Horticulture
The Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation estimates the value of the State’s fruit and nut production at about $1.06 billion, while vegetable production is valued at about $1.08 billion. Horticulture in Queensland is collectively represented by industry organisation Growcom. Queensland is Australia’s premier State for fruit and vegetable production, growing one-third of the nation’s produce. Horticulture is Queensland’s second largest primary industry, worth more than $2 billion per year and employing about 25,000 people. Queensland’s 2800 horticultural farms produce more than 120 types of fruit and vegetables and are located from Stanthorpe in the south to the Atherton Tablelands in the far north. Our fresh produce ranges from temperate stone fruits and apples to staple vegetables, Asian vegetables and macadamias. The state is responsible for the majority of Australia’s banana, pineapple, mango, mandarin, avocado, beetroot and fresh tomato production. There are 16 defined horticultural regions with a total area under fruit and vegetable production of about 100,000 hectares.