Introducing the new Focus Orchards

14 December 2015 | Jesse Reader, AgFirst | Australian Fruitgrower / Future Orchards® article

This article introduces the next phase of the Future Orchards® Focus Orchard program following renewed industry funding. The program built on the original Future Orchards objective of lifting orchard productivity and on the first Focus Orchard model introduced in 2012.

For the new phase, APAL and AgFirst planned one Focus Orchard in each of eight growing regions. Each site would support applied local trials, orchard walks, case studies, business planning, fruit-size monitoring through OrchardNet®, and ongoing interaction between the host grower, local Front Line Adviser and AgFirst.

The article explains that the value of the model was not only the trial result itself. Focus Orchards created visible commercial examples where growers could examine new systems, compare management choices and follow measured outcomes over multiple seasons.

It also introduces the participating orchard businesses and their managers, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on locally relevant learning. The new Focus Orchards were intended to act as regional demonstration hubs where practical questions could be tested for the benefit of the wider industry.