9mile: Commitment to consumer satisfaction

9mile is dedicated to delivering top-quality apples to consumers through its state-of-the-art sorting, grading and packing facility in Tynong, Gippsland, Victoria. The 9mile team collaborates with a diverse group of growers across Australia to source a wide range of apple varieties for processing. Using advanced scanning and sorting technologies, 9mile meticulously evaluates each piece of fruit’s colour, size, weight, shape and condition, ensuring that every piece meets the highest quality standards before packaging.  

The company places a strong emphasis on building lasting relationships with its growers, fostering continual efficiency improvements and innovative ideas. These efforts have solidified 9mile’s position as an industry leader in the fresh produce sector. 

Tony Kundert

APAL spoke to Tony Kundert, an agronomist at 9mile, whose unique perspective on the industry is a result of his multifaceted role – one that allows him to shepherd apples across their entire journey from orchard to market.  

“I have a comprehensive overview,” Tony said, “and the beauty of my position is that I interact with a diverse array of growers.”  

This extensive exposure to a variety of growers equips him with the ability to spot and resolve issues related to fruit quality, ultimately offering solutions that have a positive ripple effect through to the consumer experience. 

“My responsibilities encompass the entirety of quality improvement, beginning from the moment an apple develops in the orchard, all the way through to the packing process,” Tony said. “I’m dedicated to troubleshooting any challenges that arise within this entire spectrum. To facilitate this, I provide growers with feedback through comprehensive reports that summarise the packing results, enabling them to make necessary adjustments in their orchards. 

“We source our apples from a range of regions spanning Tasmania, Southern Victoria, Yarra Valley, Goulburn Valley and South Australia, collaborating with approximately 50 to 60 growers,” Tony explained. “This fruit is then processed at our cutting-edge packing facility – one of the most technically advanced in the world.” 

The last few seasons have been challenging, Tony acknowledged. “We’re coming off some years where the costs of production have outstripped what the growers are receiving, making it an unsustainable proposition. This season looks brighter but still needs to better reflect the increases in labour, fuel, chemicals and fertiliser – all those costs have increased dramatically.” 

While Tony is concerned about the number of growers leaving the industry, either due to retirement or orchard consolidation, he believes the key to success lies in keeping up with the times and adopting modern techniques.  

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“Most growers in Southern Victoria have embraced intensive plantings with higher density on trellis systems. Many are now fully netted or have a high percentage covered with netting. This trend towards greater protection is vital for survival in the industry, especially considering the escalating costs.”  

He emphasised the need for growers to ‘protect their investment‘ and sees netting as a critical component. “It’s a cost that then ends up paying for itself, even without hail. But then if you do get hail, especially severe hail, you probably pay it off in one hit.” 

In terms of making a sustainable living from growing apples, Tony said, “Some growers are exploring club varieties like Kanzi®, where they can secure a sustainable price that covers the greater cost of production, making it a more sustainable choice. This approach provides growers with greater control over pricing and ensures a more reliable income stream.”  

However, he acknowledges the challenge of predicting consumer preferences, as it’s very difficult to pick one variety that will be popular and good to grow. 

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“We are involved with Fruit Australia [a joint venture between N&A Group, 9mile Fresh and Adelaide Hills Fresh], to bring three new varieties to Australia that were developed by two leading horticultural universities in the US,” Tony said. “These will give the consumer beautiful flavours along with quality features of crunchiness and firmness that everybody enjoys. Look for these three varieties coming to the shelves soon: RubyFrost®, SnapDragon® and Sunrise Magic®.” 

Tony also highlighted recent technological advancements in apple farming, particularly in labour-saving practices. “Platforms to reduce labour costs have become increasingly popular,” he said. Growers are adopting pre-pruning activities and cutting-edge automation technologies for pruning and canopy maintenance. This shift towards modernisation not only streamlines operations but also enhances fruit quality. 

To address quality control, 9mile is actively working with Dr Daniel Pelliccia of Rubens Technologies to test and use a new maturity-testing instrument to guide growers in timing the fruit harvest. 

“We’ve been working with Daniel over this past season to use the instrument to guide growers on the right timing for harvesting their fruit. Then we use it when the fruit is received at 9mile and again when it comes out of storage.”  

He highlighted that this tool offers a more objective assessment than what is currently available and is far less time-consuming. The hope is to have this as a quality standard right across the industry.  

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Three consecutive years of La Niña have provided the ideal conditions of high humidity and moisture throughout the summer for Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) to flourish in the Goulburn Valley. Being aware of this has allowed growers to practise earlier and more extensive control measures to reduce populations, using a host of integrated methods that have resulted in a substantial reduction in Qfly fruit damage. 

In addition to Qfly damage, Tony highlighted several other challenges faced by the industry and 9mile. These challenges include adverse weather conditions leading to disease exposure, and the extreme hail events in the Goulburn Valley that rendered some crops unsalvageable. 

“I counted about four to five different incidents of hail and, in many cases, it was so severe that growers couldn’t even pick the fruit for juice,” Tony said. 

Furthermore, the Australian apple and pear industry grapples with issues such as ageing growers without successors, and rising costs for labour and packaging material. Tony cited the example of transitioning from plastic punnets to cardboard ones, which can double or triple packaging costs.  

The industry is emerging from this challenging period, though. A higher level of production and, most importantly, better quality as the result of a predicted drier spring, mark a positive shift for the industry.  

“This year’s drier spring will be a good thing to get more fruit set and less disease pressure.” Tony said.  

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9mile’s unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality apples, along with Tony’s guidance and focus on innovation, demonstrates its resilience in the face of industry challenges. Its strong grower relationships, and emphasis on modernisation and sustainability efforts set a commendable example in the evolving landscape of Australian apple cultivation. Despite pricing fluctuations and supply dynamics, there is optimism for increased apple production and improved quality ahead.  

As 9mile adapts and prioritises excellence, it remains a dependable presence for consumers seeking top-quality apples and for growers navigating the complexities of the orchard-to-market journey. 

We loved hearing Tony’s story and we’d love to hear yours! If you’d like to share your recent orchard experience with APAL, get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]. Keep an eye out for more grower stories told via our 2023 Grower spotlight series.