Agriculture - National Horticulture Industry Profiles - Pome Fruit
Pome fruit
Pome fruit production (apples, pears and nashi) is Australia’s largest fruit industry and had a gross value of $514 m in 1996/97. The industry represents 13% of Australia’s total annual gross value from horticulture. Research and development efforts directed towards disinfestation and chemical residue management combined with varietal improvements have been crucial to gaining and maintaining market access.
Major producing areas
Apple and pear production is concentrated in temperate regions where mean annual minimum temperatures are between 7 and 10°C, and mean annual maxima between 18 and 23°C. The Goulburn Valley in Victoria accounts for about 90% of total pear production. Pome fruit are also grown in subtropical areas (e.g. Stanthorpe, Queensland) where altitude provides the necessary cold requirement. Annual rainfall in growing regions varies from less than 500 mm to more than 1000 mm. Irrigation is usual.
Crops produced
|
Crop 1996/97 |
Production (t) |
Value ($m) |
|---|---|---|
| Apples | 353 100 | 393.5 |
| Nashi | 6 030 | 13.5 |
| Pears | 167 560 | 106.1 |
| Total | 526 690 | 513.1 |
 |
 |
Major production regions (apples, pears, nashi)
| Region | Agro-ecological region |
Production (t) |
Value ($m) |
% of total crop area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goulburn Valley, Vic | Temperate slopes & plains | 188 000 | 143 | 23 |
| Huon Valley, Tas | Wet temperate coasts | 40 000 | 39 | 9 |
| Central West, NSW | Temperate highlands/temperate slopes & plains | 37 000 | 43 | 8 |
| South West Slopes, NSW | Temperate highlands | 34 000 | 40 | 4 |
| Granite Belt, Qld | Subtropical slopes & plains | 29 000 | 28 | 8 |
| Onkaparinga, SA | Wet temperate coasts | 19 000 | 32 | 5 |
| Manjimup, WA | Wet temperate coasts | 15 000 | 16 | 2 |
| South West, WA | Wet temperate coasts | 19 000 | 19 | 4 |
| Loddon, Vic | Temperate highlands | 12 000 | 13 | 3 |
 |
Production trends and marketsAlthough apple production has fluctuated over the past five years, production of pears has generally increased. Australia accounts for around 0.7% of world apple production and 3% of world pear production. Although apples are grown in all States, the main fresh apple export producing regions are Tasmania (55% by volume and 47% by value of Australian exports) and Donnybrook/Manjimup (south-west Western Australia) (19% volume and 25% value). Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka accounted for over 60% of the total volume and value of apple exports in 1998/99. In the same year, Victoria supplied about 80% of total fresh pear exports. Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia were the major export markets for pears (77% by volume in 1998/99). |
Industry contacts
Australian Apple and Pear Growers Association: 62 O’Connell St, North Melbourne 3061; telephone : (03) 9329 3511; website: www.aapga.com.au
Australian Nashi Growers Association: PO Box 83, Tallygaroopna, Victoria 3634; telephone: (03) 5826 9428
Canning Fruits Industry Council of Australia: PO Box 394, Shepparton, Victoria 3630; telephone: (03) 5821 5844
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
Horticultural Research and Development Corporation, Australian Horticultural Corporation, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics 2000, Australian Horticulture in the Global Environment
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