National Cherry Industry Conference 2024
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The Extension and Communication Project Presents: The 2024 Cherry Industry Event of the Year 🍒

Get ready for an event that’s as sweet as a perfectly ripe cherry! Cherry Growers Australia is excited to invite you to the Cherry Industry Conference, Export Workshop and Field Day in the picturesque heart of Hobart, Tasmania.

Watch the 2024 conference highlights

Join fellow cherry growers, industry experts and special guests from across Australia and around the globe and experience the highlights of the three-day celebration of all things cherry!

2024 highlights video

What to expect

Conference Schedule
DateDayVenueEveningVenue
31st July 2024Export WorkshopHotel Grand Chancellor HobartNetworking DrinksHotel Grand Chancellor
1st August 2024Cherry Industry ConferenceHotel Grand Chancellor HobartCGA Gala DinnerRoyal Tasmanian Yacht Club
2nd August 2024Field Day Bus TripHobart Orchards Huon ValleyN/AN/A

Overview of our 3 day program.

Program

We’re excited to announce a lineup of expert speakers who will share invaluable insights and strategies focused on cherry exports. Whether you’re a seasoned exporter or exploring international markets for the first time, this workshop is designed to equip you with the latest trends, best practices and practical advice to maximise your export opportunities. Don’t miss this chance to learn from industry leaders and expand your global reach in the cherry market! 

Fees: $150 inc GST includes workshop attendance and networking drinks.

Networking drinks on Wednesday evening are available at no cost to people attending the conference on Thursday.

Conference Agenda
TimeTopicPresenter
8.30 amRegistration & Trade ShowExhibitors
9.30 amWelcomeAlison Jones
9.45 amExport Requirements for 2024 - 2025 SeasonTrade Project
10.15 amNew market potentials in IndiaYemee Fernandez
10.45 amMorning Tea
11.15 amIrradiation for export and domestic markets: New DevelopmentsBen Reilly
11.45 amAustrade's market insights for the Australian Cherry industryPhil Georgios
12.15 pm2023-24 Export Summary: How did we fair?Wayne Prowse
12.45 pmLunch & Trade Show
1.45 pmAgVic Cherry Hill Traceability ProjectCaroline Barrett
2.15 pmSource Certain - Scientific Origin Verification for CherryKatherine Campbell
2.45 pmClosing remarksMatthew Evans MC
3.15 pmAfternoon Tea
3.30 pmCGA Industry MeetingCGA Board of Management
5.00 pmWelcome ReceptionHotel Grand Chancellor

Networking and Drinks

We are excited to bring you a jam-packed day filled with local and global speakers in the cherry industry.

Conference Day 2 Agenda
TimeTopicPresenter
9.00 amWelcomeBrett Fifield, Hort Innovation
9.15 amImproving cherry quality in and out of the orchardJuan Pablo Zoffoli Guerra
10.15 amPositioning Australian cherries in the domestic and international marketTristan Kitchener
10.45 amMorning Tea
11.15 amHort Innovation Marketing for Australian CherriesWendy Hubbard
11.45 amOpportunities for GHG emissions reductions in cherries and market drivers for change.Aaron Simmons
12.15 pmImproving Australian cherries domesticallyPanel discussion
12.45 pmUnitech sponsor talkFrancesco Brancato
1.00 pmLunch and trade show
1.45 pmExtension and Communication for the Australian Cherry IndustryGita Ricca
1.55 pmNarrow orchards projectIan Goodwin
2.25 pmNitrogen efficiency in cherryNigel Swarts
2.45 pmNorthern Italy growing systemsDugald Close
3.05 pmCherry maturity and consumer nutritionNadine Hoelzel
3.25 pmCalcium management in cherries under protective coversClaire Scofield
3.45 pmAlternate Pollinators in CherriesRaylea Rowbottom
4.05 pmThe newest cherry training systemsRonald Vermeulen
5.00 pmClose

CGA Gala Dinner – A NIGHT UNDER THE STARS Fees: $160 inc GST includes: full 3 course sit down meal, beverages and some fun entertainment, as per above.

At this conference we are excited to offer growers an orchard tour, where growers and interested parties will visit leading orchards in the Huon Valley and cover topics such as protective cropping, marketing, canopy systems and more. There will also be product demonstrations and a networking lunch.

Field Day Bus Trip Schedule
TimeTopic
8:00 amDepart Hobart for Huon Valley
8.30 amProtective Covers
11:00 amPIPS 4 Profit Site
11.30 amLunch – The Apple Shed and guest speaker Andrew Smith
1:00 pmLunch – Andrew Smith
1:30 pmBus back to Hobart

Andrew Smith

4th Generation Orchardist

Managing Director of R&R Smith Organic Apples and Director of Willie Smith’s Organic Cider. From racing yachts in the UK and years working and learning in European orchards, I returned to Tassie at twenty-two to take on a challenge that would come to define me – saving the family farm. For me, the decision to go organic was the only way and in 1998 that’s what we did.

sponsors

event tickets

Early bird deal

$705
$ 610
00 Inc GST
  • Export Workshop
  • Networking Drinks
  • Conference
  • Gala Dinner
  • Field day
Purchase Ticket
EARLY BIRD FULL PACKAGE @$610 inc GST DISCOUNT AVAILABLE UNTIL 30TH APRIL 2024.

full package

$ 705
00 Inc GST
  • Export Workshop
  • Networking Drinks
  • Conference
  • Gala Dinner
  • Field day
Purchase Ticket

Fees for attendance at single days are outlined below.

Export Workshop

$ 150
00 Inc GST
  • Workshop Attendance
  • Networking Drinks
Purchase Ticket

cherry industry conference

$295
$ 200
Inc GST
  • Conference
  • Networking Drinks
Purchase Ticket
EARLY BIRD CONFERENCE ONLY @$200 inc GST DISCOUNT AVAILABLE UNTIL 30TH APRIL 2024

Fees: $295 inc GST includes conference attendance and if arriving the night before, head to the conference space for networking drinks at 5pm (free)

hobart orchards huon valley

$ 100
00 Inc GST
  • Field day
  • Transport + Lunch
Purchase Ticket

CGA Gala Dinner

$ 160
Inc GST
  • full 3 course meal
  • fun entertainment
Purchase Ticket
A NIGHT UNDER THE STARS

All Meals come with beverages.

event speakers

Alison Jones

Welcome from the Cherry Growers Australia President

Alison grew up on the family farm in Wandin and picked cherries from an early age. She loved the camaraderie of working with people and still does today. It is a buzz that makes coming to work enjoyable, regardless of what you are doing! She studied to be a secondary Art and Craft teacher. However, wanted to work in the industry first so worked in design and sales in the textile industry in Melbourne and Sydney. Missing the family business in Sydney she returned to the family, cherries, and Wandin Valley Farms. In 2016, Alison became the CEO of Wandin Valley Farms. She is proud of what we do and the industry Wandin Valley are involved in. They produce a product that is fresh, flavoursome, healthy and creates excitement all bundled in with Christmas and Summer! In 2024, Alison was elected as the President of Cherry Growers Australia and is excited to open our National Conference Export Workshop.

Yemee Fernandes

New market potential in India

Yemee has held senior commercial roles in several publicly listed companies such as Fairfax, Universal Music Australia and LexisNexis. Over 15 years, Yemee has worked in maintaining and creating partnerships with a range of industries from FMCG through to digital innovation. Some of her former clients include American Express, McDonald’s, Unilever, Virgin Mobile and Coco Cola. Born In India, Yemee moved to Australia in 1998 and has detailed insight into the Indian business landscape. When travelling back to visit friends and family, Yemee saw an opportunity to bring premium food and beverage products from Australia to India to meet that growing consumer demand. She co-founded Four Pillars Trading Australia with teams in both Australia and Mumbai to support Australian businesses navigate the complexities of the Indian market and deliver on ground operational support. She continues to work with the Australian Macadamia Society and Ricca Terra Wines.

Ben Reilly

Irradiation for export and domestic markets: new developments

Ben is the fresh produce business manager for Steritech, Australia’s phytosanitary irradiation provider. He brings a practical yet commercial approach to biosecurity and market access development and optimisation, helping establish effective solutions that stand the test of time. Over 80 Australian-grown crops now use phytosanitary irradiation as a biosecurity treatment for interstate and export trade.

Phil Georgios

Austrade’s market insights for the Australian Cherry Industry

Phillip is Austrade’s Australian-based global leader for the horticulture sector. In this role, he works collaboratively with industry and exporters to explore trade opportunities and promote Australian capability in priority international markets. From this, he has a strong understanding of the exporter’s journey to market and the benefits of global trade for the Australian economy and exporters alike. Phillip has been with Austrade since 2015, working across the agrifood, technology and tourism sectors. He has previously held roles in transport regulation and as a negotiator of Australia’s bilateral air services agreements. Phillip holds a Bachelor and Honours degree in Commerce and Marketing from Deakin University. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, having a hit of cricket with his son, and overindulging on Australian cherries during the summer. At the 2024 National Cherry Conference, Phillip is looking forward to sharing market insights and his firsthand experiences with cherry growers who are focused on sales growth in both established and emerging export markets.

Wayne Prowse

2023–24 export summary: how did we fair?

Wayne Prowse is the Director of Fresh Intelligence Consulting. With a strong background in export marketing and analytics across FMCG, horticulture industries and government, Wayne established Fresh Intelligence in 2011 to help clients make sense of evidence-based trade data for strategic decision making. He is particularly interested in how global trade trends and disruptions affect Australian fresh produce export opportunities. Wayne will explore Australian and global cherry trade trends, insights and opportunities.

Caroline Barrett

AgVic Cherry Hill Traceability Project: the findings so far

Caroline Barrett is currently the Program
Manager for Traceability at Agriculture
Victoria, moving to Director of Primary
Industries at GS1 Australia later this year.
Caroline has led the Agriculture Victoria
traceability pilot trials in cherries, citrus and
table grapes. Caroline chairs the Working
Group for the Agriculture Victoria $15 million
Transforming Traceability Program. With a
background as a veterinarian and previous
roles in meat and seafood (PrimeSafe) and
FMCG (Mars Corporation), Caroline has
wide primary industries and food sector
experience.

Brett Fifield

Welcome address

Brett Fifield joined the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australia’s horticulture industry, Hort Innovation, as CEO in 2022. Passionate about delivering impact for Australian growers and the horticulture supply chain, Brett is committed to listening and ensuring Hort Innovation’s priorities align with the horticulture sector’s opportunities and challenges.

Before joining Hort Innovation, Brett was the Deputy Director General, Infrastructure, Investment and Business Development, and a member of the Executive Leadership Team at the NSW Department of Primary Industries in Orange. Growing up on a mixed farm near Wagga Wagga NSW, Brett began the early part of his career as a rural journalist and has since gained more than 20 years’ experience in agriculture, including 10 years in senior executive roles working across agriculture, biosecurity, food safety, fisheries, policy and cabinet, business performance, communications and engagement.

Ronald Vermeulen

The newest cherry training systems

Ronald is a Senior Fruit Consultant from The Netherlands with over 30 years’ experience working in horticulture industries. He specialises in cherry pruning, nutrition, crop protection and canopy management systems. In his presentation Ronald will discuss the newest cherry training systems being used around the world.

Matthew Evans

Master of Ceremonies

Matthew Evans is a food writer, farmer, television broadcaster and chef. Based in Southern Tasmania, Matthew lives and works on Fat Pig Farm, a mixed holding where he tends a garden, makes cider, fattens the namesake pigs and tries to entice milk from two full-cream dairy cows. Matthew’s farming journey has been the focus of six series of Gourmet Farmer on SBS, and he’s presented two documentaries, ‘For The Love of Meat’ and ‘What’s The Catch’. Matthew is the author of over a dozen books on food, including the authoritative ethical meat manifesto ‘On Eating Meat’ and his latest cookbook ‘The Commons’. He’s an advocate for open, fair, accountable food and farming systems and has pushed for honest labelling so we can all enjoy sustainable seafood. His latest book, ‘SOIL’, is a hymn to the remarkable and underappreciated bit of Earth that gifts us life. It’s a swashbuckling tale of soil that arms us all with the knowledge and respect to care about its health. Matthew Evans speaks passionately about the myriad ways that food and farming can frame the future, including food security, soil health and the sequestration of carbon through regenerative methods. His farming choices are underpinned by a drive for high ethical standards for the land, for the animals, and for the community that drives it all. Fat Pig Farm regularly hosts educational programs teaching ways to make farming more sustainable, ethical, productive and conscious.

Juan Pablo Zoffoli Guerra

Improving cherry quality in and out of the orchard

Juan Pablo Zoffoli Guerra is a professor of Postharvest physiology and technology at Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He has spent his career researching fresh fruit conservation and post-harvest handling. His work has enabled fresh fruit exporters to increase their productivity by using new technologies such as modified atmosphere when shipping fresh fruit to distant markets. In parallel with his work to strengthen the storage capacity of fruit, Zoffoli is also striving to increase resistance to physiological disorders such as internal browning due to prolonged storage times. He has developed practices and non-destructive protocols that can be applied at an early stage to ascertain the fruit’s degree of risk of developing a particular disorder.

Tristin Kitchener

Positioning Australian cherries in the domestic and international market

Tristan is an ex-retailer, having previously held senior positions with Sainsbury’s (UK) and Coles supermarkets, and is now a management consultant providing advice and support along the grocery value chain, from major retailers through to manufacturers and primary producers. He has a focus on fresh foods and was previously the Group Merchandise Manager for Fresh Produce at Coles Supermarkets.

Tristan has his own consulting business, Kitchener Partners Pty Ltd, focused on providing strategic and advisory support. Increasingly, Tristan assists businesses in understanding the implications of the changing retail and consumer environment and helps identify solutions to key business challenges. Tristan is a strong advocate for supply chain members collaborating more closely to better understand and meet the needs of the consumer. He believes that this can be most effectively achieved by transferring learning from other markets and sectors.

In addition, Tristan has recently assumed the role of Course Director for the Produce Executive Program, a longstanding industry-led course that has been in operation for 25 years. He is also an Operating Partner for ROC Partners, a private equity business with over $5 billion invested in Australian agriculture. Tristan is also a part-owner of Agricultural Networks, a packer, marketer and distributor of fresh cherries to domestic and international markets, located in Orange, NSW.

Tristan also manages and operates the Harmonised Australian Retailer Produce Scheme (HARPS) on behalf of the major grocery retailers in Australia (ALDI, Coles, Costco, Harris Farms, Metcash (IGA) and Woolworths) and Hello Fresh, Marley Spoon and McDonald’s. HARPS is a retailer-led scheme designed to assist with compliance with food safety, legal and trade requirements for suppliers of fresh produce.

Tristan is a regular speaker at industry conferences and appears as a sector expert in shows such as Switzer Daily on Sky Business TV. He works with a range of businesses, including major and independent retailers, manufacturers, private equity firms, state and federal government and other SMEs. Tristan’s formal qualifications include GAICD, MBA, MPhil (Horticulture Management) and BSc (Hons) in Biological Sciences.

Wendy Hubbard

Hort Innovation Marketing for Australian Cherries 

Wendy Hubbard is a dedicated category and insights professional with over two decades of experience across consumer goods. Her expertise lies in identifying opportunities and challenges using multiple data sets and transforming these insights into compelling narratives that drive business growth. She is currently the Insights Manager at Hort Innovation, where she manages consumer insights initiatives for the Australian horticulture industry.

Gita Ricca

Essential communications for all cherry growers

Gita Ricca is an accomplished professional with a proven track record of excellence spanning 15+ years. With a diverse background in government, travel, events, media, and digital marketing, she brings a wealth of experience to the project.

Gita’s expertise lies in communications, marketing, sales, and managing relationships. Throughout her career, she has consistently achieved remarkable results by developing and executing successful strategies while leading teams with finesse.

Adept at content creation, copywriting, and social media management, Gita has successfully built strong communities and fostered meaningful audience engagement. Her ability to stay updated on the latest trends and emerging technologies ensures that she delivers meaningful and relevant campaigns.

With her dedication to delivering exceptional results, digital marketing expertise, content creation skills, and social media management abilities, Gita is well-positioned to drive growth and success for Cherry Growers Australia.

Ian Goodwin

Narrow orchard systems

Dr Ian Goodwin is the Research Leader of Horticulture Production Sciences in Agriculture Victoria based at the Tatura SmartFarm. Ian has over 40 years of experience in horticulture research and innovation, with a focus on intensive production systems, crop water requirements and climate challenges. In recent years, Ian has led a team studying sun damage, colour development, tree physiology, crop regulation and water relations in bespoke research orchards, including the Sundial Orchard and the Agrivoltaics pear experiment. The new Narrow Orchard Systems (NOS) project will establish dedicated research orchards to investigate productivity and fruit quality in nectarine, apricot, plum, apple, pear and cherry. Trees will be planted at 2 m row spacing in narrow cordon-trained hedgerows using a range of rootstocks and canopy heights. Ag tech (e.g., autonomous machinery, sensing crop performance) will be tested, evaluated and demonstrated as a key component of the NOS project.

Nigel Swarts

Nitrogen efficiency in cherry

Dr Nigel Swarts is head of Horticulture at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture. He is interested in tree physiology and specifically tree crop nutrition. Nigel leads collaborative projects on nitrogen management in tree crop production systems and is currently supervising six PhD students. Nigel has a background in conservation biology and natural resource management with research focusing on rare and endangered orchids from across Australia. He has a strong track record in the field of orchid conservation with two highly cited review articles and a book published in 2017.

Dugald Close

Northern Italy growing systems

Dugald Close, former Centre Leader for Horticulture and now Deputy Director for Research and Global and Professor in Horticulture at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania, has worked in nursery, native horticulture, trees on farms, and wine grape and fruit production horticulture for over 20 years with a focus on plant ecophysiology for yield and quality. Current interests include water, nutrition, and carbohydrate ecophysiology, including post-harvest science, as well as focus on growing systems and plant secondary chemistry of wild and crop species for plant extracts and essential oils. Dugald enjoys teaching horticulture at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at TIA and working with industry for practical outcomes.

Katherine Campbell

Katherine Campbell is the Chief Commercial Officer Katherine’s recent speaking engagements for Source Certain. Source Certain is Australia’s leading provenance testing service, founded and operating in Perth, Western Australia. Katherine is originally from New Zealand and has a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Microbiology. Katherine has over 15 years of experience as a senior leader in the biotechnology sector in the development and support of rapid diagnostics in food safety and environmental monitoring.

Raylea Rowbottom

Dr Raylea Rowbottom studied entomology at the University of Tasmania and has worked with insects in vector borne disease ecology, biological control, and pollination research. She is the research lead for the Managing Flies for Pollination project at seedPurity, a nationally collaborative research project supported by Hort Innovations Pollination Fund with co-investment from industry partners. Her role in this project is to investigate the efficiency of fly pollination and deployment protocols in a range of crops and environmental conditions and to engage with industry on the outcomes of this research.
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National Cherry Industry Conference 2024

Gallery

Tony Hannaford

Director

Tony Hannaford is a cherry grower from South Australia, producing based predominantly in the Torrens Valley of the Adelaide Hills.

Tony’s family have a long history of orcharding. Tony introduced cherries in 1985 and now has multiple varieties spanning a long season with fruit delivered across Australia and the globe. This is all supported by the latest technology in the packing shed.

Tony has long supported and been active for the cherry industry – having also served on the Cherry Industry Strategic Investment Advisory Panel.

Nic Hansen

Director

Nic Hansen is a fourth-generation cherry grower based in Southern Tasmania and brings deep grower knowledge and long-standing industry involvement to the CGA Board.

Nic grows sweet cherries at Old Beach and is part of Hansen Orchards, one of Tasmania’s largest cherry growing businesses. He has previously represented Tasmania as the State Director on the CGA Board and has served on the HIA Cherry SIAP, contributing to national industry planning and decision-making.

Nic is currently serving his second term as President of Fruit Growers Tasmania. He brings a strong grower perspective, practical experience, and a commitment to effective industry leadership, supporting CGA’s role as the national peak body for Australian cherry growers.

Grant Piggott

Honorary Treasurer

Grant Piggott has been Chief Executive Officer of Fruit Producers SA, the grower association for cherries in South Australia since 2023 and served as its representative on the Cherry Growers Australia Board from June 2024.

He brings significant experience in finance, strategy and commercial management.  He is a qualified Chartered Accountant, a member of Australian Institute of Company Directors and has served for 15 years as an elected member in Local Government.

Grant treasures his childhood on a wheat sheep farm in the Upper North of South Australia, still owned by his family. He has maintained links to primary production for almost 30 years of his working career, primarily through his senior management role at the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA.

In his short tenure as industry representative, he has developed a passion for the successful growing and marketing of quality cherries. Grant is convinced of the deserved glamour status of cherries – healthy, photogenic, delicious, easy to eat and inextricably associated with the joy of Summer and Christmas.

Following his involvement as part of the team which guided the change of Cherry Growers Australia to a company limited by guarantee in May 2025, Grant was invited to serve as a Director on the Board in September 2025 and was appointed Treasurer.

ANDREW FAIRLEY

Director

Andrew Fairley bio coming soon

Fiona Hall

Director

Fiona has been an active participant in the cherry industry for 25 years. She was President of NSW Cherry Growers in the past and has served on the cherry Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) for past 5 years.

Fiona is currently a board member of Apple & Pear Aust Ltd (APAL) and the FAR (finance, audit and risk) committee for APAL. APAL manage domestic and international brands of produce including Pink Lady® apples. APAL is also the PIB for the 400 plus growers of Australia.

Fiona manages the business activities of BiteRiot, reporting to a board each month. She brings a wealth of experience across corporate governance & strategic planning, finance, business and marketing to the CGA board.

Greg Perry

Deputy Chair

Greg Perry brings extensive leadership experience across the cherry industry, infrastructure, and project management, with a strong focus on governance, strategy, and commercial oversight.

Raised in the cherry industry, Greg has a deep understanding of production challenges and the importance of long-term industry sustainability. He is the Managing Director of a project management consultancy, delivering complex infrastructure, development, and operational programs across multiple sectors.

Greg has held senior leadership and board-level roles in both industry and government-aligned organisations, including service on the NSW Cherry Growers Association board and advisory roles supporting strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and investment decision-making. His experience spans financial oversight, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and guiding organisations through periods of structural change.

Greg brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to the CGA Board, with a strong commitment to governance integrity, member representation, and supporting the continued growth and resilience of the Australian cherry industry.

Alison Jones (Sebire)

Chair

I grew up on our family farm in Wandin and picked cherries at an early age.

I loved the camaraderie of working with people and still do today. It is a buzz that makes coming to work enjoyable regardless of what you are doing!!

I studied to be a secondary Art and Craft teacher. However, I wanted to work in the industry first so worked in design and sales in the textile industry in Melbourne and Sydney.

Missing the family business in Sydney I returned to the family, cherries, and WandinValley Farms.

In 2007 our family bought the remaining shares in Wandin Valley Farms, and we all became involved in the business.

In 2016 I became the CEO of Wandin Valley Farms.

I am proud of what we do and the industry we are involved in. We produce a product that is fresh, flavorsome, healthy and creates excitement all bundled in with Christmas and Summer!!

Elected to VCA committee 26th October 2009

Elected to President of VCA 17th October 2013

Elected to President of CGA 24th January 2024