The Pistachio Growers Association held its 2025 Symposium and AGM at the Mildura Rowing Club on 23 October, bringing together 62 growers and industry professionals for a full day of insights and updates.
The morning kicked off with Nigel Carey (Nut Producers Australia) delivering the pistachio season update, followed by PGAI Research Officer Shoaib Shah—fresh from completing his doctorate—presenting his latest research findings. Andrew Francey and Louise Pahivi from Hort Innovation then evaluated current research projects.
Trevor Ranford provided an update on biosecurity matters including the Khapra Beetle border incident, before visiting expert David Haviland from UC Davis shared integrated pest management strategies from California’s pistachio industry. His brief but excellent presentation provided a valuable taster ahead of the December Short Course on Pistachio Production. The Swan Hill Chemicals team rounded out the morning with pest scouting insights and findings from their 2025 post-harvest Carpophilus beetle survey, before members gathered for the AGM.
Lunch featured pistachio-studded paninis, chicken and pistachio salad, and pistachio arancini, because what’s a pistachio event without going a little nutty with the menu?
After lunch, the focus shifted to orchard management. Marko Doric (Corteva) proved a big hit with growers as he covered nutrient management strategies across different life stages. Jeremy Giddings (Agriculture Victoria) discussed irrigation best practices, and Phil Graeme (Rural Water Co) provided a water market update.
The day concluded with a lively grower discussion panel facilitated by Chris Lee, featuring Ryan Norton, Ian MacFarlane, David Crawford, and Peter Holt. The wide-ranging conversation covered practical orchard management challenges and opportunities for the Australian pistachio industry. Afternoon tea brought ricotta and pistachio cannoli to round out a day that was truly nuts from start to finish.