News

Getting to the root of Macadamias

Macadamias Oct. 23, 2019



It’s being dubbed the Ancestry.com project for macadamias, as researchers build up the family tree of Australia’s most famous native exporter.

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Big buzz about bees: More young people turn to backyard beekeeping

General Oct. 23, 2019



More young people are turning to beekeeping and in parts of Victoria there are even waitlists to own a hive.

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Record Macadamia orchard sale hits Belgian sweet spot

Macadamias General Oct. 22, 2019



Belgian sugar producer Finasucre has acquired Australia’s largest portfolio of macadamia orchards in a deal worth almost $60 million.

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First Aussie Mangoes for the Season Reach US

Mangoes Oct. 22, 2019



NT mangoes have made the lengthy but successful journey from Katherine to Los Angeles.

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Blue Light From LEDs Can Rot The Brains Of Fruit Flies, Study Finds

Fruit Fly General Oct. 21, 2019



The blue light that emanates from every smartphone and fluorescent bulb isn’t thought to be great for our health, particularly the health of our eyes. But a new study in fruit flies suggests that blue light can even be harmful to brains and speed up ageing — again, in fruit flies. There’s a very long way to go before we could assume the same is true for people.

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Cider expansion supported by new supply

Pome fruit Oct. 21, 2019



The burgeoning local cider industry is set to benefit from a new cider apple supply block at the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Orange Agricultural Institute.

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Water Infrastructure Rebate extended

General Water supply & irrigation Oct. 19, 2019



Permanent plantings will be included in the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate in Qld, NSW, SA, Tasmania, and the ACT, and can be retroactively applied to new bores and dam de-silting installations from 30 June 2019. Eligible farmers can claim 25 per cent of expenses up to $25,000 as part of a $13.2 million injection from the federal government.

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Customer-centric approach proving successful for growing fresh produce retailer

Mangoes Oct. 18, 2019



As the peak Australian mango season gets closer, a leading produce retailer is looking to build on its growing popularity with consumers. Earlier this year, Harris Farm Markets finished well ahead of the major chains in a supermarket satisfaction survey conducted by CHOICE, finishing only marginally behind South Australian-based Foodland in second place. Harris Farm Markets, produce buyer Carlo Ceravolo told mango industry members that competitiveness between the retailers benefits the whole fresh produce sector.

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Australian horticulture exports perform strongly

General Oct. 17, 2019



A prosperous 2018/19 season for Australia’s horticulture industry sees an increase in nut, fruit and vegetable exports.

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Mango industry in race to adapt to climate change

Mangoes General Oct. 16, 2019



The Top End's mango industry is worth $122 million a year but the sector is under threat from climate change, industry figures have warned.

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Freshcare appoints new CEO

General Oct. 15, 2019



Australia’s industry-owned assurance standard for horticulture, Freshcare, has appointed Benjamin Wash as its new chief executive.

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Researchers making fruit flies twice as 'sexy'

Disease & weed control Fruit Fly Oct. 14, 2019



Australian researchers have developed a new type of fly food that can help double the number of "sexy" sterile Queensland fruit flies being reared in laboratories.

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Sting in the tale of bees in ‘crisis’

General Oct. 12, 2019



For the urban hipsters who dressed up as bees in this week’s Extinction Rebellion rallies, it is indeed serious: environmental challenges to honey bees might mean a future shortage of almond milk lattes.

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Mango season in full swing

General Oct. 11, 2019



The 2019 Australian mango season is well and truly underway. A total 406,000 trays, each with seven kilograms of fruit, were dispatched to market last week.

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Strong crop size to boost volumes for Australian stone fruit exporter

Stone Fruit Marketing & export Oct. 10, 2019



The introduction of new varieties into production is expected to increase crop size and lead to bigger export volumes in the 2019-20 season for a leading Australian stone fruit exporter.

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