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.The following notes have been extracted, with the authors' permission from a series of Agnotes, most of which were developed by Ian Knox, of the Oz Rural Web site (http://www.ozrural.com), for the database of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, which can also be accessed through the NRE Web site (http://www.nre.vic.gov.au).
Product
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is a leguminous evergreen tree, producing 'kibble' (fruit pulp without seeds) which is used for sweets, biscuits and drinks (and can also be used for stock feed) and carob bean gum (from the seed) which is used in food processing for soups, sauces and a large range of manufactured dairy products.
Carob trees are native to the Mediterranean basin and are long-lived. Varieties vary in their growth habit, age at first harvest and tendency to annual or biennial bearing. The trees can have male, female or hermaphrodite flowers. The most important commercial trees are females. Carob growing in Australia has been mostly concentrated in South Australia. Production requirements are described in the Agriculture Note available through http://www.ozrural.com or http://www.nre.vic.gov.au.
Marketing
Australia currently imports all carob products used. Most production overseas occurs in Spain and producers tend to stockpile product at times, so prices are volatile.
For further information, contact:
Dr Henry Esbenshade
PO Box 929
Nedlands WA 6909
Telephone: 08 9479 4599; 08 9381 7820
Facsimile: 08 9277 7311
Email: henrye@cygnus.uwa.edu.au
Mr Tony Murphy
Carobs Australia Inc.
73 Wasley Street
North Perth WA 6006
Telephone: 08 9328 5317
Facsimile: 08 9328 5317
Algarrobo Newsletter available: AUD10/year; back issues available on application
Carob Growing Information packet available for members of Carobs Australia Inc.
Dr Ian Nuberg
University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus
Telephone: 08 8303 7729
The Food Forest, Graham and Annemarie Brookman
PO Box 859
Gawler SA 5118
Telephone: 08 8522 6450
Facsimile: 08 8303 4401
Green Harvest
52 Crystal Waters, MS 16
Via Maleny Queensland 4552
Telephone: 07 5494 4676
Facsimile: 07 5494 4674
Farm Diversification Information Service
Department of Natural Resources and Environment
Bendigo, Victoria 3550
Telephone: 1800 150 515 or 03 5430 4444
Facsimile: 03 5448 4982
References
Carob Agroforestry in the Low Rainfall Murray Valley: A market and economic assessment
A Curtis, D Race and B Booth
Publication 98/08
Available from the Rural Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC)
Kingston, ACT 2600
Telephone: 02 6272 4539
Facsimile: 02 6272 5877
Email: rirdc@netinfo.com.au
Web site: http://www.rirdc.gov.au
Price: AUD10+6 (postage); AUD10+10 (postage overseas)
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