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 Australia has established an international reputation for its quality horticulture industry, which is extremely diverse and includes some of the nation’s most innovative food producers, processors and exporters.
Our clean and healthy environment provides the ideal conditions for the wide variety of fruit, vegetables, nuts, nursery products and flowers that are available virtually all year round.
The sector, which adheres to strict standards at all stages of supply, is the third largest agricultural industry in the country and revenue was worth almost $7 billion in 2005-06.
Exports
Horticultural exports were worth $815 million in 2005-06 and major export markets included Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, USA, Taiwan, Indonesia, New Zealand, UK and the Netherlands.
Fruit is the largest horticultural sector in terms of value of production, followed by vegetables, dried fruit, nuts and nursery products/cut flowers.
A sizeable amount of produce grown is tropical and the growing rare and exotic fruit industry in Queensland is gaining in popularity among overseas markets.
General information
Australia’s horticulture industry comprises of more than 20,000 growers who employ around 130,000 people.
The industry is largely made up of small-scale family farms, although the number of medium-to-large businesses is growing. The total area under horticultural production in Australia is approximately 250,000 hectares.
For the horticulture industry to remain competitive, it’s imperative that growers are using efficient production techniques and sustainable natural resource management.
Organisations such as Horticulture Australia work with growers to develop implementation plans for gene technology and biotechnology projects, R&D projects for fruit fly management and issue strict guidelines for pesticide use.
In addition, Horticulture Australia’s development of supply and marketing alliances helps growers meet market trends and consumer preferences.
Diverse climatic conditions allow Australia to produce a wide range of products to supply counter-seasonally to the northern hemisphere.
Fresh horticulture exports
Exported fresh fruit and vegetables include oranges, apples, melons, plums, pears, nectarines, broccoli, onions, potatoes, carrots and grapes. Fresh nuts include macadamias and almonds.
Processed horticulture products
Exported processed horticulture products include sultanas, orange and apple juice, jams, dried peas, tomato sauces and canned fruits.
Nursery products
Key nursery products grown in Australia include foliage and branches, plants, bulbs, tubers, roots, corms, crowns and rhizomes, edible fruit or nut trees, shrubs and bushes, cuttings and slips.
The Netherlands is the largest market for nursery products, followed by Japan, USA, New Zealand, Israel, UK, Dominican Republic and Brazil.
Cut flowers
Australia is a competitive supplier of unique cut flowers to global markets. Australia produces an extensive range of fresh cut flowers and foliage, including native and traditional flora as well as new varieties.
Native varieties in demand for export markets include banksia, bottlebrush, wax flower, smoke bush, dryandra, eucalyptus, waratah, feather flowers and Sturt’s desert pea.
Other popular exports are South African proteaceae, such as leucadendron, leucospermum, protea and serruria.
Orchids are the highest value export product, and other traditional flowers produced for export are lilies, tulips, alstroemeria, limonium and statice.
(Source: Flowers from Australia – Exporting to the World, Australian Flower Export Council)
Dried and dyed flowers
The dried and dyed flower sector is well established in the Australian flower industry and exporters offer around 100 major products, predominantly Australian native flowers and foliage.
More than 50 per cent of dried flowers in Australia are produced in Western Australia, with the remaining production spread across the country.
Key markets for Australian fresh cut and dried flowers include Japan, USA, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Taiwan, Italy, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and China.
(Sources: Horticulture Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006, DAFF, Flowers from Australia)
For more information please visit:
www.agribusiness.asn.au - Agribusiness Association of Australia
www.daff.gov.au - Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Australia (AFFA)
www.feca.com.au - Australian Flower Export Council (AFEC)
www.ahea.com.au - Australian Horticultural Exporters Association
www.aqis.gov.au - Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
www.horticulture.com.au - Horticulture Australia Ltd (HAL)
www.ngia.com.au - Nursery and Garden Industry Australia
(Last updated: 17 Aug 2007)
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