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From previous page “ At the moment I ’ m working within the Industry Development Team to help share the learnings from research projects as well as what growers are observing on their farms with the target of industry best practices ," Rajesh said . " We are also working on a rootstock trial through which the ABA is evaluating various rootstocks for the industry in sandy soils and looking to establish a new site in heavy soils in the Riverina . “ There is plenty to do . “ A key part of the role is also developing and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders and growers to allow us to identify and work on solving current and emerging issues .” A tour of the Riverina with the ABA ’ s Industry Development Team in March was a valuable opportunity to connect with growers and industry leaders .
I believe there ' s huge potential for continued growth in the industry in coming years and I ' m excited to be able to contribute to that ...
“ Getting out and talking with people in the industry has been helpful in identifying and understanding some of its key challenges ,” Rajesh said . “ That includes the issues presented by a wet harvest and the challenges of on-farm drying and storage of harvested almonds . " There ’ s a real need to continue to improve the harvesting and collecting machinery available to the industry to work in uncertain weather conditions . “ Managing input costs is also a challenge in this growing industry .” Despite that , Rajesh sees plenty of opportunity and potential for the industry into the future . “ There are a lot of opportunities for industry development in the areas of sustainability , new technology , remote monitoring for pests and diseases and waste management and recycling ,” he said .