What was it all about?

This project was designed to give people working in the apple and pear industry the knowledge and skills to make better business decisions. It aimed to help improve the practical application of R&D across horticulture, agriculture and the supply chain.

This was done using a range of initiatives including on-farm visits; regional grower meetings; APAL state workshops; industry and agricultural conferences; grower representative body forums; meetings with key decision makers and government officials; delegations and roundtables; key industry committees; desktop research; and provision of information and facilitation services.

This industry development initiative focused on the delivery of six broad outcomes:

• Biosecurity preparedness
• Better investment of R&D and targeted extension efforts to improve the chances of uptake by growers
• Capacity to seize opportunities and face challenges by building leadership capability and identifying the required skills base
• Improved business environment focusing on cost containment and greater awareness of the growers’ regulatory and legislative obligations
• Better data to help business make decision
• Greater access to export markets.