After almost five decades in the Tasmanian apple and pear industry, Scott Price, known as "Pricey" or "Uncle," has retired. He began his career as a teenager working for his godfather, Hedley Calvert, at Calvert Bros' orchard in Waterloo, south of Hobart, and later managed the development of a greenfield site at Rookwood.
"When I left school in 1978, Hedley asked if I wanted to work on the orchard with him and his cousin Peter, who was one of the best horticulturalists/orchardists of his era that I've ever met," Price said.
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Rookwood was later acquired by R&R Smith, where Price served as Production Manager for Rookwood and Grove orchards in the Huon Valley for the past decade. He and his wife Aina lived in the region for 42 years, raising three children.
During his career, Price was involved in the switch to organic production at Rookwood and introduced new apple varieties and high-density plantings. He also held multiple leadership roles. He was the inaugural president of the Young Tasmanian Fruit Growers Association in 1993, Tasmanian Young Grower of the Year in 2001, chair of the Tasmanian Quality Fruit group, a member of the Apple Research Advisory Committee, board member and later chair of the Australian Pome Fruit Improvement Program, and president of Fruit Growers Tasmania from 2020 to 2024.
As a director of APAL from 2011 to 2022, Price helped guide the Pink Lady program and supported the industry's financial independence from government funding. He highlighted APAL's Future Orchards program as one of the most effective initiatives, improving production from 30t/ha to nearly 60t/ha with intensive systems and improved varieties. He also valued the OrchardNet benchmarking database as "one of the best information centres about apple growing in the world."
Price has consistently encouraged younger growers to enter the sector. "I think it's more important than ever to invest in young people, whether it's your children or the smart young people that a big corporate orchard needs to keep the business going," he said. "It's pretty tough to make ag sexy, and they need a lot of support as they come up through the ranks."
Comparing apple growing to sailing, one of his long-time pursuits, he added: "When you're sailing, you're at the mercy of the elements. You have no control over the tide, wind, or waves, so you're always adapting and changing to get the best out of your boat. It's a bit like our business, growers who adapt and change and are in sync with market demands and Mother Nature won't fail."
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