Cherries taste the AI future

CHERRY growing is the latest agricultural industry to take advantage of advances in Artificial Intelligence. 

The bi-annual Australian Cherry Growers Conference in Hobart this week showcased new innovations and technologies, notably the latest “Cherry Vision 3.5” AI created by UNITEC.

The advanced AI technology is said to enhance the quality selection of cherries, ensuring consistent quality despite weather challenges. 

The conference attracted record attendance. 

The three-day event saw an impressive turnout with 261 attendees at the conference, a significant increase from previous years. 

“It was a great result; we even had people trying to register on the day,” said Gita Ricca, communications officer at Cherry Growers Australia. 

The conference began with an export workshop and trade show on day one catering to growers interested in or already involved in exporting. 

Day two featured the main conference with experts leading sessions about domestic and international markets, improving quality and more. The conference ended day two with a gala dinner and awards ceremony. 

“We had an independent panel with open voting and handed out four awards, including industry and lifetime achievement awards which we reintroduced after 12 years.” 

Dr Sally Bound from the University of Tasmania was one of the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement awards. She is a Senior Research Fellow with the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture whose recent research has focused on sustainable orchard floor management. 

“The winners were really surprised so it was really nice to honour those in the industry.” Gita said. 

Day three was dedicated to an industry tour, where 121 attendees visited Lucaston Park Orchard and Willie Smith’s Orchard, enjoying a discussion led by Willie Smith’s Director Andrew Smith. 

“Everyone, especially the growers, really enjoyed getting out into the field and getting into more technical topics,” Gita said. 

The orchard tour focused on specific topics ranging from soil health to cover systems and displayed what was possible. The trade show that went across two days highlighted cutting-edge technologies for cherry growers and production. 

Juan Pablo, an international expert in post-harvest physiology from Chile and Brett Fifield, CEO of Hort Innovation, were notable speakers. 

Mr Fifield emphasised the sector’s growth, stating that horticulture is now valued at about $16.3 billion, with projections reaching $17.4 billion by the end of the financial year. 

“While the growth numbers are extremely impressive, it is very important that we impress upon our team that it’s not just the size of our sector but it’s the profitability and the opportunity for growers to improve their margins and have a sustainable future,” Mr Fifield said. 

He said cherries ranked as the third largest export by value. 

“Cherries have a significant market opportunity with access to over 30 countries, and we’ll work on consolidating these opportunities and exploring new markets,” he said. 

Consumer insights also emerged as a key topic, with the introduction of the “Hort IQ” app. 

This tool provides Australian horticulture growers with responses from over 4000 consumer interviews, offering insights into consumer behaviour and consumption opportunities both domestically and internationally. 

“The response has been great,” Gita said. 

“Everyone really enjoyed the event, and the speakers and presentations were highly appreciated.”