Business Development Group newsletter – March 2017

March 2017 | Prepared by AgFirst | Future Orchards® Business Development Group newsletter

This March 2017 Business Development Group newsletter forms part of the Future Orchards® business development program, which used OrchardNet and regular grower updates to connect orchard production information with business decision-making. The archive identifies March 2017 updates prepared by AgFirst advisers Adrian Stone and Ross Wilson.

The Business Development Group approach encouraged growers to collect consistent block-level data rather than relying only on whole-orchard averages. Production, packout, fruit size, labour inputs and profitability could then be reviewed through the season and compared with previous years or other blocks. The intention was to use these records to identify the management factors that most strongly affected orchard performance.

As a seasonal newsletter, the March update also sits within the practical rhythm of orchard management. Business Development Group material was designed to prompt growers to review what had happened during the season, check the information held in OrchardNet and use the results when planning pruning, crop load, labour, harvest and redevelopment decisions for the following year.

This resource is useful as part of the broader Future Orchards® archive because it shows how technical orchard decisions were tied to measurable business outcomes. When using older Business Development Group material today, growers should retain the data-driven planning principles while checking current market, chemical, regulatory and technology settings.