Grapefruit Overview and Growth in Australia (2020)

Grapefruit is a citrus variant that is available all year. Nonetheless, there are some availability issues in the month of January. Some of the most common variants that are available are the Thompson, the Wheeney, the Texan and the Marsh. This fruit is generally segregated based on its colour and the number of seeds present. Originally, this fruit was discovered in Barbados, where it was also known as the Forbidden Fruit. Furthermore, grapefruit is a hybrid between the Pomelo fruit and the orange. This exotic fruit is extremely popular as a breakfast delicacy. Since it is the perfect balance of sweet and sour, it is a great addition to other dishes and recipes.

Grapefruit Overview and Statistics

The production of this fruit predominantly occurs in the Murray Valley region. Due to its significant demand, grapefruit is available all year round.

As of the year ending in June 2020:

1. 15% of Australian households purchased this fruit on their shopping haul. This amounted to 826 grams per shopping trip.
2. Over 12,055 tonnes of grapefruit was produced and valued at $18.4 million. From this amount, 4% was sent for processing; predominantly juicing.
3. The wholesale value of the fresh supply was $20.8 million. From this, $18.4 million was distributed into retail and the rest was reserved for food service.
4. The supply per capita was 421 grams, based on the volume supplied.

Major Production Areas

The majority of this fruit arrives from the Northern Territory. Western Australia is also responsible for an adequate amount of grapefruit supply. Hence, the supply is available at all times. Some of the other regions that grow this fruit are the Riverina, the Murray Valley, Perth and Central Burnett.

International Trade

Throughout the years, Australia has been a net importer of grapefruit. It typically imports over one thousand tonnes per year. Internationally, 60% of this fruit was exported to Japan and China received 17%