November 2021

AGM and Grower Information Day
A good crowd attended Citrus SA’s 2021 AGM and grower information day at the Riverland Events Centre on Friday, October 15.
Citrus SA chair Mark Doecke welcomed attendees to the meeting and presented the 2020 AGM minutes, his chair report, financials, annual report. He opened the meeting for general business – there were no issues raised by attendees.
Committee movements: Simon Lehmann and David Arnold have stepped down from committee. We thank Simon and David for their tremendous work during their tenure. We welcome Navjot Singh and Matt Ward as their replacements.

Matt Ward from Elders (and newly appointed Citrus SA member) spoke about the current and upcoming chemical supply issues. He said there were big issues with shipping around the world with the cost of containers increasing by more than 300pc. The increased costs in shipping is adding at least 30cents a litre to glyphosate.
There is a huge bottleneck of goods in shipping containers in Los Angeles due to a large reduction in truck drivers at the ports. He said we probably haven’t seen the worst of the chemical shortage situation yet as growers are buying much more than envisaged because supply concerns. As a reseller he said his loyal growers/customers are being priotised with the little supply they have. He urged growers to stick to known brands when it comes to fertiliers as there are lots of inferior products coming onto the market which may not give the most economical results.

Hannah Clarke from SafeAg Systems gave an overview of the digital safety system that growers can use to meet their Occupational Health and Safety requirements. The product includes policies, worker inductions, safe work procedures, QR codes unique to inventory systems, checklists and tasks, emergency procedures, task managers, report and manage near miss and incident forms, templates and risk assessments. It also has policies and induction templates which can be edited for your business and can be used to keep worker records of tickets, licenses and certificates, health records and action plans, employment contracts and other credentials. You can sign up for a free trial and there is a 10pc discount for citrus growers. Details: Hannah Clarke 0447 939 698

Peter Angel from MADEC, under the Harvest Trail, provided an update of the challenges of finding and keeping seasonal workers in current conditions. If growers wish to become an Approved Employer under the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP), Mr Angel emphasised the need to plan up to nine months in advance. Access to the Programme is much quicker if they choose to use a labour hire provider who is already an Approved Employer. He outlined the challenges and cost of managing government requirements and worker conditions. In regard to other labour supply sources of which there are currently few, he said the return of backpackers was unknown in the short term and commented that in the longer term they may cease to be available at all. The new AgVisa has great potential but is not likely to see workers widely available by the 2022 winter harvest. He said the SWP was the most effective option for the citrus industry. (For details contact Steve Burdette from Approved Employers of Australia). The remaining option of hiring locals needs to be considered because they are already in the area. With extra effort from employers there have been some success stories utilising locals, although issues still remain. Mr Angel said it was important for growers to contact the regional Harvest Trail office at Renmark to register their vacancies for 2022 so the Government can see the need, which may influence policy decisions. Also, there will still be workers that can be referred. Growers can speak to Stephen White, the Harvest Office Manager on 8586 1900.

Other speakers included outgoing PIRSA Riverland Fruit Fly coordinator Brett Kennedy, who provided an update on the spring operations,

Chris Brown from Corteva (an R&D company out of Dow and DuPont) briefed growers on its citrus product range and made available a tank mixing guideline infographic while Incitec’s Conrad Leeks provided a overview on his company’s products and pricing and a silicon trial being conducted at Anthony Fulwood’s Waikerie property.
A detailed report of the day is available on request. Click here

Citrus Gall Wasp Trap ‘trial’
Citrus SA has been working with Agnova and the University of Adelaide for the past four years to develop a trap for Citrus Gall Wasp. In mid November we provided 20 traps to ABC Adelaide to distribute to Talkback Gardening as part of a trial. The Saturday program with John Lamb and the Sunday program with Sophie Thompson were given 10 traps each. They were keenly sought after by listeners and snapped up within five minutes. Those who received the traps will provide information to the committee about their effectiveness. This trap is produced for keen backyard fruit growers. It is hoped the technology will be available in ‘splat’ form for commercial growers in 2022.

Thank you, Graeme Hardwick
We have been informed that Graeme Hardwick has resigned from Agnova. Citrus SA would like to thank Graeme for his contribution to the citrus industry during his past seven years in the role and for being a great supporter of our grower information days. He was also instrumental with fruit fly education, assisting with bringing Queensland Fruit Fly expert professor Dick Drew to South Australia to consult with PIRSA and the Citrus SA committee. We wish Graeme all the best with his future endeavours.

Labour hire contracts – they’re important!
All citrus growers are reminded they are obligated to have a labour hire contract with any staff working on their property - in particular, harvest labour and those working on a piece rate basis.
Citrus SA has developed a template/guide of what could be included in this contract/statement but urge all growers to also seek their own advice. If you would like to receive this sample document, please email contact@citrussa.com.au

Biosecurity podcast
In addition to the National Biosecurity Series webinars, the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment has recently launched Detect and Protect – the new Australian biosecurity podcast.
In the latest episode, the team is joined by Andrew Tongue, Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance, to discuss why biosecurity is so important for Australia, the challenges we are facing and how they are being addressed.
The discussions include the key components of Biosecurity 2030, the significant pest and disease threats facing Australia, how innovation and collaboration is helping strengthen the biosecurity system and the important role of the public in supporting biosecurity.
You can listen at AWE.GOV.AU/PODCAST-SERIES, on YOUTUBE or your favourite podcast app. .

November production tips
Hedging and pruning: Hand pruning or machine hedging
Foliar nutrient spray and fertigation: Calcium spray at one per cent calcium nitrate at peas size may help reduce albedo. Potassium Nitrate sprays at 2-3 kilograms per 100/L applied after fruit set and during summer will have a beneficial effect on sizing.
Pesticide sprays: Critical timing to control LBAM, Mealy Bug, thrips, katydid, scales, aphids, Spined Citrus Bug and citrus gall wasp. Aim to apply controls before calyx closure.
Earwigs: Monitor your trees for decline and consult your agronomist or chemical reseller for more information.
Fruit sizing and thinning sprays: 2,4-D 50-200ml/100L at 3000L per hectare. Early applications in November might have some thinning effect (positive on heavy crops). Applications late November or early December will have a sizing effect. Corasil or Tops at recommended rates.
Irrigation: Continue monitoring during warmer months.
Weed control: Knockdown herbicides or residual herbicides as required.