Australia’s strawberry industry is experiencing both challenges and opportunities as growers adapt to changing conditions. The new strawberry varieties have been developed under Dr. Jodi Neal’s leadership. The focus is on improving flavor and resilience, in addition to fulfilling market needs. Combined with supply forecasts that paint an overly rosy picture, the industry experts agree prices will decline, delivering much-needed relief to consumers.
Plant breeder Dr. Jodi Neal heads the effort to create and find new strawberry varieties. She is excited about their success so far in developing tasty, pest-resistant varieties. Her team typically takes six to seven years to take that kind of cross-pollination and develop it into a commercial release. They are particularly interested in developing the right plant varieties for the many climates found across Australia, from subtropical to temperate regions.
Industry spokesperson Adrian Schultz expects strawberry supply to ramp up shortly, which will be good news for consumers. He points to increased tabletop hydroponic production. Since this method uses larger, more mature plants, it results in quicker fruit production earlier in the season. This reform could help improve both access and excellence.
“It’s potentially a more profitable strawberry variety.” – Dr. Jodi Neal
New Varieties and Commercial Growth
This year, we’re particularly excited to be celebrating the commercial cultivation of a new day-neutral variety of strawberry. It’s named for the late disability activist and comedian Stella Young. New white and pink strawberry varieties are set to become commercially available to growers next year, further diversifying the market.
To make the case for these new hybrids, Dr. Neal stresses their advantages. They produce bigger fruit, allowing farmers to double or triple their production profits. This reduction often represents the last dollar of profitability that allows manufacturers to thrive amidst a challenging, competitive landscape.
“It has larger fruit which means that the cost of production is a lot lower for our farmers, so they can continue making a profit.” – Dr. Jodi Neal
The strawberry industry has been hit hard by recent wet weather and the time of year seasonal out of supply conditions affecting the market. Indeed, some supermarkets are currently selling a 250-gram punnet for about $5.50! Rachel Mackenzie, another key figure in the industry, points out that while some growers have faced flooding and infrastructure damage, they are contending with increased pest and disease issues following heavy rainfall.
“Some growers have been completely flooded; others have had infrastructure damage and another problem is pest and disease increases after a big rain event like that.” – Ms. Mackenzie
Pricing Dynamics and Market Trends
As Queensland’s seasonal supply ramps up, Rachel Mackenzie expects lucrative berry prices to plummet in coming weeks. Even now, she explains, the majority of strawberries sold in Australia still hail from Far North Queensland’s Atherton Tableland. The consolidation that has occurred within the industry has greatly impacted the landscape. Over the last 20 years, membership in the state’s corresponding association has crumbled to half.
Schultz underscores this idea of consolidation by noting that what were once 500,000 smaller family farms on average are now corporate farms with this number. This change could be far-reaching in how P3s influence pricing and competition in the market overall.
“That’s basically because small family farms have gone by the wayside and the larger corporate entities have continued to expand.” – Adrian Schultz
Though these hurdles are considerable, Mackenzie believes that Australia, indeed, can be an export superpower. She points out that Aussie strawberries are full of vitamins and folate. In truth, they contain almost as much vitamin C as Valencia oranges!
“They’ve got a lot of vitamins and folate, nearly as much vitamin C as a Valencia orange.” – Adrian Schultz
A Look Ahead to Exports
After access to Vietnam for strawberry exports is secured, Mackenzie hopes Australia will be able to expand to send its berries there. Further, in response to a question on notice, she refers to the fact that Australia is a priority for a new round of negotiations with China.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to have access to Vietnam relatively soon.” – Rachel Mackenzie
She’s realistic about the challenges of entering the Chinese market, urging patience. Combining Australia’s enviable food safety record with sustainable agronomy makes it a serious contender on the world stage.
“We have the benefit of quality, proximity and obviously our fantastic record on food safety and sustainable practices.” – Rachel Mackenzie
