Insights aplenty at ACC 2024

The speaker program for the Australian Citrus Congress 2024 is beginning to take shape, with citrus industry experts locked in to share insights on relevant topics from across the value chain.

The Congress’ multi-track conference program will run across 6-7 March at the picturesque Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort.

A key focus will be on global trends and new research to advance the Australian citrus industry.

US-based Chris Cockle will travel to Queensland for the event. Chris is Vice President of Sales – Imports and Exports at Wonderful Citrus, one of North America’s leading grower-packer-marketers of fresh citrus.

He will provide an outlook for Australian citrus exports, along with discussing opportunities and challenges for the global citrus industry in the future.

Biosecurity Symposium

Citrus Australia’s inaugural Biosecurity Symposium will be held on Tuesday 5 March, also at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort.

The focus of the Symposium will be huanglongbing (HLB) disease.

The event will provide industry members with further knowledge and tools to assess the risk that this exotic disease poses to individual business operations.

Attendees will also learn about how a detection of an exotic citrus pest or disease would be managed in Australia under existing emergency plant pest response arrangements.

Confirmed speakers for the Biosecurity Symposium include US-based Nate Jameson of Brite Leaf Nursery and Etienne Rabe of Wonderful Citrus.

Nate will explain how the citrus industry in his home state of Florida has continued operating under the cloud of citrus canker and HLB.

Etienne will discuss the status of HLB and Asian citrus psyllid in California.

The Biosecurity Symposium audience will be comprised of citrus growers, supply service providers, researchers and policy makers.

Entry to the Biosecurity Symposium is free for registered Congress delegates, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers.

Poster session

The Congress will also feature a poster session, allowing researchers and university students to share information on their citrus-related projects.

Researchers and students are invited to submit an abstract of no more than 300 words on what they hope to present. Each submission will be reviewed, with only approved posters to be displayed.

Abstracts must be received by 15 December 2023. Successful abstract submissions will be notified by 15 January 2024.

Submissions are to be made via the Australian Citrus Congress email address, under the subject line: ACC Poster Session Submission.

Please note that posters will be printed on A1 in a portrait orientation, with the following recommended text sizes: Title 65pt, Authors 56pt, Headings 36pt, Body text 24pt, Captions 18pt.

EMAIL: australiancitruscongress@citrusaustralia.com.au