Young grower insights from APAL 2025 Young Grower Immersion Programme
This week, we introduce Mat Omodei, a young grower who is returning to his parents' farm, Omodei Orchard, in Manjimup. Mat's parents, Cheryl and Rob, are renowned for their exceptional reputation in producing quality fruit over many years. As he returns to the farm, Mat participated in the recent APAL Young Grower Immersion Programme. We believe our members will find it valuable to hear his fresh perspective on what the future of the industry may hold.
Understand your orchard and make smart decisions backed up by data relevant to your business. This was one of the many lessons I learned from my recent trip through several of Australia's apple-growing regions. I recently had the pleasure of being selected to be part of APAL's Future Orchards Young Grower Immersion Program 2025, which involved attendance at the Future Orchards Winter Series and Technical Symposium Masterclass and Presentation Day.
First up was the Future Orchards Winter Series of orchard walks. Another participant and I traveled with the experts to a selection of orchards in Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania. At each location, we undertook a 'Block Scorecard', which is a review of that block against 13 criteria, including canopy fill, vigour, class 1 pack out, and profitability, among others. It was highlighted that reviews like this are important for gaining an understanding of the performance of your orchard blocks within your business.
“Decisions can then be made whether to stay the course or consider options for improvement or removal.”
The next event was APAL's Technical Symposium and Field Day in Shepparton. Day 1 featured a selection of masterclasses, allowing participants to choose from various topics presented in both the morning and afternoon sessions. These small group sessions provided an excellent opportunity for closer interaction with experts on specific subjects, such as Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM), spray calibration, budgeting and cash flow, and post-harvest management.
On Day 2, guest speakers shared their expertise on a range of topics, including business risk, resilience and efficiency, team development and management, technology trends, tree training, and spray application practices.
Day 3 concluded the symposium with a visit to Tatura SmartFarm, where attendees viewed current research projects, including Narrow Orchard Systems and trial blocks, as well as PIPS 4 Profit. The day wrapped up with visits to various orchards in the Shepparton region.
I am grateful to APAL for the opportunity to participate in this program. Having spent the last 15 years in a different professional industry, this experience greatly assisted my transition into the agricultural sector. Traveling alongside experts and speakers was a rare chance to gain firsthand knowledge and build connections within the industry. I highly recommend that young or emerging professionals in agriculture apply for the 2026 program.