INDUSTRY NEWS
Australian Almond Conference educates and connects university students
IN October , seven university students were given the opportunity to learn more about the almond industry and build their networks . Thanks to sponsorship from Syngenta the students received tickets to the Australian Almond Conference , including the gala dinner . The ABA promoted this opportunity with universities , via social media , through e-newsletters and the website . Syngenta ’ s Technical Services Lead for Horticulture and Viticulture Dr Brandy Rawnsley attended the conference with David Coombes , Territory Sales Manager , and were thrilled Syngenta provided support to the students . “ If they don ’ t know , they won ’ t know ,” she said . “ It ’ s really critical that we engage with the university students and let them know what ’ s out there in the agricultural sector , particularly in the almond industry .” There are more than 10,000 people employed either directly or indirectly by the Australian almond industry . A report by the Australian Farm Institute shows that for every university student graduating with an agriculture science degree there ’ s six job vacancies . While not all almond industry jobs need university degrees , graduates are in high demand . Here ’ s some of the feedback provided by the university students following the conference :
Sasha Gifford – Agricultural Sciences , University of Adelaide I certainly enjoyed my time at the conference learning about the current status of the almond industry . The sessions and panels I found most valuable were :
• “ Taking Aussie Almonds to the World ” – In this session I found a better understanding of why we need to export in Australia and the importance of the different marketing strategies depending on the country .
• “ Saving Money and Time in Repairs and Maintenance ” – This panel reinforced the importance of maintenance . A quote from Jeremy Giddings , “ maintenance is what it ’ s all
Syngenta ’ s Brandy Rawnsley with university students Ricki Martin , Caitlin Arts , Amos Dubbioso , Andrea Miller , Danielle McMillan , Sasha Gifford and Syngenta ’ s David Coombes at the Australian Almond Conference .
about not solving a problem .” This resonated with me as growing up around farmers , I find they usually wait for the problem to arise rather than conducting regular maintenance to avoid having so many issues .
• “ What do I Plant Next ” – From this panel I developed a better understanding of how important it is to choose the right variety . The variety must be suitable for the grower , processor and consumer which makes the choice very hard . Dr Sebastian Saa said in the session “ sometimes a variety can tick all the grower ’ s boxes but none of the consumers '" highlighting the importance of selecting a variety not based on just one part of the supply chain .
Attending the conference allowed me to gain opportunities for work experience and valuable connections with potential future employers .
Andrea Miller – Agricultural Sciences , University of Adelaide My highlights of the Australian Almond Conference were being able to talk to researchers and founders of new inventions during networking time , particularly Mossmont Nurseries and some of the almond processing companies with drying and sorting machinery . industry . australianalmonds . com . au
My favourite session was Roger Duncan talking about rootstocks and canopy management used in California , and the numerous studies done on certain canopy benefits . I was able to make some decent connections with growers and employers , however I wish there was more time for networking to further these connections . This experience has broadened my view on the almond industry and made me more aware of the job opportunities that are available .
Caitlin Arts – Agricultural Sciences , University of Adelaide The panels I found most valuable were “ High density orchards with Spanish , Californian and Australian experts ”, “ Pollination – varroa a game changer ”, and “ Robotics – new technology to save money ”. I enjoyed them because they were very insightful from a student ’ s perspective , especially the talk of varroa mite as I wasn ’ t too sure where Australia stands in terms of other pollination methods being explored like resistant bees . The technology was also exciting as I ’ ve never seen anything like it being used in an orchard . I was also able to relate some of the panel discussion to past studies in Plant Breeding . I also formed meaningful connections with potential employers .
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