Fruit

Western Australia’s fruit growing industries extend from Kununurra in the far north to Albany on the cool south coast.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development works closely with industry to improve efficiency and increase returns from the farm gate to export markets.

Strawberries are the highest value export, supplying around two-thirds of the Australian total. Key markets in the last year were Singapore and New Zealand followed by Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.

Steady growth is occurring in the avocado, citrus and mango industries due to additional plantings and efficient production.

Articles

  • Tissue culture is the best method for propagating bananas. It ensures they are true to type and free from pests and diseases.

  • The Australian National Mango Breeding Program was initiated in 1994 between four state, territory and federal agricultural organisations.

  • Three new mango varieties have been developed by the National Mango Breeding Program (NMBP). NMBP-1243 is a hybrid cross between Irwin and Kensington Pride (KP).

  • Selecting the right rootstock for your orchard is one of the most important decisions you will have to make.

  • Many new navel and Valencia orange varieties have become available in recent years and are currently being evaluated under West Australian conditions.

  • Many new varieties of mandarins and tangors have become available in Western Australia with desirable traits for consumers such as few or no seeds and loose skin (easy peel).

  • Pollination is one of the keys to profitable apple production. As a general rule, apple varieties are not self-fertile and will not set a full crop without a compatible polliniser.

  • Mango fruit produced in the Perth area is seasonally the latest in Australia and receives high prices in WA and interstate.

  • While Hass avocados are commonly grown in the South-West of Western Australia without a cross-polliniser variety, much interest has focused around the potential benefits of using a suitable cross-p