AUSTRALIAN LYCHEE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
LYCHEE GROWER MEETING SUMMARY
13 October 2017
King Reef Resort Hotel
Kurrimine Beach Q 4871

Download the full summary from the bottom of this page (attached).

Presentations:

  • Yan Diczbalis (QDAF) on LY16002 - Mite disinfestation for export fruit Mite disinfestation for export 
  • Astrid Hughes (Hort Innovation) - Lychee Marketing Campaign
  • Nick Morenos (Fruit Tree Media) - Lychee Communication Project LY16005
  • Trevor Dunmall (PHA) - Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD)

The PowerPoint presentations from the presenters are available from ALGA on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Grower Q & A
1. USA Update 2017/18 will be the third and final year of the 3 Year Pilot Program to export Australian lychees to continental USA (excluding) Florida.
3 growers have registered and passed their DAWR audits.
Derek Foley gave an update on how the USA bags were sourced and were finally approved for exporting to the US.
The post-harvest oil dipping trials will continue into the 2017-18 season with Yan Diczbalis building a portable grading table/rollers to accommodate changes from dipping to spraying that could be built into a packing station.
From 1 July 2017, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require that air cargo entering the US be examined (screened) at a deconsolidated level (‘piece-level’), or originate from a 'Known Consignor'. To accommodate these requirements, the Steritech Irradiation Facility has been approved as a 'Known Consignor'.
Both mango & lychee exports to the US will be inspected at Steritech, with mangoes being charged $60.00 per pallet and a charge still to be confirmed for lychee.
The process of inspecting lychee will be to remove the lid, lift the bag up, roll hand around inside the base, then place bag back into base and re-lid. Time consuming but necessary until other options become available.
From discussions with Ben Reilly of Steritech, he has emphasised that the relationship with the Lychee Industry and the use of the irradiation facility is a positive, so it is possible that the charge for this service will be minimal.
Derek thanked Marcello & Katrina Avolio for being the 1st growers to export Australian lychee to the USA followed by Jill Houser & Chris Salta. Charles & Hester Barbagallo & other growers were thanked for their contribution of fruit to assist in the post-harvest oil dipping trials.

2. Taiwanese Lychee varieties
As part of a Memorandum of Understanding agreed to and signed by the Queensland and Taiwanese Governments, lychee growers in Australia will have access to grow 6 new Taiwanese varieties.
Following the signing of the MOU, the Taiwanese Government will be sending several hundred marcotted lychee plants into Australia. The
6 new TaiNung lychee varieties have been developed by scientists from the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) but due to limited space on existing Taiwanese lychee orchards, only a very small number of the new plantings are being grown in Taiwan. 300 marcotts from the new TaiNung varieties arrived in Australia in December 2016. These plants were to be held in the Victorian quarantine facility for 12 months but the plants were found to have a coffee borer and were subsequently destroyed.
A second shipment of 30 plants from 5 TaiNung varieties has arrived in Australia and the plants are currently in the Victorian quarantine facility. Yan reported that another obstacle has surfaced and that is the quarantine facility advises that they are not propagators or a nursery and will only keep 2 or 3 each of the 5 different varieties. At this rate it would take a number of years to build and develop adequate supplies for test growing in Queensland.
ALGA will continue to update growers on this situation.

3. Horticulture Code of Conduct
Growcom and Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers are in the process of completing a template agreement taking into account the agent/merchant and the grower requirements. It is believed that this will be a fee for service agreement.
Growers can contact BFVG on (07) 4153 3007 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

4. Country of Origin Labelling general update
From the 1st July 2017 growers will need to declare that their product/produce is either grown/product/produce of Australia.
New logos are available and can be sourced on:
https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/groceries/country-of-origin

5. HARPS – The Harmonised Australian Retailer Produce Scheme
Growers supplying Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA will need to be HARPS audited which will be tacked onto the Freshcare audit.
More information is available on: http://harpsonline.com.au