Is Covid-19 reshaping our orchards and industry?
Industry Best PracticeJoin us online and in person as our Future Orchards® team looks at the immediate challenges triggered by Covid-19 and how these are reshaping our orchards and our industry. And as we ask ourselves – has Covid-19 been a catalyst for improvement?
We’ve long recognised labour as a critical cost, but this year has shifted the focus to include labour supply. In response, Australian growers are testing game-changing technology and learning more about what we could realistically do to transform the skills, physical demands and volume of labour needed at harvest and year-round.
So, has Covid-19 moved us closer to a labour-less orchard – and if so, what will be different about its design, technology, operation and production costs?
Join Ross Wilson and Craig Hornblow from AgFirst as they discuss achieving key objectives required to meet the labour and efficiency challenges, drawing on orchard design, technology and production costs.
Key objectives identified for the orchard of the future:
- Get the job done on time and well
- Reduce the cost of labour per kg of fruit
- Ensure orchards are workable by a broader demographic of staff
- Make orchards an employer of choice
Ross and Craig will discuss:
- Lessons learnt from the challenges presented by the pandemic
- A vision and objectives for moving forward
- Setting up new blocks to meet the objectives
- Changing existing blocks to meet the objectives
- Evaluate technology that will help to meet the objectives
- Becoming an employer of choice
Dates and links to further information
Southern Victoria – Friday 5 March 2021
Orange – Thursday 11 March 2021
Batlow – Friday 12 March 2021
Goulburn Valley – Monday 15 March 2021
Western Australia – Thursday 18 March 2021
South Australia – Thursday 18 March 2021
Stanthorpe – Monday 22 March 2021
Tasmania – Friday 26 March 2021
