THE Australian garlic industry is aiming to expand production of late-season garlic to meet market demand at a time when Australia normally imports garlic.
The ambitious goal is part of a newly developed industry quality framework, a result of the Farming Together program.
Branded as BraidGarlic, the growers aim to expand production of late-season garlic from April to November.
Currently only about 20 per cent of garlic sold in Australia is grown domestically.
A co-op of 30 garlic growers from Braidwood, NSW developed the framework as part of the $60,000 funded project.
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The Australian Government-backed program supported the group of small-scale growers meeting demand for Australian-grown, chemical-free garlic.
The group developed a simple model for judging the quality of garlic presented for sale and supporting growers to grow to that standard.
One of the project leaders, grower Bronwyn Richards said garlic was a crop well-suited to small-scale cultivation, often as a diversified crop alongside other primary production.
“Australia imports the majority of its garlic. We actually don’t grow enough to meet demand here,” she said.
“The aim for Braidwood is to eventually be a key growing area for some of these later varieties of garlic that like our cold climate.
“The development of a quality framework is a first in our industry. It documents how quality can be defined, judged and achieved.
“We have also developed a simple and easy to apply biosecurity plan that could be used by any garlic grower.
“It will help raise industry awareness of biosecurity issues across all stages of growing and moving garlic.
“Additionally, we believe the financial model developed for our project is scalable and has application to other co-operatives.
“In our view the model can be contextualised for other industries and co-operative business structures.”
Ms Richards added that involvement in the Farming Together program delivered immediate financial benefits to the group both in a better retail price for the crop and with a bulk purchase of mulch straw that saw the group saving $50 a bale.
Farming Together program director Lorraine Gordon the project not only built capacity within the Braidwood garlic co-op, it delivered learnings that will benefit the whole industry.
In our view the model can be contextualised for other industries and co-operative business structures.
- Bronwyn Richards
The Farm Co-operative and Collaboration Program (known as Farming Together) has been a two-year, $13.8 million initiative from the Australian Government designed to help agricultural groups value-add, secure premium pricing, scale-up production, attract capital investment, earn new markets or secure lower input costs.
The Australian Garlic Industry Association (AGIA)’s Garlic Seminar will take place at Thurgoona, NSW on Saturday and Sunday, August 4 and 5 at the Thurgoona Country Club, Albury, NSW.
