August 2023
WA Fruit fumigation treatment approval process extended
Western Australia has delayed the implementation of the changes to their approval process for treatment (fumigation) of produce on arrival after feedback from industry. It will allow more time for businesses and industry to investigate their options and implement alternative treatment and certification arrangements before the changes come into effect on November 17, 2023.
The changes have been made after a significant increase in on-arrival treatments and an increase of detections of live quarantine pests in produce. As a result, WA made the decision to place more stringent conditions for accepting consignments for treatment on arrival and will not routinely continue to offer this service after November 17.
PIRSA is aware this may have a significant impact on packing sheds and businesses that have been making use of this service, especially in the Riverland.
Details: Plant Health Market Access hotline 1800 255 556, marketaccessrenmark.aaslocal@sa.gov.au or Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) at +61 (0)8 9368 3333 or enquiries@dpird.wa.gov.au.
Farm crime survey
Farm crime is significantly impacting our rural communities and farming operations across pastoral, agricultural, and aquaculture sectors. The Centre for Rural Criminology at UNE is addressing this issue head-on with a comprehensive survey on farm crime in Australia.
Your insights are invaluable for helping address the concerns that affect you and your community. You can click here to participate in the survey.
Dareton trip summary
A small number of growers visited the Dareton research institute on Friday, July 14. New South Wales DPI citrus scientist Dave Monks showed growers some of the new private varieties under evaluation at the site. The group also looked at a trellising trial which is examining higher density plantings using various trellis methods to improve yields and ease of picking. This is only in its initial stages and will be some time before any results are available. The main aim was to look at varieties available at this time of the season. This included late season seedless mandarins, an improved Midknight and a new Korean mandarin (a private variety) - there is also a public variety which has just been released from quarantine but is not yet under evaluation.
Changes to PALM scheme
From July 1, 2024, 30 hours of work must be offered every week for all Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) workers. The PALM scheme helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and nationally for agriculture and select agriculture-related food product manufacturing sectors by offering employers access to a pool of reliable, productive workers. It also allows Pacific and Timor-Leste workers to take up jobs in Australia, develop their skills and send income home. As well as being guaranteed pay for 30 hours of work a week, the changes include:
support more than 1000 PALM scheme workers to attain formal qualifications over 4 years
increase support to make it easier for PALM scheme workers to access their superannuation savings when they return home
provide access to Medicare for an initial 200 families who will participate in the Government's family accompaniment pilot.
The National Farmer’s Federation Horticultural spokesperson Rachel Chamber says the changes to the scheme will likely result in a mass exodus of participants.
“We’ve warned for years against putting all our eggs in the PALM basket, given how challenging it is for small businesses to engage with,”
“Now, instead of making it easier for small business, we have a suite of changes that would effectively lock them out of the PALM.”
Details about the changes available here
Save the date - Friday, October 13
The Annual General Meeting of Citrus SA will be held on Friday, October 13 at the Riverland Events Centre, Barmera. More details will be provided in coming weeks.
August production tips
Pruning: It is a good time to begin your annual pruning program, especially before flowering begins. Those who prune generally see a vast improvement in class one fruit pack outs.
Fertilizing and Fertigation: Soil temperatures will soon start to warm up, so start thinking about your fertilizer program to cover the spring flush. Those on drip irrigation or micro jets should also begin fertiliser programs. Foliar applications can be applied in late August to ensure a healthy spring flush.
Weed Control: Once fruit has been harvested it is important to control weeds to reduce the competition for water and nutrients, especially during the spring flush period.
European earwigs: Brochure now available to download from the Citrus SA website in English and Punjabi.
Unlemon – an artist’s impression of citrus
Citrus fruit is the muse of an artist who will exhibit their work at the Rain Moth gallery at Waikerie during this year’s South Australian Living Artists (SALA) event. Riverton based artist Alison Mitchell will present Unlemon - a multi layered story of citrus. The Unlemon exhibition has been on a national tour of regional galleries since first being exhibited in 2020 at the Museum of Economic Botany, in the Adelaide Botanical Gardens. During SALA 2023, the 40 plus paintings will be exhibited across two regional galleries – The Rain Moth Gallery and the Riverton Light Gallery in the Mid North, throughout August and September. The Rain Moth exhibition will focus on the story of citrus from is emergence from prehistoric forests, its journey through Asia and into Europe and the symbiotic relationship with humans. Not only does it look at the global success of the citrus industry but the diseases that currently threatens the species. Alison will speak about her exhibition at the opening on Sunday, August 6 at 2pm. Citrus SA chair Mark Doecke will officially open the event.