Response to oustanding issues Animal Husbandry MCU12/0184

                                                                                    MW A Environmental




       3.2 AVOCADO FARM OPERATIONS

         3.2.1       EXISTING OPERATIONS


         The  existing orchard currently comprises two varieties of avocados, the
         Shepard and Hass. Traditionally dry matter samples of the product are
         taken from February to determine whether the avocados achieve the
         relevant industry standard prior to harvest and marketing.          Once this
         sampling   and  sizing  has  been determined    as   correct to  proceed with
         harvest, there is  then  a window of  time  February through    to realistically
         October to harvest, without pushing bienniality4 in the trees.


         The farm has the ability to store fruit on-site and pre-cool for transport to the
         various destinations nationally and internationally, a quantity of no less than
         5000 units. This fruit can then also be stored    past the October period if
         required to attract a premium return without detriment to the product. There
         is capacity for up to double that amount for non-refrigerated storage prior to
         packing.

         Because of the extensive equipment range and adoption of high speed
         packing equipment, the farm has the ability to process up to 450 pieces of
         fruit per minute. This requires shed staff of between 5 and 9 personnel,
         subject to the speed and grading that is designated and the premium market
         requires.

         To supply the shed with the required fruit for orders, it is dependent on
         whether the farm is strip     picking or select picking. Either way, there is
         versatility in that packers can also pick if required. Fruit is then stored in the
         rooms and packed at high speed when required. This procedure allows the

         farm to operate around the weather patterns very effectively. Typically,
         about a dozen staff can supply the right size and quantity required. Staffing
         is, however, highly variable with occasions of 35 or 40 people in previous
         years and also some seasons with rotation of 10 to 15 people.

         There is a family staff working on the farm in addition to permanent staff,
         one for nearly 20 years and the other more than 10 years, and regular

         seasonal workers, one of which has been working at the farm for 20 years.


         Once the commercial quantities have been harvested and the flower is
         beginning to incept it is necessary to irrigate and apply foliar applications of
         Boron to assist with fruit health and set. This is followed by calcium
         applications. Under-tree maintenance duties are required, granular fertiliser
         applications, weedicide applications, side slashing to throw as much mulch
         as able to be generated under the trees. The available mulch is limited at

         present and will be rectified by the proposed reuse of composted litter
         material.




4
    Undesirable condition where trees can produce a quality harvest only every second year




Ridgewood 12-002                                     13                             11 September 2013