signed and then the industry knocked out within the first year for non-compliance.”
Cherry Growers Australia is doing the work that underpins confidence that growers are going to be able to ship to the markets that show demand. “At the moment it’s all about preparedness,” Mr Eastlake says. “There are audits occurring now, just being completed, to show China that we’re ready, and that we have a desire to ship cherries to that market. Considering we have a protocol no one ships under but growers registering, I think that says a lot as we push for that commercial access process .”
One issue of ‘concern’ according to Mr Eastlake, is the structural change from Horticulture Australia Limited , from an industry owned body to Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited, a grower owned body. “The change to a grower owned body - and the ability to get R&D funds is problematic,” he says. “We’re concerned about the interim nature of HIAL. We won’t be able to use a peak industry body without the ability to fund itself and this is a worrying sign and would need a review of the Statutory Funding Agreement and I have written to the Federal Minister and Chair of HIA on this matter recently and I am happy to discuss our industry as, one size does not fit all industry’s, under the new model.”
Lack of clear focus and priorities, and an interim body appointed to advise the Peak Industry Body are worrying growers, who want to see action taken. “We need clear directives and priorities. Once we’ve got that clarity we might be able to start rebuilding things,” says Mr Eastlake. “The structure of HIAL can work, but industry is only going to give it a certain amount of time before they start going outside the model. That would be unfortunate.”
For more information
Tom Eastlake, President
Cherry Growers Australia
Phone: +61 438 059464
E-mail: tom@eastlakes.net
Website www.cherrygrowers.org.au