ISHS Acta Horticulturae 494: II International Symposium on Chestnut
MARKET DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AUSTRALIAN CHESTNUT INDUSTRY |
| Author: | J.D. Ridley |
| Keywords: | Castanea sativa, production, promotion, varieties |
| Abstract:
Chestnut production predominantly occurs in south-eastern Australia in cool temperate environments (36°S, 146°E), at altitudes of over 300 m. Soils must be well drained and rainfall generally exceeds 800 mm/yr. The industry is currently small (production 800–900 t/yr), but production will rise significantly over the next 5–10 years. Most trees are less than 15 years old. Most nuts are currently sold on the fresh domestic market. The Australian chestnut industry is at a critical stage of development, having increasing nut production and near static domestic demand for fresh product. Grower involvement is very strong with a national growers association, the Chestnut Growers of Australia Ltd., (CGA) formed in 1991. All growers now pay a compulsory levy (10 cents-Aus./kg) from all produce sold. First levy receipts became available for research, development, and promotion in 1992. This levy is split 50/50 between research and development, and promotion. The research and development component of this levy is then matched by national government funds. Priorities for research and promotional programs are decided by grower based committees of the CGA. To date priorities have centred on improving product quality through improved grower handling practices, more effective disease control and retailer/wholesaler education on storage and handling. Promotion has centred on an annual national media release and distribution of point of sale material. The industry is also now commencing a varietal assessment program and has just completed a domestic market research program to identify consumer attitudes to chestnuts. Other developments include chestnut exports and investigation into the viability of processing chestnuts. | |
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