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Economist Ross Garnaut to talk at Winegrape Growers Summit

By Thursday 10 March 2016February 7th, 2018No Comments
Adelaide Oval

Leading economist Ross Garnaut – who has argued for urgent reform, higher productivity, lower interest rates and a lower dollar if Australia is to recover from the mining boom slowdown – will speak at the third annual Winegrape Growers Summit at Adelaide Oval on Friday 17 June.

The demand outlook for winegrapes leading into the 2017 season will be a major focus of the summit.

Executive officer of the Wine Grape Council of South Australia, Peter Hackworth, said the summit was happening a month earlier this year, giving growers more time to take on board the information they gain from the summit prior to the 2017 season.

“Apart from a look at the state of the industry, demand outlook and vineyard intelligence will be two key topics of the day,” said Mr Hackworth.

“We are also delighted to announce that Professor Ross Garnaut will be a keynote speaker along with the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources (Horticulture), Senator Anne Ruston.”

In October Professor Garnaut was appointed chairman of Adelaide-based Zen Technologies, reflecting his interest in addressing climate change and providing solutions to enable local communities to access off-grid electricity.

“Professor Garnaut brings great experience in key wine industry issues, trade with Asia, changing climate and increasingly prohibitive power charges, while Senator Ruston is a highly successful horticulturist, a passionate advocate for the wine industry and never backward in challenging the industry,” said Mr Hackworth.

The summit will come just after the Federal Budget with tax reform and water policy major issues of importance to winegrape growers, as they recover from a decade of tough times.

The summit will see the first release of pricing and supply data from the 2016 vintage and detailed analysis of the outlook of winegrapes by variety from an expert panel of wholesalers, winery representatives and retailers.

“It’s about helping growers make informed decisions for how they manage their vineyards as they prepare for the 2017 season,” said Mr Hackworth.

The Summit is now in its third year, attracting more than 200 growers and others from the wine industry to its central location at Adelaide Oval.

A detailed program is available on the Summit’s website: www.sawggs.com.au or call (08) 8351 4378.

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