Supported by a $471,000 grant from the Australian Government, Hort Innovation in partnership with Freshcare and Fresh Markets Australia are on the lookout for emerging technologies to make it easier for growers to trace produce along the supply chain to support maximum food safety, quality and sustainability claims.
This month, the Australian Government announced $6 million in funding for innovative solutions through the Regulatory Technology Research (RegTech) and Insights Grant Round of the National Agriculture Traceability Grants Program.
The RegTech grants aim to help businesses and exporters meet regulatory requirements more efficiently, giving Australian agriculture a trade advantage.
The project follows similar fresh produce traceability projects within the grape and cherry industries.
Result Group and the Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) ran a pilot for the 2021/22 table grape harvest season with the goal to build, diversify and protect exports by developing producer-consumer traceability, applying unique serialised GS1 Digital Link-enabled QR code labels to export table grapes, allowing the automated collection of data from farm and supply chain.
GS1 traceability standards were also implemented in a cherry traceability pilot funded through Agriculture Victoria from its Transforming Traceability program in 2022. Over two years until 2024, the pilot will build and protect cherry exports by developing automated and integrated traceability systems.
Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said the funding would boost the horticulture sectors’ efforts to enhance and protect their supply chains.
“Having robust traceability systems in place assures consumers and trading partners that Australia’s produce is fresh and safe.
“Australia is a world-leader when it comes to having trustworthy processes and systems in place, but this funding gives us the opportunity see what else is out there and identify technology that can both bolster our traceability systems, while also reducing costs for growers,” Fifield said.
Freshcare chief executive officer Jane Siebum said she was looking forward to seeing what technology could be implemented in Australia to make growers lives easier.
“This project will see us identify ‘regulatory technology’ solutions that increase efficiency for growers and our industry as a whole.
“The solutions identified through this work will be made available to the whole sector, so that, together, we can future proof Australia’s horticulture industry,” Siebum said.
National Farmers Federation Horticulture Council executive officer Richard Shannon said this program was a critical focus for horticultural businesses.
“This announcement marks the start of a collaborative approach within the horticulture sector to remove unnecessary red tape and also bolster the way we trace product claims throughout the supply chain.
“It is great to see key players within the horticulture industry join forces in an effort to reduce duplication for growers and increase efficiency,” Shannon said.
