1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Agriculture >> Vegetables and fruit

Vegetables

In 1999-2000 the area sown to vegetables was 127,400 ha, which was a slight decrease from the previous year. Potatoes were by far the largest vegetable crop in terms of area and production, accounting for nearly a third of the total area of vegetables planted (tables 16.32 and 16.33).

The area sown to vegetables reached a peak of over 200,000 ha in 1945. It then fell to around 100,000 ha from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, but increased towards the end of the 1990s, reaching 131,000 ha in 1995-96 (table 16.32).


16.32 SELECTED VEGETABLES, Area
French & runner beans
Carrots
Onions
Green peas
Lettuces
Potatoes(a)
Pumpkins
Tomatoes
All vegetables
’000 ha
'000 ha
’000 ha
’000 ha
'000 ha
'000 ha
’000 ha
’000 ha
'000 ha
1994-95
6.1
6.9
5.2
9.8
4.0
37.6
5.4
8.7
129.1
1995-96
7.1
7.6
5.5
8.2
4.7
41.8
6.6
8.6
131.4
1996-97
7.9
7.0
4.8
9.3
4.7
41.1
6.3
8.8
129.7
1997-98
6.6
7.2
5.6
7.0
5.7
42.6
5.9
8.0
130.6
1998-99
5.9
6.5
5.4
6.2
6.2
41.3
7.5
8.5
130.2
1999-2000
6.6
7.0
5.3
5.5
5.2
36.8
9.0
8.3
127.4
(a) Excludes potatoes for seed.

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0).


16.33 SELECTED VEGETABLES, Production
French & runner beans
Carrots
Onions
Green peas
(pod weight)
Lettuces
Potatoes(a)
Pumpkins
Tomatoes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
’000 tonnes
1994-95
29.4
238.5
200.4
97.9
92.5
1,122.4
76.7
340.0
1995-96
32.0
249.9
244.5
80.8
107.2
1,308.1
96.5
370.9
1996-97
37.6
257.4
196.5
94.2
110.8
1,286.1
87.1
393.1
1997-98
35.6
266.5
218.9
76.0
129.1
1,371.6
84.8
380.1
1998-99
30.4
256.6
224.0
65.7
131.1
1,326.8
87.6
394.4
1999-2000
34.5
283.3
247.1
66.9
151.9
1,199.6
108.8
413.6
(a) Excludes potatoes for seed.

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0); ABS data available on request, Agricultural Census, Agricultural Commodities Survey.


Fruit (excluding grapes)

A wide variety of fruit is grown in Australia, ranging from pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws in the tropics to pome, stone and berry fruits in temperate regions. Table 16.34 shows the number of trees for the main types of orchard fruit, and the area under cultivation for bananas and pineapples.

The most significant crops in terms of gross value of production are bananas, oranges and apples. In 1999-2000 the value of the banana crop increased by 7%, while the value of the orange crop decreased by 7% and the value of the apple crop decreased by 15% (table 16.35). While bananas, oranges and apples remain the principal fruit crops in Australia, some other fruit types have experienced considerable growth in recent years, for example mandarins and strawberries.


16.34 SELECTED FRUIT, Number of trees(a) and area
Orchard fruit
Area of tropical fruit(b)
Apples
Apricots
Oranges
Peaches
Pears(c)
Plums and
prunes
Bananas(b)
Pineapples(b)
All area of fruit and nuts (excluding grapes)
’000 trees
'000 trees
’000 trees
’000 trees
’000 trees
'000 trees
ha
ha
ha
1994-95
5,101
642
6,297
1,245
1,317
905
8,281
3,209
128,258
1995-96
5,302
634
6,477
1,296
1,384
902
8,893
2,824
133,461
1996-97
5,656
629
6,736
1,475
1,416
931
9,589
2,668
137,086
1997-98
5,845
569
6,667
1,498
1,381
1,015
10,478
2,762
144,082
1998-99
5,969
565
6,400
1,509
1,401
1,024
11,405
2,821
145,265
1999-2000
6,115
520
6,945
1,972
1,401
1,420
11,730
2,817
154,049
(a) Number of trees six years and over.
(b) Bearing area.
(c) Excludes Nashi.

Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0); ABS data available on request, Agricultural Census, Agricultural Commodities Survey.


16.35 SELECTED FRUIT, Quantity and value of production
Apples
Apricots
Oranges
Peaches
Pears(a)
Plums & prunes
Bananas
Pineapples
QUANTITY OF PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes)
1994-95
316.6
29.8
517.2
58.7
151.7
21.3
208.1
138.5
1995-96
280.0
21.6
442.1
60.4
156.0
21.4
220.0
127.9
1996-97
353.1
25.9
522.6
72.1
167.6
25.2
199.6
123.0
1997-98
308.9
19.9
499.8
64.8
152.9
26.4
223.0
123.0
1998-99
334.4
21.5
445.8
66.0
156.7
22.7
225.2
131.4
1999-2000
319.7
19.9
510.0
86.0
156.4
24.2
256.9
139.3
GROSS VALUE OF PRODUCTION ($m)
1994-95
269.8
28.8
214.8
50.0
73.4
31.9
254.7
43.3
1995-96
305.3
30.7
219.5
50.3
90.7
33.4
224.9
36.4
1996-97
378.4
39.1
256.3
60.1
106.2
38.6
216.6
39.3
1997-98
272.7
31.0
257.9
53.4
107.8
44.1
230.3
37.3
1998-99
321.1
27.9
296.2
65.5
112.4
42.4
266.3
39.4
1999-2000
273.7
31.8
276.4
74.3
72.1
43.4
283.8
43.7
(a) Excludes Nashi.

Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0); Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0)


Grapes

Grapes are a temperate crop requiring predominantly winter rainfall and warm to hot summer conditions for ripening. Freedom from late spring frosts is essential to prevent the loss of the developing fruit. Grapes are grown for winemaking, drying and, to a lesser extent, for table use. Some of the better known grape producing areas are the Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Riverland, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra in South Australia; Sunraysia and the Yarra Valley in Victoria; the Hunter and Riverina in New South Wales; the Swan Valley and Margaret River in Western Australia; and the Tamar Valley and Coal River Valley in Tasmania.

The gross value of grape production for 2000-01 increased by 31% from the previous year, to $1.5b. Table 16.36 and 16.37 shows the area of vines and the grapes produced by grape variety.


16.36 VITICULTURE, Area, production and value
Area(a)
Production of grapes for
Total production(b)
Bearing
Total
Winemaking
Drying
Quantity
Gross value
’000 ha
’000 ha
’000 tonnes fresh weight
’000 tonnes fresh weight
’000 tonnes fresh weight
$m
1995-96(c)
65
81
782
248
1,087
714.4
1996-97
72
90
743
136
943
721.4
1997-98
78
99
871
177
1,112
998.2
1998-99
95
123
1,076
119
1,266
1,200.1
1999-2000
111
140
1,111
133
1,311
1,118.2
2000-01
131
148
1,391
90
1,546
1,460.4
(a) At harvest.
(b) Includes grapes used for table and other purposes.
(c) Excludes NT and ACT.

Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0); Australian Wine and Grape Industry (1329.0).



16.37 VITICULTURE, Area and production - 2000-01(a)
Area of vines at harvest
Production of grapes used for
Bearing
Not yet bearing
All vines
Winemaking
Drying
Other
Total
Variety
ha
ha
ha
tonnes fresh
weight
tonnes fresh
weight
tonnes fresh
weight
tonnes fresh weight
Red grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon
24,992
3,611
28,603
249,253
15
186
249,454
Currant (including Carina)
778
50
828
1,619
9,765
259
11,642
Grenache
2,139
288
2,427
22,563
44
172
22,778
Mataro
948
181
1,128
11,624
9
69
11,703
Pinot Noir
3,219
919
4,138
29,509
27
13
29,549
Shiraz
29,295
4,381
33,676
311,048
30
41
311,119
Other red grapes
16,372
3,751
20,123
147,169
1,028
23,962
172,159
Total
77,743
13,180
90,923
772,785
10,918
24,701
808,404
White grapes
Chardonnay
17,266
1,167
18,433
245,223
49
324
245,595
Doradillo
249
2
251
4,903
5
29
4,937
Muscat Gordo Blanco
2,495
80
2,576
48,970
2,598
197
51,764
Palomino and Pedro Ximenes
213
2
215
2,555
-
30
2,585
Riesling
3,129
429
3,558
26,980
-
-
26,980
Semillon
6,528
275
6,803
88,427
302
95
88,824
Sultana
10,298
867
11,165
73,812
72,784
20,944
167,540
Waltham Cross
327
19
346
1,109
1,684
958
3,751
Other white grapes
12,343
1,645
13,988
126,311
1,903
17,409
145,622
Total
52,848
4,487
57,335
618,290
79,323
39,985
737,598
Total grapes
130,591
17,667
148,258
1,391,074
90,241
64,686
1,546,002
(a) Excludes NT and ACT, where varietal data are not collected.

Source: Australian Wine and Grape Industry, 2001 (1329.0).



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