Agriculture - National Horticulture Industry Profiles - Leaf Vegetables
Leaf vegetables
In 1996/97, leaf vegetables (mainly lettuce and celery, but including French endive, silverbeet and spinach) had a combined gross value of production of $116 m, about 3% of the total for Australian horticulture. Lettuce is the fifth most valuable vegetable after potato, tomato, carrot and onion.
Major producing areas
Leaf vegetables are grown in all States across a range of climates from temperate to subtropical. Major production areas are in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. Lettuce growers recognise the need to use water more efficiently, and research into drip irrigation as an alternative to sprinkler and flood systems is being supported.
Crops produced
| Crop 1996/97 |
Area (ha) |
Production (t) |
Value ($m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celery | 950 | 44 870 | 31.1 |
| Lettuce & French endive | 4 790 | 112 410 | 79.7 |
| Silverbeet & spinach | 300 | 2 840 | 5.0 |
| Total | 6 040 | 160 120 | 115.8 |
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Major production regions
| Region | Agro-ecological region | Area (ha) |
Production (t) |
Value ($m) |
% of total crop area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Werribee, Vic | Wet temperate coasts | 970 | 19 730 | 11.2 | 16 |
| Lockyer Valley, Qld | P>Subtropical slopes & plains/ wet subtropical coast | 880 | 29 570 | 19.8 | 15 |
| Gippsland, Vic | Wet temperate coasts | 830 | 18 740 | 13.7 | 14 |
| Granite Belt, Qld | Subtropical slopes & plains | 220 | 8 040 | 5.3 | 4 |
| Perth, WA | Wet temperate coasts | 200 | 6 850 | 5.6 | 3 |
| Darling Downs, Qld | Subtropical slopes & plains | 180 | 8 180 | 5.1 | 3 |
| Riverina, NSW | Temperate slopes & plains | 150 | 2 620 | 2.2 | 3 |
| East Gippsland, Vic | Temperate highlands | 140 | 2 470 | 1.4 | 2 |
Production, production trends and exports
Lettuce is grown almost exclusively for the domestic market. About 10% of celery production is exported, mainly to south-east Asia.
Industry contact
AusVeg: RMB 5307, Strathbogie, Victoria 3666; telephone: (03) 5790 5247
Production and value data sources
Horticultural Research and Development Corporation 2000, Horticultural Productivity and Sustainability Project
Australian Bureau of Statistics 1996, AgStats 1996-97
National Land and Water Resources Audit 2000, non-agricultural land mask from 1:1 000 000 Landuse in Australia
Agriculture Fisheries Forestry - Australia 1996, Agro-ecological Regions of Australia
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