The Robinvale economy received a significant boost hosting the biennial Australian Almonds Research and Development Forum last month.
More than 350 people registered for the two-day event, with some travelling from the Riverina, Goulburn Valley, Riverland and Adelaide Plains to be part of the action.
Accommodation in the district was booked out and the recently renovated Robinvale Community Centre was the primary venue for a range of displays as well as theatre style presentations.
ABA CEO Tim Jackson paid tribute to the Robinvale community and local council for the support provided in hosting the event.
“We wanted to stage an event that provided a combination of hands-on learning opportunities as well as a range of presentations at one of the most central locations in the industry,” he said.
“Robinvale fitted the bill perfectly and was certainly buzzing on the Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mr Jackson said the ABA had developed a rapport with the locals through its involvement with the annual Mallee Blossom Festival in August and this was the second Forum in two years to be held in the town.
“The amount of people who attended confirms that the location and format appealed,” he said.
Mr Jackson said the industry continues to work on ways to get more locals to identify the career opportunities in the almond industry around Robinvale.
“A career in horticulture is no longer about digging holes and picking fruit in the middle of summer. We continue to work on destigmatizing a career in hort and educating everyone on the range of opportunities available on farm and in processing facilities that can provide career pathways way beyond people’s traditional thinking.
“The almond industry is providing locals of all ages and talents the opportunity to build successful careers without having to leave home. Some of the biggest almond stakeholders are on their doorsteps and screaming out for local talent to fill positions of all types.”
More than 50 per cent of Australia’s almond crop is produced in the Sunraysia region, which runs from the South Australian border to Tooleybuc.
Forum delegates had the opportunity on day one to attend one of two field trips and both of these sessions were hosted at nearby ofi orchards.
One focused on the effectiveness of spray equipment while the other had an integrated pest and disease management theme.
A graduation ceremony was also held for the eight participants in the inaugural Growing Almond Leaders Program.
Over the past nine months this program has equipped almond industry representatives with the skills and knowledge to take on leadership roles in their own workplaces and within the Almond Board of Australia.
Each graduate was required to submit a poster on an industry issue and these were displayed at the R&D Forum.
David Haviland, a farm advisor at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources showcased some of the work being done in the world’s largest almond growing country to manage pests sustainably.
A considerable amount of time was also spent talking about almond quality and efforts being made to combat a tiny pest beetle called Carpophilus Truncatis.
Weather was another focus during the R&D Forum, with attendees hearing about how AI and machine learning is being used to improve weather forecasting.
The industry is preparing for drought, with South Australian researchers assessing how almond orchards respond physiologically to dry conditions.
The Almond Board of Australia is also working with growers to assess their farming practices and identify areas for improvement via a portal called Almond Hort360.
The early adopters of this self-assessment program provided examples of some of the changes that they’ve implemented after completing modules.
There was a focus on some of the new technology that’s available to help growers make better farm management decisions.
Plant breeding, pollination and agrichemicals also featured in the program.
Warwick Long, presenter of the Victorian Country Hour on ABC Radio hosted his program from the R&D Forum.
During the one hour show he spoke with a range of industry stakeholders to give listeners to an insight into an industry that is relatively new compared to many other agriculture commodities.
Presentation slides, posters and handouts from the R&D Forum can be found here.
The full photo gallery can be found on the Almond Board of Australia’s Facebook page.