Apple and Pear Australia Limited - APAL

Apple and Pear Australia Limited - APAL Peak industry body for Australian apple and pear growers and owner of Pink Lady® internationally.

Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) is the peak industry body and non-profit membership organisation that supports Australia’s commercial apple and pear growers by:

> Improving orchard productivity and grower profitability through Future Orchards®
> Creating export market opportunities
> Promoting industry interests with Government, retailers and other relevant bodies
> Collecting and analys

ing industry data
> Delivering new varieties to commercialisation
> Providing industry communications
> Connecting growers nationwide

APAL is also the owner of the world’s leading fresh produce brand, Pink Lady®, in over 100 countries. APAL's social media engagement is partly funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd using the apple and pear industry levy funds from growers and matching funds from the Australian Government.

Twenty-five emerging leaders from Australia’s apple and pear industry came together in the Goulburn Valley for APAL’s 20...
17/06/2026

Twenty-five emerging leaders from Australia’s apple and pear industry came together in the Goulburn Valley for APAL’s 2026 Short Course in Fruit Production, building technical knowledge, practical skills and professional networks that will support them throughout their careers.

Held at Agriculture Victoria's Tatura SmartFarm from 10–16 June, the intensive five-day program was delivered as part of the new Hort Innovation-funded Building capability program for emerging leaders (AP25001).

Designed for emerging growers and those new to the industry, the course helped participants build a strong technical foundation, improve their understanding of common orchard tasks and develop capability in areas they may have had less exposure to throughout their careers.

Across the week, participants explored the key biological, economic and management factors that influence orchard performance, from tree physiology and crop development through to irrigation, nutrition, pest management and postharvest handling.

A major focus of the course was understanding how decisions made throughout the season influence both fruit quality and business outcomes.

Read more: https://apal.org.au/emerging-leaders-complete-apals-2026-short-course-in-fruit-production/

APAL has announced the successful recipients of the 2026 APAL Awards for Excellence, recognising outstanding leadership,...
01/06/2026

APAL has announced the successful recipients of the 2026 APAL Awards for Excellence, recognising outstanding leadership, innovation and service across the Australian apple and pear industry.

This year, eight individuals and businesses have been recognised across seven award categories for their exceptional contributions to the growth and success of the sector.

2026 APAL Awards for Excellence recipients:

Lifetime Achievement Award
• Rosie Savio – P Savio & Co Pty Ltd (QLD)
• Stephen Tancred – Orchard Services (QLD)

Grower of the Year
• Paul Priest – Priest Bros Orchards (VIC)

Industry Rising Star
• Damien Silm – Cedar Creek Orchard (NSW)

Women in Horticulture Award
• Nardia Stacy – Pomewest (WA)

Research & Extension Provider of the Year
• Alessio Scalisi – Agriculture Victoria (VIC)

Agritourism Award
• Nightingale Bros (VIC)

Orchard Operations Excellence Award
• Lauren Fankhauser – Fankhauser Apples (VIC)

Please join us in celebrating this year's recipients and thanking them for their invaluable contribution to our industry.

We look forward to celebrating your achievements with colleagues, family and friends at the APAL Awards for Excellence and Industry Forum event in Melbourne in July.

Read more: https://apal.org.au/apal-announces-2026-awards-for-excellence-honouring-apple-and-pear-industry-leaders/

Today, the Australian table grape industry celebrates over $600 million in exports and enjoys higher prices domestically...
01/06/2026

Today, the Australian table grape industry celebrates over $600 million in exports and enjoys higher prices domestically, all thanks to cracking the ‘China code’.

However, Jeff Scott, CEO of the Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA), reveals that this success nearly came to a halt in the first season of trade when growers made a mistake that shut the door – for a short, distressing time – on the China market.

Read more: https://apal.org.au/exporting-to-china-how-australian-table-grapes-cracked-the-code-and-almost-lost-it-all/

Australian Table Grape Association

Late-season management is a relatively short window in the apple orchard management calendar, but has a huge impact in s...
29/05/2026

Late-season management is a relatively short window in the apple orchard management calendar, but has a huge impact in setting up the orchard for the next season.
Each season is different, so each season’s results will be different.

When considering the block scorecard concept from the 2025 round of Future Orchards® walks, late season – just prior to harvest and postharvest, but before leaf drop – is the best time to assess your trees to inform that block scorecard with information specific to the 2026 season. You only get one chance to document it. Don’t rely on your memory later. Do it now while the fruit is there, while the leaves are on the trees, while all the 2026 results are on full display. This is when the tree reveals the fruits of your labour.

Read more: https://apal.org.au/capturing-the-2026-season-results/

AgFirst NZ

Australian apple and pear growers are set to benefit from two new Hort Innovation-funded projects delivered by APAL. The...
25/05/2026

Australian apple and pear growers are set to benefit from two new Hort Innovation-funded projects delivered by APAL.

The two-year Apple and pear orchard benchmarking (AP25002) project will support profitability, efficiency and sustainability, building on more than 15 years of Orchard Business Analysis data.

The Building capability program for emerging leaders (AP25001) will strengthen technical and leadership skills across the industry, expanding on the success of APAL’s Short Course in Fruit Production and Leadership Course programs.

This year’s Short Course will be held in the Goulburn Valley from 10–16 June, it's not too late to register!

Read more: https://apal.org.au/funding-for-benchmarking-and-building-capability/

Planning to export apples or pears in 2027? Export registrations for protocol markets – Thailand, China and Canada (main...
22/05/2026

Planning to export apples or pears in 2027?

Export registrations for protocol markets – Thailand, China and Canada (mainland Australia and Tasmania); Japan (Tasmania only) and Taiwan (Tasmania only) – open on Monday 1 June.

To support growers, APAL has developed a clear, step-by-step infographic timeline highlighting key dates and requirements.

Download the 2027 Export Season Timeline to ensure you're on track and export-ready via the link below.

https://apal.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/APAL-2027-Export-Timeline-May2026-final.pdf

How did apples perform against other produce in the fresh fruit category last year? Did some apple varieties perform bet...
19/05/2026

How did apples perform against other produce in the fresh fruit category last year?

Did some apple varieties perform better than others?

And do consumers at different life stages buy more or fewer apples?

In the 2025 calendar year apples saw average retail prices lift by over 13 per cent compared to 2024, reaching an average of $4.56/kg – the highest level recorded in our data to date.

Read more: https://apal.org.au/apples-in-2025-a-year-of-value-in-a-tighter-crop

This year’s Forum has a clear objective: to equip Australia’s apple and pear growers with the confidence, commercial awa...
17/05/2026

This year’s Forum has a clear objective: to equip Australia’s apple and pear growers with the confidence, commercial awareness and practical tools needed to make informed decisions in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

In a year when commercial pressure continues to test Australia’s apple and pear growers, the 2026 APAL Industry Forum will focus squarely on what matters most: retailer reality, supplier protections and practical technology adoption.

A headline session will see Neil Rechlin, Director of NextGen Group, deliver a frank assessment of where things truly stand with retailers.

Read more: https://apal.org.au/retail-reality-the-code-and-practical-ai-to-lead-2026-apal-industry-forum/

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/apal-industry-forum-and-awards-for-excellence-2026-tickets-1980345805614

Address

Level 2, 250 Victoria Parade
Melbourne, VIC
3002

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

0393293511

Website

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