The budding world of native floriculture was given a boost recently with growers attending a workshop aimed at increasing returns from exports to Japan.
A group of 24 native flower growers recently attended a two-day value chain workshop at The University of Queensland’s Gatton Campus, organised by the Centre for Native Floriculture.
The Centre was established last year at UQ’s Gatton Campus with a $2 million grant from the Department of State Development to promote the growth of the native floricultural industry in Queensland.
Ken Young, who grows a wide range of native flowers in the Lockyer Valley, said the workshop was an opportunity for greater collaboration and increased earnings.
“It allows growers and the Centre to develop a strategic alliance with all the members of the value chain that could then serve as a model for other interested groups,” Mr Young said.
Lodi Pameijer of Maleny and Brett Davis of Witta said with the technical and administrative support of the Centre there was potential for growers to succeed as long as they “stayed focused on their goals and worked together”.
The workshop, run by UQ’s Associate Professor Tony Dunne and Dr Lilly Lim, explored the export potential of Backhousia myrtifolia as a new filler flower in the Japanese market and ways this potential could be captured by collaboration between growers, exporters, importers and florists.
“Our experience in other industries has clearly demonstrated the commercial benefits of collaboration between chain partners,” Associate Professor Dunne said.
“But those benefits are not obtained without the presence of a high degree of trust and commitment from all involved and this doesn’t happen overnight.”
Associate Professor Dunne said the open exchange of information allowed the participants to critically review their export performance over the past two seasons and to identify areas of improvement throughout the entire value chain.
Presentations were made during the workshop by the managing director of the Australian Flower Company, Jamie Creer, Masayuki Shima of Shima Trading Japan and individual growers.
The next meeting of the group will take place in early April when growers will report back on the tasks they have set themselves and track their progress.
Media: For further information contact Associate Professor Tony Dunne (telephone 07 5460 1332). Photos from the workshop are available by contacting Diana Lilley (telephone 07 3365 2753 or email: d.lilley@uq.edu.au).
