Processing tomato industry development and extension (TM20000)
What's it all about?
This project is delivering effective research, development and capacity building solutions to Australian processing tomato businesses, to improve profitability and sustainability.
The work builds on previous investment Processing tomato industry capacity building (TM17000) which delivered best practice information and supported awareness and adoption of R&D outcomes.
Specific activities include, but aren’t limited to:
- Increasing the reach of the processing tomato industry R&D program by engaging stakeholders in the R&D process, including on-farm trials.
- Effectively communicating R&D outcomes and industry information to Australian processing tomato businesses and assisting with adoption of relevant R&D.
- Being actively involved with the relevant stakeholders, including seed suppliers into Australia, to facilitate the importation process.
- Collecting industry benchmark data and statistics to help identify gaps and direct industry development efforts.
- Identifying, and securing where possible, other funding sources (including cross-industry projects) to support R&D and extension aimed at industry development.
The project team reported progress in the following areas:
- Tomato Topics newsletter- September.
- Tomato Topics newsletter- December.
- Annual Processing Tomato Grower Magazine completed and distributed, read more here.
- Industry survey completed and distributed, read more here.
- In season pest and disease updates via the “ClickSend” texting platform. The texting approach has assisted on-farm grower decisions related to pest and disease management.
- Two industry field day were held in Bort and Rochester where farm inspections and best management practices were discussed amongst growers and industry.
- September and December editions of Tomato Topics were compiled and distributed.
- Annual Processing Tomato Grower Magazine The magazine gathers the previous season’s RD&E activities and outputs to inform, extend and update growers and stakeholders about the project activities.
- Cultivar and on-farm trial sites established with trials implemented to evaluate potentially higher performing (yield and brix) cultivars. Results to come.
- The 2021 Industry survey has been completed with results presented. The industry survey has gathered local and global data to inform growers and industry to assist decision making about international markets, local production (when benchmarked in a global context) and consumer trends.
The Australian Processing Tomato Research Council contributed to the objectives of the project during this reporting period:
- Conducted on-farm trials for relevant stakeholders that increased the reach of the processing tomato industry’s R&D program.
- Utilised the Annual Industry Forum and March and June Tomato Topics Newsletter to effectively communicate R&D outcomes and applicable industry information.
- Included an annual Seed Representative field day to involve seed suppliers and facilitate the domestic importation process of seeds.
- Collected industry feedback from the Annual Forum to help direct industry development efforts.
This project is a strategic voluntary levy investment in the Hort Innovation Processing Tomato Fund