Successful 2025 APAL Technical symposium

Western Australia (WA) was well-represented at the APAL Technical Forum in Shepparton this year, with attendees including Jen Riseley, Steele Jacob, Andrew Taylor, Ann Lyster, Michael Giblett, and Matthew Omodei.

On Monday, participants enjoyed a fantastic selection of masterclasses focusing on business budgeting, integrated pest and disease management, orchard spraying, and post-harvest disorder management. Attendees selected two topics for in-depth sessions lasting three hours each—one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Several of these topics have been covered in the Future Orchards Series, and recordings will soon be uploaded to the APAL website. The APAL National Awards were presented on Monday night; WA winners Nicole Giblett and Sam Licciardello were unfortunately unable to attend, but representatives accepted the awards on their behalf.

Tuesday featured eight speakers covering a range of topics, including economic trends, advocacy efforts, staff training, effective performance management, new automation technologies, spraying efficiency, and firsthand experiences from orchardists who are maintaining high packouts and performance despite challenging business conditions. The outlook for the apple industry is mixed, with difficult financial headwinds making it challenging for growers to capitalize on new technologies and opportunities. All sessions were recorded and will be available on the APAL website in due time.

Wednesday offered a hands-on experience with a field tour of the Tatura Smart Farm and an overview of the PIPS 4 Profit program in each state. Speakers emphasized the importance of applying an economic lens to all treatments and experiments, ensuring that trials are relevant to the industry.

On Thursday and Friday, attendees participated in a novel training option featuring leadership training provided by Marcus Oldham College for orchard and packhouse managers. This training followed an expression of interest process and included lessons about the DISC behavior profiles and how to engage with various personality types within a team environment.

Overall, it was a busy and invaluable week dedicated to learning about conditions across different states in Australia while celebrating the collaborative and collegiate nature of the industry.