NFF President, Brent Finlay, said Summerfruit Australia’s place at the NFF table will further strengthen the farmer voice on national policy affecting the horticulture industry.

“We warmly welcome Summerfruit Australia to the NFF family, and look forward to working more closely with the stone fruit industry,” he said. “The future holds unmatched potential for Australia’s horticulture sector. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES) predicts the real value of fruit and vegetable consumption in the ASEAN region to nearly double by 2050, with net imports reaching US$8 billion.

“To capture opportunities like this abroad, we must unify: working together, speaking with one voice, under one brand. This type of collaboration will help foster meaningful trade relationships across the region, moving more of our premium, safe and sustainable produce across the seas and driving home better export returns.

“Today’s announcement will enrich Summerfruit Australia’s role in delivering for stone fruit growers around the country, bringing their interests forward for debate at the highest level and supporting the development of strong and effective national farm policy. It will open up new opportunities for stone fruit growers, both domestically and in overseas markets and mean that their voices are heard in Canberra when it matters most.”

Summerfruit Australia is the peak national body for the peach, nectarine, plum and apricot industries, with approximately 1,200 growers across Australia producing a combined total of 100,000 tonnes of fruit per annum.

“Our role at Summerfruit Australia is to equip stone fruit growers with the tools and programs they need to optimise farm business profitability, and to represent their interests  at all levels across government and industry,” said Summerfruit Australia CEO, John Moore. “We look forward to working with the NFF on the key issues facing not only our industry, but the broader agricultural sector, including better market access, fair irrigation allocations and protecting our produce from exotic pest incursions.”