FRUIT (EXCLUDING GRAPES)

A wide variety of fruit is grown in Australia, ranging from pineapples, mangoes and pawpaws in the tropics to pome, stone and berry fruits in temperate regions. The table below shows the number of trees for the main types of orchard fruit, and the area under cultivation for bananas and pineapples.

The most significant crops in terms of gross value of production are bananas, oranges and apples. In 1999-2000 the value of the banana crop increased by 7%, while the value of the orange crop decreased by 7% and the value of the apple crop decreased by 15% (see second table below). While bananas, oranges and apples remain the principal fruit crops in Australia, some other fruit types have experienced considerable growth in recent years, for example mandarins and strawberries.

SELECTED FRUIT NUMBER OF TREES AND AREA & SELECTED FRUIT QUANTITY & VALUE OF PRODUCTION