Orchard Business Analysis 2017 and variety performance

November 2017 | Presented by Ross Wilson and Craig Hornblow, AgFirst | Future Orchards®

Ross Wilson and Craig Hornblow use Orchard Business Analysis data to connect variety choice with financial performance. The presentation warns that industry averages can hide very large differences between lower- and upper-quartile growers, making block-level and variety-level records essential for sound decisions.

The 2017 analysis reviews variation in revenue per hectare, profitability and variety performance over time. Yield alone is not enough: packout, fruit size, price and production cost determine whether a block generates an acceptable return. AgFirst’s message is that growers need systems that track individual varieties and, ideally, individual blocks rather than relying only on whole-farm averages.

The variety section is especially relevant to replanting decisions. Existing performance data provides a reality check against assumptions about which varieties are most profitable, and it can identify blocks where poor returns come from market position, orchard performance or both.

The slides and companion notes provide a useful business framework for orchard redevelopment. Before planting or grafting, growers can compare expected market returns with realistic yield, packout and cost targets, then use ongoing block data to test whether the investment is meeting those expectations.