Berries Australia 
have a new three-year strategic levy investment project 'Berry advisory mechanism (MT23003)' which is part of the Hort Innovation Strawberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry and Blackberry Funds that will change the way industry engages with Hort Innovation to prioritise research, development and extension projects using berry industry levies and Australian Government co-investment.
Through this project, Berries Australia will consult widely across the Australian berry industries to provide high-level project scoping and investment ideas to Hort Innovation. As part of this project, Berries Australia has engaged a Research and Development (R&D) Manager who will work with the Hort Innovation Industry Service and Delivery Manager and the Hort Innovation R&D Managers to identify and co-develop R&D investment recommendations based on industry needs and priorities.
While Berries Australia and the Berry industry prioritisation panels (outlined below) will provide industry insights and R&D investment recommendation advice to Hort Innovation, procurement and project management activities remain the responsibility of Hort Innovation. The purpose of the advisory mechanism is to streamline the way industry needs are identified and integrated into project investment recommendations.
The new advisory mechanism draws on industry expertise to identify needs and priorities that can be addressed by research projects. The first part of the mechanism involves a Berry Ideation Panel, consisting of growers, researchers and technical experts, agronomists, Berries Australia representatives and industry development officers. This panel will meet at least once per year in a facilitated workshop to identify R&D needs for each berry category.
R&D concepts from this workshop will be developed into investment recommendations by the Hort Innovation R&D Managers, in consultation with the Berries Australia R&D manager.
The next phase of the advisory mechanism is the Rubus, Strawberry and Blueberry industry prioritisation panels. Each berry category has a prioritisation panel consisting of levy-paying growers representing all growing regions, peak industry body committee members and non-board member growers.
While considering the Berry Industry Strategic Investment Plan 2022-26, the role of the three berry industry prioritisation panels includes providing advice to Hort Innovation regarding, prioritisation of investment recommendations and endorsement of projects for progression to a tender process and ultimately a project. These panels replace the previous SIAPs (Strategic Investment Advisory Panels) and were co-appointed by Berries Australia in consultation with Hort Innovation.
The new advice mechanism kicked off with an Ideation panel workshop in March. The ideation panel consisted of 20 members, including the berry IDOs, representing growers, and technical experts across all three berry categories and all growing regions.
Participants shared their insights and experiences of key issues facing growers in the different regions and berry crops.
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For more information: berries.net.au