Artichokes in Australia

Overview

Australia is a nation where many vegetables are found in abundance. One of these vegetables can be identified as artichokes. In fact, an area where artichokes are majorly harvested is Victoria. Some of the other smaller states also produce artichokes but in lower quantities.   Moreover, the majority of the vegetablethat are grown in Australia are meant for the fresh markets, with a smaller portion reserved for the export market.

Statistics

1. 6% of Australian families bought this vegetable. This amounts to an average of 473 grams of artichokes per shopping trip.
2. The supply produced per capita was recorded at 18g. This figure is based on the volume supplied.
3. Four hundred forty-nine tonnes of this vegetable were produced in 2019, and the total value amounts to $0.9 million.

Artichoke Production Areas

Benefits

We all know that eating healthy can be a treat for our liver. Since it is the largest organ in our body, with many functions to perform such as storing energy, digesting food and removing toxins from the body, it is imperative to keep it healthy. Some qualities found in this vegetable, cynarin and silymarin, have been shown to improve the overall health of the liver by reducing the presence of toxins and facilitating their elimination from the liver and the body. Moreover, the phenols and acids present in artichokes act as stimulators, which help expel harmful toxins from the body and also promote the production of bile. Hence, artichokes are favourable for health.

Artichoke International Trade

The importing volume in Australia is relatively small. On the contrary, over 1-7 tonnes of this vegetable is exported every year. In fact, as of June 2019, Australia has shipped over 6 tonnes of artichokes. Thus, imports were counted in negative tonnes in 2019.

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)