As the introduction of APFIP certified nursery trees into our industry begins to take place APFIP has identified the need for an information pathway between growers and nurseries. With this in mind APFIP has developed a proposal for a Nursery Tree Procurement Service.
The service that APFIP is proposing is aimed at closing the gap between growers and nurseries, allowing growers to better understand the issues nurseries face in the production of nursery trees as well as understanding what is required when placing an order with a nursery.
This in turn will allow nurseries to better understand the grower’s production situation and their needs when purchasing nursery trees.
APFIP would enter a simple agreement with the grower to be the link in working with them and the nursery in the production of their nursery trees to achieve the best outcome for both the grower and nursery.
Aims of service
The broad aims of the proposed APFIP Tree Procurement Service (TPS) are:
- To improve growers awareness of the nursery tree options available to growers (certified/non-certified, rootstocks, tree architecture etc.) and to help them specify the tree they want
- Empower growers in their negotiations with nurseries—particularly with respect to setting a detailed specification for the trees they require
- To provide nurseries with a detailed specification of the trees required by a grower
- To ensure growers receive the trees they order
- To improve interactions between growers and nurseries and to promote the value of certification to growers and nurseries.
The service will do this by:
- Liaising with the grower
- Liaising with the nursery
- Promoting a two way flow of information between the grower and the nursery related to:
-Grower to nursery: the specification
-Nursery to grower: costs and tree production issues.
APFIP’s role
APFIP’s role is to help the grower set the best possible (achievable) tree specification and to ensure that the delivered trees meet or exceed that specification.
APFIP would not:
- Be an agent for the nursery
- Be an agent for the grower
- Engage in selling the nursery’s left over trees.
Contact APFIP for information
Growers or nurseries wishing to discuss the nursery tree procurement service and how it may work for them in more detail may do so by contacting APFIP.
For more information, contact details and photos see the March issue of Tree Fruit
