Bananas will be back in the spotlight next month when the latest marketing burst by Australian Bananas kicks off on February 19.

The campaign will include nation-wide advertising on television (including free to air and pay TV) on-line, social media, digital posters in major shopping centres and transit advertising on buses and trains.

The advertising onslaught will run until May. For more details refer to the next Australian Banana marketing update due out February 8.

Banana growers in northern Australia are being urged to ensure they are cyclone prepared.

The annual storm season is well and truly upon us and the ABGC recently released a precyclone planning guide that could provide useful for growers, to help minimise the spread of Panama TR4 in the wake of a cyclonic event.

The factsheet covers crucial biosecurity areas including; clean planting material, disposing of banana waste material, soil movement, transport vehicles, feral animals and much more.

The Factsheet is available on the ABGC webpage – www.abgc.org.au – go to the menu bar and click on Panama TR4, you will then see a link titled ‘Cyclone-Panama TR4 Factsheet’.

If you own a quad bike, use an ATV or have staff that use quad bikes on your farm, consider the 2017 National Quad Bike Safety Conference in Cairns on March 30-31.

The two-day forum will be held at the Cairns Convention Centre and will discuss all aspects of ATV safety and awareness, including regulations, helmet laws, safety products and duty of care.

Quad bike experts and trainers from across Australia will address the forum. Cost is $175, RSVP by February 3. For further details contact Jane Lawson on 0427 911 746.

Cash prizes of up to $1000 are on offer for students entering a competition aimed at improving farm safety among Next Gen growers.

Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership (PIHSP) is inviting high school, university and agriculture college students – aged between 13 and 21 – to create a video about an element of farm safety titled “What’s your story?”

The videos will be uploaded to YouTube and other social media platforms, aiming to encourage greater safety behaviour among the farming sector, which has one of the highest workplace fatality rates in Australia.

To enter visit www.rirdc.gov.au/pihsp. Entries close April 18, 2017

Our banana industry was centre stage at the recent Brisbane International tennis tournament, thanks to some young up-and-coming players from the Far North.

Thirteen school kids from Tully donned their Australian Bananas t-shirts when they took to the courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre earlier this month, as part of the Brisbane International Schools Challenge.

Student Cohen Emmi even scored the honour of tossing the coin before the women’s semi-final doubles match. Pictured below in the Pat Rafter Arena before an exhibition match are (from left); Ava Wilkinson, Jackson Martin, Zane Crema, Jack Edwards, Flynn Crema, Logan Deloryn, Sasha Flegler, Chase Flegler, Madeline Deloryn, Xavier Collins, Maddy Fielder, Cohen Emmi, Rudy Thorgood and Wayne Fielder (coach).

Bananas are helping to fuel Australian kayak adventurer and environmentalist Steve Posselt as he embarks on the final leg of an epic international journey raising awareness of climate issues.

In his kayak he calls ‘Old Yella’, he set out in 2015 on a gruelling journey from Canberra to Paris – via sea and land – taking in the Gulf of Mexico, USA, New York, UK and the English Channel.

Now on his final leg of his ‘Connecting Climate Chaos’ journey – paddling 1150km along the coast of NSW, from Ballina to Moruya, and then trekking overland to Canberra – Mr Posselt says he always has bananas on board to keep him energized and paddling sometimes 10 hours a day!

For more information on his incredible journey go to www.kayak4earth.com.