ISHS Acta Horticulturae 681: IV International Congress on Artichoke
THE GLOBE ARTICHOKE INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA |
| Authors: | F. Goubran, G. Hale, S. Salib, B. Tomkins, R. Clarke, H. Hoffmann |
| Keywords: | Australia, Victoria, globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus, Southern Hemisphere. |
| Abstract:
The Australian globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) industry is a minor one by world standards comprising 0.03% (A$500,000) of the gross value of the Australian vegetable production (A$1.7 billion) and represented by less than 50 growers producing about 500 tonnes from an area of less than a 100 hectares. In Australia, artichokes are grown in coastal regions between the latitudes of 30 and 40 S in four States. More than 90% of the crop is grown around the Port Phillip Bay area in the State of Victoria with limited plantations in New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. Globe artichoke is seasonally available on the local markets from late autumn (May) to late spring (November) with production peaking from late winter to mid spring (August-October). Despite the availability of a number of artichoke cultivars, the two most popular ones are; Green Globe and Purple Globe. Globe artichoke consumption in Australia has been traditionally confined to ethnic groups familiar with the crop. This is attributed to a number of reasons; consumer’s lack of knowledge of the vegetable, difficulty in its preparation and lack of promotion. However, the emerging life style that favours healthy and novelty foods indicates a change in that trend that should be seen by the industry as a window of opportunity for expansion. Despite the limited volume of artichoke production, Australia manages to export small quantities in an ad-hoc fashion to some South East Asian markets. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
