Agriculture - Horticulture Industry - Australia
Australia
Benchmarking Rural Industries' Practices and Productivity Performance and Review of Industries' Capacity to Change
This benchmarking project describes the main environmental challenges facing the Australian horticultural industry and outlines the industry's response to these challenges in terms of use and adoption of recommended management practice. The project provides an analysis of national and industry scale information and is not intended to have property level uses. Regional adoption rates of practices are documented and future directions for the industry are proposed where regional data was available.
The information used in the preparation of this benchmarking report is derived from investigations commissioned by the Horticultural Research and Development Corporation (HRDC), and documented in the publication "Horticulture. Productivity and Sustainability" (HRDC, 2001). This HRDC report provided the source material for the benchmarking project reporting. Main findings of the HRDC report that are relevant to this benchmarking report are documented in this storyboard.
Investigations have identified the major resource management issues confronting the industry as soil erosion, waste disposal and options for dispensing of used chemical containers. The industry is attempting to address these issues through the preparation of best management practices (BMP), applied research and development and supporting extension programs.
Some of the major findings of this project for the horticultural industry are that:
- a diversity of environmental challenge exists
- a diversity of crop types within the industry exists and creates management issues in terms of co-ordination of response to environmental challenges
- improvements in linkages between the research and development components of each commodity group would assist in co-ordinating industry responses
- basic level environmental and economic reporting is not consistent between industries making regional level reporting difficult
- smaller crop groups are finding implementation of better management practices harder than the large crop groups due to a lack of resources and skills.
KEY FACTS
- Multi commodity industry and a significant domestic and export earner
- Widespread growing regions throughout Australia, generally more concentrated in areas supplied with irrigation
- Often located close to urban centres
- Well structured and experienced organisational support structure for individual commodities
- Industry organisational structures need co-ordination
- Substantial research and development budget
Where is Australian horticulture produced?
The horticultural industry is diverse and widespread. The industry supports more than 100 crop types. and these are categorised into 21 commodity groups. For the purposes of this investigation, these commodity groups are further grouped into broad categories of annual and perennial production types, each with several commodity groups. This dissection was used due to each broad grouping having a similarity of natural resource management (NRM) approach.
A summary of this division for the Australian horticulture industry includes the following commodity groups:
- annual horticulture beans and peas, brassicas, cucurbits, leaf vegetables, melons, nurseries, onions and garlic, peppers, potatoes, root vegetables, sweet corn and tomatoes)
- perennial horticulture (asparagus, bananas, berry fruit, citrus, nuts, , pome fruit, pyrethrum, stone fruit and tropical fruit)
Horticultural growing regions are grouped by agro-ecological region (AER). The main production areas for horticulture are listed for the AER's below.
Carnarvon, WA; Sunraysia, Vic; Sunraysia, NSW/Vic
Darwin rural area, NT
Bowen, Qld; Burdekin, Qld; Atherton Tablelands, Qld; Thuringowa, Qld
Ord, WA
Semi-arid tropical/subtropical plains
South-west, Qld
Lockyer Valley, Qld; Granite Belt, Qld; Darling Downs, Qld; Burnett, Qld; Warwick, Qld
Northern Midlands, Tas; Central West, NSW; East Gippsland, Vic; Cooma-Monaro, NSW; East Central Highlands, Vic; Central West, NSW; Central Murrumbidgee, NSW; Northern Tablelands, NSW; South West Slopes, NSW; Loddon , Vic
Southern Coast, WA; Central West, NSW; Riverina, NSW; Riverland, SA; Murray Mallee, SA; Central Murray, SA; Sunraysia, Vic; Central Macquarie, NSW; Goulburn Valley, Vic; Loddon, Vic; Sunraysia, NSW/Vic
Cooloola, Qld; Beaudesert, Qld; Lockyer Valley, Qld; Bundaberg/Isis, Qld; North Coast, NSW; Burnett, Qld; Bundaberg, Qld; Mid North Coast, NSW; Far North Coast, NSW; Sunshine Coast, Qld; Gayndah/Mundubbera, Qld; North/Far North Coast, Qld; Livingstone, Qld
Northern Midlands, Tas; Burnie-Davenport, Tas; Meander Valley, Tas; North Wast, Tas; Derwent Valley, Tas; North East, Tas; Werribee, Vic; Manjimup, WA; Perth, WA; Gippsland, Vic; Mornington Peninsula, Vic; Yarra Ranges, Vic; Hornsby/Baulkam Hills; Preston, WA; Lower South East, SA; West Gippsland, Vic; Huon Valley, Tas; Gosford, NSW; Onkaparinga, SA; South West, WA
Atherton Tablelands, Qld; Wet Tropics, Qld; Cairns, Qld
The AER regions are presented in the following figure.
The proportion of Australia's horticultural industry in terms of area, yield and value of production within each of these regions is presented in the following table.
| Agro-Ecological Region | Area (Ha) | Yield (Tonnes) | Value ($M) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | Perennial | Annual | Perennial | Annual | Perennial | |
| North-west wet/dry tropics | 2,094 | 966 | 42,405 | 6,070 | 30 | 12 |
| North wet/dry tropics | 71 | 1,221 | 516 | 5,122 | 3 | 10 |
| North-east wet/dry tropics | 9,461 | 9,656 | 159,559 | 39,475 | 143 | 61 |
| Wet tropical coasts | 1,409 | 10,839 | 23,137 | 152,112 | 33 | 153 |
| Semi-arid tropical/subtropical plains | 198 | 68 | 5,243 | 1,549 | 3 | 1 |
| Subtropical slopes and plains | 9,729 | 8,082 | 189,032 | 84,918 | 122 | 59 |
| Wet subtropical coast | 16,872 | 49,162 | 274,294 | 291,791 | 273 | 311 |
| Wet temperate coast | 51,357 | 18,337 | 1,267,799 | 401,262 | 736 | 303 |
| Temperate highlands | 14,314 | 9,709 | 260,274 | 257,700 | 162 | 159 |
| Temperate slopes and plains | 30,550 | 47,936 | 875,035 | 904,671 | 387 | 628 |
| Arid interior | 734 | 3,660 | 14,882 | 70,871 | 12 | 55 |
| Total | 136,787 | 160,437 | 3,112,177 | 2,215,540 | $1,905M | $1,754M |
The horticulture industry is distributed throughout all Australian states and centred predominantly near major river systems or irrigation developments.
Horticulture is grown in areas of high rainfall or in areas with accessible and reliable water supplies. Temperature ranges for horticultural crops range from warm frost free winters needed for growing tropical fruits to cool, frequent winter frosts for citrus and pome fruits. Soil types are often free draining and considered as good agricultural land.
The industry is supported by infrastructure of packing sheds and often refrigerated transport networks. In recent times, the horticulture industry has commenced competing with sugar industry in certain areas for the productive soil and water resources.
The industry employs in excess of 93,000 people. The largest area of horticultural production occurs in the temperate slopes and plains agro-ecological region (AER), predominantly in the lower Murray-Darling basin. Production yields are greatest for perennial crops in this area, though yields for annual crops are greatest in the wet temperate coastal AER, which is also the largest area of land use for annual crop production. The wet subtropical coastal region is the largest perennial crop growing area with production predominantly occurring in the Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Maryborough and Wandoan areas and the upper Murray-Darling Basin area.
A representation of the location of annual and perennial production areas, based on ABS data, is given on the maps below.
What land and water resources are invested in Australian horticulture production?
Horticultural production occurs across a wide range of environmental conditions, with distribution restricted primarily by access to water, water quality, quality of soil and by topography. Major production areas are concentrated in fertile areas with high annual rainfall or abundant water resources from rivers, streams or reticulated irrigation scheme areas.
Soil types supporting horticultural production range from the highly fertile deep krasnozem soils, moderately deep to shallow duplex podzols and podzolics and alluvial soils on the floodplains of river systems. An important attribute of these and other horticultural soils are that they are well drained. The landscape supporting the horticultural industry is also highly variable, ranging from flatter alluvial areas for annuals to moderate/steep slopes for some of the perennials.
The industry is supported by the infrastructure such as packing sheds and processing plants. In recent times, the horticulture industry is competing with the sugar industry for productive soil and water resources.
In 1996-97, the Australian horticulture industry includes:
- 273 384 ha total production area
- 164 054 ha of irrigated horticulture (ie. 60%)
- water use of 1 640 ML for irrigation (1995-96)
- gross value of production of $3 625 million
- average return per megalitre of irrigation water is $590
The proportion of Australia's horticulture area used for each commodity group is:
| Commodity Group | Area (Ha) | % of Australian horticulture area |
|---|---|---|
| Annuals | 136,787 | 50.0 |
| beans and peas | 18,040 | 6.6 |
| brassicas | 13,910 | 5.1 |
| cucurbits | 9,340 | 3.4 |
| leaf vegetables | 6,040 | 2.2 |
| melons | 7,710 | 2.8 |
| nurseries | 4,670 | 1.7 |
| onions and garlic | 5,630 | 2.1 |
| peppers | 1,880 | 0.7 |
| potatoes | 45,450 | 16.6 |
| root vegetables | 9,880 | 3.6 |
| sweet corn | 5,430 | 2.0 |
| tomatoes | 8,830 | 3.2 |
| Perennials | 160,437 | 50.0 |
| asparagus | 2,140 | 0.8 |
| bananas | 11,610 | 4.2 |
| berry fruit | 1,624 | 0.6 |
| citrus | 30,400 | 11.1 |
| nuts | 19,750 | 7.2 |
| pome fruit | 18,690 | 6.8 |
| pyrethrum | 740 | 0.3 |
| stone fruit | 26,910 | 9.8 |
| tropical fruit | 24,710 | 9.0 |
How much horticulture does Australia produce and where is it sold?
The breakdown of production, value and average return within each commodity group is outlined in the table below.
| Commodity | Production (t) | Value ($m) | Average return ($/ha) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annuals | 3,112,180 | 1905.4 | 13,927 |
| beans and peas | 83,260 | 74.6 | 4,135 |
| brassicas | 181,730 | 152.6 | 10,971 |
| cucurbits | 116,910 | 74.9 | 8,019 |
| leaf vegetables | 160,120 | 115.8 | 19,172 |
| melons | 163,370 | 91.2 | 11,829 |
| nurseries | - | 378.2 | 80,985 |
| onions and garlic | 205,070 | 107.7 | 19,130 |
| peppers | 32,220 | 40.6 | 21,596 |
| potatoes | 1,393,660 | 489.3 | 10,766 |
| root vegetables | 317,930 | 177.1 | 17,925 |
| sweet corn | 64,790 | 26.5 | 4,880 |
| tomatoes | 393,120 | 176.9 | 20,034 |
| Perennials | 2,168,558 | 1719.4 | 12,590 |
| asparagus | 7,884 | 37.5 | 17,523 |
| bananas | 199,580 | 216.6 | 18,656 |
| berry fruit | 13,140 | 68.4 | 42,118 |
| citrus | 645,260 | 391.8 | 12,888 |
| nuts | 23,440 | 101.9 | 5,159 |
| pome fruit | 940,470 | 513 | 27,448 |
| pyrethrum | 590 | - | - |
| stone fruit | 151,824 | 216.2 | 8,034 |
| tropical fruit | 186,370 | 174 | 7,042 |
In 1999, Australia's horticulture industry produced 3.1 million tonnes of annual crops and 2.2 million tonnes of perennial crops. The total values of these products were $1,905 million and $1,719 million, respectively. The distribution of Australia's horticultural products on a percentage basis to domestic and export markets is shown in the graphs below.
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In 1997/98, between 65% and 70% of Australia's horticultural produce was exported to Asian countries, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia. Other major export destinations included the United States, New Zealand, Germany and the United Kingdom.
What are the key characteristics of Australian horticultural producers and farms?
Key characteristics of Australian horticultural producers and farms include the following averages:
| Key characteristic | Horticulture average | Fruit industry | Vegetable industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age of owner/manager (years) | 45 | 46 | 44 |
| Owner/manager completed higher education | 21% | 30% | 13% |
| Owner/manager work>40 hrs/wk on farm | 68% | 80% | 57% |
| Level of farm income ($) | 53,112 | 58,603 | 43,796 |
| Level of farm debt($) | 193,158 | 226,530 | 136,546 |
| Level of off-farm income($) | 17,925 | 16,286 | 20,705 |
Characteristics that are likely to affect the adoption of management practices relate mainly to:
- high incidence of fruit managers having a higher level of education
- access to off-farm income
In 1998-99, Australian horticulture employed more than 93,000 people across 13,865 properties. The State distribution of these employees and properties is provided in the chart below.
What are the main environmental challenges facing Australia?s horticulture industry?
The key environmental challenges facing the horticultural industry were determined from consultations with State government agency, grower organisations and individual growers.
The State agencies identified the following environmental challenges:
- chemical container/ waste disposal and options for storing farm chemicals;
- soil loss;
- soil nutrient levels and availability; and
- organic matter/ soil structure decline.
Growers identified the following environmental challenges:
- chemical container/ waste disposal and options for storing farm chemicals;
- soil nutrient levels and availability; and
- soil acidity.
What is the Australian horticulture industry doing to meet these challenges?
The horticultural industry is responding to these challenges through a number of mechanisms, including:
- Industry strategic planning;
- Adoption of management practice;
- Development and implementation of Codes of Practice;
- Research and development; and
- Interaction with State government groups.
The following table highlights industry specific strategic plans in effect through out various commodity sectors in Australia and the environmental issues covered by these plans. The year of currency is also shown.
| Industry | Current until | BMP | IPM | Water Use | Quality Assurance | Education | Bench-marking |
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| Mango | 1996 |  |
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| Melon | X | |
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| Nursery | 2001 | |
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| Pineapple | 2000 | |
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| Potato | 1999 | |
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| Tomato | 2001 | |
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| Pyrethrum | 2000 | |
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| Strawberry | 2004 | |
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| Vegetable | 1997 | |
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| Canned Fruits | 1997 | |
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| Banana | 1998 | |
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| Avocado | 2000 | |
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| Almond | 2001 | |
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| Macadamia | 1999 | |
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| Stone Fruit | 2000 | |
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| citrus | 2000 | |
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| Chestnut | 1997 | |
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| Cherry | 1997 | |
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| Apple and Pear | 1998 | |
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- evidence of strategies in environmental planning areas
Adoption of Management Practice
Management practices being adopted to address the issue of chemical container/ waste disposal and farm chemical storage include:
- : establishment of safe chemical collection and disposal areas through local government authorities
- Roll-out of the "Drum Muster" program
- distribution of "Spray Sense" advisory leaflets
- case studies for successful waste disposal sites for chemical containers
- development of a on-site waste compaction unit to assist with handling and recycling
- research into the use of bio-polymers that will bio-degrade when incorporated into the soil.
Management practices being adopted to address the issue of soil loss include:
- the use of rotations in intensive temperate cropping areas
- installation of graded drains in vegetable cropping areas
- identification and use of shade-adapted cover crop species
- sustainable use guidelines for specific soil types (Krasnozems)
- reduced tillage options on sloping land with high erosion risks
- mulching to reduce both soil loss and movement down slope
- various cover cropping practices
- QFVG Farm Care Code of Practice containing soil loss minimisation strategies
Management practices being adopted to address the issue of soil nutrient levels and availability include:
- setting maximum phosphorus and irrigation water application rates specific to regional soil types
- implementing monitoring program in association with controlled fertiliser application program
- develop cultivar and region specific nutrition requirements
- various nutrient management strategies aimed at determining nutrient influence on vegetative and reproductive development
- risk assessment of soluble fertiliser overuse
Management practices being adopted to address the issue of organic matter/ soil structure decline include:
- green manure cropping
- addition of composts and/ or other plant residues
- maintaining organic matter through minimising soil disturbance and aeration
- combination of mulching crop residues into the soil surface and other practices
Management practices being adopted to address the issue of soil acidity include:
- detailed guidelines for the prevention and amendment of soil acidity in low-flow irrigation areas
- matching nitrogen inputs to crop demand
- using alternative forms of nitrogen fertiliser
- improve irrigation efficiency to minimise leaching
- early sowing after fallow
- incorporation of perennial species to cropping system
- • regular lime applications
Codes of Practice are becoming increasingly common across larger rural industries. Horticulture is no exception.
The Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Grower's Association is working towards environmental sustainability with the development of the Farm Care Code of Practice. HRDC and NLWRA (2001) consider the adoption of national or regional Codes of Practice to be limiting due to fragmentation of the industry, particularly vegetable growers.
Research and development programs
The Horticultural Research and Development Corporation (HRDC) is a national organisation that funds and manages R&D to advance Australian horticulture. Currently $30 million per year is invested in 500 projects in some 40 different horticultural industries. The functions of HRDC are to:
- investigate and evaluate R&D requirements;
- program, fund, coordinate; and
- carry out R&D projects.
HRDC play a critical role in linking the various industries to state agencies and in delivering the outcomes of R&D efforts. Key research efforts focus on three areas:
- pest and disease management;
- Cultural/ harvesting practices; and
- Total Waste Management.
Industry Links with Government
Australia is a signatory to a number of international treaties and conventions that will likely have some impact on the agricultural industry. The Commonwealth intervenes in matters related to most agricultural industries through financial mechanisms (eg. taxation, grants to the States) Horticulture industry products and enterprises are subject to Commonwealth corporations, trade and commerce powers that potentially allow regulation of production, processing. marketing and exports.
States generally have responsibility for the development and implementation of environmental policy matters. Schedule 2 (4) of the Inter-governmental Agreement on the Environment (IGAE) specifies that the "development and administration of he policy and legislative framework will remain the responsibility of the States and Local Government." The majority of agricultural legislation is within the power of each State.
Local governments manage environmental and planning issues from legislation delivered from the State level. The IGAE stated that local government is responsible regional to local issues but with cooperation at other levels of government.
How do these factors affect the future prospects of the industry?The industry has recognised, through this industry-wide audit process, key environmental challenges, namely chemical container/ waste disposal, options for storing farm chemicals soil loss, soil nutrient levels, organic matter/ soil structure decline and soil acidity.
In order to meet these challenges, industry will need to determine BMP's for each of these issue areas. These BMPs will require scientific investigation, targeted research activities, commodity group level extension activity and self regulation through Codes and guidelines. These activities are being influenced by wider environmental considerations such as catchment conditions policy, water quality policy and chemical use policies. The horticultural industry is a participant in these processes at the commodity group scale.
In addition to the BMP approach, improvement in environmental performance can be achieved through:
- Increasing focus on integrating solutions to pest and disease management
- Improvements to the structure, management and planning of organisations
- Greater investment in environmental R&D projects on an enterprise and regional basis
- Specific development of industry awareness programs
- Improvement of resources and environmental skills in some of the smaller crop groups
- Consolidation of environmental and production data on a regional basis
Further information
Link to Map maker to make a map using this information.
Link to data available for download on "A spatially consistent sub-set of agricultural statistics (AgStats) data 1982/93 to 1996/97"
"Benchmarking environmental challenges and agricultural practice - an overview" report
Horticulture Australia web site
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