Onions Australia to host event at Hort Connections
Growers from across the country will gather in Adelaide to discuss all things onions at a series of events hosted by Onions Australia, which is a co-host of Hort Connections from May 15-17.
One of the event’s highlights will be a session featuring guest speakers Bill Dean from the US and Holland’s Jacob Wiskerke, who will deliver insightful presentations on the afternoon of May 16.
Dr Dean is synonymous with the name River Point Farms, a family farm, fresh, sustainable, grower, packer, fresh-cut processor, shipper, and year-round supplier of onions. River Point Farms supplies yellow, red, white and sweet onions, annually producing 450 million pounds of onions. They are the leader in onions and the largest producer of onions in the US, having set the standard for growing, storage, packaging and fresh-cut processing systems.
Until recently Dr Dean was the Director of Research, Technology and Quality Control Part, and remains part of the management team. Dr Dean is a widely respected leader of the onion industry in the US, based in the Columbia Basin, Oregon US, overseeing approximately 2000ha producing approx.. 175,000 million tonnes.
Mr Wiskerke is the head of the largest onion packing and exporting company in the world – Wiskerke Onions. Wiskerke Onions specialises in the processing, packaging and distribution of a wide range of onions. It is a well-founded family business that has been passed down through the generations since 1933, ensuring the wealth of knowledge and expertise remains incorporated within the company.
Onions Australia Chair Peter Shadbolt said he was excited to see such an informative program for onion growers, focusing on local, national and international growing news.
“Aussie onion growers are always interested in learning about new farming methods in an effort to ensure best on farm practice,” he said.
“Onions Australia strives to ensure growers are kept up to date and informed about world-best practice and once again this information will be available at the onion stream of Hort Connections.”
“I am looking forward to seeing as many onion growers attending as possible and it will be a wonderful networking opportunity.”
For more information:
Onions Australia
Tel: +64 0458 11 11 26
lechelle@onionsaustralia.org.au
www.onionsaustralia.org.au