Facilitating the development of the Western Australian pome fruit industry (AP02033)

This is a final research report from Hort Innovation’s historical archives. Please note that as these reports may date back as far as the 1990s, the content and recommendations within them may be superseded by more recent research.

What was it all about?

Pome fruit, the collective term for apples and pears, was a key component of the Western Australian horticultural industry, with a combined total fruit production of nearly 45 000 tonnes annually. Western Australia produced around 15 per cent of Australia's apples, and about 7 per cent of Australia’s pears each year.

This project, ‘Facilitating the development of the Western Australian pome fruit industry’ was the first to employ a full time Pome Fruit Industry Development Officer in Australia, and represented a significant level of initiative and investment from the Western Australian apple and pear industry.

Commencing in 2003, the stated aim of the project was to strengthen the direction of the Western Australian pome fruit industry and to equip Western Australian pome fruit growers with information that would enable them to implement cultural practices which would lead to a more effective and efficient pome fruit industry.

This project utilised a collaborative approach, and worked closely with other industry associations, community groups and government agencies. This increased the efficiency with which information was exchanged with all sectors of the Western Australian pome fruit industry. This project had been directly responsible for:

• The Western Australian Pome Fruit Industry Strategic Plan (2004 – 2009).
• A training needs analysis of Western Australian pome fruit growers.
• The establishment of the WA Pome Fruit Improvement Committee.
• The delivery of the Waterwise on the Farm Irrigation Training Course to growers in the Perth Hills.
• The development and publication of 107 editions of a weekly email based industry newsletter, the Pom-e-mail.
• The development of 5 editions of a quarterly technical newsletter, the WA Pome Fruit News.
• An updated Pome Fruit Industry Protection Plan (WA).
• Increased involvement by the WA industry in national committees, industry planning and the ongoing setting of strategic industry direction.

The net result of this three year project was an increased level of industry involvement in strategic planning activities, in participation in industry events and activities and a more transparent and engaging operating environment for the industry. Western Australian fruit growers gained earlier access to a greater amount of targeted technical and market information as a result. Further, the strategic plan developed as part of the initial project activity had been maintained and updated as deemed appropriate by the stakeholders.