A stronger position to build from

There was a real sense of optimism in the room when we came together in Melbourne for the APAL Awards for Excellence and Industry Forum in July. Part of that was simply the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate some exceptional people across our industry, but I think it also reflected something broader: our industry is in a stronger position than it was 12 months ago.

After several challenging seasons, domestic supply and demand are better aligned, quality fruit is commanding improved prices and growers are seeing better returns. We have opened an important new export pathway into China, and better data and insights are informing decisions across the industry. We also continue to see growers, researchers and industry leaders embracing innovation and looking for ways to build more resilient businesses.

However, as I said at the Industry Forum, good returns shouldn’t weaken our discipline; they should strengthen it. The opportunity now is to build on this position and make sure the decisions we take today support a competitive, profitable and resilient industry over the longer term.

Maintaining market balance

The improvement in domestic market conditions is perhaps the clearest indication of what can happen when supply and demand are better aligned.

Following several years of excess supply and significant pressure on grower returns, tighter availability of fruit and good quality across many regions have supported improved pricing throughout 2026. Importantly, consumer demand for apples has remained resilient, including through periods of higher retail pricing.

That should give us confidence in the health of the category, but it shouldn’t encourage complacency. History has shown how quickly the balance can shift.

We need to continue using the data available through the Orchard Census, crop forecasting, quality benchmarking and market insights to inform planting and orchard management decisions. Maintaining a focus on quality will be equally important, as will ensuring the value created across the category translates into sustainable grower returns.

These more favourable conditions give us an opportunity to make considered decisions for the future.

Leveraging new opportunities for Australian apples

That longer-term picture also includes creating more options for Australian fruit beyond our domestic market.

In the first week of September, I joined growers, government and trade representatives in Beijing for A Celebration of Australian Apples, hosted by the Australian Ambassador to China, His Excellency Mr Scott Dewar. The event marked mainland Australian apples gaining access to China in 2025 – the culmination of many years of technical work and collaboration between industry and government.

More than 800 tonnes of Australian apples have already been exported to China since access was secured. There is considerable work ahead to build a sustainable, long-term trade, but access to this premium market provides another important pathway to diversify our markets, build demand for Australian fruit and support greater balance domestically.

Positioning APAL for what comes next

As the industry builds on this positive momentum, we’re also ensuring APAL is well positioned to support what comes next.

I’m pleased to officially welcome Jeremy Griffith into his new role as General Manager of APAL. I’ve worked closely with Jeremy for many years and he brings a deep understanding of our industry, its stakeholders and the issues that matter to growers.

Jeremy’s appointment provides additional leadership capacity and a dedicated focus on APAL’s industry priorities and programs. I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to improve the support, advocacy and value APAL delivers for growers.

There is still plenty of work ahead, and favourable conditions today don’t remove the challenges facing orchard businesses, but better market balance, greater access to data and insights, and new export opportunities give us a solid platform from which to work.

There is good reason for optimism. Our job now is to build on that position with discipline – maintaining our focus on quality, making informed decisions and continuing to support the long-term competitiveness and resilience of Australian apples and pears.

This article was first published in the Spring 2026 edition of AFG.