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.Dear Editor,
I have seen a recent edition of the New Crops Newsletter, and I wonder if your readers would be interested in the 'new crop' information that we collect in Flemington markets, Sydney.
The main part of our work is to collect and publish the daily wholesale prices of the main fruit and vegetable crops in the Sydney market, but as an increasing range of what we call 'Asian and Exotic' products are appearing in the market, we have started to publish a weekly report on these products in the market. I enclose a copy, showing the current list of products covered, but we always add new ones when we are made aware of their presence on the market.
I also enclose a copy of the chapter [on Asian and Exotic Produce] that I put together for our latest market annual report, attempting to cover some of the common details that people frequently ring us about, as general enquiries.
We offer subscriptions to the weekly report by fax at $5 per week, and we sell the annual at $30, complete with another 200 pages of fruit and vegetable information.
Tony Moody(Readers are referred to the New Crop Publications later in this issue of the Newsletter for more details of the weekly report on Asian and Exotic Produce and the annual report mentioned by Mr Moody)
Dear Editor (via Email),
Subject: Growing olives.
[The writer referred to a passage from The Australian New Crops Newsletter, Issue 3, page 13 which was posted to the NewCrops Email discussion group, viz: "The olive tree is native to the area extending from the Mediterranean coasts of Syria and Israel to the north western region of Iraq. The Phoenicians introduced olives to the Greek islands in the 16th Century BC and to Greece proper in the 12th Century BC. Olive culture gradually expanded westwards in the Mediterranean region and by the 6th Century BC olives were being grown in Tripoli, Tunis and Sicily. By about 200 BC olives were an important crop in Spain."]
Perhaps you don't know it, but I consider it my duty to inform you that the above statement is inaccurate. The Phoenicians never introduced the olive to the Greeks, and furthermore, they did not even exist in the 16th Century BC, whereas Greeks have cultivated olives since at least the 20th Century BC.
The above is well founded by newer and older archaeological testaments.
Best regards,
Dimrous@athena.compulink.forthnet.gr
Dear Conference Organiser,
I would be interested in attending a conference on new crops and would appreciate you sending me further information once details are available.
I am a Principal Agtrade Officer with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries working throughout Central Queensland and as a result, I am involved in the development of a diversification strategy for the region. This strategy has resulted from the devastating effects of the recent drought in the region and the impact this has had on primary production.
Although growers in this area still continue with the normal grain and fibre crops plus a large grazing industry, there is considerable interest in alternatives for developing their production base.
There are also studies being conducted at the moment to develop two new dams in the area which will provide more irrigation water. At the present time, the emphasis for water use is on cotton as the area produces over 30% of the state's cotton crop.
However, cotton has environmental prohibitors which specifically impact on crops grown near to residential populations and while we are not discouraging producers from growing cotton, we are actively investigating alternatives to provide growers with other options. We also are particularly interested in alternatives that can provide value-adding opportunities for the region to bolster the manufacturing and processing base that we have.
My area of interest is not in the production or research areas but in marketing and the development of groups of growers who are interested in pursuing new initiatives. For this reason, a conference on new crop opportunities sits very comfortably with the work in which I am involved.
Ms Jean McRuvieAny 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 6 June 1999 by: RF