Agriculture - National Horticulture Industry Profiles - Pepper (capsicum and chilli)
Peppers
Peppers (capsicum and chilli) had a gross value of production in 1996/97 of $41 m, 1% of the total value of Australian horticultural production. Peppers are almost all grown for the domestic market.
Major producing areas
Production is mostly in the hot regions of Australia. Over two-thirds of these crops are grown in Queensland. Greenhouse pepper production is increasing in South Australia and Victoria.
Capsicum is available all year round. The varieties are Bell-Type (Red, Green, Yellow, Purple, Orange), Elongated Bell-Type (similar colours), Chilli-Types (from sweet to very hot). The total area planted with capsicum (including chillies and peppers) up to March 1997 was 1874 hectares.
Production of chilli’s has steadily climbed since 1992 from 20 207 tonnes to 30 298 tonnes.
Crops produced
| Crop 1996/97 |
Area (ha) |
Production (t) |
Value ($m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsicum/chilli | 1 880 | 32 220 | 40.6 |
 |
 |
Major production regions
| Region | Agro-ecological region | Area (ha) |
Production (t) |
Value ($m) |
% of total crop area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen, Qld | North-east wet/dry tropics | 540 | 11 150 | 13.1 | 29 |
| Bundaberg, Qld | Wet subtropical coast | 250 | 4 640 | 5.4 | 13 |
| Burdekin, Qld | North-east wet/dry tropics | 160 | 3 330 | 3.9 | 9 |
| Granite Belt, Qld | Subtropical slopes & plains | 150 | 1 940 | 2.2 | 8 |
| Lockyer Valley, Qld | Subtropical slopes & plains/ wet subtropical coast | 100 | 1 190 | 1.4 | 5 |
| Carnarvon, WA | Arid interior | 90 | 1 310 | 1.9 | 5 |
 |
Production, production trends and exportsAustralia exports peppers mainly to New Zealand and South-east Asia. Exports are only about 2% of production. |
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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