Photos and new specs will raise standards
From the September 2008 edition of Agriculture Today.
Photographic standards are part of the development of commercial product specifications for 30 NSW wildflower products.
A set of easy to use grower guidelines is in the making, supported by clear images to illustrate stages of flower opening, common defects to be avoided and typical bunches that are right for market.
In the guidelines, clear descriptions covering such attributes as flowers, leaves, stem and stage of vest and pack to meet market requirements.
Product handling advice, postharvest treatments and labelling protocols will also be standardised.
The specifications will be published on the web and available as hard copies.
They will help growers, marketers and florists and will be a useful on-farm training aid.
NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) floriculture extension specialist Bettina Gollnow is co-ordinating the project, with the help of researchers Dr Ross Worrall and Dr Jenny Ekman, and scientific photographer, Lowan Turton.
"The extensive photo library of high quality product images Mr Turton is working on to support the specifications will be a major achievement," Ms Gollnow said.
"Growers and marketers are playing a pivotal role, providing flower samples to be photographed, and evaluating the draft information.
"Standards are a tool to give a consistent and better quality product but have to be widely used to be effective.
"It is more efficient in time and money for growers to pick and grade flowers to clear specifications and it is easier for marketers to handle and sell consistent and quality flowers," Ms Gollnow said.
Industry reviews and assessments of different markets and strategies to improve market access have repeatedly highlighted the need to lift quality and consistency, especially to overseas markets.
Ms Gollnow says Australia still markets "flowers" as opposed to more clearly defined "products" where the flower is presented in a specified and uniform manner.
"Because there are a large number of players in the industry, and especially, large numbers of small scale growers, a wide range of product is offered for most crops," she said.
"Various Australian research projects have identified this inconsistency as a key impediment to industry growth, because returns to growers are highly variable and collective credibility suffers."
There are published standards for several flowers and foliages, and some industry groups have also produced their own standards.
This has created a patchy result, according to Ms Gollnow.
There are no standards or specifications for many major Australian wildflower crops.
"Without benchmarks, there are no tools to allow clear and effective discussion about quality between buyers and growers," Ms Gollnow said.
The project is half way through - it’s a two year collaboration between The Rural Industries Res-earch and Development Corpora-tion (RIRDC), NSW DPI and the Australian wildflower industry.
RIRDC has just funded a sub project to be co-ordinated by NSW DPI industry specialists, who will review the wildflower post harvest manual it published in 2002, which was prepared by Victorian researchers.
In addition to updating the general postharvest information, the revised manual will include information prepared for the specifications and expand the range of postharvest care factsheets to cover around 50 common wildflower products.
Contact Bettina Gollnow, Camden, (02) 4640 06437, bettina.gollnow@dpi.nsw.gov.au
