Date industry travel

Gurra Downs Date Company Pty Ltd

  • Project code: PRJ-004682

  • Project stage: Closed

  • Project start date: Monday, August 3, 2009

  • Project completion date: Tuesday, September 29, 2009

  • National Priority: NEPI-Feasibility studies and industry literature reviews

Summary

19/0709 – Depart Australia.
20/07/09 – Arrive Abu Dhabi.
21-22/07/09 – Attend Abu Dhabi Liwa Date festival/expo/seminars. (a prestigious event
in celebration of dates attracting best regional fruit) – gives opportunity to
inspect and understand judging criteria, meet and talk with local date
growers, attend seminars on care and production of date palms.
23-25/07/09 – Travel to Dubai. Visit date retail outlets to view products, pricing,
packaging. Meet Detpak packaging manager to discuss date packaging &
supply.
26/07/09 – Day trip to Emirate of Sharjah to view date market with over 100 varieties
of locally grown dates, meet with local date farmers and discuss supply.
27-29/07/09 – Travel to Fujairah to meet/network with VIP industry participants, discuss
fruit import/export opportunities, inspect factory processing, fruit
packaging, view date harvesting, catalogue harvest techniques for
different varieties, receive training in bunch management and harvesting.
30/07/09 – Return to Dubai.
31/07/09 – Return to Australia.

Program

New and Emerging Plant Industries

Research Organisation

Gurra Downs Date Company Pty Ltd

Objective Summary

The visit to the Fujairah date factory will enable us to arrange to purchase date samples for import into Australia (representing same varieties growing in Australia). Purchasing samples gives us ability to conduct market research for these different varieties. Viewing of processing and packaging will assist in determining infrastructure required at a factory level for future processing here in Australia.
The date harvest is currently underway in the UAE. We will identify and record methods of harvesting for different date varieties & determine labour inputs. Having recently brought in new selections of genetic planting material from the UAE for the Australian date industry it is important to learn firsthand from UAE farmers, best methods of production for these new varieties and bring this knowledge home to disseminate among Australian growers.
Having established a network with high ranking industry/government officials who have greatly assisted us in obtaining/importing superior date palm genetics into Australia, this travel will enable us to strengthen relationships & further explore possibilities for the recruitment of other significant genetic material & facilitate reciprocal supply of fruit trade.
We will be very methodical with photographing and recording activities we participate in whilst in the UAE. Important aspects of this information will be made available in our RIRDC report, on our website and via our presentations and property field visits for the betterment of the Australian date industry.