Orange juice flows in the Harrison family bloodline.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Alan Harrison has been growing juice oranges since 1982, and he's passed on the torch to his son who helps him around the farm.
It's a quiet farm just out of Leeton, but it'll see a flurry of visitors when the 2019 Citrus Australia Juice Forum comes to town.
People from all levels of the orange juicing industry will be taking a tour of the Harrison farm on June 13 to learn about some of the cutting-edge growing methods developed in Leeton.
Some of those methods include high density juice plantings managed with dwarfing viroid and Salustiana pruning strategies.
The tour is part of a two-day Citrus Australia Juice Forum.
On June 12 they'll meet at Griffith Exies Club to talk about the future of the industry and strategies to keep orange growers in business.
It'll be tough, admits Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock, who said growers should brace themselves for lower returns as the supply of citrus rises.
"Unfortunately lower pricing has resumed and the 2019/2020 season looks to be a difficult one for growers," Mr Hancock said.
"It is my firm belief that the juice industry must develop markets outside the domestic market to ensure its survival in any significant way."
It's not all bad news; Mr Hancock insists new processing technology, new farming techniques, and a growing overseas market are the keys to keeping the industry strong and healthy.
These are some of the strategies that will be discussed by the newly formed Juice Committee, which is working toward the goal of increasing the returns for growers back to $420 per tonne.
The day after the forum on June 13 the attendants will tour farms such as Mr Harrison's to learn about new varieties, management techniques, and growing methods developed right here in Leeton.
Growers can register their attendance on the Citrus Australia website.