Chestnut industry communications program (CH22000)

What was it all about?

From 2022 to 2025, this project strengthened communication and information flow across the Australian chestnut industry to support grower decision‑making and industry development. It delivered regular, practical updates to growers, improved access to technical resources, and expanded channels for sharing research, market information and disease‑management insights. Growers benefited from more timely information, better coordination across the sector, and clearer guidance on emerging challenges such as nut rot.

The project team maintained and enhanced the Chestnuts Australia Inc website, produced six industry newsletters, delivered six field days and workshops, and prepared more than 40 weekly market reports. A comprehensive communication framework was used to share best‑practice guidance, research findings, seasonal alerts and industry statistics. Technical outputs included new Tech Sheets, draft standard operating procedures, a draft nut‑rot management protocol and early development of a predictive model. The project also supported sample testing, collection of historical disease data and collaboration with international researchers.

By providing a central, reliable communication hub, the program helped growers stay informed about orchard management, biosecurity, post‑harvest handling and market conditions. These efforts are expected to strengthen grower confidence, support improved orchard performance, and help the industry respond more effectively to key threats such as nut rot.

ACT NOW

Access resources developed by the project on the Chestnuts Australia Inc website here.