WA grower calls for stronger consumer education in fruit sector

Western Australian orchardist Sam Licciardello, a third-generation grower from Donnybrook, has underlined the challenges of engaging consumers and the need for the fruit sector to collaborate in raising awareness and knowledge.

Licciardello and his wife, Vanessa, manage 45 hectares of apples, pears, plums, nectarines, peaches, and cherries at Orchard 1 Sixty, south of Perth. He said many consumers are often unfamiliar with fruit seasonality and storage methods, highlighting the importance of clear communication.

"My experience with the consumer on a daily basis is that sometimes they are unaware of the fruit season or the storage process, so it's very important for us to give them an experience and a story that's simple to understand," Licciardello said. "You can't really explain it in farming terms, but you can make it a snapshot of reality, that orchards are really just outdoor factories and we are producing this fruit with all the elements against us."

For the past decade, Licciardello has organised the Fruit Pavilion at the annual Easter Donnybrook Apple Festival, which in 2023 marked its 70th anniversary with more than 10,000 visitors. The event allows growers to explain the fruit season and showcase new varieties from the Australian National Apple Breeding Program.

"These days we have growers behind the counter at the festival, telling people about the fruit and the season, and we have the opportunity to show some of the new varieties," he said.

The family also hosts the Taste Donnybrook Long Table Lunch each October, where their packing shed is used to present local produce, including apples, pears, wines, and ciders. According to Licciardello, such events provide opportunities for consumers to engage directly with growers and to see fruit used in different ways.

He believes greater collaboration between growers, cider producers, and pick-your-own farms could strengthen consumer awareness. "We can join together to encourage sales or even to show growers how they can diversify," he said.

Licciardello also pointed to the role of supermarkets in consumer education. "We should be telling them how we want the fruit displayed and promoted, and have someone from our industry write a training program specifically for that. It'd be a win-win – the supermarkets would sell more product at better values, educate the consumer, and in-store quality would increase."

He compared the current retail environment with earlier practices of local greengrocers, who often had direct knowledge of growers and seasonal conditions. He added that clearer explanations of blemishes, colouring, and storage processes could improve consumer understanding.

"We need to keep apples and pears attractive so they're constantly attracting the consumer, because this plays a key part in sales," Licciardello said.