R[0]="2041"; T[0]="Aust and NZ fail to reach agreement over apple imports"; A[0]="By ... Editor"; Dn[0]="20070803"; Dt[0]="Friday 3 August 2007"; Acats[0]="a18"; B1[0]="      Australian and New Zealand government representatives have failed to reach agreement at trade talks in Auckland in the dispute over apple imports.... "; B2[0]=" "; B3[0]=" "; B4[0]=" "; B5[0]=" "; S1[0]="      Australian and New Zealand government representatives have failed to reach agreement at trade talks in Auckland in the dispute over apple imports.
"; S2[0]="       New Zealand growers want to send apples to Australia this season and are frustrated by delays in finalising quarantine protocols.
    "; S3[0]="   Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Sussan Ley says the Government is committed to protecting Australia's fire blight free status, despite New Zealand's threats of legal "; S4[0]=" action.
      'They're going to take the WTO option to cabinet, when their cabinet meets next but they certainly said in remarks after "; S5[0]=" the meeting yesterday that it was a live option and they're seriously considering it,' he said... "; R[1]="2006"; T[1]="Apple growers continue legal fight against imports"; A[1]="By ... Editor"; Dn[1]="20070331"; Dt[1]="Saturday 31 March 2007"; Acats[1]="a18a33"; B1[1]="      Apple growers will mount yet another legal challenge to the Federal Government's decision to allow apple imports from New Zealand.... "; B2[1]=" "; B3[1]=" "; B4[1]=" "; B5[1]=" "; S1[1]="      Apple growers will mount yet another legal challenge to the Federal Government's decision to allow apple imports from New Zealand.
    "; S2[1]="   The national director of Quarantine yesterday signed off on Biosecurity Australia's decision to approve imports.
      Growers are concerned about the risk "; S3[1]=" of the disease fireblight and say if the Minister for Agriculture does not override the decision, they will take their case to the courts.
  "; S4[1]="     John Corboy from the Apple and Pear Growers Fireblight Taskforce says the fight is far from over.
      'This is year "; S5[1]=" eight at the moment and I've had six grandchildren in the time that this one's happened so it's been a very long time,' he sad.
"; S6[1]="       'If something was threatening your livelihood and your family's well-being I dare say you'd have a lot of trouble coming to a "; S7[1]=" point where enough was enough in protecting it.'.. "; R[2]="1959"; T[2]="Trade secrets revealed to home gardeners"; A[2]="By ... Editor"; Dn[2]="20070308"; Dt[2]="Thursday 8 March 2007"; Acats[2]="a17a18a86"; B1[2]="      NSW Department of Primary Industries horticulturist, Jeremy Bright, says home gardeners who manage pests and disease in their backyards are also supporting "; B2[2]="local fruit growers and helping protect a multi-million dollar industry... "; B3[2]=" "; B4[2]=" "; B5[2]=" "; S1[2]="      NSW Department of Primary Industries horticulturist, Jeremy Bright, says home gardeners who manage pests and disease in their backyards are also supporting "; S2[2]=" local fruit growers and helping protect a multi-million dollar industry.
      Home gardeners will have the opportunity to learn how to look "; S3[2]=" after backyard fruit trees when local commercial growers reveal their trade secrets at this month's Central West Garden & Outdoor Expo.
      NSW "; S4[2]=" Department of Primary Industries horticulturist, Jeremy Bright, will take the floor with the growers to talk about the importance of controlling pests and diseases.
  "; S5[2]="     'Growing good fruit can be hard work but you don't need to use a barrage of chemicals to produce healthy fruit while protecting "; S6[2]=" the environment and the local economy,' Mr Bright said.
      'Local growers spend a lot of effort producing quality fruit that is highly "; S7[2]=" sought-after here and overseas but the industry is potentially under threat if pest and disease aren't managed in home gardens.' Mr Bright will outline which "; S8[2]=" pests and diseases are important to control and how best to manage them in a backyard situation.
      'Fruit fly is a high "; S9[2]=" priority pest which along with codling moth should be managed by gardeners,' Mr Bright said.
      'Not only does fruit fly ruin backyard "; S10[2]=" fruit crops, including tomatoes and capsicums, if not controlled their presence puts at risk our multi-million dollar fruit industry.
      'Some pests such "; S11[2]=" as dimple bug cause only cosmetic damage and can be tolerated in backyard fruit.' Gardeners can hear Mr Bright's fruit growing tips at 4pm on "; S12[2]=" Saturday and 3pm on Sunday at the Australian National Field Days (ANFD) Borenore site on March 17 and 18... "; R[3]="1954"; T[3]="Potential new crops to help Sunraysia survive"; A[3]="By ... Editor"; Dn[3]="20070308"; Dt[3]="Thursday 8 March 2007"; Acats[3]="a17a18a81"; B1[3]="      A study has identified 25 potential new crops for Sunraysia horticulturists struggling to survive in traditional commodities.... "; B2[3]=" "; B3[3]=" "; B4[3]=" "; B5[3]=" "; S1[3]="      A study has identified 25 potential new crops for Sunraysia horticulturists struggling to survive in traditional commodities.
      A report "; S2[3]=" being prepared for the Mildura and Wentworth Councils is looking at alternative crops that can be grown on small grape or citrus properties which are "; S3[3]=" no longer viable.
      The list includes aquaculture, bees, medicinal herbs and agro-forestry.
      The report's author Garth Swinburn from consulting "; S4[3]=" firm Scholfield Robinson says the list of potential new crops needs to be trimmed to about six and a working party formed to develop the "; S5[3]=" industries.
      'This region has huge opportunities, let's use this time of crisis, if you like, in commodities to really cement something in "; S6[3]=" place,' Mr Swinburn said.
      'A process by which interested growers can come together in groups, have some sort of government support to "; S7[3]=" take them through the planning process, trips the marketplace and [you can] really build on that,' he said... "; R[4]="1948"; T[4]="Strawberry growers set for bumper harvest"; A[4]="By ... Editor"; Dn[4]="20070304"; Dt[4]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[4]="a18"; B1[4]="      Tasmanian strawberry growers are set for a bumper autumn harvest despite severe late frosts.... "; B2[4]=" "; B3[4]=" "; B4[4]=" "; B5[4]=" "; S1[4]="      Tasmanian strawberry growers are set for a bumper autumn harvest despite severe late frosts.
      Sorell fruit grower Bob Hardy "; S2[4]=" says hot weather and recent rain has helped to produce his biggest crop in 12 years.
      He says each plant is producing "; S3[4]=" up to 50 per cent more fruit than normal.
      'We probably got a second winter - while it killed off that first "; S4[4]=" crop to a very large extent, it set the scene for a strong autumn flowering,' he said.
      'As you can see now, "; S5[4]=" we have got plants that have grown extremely well and are laden with fruit.'.. "; R[5]="1945"; T[5]="Innovation the key to success"; A[5]="By ... Editor"; Dn[5]="20070304"; Dt[5]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[5]="a07a08a17a18"; B1[5]="      New horticultural company Horticulture Fresh Australia® (HFA), trading as PlantNetTM is ready to tackle the ever changing, competitive retail nursery trade.... "; B2[5]=" "; B3[5]=" "; B4[5]=" "; B5[5]=" "; S1[5]="      New horticultural company Horticulture Fresh Australia® (HFA), trading as PlantNetTM is ready to tackle the ever changing, competitive retail nursery trade.
  "; S2[5]="     The new subsidiary company of the reputable Australian Nurseryman's Fruit Improvement Company (ANFIC) was established in September 2006 with the idea to diversify "; S3[5]=" into the retail garden trade with some of their more unique varieties.
      ANFIC consists of 12 established and industry leading nurseries, all "; S4[5]=" with industry accreditation.
      'ANFIC has been in business for 24 years and during that time they have accumulated many different varieties of "; S5[5]=" fruit trees and ornamentals with the idea of trialling them and introducing them to commercial orchardists.
      Not every single variety we have "; S6[5]=" imported suited commercial production and we feel that they would have a place in the retail nursery sector, not only for their exceptional fruit quality "; S7[5]=" but also their uniqueness' said Craig Perring, PlantNetTM Horticulture Marketing Coordinator.
      With many new varieties being propagated for official release over the "; S8[5]=" next 2-3 years, PlantNetTM is hoping to be a regular feature within the retail nursery's and major chain stores.
      'The first new "; S9[5]=" variety we will be releasing this winter is a dwarf Pink Lady apple variety, marketed or trademarked as PinkabelleTM (Pink Belle cv.
      "; S10[5]=" ).
      With the trends in the building industry pointing towards smaller housing blocks we are finding that people desire smaller trees - "; S11[5]=" especially dwarf fruit trees which will still give people the full health benefits of growing a standard apple variety.
      'The tree is "; S12[5]=" compact and has a spur bearing growth habit, producing Pink Lady apples.
      It will grow to approximately two metres high by one "; S13[5]=" to one and a half metres wide.
      The fruit is of export quality and will mature 10 - 14 days earlier than "; S14[5]=" a standard Pink Lady apple, and can be grown in pots or tubs in any size garden,' Mr Perring said.
      The innovative "; S15[5]=" side of the business not only comes from creating such a company, but also the way it has set up a coordinated marketing approach for "; S16[5]=" each of their products.
      All information related to any PlantNetTM products is coming from the one source, to ensure that a consistent "; S17[5]=" message reaches the consumer.
      As part of the coordinated marketing approach, PlantNetTM is officially launching PinkabelleTM (Pink Belle cv.
    "; S18[5]="   ) at various Nursery and Garden Industry Association (NGIA) state events.
      'Pinkabelle will be officially launched at 2007 Revealed held by "; S19[5]=" the Nursery and Garden Industry Association Victoria (NGIV) in conjunction with the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and re-launched at Fusion 2007 held by "; S20[5]=" the Nursery and Garden Industry Association NSW and ACT (NGINA) in conjunction with the ABC Gardening Expo.
      Another initiative to keep the "; S21[5]=" marketing coordinated for PinkabelleTM (Pink Belle cv.
      ) is the fact that we are offering free promotional material to any retail nursery "; S22[5]=" who orders more than the minimum order of 10 trees,' added Mr Perring.
      PlantNet'sTM other varieties consist of a dwarf non-fruiting Olive, "; S23[5]=" Donut Peach, disease resistant Plane Tree and others.
      Mr Perring said that it was important for PlantNetTM to only release products into "; S24[5]=" the industry that will supersede what is already out there, otherwise the innovative edge is lost.
      'We want to build a brand "; S25[5]=" that consumers identify with a good product.
      One way for us to do this is to keep looking at new ideas and "; S26[5]=" products to help us cope with what is a rapidly changing industry,' he added... "; R[6]="1941"; T[6]="Providing consumers with what they want"; A[6]="By ... Editor"; Dn[6]="20070304"; Dt[6]="Sunday 4 March 2007"; Acats[6]="a10a17a18"; B1[6]="      Knowing what consumers want from fresh food will help businesses market and manage their produce after harvest, according to NSW Department of "; B2[6]="Primary Industries postharvest researcher, Dr Jenny Ekman... "; B3[6]=" "; B4[6]=" "; B5[6]=" "; S1[6]="      Knowing what consumers want from fresh food will help businesses market and manage their produce after harvest, according to NSW Department of "; S2[6]=" Primary Industries postharvest researcher, Dr Jenny Ekman.
      Dr Ekman says consumers are looking for 'quality, speed, safety and nutrition in fresh produce'.
"; S3[6]="       'Sensory analysis - in which panels of consumers are asked to provide feedback to researchers on fresh food characteristics - is of "; S4[6]=" growing importance to the postharvest industry.
      'Understanding consumer perceptions is the key to marketing and the produce management practices required from farm-to-plate', "; S5[6]=" she said.
      Dr Ekman, from DPI's Gosford postharvest research group, is Manager of the 2007 Australasian Postharvest Conference, which is being held "; S6[6]=" in September this year on the Central Coast.
      This year's conference will for the first time feature an industry day, which will "; S7[6]=" focus on developments in sensory analysis as well as market access, innovative technologies, and linking research to results.
      Expert researchers and industry "; S8[6]=" leaders will provide an insight into their methods and results.
      Dr Ekman said sensory analysis is uncovering new information about consumer relationships "; S9[6]=" with produce and is providing knowledge that will help industry develop their businesses.
      She says keynote speakers at the conference 'will present "; S10[6]=" their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities provided in a rapidly changing global market.
      'Businesses will be able to find out how "; S11[6]=" research providers can support investment in systems of produce management and marketing which meet consumer needs.' Dr Ekman said industry would benefit from an improved "; S12[6]=" understanding of the research sector and the expertise available for them to draw upon.
      Conference participants will hear about new packaging, storage "; S13[6]=" and transport technologies, as well as innovative approaches to marketing and ways to encourage industry to adopt new technologies.
      'Research providers, meanwhile, "; S14[6]=" will gain a better appreciation of the commercial drivers and challenges industries are facing and how their postharvest research can add value to businesses investing "; S15[6]=" in new technologies.
      'There is significant strategic value here for all participants', Dr Ekman said.
      Case studies of innovative "; S16[6]=" businesses that have captured the benefits of using new postharvest technologies will be examined.
      The scientific program for the Conference includes providing "; S17[6]=" research results in the areas of functional foods, fresh cuts, modified atmospheres for storage, quarantine treatments, produce quality, molecular studies and preharvest effects on postharvest "; S18[6]=" quality.
      The Conference theme is 'Postharvest at Work'.
      It is to be held from 10-12 September the Crowne Plaza "; S19[6]=" Hotel in Terrigal... "; R[7]="1905"; T[7]="Scientists seeking growers' knowledge on orchard pests"; A[7]="By ... Editor"; Dn[7]="20070222"; Dt[7]="Thursday 22 February 2007"; Acats[7]="a18a86"; B1[7]="      Far North Queensland (FNQ) fruit growers are being asked to share their knowledge and experience of orchard pests to help scientists assess "; B2[7]="and design sustainable crop protection measures... "; B3[7]=" "; B4[7]=" "; B5[7]=" "; S1[7]="      Far North Queensland (FNQ) fruit growers are being asked to share their knowledge and experience of orchard pests to help scientists assess "; S2[7]=" and design sustainable crop protection measures.
      With funding from FNQ Natural Resource Management Ltd, scientists from CSIRO in Cairns and Atherton have "; S3[7]=" teamed up with peak horticulture body Growcom to conduct a region-wide survey to investigate the pros and cons of different pest control methods, from the "; S4[7]=" growers' perspective.
      In particular, the scientists are keen to understand real costs and effectiveness of exclusion netting.
      'Managing orchard "; S5[7]=" pests is a difficult task, but growers have developed some innovative strategies to protect their fruit trees, so we'd like to know more about what's "; S6[7]=" working and what's not,' says CSIRO researcher Dr Louise Shilton.
      Growcom Board member Keith Noble is urging growers to get involved in "; S7[7]=" the survey.
      'The more hard data that we are able to collect about the size and range of pest populations affecting fruit "; S8[7]=" orchards the more the industry can tackle these problems by securing research funding into innovative environmentally friendly solutions,' Mr Noble says.
      The "; S9[7]=" scientists hope to gather first-hand information about the habits and impacts of a range of pests affecting fruit orchards, including flying foxes.
      "; S10[7]=" 'It is the first FNQ-wide survey conducted since the use of lethal electric grids was banned as a flying fox control method.' 'From talking with "; S11[7]=" a range of fruit growers across the region, it's clear that parrots may be the main threat to certain fruit crops in one season, while "; S12[7]=" in another it could be fruit moths or flying foxes,' Dr Shilton says.
      'We hope that responses for this survey will provide "; S13[7]=" insights into which pests have had the greatest impact on different orchard types across the region, from 2004 through to the recent lychee season.
  "; S14[7]="     'This survey is different from past ones since it is the first survey of FNQ growers that can be interpreted in light of "; S15[7]=" sound ecological data on spectacled flying fox roosting and movement patterns.
      'Cyclone Larry has had a significant impact on flying fox distribution "; S16[7]=" and behaviour, and we might expect this to be reflected in the growers' experiences of orchard impacts from a range of wildlife since then.' It "; S17[7]=" is the first FNQ-wide survey conducted since the use of lethal electric grids was banned as a flying fox control method.
      The "; S18[7]=" researchers will be visiting FNQ orchards to speak with growers over the next three months.
      Growers can complete the CSIRO Orchard Pests "; S19[7]=" and Protection Survey online, or download and print a copy by visiting www.csiro.au/science/FNQorchardsurvey.
      Growers who prefer to receive a copy by post "; S20[7]=" should phone 07 4091 8824 and leave their postal and phone details.
      Surveys can be returned by REPLY PAID post (no stamp "; S21[7]=" required)... "; R[8]="1835"; T[8]="Cotton and corn - ideal companions"; A[8]="By ... Editor"; Dn[8]="20070129"; Dt[8]="Monday 29 January 2007"; Acats[8]="a15a18"; B1[8]="      A project to measure the benefits of using corn as a rotation crop could be the key to reversing some of the "; B2[8]="soil fertility decline in Australian cotton fields, according to a leading soil scientist at the Australian Cotton Research Institute... "; B3[8]=" "; B4[8]=" "; B5[8]=" "; S1[8]="      A project to measure the benefits of using corn as a rotation crop could be the key to reversing some of the "; S2[8]=" soil fertility decline in Australian cotton fields, according to a leading soil scientist at the Australian Cotton Research Institute.
      NSW Department of "; S3[8]=" Primary Industries Senior Research Scientist Nilantha Hulugalle said crops that provide large amounts of crop residues (stubble) are needed to address serious soil health problems "; S4[8]=" that could affect the sustainability of cotton crops.
      Dr Hulugalle believes that the beneficial impact observed by many growers after planting corn "; S5[8]=" the previous season will be scientifically proven.
      'There is strong anecdotal evidence that a maize (corn) rotation greatly improves subsequent cotton yield, "; S6[8]=" with reports of the difference being quite striking,' he said.
      'That's not surprising as corn returns about 20 tonnes of stubble per "; S7[8]=" hectare per season, which can significantly improve organic matter and the availability of nutrients such as potassium in the soil profile.' The research will identify "; S8[8]=" the soil and plant processes underpinning the beneficial impacts on cotton yield and quality and the overall economic benefits of cotton-corn rotation system.
    "; S9[8]="   'I expect this will provide the basis for adoption of maize by cotton growers as an alternative rotation crop for sustainable cotton production where "; S10[8]=" the conditions suit, such as in Queensland and northern NSW,' Dr Hulugalle said.
      The project is one which comes under the umbrella "; S11[8]=" of the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC, and is jointly funded by the seed company Pioneer Hi-Bred Australia, the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the "; S12[8]=" Cotton Research and Development Corporation.
      It will be conducted over the next three years by University of Queensland (UQ) PhD student Alison "; S13[8]=" Devereaux, under the supervision of Dr Hulugalle, Dr Longbin Huang, lecturer in plant nutrition and crop quality, and Dr Shu Fukai professor of crop physiology "; S14[8]=" at UQ.
      As part of her research, Ms Devereaux will investigate whether maize can improve soil structure, fertility and cotton growth more "; S15[8]=" than the traditional wheat rotation.
      Dr Hulugalle said the benefits of legumes and wheat as rotation crops on cotton yield and quality "; S16[8]=" in irrigated cotton-based systems have already been proven.
      'Legumes have their place, but overall wheat is a better rotation crop,' he said.
"; S17[8]="       'However, we can only slow the rate of organic matter and fertility decline with a cotton/wheat rotation, and if we start putting "; S18[8]=" corn into our system then we may be able to turn it around.' Maize is a multi-purpose crop, with low capital investment and field risk "; S19[8]=" (diseases and crop establishment), shorter growing season than cotton and flexible harvest time.
      Any potential negative impacts of the corn rotation, such "; S20[8]=" as the build up of insect pests, including the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, will be considered as part of the research... "; R[9]="1699"; T[9]="Warm weather sparks fruit fly warning"; A[9]="By ... Editor"; Dn[9]="20061127"; Dt[9]="Monday 27 November 2006"; Acats[9]="a18a86"; B1[9]="      The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) today issued a warning to motorists travelling into the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone (FFEZ) this "; B2[9]="summer: Leave fruit behind... "; B3[9]=" "; B4[9]=" "; B5[9]=" "; S1[9]="      The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) today issued a warning to motorists travelling into the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone (FFEZ) this "; S2[9]=" summer: Leave fruit behind.
      The high-risk period for fruit fly outbreaks is from late spring through to early autumn when warmer temperatures "; S3[9]=" occur creating an ideal environment for fruit fly activity.
      TriState Fruit Fly Co-ordinator Bernie Dominiak today said that motorists who ignore roadside "; S4[9]=" signs advising them to eat or dispose of fruit face a minimum $200 on-the-spot-fine at random mobile roadside blocks.
      'Motorists should plan "; S5[9]=" ahead to either eat or dispose of fresh fruit before entering the exclusion zone,' Mr Dominiak said.
      'This includes the Murrumbidgee Irrigation "; S6[9]=" Area, Murray Valley, Goulburn Valley, Sunraysia and the Riverland.
      'People travelling from Queensland or the NSW north coast where fruit fly is "; S7[9]=" endemic pose a high risk of bringing fruit fly infested fruit into FFEZ.
      'Fruit from these areas may look fine but fruit "; S8[9]=" fly eggs or maggots are sometimes too small to be seen by naked eye.' Mr Dominiak said travellers could unwittingly spread fruit fly into the "; S9[9]=" valuable fruit production areas of NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
      'All types of maturing or ripe fruit, such as stone fruit, citrus, "; S10[9]=" loquats and quinces, as well as some vegetables including tomatoes, capsicum and avocados, are hosts of fruit fly,' he said.
      'Any fresh "; S11[9]=" fruit accidentally brought into the FFEZ should be immediately destroyed.
      'This can be done by placing the fruit in a thick plastic "; S12[9]=" bag, tying the top, and leaving in the sun for a few days before disposing with normal garbage.'.. "; R[10]="1651"; T[10]="Grape growers, orchardists prepare for NSW cold snap"; A[10]="By ... Editor"; Dn[10]="20061117"; Dt[10]="Friday 17 November 2006"; Acats[10]="a13a18a35a89"; B1[10]="      Grape growers and orchardists in the central New South Wales ranges are preparing for a predicted cold snap over the next two "; B2[10]="days... "; B3[10]=" "; B4[10]=" "; B5[10]=" "; S1[10]="      Grape growers and orchardists in the central New South Wales ranges are preparing for a predicted cold snap over the next two "; S2[10]=" days.
      Sub-zero temperatures are being tipped, which could bring further frosts, which caused damage to apples, cherries and grapevines two weeks ago.
"; S3[10]="       Angullong grapegrower James Crossing has bought a spray which he hopes can limit frost damage.
      'Well currently we are "; S4[10]=" just mapping out low-lying areas of the vineyard to determine the areas that are likely to be damaged by frost, then we will be spraying "; S5[10]=" with a polymer spray to protect those vines from the cold weather,' he said.
      'We are looking at about $400 a hectare "; S6[10]=" for the chemical and application and we are looking at doing ten to fifteen hectares.' The cold snap has already brought snow to many parts "; S7[10]=" of southern Victoria, including the Otway Ranges, and the Dandenongs and in south-east Queensland there has been hail the size of cricket balls and heavy "; S8[10]=" rain in the Wide Bay/Burnett region... "; R[11]="1640"; T[11]="Banana relief on way"; A[11]="By ... Editor"; Dn[11]="20061111"; Dt[11]="Saturday 11 November 2006"; Acats[11]="a18"; B1[11]="      Banana will not return to their pre-Cyclone Larry price until July 2008, but there will be some relief this summer, wholesalers say.... "; B2[11]=" "; B3[11]=" "; B4[11]=" "; B5[11]=" "; S1[11]="      Banana will not return to their pre-Cyclone Larry price until July 2008, but there will be some relief this summer, wholesalers say.
"; S2[11]="       Fruit from north Queensland will flood the market in six weeks.
      Adelaide banana importer Lamanna Bananas managing director Tony "; S3[11]=" Schirripa said production would peak in January, leading to the cheapest prices since the cyclone in February.
      However, prices would again rise "; S4[11]=" next winter.
      'They might not be $2 a kilo but I think they might be $3 (this summer),' he said.
    "; S5[11]="   Australian Banana Wholesalers Association president Harry Theoharous said prices would start to fall in the next six weeks... "; R[12]="1621"; T[12]="Plenty of bananas, no pickers"; A[12]="By ... Editor"; Dn[12]="20061108"; Dt[12]="Wednesday 8 November 2006"; Acats[12]="a06a18"; B1[12]="      The promised return of cheap and plentiful bananas in time for Christmas is in jeopardy, because of a severe shortage of fruit "; B2[12]="pickers... "; B3[12]=" "; B4[12]=" "; B5[12]=" "; S1[12]="      The promised return of cheap and plentiful bananas in time for Christmas is in jeopardy, because of a severe shortage of fruit "; S2[12]=" pickers.
      The Australian Banana Growers' Council says after Cyclone Larry wiped out most of the nation's banana crop in March, many of "; S3[12]=" the industry's long-term workers moved away to find jobs elsewhere.
      Now with a much-awaited new crop coming to maturity in north Queensland, "; S4[12]=" Council president Patrick Leahy is worried there won't be enough hands to pick all the fruit.
      'The crisis point hasn't come yet,' "; S5[12]=" Mr Leahy said.
      'That's probably going to come in a few weeks time as we get closer to Christmas.' The council estimates "; S6[12]=" north Queensland's banana industry is facing a shortfall of up to 1500 workers - close to half its workforce before Cyclone Larry.
      "; S7[12]=" It is a problem already facing grower Ron Poppi, who began picking bananas on his 65ha Babinda property a fortnight ago.
      He "; S8[12]=" normally has up to 25 workers, but now has only three employees.
      'I really need another two or three now and then "; S9[12]=" in another three weeks time, I'm probably looking for another five or six,' he said.
      Mr Poppi's last crop was destroyed by "; S10[12]=" Cyclone Larry's category five winds.
      He warns of disappointment for consumers, who have been waiting months for supplies and prices to return "; S11[12]=" to normal.
      'There'll be bananas all right, but you won't be getting them because a major part of it mightn't be picked,' "; S12[12]=" he said.
      Johnstone Shire Mayor Neil Clarke says it is an extremely worrying situation, which could hamper the region's recovery from the "; S13[12]=" cyclone.
      Growers say part of their problem in attracting more workers is a severe shortage of affordable accommodation in Babinda and nearby "; S14[12]=" Innisfail... "; R[13]="1598"; T[13]="Cherries the one bright spot"; A[13]="By ... Editor"; Dn[13]="20061103"; Dt[13]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[13]="a18a57"; B1[13]="      Amidst the doom and gloom of the drought, SA's cherry growers have started harvesting what they hope will be a record crop.... "; B2[13]=" "; B3[13]=" "; B4[13]=" "; B5[13]=" "; S1[13]="      Amidst the doom and gloom of the drought, SA's cherry growers have started harvesting what they hope will be a record crop.
"; S2[13]="       They are predicting the harvest will reach at least 1500 tonnes this year following ideal conditions for cherry growing.
      "; S3[13]=" The dry weather and lack of bird damage have both helped produce the good cherry crop.
      Cherry Growers Association of SA president "; S4[13]=" Ian Sparnon said the outcome would depend on the weather remaining dry during the next few months.
      'Growers are reporting excellent crops "; S5[13]=" in many districts and given that the last couple of seasons were affected by wet weather, we hope conditions remain favourable,' he said.
    "; S6[13]="   'The unusually dry year in the Adelaide Hills has produced one of the better cherry crops we've had,' cherry picker Libby Green said yesterday... "; R[14]="1590"; T[14]="Farm hoping for canker-free future"; A[14]="By ... Editor"; Dn[14]="20061103"; Dt[14]="Friday 3 November 2006"; Acats[14]="a18a33"; B1[14]="      Orchardists at Emerald in central Queensland are in the final stages of preparing for what is being called the most complex tree "; B2[14]="planting operation in Australia's history... "; B3[14]=" "; B4[14]=" "; B5[14]=" "; S1[14]="      Orchardists at Emerald in central Queensland are in the final stages of preparing for what is being called the most complex tree "; S2[14]=" planting operation in Australia's history.
      A total of 193,000 citrus trees had to be destroyed at 2PH farms after canker was discovered "; S3[14]=" in the region in 2004.
      Under a replacement project 5,000 trees will be planted every day for four months.
      "; S4[14]=" Manager Craig Pressler is hoping for a canker-free future.
      'Otherwise we wouldn't be going back into this with the level of investment "; S5[14]=" that we are.
      We are totally believing that it's gone,' he said... "; R[15]="1583"; T[15]="At the front line in the war on frost"; A[15]="By ... Editor"; Dn[15]="20061027"; Dt[15]="Friday 27 October 2006"; Acats[15]="a17a18a35a89"; B1[15]="      Settled in the 19th century and situated on the banks of the River Murray, Loxton is a lovely old town perhaps best "; B2[15]="known for its irrigated agricultural industries like wine and fruit... "; B3[15]=" "; B4[15]=" "; B5[15]=" "; S1[15]="      Settled in the 19th century and situated on the banks of the River Murray, Loxton is a lovely old town perhaps best "; S2[15]=" known for its irrigated agricultural industries like wine and fruit.
      However its location makes it a regional centre for the grains industry "; S3[15]=" in South Australia's northern Mallee country.
      There is an old silo in the middle of Loxton that has long since been replaced "; S4[15]=" with a modern storage facility just outside of town, and the GRDC holds farmer updates there.
      Loxton's location also means that it "; S5[15]=" experiences more than the occasional frost event.
      In the past seven years the town has averaged 11 days from May 1 to "; S6[15]=" September 30 in which the temperature has fallen below zero.
      Of course, 2006 has not been an 'average' year practically anywhere in "; S7[15]=" Australia's cropping belt and Loxton is no exception.
      Along with rainfall well below average this season, Loxton had 23 days of sub-zero "; S8[15]=" temperatures from May-September.
      It's a chilling statistic, because spring radiation frost events cost Mallee growers millions of dollars in lost production each "; S9[15]=" year.
      It makes perfect sense for the University of Adelaide (supported by growers and the Australian Government through the GRDC) to locate "; S10[15]=" its cereal frost tolerance research at Loxton in conjunction with the South Australian Research and Development Institute's (SARDI) Loxton Research Station.
      The "; S11[15]=" GRDC Southern Panel visited the site on its 2006 spring tour and members were impressed with the scale of the trial - some 900 cereal "; S12[15]=" lines from all over the world (including cold places such as Canada and elevated places such as Nepal) have been collected and are being evaluated.
"; S13[15]="       The experiment initially focused on barley but has since been extended to lines of wheat and triticale.
      The aim "; S14[15]=" is to characterise genetic material in these lines for frost tolerance and identify which material can be incorporated into new cereal varieties.
      "; S15[15]=" The ultimate goal is to provide growers with cereals that will reduce the economic risk of frost.
      Dr Richard Leach of the "; S16[15]=" University of Adelaide says 'novel material' has already been identified and incorporated into the Barley Breeding Australia program, so it's only a matter of time "; S17[15]=" before growers begin to realise their investment in the trial and have access to varieties with improved frost tolerance... "; R[16]="1567"; T[16]="Big dry makes the cherries sweeter"; A[16]="By ... Editor"; Dn[16]="20061027"; Dt[16]="Friday 27 October 2006"; Acats[16]="a18"; B1[16]="      Life is sweet for Young's cherry growers, despite the drought.... "; B2[16]=" "; B3[16]=" "; B4[16]=" "; B5[16]=" "; S1[16]="      Life is sweet for Young's cherry growers, despite the drought.
      While the first case of cherries has been dispatched "; S2[16]=" to the Sydney markets, growers are not in a hurry to harvest.
      Chairman of the Cherry Growers of Australia Ian Hay said "; S3[16]=" the lack of rain meant producers did not have to chase fruit and pick on colour, as they did during wet periods.
      "; S4[16]=" Instead, growers would sit back and allow the fruit to ripen to its maximum potential.
      'The big danger is excessive heat and "; S5[16]=" wind.
      There will be some good, bigger fruit off the younger trees.' A consolation from the drought will be sweeter cherries.
  "; S6[16]="     However, an orchardist from the south side of Young, Robert Fitzpatrick, would love to see a few split cherries for a change.
  "; S7[16]="     It's an extraordinary wish given the district has had bumper crops in the past ruined by heavy rain and hail which has split "; S8[16]=" the fruit.
      'To be quiet honest mate, I wouldn't mind a bit of split fruit, then I know I've had a bit "; S9[16]=" of rain.
      ...
      Last year between June and November we did get some rain in this district.
    "; S10[16]="   It was reasonable, in that period it gave us a pretty good spring.
      This year we have had basically nothing and "; S11[16]=" it has put the pressure on a lot more.' Even if there was a downpour it was unlikely cherries would split because they were too "; S12[16]=" small.
      Mr Fitzpatrick farms in the Kingsvale district where cherry, plumb, prune, nectarine and peach growers are scrambling for what little water "; S13[16]=" they can source from bores and dams.
      Peter Levett, of Heatherlea, 15km north of Young, said while spot picking had started, the "; S14[16]=" full harvest would begin in about a week's time.
      Temperatures had risen above 30 degrees, which had been much warmer than usual.
"; S15[16]="       The prune crop, which would be harvested about mid-February, was shaping up as average, although it was a little early to tell.
"; S16[16]="       In the meantime, he expected trees to shed some of their fruit, which was not unusual.
      Growers say the "; S17[16]=" loss of fruit crops in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria and more recently in Tasmania could push prices up slightly, although to what extent is unknown.
"; S18[16]="       Mr Levett said a buying agent from Sydney's Flemington market had been in Young securing orders and indicated demand would be stronger "; S19[16]=" because of the late frosts.
      Mr Fitzpatrick said low-lying land where plums, peaches and nectarine were grown were the worst hit by "; S20[16]=" the late frosts, but cherries were on higher ground and escaped damage.
      The biggest worry was keeping water up to trees.
  "; S21[16]="     'Most of the dams are dry so if they are not being fed by a bore they would not have water anyway.
  "; S22[16]="     It is not a great flowing district for bores, and we haven't got a river going through.' Orchardists had pruned fairly heavily due "; S23[16]=" to the drought.
      Trees had also been scaled down to comply with new occupational health and safety regulations to minimise the risk "; S24[16]=" of injury during harvesting, so the root system of trees could cope better with less moisture.
      'Bringing trees down and having less "; S25[16]=" limbs in the tree means the root zone hasn't got as much to feed - it copes a bit better for sure.'.. "; R[17]="1551"; T[17]="Latest research to benefit Sydney orchards"; A[17]="By ... Editor"; Dn[17]="20061020"; Dt[17]="Friday 20 October 2006"; Acats[17]="a18"; B1[17]="      Sydney orchardists are invited to hear the latest research findings and control strategies for fruit fly and carpophilus beetle at the University "; B2[17]="of Western Sydney (UWS) Richmond campus on Thursday October 19... "; B3[17]=" "; B4[17]=" "; B5[17]=" "; S1[17]="      Sydney orchardists are invited to hear the latest research findings and control strategies for fruit fly and carpophilus beetle at the University "; S2[17]=" of Western Sydney (UWS) Richmond campus on Thursday October 19.
      NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) horticulturist, Peter Malcolm, said the half-day "; S3[17]=" seminar would also highlight a new research project to better manage flying foxes in orchards.
      'NSW DPI's Dr Ho Dang is leading "; S4[17]=" a two-year research project to get a better handle on how we can minimise damage to fruit crops by grey-headed flying foxes,' Dr Malcolm said.
"; S5[17]="       'In conjunction with the NSW Department of Conservation and local farmers we aim to gauge the size of the flying fox population, "; S6[17]=" map the extent of netted and un-netted crops, assess the effectiveness of current flying fox management practices and count the cost to growers.' NSW DEC "; S7[17]=" threatened species officer, Kylie McClelland, and NSW Farmers' Association representative, Eddie Biel, will discuss their roles in the project.
      Dr Malcolm said "; S8[17]=" that it was important for growers to be aware of the new regulations governing fruit fly control.
      'Fruit fly is a significant "; S9[17]=" pest of fruit crops grown around Sydney and it's essential that all growers are aware of new developments regarding fruit fly control on their farms.
"; S10[17]="       'A trade display and forum on commercial fruit fly control strategies and products is planned for the day.' Orchardists will also be "; S11[17]=" able to benefit from overseas research when Dr Gerald Chouinard of the Quebec Research Institute discusses his findings on integrated pest management in Canadian apple "; S12[17]=" orchards.
      Professor Robert Spooner-Hart will outline orchard research activities at UWS and Dr Mofakhar Hossain will present the latest research and control "; S13[17]=" strategies for carpophilus beetle from the Victorian DPI.
      The seminar is cost-free to growers and will commence at 12 noon with a "; S14[17]=" light barbecue lunch at the UWS Poolside Conference Centre, Building R6... "; R[18]="1489"; T[18]="Countries approve global macadamia association"; A[18]="By ... Editor"; Dn[18]="20061006"; Dt[18]="Friday 6 October 2006"; Acats[18]="a04a18"; B1[18]="      Macadamia nut growers hope a new global body will ensure other countries help to pay for the industry's research and promotion.... "; B2[18]=" "; B3[18]=" "; B4[18]=" "; B5[18]=" "; S1[18]="      Macadamia nut growers hope a new global body will ensure other countries help to pay for the industry's research and promotion.
  "; S2[18]="     As the world's leading producer of macadamias, Australian growers largely foot the bill, but a new global association has been approved by the "; S3[18]=" 25 countries which grow the nut.
      Queensland researcher Ian McConachie says it will provide better communication and even out the costs.
  "; S4[18]="     'The big buyers and brokers of macadamias are playing it tough so better communication, and crop estimates I guess are part of the "; S5[18]=" communication so we've got a better idea of what size the next crop is going to be throughout the world,' he said... "; R[19]="1470"; T[19]="Vegies and fruit to be tested for cancer risk"; A[19]="By ... Editor"; Dn[19]="20061002"; Dt[19]="Monday 2 October 2006"; Acats[19]="a09a17a18"; B1[19]="      In a big win for WA consumers, the State Government has agreed to introduce testing of fruit and vegetables for dangerous, cancer-causing "; B2[19]="pesticides, including DDT, which are banned in Australia... "; B3[19]=" "; B4[19]=" "; B5[19]=" "; S1[19]="      In a big win for WA consumers, the State Government has agreed to introduce testing of fruit and vegetables for dangerous, cancer-causing "; S2[19]=" pesticides, including DDT, which are banned in Australia.
      The move comes after a controversial parliamentary report warned six months ago that chemical "; S3[19]=" screening of fresh fruit and vegetables in WA was woefully inadequate given the volumes being imported from countries which continued to use pesticides banned here.
"; S4[19]="       And in a ringing endorsement of other recommendations made in the economics and industry committee report handed down in March, "; S5[19]=" the Government has agreed to introduce a new loyalty logo scheme encouraging shoppers to buy WA produce.
      But despite the "; S6[19]=" Government committing $300,000 to introduce the new Buy WA Food First scheme, Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance said yesterday specific details on how it "; S7[19]=" would operate were still to be finalised.
      Labor MP Jaye Radisich, who chaired the parliamentary committee, said if the Government kept "; S8[19]=" its promise to introduce the scheme in the model proposed in her report, it would represent a good win for WA consumers.
      "; S9[19]=" She said the new scheme, which the Department of Agriculture and Food will administer, would need to be audited regularly and penalties imposed for "; S10[19]=" those who misused the labels.
      Mr Chance said the monitoring and eligibility criteria for the new scheme would be defined through "; S11[19]=" a consultation process with industry and consumers.
      The new scheme comes after The West Australian revealed in December that the existing "; S12[19]=" Buy WA First scheme was being misused on goods that did not qualify.
      The report led the Australian Competition and Consumer "; S13[19]=" Commission to launch an investigation, warning that some companies could be breaching the Trade Practices Act by wrongly attaching the logos to products.
    "; S14[19]="   The parliamentary inquiry into food labelling laws and issues of food safety in WA was set up after more than 50,000 readers of "; S15[19]=" The West Australian signed a petition calling for the introduction of compulsory State-of-origin food labelling.
      It found serious flaws in the "; S16[19]=" Buy WA First scheme, including that under its criteria, products made in WA from 100 per cent imported raw ingredients could legitimately carry the Buy "; S17[19]=" WA First label.
      In the Government's response to the committee's report, tabled in State Parliament yesterday, Mr Chance agreed to make "; S18[19]=" the Health Department do annual pesticide testing of fruit and vegetables.
      At present, less stringent pesticide residue tests are conducted only "; S19[19]=" every two to three years... "; R[20]="1440"; T[20]="Frost wipes out orchards"; A[20]="By ... Editor"; Dn[20]="20060927"; Dt[20]="Wednesday 27 September 2006"; Acats[20]="a18a19a35a57"; B1[20]="      Fruit prices are to rise after a severe frost wiped out half of the Goulburn Valley's crops.... "; B2[20]=" "; B3[20]=" "; B4[20]=" "; B5[20]=" "; S1[20]="      Fruit prices are to rise after a severe frost wiped out half of the Goulburn Valley's crops.
      More than "; S2[20]=" $80 million worth of soft fruit was lost overnight on Sunday when temperatures dropped to minus 5C.
      The full cost to "; S3[20]=" the industry could surpass $500 million as picking and canning operations are affected.
      But it will be several days before Department "; S4[20]=" of Primary Industries officers can evaluate the damage.
      Most fruit growing less than 3m from the ground was obliterated on more "; S5[20]=" than 200 farms in the state's fruit bowl, which produces up to 300,000 tonnes of fruit annually.
      Apricots were hit the "; S6[20]=" hardest, with an estimated 75 per cent of the crop wiped out.
      Similar losses have been recorded in peach, nectarine, plum "; S7[20]=" and apple crops, while the extent of damage to pear crops will not be known until late this week.
      Fruit Growers "; S8[20]=" Victoria chairman Mark Paganoni said fruit prices would rise, but not to the level of bananas, which reached $15 a kilogram after cyclone Larry destroyed "; S9[20]=" 90 per cent of the north Queensland crop.
      'It's hard to know how bad it will be, but there will "; S10[20]=" be a flow-on effect,' he said.
      'Soft fruit is grown in other areas of Australia so it is not going to "; S11[20]=" be as damaging as the (loss of) banana crops.
      'But for growers this is the fourth year in a row they "; S12[20]=" have lost their crops.
      'We are trying to comfort them but many are saying this could be the straw that breaks "; S13[20]=" their back, so as a state we really need to get behind the growers and show them our support.' Growers are calling for the "; S14[20]=" area to be declared a natural disaster zone.
      Mr Paganoni said natural disaster relief funding was desperately needed to save businesses "; S15[20]=" and even towns in the Goulburn Valley... "; R[21]="1402"; T[21]="Government to introduce industry code of conduct"; A[21]="By ... Editor"; Dn[21]="20060921"; Dt[21]="Thursday 21 September 2006"; Acats[21]="a04a05a17a18"; B1[21]="      The Federal Government has bowed to pressure from the horticulture industry to introduce a mandatory code of conduct.... "; B2[21]=" "; B3[21]=" "; B4[21]=" "; B5[21]=" "; S1[21]="      The Federal Government has bowed to pressure from the horticulture industry to introduce a mandatory code of conduct.
      "; S2[21]=" Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Peter McGauran yesterday announced the Government would start the process of implementing the code immediately.
      "; S3[21]=" Orchardist and NSW Farmers' Association horticulture committee chair Peter Darley said the decision came after months of lobbying the Government for a code which would "; S4[21]=" clarify the relationship between growers and wholesalers.
      'I think this is a significant result for horticulture.
      It's been "; S5[21]=" a long time coming.
      'We still have to look at what is in the code.
      I would like "; S6[21]=" to see growers and wholesalers sit down and come up with something that works for everyone,' he said.
      The Government had "; S7[21]=" previously raised the possibility of a voluntary code, which was rejected by grower representative groups.
      The mandatory code will include a "; S8[21]=" dispute resolution process.
      Mr Darley while retailers were not a part of the code, it might be necessary to include them "; S9[21]=" in the future.
      'I would like to see retailers a part of it, but I think this is a good start.
"; S10[21]="       Fruit and vegetables in retail have gone up 117 per cent in the last 10 years, but growers profits have actually decreased.
"; S11[21]="       'Someone is obviously profiteering,' he said.
      Minister McGauran said he expected the necessary regulations would be passed "; S12[21]=" by the Parliament by the end of this year... "; R[22]="1395"; T[22]="Growers dump code"; A[22]="By ... Editor"; Dn[22]="20060918"; Dt[22]="Monday 18 September 2006"; Acats[22]="a04a17a18"; B1[22]="      Fruit and vegetable growers have broken off talks with the Government over its proposed voluntary code to protect them from exploitation by "; B2[22]="wholesalers, and demanded legislation before Christmas for a mandatory code... "; B3[22]=" "; B4[22]=" "; B5[22]=" "; S1[22]="      Fruit and vegetable growers have broken off talks with the Government over its proposed voluntary code to protect them from exploitation by "; S2[22]=" wholesalers, and demanded legislation before Christmas for a mandatory code.
      The growers yesterday drafted a letter to Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane saying "; S3[22]=" that only a compulsory code will end market failure in horticulture supply and bring about the 'cultural change' so desperately needed.
      John "; S4[22]=" Roach, chief executive of Ausveg, which represents vegetable producers, said growers had told Mr Macfarlane the draft code, which the minister, growers and wholesalers discussed "; S5[22]=" on Thursday, was 'completely unacceptable'.
      'We are not willing to continue discussions on it,' he said.
      The growers' action "; S6[22]=" is a setback for Mr Macfarlane, who had seen Thursday's meeting as just the start of negotiations.
      The minister stressed to that "; S7[22]=" meeting that the 10-page code he was proposing was 'neutral' - neither voluntary nor mandatory.
      The Government just wanted to get the "; S8[22]=" content right, he said.
      A spokeswoman for Mr Macfarlane said yesterday the Government was still working to develop the code by the "; S9[22]=" first week of November.
      Prime Minister John Howard, who wants a resolution to an issue that is agitating many backbenchers, has indicated "; S10[22]=" that if agreement on the voluntary code is impossible, he will move to a mandatory one, which is strongly supported by the Nationals... "; R[23]="1382"; T[23]="Operation Farm Clear will transport banana bags from the farm gate"; A[23]="By ... Editor"; Dn[23]="20060918"; Dt[23]="Monday 18 September 2006"; Acats[23]="a18a42"; B1[23]="      An initiative of Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the State Government's Cyclone Larry Employment Assistance Package in conjunction with industry "; B2[23]="- has arranged for the transportation of bundled banana bags and other cyclone-damaged recyclable items from the farm gate to the recycler... "; B3[23]=" "; B4[23]=" "; B5[23]=" "; S1[23]="      An initiative of Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the State Government's Cyclone Larry Employment Assistance Package in conjunction with industry "; S2[23]=" - has arranged for the transportation of bundled banana bags and other cyclone-damaged recyclable items from the farm gate to the recycler.
      "; S3[23]=" OFC manager Jim Turnour said the thousands of banana bags removed from damaged bunches after Cyclone Larry were an environmental hazard that could clog waterways "; S4[23]=" and eventually end up in the sea and on the Great Barrier Reef.
      'We have assisted the banana industry in carting away "; S5[23]=" PVC irrigation piping as well because these items can be recycled too,' Mr Turnour said.
      'All we ask is "; S6[23]=" that farmers bundle up the bags and have the other items ready for immediate transportation.' Banana industry recovery officer Mark Warmington said recycling was a "; S7[23]=" better alternative to burning or ploughing back into the ground where the plastic could end up in waterways.
      'Farmers are extremely busy "; S8[23]=" in the post-cyclone period and do not have time to cart away the material to the recycler,' Mr Warmington said.
      'That's why "; S9[23]=" we are more than happy to collect the material from the farm gate to transport direct to Subloo's Recycling at Innisfail.
      'In "; S10[23]=" Tully we take the recyclable material from the farm gate to a designated point for ready pickup to Subloo's.' Patrick Dunne of Subloo's asks farmers "; S11[23]=" to ensure bags and irrigation piping are reasonably clean and as free as possible from mud, dirt and other waste.
      'The bags "; S12[23]=" cannot have string, bananas or other material packed inside them,' Mr Dunne said.
      'If banana bags come to us dirty we cannot "; S13[23]=" accept them because they are to be exported to China or Korea for recycling.
      'Quarantine regulations will not allow us to send "; S14[23]=" any contaminated items.' Mr Dunne said the piping was recycled in Brisbane... "; R[24]="1379"; T[24]="Talks aimed at resolving horticultural industry code of conduct dispute"; A[24]="By ... Editor"; Dn[24]="20060918"; Dt[24]="Monday 18 September 2006"; Acats[24]="a17a18"; B1[24]="      Talks are under way in Canberra between growers and wholesalers aimed at resolving the bitter dispute over a code of conduct for "; B2[24]="the horticultural industry... "; B3[24]=" "; B4[24]=" "; B5[24]=" "; S1[24]="      Talks are under way in Canberra between growers and wholesalers aimed at resolving the bitter dispute over a code of conduct for "; S2[24]=" the horticultural industry.
      Prime Minister John Howard has agreed to a mandatory system, if a voluntary proposal put up by the Government "; S3[24]=" at today's meeting is rejected.
      The key sticking points involve a clear definition of who is an agent and who is a "; S4[24]=" wholesaler, enforceable transparent contracts and a dispute resolution process.
      Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane's office has confirmed the code will be in force "; S5[24]=" by November 1, whatever the outcome of today's discussions... "; R[25]="1276"; T[25]="Citrus growers prepare for fruit fly zone restructure"; A[25]="By ... Editor"; Dn[25]="20060810"; Dt[25]="Thursday 10 August 2006"; Acats[25]="a18a86"; B1[25]="      Citrus growers say they are close to winning a 10-year fight to have the Murray Valley's fruit fly zone restructured.... "; B2[25]=" "; B3[25]=" "; B4[25]=" "; B5[25]=" "; S1[25]="      Citrus growers say they are close to winning a 10-year fight to have the Murray Valley's fruit fly zone restructured.
    "; S2[25]="   Access to important overseas markets, such as Taiwan, depends on the zone being free of a single fly detection for 12 months.
    "; S3[25]="   Murray Valley Citrus Board chief executive John Tesorerioro says that has been difficult for Murray Valley growers because of the size of the Sunraysia "; S4[25]=" area.
      'It's not just the area around Mildura in those documents, it virtually goes from the South Australian border through to areas "; S5[25]=" like Wangaratta on both sides of the Murray River,' he said.
      He says restructuring the zones will aid the fruit fly fight.
"; S6[25]="       'The real benefits of the three zones are that we are able to enforce sanctions against people carrying fruit into any of "; S7[25]=" the three zones,' he said.
      'We can't at the moment, we can only enforce infringements on people travelling into the large zone.'.. "; R[26]="1212"; T[26]="Banana farmers defend cost of new crop"; A[26]="By ... Editor"; Dn[26]="20060730"; Dt[26]="Sunday 30 July 2006"; Acats[26]="a18"; B1[26]="      For north Queensland banana farmer Mark Spagnolo, staggering the production of his post-cyclone crop is not about maintaining inflated prices.
    "; B2[26]="  It is simply a matter of survival... "; B3[26]=" "; B4[26]=" "; B5[26]=" "; S1[26]="      For north Queensland banana farmer Mark Spagnolo, staggering the production of his post-cyclone crop is not about maintaining inflated prices.
    "; S2[26]="   It is simply a matter of survival.
      'Cyclone Larry destroyed 100per cent of our property, just blew it all over,' he "; S3[26]=" said.
      'If our crops were not staggered it would be absolutely devastating.
      There are not enough trucks to get "; S4[26]=" all of the fruit out of north Queensland and we would get way less than what it costs to grow them.' For the first time "; S5[26]=" in 15 years, the third-generation South Johnstone banana farmer will take four weeks off over Christmas and wait until January before pulling the fruit from "; S6[26]=" his trees.
      Growers have faced criticism for staggering production after Cyclone Larry tore through Innisfail and surrounding areas earlier this year.
  "; S7[26]="     More than 90 per cent of the Australian crop was destroyed.
      Australian Competition and Consumer Commission guidelines state that growers "; S8[26]=" may not work together to artificially distort the price of fruit to avoid a price crash.
      However Australian Banana Promotions Company chief "; S9[26]=" Craig Allen says growers are more interested in providing a regular supply and preventing an exodus of producers from the $400 million industry.
    "; S10[26]="   'In no way are they getting together to set prices,' he said.
      'It really is about the continuity of supply rather "; S11[26]=" than any attempt by the industry to distort the market price.' Yesterday's higher-than-expected 4 per cent inflation rate can be partly attributed to higher-priced fruit "; S12[26]=" and vegetables, particularly the cost of bananas, which have spiked at $15 a kilogram in the wake of Larry.
      While there are "; S13[26]=" normally 400,000 cartons of bananas produced in Australia each week, post-Larry production has dropped to just 50,000.
      But there is some good "; S14[26]=" news for consumers.
      Mr Allen said banana prices had peaked and would soon begin to fall as more fruit entered the market.
"; S15[26]="       'We will now begin to see production pick up slowly in late September through to Christmas and by the new year we "; S16[26]=" will see production return to more normal levels,' he said.
      Mr Spagnolo expects to pick the first of this year's fruit in "; S17[26]=" early November but it will be only a fraction the size of the usual crops that get sent to Sydney and Melbourne.
      "; S18[26]=" The few bunches of small, green bananas that cling to his trees now are a quarter of their usual size.
      'This is "; S19[26]=" a pretty poor specimen - it's a bit embarrassing, actually,' Mr Spagnolo said, pulling back a protective plastic cover.
      'They're all like "; S20[26]=" that.' Wholesale banana trader Greg Bradshaw, from Sydney company PW Chew, said yesterday that although sales were down 80 per cent, consumers were willing to "; S21[26]=" pay high prices.
      'A lot of people reacted badly at first.
      They would not buy them at $10 a "; S22[26]=" kilogram,' he said.
      'But, quite surprisingly, when the price went up to $12 a kilogram, it's been fairly stable.'.. "; R[27]="1168"; T[27]="Targeted spraying helps manage stonefruit disease"; A[27]="By ... Editor"; Dn[27]="20060721"; Dt[27]="Friday 21 July 2006"; Acats[27]="a18a33"; B1[27]="      A cost-effective spray schedule to control bacterial spot in stonefruit has provided impressive results.... "; B2[27]=" "; B3[27]=" "; B4[27]=" "; B5[27]=" "; S1[27]="      A cost-effective spray schedule to control bacterial spot in stonefruit has provided impressive results.
      A Department of Primary Industries "; S2[27]=" and Fisheries research scientist, Christine Horlock of the Applethorpe Research Station, said a four-year trial had shown that a targeted copper spring spray schedule provided "; S3[27]=" up to 37 per cent more saleable fruit than traditional copper treatments.
      Ms Horlock said the targeted treatments had reduced infection "; S4[27]=" by up to 93 per cent in susceptible plum varieties, with little adverse impact on fruit quality.
      She said the trial treatments "; S5[27]=" were tested at Applethorpe Research Station and in Granite Belt orchards, with financial support from the DPI&F, Summerfruit Australia Limited and Horticulture Australia Limited.
  "; S6[27]="     The schedule involved spraying with copper at six stages of fruit development and soon after rain, Ms Horlock said.
      Traditional "; S7[27]=" spring spray schedules required spraying twice, at early bud swell and 7-10 days later.
      Ms Horlock said the new program's copper sprays "; S8[27]=" were not currently permitted for use, so orchardists wanting to try it would need an off-label permit.
      'We also suggest that orchardists "; S9[27]=" use a trial treatment on a small area of the crop because of possible phytotoxicity to some varieties.' She said bacterial spot had long been "; S10[27]=" a serious disease of stonefruit on the Granite Belt, with its high summer rainfall, storms, and hail.
      Half the fruit on a "; S11[27]=" tree could be lost due to severe infections, as well as long-term damage to trees.
      'New infections can be initiated from bacterial "; S12[27]=" populations that over-winter in fallen infected leaves, allowing the disease to sustain itself in orchards between growing seasons.
      'Another issue is that "; S13[27]=" when you see infections on fruit, copper applications are two weeks or more too late.
      'When leaves start to fall off, "; S14[27]=" you have used too many copper applications or too high a rate,' she said.
      Ms Horlock said to help manage bacterial spot, "; S15[27]=" the DPI&F had produced a field identification card, previously sent to all Summerfruit Australia members and available from the Applethorpe Research Station.
      "; S16[27]=" 'Its aim is to raise awareness of bacterial spot and disease symptoms on stonefruit,' she said.
      Ms Horlock said she had "; S17[27]=" contributed to a chapter on bacterial spot management for the first Integrated Pest and Disease Management Manual for Australian Summer Fruit, which had been recently "; S18[27]=" distributed to 900 Summerfruit Australia Limited grower members.
      'Other contributors included leading scientists and orchardists who provided information on the significant pests "; S19[27]=" and diseases of Australian summer fruit, which makes it a valuable publication,' Ms Horlock said.
      More information on bacterial spot in stone "; S20[27]=" fruit is available by contacting the DPI&F (13 25 23)... "; R[28]="1155"; T[28]="Nut growers look to overseas markets"; A[28]="By ... Editor"; Dn[28]="20060720"; Dt[28]="Thursday 20 July 2006"; Acats[28]="a08a18"; B1[28]="      Macadamia nut growers are looking offshore for markets for their near record production levels.... "; B2[28]=" "; B3[28]=" "; B4[28]=" "; B5[28]=" "; S1[28]="      Macadamia nut growers are looking offshore for markets for their near record production levels.
      With falling consumer demand here "; S2[28]=" in Australia, growers are taking advantage of reduced tariffs for value-added products which were introduced as part of the United States Free Trade Agreement.
  "; S3[28]="     Jim Twentyman from Suncoast Gold Macadamias in south-east Queensland says tariffs will be reduced to zero by 2008.
      'At the "; S4[28]=" moment, because of the duty reason, we're having to have that packed and processed in the USA so we believe from next year we'll be "; S5[28]=" able to do the packaging and processing in Australia,' he said.
      'That'll save us in the end several hundred thousand dollars and "; S6[28]=" give us greater cost opportunities to compete in the US.'.. "; R[29]="1154"; T[29]="Dried fruits industry to take on snack foods sector"; A[29]="By ... Editor"; Dn[29]="20060720"; Dt[29]="Thursday 20 July 2006"; Acats[29]="a10a18"; B1[29]="      The dried fruit industry says it will tackle the snack foods market in an effort to counter the growing competition from cheap "; B2[29]="imports... "; B3[29]=" "; B4[29]=" "; B5[29]=" "; S1[29]="      The dried fruit industry says it will tackle the snack foods market in an effort to counter the growing competition from cheap "; S2[29]=" imports.
      Growers and processors say they cannot compete with the cost of production in Turkey and Iran to supply the lower end "; S3[29]=" of the market.
      Peter Jones from the Australian Dried Fruits Association says it is tough to get space on the supermarket shelves, "; S4[29]=" but there is consumer demand for healthier alternatives to chocolate bars and chips.
      'Traditionally we've always been looked at as being an "; S5[29]=" ingredient in fruit cakes and breakfast cereals, so really we've got to go to the snacking market,' he said.
      'The growing market "; S6[29]=" in the supermarket is the snacking area.
      People want fast, convenient food, they want healthy food, they want it packaged in the "; S7[29]=" right way.
      We've got to have it convenient for the modern day customer.'.. "; R[30]="1122"; T[30]="Now we will pay more for oranges"; A[30]="By ... Editor"; Dn[30]="20060717"; Dt[30]="Monday 17 July 2006"; Acats[30]="a07a18"; B1[30]="      Consumers soon are expected to be paying more for oranges because of crop losses with last month's frosts.... "; B2[30]=" "; B3[30]=" "; B4[30]=" "; B5[30]=" "; S1[30]="      Consumers soon are expected to be paying more for oranges because of crop losses with last month's frosts.
      Updated "; S2[30]=" estimates indicate about 30 per cent of the navel crop has been wiped out.
      Aside from domestic markets, the frost effect "; S3[30]=" is expected to flow on to a downturn of key U.S exports.
      Citrus Board of SA chairman Peter Walker expected a "; S4[30]=" 30 per cent drop in exports there.
      Riversun Export Pty Ltd managing director Steve Allen said that would mean the trade "; S5[30]=" would receive $24 million less than the $80 million expected.
      'It will really hurt the growers,' he said.
      "; S6[30]=" 'We were looking at 20 per cent growth for this year but the frost damage will probably take us back to where we were five "; S7[30]=" years ago.' SA Citrus Crop Estimates Committee chairman Kym Thiel expected the market for citrus to start tightening soon with the possibility of higher "; S8[30]=" prices... "; R[31]="1116"; T[31]="Frost damage blamed for drop in orange crop"; A[31]="By ... Editor"; Dn[31]="20060714"; Dt[31]="Friday 14 July 2006"; Acats[31]="a18"; B1[31]="      South Australia's navel orange crop will be down by as much as 30,000 tonnes due to frost damage.... "; B2[31]=" "; B3[31]=" "; B4[31]=" "; B5[31]=" "; S1[31]="      South Australia's navel orange crop will be down by as much as 30,000 tonnes due to frost damage.
      Industry "; S2[31]=" officials say the crop could come in at between just 45,000 and 50,000 tonnes.
      Other varieties including mandarins, lemons, tangelos and grape "; S3[31]=" fruit have also suffered significant losses.
      Citrus Crop Estimates Committee spokesman Kym Thiel says more damage could still appear.
      "; S4[31]=" 'For some individuals there may be 100 per cent loss, for others it may only be a certain percentage,' he said.
      'It's "; S5[31]=" still an ongoing moving beast, this frost event, where from day to day there are different characteristics of frost showing and it's still being assessed "; S6[31]=" as we go.'.. "; R[32]="1066"; T[32]="Apple growers take advantage of Italian World Cup win"; A[32]="By ... Editor"; Dn[32]="20060710"; Dt[32]="Monday 10 July 2006"; Acats[32]="a18a48"; B1[32]="      Apple orchardists in central western New South Wales are already trying to take advantage of this morning's World Cup win by Italy.... "; B2[32]=" "; B3[32]=" "; B4[32]=" "; B5[32]=" "; S1[32]="      Apple orchardists in central western New South Wales are already trying to take advantage of this morning's World Cup win by Italy.
"; S2[32]="       Italian-born, but proud Australian orchardist Guy Gaeta says he is looking for white apples to blend with his fruit.
      "; S3[32]=" 'We have got red and green apples I suppose but unfortunately we haven't got any white ones,' he said.
      'No it will "; S4[32]=" be good, it's going to be great at the markets, like this Saturday when we get to the markets, like being a lot of Italians "; S5[32]=" there, like even on the weekend there was a lot of forklifts running around with Italian flags on, where a few weeks ago they were "; S6[32]=" all running around with the Socceroos flag on and all of a sudden they changed flags, which was good.'.. "; R[33]="1064"; T[33]="Citrus growers set to export to China"; A[33]="By ... Editor"; Dn[33]="20060710"; Dt[33]="Monday 10 July 2006"; Acats[33]="a08a18"; B1[33]="      Strict quarantine measures have finally been agreed upon to send citrus fruit into China, with the first exports due to leave later "; B2[33]="this month... "; B3[33]=" "; B4[33]=" "; B5[33]=" "; S1[33]="      Strict quarantine measures have finally been agreed upon to send citrus fruit into China, with the first exports due to leave later "; S2[33]=" this month.
      Growers had hoped China would help solve some of Australia's oversupply problems, but Judith Damiani says it is not yet "; S3[33]=" known how much fruit will be exported this year.
      Ms Damiani says prices are also uncertain.
      'The quarantine requirements "; S4[33]=" make it fairly difficult to put a lot of volume of fruit into that China market,' she said.
      'So we will have "; S5[33]=" to start very slowly, we'll have to do some trial shipments initially and after two years we will have to look at amending the protocol "; S6[33]=" and making it easier to ship there.' Richie Roberts from Renmark says his fruit company will start packing fruit for China early next week.
  "; S7[33]="     'We're very keen to get several containers to China just to test the market because there's so much work that the industry's put "; S8[33]=" in to get access,' he said.
      'It's a shame if we don't put the effort in now to get the fruit there.'.. "; R[34]="1041"; T[34]="Trains ban peanuts after allergy scare"; A[34]="By ... Editor"; Dn[34]="20060708"; Dt[34]="Saturday 8 July 2006"; Acats[34]="a09a18"; B1[34]="      Dishes containing peanuts will no longer be provided on NSW trains after a menu offering a satay dish caused a highly allergic "; B2[34]="woman to fear for her life... "; B3[34]=" "; B4[34]=" "; B5[34]=" "; S1[34]="      Dishes containing peanuts will no longer be provided on NSW trains after a menu offering a satay dish caused a highly allergic "; S2[34]=" woman to fear for her life.
      A complaint by the woman meant catering cars on the State's XPT trains would no longer "; S3[34]=" serve any dish containing peanuts, a RailCorp spokesman said today.
      He said the woman was so allergic that she left her Sydney "; S4[34]=" to Moree XPT as soon as she realised a lamb in satay sauce dish was available on the train.
      'She had been "; S5[34]=" asleep and the person she was travelling with woke her up to tell her there was a peanut dish on the menu,' he said.
  "; S6[34]="     'She is so allergic that if the peanuts got into the air conditioning it could give her an anaphylactic reaction.
      "; S7[34]=" 'She wanted to be moved somewhere else, but there was nowhere she could be safely accommodated, so she got off the train at Wyong.' Following "; S8[34]=" the complaint, RailCorp had decided to follow the line of Qantas and schools in taking peanut dishes off its menus, the spokesman said.
    "; S9[34]="   Only three dishes - the satay lamb, a cake, and a snack - would have to be removed from XPT menus, he said.
  "; S10[34]="     The changes would be effective tomorrow, he said... "; R[35]="990"; T[35]="Cold snap hurts avocado growers"; A[35]="By ... Editor"; Dn[35]="20060628"; Dt[35]="Wednesday 28 June 2006"; Acats[35]="a18"; B1[35]="      Avocado growers in south-west Western Australia have suffered huge losses after severe frosts wiped out many crops.... "; B2[35]=" "; B3[35]=" "; B4[35]=" "; B5[35]=" "; S1[35]="      Avocado growers in south-west Western Australia have suffered huge losses after severe frosts wiped out many crops.
      The overnight "; S2[35]=" temperature in the Pemberton and Manjimup districts dropped to minus five degrees in early June and damaged thousands of avocado trees.
      Some "; S3[35]=" smaller growers are reporting a total loss of their annual crop, while others are concerned the cold snap has damaged their orchard's ability to regenerate "; S4[35]=" the fruit next season.
      Manjimup grower Tony Fontiani says the cold snap has cost him about $300,000.
      'We've lost "; S5[35]=" about approximately 90 per cent of our fruit, we had 12,000 trays of avocados on the trees and and I think we'll be lucky if "; S6[35]=" we pick 1,000 to 1,500 trays, we're only just getting in to the situation where we're producing a quantity of avocados, we haven't done that "; S7[35]=" before and this was going to be our big year,' he said... "; R[36]="988"; T[36]="Orange prices hit by frost"; A[36]="By ... Editor"; Dn[36]="20060628"; Dt[36]="Wednesday 28 June 2006"; Acats[36]="a18"; B1[36]="      Orange prices are tipped to rise in fruit stores after the most devastating frosts in the Riverland in more than 20 years.... "; B2[36]=" "; B3[36]=" "; B4[36]=" "; B5[36]=" "; S1[36]="      Orange prices are tipped to rise in fruit stores after the most devastating frosts in the Riverland in more than 20 years.
"; S2[36]="       The full extent of the losses in the navel orange, mandarin and lemon crops will not be known for several weeks.
  "; S3[36]="     But the Citrus Board of SA chairman, Peter Walker, said he expected at least 20 per cent of the navel orange crop "; S4[36]=" would be damaged.
      The frosts are also expected to harm part of the state's mandarin and lemon crops.
      "; S5[36]=" Retailers and wholesalers were unable to predict yesterday what impact the frost damage would have on retail prices this year.
      "; S6[36]=" But it is expected to compound the problem caused by the decimation of 80 per cent of Australia's banana crop by Cyclone Larry and a "; S7[36]=" light apple crop.
      Mr Walker said that the frost problem would lead to citrus shortages on domestic and export markets and "; S8[36]=" higher prices.
      'The board is instigating a meeting this week to try to develop strategies to deal with the problem,' he "; S9[36]=" said.
      The problem has been compounded by significant navel orange losses in the Murray Valley region.
      Australian Citrus "; S10[36]=" Growers president Mark Chown said it was the worst frost event since 1982.
      'This is a real blow for growers who "; S11[36]=" have already experienced a number of poor seasons,' he said.
      The frost damage has already started disrupting Australia's important trade to "; S12[36]=" the high-quality, high-priced U.S.
      market.
      Mr Walker, also chairman of Riversun Export Pty Ltd which handles Australia's trade "; S13[36]=" to the key U.S.
      market, said shipments would be cut by at least 20 per cent.
      The second "; S14[36]=" shipment of oranges to the U.S.
      this season was forced to leave Adelaide yesterday with a very light cargo.
      "; S15[36]=" The U.S.
      is the Riverland's highest quality market and is worth about $30 million gross a year to South Australia... "; R[37]="974"; T[37]="Crisis for farmers as frost bites"; A[37]="By ... Editor"; Dn[37]="20060628"; Dt[37]="Wednesday 28 June 2006"; Acats[37]="a17a18a35"; B1[37]="      Crisp, frosty days are exacerbating the heartache for many Victorian farmers who are already lamenting poor rainfall.... "; B2[37]=" "; B3[37]=" "; B4[37]=" "; B5[37]=" "; S1[37]="      Crisp, frosty days are exacerbating the heartache for many Victorian farmers who are already lamenting poor rainfall.
      Several regions "; S2[37]=" across the state have reported a higher-than-usual, even double, number of frost days in autumn and early June.
      In the Sunraysia region, "; S3[37]=" frost has damaged orange and mandarin crops, making some of the fruit unfit for sale.
      Local industry groups met late yesterday to "; S4[37]=" discuss how to manage the problem, calling for State Government assistance to assess the extent of the damage.
      The region produces on "; S5[37]=" average 100,000 tonnes of oranges and mandarins each winter.
      Sunraysia Citrus Growers chairman Peter Crisp said while patchy rainfall in Mildura yesterday "; S6[37]=" would help prevent further dryness and discolouration of the fruit, it will do little to alleviate the damage already sustained.
      'We have "; S7[37]=" to do better than last year for our growers to survive,' he said.
      'However, this frost has the potential to set growers "; S8[37]=" back considerably, so we're extremely worried about the consequences.' Despite being two-thirds of the way through June, rainfall is well below average in all regions.
"; S9[37]="       In Melbourne, less than 5 millimetres of rain has fallen this month.
      The June average is 49.8 millimetres.
  "; S10[37]="     Victorian Farmers Federation president Simon Ramsay said it was a desperate time for most farmers, particularly in the north of the state.
  "; S11[37]="     'There's not a lot of optimism here at the moment, given the climatic conditions,' he said.
      Forecasts for wheat and "; S12[37]=" other crops from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics predict that the 2006-07 winter harvest will decline 11 per cent from last year's "; S13[37]=" 40.5 million tonnes, unless there is another burst of late June rain.
      In Victoria, while widespread May rainfall allowed significant planting, a "; S14[37]=" lack of follow-up rain has halted planting, with early sown crops now suffering from moisture stress.
      The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and "; S15[37]=" Resource Economics' manager of crops, livestock and food industries, John Hogan, said yesterday: 'The next four to six weeks are critical for (farmers) to finalise "; S16[37]=" their plantings and get rain for what's in the ground.' However, he said the potential disaster was more immediate.
      'We're in a "; S17[37]=" critical stage now - certainly if we don't get any further rainfall, it's going to be a disaster for the agricultural industry,' he said.
  "; S18[37]="     Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Scott Williams said there would be rainfall, albeit limited, in the next 48 hours.
      'The "; S19[37]=" real driest parts of the north of the state will get a little bit of rain, but probably not more than 5 millimetres or so,' "; S20[37]=" he said... "; R[38]="957"; T[38]="Lack of canker action attacked"; A[38]="By ... Editor"; Dn[38]="20060621"; Dt[38]="Wednesday 21 June 2006"; Acats[38]="a18a33"; B1[38]="      A Senate committee has strongly criticised the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for not pursuing the source of a disease that forced "; B2[38]="the destruction of 500,000 citrus trees near Emerald in central Queensland... "; B3[38]=" "; B4[38]=" "; B5[38]=" "; S1[38]="      A Senate committee has strongly criticised the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service for not pursuing the source of a disease that forced "; S2[38]=" the destruction of 500,000 citrus trees near Emerald in central Queensland.
      The Senate committee on Rural and Regional Affairs said in its "; S3[38]=" report, tabled yesterday, that AQIS officers failed to properly inspect, in 2001 and 2004, the Evergeen property on which citrus canker was found.
    "; S4[38]="   That was despite farm employees pointing them to a locked room they believed contained evidence of imported plant material.
      'The origins "; S5[38]=" of the citrus material should have been investigated much more rigorously,' the report said.
      'There are examples of a serious reluctance on "; S6[38]=" the part of AQIS to pursue issues that demanded to be investigated and the committee is very concerned that AQIS conducted its investigation in such "; S7[38]=" a way that it sent the wrong message to anyone contemplating bringing illegal plants into Australia.' The committee, chaired by Liberal senator Bill Heffernan, made "; S8[38]=" a series of recommendations, including the formation of a flying squad of AQIS officers who would travel swiftly to the scene of any disease outbreak.
"; S9[38]="       Liberal senator Jeannie Ferris said the citrus canker outbreaks had devastated the residents of Emerald... "; R[39]="900"; T[39]="Local growers losing slice of apple pie"; A[39]="By ... Editor"; Dn[39]="20060613"; Dt[39]="Tuesday 13 June 2006"; Acats[39]="a08a18"; B1[39]="      Peter Darley has been growing apples for 45 years and hopes to reach the 50-year milestone, but the Orange-based farmer is not "; B2[39]="so sure the local industry will survive that long... "; B3[39]=" "; B4[39]=" "; B5[39]=" "; S1[39]="      Peter Darley has been growing apples for 45 years and hopes to reach the 50-year milestone, but the Orange-based farmer is not "; S2[39]=" so sure the local industry will survive that long.
      A second-generation apple grower, Mr Darley said the Australian industry was under attack "; S3[39]=" on three fronts - cheaper imports, the crippling drought, and perhaps of most concern, the supermarkets' growing stranglehold over primary producers.
      The "; S4[39]=" numbers reflect Mr Darley's concern.
      In 1980, there were more than 380 orchards in the Orange area, in NSW's central west.
  "; S5[39]="     Now there are only about 45 commercial orchards left in the region, and they are becoming scarcer by the year.
      "; S6[39]=" 'The younger generation has seen the hardships of their parents and they've decided, 'That's not for me', so there's a natural attrition in that sense,' "; S7[39]=" Mr Darley said.
      'But then there are established growers who have had a gutful of the industry largely because the supermarkets are "; S8[39]=" demanding a cheap product off the grower, which then in turn becomes a very expensive product for the consumer.
      'We're seeing a "; S9[39]=" lot of disillusionment in the industry because of that.' In recent seasons, it was not unusual for growers to receive just $1 a kilogram for "; S10[39]=" apples that would be sold in supermarkets for six times that amount, resulting in farmers barely breaking even, Mr Darley said.
      And "; S11[39]=" with cheaper imports flooding the market and undercutting Australian growers, the long-term outlook for local farmers is bleak.
      'New Zealand is looking "; S12[39]=" at us as their domestic market, and that will bring another 2 million cases of apples into Australia each year,' Mr Darley said.
    "; S13[39]="   'And we are going to see huge pressure from China as they can land a kilo of apples here for just 49 cents.
  "; S14[39]="     'We can't compete with such low prices.
      We support free trade, but we also support fair trade.
      "; S15[39]=" 'But we're up against subsidised countries, and if the Government doesn't want to recognise that, there will not be farmers in this country in five "; S16[39]=" years.
      You will see the demise of the Australian growers.' Export opportunities for local growers are limited because of high production costs "; S17[39]=" and the relatively strong Australian dollar.
      And the drought is continuing to hurt local growers.
      'It's worse now than "; S18[39]=" it's ever been,' Mr Darley said.
      But amid the gloom, there is some short-term joy, with market experts predicting a bumper year "; S19[39]=" for apples, partly due to the high cost of bananas.
      Chris Cope, from the Sydney Market Reporting Service, said apple prices had "; S20[39]=" benefited from the short supply of bananas brought about by Cyclone Larry... "; R[40]="867"; T[40]="Banana bandits give growers the slip"; A[40]="By ... Editor"; Dn[40]="20060608"; Dt[40]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[40]="a18"; B1[40]="      Three months after a cyclone devastated Australia's banana crop, some growers have reported a new threat - banana rustlers.... "; B2[40]=" "; B3[40]=" "; B4[40]=" "; B5[40]=" "; S1[40]="      Three months after a cyclone devastated Australia's banana crop, some growers have reported a new threat - banana rustlers.
      "; S2[40]=" The slippery thieves have been stealing bunches off trees in the north-east of New South Wales to take advantage of sky-rocketing prices after crops further "; S3[40]=" north were devastated by tropical cyclone Larry in March.
      Police in Coffs Harbour, about 450 kilometres north of Sydney, are investigating several "; S4[40]=" thefts in the area.
      'It's basically opportunists taking advantage of the high prices,' Nicky Singh, a Coffs Harbour farmer and vice-president of "; S5[40]=" the Australian Banana Growers Council, said.
      Growers council chief executive Tony Heidrich said there appeared to be a level of organisation involved "; S6[40]=" in the thefts.
      Typically the raids would involve at least two people to harvest and transport their valuable booty.
      "; S7[40]=" Mr Singh said bunches of bananas that would normally sell for $10 to $40 have been selling for between $150 and $180.
      "; S8[40]=" Cyclone Larry devastated as much as 80 per cent of Australia's banana crop when it tore through the north of Queensland, throwing the focus on "; S9[40]=" NSW producers.
      The nationwide shortage of bananas since the cyclone has forced retail prices as high as $15 a kilogram, compared with "; S10[40]=" the pre-cyclone average of $2.50-$3.
      Banana bunches are currently worth between $130 and $200 each, depending on size.
      The "; S11[40]=" far north Queensland crop is not due until November.
      Fruit currently is coming from northern NSW, south-east Queensland, the Northern Territory and "; S12[40]=" Western Australia.
      The industry is planning a staggered return to production for north Queensland to avoid an oversupply.
      Prices "; S13[40]=" should return to pre-cyclone levels by December, Mr Heidrich said... "; R[41]="854"; T[41]="Rustlers bent on bananas"; A[41]="By ... Editor"; Dn[41]="20060608"; Dt[41]="Thursday 8 June 2006"; Acats[41]="a18"; B1[41]="      Banana growers fear their suddenly expensive crops are being targeted by organised rustlers as the industry struggles to recover from a devastating "; B2[41]="cyclone... "; B3[41]=" "; B4[41]=" "; B5[41]=" "; S1[41]="      Banana growers fear their suddenly expensive crops are being targeted by organised rustlers as the industry struggles to recover from a devastating "; S2[41]=" cyclone.
      Soaring prices have made the fruit attractive to thieves after Tropical Cyclone Larry wiped out most of the nation's banana crop "; S3[41]=" when it swept through north Queensland in late March.
      Growers in northern NSW, which has become one of the prime production "; S4[41]=" areas for the eastern states as Queensland recovers, are now reporting crop thefts including one that netted 18 bunches worth $3000.
      "; S5[41]=" Coffs Harbour police are investigating - the thieves sneaked into the plantation through a state forest bordering the property.
      The Australian "; S6[41]=" Banana Growers' Council said three thefts had been confirmed in the Coffs Harbour area in recent weeks.
      Council chief executive Tony "; S7[41]=" Heidrich said there had to be some level of organisation in the thefts.
      'I hope it's not too well organised, but "; S8[41]=" it's certainly not a one-man operation.
      It typically requires at least two people to harvest a bunch and transport them,' he said.
"; S9[41]="       'We also think it's somebody that has some association with the industry because they know the level of maturity the bunches "; S10[41]=" need to be at to be saleable, and they're targeting those bunches.
      'I'm certain it's a potential problem no matter where "; S11[41]=" bananas are grown at present.' The council's vice president, Coffs Harbour grower Nicky Singh, said theft had only ever been a minor problem in "; S12[41]=" the past, 'but not as substantial as it is now'.
      'It could spread to other areas, too,' he said.
    "; S13[41]="   'It's going to be hard to track them down because there's so many places they could get rid of them.' Mr Heidrich "; S14[41]=" said the industry also believed there could have been unreported thefts.
      'Growers could be targeted and perhaps not be aware of "; S15[41]=" it until enough bunches go missing that it becomes obvious,' he said.
      The nationwide shortage of bananas since cyclone Larry has "; S16[41]=" forced retail prices as high as $15 a kilogram, compared with the pre-cyclone average of $2.50 to $3.
      Banana bunches are "; S17[41]=" currently worth between $130 and $200 each, depending on size.
      The far north Queensland crop is not due to return until "; S18[41]=" November, with fruit currently coming from northern NSW, south east Queensland, the Northern Territory and Carnarvon in Western Australia.
      The industry "; S19[41]=" is planning a staggered return to production for north Queensland fruit to avoid an oversupply developing.
      Prices should return to pre-cyclone "; S20[41]=" levels by December, Mr Heidrich said... "; R[42]="796"; T[42]="Research seeks end to dry mandarin losses to growers and consumers"; A[42]="By ... Editor"; Dn[42]="20060601"; Dt[42]="Thursday 1 June 2006"; Acats[42]="a18a93"; B1[42]="      Internal dryness in mandarins, a condition which costs the citrus industry and consumers millions of dollars in a bad year is being "; B2[42]="studied in a new research project at Bundaberg... "; B3[42]=" "; B4[42]=" "; B5[42]=" "; S1[42]="      Internal dryness in mandarins, a condition which costs the citrus industry and consumers millions of dollars in a bad year is being "; S2[42]=" studied in a new research project at Bundaberg.
      Principal research scientist with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Dr Tahir "; S3[42]=" Khurshid has begun a three year project studying all aspects of dry fruit segment production which causes problems for growers and generates consumer angst because "; S4[42]=" the condition can't be seen until the fruit is cut open.
      'Mandarins with internal dryness have a pale to greyish internal flesh "; S5[42]=" instead of the rich orange colour and the flesh is dry with hardened fibrous tissue.' 'Queensland growers had a major dry flesh outbreak in 1998 "; S6[42]=" affecting up to 30 percent of some crops when hot conditions and unusual rainfall may have accentuated the problem.
      Happily for growers "; S7[42]=" they haven't suffered similar significant losses since then,' Dr Khurshid said.
      He said growers records of similar events are few so citrus "; S8[42]=" researchers are hampered in tracking down the problem through evaluating environmental and management factors.
      Internal dryness is caused by a range of "; S9[42]=" factors influenced by tree health and physiology and rootstock condition which affects fruit nutrition, but no single cause is thought to be responsible.
    "; S10[42]="   Dr Khurshid, who is based at the DPI&F's Bundaberg research station, said researchers are looking at rootstock evaluation, tree physiology, fruit production, irrigation and "; S11[42]=" weather factors, flower production and the use of growth regulators as part of an overall evaluation of internal dryness.
      He said growers "; S12[42]=" were being asked to compile data records on their fruit production and problems such as internal dryness so that researchers can use that information in "; S13[42]=" their hunt for the causes.
      Dr Khurshid, who has previously worked on citrus industry issues with NSW DPI, said that a coloured "; S14[42]=" poster had been produced as an aid to growers.
      The brochure has colour photographs of key growth stages of citrus growth "; S15[42]=" from bud break, start and full bloom, petal fall, fruit drop, fruit growth, maturity stages and harvest.
      Dr Khurshid said it "; S16[42]=" is important that growers should get into the habit of recording the key phonological stages for different citrus cultivars across their blocks.
      "; S17[42]=" He said that the database information will be helpful for growers and researchers to understand the overall physiology of citrus trees... "; R[43]="700"; T[43]="Research into world quality table grapes"; A[43]="By ... Editor"; Dn[43]="20060511"; Dt[43]="Thursday 11 May 2006"; Acats[43]="a13a18a81"; B1[43]="      Scientific research by the Department of Agriculture and Food which helped spark international demand for high quality Crimson Seedless grapes will be "; B2[43]="showcased this week as part of the Australian Innovation Festival... "; B3[43]=" "; B4[43]=" "; B5[43]=" "; S1[43]="      Scientific research by the Department of Agriculture and Food which helped spark international demand for high quality Crimson Seedless grapes will be "; S2[43]=" showcased this week as part of the Australian Innovation Festival.
      The exciting discovery of a natural vine virus which stimulated berry growth "; S3[43]=" and produced bigger berries was only part of the Department's program to enhance the fruit's quality and consumer appeal.
      Latest research this "; S4[43]=" week will involve a sensory analysis of the Crimson Seedless grapes, grown in different areas across the state, and rating them for sweetness, berry colour "; S5[43]=" and crispness.
      Department development officer Ian Cameron said the Department had been working on the development of Crimson Seedless table grapes since "; S6[43]=" 1996.
      'A program was developed to improve management techniques to produce viable yields and in turn the best quality Crimson Seedless table "; S7[43]=" grapes in the world,' Mr Cameron said.
      'A significant part of this research was the use of a natural vine virus complex "; S8[43]=" that stimulated berry growth and has resulted in an increase in berry sizes from 5-6 grams to 9-10 grams Mr Cameron said research and sensory "; S9[43]=" analysis conducted as part of the table grape project had concluded that 80 per cent of grape purchasers are made by women.
      "; S10[43]=" 'Women under 45 years are the dominant buying group and they buy mainly for children,' he said.
      'Children prefer seedless grapes and "; S11[43]=" 90 per cent of consumers purchased grapes because they like the flavour.' WA exports of table grapes for 2004/2005 were valued at $1.8 million and "; S12[43]=" sales on the Western Australian market were valued at $16 million last season.
      Crimson Seedless is a crisp, red, seedless variety of "; S13[43]=" table grape that was initially bred in California by the United States Department of Agriculture and released in Western Australia in 1996.
      "; S14[43]=" Crimson Seedless grapes are now grown commercially from Geraldton to Donnybrook and Margaret River.
      Outstanding yields and fruit quality have been consistently "; S15[43]=" produced from Gingin to Harvey... "; R[44]="670"; T[44]="New mandarins are as good as gold"; A[44]="By ... Editor"; Dn[44]="20060415"; Dt[44]="Saturday 15 April 2006"; Acats[44]="a18a81a93"; B1[44]="      CSIRO has announced the release of two new mandarin varieties at the Australian Citrus Growers Annual Conference in Mandurah, Western Australia.... "; B2[44]=" "; B3[44]=" "; B4[44]=" "; B5[44]=" "; S1[44]="      CSIRO has announced the release of two new mandarin varieties at the Australian Citrus Growers Annual Conference in Mandurah, Western Australia.
  "; S2[44]="     CSIRO has advertised for a commercial partner to oversee the next steps of the release, ensuring that growers can place orders for trees "; S3[44]=" in Spring 2006.
      'Merbeingold 2336 and Merbeingold 2350 were bred at CSIRO's research station at Merbein, Victoria, after a series of controlled "; S4[44]=" crosses made in 1984,' says CSIRO citrus breeder Dr Steve Sykes.
      'While this sounds like a long time ago, citrus breeding is "; S5[44]=" a lengthy process - newly bred trees grown from seeds usually take 5-10 years to first bear fruit.' The crosses recombined the characteristics of Imperial "; S6[44]=" mandarin and Ellendale tangor for Australian conditions.
      Both new varieties produce sweet, juicy and easy-to-peel fruits that are seedless or have the "; S7[44]=" capacity to be seedless.
      They meet a range of criteria that will make them attractive to consumers, who are increasingly demanding more "; S8[44]=" convenient-to-eat fresh citrus fruits.
      'Merbeingold 2336 has segments that separate readily, are very tender and can be described as melting,' says Dr "; S9[44]=" Sykes.
      'The juice is tasty and sweet and the seedless fruits are very popular with kids.
      'This variety matures "; S10[44]=" from June to July in Sunraysia, Victoria, although the exact time for optimum quality will depend on region, rootstock and season.' Merbeingold 2350 is seedless "; S11[44]=" under the right conditions, depending on cross-pollination.
      Where trees are planted close to navel oranges, seed numbers have been one-or-less per fruit "; S12[44]=" with a large proportion of the fruits seedless.
      When surrounded by strong pollen producers there can be up to 10 seeds per "; S13[44]=" fruit.
      'The rind of Merbeingold 2350 is thin with tender, readily separated segments and a pleasant eating texture,' says Dr Sykes.
  "; S14[44]="     'Despite a thin rind, the fruit is robust, suggesting it will ship well and be suited for export.' 'Fruits of Merbeingold 2350 have "; S15[44]=" a pleasant sweet flavour with wide appeal and the rind is an attractive red-orange that will look great in retail markets.
      Fruit "; S16[44]=" size is good and in the range 120-140g.
      The variety reaches maturity during late June to August in Sunraysia, depending on soil "; S17[44]=" type, rootstock and season.' While growers will be able to order trees in Spring 2006, fruits will not be seen in the market place for "; S18[44]=" a few years due to the time taken for citrus trees to establish and bear fruits in the orchard.
      This research has "; S19[44]=" been supported by the citrus levy with matching funds from the Australian Government through Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL), in partnership with Australian Citrus Growers.
  "; S20[44]="     High resolution photographs of the new varieties are available for publication... "; R[45]="640"; T[45]="New persimmon handbooks to aid existing and new growers"; A[45]="By ... Editor"; Dn[45]="20060329"; Dt[45]="Wednesday 29 March 2006"; Acats[45]="a18a81a93"; B1[45]="      DPI&F senior principal horticulturist Roger Broadley (left) and principal horticulturist Dr Alan George use the Sweet persimmon growers handbook and Sweet persimmon "; B2[45]="problem solver books to check for spots or marks on fruit... "; B3[45]=" "; B4[45]=" "; B5[45]=" "; S1[45]="      DPI&F senior principal horticulturist Roger Broadley (left) and principal horticulturist Dr Alan George use the Sweet persimmon growers handbook and Sweet persimmon "; S2[45]=" problem solver books to check for spots or marks on fruit.
      Two new publications have been produced by the Department of Primary "; S3[45]=" Industries and Fisheries to provide vital information for persimmon growers and consumers.
      DPI&F persimmon industry development officer Roger Broadley said the new "; S4[45]=" Sweet persimmon growers handbook and Sweet persimmon problem solver were produced as a result of grower inquiries and requests from intending growers looking for up-to-date "; S5[45]=" information on commercial fruit production.
      The book summarises the findings of research and development activities conducted over a 15 year period by "; S6[45]=" a team of DPI&F researchers including senior authors Dr Alan George, Bob Nissen and David Bruun and Associate Professor Ray Collins, University of Queensland, Gatton.
"; S7[45]="       'The sweet persimmon grower's handbook focuses on the core information most needed and regularly sought by growers and presents that information in "; S8[45]=" a logical sequence.' 'The guide firstly provides basic information for people intending to grow sweet persimmon, then details requirements for a new grower to establish "; S9[45]=" an orchard or taking over an established operation, and lastly provides specialist information to assist established or experienced growers.' 'The sweet persimmon problem solver is "; S10[45]=" a ready reference picture guide to allow growers quick and easy identification of problems and prompt treatment.
      It contains an exhaustive list "; S11[45]=" of detailed pictures of persimmon leaves, fruit and trees affected by nutrition, pest and disease problems and infestations,' Mr Broadley said.
      He "; S12[45]=" said the sweet persimmon grower's handbook focuses on providing; ' A checklist of things growers need to know before they start growing persimmon, ' the "; S13[45]=" most commonly asked questions about growing the fruit, ' a guide to establishing, growing, harvesting and marketing sweet persimmon ' detailed information on key decisions "; S14[45]=" for growers ' a list of industry organisations, product suppliers and suggested further reading lists and also provides a list of currently registered chemicals and "; S15[45]=" their uses.
      Mr Broadley said the new books would provide essential information for persimmon growers and vital and informative data for people "; S16[45]=" intending commencing persimmon fruit production.
      Copies of the books are available from Maroochy Research Station, Nambour on 07 5441 2211 and Redlands "; S17[45]=" Research Station, contact Janelle Dahler on 07 3824 9555 or by contacting the DPI&F Call Centre on 13 25 23... "; R[46]="629"; T[46]="Wide Bay producers lead the way in peanut production"; A[46]="By ... DPI"; Dn[46]="20060317"; Dt[46]="Friday 17 March 2006"; Acats[46]="a18a66"; B1[46]="      Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries extension agronomist Greg Mills said the region is poised to become a key leader of Queensland's "; B2[46]="peanut production strategy as growers refine production skills and commit to greater investment to boost yields and quality... "; B3[46]=" "; B4[46]=" "; B5[46]=" "; S1[46]="      Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries extension agronomist Greg Mills said the region is poised to become a key leader of Queensland's "; S2[46]=" peanut production strategy as growers refine production skills and commit to greater investment to boost yields and quality.
      The joint field day "; S3[46]=" was organised by Arachis Australia, the Peanut Company of Australia (PCA) and DPI&F and attracted about 55 industry members including agronomists, local agribusiness representatives, marketers, "; S4[46]=" peanut producers, cane growers and DPI&F research and development officers.
      'The event reinforced the locally developed, high level expertise as growers continue "; S5[46]=" fine-tuning high input peanut production, introduce innovations to boost local production and exchange their own valuable experiences with peanut production.
      'Wide Bay "; S6[46]=" growers are leading the way in demonstrating how high-yielding, high quality peanuts can fit so well into coastal sugar farming systems and generate good cash "; S7[46]=" returns,' Mr Mills said.
      The field day attracted not only growers from the Bundaberg and Kingaroy districts but also Goondiwindi-based peanut/cotton consultant "; S8[46]=" Patrick Jones and three Texas/Inglewood area growers who flew in to attend the event.
      'Participants were shown trial peanut plantings in twin "; S9[46]=" and triple rows with high and normal plant populations trialled at sites in Bundaberg and other growing areas.
      The trials have the "; S10[46]=" potential to increase profitability by around 10 per cent if results from North Queensland are repeated locally.
      'DPI&F peanut breeder Alan Cruickshank "; S11[46]=" detailed the latest peanut variety development work in field trials at Peter Russo's farm which incorporated promising lines that offer major improvements in resistance to "; S12[46]=" leaf disease.
      'This could be a major advantage in the more disease-prone coastal areas with potential for major reductions in fungicide use "; S13[46]=" whilst increasing profits.
      Mr Russo also demonstrated the potential for high peanut yields despite limited watering capacity and the competing requirements of "; S14[46]=" cane production,' Mr Mills said.
      Growers inspected top-dressing of poor quality, low water-holding capacity soils with clay on the Loeskow family farm "; S15[46]=" where 500-1000 cubic metres of clay was applied per hectare delivering improvements to field watering and uniformity, crop nutrition and potential yields.
      "; S16[46]=" Neville Loeskow said he regarded this year's crop as one of his best and probably the most uniform ever as they push the yield barriers "; S17[46]=" with peanuts.
      He said peanuts are making an enormous contribution to their farm profitability.
      An approximate 50 per cent "; S18[46]=" boost in cane yield over the last 20 years is mostly attributable to peanut rotations, which give enormous profit gains and improved soil characteristics.
  "; S19[46]="     Growers were also shown a cane field with an indicative yield of 150-180 t/ha after peanuts.
      Cane, peanut and vegetable "; S20[46]=" grower Don Halpin demonstrated an innovative machine which lifts six rows of trickle tape in peanut crops, offering considerable labour savings for in-crop lifting operations "; S21[46]=" allowing easy retrieval and re-use of trickle tape.
      Significantly, Don's peanuts have been grown with about half the irrigation water used in "; S22[46]=" his conventional overhead irrigation systems.
      Following lunch, growers listened to short talks on new products being developed by PCA with high oleic "; S23[46]=" peanuts and the positive market outlook for next season.
      DPI&F officers Jim Barnes, Andrew Robson, and RCN Rachaputi gave summaries on Aquaman, "; S24[46]=" DPI&F's irrigation scheduling program, remote sensing for regional crop diagnostics, and cadmium management based on projects funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation and "; S25[46]=" DPI&F.
      Mr Mills said most growers are very happy with their crops this year, with a better than average yield expected.
  "; S26[46]="     He said disease control has been good under relatively hot, dry conditions.
      The field day was organised through the DPI&F's "; S27[46]=" project 'Tool Kits for Best Management Practices in Peanuts' which is co-funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation... "; R[47]="621"; T[47]="Blueberry profits feature in NSW DPI publication"; A[47]="By ... Editor"; Dn[47]="20060310"; Dt[47]="Friday 10 March 2006"; Acats[47]="a18"; B1[47]="      NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has published a new Primefact on the establishment and production costs of blueberries, the north coast's "; B2[47]="fastest growing agricultural industry... "; B3[47]=" "; B4[47]=" "; B5[47]=" "; S1[47]="      NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has published a new Primefact on the establishment and production costs of blueberries, the north coast's "; S2[47]=" fastest growing agricultural industry.
      'The gross margin for blueberries in full production is currently very attractive at about $56,000 a hectare per "; S3[47]=" year,' says NSW DPI horticulturist Phillip Wilk.
      'And this is attracting a lot of newcomers into growing blueberries,' he said.
    "; S4[47]="   But Mr Wilk said growers thinking of entering the blueberry industry should do their homework because there were a number of costs and other "; S5[47]=" factors that impact on overall farm profitability.
      'A gross margin is the yearly income from an enterprise after taking into account only "; S6[47]=" the variable costs such as crop management, harvesting and marketing,' he said.
      'It doesn't take into account the cost of establishment, which "; S7[47]=" for blueberries can be as high as $90,000 a hectare for a typical four hectare operation requiring netting and irrigation - not including the cost "; S8[47]=" of the land,' he said.
      'Labour to hand harvest the growing crop is a major cost and finding sufficient pickers is going "; S9[47]=" to be more of an issue in the future,' said Mr Wilk.
      'It is also important to note that blueberries don't yield "; S10[47]=" any fruit for the first year and need to be replaced after seven to 10 years,' he said.
      'The other major factor "; S11[47]=" is the price received for a tray of 12 x 150gm punnets of blueberries, which currently averages out at about $40 a tray,' he said.
"; S12[47]="       Mr Wilk said blueberries were popular around the world for their taste and health benefits and at the moment demand was exceeding "; S13[47]=" supply.
      'But there are a number of other countries planting blueberries which makes it hard to predict the longer-term price outlook.' He "; S14[47]=" said growing blueberries also required a high level of management expertise.
      'They are a very demanding crop, suited only to growers who "; S15[47]=" are prepared to monitor things daily, and act quickly to meet crop needs.' The north coast industry has grown rapidly to be worth more than "; S16[47]=" $20 million, based around one very large organisation, two or three medium-sized growers and 20 to 30 smaller producers.
      He said a "; S17[47]=" NSW DPI Primefact entitled 'Establishment and production costs for blueberries' had been published to the DPI website and was available at NSW DPI offices... "; R[48]="531"; T[48]="Fruit and veges not high on menu"; A[48]="By ... Editor"; Dn[48]="20060224"; Dt[48]="Friday 24 February 2006"; Acats[48]="a08a10a17a18"; B1[48]="      Only 7 per cent of Queenslanders eat the recommended daily amounts of vegetables, and just over half eat enough fruit, according to "; B2[48]="new research... "; B3[48]=" "; B4[48]=" "; B5[48]=" "; S1[48]="      Only 7 per cent of Queenslanders eat the recommended daily amounts of vegetables, and just over half eat enough fruit, according to "; S2[48]=" new research.
      Nutritionists say the recommended daily amounts should be five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit.
      "; S3[48]=" A serve is equivalent to a cup of salad vegetables, half a cup of cooked vegetables, a medium potato or a piece of fruit.
  "; S4[48]="     Research by Queensland Health and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show half of adults are eating the recommended amount of fruit, "; S5[48]=" while only 7 per cent of people are eating the recommended amount of vegetables.
      Dieticians Association of Australia executive director Claire Hewat "; S6[48]=" said getting people to eat more vegetables was the single most important nutrition message in Australia today... "; R[49]="505"; T[49]="New pest information service for fruit growers"; A[49]="By ... Editor"; Dn[49]="20060221"; Dt[49]="Tuesday 21 February 2006"; Acats[49]="a18a86"; B1[49]="      A new pest and disease news service for Western Australia's deciduous fruit growers has been developed by the Department of Agriculture WA.... "; B2[49]=" "; B3[49]=" "; B4[49]=" "; B5[49]=" "; S1[49]="      A new pest and disease news service for Western Australia's deciduous fruit growers has been developed by the Department of Agriculture WA.
"; S2[49]="       Orchard Alert, based on DAWA's award-winning Pestfax service, offers a weekly newsletter emailed or faxed directly to apple, pear and stone fruit "; S3[49]=" growers, advising them of topical issues concerning pests and diseases and a range of other information including management issues and upcoming field days and industry "; S4[49]=" meetings.
      'With so many people using email these days, it allows for us to send this bulletin to growers directly and efficiently, "; S5[49]=" with up-to-date information,' said coordinator and editor of Orchard Alert, horticulture technical officer Mark Sivyer.
      The service is intended to operate to "; S6[49]=" March-April and resume again in late winter, around August.
      Topics of the first issue include management notes and discussion on medfly, mites, "; S7[49]=" woolly aphids, the pear and cherry slug, brown rot, a new weevil insecticide, apple scab and black cockatoos.
      Updates on current pests "; S8[49]=" and disease information will flow into Orchard Alert from pest-scouting services, industry representatives and from pest-monitored orchards in the South West.
      Growers "; S9[49]=" will be encouraged to report pest and disease outbreaks so the service can inform other growers quickly of timely managements.
      'DAWA is "; S10[49]=" grateful to industry groups for their assistance with the initial operating costs of the new service.
      The generosity of the Hills Orchard "; S11[49]=" Improvement Group, Donnybrook Orchard Improvement Group, Newton Bros.
      Orchard and the Casuarina Valley Orchard is particularly appreciated,' Mr Sivyer said.
    "; S12[49]="   Fruit growers can subscribe to the free email newsletter by emailing msivyer@agric.wa.gov.au or by sending their fax number to fax 9367 6248.
    "; S13[49]="   Mr Sivyer can also be contacted on telephone 9368 3157.
      The newsletter is also available online at the Department's website www.agric.wa.gov.au... ";