June 2023

Citrus season launch

While growers, pickers and packers are well into this year’s harvest, the official market launch of the SA citrus season was held on Friday, May 26. Working with the SA Produce Markets and the Adelaide Central Market, Citrus SA chair Mark attended the event on Gouger St. Also in attendance was Citrus SA mascot Squeezy. Minister Nick Champion, Minister for Trade and Investment officially launched the 2023 SA grown citrus season. The season has kicked off with great coloured navel oranges coming in from the Riverland along with new season Satsuma Mandarins. 
South Australian Produce Market CEO, Angelo Demasi, said “It is always great to see a new variety of locally grown fruit coming into the market as it signifies a change of season and a new line of local produce for consumers to enjoy.”
“Citrus has a gross revenue value of about $388 million per annum in South Australia.  The industry is a major contributor to the local economy with an expected growth target of $474 million by the year 2030.” Mr Demasi said. 
Citrus SA Chair, Mark Doecke, said “South Australian citrus is now available and starting to come into good supply with the first of the season navel oranges and Imperial mandarins being picked.

Changes to approval process for fumigation treatment on arrival in WA

Western Australia has updated its approval process for treatment of produce on arrival due to a significant increase of consignments requiring treatment, placing a large burden on the facilities available in WA.
WA have advised PIRSA that originally, on-arrival treatment was approved to provide an option for businesses that were in remote locations away from all other treatment facilities. WA remains the only Australian jurisdiction that has implemented such a provision.
With the increase in on-arrival treatments, WA has noted an increase in the number of non-conformances with WA inspection staff detecting live quarantine pests in produce.
As a result, WA has placed more stringent conditions on accepting consignments for treatment arrival and will not routinely continue to offer this service. This change will take effect from 13 July 2023.
Those in remote locations can apply for continued access to a treatment on arrival option, but must provide evidence that produce is grown in an area where there is no access to fumigation services and that the produce is not able to be sent to a treatment facility prior to export to WA.
PIRSA deputy chief inspector Nick Secomb says PIRSA is aware this may have a significant impact on packing sheds and businesses using this service, particularly in the Riverland. PIRSA is seeking feedback about these impacts to determine what arrangements may need to be put in place from July 13, 2023.
“I would appreciate it if all impacted businesses could please make contact with us to provide information on the volumes of fruit that are likely now going to require treatment here in SA before being sent to Western Australia and the most viable location for that treatment to be applied,” Mr Secomb said.
“Could you please make contact with any details of that nature and direct any feedback to Ben Hebart at PIRSA who can be contacted via ben.hebart@sa.gov.au”
Further details: Plant Health Market Access hotline 08 8207 7814 or PIRSA.PlantHealthMarketAccess@sa.gov.au.

Citrus SA events and news

Dareton Trip
Citrus SA will visit Dave Monks at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries on Friday, July 14. The trip will look at new navel and mandarins in the evaluation program. This project has recently been re-funded for a further five years. Other topics will include trellising, managing high density citrus plantings and the future of robots in the orchard. If you would like to attend, please register with Kerrie at contact@citrussa.com.au
 
First Punjabi newsletter
You might have noticed a different type of e-news in your inbox last month. Citrus SA is keen to build engagement with the Punjabi citrus growing community in the Riverland and to help do this, we had some of the most important articles from our latest newsletter translated to Punjab.  
It would be appreciated if you could share these newsletters amongst members of the community, maybe you could print them out and pass onto your neighbour or encourage another grower to sign up to receive our newsletter. Feedback is also welcomed. Please email Kerrie at contact@citrussa.com.au
 
June production tips

◦ Early winter GA sprays: This spray can be considered on mid-season navels, tangelos and lemons (after size and colour picking).

◦ Later winter GA spray: The main objective for this spray is to regulate flowering. This should be considered, particularly if there has been a light fruit set.

◦ Imperial GA Spray: This spray can be considered on selected patches if you need to prolong your harvest window. Benefits of this application can also reduce puffiness and water marks, in particular if wet weather is encountered. 

◦ Winter foliar Urea Spray: This spray can assist in producing healthy bud initiation, especially if following a heavy crop set. 

◦ Frost Control Measures: It is important to identify frost prone areas and implement measures to prevent, detect and reduce frost risks.

◦ Irrigation Maintenance: With a reduced water demand this time of year, this is an ideal time to do irrigation maintenance and flushing of irrigation lines.

◦ Crop estimates and size: It is important to regularly update your fruit size and yield estimates and communicate this with your packer. This will assist with marketing strategies in particularly the export markets. 

◦ Pruning of early maturing varieties: Begin your pruning program once harvest on early maturing varieties has been completed.

 
The Citrus Segment Podcast – May chair chat
Interested to know what happens behind the scenes at Citrus SA. After each committee meeting (held on the fourth Tuesday of each month), join chair Mark Doecke and Kerrie Robertson as they discuss the issues and activities of the committee over the past month. The latest episode of The Citrus Segment discusses the expansion of the Sterile Insect Technology facility at Port Augusta, the QLD Study Tour, citrus season launch and much more. 

Update/Pics on SIT expansion
Work on the expansion of the Sterile Insect Technology facility at Port Augusta seems to be on track with the upgrades expected to be finished and in full production by August. When complete, it will be able to more than double its output of sterile fruit fly larvae. This larva is transported to the Riverland and grown out at Barmera near the Riverland Events Centre for distribution to fruit fly hot spots across the region. See below for a couple of pics of its progress.

Building Drought Resilient Businesses workshop

The SA Drought Hub is running a building drought resilient businesses workshop on Wednesday June 7, from 4-6pm at the Barmera Club followed by dinner. With a focus on horticulture and viticulture, Peter Hayman (South Australian Research Development Institute) and John Gladigau (ifarmwell) will discuss how farms and communities can prepare for dry conditions and build their business and personal resilience to drought.

This is a  FREE EVENT INCLUDING DINNER (registrations via Eventbrite are essential)