Hort industry strategy to power industry growth, export and sustainability priorities

Hort Innovation is aiming to “grow more, sell more and get more bang-for-buck” with its new strategy to tackle the $16 billion industry’s priorities of projected high industry growth, expanded trade and increasing sustainability.

The Hort Innovation Strategy 2024-2026 considers the strategic investment plans of 37 levy-paying industries and growth projections for the sector, revealed in the recently released Contribution of Australian Horticulture Industry report.

Providing a roadmap for investments over the next three years, the strategy is anchored on the grower-owned research and development corporation’s vision of “A prosperous and sustainable Australian horticulture industry built on innovation”.

“The value of Australian horticulture is projected to surge by up to 22.5 per cent by 2030,” Ms Bird said.

“Equipping growers with the necessary tools to manage this remarkable growth is of utmost importance.

“We are attuned to the needs expressed by growers, and Hort Innovation is actively adapting to address them.”

She said the new strategy and structure supports Australian horticulture to “grow more, sell more, and get bang-for-buck from levy investments”.

“These changes position us to get ahead of key issues in partnership with industry and to work together on larger, transformative projects,” Ms Bird said.

Hort Innovation chief executive Brett Fifield said the new strategy builds upon the organisation’s progress over the past year, and emphasised a thriving internal culture and removing operational complexities.

“We have made changes internally, including a new Industry Service and Delivery team which consolidates our partnerships, adoption and investment work,” Mr Fifield said.

“We have also restructured our business so that production-related R&D and sustainability work are in the same team, and our biosecurity R&D projects sit alongside our international trade efforts.

The Strategy was informed by feedback from growers across the nation through farm visits, surveys and advice garnered through industry advisory panels and meetings.

In the past financial year, Hort Innovation invested close to $160 million into research and development and marketing initiatives that benefit levy payers.