NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the
Advice on Publications Available.Is this how you can have your dream and eat it too?
Is it another financial nightmare?
Margaret A Bailey
PO Box 147
Uki NSW 2484
Telephone: 02 6679 9152
Facsimile: 02 6679 9179
Email: mbailey@nor.com.au
['Bushfood' has been used for many years as a generic term for the food resources obtained from Australia’s indigenous flora and fauna. The term is now being superseded by Australian Natural Food Resources (ANFR) and similar terms.]
Farmers have been encouraged to plant trees. Trees can restore the original balance in the landscape and thus contribute to sustainable rural development. The Federal Government’s Farm Forestry Program was established to restore ecological balance through 'Trees on Farms'.
However, sustainable development is not only about ecology but economics and sociology as well. Farmers need to show a profit, preferably within a reasonable time-frame and are entitled to a reasonable standard of living for their efforts.
Trees that can produce some harvestable commodity such as fruit, nuts or one of the many kinds of natural food (ANFR) can generate some income for the farmer before the timber is ready to harvest; in some cases, the timber may take one hundred and fifty years. The farmer needs some way to service the current debt.
Agroforestry
Growing ANFR would appear to be complementary with farm forestry.
Many of the ANFR species can be harvested for useful and valuable timber and have originated in the same ecosystem as the cabinet timber species. Particularly in Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland, the rainforest cabinet timber species and several ANFR species have co-existed. Hence, they would presumably have similar environmental requirements, including similar rainfall, temperature, soils etc. The same is true in other regions around Australia.
Growing ANFR and timber also appears to fit together economically. ANFR could bring an immediate return, perhaps in three to ten years, long before the returns come from the cabinet timbers. Planting such species together would be ecologically sound, increasing the diversity of vegetation and encouraging a return to the original landscape.
There is a need for considerable research to establish the optimum ways of co-managing these enterprises:
It is probably not possible to harvest fruit or leaf from a tree for a number of years and then harvest it for timber. There are only a few trees that are genuinely dual-purpose trees, such as Bunya Pine.
If a tree is coppiced to improve the fruit production, or continually tip pruned to improve leaf production, or low branches are maintained for easier fruit harvesting, such trees will never be viable timber trees.
The competing requirements for root and crown development space, light or shade need to have attention paid to them. Day-to-day management problems include developing appropriate irrigation and fertiliser scheduling. All of these issues will affect the quality of the product marketed.
Research into tree management, planting patterns and plantation/orchard management is required to understand competing requirements, such as harvesting and access.
Will ANFR and forestry species need to be kept apart or can they be integrated with one as buffer plantings or under-storey? Should these species be planted in alternate rows, alley farming systems or as shelter belts? Current food safety requirements require that the product not be contaminated with animal faeces.
Diversification
'Diversification' is often thrown as a lifeline to the struggling farmer. New crops could be one way to diversify; specifically, this could entail 'Trees on Farms' with ANFR.
Has the dream of sustainability come true at last? A way to diversify, improve the environment and make a profit simultaneously?
However, quick fixes are not free in agriculture. This is not a solution for the faint hearted.
Two recent phone calls can illustrate this.
The first caller had just bought a property and wanted to know which ANFR to plant for a quick profit.
The second caller had been in beef for thirty years but wanted something that wouldn't be such hard work. The plan was to plant the property with Lemon Myrtle trees.
Two different approaches and each a recipe for disaster.
In response to both requests I asked a lot of questions:
Neither caller was satisfied with this response. Answering all the questions above is not easy.
What is the problem?
The risk associated with a new crop is multiplied if both the crop production is new and the crop product is new. Establishing ANFR is high risk because it falls into this category.
The entire ANFR industry is a new industry. Only a few products have been grown, processed and marketed on a commercial scale over the last few years.
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) recognises the ANFR industry as a new industry and has published a research and development plan, for 1998-2002.
When market-driven forces are paramount, it is difficult to produce something and attempt to market it if nobody knows what it is, let alone whether they might want it or even like it.
Systematic agricultural production can also be difficult with species that have never been domesticated (house-trained). Although there are now a number of species coming into commercial production, there is little substantiated and detailed documentation of the requirements for specific species production for optimum commercial performance.
Of course, these products themselves have been used before; indigenous Australians have utilised thousands of native plants, for food and medicine, for centuries and some were commercialised earlier this century, or were produced as home-based preparations by European settlers last century.
Production issues
ANFR products are gathered and/or produced across Australia. Wild harvesting is still a substantial part of the industry.
The issue of what is truly a ANFR is one that is becoming significant. One view is that only wild harvested ANFR are truly ANFR. Alternatively, Microcitrus varieties are being grafted onto exotic rootstocks and grown commercially. Is this an ANFR?
Although wild harvesting is still a significant source of supply, the proportion of ANFR being produced from farms is increasing quite rapidly. On-farm systems include everything from large plantations of single species to small areas (around 1 ha) of mixed species.
Increasingly stringent food safety regulations along with issues relating to conservation mean that commercial production in sufficient quantity and of assured quality will probably need to come from plantations and orchards in the future. Investments in ANFR plantations and orchards are long term investments because of the time required before trees commence fruiting.
What should be planted?
The subtropical areas of Northern New South Wales and South-east Queensland are particularly rich in potentially economically viable ANFR. Of the 11 core species which were identified by the Australian Native Bushfood Industry Committee as having potential Australia-wide, about half are indigenous to rainforest environments and are produced from this region.
Some of the main species being grown in this region at present include:
Backhousia citriodora Lemon Myrtle
Backhousia anisata Aniseed Myrtle
Davidsonia pruriens var pruriens Queensland Davidson Plum
Davidsonia pruriens var jerseyana NSW Davidson Plum
Syzygium luehmannii Riberry
Podocarpus elatus Illawarra Plum
Microcitrus australis Dooja or Round Lime
Microcitrus australasica Finger Lime
Acronychia acidula Lemon Aspen
Prostanthera incisa Cut Leaf Mint Bush
Athertonia diversifolia Atherton Almond
Leptospernum petersonii Lemon Scented Tea Tree
Rubus fraxinifolius Atherton Raspberry
Tetragonia tetragonoides Warrigal Greens
In 1996, the Australian Rainforest Bushfood Industry Association (ARBIA, Lismore, northern NSW) produced a list of 50 species of ANFR and a local nursery a list of at least 100 species which could be grown in eastern Australia, particularly in the high rainfall, rainforest and sub-tropical rainforest zones.
How should the species be planted?
In the larger plantations, the spacings used are similar to those used in conventional fruit orchards. If the leaf is harvested, closer intra-row spacings are used to develop a hedge that can be machine harvested. In mixed species plantings, the individual species are grown in neighbouring rows or are mixed within rows. Certain rainforest species perform better in mixed species plantings rather than in monocultures.
The type of planting system used for any species could initially be based upon the conditions in its natural habitat. Those originating on the light sandy soils of the coastal fringe will have different requirements from those from inland rainforests, or from those of the wetlands, or from those of the arid and semi-arid interiors of Australia
Most of the species listed above have originated from a rainforest ecosystem and would required high moisture regimes to perform well. Many of them will not tolerate frost since they would naturally be protected in the native forest situation.
Not all rainforest species require heavy shade. Many of them seek light in their natural situation. Good access to sunlight is usually vital for high quality fruit and good oil yields.
Most of the species listed above prefer the slightly acid soils characteristic of the northern New South Wales area. Most rainforest plants are adapted to the high leaf litter and fairly shallow soils of the forest floor and so organic matter content of soils is important.
These species vary in the stages at which they should be planted out into an plantation or orchard; some do better when planted out early while others do poorly unless raised to a planting-out size appropriate to a 1 litre bag.
Planting stock has been produced from both seedling (raised from seeds) and from cloned or otherwise vegetatively propagated stock. Some species have been protected with Plant Breeders Rights.
In terms of establishing a plantation, the nature of the source materials will be important for individual species; species which are self pollinated can be produced from seeds (or by any other purpose as well, if appropriate) without jeopardising the authenticity of the product.
On the other hand, seedlings generated from a cross pollinated species (of which there are many in the tropical rainforest) can be highly variable. Clonal production from superior parents will reduce the subsequent variability and is likely to improve production as well.
Plantation management
As with all orchard production, there are also various other needs - such as irrigation scheduling procedures, packing sheds, cool rooms etc. and the associated protocols to ensure post-harvest conditions are optimal.
Since ANFR is a Food industry, it is subject to stringent government regulations designed to avoid the contamination problems that have occurred in the smallgoods and peanut industries within recent years.
Because it is a small industry, there are no pesticides or herbicides that are labelled as being able to be applied to ANFR species. The testing required to register chemicals is costly and manufacturers are unlikely to proceed to registration unless there will be sufficient numbers of potential customers.
By default, ANFR needs to be grown organically, which impinges on any decision to grow ANFR in conjunction with other crops, including timber. Mixed species planting can encourage beneficial insects and may lead to better pest control than would be possible in a monoculture where pests and diseases can spread rapidly.
On the other hand, nothing seems to stop wallabies (another ANFR).
Marketing issues
A potential ANFR grower needs to discover whether there are markets for the intended product and whether there is any existing infrastructure for selling the product. Well established structures are not necessarily available in the established industries. Quality assurance standards have yet to be established for the ANFRs.
ANFR products might include:
Each product type requires a different investment with respect to growing, harvesting, processing and marketing.
If there is very little product available, growers can sometimes demand high returns. However, limited or seasonal production may mean no sales at all. If processors cannot be guaranteed sufficient quantities (and quality), they may not set up a manufacturing line for the product at all, especially if the availability is only seasonal.
Some ANFR crops, such as Riberries, ripen very quickly and at their peak do not attract high prices. If there was a capacity for storing fruit frozen and releasing it later, higher prices could be achieved.
As a crop becomes readily available, the price drops rapidly. There is currently a glut of Lemon Myrtle on the market and wholesalers have stockpiles of dried leaf and are accepting product from a limited number of growers. During 1996/97, Lemon Myrtle was widely promoted to farmers and it is estimated there are now over 100,000 trees in NSW and Queensland. Rapid expansion in such an industry will not always be viable.
In a similar manner, it is expected that prices for Davidson's Plums will fall with increased production; it has been estimated that more than 10,000 trees were planted in the period 1996/98, mainly in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.
It is not easy to forecast prices. Widely varying prices are often quoted by wholesalers to growers so business plans need regular recasting as prices change. ARBIA has begun publishing farm gate prices in its monthly newsletter to help members.
Industry issues
To be a viable industry, uniformity and consistent high quality are needed; plant selection, management of the crop environment and handling protocols must become standardised to ensure quality is maintained between the farm gate and the market.
For food processors using ANFR product, quality control, accredited labelling requirements, secure supplies of the raw product and food safety/toxicology issues including packaging are important.
In 1996, the Australia-wide ANFR industry was valued at $25 million and was expected to grow to $100 million over the next two years (Cherikoff, 1996). ANFR products are now stocked by the major food retailers (Coles and Woolworths) as well as up-market stores (David Jones Food Hall) and there are more processors involved (mostly in the capital cities). Some lines are produced solely for export.
The industry has a range of organisation structures:
Apart from the vertically integrated system in South Australia, there are supply chains elsewhere which include nurseries producing stock, growers, some of whom value-add on-farm, processors, wholesalers and retailers, including restaurants.
The main wholesalers/processors are located in Sydney and Melbourne and there are numerous smaller processors and other retail outlets, such as restaurants, scattered all over the country. Local nurseries supply most of the stock for growers but many growers also propagate and improve their own stock, practising traditional selection methods from their existing orchard trees or from other trees to which they have access.
The structure into which any producer fits will have an influence on many of the management decisions taken. Unfortunately, the market information which will be needed for informed decision making is limited and hard to find.
There are regional organisations and specific industry groups for interaction in the industry. The latter permit growers and possibly processors to work co-operatively together to develop a cohesive organisation that can operate effectively in the market place by presenting a consistent quality product with a clear and well defined image.
Cultural rights of Aboriginal people
The knowledge of Australia’s natural food resources is part of the cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Many Europeans have met their death by failing to take their advice on food and water supplies. Equally the imposition of farming systems based on non-indigenous flora and fauna has had a significant effect on much of this country. Introducing indigenous flora into current farming systems, and developing more appropriate farming systems, will redress some of these difficulties.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a critical part to play in the ANFR industry. Many are commercially involved through wild harvesting, and some in the processing. The support and information given to many people in the past who have been at the cutting edge in the development of the industry has been highly significant. Anybody proposing to get into the ANFR industry or who has already become involved in it must recognise and ensure that they acknowledge this heritage.
Conclusions
Although growing ANFR and timber together seems like an excellent option it is not as straight forward as it may seem. For the grower who can work through these issues and resolve them satisfactorily, there is potential to enhance a property aesthetically, economically and ecologically in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.
Few other enterprises can do this.
There is considerable potential for development of ANFR as products which are clearly identified as Australian, in both the domestic and world markets.
As with any other new product, investment of time, capital or labour is a high risk venture. As with other high risk ventures, the potential for considerable losses is always present, but at the same time there is also the potential for some high gains.
Planning is critical for achieving what one really wants. It could be a farm plan for your property, a business plan for a specific venture or strategic plans and action plans for groups and organisations. Planning is as much about finding out what you can’t do as how best to do what should be done.
It is vital to do the planning yourself. There is no-one to do it for you. Answers will come after asking the right questions, carrying out research and drawing on the expertise and skills of others.
It is important to have a clear sense of where one is going and how one will get there.
For many people working with ANFR, especially those with mixed species plantings, there is a real sense of working at the cutting edge of what is truly sustainable development.
There are also clear benefits to the general community, as operations of this sort tend to be labour intensive. Where processing is carried out locally, they can provide further employment opportunities with additional opportunities to link with eco- and agri- tourism and thus provide input to regional development.
Such activity works contrary to current economic trends. The challenge therefore, for both individuals and governments, lies in developing structures to support and strengthen such activity.
Once achieved, we have a dream come true.
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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GK; latest update 17 October 2001 by: RF