Carrot exports from WA reached a record high value of $48 million free-on-board (FOB) in 2012/13 ‑ up slightly on the past three years and 42% higher than 2007/08.
Carrots are easily the top vegetable export crop from WA which is the dominant producing state, accounting for 94% of Australian exports by value.
Queensland ($1.24 million FOB), Tasmania ($0.76m) and Victoria ($0.63m) accounted for most of the rest.
WA exported 64 430 tonnes of carrots in 2012/13.
The main markets for WA carrot exports were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. In the past five years there has been strong growth in exports to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. Exports to Singapore and Malaysia also increased. Over that same time, sales to the lesser markets of Brunei, Reunion and Indonesia have contracted.
Main markets for Western Australian carrots in 2012/13 (ABS)
| Destination | Value ($ million FOB) |
|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 14.31 |
| Singapore | 8.55 |
| Malaysia | 5.94 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5.48 |
| Qatar | 3.81 |
| Bahrain | 2.95 |
| Kuwait | 1.69 |
| Hong Kong | 1.13 |
| Japan | 1.08 |
| Thailand | 0.98 |
| Oman | 0.90 |
| Brunei-Darassalam | 0.36 |
| Reunion | 0.35 |
| Maldives | 0.31 |
| Indonesia | 0.11 |
| Total | 48.05 |
The major competitor for WA's carrot exports is China. China is the world’s leading carrot exporter with sales in calendar year 2012 of 595 025 tonnes valued at $264.7 million FOB, according to the Global Trade Atlas. Their main markets were South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Russia, UAE, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Chinese carrots dominate many of the markets that are also important to Western Australian producers.
WA exporters do not compete on price, given China’s lower costs of production and freight to many markets, but trade successfully on quality, food safety and reliability.
Acknowledgments
This information was originally authored by Allan McKay.