Export opportunities and new horticulture crops for Australian markets will dominate talks at a national horticultural symposium to be held in Carnarvon in March.
Agriculture Minister Ernie Bridge said the symposium, titled New Horticultural Opportunities for Northern Australia, would feature international guest speakers and include a major trade fair for both Australian and overseas companies.
"With trials by the Department of Agriculture and growers in the North-West showing real potential for new crops to be grown in the region, this symposium is very timely," he said.
"In Carnarvon itself, we are seeing excellent results with quality table grapes and stone fruits such as low-chill peaches and nectarines being grown for southern off-season markets.
"Plantings are still relatively small, but prices and demand for the off-season fruits have been strong, suggesting real potential to expand those holdings and ideally also capture new export markets.
"The symposium will give local growers an opportunity to be briefed on horticulture trends, markets, research and growing techniques, in the lead up to further expansion.
"Already this year we have seen a strong increase in peach and nectarine plantings in Carnarvon, with more than 10 growers now involved, while table grapes, targeting the November-December Perth off-season, have shown similar promise with five commercial growers now in Carnarvon."
Mr Bridge said climate diversity in the North-West gave growers a tremendous advantage as production across the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley regions was effectively staggered to form a continuous production chain.
"That continuity of supply, when looked at on a regional basis, makes the North-West very attractive to overseas markets," he said.
"Mangoes, for example, come into season firstly in the Kimberley, then in the Pilbara, and finally the Gascoyne, allowing the three regions to form a continuous production chain," he said.
"Only last month, we test-marketed Kimberley mangoes in South East Asia for the first time, with very encouraging results. In Hong Kong the fruit was considered to be better quality than mangoes grown in Queensland."
Mr Bridge said one of the guest speakers at the symposium would be the general manager of the South African Mango Growers Association, Mr Joshua Colyn, who had considerable experience exporting mangoes to the European Economic Community.
"That sort of knowledge and insight about specific export produce will be invaluable for local growers," he said.
While formal registration had not yet been conducted, Mr Bridge said about 150 companies and individuals from Western Australia, Australia and overseas had already expressed interest in attending the symposium, which is a joint venture of the Carnarvon horticultural industry, the Department of Agriculture, and the Gascoyne Development Commission.
The private sector has also come out in support of the event, with sponsors including Wesfarmers, Top Australia Ltd, and Robert Linton Pty Ltd.
