We heart bananas

Australian Bananas secured an in-depth feature for World Heart Day (29 September) with top tier news publication, The Daily Mail Australia (2,600,000 monthly readership).

The article, featuring Australian Bananas brand ambassador Susie Burrell, included a number of references to bananas, notably in the headline that reads: ‘A banana, sweet potato and salmon a day keeps the doctor away: Dietitian reveals the everyday foods to eat for a healthy heart’.

Further to this, Susie is referred to as the Ambassador for Australian Bananas and the article concludes with her recipe for Banana & Ricotta Pancakes.

You can view the article here.

Australian Bananas has also taken part in a new initiative called ‘Nosh Box’, promoted by Dietitian Connection. The Nosh Box is sent to 30 key dietitian influencers in Australia (with large Instagram followings).

The October box (pictured above) is aligned with National Nutrition Week and looked fantastic with a bright bunch of bananas and a Peel Good, Feel Good mug.

Zoning Your Farm – free workshop

A free workshop, aimed at assisting Cassowary Coast growers to set-up or improve their on-farm zoning systems, will be held next month.

Zoning is a simple, cost-effective way to bump-up biosecurity. Additionally, in a worst-case scenario where Panama T4 is detected, having zones in place can assist you to get back to production quicker and easier.

The workshop will be hosted by the Panama TR4 Program, Agri-Sciences Queensland and the Australian Banana Growers’ Council.

The workshop will be from 4-6pm on November 8, at the Silkwood Hotel.

RSVP: 07 4091 8140 or panamatr4@daf.qld.gov.au

ABGC’s new Plant Health Officer welcomed

There’s a new face in the ABGC office – when he’s not out visiting farms, that is.

Carl Rickson is your new Plant Health Officer and will work closely with Louis Lardi in coming months (before Louis steps down to enjoy a well-earned retirement).

While North Queensland growers will no doubt become very familiar with Carl, you may already recognise him from his former role as a Team Leader for one of Biosecurity Queensland’s TR4 surveillance teams.

Carl played professional football on the Gold Coast in his ‘younger days’ (his words!), has spent time in a number of different roles in North Queensland and even worked in England for a couple of years.

A tax time tip

If you’re still finalising your tax return for the last financial year, it’s worth remembering that the $20,000 instant asset write-off threshold has been extended to 30 June 2019.

This could be of benefit when considering investments in biosecurity or other on-farm assets.

According to the ATO, if you are a small business, you can immediately deduct the business portion of most assets that cost less than $20,000 each if they were purchased:

• from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2019, and your turnover is less than $10 million
• from 7.30pm on 12 May 2015 to 30 June 2016, and your turnover is less than $2 million.

This deduction is used for each asset that costs less than $20,000, whether new or second-hand. You claim the deduction through your tax return, in the year the asset was first used or installed ready for use.

Keep up-to-date with resistant variety research

Do you want to know more about initiatives under way to ‘breed’ a new banana variety?

You can now find a summary of the industry’s strategies with the click of a button, thanks to the new Better Bananas website.  Follow the green links for more specific info about the research trials in the Northern Territory and at South Johnstone.

Updates of the trials will also be posted to the Better Bananas website, so check back in regularly to ensure you’re up-to-date.

Cracking croc photo captured

Check out Boris the croc chowing down on a bunch of bananas at Tropiculture Australiain the Northern Territory.

“He grabbed a whole bunch hanging over his pond & swallowed every last one,” they posted on Facebook. Can’t say we blame him!