$1.5m investment to boost Australia’s banana production

15 Mar 2018

Bagged bananas at Duranbah variety trial site in the NSW Tweed Shire

Australia’s subtropical banana industry is set to flourish with $1.5 million investment into research and development projects aimed to safeguard supply and increase premium fruit production.

NSW Department of Primary Industries, Deputy Director General Agriculture, 
Kate Lorimer-Ward said new innovative projects will improve the banana industry’s capacity and productivity through research and development adoption to improve the consistent supply of quality subtropical bananas for the Australian market.

“There is an unmet demand for subtropical bananas and the industry is important for economic and employment benefits regionally and nationally,” Ms Lorimer-Ward said.

“The NSW DPI will conduct research trials to make a range of banana varieties with desirable pest, disease, agronomic and consumer preference traits for subtropical growers.

“This Improved Plant Protection for the Australian Banana Industry, led by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and part funded by Hort Innovation is part of a nationally-focused project addressing pest and disease concerns across the range of Australian production regions.”

The NSW DPI will lead a second project, as part of the Hort Innovation National Banana Development and Extension Program, which will use industry development techniques to provide growers with tools to identify the causes of fruit downgrade and work with growers and researchers to reduce fruit downgrade or reject in coming seasons.

The Australian subtropical banana industry is located from Bundaberg in Queensland, south to Taree New South Wales and in Carnarvon in Western Australia.

This important industry comprises approximately 5 per cent of Australian production and ensures continued supply when severe weather or disease disrupts supplies from the major production areas in north Queensland.

In 2015/16 the subtropical banana region banana production was valued at $9.1 million, contributing significantly to local employment and economies.

The combined project partners include NSW Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Australian Banana Growers Council, Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Hort Innovation.

Media contact: Anne Brook (02) 6763 1163 or 0477 358 305