Berries to be Australia's most valuable horticulture commodity
It was worth was $866.6 million, with strawberries making up $506.5m - citrus was the next highest category with a combined production value of $724.2m, while Almonds alone had a value of $553.6m. In terms of vegetables, potatoes ($717.0m) and tomatoes ($645.2m) were the leading items.
Hort Innovation have released the Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2016/17, which found that 6.34 million tonnes of horticultural products were produced in Australia, with a value of production for all categories $12.9 billion and a wholesale value of the fresh supply of $13.2b for the 2016-17 year. The Handbook includes data on more than 70 horticultural products including fruit, nuts, vegetables, nursery, turf and cut flowers and provides data on production, trade and market supply values and volumes by product.
Potatoes were the largest item in terms of production volume with 1.333 million tonnes produced, followed by the citrus category (708,121 tonnes), with oranges making up 506,391 tonnes, tomatoes (426,398 tonnes), bananas (413,660 tonnes), and apples (319,686 tonnes).
“The production volumes of some tree crops – most notably apples, avocados and macadamias – has continued to expand as plantings mature to full production levels, and further growth is predicted in these areas,” Hort Innovation Chief Executive John Lloyd said.
Graphic: Courtesy Hort Innovation (Horticulture Statistics Handbook)
For the year ending June 2017, Australia exported $2.23 billion worth of horticultural products, both fresh and processed. Fresh Fruit was the largest value export grouping ($927.7m). Table grapes ($372.6m) and oranges ($223.7m) were the top fresh fruit commodities. Fresh fruit exports were slightly ahead of Nuts ($815m), where almonds were the highest exported item overall at $461.2m. Fresh Vegetables exports were worth $250.6m, followed by processed fruit ($149.7m) and vegetables ($65.6m).
“Total fresh horticulture exports shifted to a value of $2.01 billion in 2016/17," Mr Lloyd said. "This was 5 per cent lower than the previous year, primarily driven by a marked reduction in almond export prices and disruptions to production conditions being disrupted by climate events in Queensland and biosecurity in Western Australia. While Nuts account for just 7 per cent of domestic production value, they account for 41 per cent of the value of Australia’s fresh exports.”
Asia was the leading destination for Australia's fresh exports with 466,310 tonnes (worth $1,382.6m) being shipped, with 135,529 tonnes of oranges ($186.0m) and 96,936 tonnes of grapes ($340.7m). Europe was the next biggest destination with 44,172 tonnes ($260.5m), largely made up of almonds.
Victoria was the nation’s leading fresh exporting state accounting for 47 per cent of the total value of fresh horticultural exports, valued at almost $950m.
For the year ending June 2017, Australia imported $2.79 billion worth of horticultural products (fresh and processed). Processed fruit was the largest value import grouping at $1.056 billion, which was led by olives and olive oil (223.8m), followed by Processed Vegetables were worth $582.2m which had high value in potatoes and tomatoes, while Nuts were valued at $433.3m, with cashews making up $185.8m worth of imports. Fresh Fruit including avocados came in at $413.7m, and Fresh Vegetable imports were worth $125.2m, with garlic the number one import commodity.
Asia was the leading source of Australian fresh imports with 58,671 tonnes (worth $368.2m). But it was only slightly ahead of other continents, with North America supplying 62,314 tonnes ($288.5m) and New Zealand/Oceania 51,065t ($226.9m).
Mr Lloyd said the domestic food market conditions remain competitive as new entrants enter into the retail space and expand their store networks, and eating out appears to be on the rise.
“Australian household expenditure on people eating food out of home also increased to 34.8 per cent of total food expenditure and was reflected in stronger demand from food service buyers,” he said.
To view the full reports, and a breakdown of each produce category, visit www.horticulture.com.au/resource/australian-horticulture-statistics-handbook.
For more Information
Hort Innovation
Phone: +61 2 8295 2300
info@horticulture.com.au
www.horticulture.com.au