Gaining momentum: Australia's $130M horticulture export push powers ahead

Australia's $130 million Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA) initiative has marked its first anniversary with significant strides toward safeguarding and expanding the nation's horticulture exports.

This eight-year program, driven by Hort Innovation in collaboration with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), has launched more than 50 research activities focused on advanced pest management techniques and trade security – all with the long-term goal to bolster Australian exports.

A team of more than 80 collaborators, including industry groups, commercial operators, and researchers, has united under one program to develop a range of pioneering strategies and new technologies for tracking pests, trapping pests and reducing pest pressure.

Currently, the work is across blueberries, avocados and strawberries and the breadth of the program will grow over time as Australian horticulture identifies new opportunities that require the backing of science.

Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said the cornerstone of the program remains the delivery of robust and timely data sets to underpin market access negotiation.

"The coordinated national approach we have introduced is critical to enhancing current markets and entering new ones, all based on solid science,” he said.

"We are not just repeating past practices; we are pioneering new, evidence-based strategies that will reassure our trading partners about the safety and quality of Australian produce."

He said an unprecedented level of collaboration was central to the success of FASTA. "Collaboration is the key to achieving real results, and this united approach is already paying off."

DAF horticulture and forestry sciences general manager Lynne Turner highlighted the program's strong industry engagement.

"Over the past year, we have hosted five roundtables for nine key export commodities, held a research forum at Hort Connections, and three more roundtables are coming up. Our scientists have initiated more than 50 research activities directly aligned with industry needs and co-designed a work plan to guide our efforts. This important work is well underway," she said.

Work through FASTA includes:

• Market access support: Addressing gaps in pest and disease data (phytosanitary requirements) critical for export market assurance and market access negotiation with existing and potential trade partners. This work will also include a focus on developing opportunities for blueberries and avocados.
• Integrated pest management: Developing in-field management strategies for different regions and production systems, including protected cropping, to improve fruit quality and boost confidence in securing new markets. This work will include in-depth Mediterranean Fruit Fly research for blueberries and strawberries.
• Chemical alternatives: Introducing novel biopesticides and environmentally friendly chemicals to reduce reliance on traditional pesticides, ensuring efficient pest management.
• Stress physiology: Investigating the mechanisms of insect death and associated physiological thresholds to optimise phytosanitary treatments and in-field management.
• Smart technologies: Advancing the sector with tools for rapid pest detection, tracking pest dispersion, and removing infested products from supply chains.
• Surveillance and diagnostics: Enhancing biosecurity through advanced pest identification techniques, fine-scale genomic tracing, and improving Australia's capacity to prove its pest-free status to trading partners.
• Capacity building: Developing a robust framework for mentorship, succession planning, and skill development among researchers, including the support a pool of PhD researchers, with a strong focus on industry collaboration.

As FASTA moves into its second year, the initiative is set to continue driving innovation, strengthening Australia’s position in global horticultural markets, and ensuring a prosperous future for the nation’s growers. 

The Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance is a partnership between Hort Innovation, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA); the Queensland University of Technology, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (VIC), the Western Sydney University, the Department of Tourism, Industry and Trade (NT), the Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association, James Cook University, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (SA) and GreenSkin Avocados, with levy funding from the avocado and strawberry industries, and support from the Australian Government.