Dave Reilly

Nuffield Australia 2012 scholarship winner

Dave Reilly, from Loxton in South Australia, receives the 2012 Nuffield Scholarship sponsored by Woolworths. Dave is plans to study management of date palm plantations for premium date fruit production.

With his family, Dave owns and operates a mixed horticulture enterprise in the Riverland district of South Australia. While they do grow wine grapes and pomegranates, their primary focus is on the production of premium table dates.

The focus of his study will be to increase his learning and expertise in the management of date palm plantations for premium date fruit production and to explore the markets for high value table dates.

He says "while the international date industry is very large, producing some 7 million metric tonnes in 40 participating countries, Australia only produces around 20 tonne per annum."

In particular, Dave would like to look at date palm plantation management methods including low labour systems and mechanisation, in both organic and conventional systems.

He hopes his study itinerary will include meetings with date producers in the USA and the Arab Gulf countries, a visit to Europe to study consumer buying habits, as well as investigating inter‐row cropping in north Africa.

PO Box 1029,
LOXTON, SA 5333
(08) 8583 8314
reilly@gurradowns.com.au