Australia and the Ginger Industry(2019)

Overview

Australian ginger, though available all throughout the country, is widely produced in Queensland. Furthermore, processed ginger is oftentimes used in beverages in minced or candied form. However, the majority of these fresh imports to Australia are widely processed without entering the fresh supply chain. Most importantly, Fijian ginger has also been recently granted acess to the fresh Australian supply market.

Ginger is an essential ingredient when it comes to the range of semi-processed items for the food and manufacturing domain and processed items for the retail sector. The Australian ginger industry successfully employs hundreds of families through the creation of jobs. Some of these jobs are farm production, packing sheds and also jobs related to the transport and farm input sellers. Furthermore, the value of sales of processed and semi-processed ginger products in the domestic trading market is over $60 million. Moreover, the exports of these products are currently estimated at $40 million.

Interestingly, the Australian ginger industry believes there is no concern greater than that of food safety. This is a pressing issue that is crucial for both the processors and the consumers. Hence, in response to this problem, the industry has conjured up many safety protocols and procedures that are put in place to ensure the safety of production and the food quality.

Australian Statistics

1. Approximately 6,992 tonnes of ginger was produced and valued at $26.8 million. Out of this amount, 47% of it was sent to be processed.
2. 20% of Australian households purchased fresh ginger, hence, the average per shopping trip amounted to 87 grams per haul.
3. The supply per capita was recorded at 148 grams, based on the volume supplied.
4. The wholesale value of the fresh supply was $29.2 million, with $22.8 million distributed into retail and $6.4 million went into food service.

Major Ginger Production Areas

Most of the ginger in Australia is produced in Queensland. However, the majority of this production occurs in the Buderim region.

Fresh Ginger International Trade

Australia is predominantly a net importer of ginger. However, most of the ginger is used in the processing industry without it being allowed to enter into the fresh supply chain. Nevertheless, in the present times, Fijian ginger has secured its access in the fresh market place. Because of the manner in which trade is recorded, fresh ginger and crushed ginger were not recorded separately. However, this has been differentiated ever since 2012.

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)