Almond Board of Australia

Blossom is beginning to appear at the Almond Centre of Excellence! This international variety is part of the almond breeding evaluation program. The pollination season typically starts in late July and continues into August. Over the coming months we'd love to see photos of your almond orchard in blossom.

The wait is finally over! The Almond Board of Australia is delighted to reveal the topics being discussed at the Australian Almond Conference, which is being held in Adelaide from October 2-4. ‘Future ready almonds’ is the theme for the conference in 2024 and there’s plenty to discuss in this space, which is why two stages will be operating simultaneously on Thursday and Friday. In recent years autonomous vehicles have arrived on Australian almond orchards and this is expected to continue in the coming years. One of the sessions scheduled on Thursday will examine whether these new technologies save money. New almond equipment isn’t cheap, so a session on Friday will explore how growers can maximise the performance of their machinery, taking into account the importance of maintenance and repairs. Growers also won’t want to miss sessions examining where the water market is headed, the latest on pollination, sustainability and the work being done by researchers on a range of issues including pests, diseases, rootstocks and variety trials. Attendees will also hear about the work being done to promote Australian almonds globally. To find out more about what will be discussed visit:

National Farm Safety Week: 14 - 20 July This week is National Farm Safety Week and the theme for 2024 is 'In Safe Hands". Agriculture remains one of the most dangerous industries to work in. Sadly 30 farmers lost their lives in the first six months of 2024. Each day this week Farmsafe Australia will highlight a different topic, with farmers from across Australia sharing the practices that are helping them stay safer in their day-to-day tasks. To find out more visit: https://lnkd.in/gw-4-KYn #Farmsafeaustralia #insafehands #farmsafety #nationalfarmsafetyweek

AUSTRALIAN ALMOND CONFERENCE - REGISTER NOW Registrations are now open for the Australian Almond Conference. Future Ready Almonds is the theme for this year’s event which is being held at the Adelaide Convention Centre from October 2-4. Early bird tickets are currently on offer, with a reduced price for ABA members. Trade displays and sponsorship packages are still available, but they are selling fast. To find our more visit: almondboard.org.au/events

This month almond growers in the Riverland, Sunraysia and Riverina had the opportunity to view autonomous harvesting machinery in action.

The Australian almond industry exhibited at this year’s Snackex Trade Fair for the first time. Snackex is a biennial event organised by the European Snack Association. It is the only major trade exhibition exclusively for savoury snacks and nuts. The 2024 Snackex was held in Stockholm and ran from June 19 to 20. Over 180 exhibitors from around the world participated and covered all stages of the demand and supply chain. Our Australian almond stand was a 6 metre * 3 metre booth that communicated the snack benefits of Australian almonds. The Australian marketers on the stand met with existing and potentially new customers from around Europe and the UK.

Do you know someone that's made a significant contribution to Australia's almond industry? The Almond Board of Australia is seeking nominations for its time honoured industry Hall of Fame and Outstanding Service awards. These will be presented at the Australian Almonds gala dinner on October 3. In 2022 former Select Harvests CEO John Bird was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Adelaide University’s plant breeding scientist Michelle Wirthensohn was recognised for her contribution to the industry with an Outstanding Service Award. To access the nomination form and obtain further details about these awards visit: https://lnkd.in/eq92xvvb Nominations close on August 2.

“You never stop learning.” Brian Slater has been involved in the almond industry for more than 20 years, but he still finds it worthwhile coming to ABA workshops. This week nutrition workshops are being held in Loxton, Mildura and Griffith. There’s also irrigation workshops coming up in July. To find our more about ABA events visit https://lnkd.in/gDS6MzYQ

A special feature of our 2024 Australian Almonds Thaifex program is being one of the sponsors of the Thaifex Chefs Challenge. The specific program we are supporting is the ‘Asian Curry Challenge’. Over the five days of Thaifex, 30 Senior and 30 Junior Chefs will be creating their version of an Asian Curry with almonds as a key ingredient. The participants were briefed to use almonds in the curry paste and not just as a garnish on the top of the dish. Our participation in the Thaifex Chefs Challenge opened the door to meet with the Heads of the Thailand, Malaysian and Indonesian Culinary Associations.

The Australian almond industry is also exhibiting this week at the annual Sial China trade fair. It is being held in Shanghai and runs from 28 to 30 May. It is one of the largest food exhibitions in China. It is anticipated that 5,000 exhibitors from over 70 countries will feature, and more than 180,000 professionals from more than 110 countries will visit the show. Our Australian almond booth is part of the Food South Australia pavilion and we are being supported by the FoodSA team as well as an Australian almond industry specific business translator.