Rubus Berries Production in Australia (2019)

Overview

The term ‘rubus berries’ is all-inclusive of raspberries, blackberries and other berries such as silvanberries and boysenberries. These berries are predominantly grown along the Eastern Seabord of Australia. Moreover, the majority of the production occurs in Victoria and Tasmania.

History of Rubus Berries

Raspberry was firstly cultivated by the ancient Greeks. The harvest of Raspberry was firstly recorded in AD 45 from Mt. Ida. Some people believed that it was actually originated in the Ide Mountains in Turkey. The people of Troy of Mt.Ida gathered the fruits around the time of Christ. The domestication was recorded in the 4th century. The seeds were identified in Britain at Roman forts. It was Romans who spread the cultivation of Raspberry throughout Europe. About 415 varieties were available by 1925 and thousands of Raspberries was cultivated in the Northeastern United States.

Statistics

1. Nine thousand seven hundred forty-eight tonnes of raspberries were produced. These fruits were valued at $207.5 million.
2. The supply per capita was estimated at 350 grams, based on the volume that was supplied.
3. The wholesale value of the supply was recorded at $243.2 million, and among this $224 million was distributed into retail while $19.4 million went into the food supply.
4. Approximately 24% of the Australian households purchased raspberries on their shopping trip, which amounts to 220 gram per trip.

Major Rubus Berries Production Areas

Some of the major growing areas are the Central and Southern Tableland regions in New South Wales, Adelaide Hills in South Australia, South East Queensland, the Yarra Valley in Victoria, the Great Southern part in Western Australia and the North Coast.

Fresh Rubus Berries Production by State

Fresh Rubus Berries International Trade

Because these fruits are perishable by nature, there is a minimal amount of trade which occurs. However, the trade of processed and frozen raspberries is rampant. Nonetheless, there are no fresh fruit imports at the moment.

Processed Rubus Berries International Trade

As of June 2019, an extra 8,326 tonnes of these frozen fruits were imported. On the other hand, only 25 tonnes were exported.

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)