Draft:Hort Innovation
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Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Ruralaus (talk) 05:45, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: Creating editor is a member with Hort Innovation; COI declared on user page and draft talk page. Ruralaus (talk) 05:45, 18 September 2026 (UTC)
| Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited | |
| Abbreviation | HIAL |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Horticulture Australia Limited |
| Formation | 4 November 2014 |
| Type | Not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee |
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Region served | Australia |
Chair | Julie Bird |
Chief executive officer | Brett Fifield |
Main organ | Board of directors |
| Website | www |
Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited, trading as Hort Innovation, is an Australian not-for-profit, grower-owned research and development corporation (RDC) for the horticulture industry. Based in Sydney, it invests statutory levies paid by growers of horticultural commodities, together with matching contributions from the Australian Government, in research and development, marketing and trade activities.[1][2] It is one of 15 rural research and development corporations in Australia.[2]
History
[edit]Hort Innovation was established in 2014 to replace Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL), the body then responsible for investing horticulture levies on behalf of industry peak bodies. HAL's statutory funding agreement with the Commonwealth required a periodic independent review, and consultants ACIL Allen Consulting reported in May 2014 on HAL and the horticulture levy system. Among nine key recommendations, the review proposed that HAL be reconstituted as a grower-owned research and development corporation. It also called for improved direct communication with growers, greater transparency in levy management, and a reduction in the number of separate levy types. The HAL board and its members agreed to the change in late May 2014.[3] At the time, HAL was investing approximately $107 million of grower levies and government funds each year.[3]
The inaugural board of the new company was announced on 7 October 2014 by the then Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce.[4] Hort Innovation assumed HAL's functions on 4 November 2014, when HAL's funding agreement expired, and was declared the industry services body for horticulture that month.[5] Levy payers became registered voting members of the company from November 2015.[5]
The restructure coincided with an inquiry by the Australian Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee into the structures and systems governing the imposition and disbursement of agricultural marketing and research and development levies. The committee reported in June 2015, drawing on the ACIL Allen review of HAL and on evidence from horticultural industry bodies.[6]
In January 2025, Hort Innovation was declared a recipient body under the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Disbursement Act 2024.[1]
Governance
[edit]Hort Innovation is a company limited by guarantee, governed by a board of nine directors appointed or elected by its members.[1] Candidates are assessed by a Director Nomination Committee comprising a representative of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, a levy payer representative, an independent member selected by the board, and the board chair.[7] The company operates under a statutory funding agreement with the Commonwealth and is subject to ministerial direction in certain circumstances.[1]
Chief executives have included John Lloyd (2009–2018), Matt Brand (2018–2022) and Brett Fifield, who was appointed in February 2022 and commenced in April that year.[8][9] In March 2026, the board announced that chair Julie Bird would retire from the role at the November 2026 annual general meeting and that deputy chair John Said was scheduled to succeed her.[10]
Funding and activities
[edit]Hort Innovation manages and invests levy funds collected by the Australian Government from growers across a range of horticultural commodities, and attracts matching Commonwealth contributions for eligible research and development activities. It has no role in setting or collecting the levies themselves.[2][1]
Investment priorities for each commodity are set out in Strategic Investment Plans and Annual Investment Plans, developed with industry input through advisory panels made up of growers and industry representatives.[2] Alongside levy-funded work, the company operates a co-investment arm, Hort Frontiers, which partners with governments, researchers and commercial co-investors on longer-term projects.[2]
In November 2024, Hort Innovation and investment firm Artesian announced a $60 million venture capital fund to invest in technology start-ups working on productivity and sustainability for fruit, vegetable and nut growers, with the first investments expected in 2025.[11]
Reporting on the 2023–24 financial year, chair Julie Bird said the organisation had invested more than $158 million in research and development, marketing and trade, and cited internal figures putting the return at $5.60 for each dollar invested in research and development.[12] Hort Innovation reported investing $171.2 million across more than 400 projects in 2024–25.[13]
Industry statistics
[edit]Hort Innovation compiles annual production and value estimates for Australian horticultural crops. These estimates are reproduced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in its horticulture releases[14] and are reported in national media as the standard measure of the sector's size; in 2026 the organisation reported a record production value of $19.5 billion, driven largely by growth in fruit and nut crops.[15]
Reviews
[edit]Hort Innovation's funding agreement with the Australian Government requires periodic independent reviews of its performance. A review covering 2018 to 2023 was undertaken by consultancy GHD and released, with a company response, in November 2023; a progress update was published in November 2024.[16]
Grower surveys commissioned by the organisation have recorded improved satisfaction with short-term research and development investments compared with 2017, alongside continuing dissatisfaction among some growers—particularly those in larger businesses—with long-term research and marketing investments.[17]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited". Australian Government Directory. Department of Finance. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Hort Innovation as a Rural Research and Development Corporation". Hort Innovation. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 Aisthorpe, Melissa; Walmsley, Ashley (6 June 2014). "HAL to become grower-owned". Good Fruit & Vegetables. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited to replace HAL". FreshFruitPortal. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Are you already a member of Horticulture Innovation Australia?". HortiDaily. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee (June 2015). Industry structures and systems governing the imposition and disbursement of marketing and research and development (R&D) levies in the agriculture sector (Report). Parliament of Australia. ISBN 978-1-76010-257-9. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hort Innovation seeks two new board directors for 2026 term". FreshPlaza. 29 May 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Brett Fifield appointed Hort Innovation CEO; takes over from Matt Brand". The Land. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "New CEO for Hort Innovation". Fruitnet. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hort Innovation announces change in board leadership". Fruitnet. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Fruit and vegetable growers launch $60m venture capital fund to fast-track tech startups". ABC News. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Hort Innovation spruiks $5.60 return for every $1 R&D investment over a year". Stock & Land. January 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Company annual reports". Hort Innovation. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Australian Agriculture: Horticulture". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 18 June 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Australian horticulture hits record production value of $19.5 billion". ABC News. 30 June 2026. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Independent Review of Performance 2018–2023". Hort Innovation. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
- ↑ "Growers have spoken and Hort Innovation is listening". Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
External links
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