Blueberries Production in Australia

Blueberries Overview

The majority of production, when it comes to blueberries, occurs in the northern New South Wales region of Coffs Harbour. The growth is at its peak during the summer months. Because there are multiple regions that grow blueberries in Australia, this fruit is thus available all throughout the year.  

Statistics

As of 2019,

1. The wholesale value of the fresh supply was recorded at $436.1 million. $373 million was then distributed into retail and $63.4 million was spent on food service.
2. 55% of Australian households purchased fresh fruits as a part of their grocery haul. Thus, this amounts to an average of 158 gram per shopping trip.
3. 19,008 tonnes of this fruit was produced and valued at $338.7 million.
4. The supply per capital was recorded at 742 grams, based on the volume that was supplied.

Major Blueberry Production Areas

A great amount of this fruit is produced in the New South Wales region of Coffs Harbour. Some of the other areas where blueberries are grown are Western Australia, Queensland, Southern Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Due to the abundant production of the fruit, blueberries are available in Australia all year-round.

Fresh Blueberries Production by State

Fresh Blueberries International Trade

Traditionally, Australia has always been an importer of this fruit. It typically imports about 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes of this fruit each year. Moreover, the majority of the fruit is imported from New Zealand.  As of June 2019, Australia has imported 1,555 tonnes of blueberries.

Blueberries’ Health Benefits

The fruit is a very popular berry. It is low in calories but high in fibre, vitamin C and vitamin K. They have the highest antioxidant capacity of all the popular fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids appear to be the berries’ antioxidant with the greatest impact. Several studies suggest that fruit and juice reduce DNA damage, which is a leading driver of aging and cancer.

Exports

It has also been discovered that 62% of these fruits were sent to Hong Kong in 2019.

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)