Past conferences - Hazelnut Growers of Australia Inc.

HGA holds an annual conference for members and hazelnut enthusiasts. The location of the conference is rotated through the key hazelnut growing regions of Australia.

Every second year Hazelnut Growers of Australia Inc (HGA) joins with the Australian Walnut Industry Association Inc (AWIA) and Chestnuts Australia Inc (CAI) to hold the Tri-nut Conference.

For access to all conference presentations and documents become a member of HGA. and log into the members-only section of this website.

2019 Hazelnut Conference
6-8 September 2019, Canberra, ACT

Program highlights included:

Biosecurity training session
Conference presentations
Orchard visits

2018 Tri-Nut Conference – Walnuts, Hazelnuts and Chestnuts
7-9 September, Beechworth, Vic

Keynote speakers were:

Bruce Lampinen: Integrated Orchard Management and Walnut Specialist, Dept. of Plant Sciences, UC Davis, USA.
Dr Hazel MacTavish-West: 2017 Churchill Fellowship to investigate how to enhance national efforts to increase usage and consumption of Australian-grown produce.
Dr Jacquelyn Simpson: Nut researcher, NSW DPI.

2018 Tri-Nut Conference Program – September 2018

2017 Hazelnut Conference
2-3 September, Orange, NSW

Some program highlights included:

Presentation by Dr Basil Baldwin
Up-date on irrigation equipment by the Platinum Sponsor – Toro
Up-dates on some industry Pests and Diseases.
Visit to DPI Hazelnut Field site
Visit to Fourjay Hazelnut Farm
HGA Annual General Meeting

2016 Tri-Nut Conference – Walnuts, Hazelnuts and Chestnuts
2-5 September, Tamar Valley, Tasmania

In addition to conference presentations the program included:

Australian Nut Industry Council Board Meeting and industry AGMs
Nuts 4 Life social media and food labeling workshops
Farm visits and other associated farm activities.

Cracking Out Our Future 2015 Conference
23-25 October, Goulburn, NSW

Program highlights included:

Regional selection for planting – Jacquelyn Simpson, Research Horticulturist – Nuts, NSW Department of Primary Industries
Soil Preparation – Taralga Rural
Tree Selection and Pollinators – Vanessa Cox, Australian Gourmet Hazelnuts.
Irrigation/Fertigation – Brad Batten, Territory Manager in NSW, TORO
Orchard establishment and management – Sallianne Faulkner
New business establishment – Paul McNamara
Establishing your Organic Orchard – Tim Marshall, TMOrganics.
Truffles and Hazelnuts – the perfect combination – Colin Carter, Hazelnut Nursery Propagators
Basil Baldwin, Fourjay Farm Hazelnuts – “Overview of Hazelnut Production – as seen through my thesis.”
Trevor Ranford, South Australian Horticultural Services – (Presenting on behalf of Peats Soil and Garden Products/Compost Australia.) “The importance of compost in establish orchards”.
Agri-Australis: “The establishment of a major plantation to service Ferraro”.Carol Bracken,
Tamar Valley Hazelnuts “Case Study – What I learnt from the Oregon Hazelnut Industry”.
Dr Ashley Tews, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO “Bird and Vertebrate Management”
Panel Session on bird and vertebrate controls Lasers Drape Netting DeTer
Dr. Sukhvinder Pal (SP) Singh, Research Horticulturist (Food Safety) NSW Department of Primary Industries “Food safety management for nuts”.
Jenny Warren, Jenny’s Grain Free “The challenges of supplying grain free organic, delicious and nutritious products.”
Nick Palumbo, Gelato Messina “Hazelnuts and Gelato/Sorbets – a great partnership”
Clem Cox, Australian Gourmet Hazelnuts “Storage of harvested nuts to maintain quality”.

Thanks to our Conference Sponsors…

2014 Hazelnut Conference
18-19 October, Adelaide SA

The 2014 Annual Conference was held in Adelaide and funded by HAL using voluntary contributions from industry and matched funds from the Australian government.

Conference Program - FINAL 2014
Full conference proceedings will be available in the members only section of the website.

2013 Hazelnut Conference
12-13 October, Myrtleford, Vic

The 2013 HGA Annual Conference was funded by HAL using voluntary contributions from industry and matched funds from the Australian Government. Silver Sponsors were Antonio Carraro Oceania, Tornado/Town and Country Tractors and Machinery.

2013 HGA Conference Media Release 23 Sept

The conference theme was 'Protecting Your Investment' and topics included biosecurity, emerging pests and diseases and adapting to warmer climates. Borers are emerging as a problem in some regions and appear to target some cultivars more than others. Farm walks included a visit to the former RIRDC trial plot at Ovens. Despite being un-managed (other than cattle grazing), crowded, dark, and without irrigation for six years, the trees are still cropping and could be rejuvenated.

RIRDIC Trial Plot 2013 — RIRDIC Trial Plot – without care and still going

2012 Hazelnut Conference
3-5 November, Launceston, Tasmania

The 2012 annual conference was successfully attended by 50 national delegates and shows growing interest in the emerging hazelnut industry in Australia and in particular Tasmania where the conference was held. Highlights included presentations from Professor David McNeil on 'The dynamics of UK nut imports, sales and quality and an assessment of quality and safety management in hazelnuts', and Dr Hazel MacTavish-West on 'The development and marketing of value-added hazel nut products on the basis of flavour and health benefits'. This was followed by two days of farm visits to local growers and to Walnuts Australia to gather cross-industry information.

"The conference was very worthwhile, both the content and the networking opportunities were valuable. I find it hard to say what I enjoyed the most as there was interest in every aspect." - delegate feedback.

There was significant community interest in the conference as the emerging hazelnut industry has been investigated by the Tasmanian government as a potential crop for use in the newly created irrigation systems in midland Tasmania.

For access to all conference presentations and documents become a member of HGA. and log into the Members Only Section of this website.