Industry: Apples
Gross value of production |
$8.5 m |
Number of growers |
15 |
Number employed |
50 |
1. Description of Product:
Primarily apples for fresh fruit market, with some juice production.
2. Location of the Industry:
The industry is located in the Wandiligong and Buckland areas in the Ovens Valley, at Stanley and in the King Valley.
3. Employment and Labour Requirements:
a. Number of Producers:
15. 9 in Stanley Region. 2-3 in Wandiligong/Buckland Valley. 1-2 King Valley. Half of these growers would have orchards of less than 10 acres.
Ag Census indicates 21 growers and includes 1 in Benalla, 3 in Wangaratta and 3 in Oxley.
b. Number Regularly Employed:
50 people full time. This is an estimate based on surveying key producers.
c. Harvest Requirement
This is labour intensive industry and maintaining good labour supply for harvest and pruning is both difficult and necessary labour for picking is often secured from outside the region, and larger growers have cultivated good relationships with pickers as a priority.
It is estimated (from information supplied by key growers) seasonal requirements are as follows:
(i) Thinning 150-200 people for 2 months.
(ii) Picking 250 people for 2 months
(iii) Packing 50 people for 6-11 months.
4. Annual Production:
Based on Agricultural Census data annual production for the region is with 60% of this in the Ovens Valley and a further 32% produced in the Stanley-Beechworth region.
5. Value of Product:
From rough estimates from grower information the gross value of the apple production in the region is approximately $8.5 million.
6. Production Trends Over the Next Five Years:
a. Projected:
1. No net change in number of growers is anticipated in the short term.
2. Some growers are replacing older trees with newer higher yielding varieties and closer planting which will result in higher yields per hectare. It is anticipated that production will increase by 10% per annum over next 5 years.
b. Potential:
1. Several of the key growing areas have considerable climate assets, and are well suited to growing apples, especially red apples in the Stanley area. The availability of good quality water has been a factor in industry growth.
2. The development of good marketing arrangements has provided opportunity for growth of key growers.
3. The provision of transport services further stabilises the opportunities to this industry.
4. Stable business arrangements within the family business and the cohesion in the enterprise as a result has been a factor for growth for some growers. Some growers would claim to have a fanatical commitment to growing good apples.
Extracted from the Bright Report
