This publication provides a snapshot and trends in the production and overseas trade of vegetables from Western Australia.
WA’s total vegetable crop reached 328 857 tonnes in 2015–16, worth an estimated 490million.Thiswasa33Quantityincreasedby24Thestate’svegetablegrowersusesophisticatedcroppingsystemsinarangeofenvironmentsandsoiltypes,whichstretchfromthetropicalnorth,nearlatitude16°S,tothetemperatesouthat35°S1.CarrotswereWA’smajorvegetablecropbyvalueandquantity,withproductionofabout120000tonnes,worth118m in 2015–16. This represented 24% of the total state vegetable industry’s value. Production growth in the carrot sector was mainly due to strong export sales, worth almost 80min2015–16,tokeyoverseasmarkets.Salesof56m made tomatoes the second largest vegetable crop by value with production of 30 320t in 2015–16. Potatoes were second by quantity (42 183t) and third by value (41m).Beanshavehadthestrongestproductiongrowthbetween2011–12and2015–16at550ExporttrendsforWA’svegetableindustryhavebeenhighlyfavourable,withthevalueofthistradeincreasing9199m. This greatly exceeded a minor 0.2% gain in the value of imported vegetables in the same period — reaching about 10min2017.Onionshadthestrongestgrowthinexportvaluesfrom2007to2017.TheUnitedArabEmirateswasthehighestvalueexportmarketforWAvegetables.Inthe2007–17period,WAvegetableexportstomostMiddleEasternmarketsexperiencedhigherthanaveragegrowth.ButexportstothemajordestinationsofSingaporeandMalaysiafellbelowaverage,despitethetotalvalueofexportstothesedestinationsincreasinginthattime.WA’sshareofthevalueoftotalAustralianvegetableexportsgrewfrom35Increasedimportsofthehigh−valuevegetables,garlicandasparagus,toWAinrecentyears,havebeenoutweighedbylessonions,capsicumandpeasbeingimported.Garlichadthehighestshareofvegetableimportvaluesat3m in 2017, or 33% of the total value of all vegetables imported to WA by value, followed by asparagus. Mushrooms had the biggest growth in import value of 1693% between 2007 and 2017.
Major countries supplying vegetables to WA include China, with 34% market share of value, and Mexico at 27%. It is expected there will be continued growth in imports from these markets.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1250/thumbnail.jp