Juicing and Processing: Growers ready for change

摘要

Australia s Valencia growers have been dealt many challenges over the past 10 years but still remain determined to secure the future of their industry. Drought, frosts, the importation of concentrated, frozen and now fresh juices and the continual battle to fight for fair fresh juicing prices all make the task a considerable hurdle. "The industry is ready for change," Leeton grower and President of Australian Citrus Growers (ACG), Peter Davidson said. "We (the growers) are currently planting varieties that produce more consistent fruit, working with processors to come to a fair juice price and looking at mechanising to increase the standard of production and decrease our costs." In the past three years Valencia production has fallen 142,000 tonnes to 231,000t with volumes in the processing sector falling 128,600t to 144,000t.