Accelerating wattle seed production for the Australian native food industry
The Australian wattle seed (Acacia spp.) industry is poised for significant growth after the establishment of several commercial orchards in recent years. In 2020, about...
Accelerating wattle seed production for the Australian native food industry
73 pages
Published: 9 Apr 2024
Author(s): Rus Glover, Peter Cunningham, Matthew Koop, Angus Jones
ISBN: 978-1-76053-467-7
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The Australian wattle seed (Acacia spp.) industry is poised for significant growth after the establishment of several commercial orchards in recent years. In 2020, about 18.5 tonnes of wattle seed were produced with a retail market value of $4.7 million. Farmed wattle seed production is forecast to expand to about 40-60 tonnes of raw seed by 2026.
This project aimed to help the industry expediate efficient, reliable and widespread production, and establish new markets. Through a scoping study, survey, interviews and workshops with industry participants, the project identified the most significant growth challenges and opportunities facing producers and buyers. These findings include the need for investment to match the imminent increase in supply, the high-priority requirement for mechanical harvesting and seed cleaning systems, and the need for more publicly available information on growing wattle seed.
Project outputs included:
(1) Nutrition and toxicology analysis of wattle seed from a range of species to enable buyers to broaden their focus into new markets and provide a foundation for further investigating the nutritional properties of wattle seed.
(2) Workshops and information packages to help prospective growers in choosing suitable species; establishing and maintaining an orchard; and harvesting, cleaning and marketing wattle seed.
(3) Baseline agronomic data generated from trial sites and comparisons of the suitability of various species to different regions.
Key recommendations from the project include:
(1) A wattle seed industry association should be formed to engage all growers, buyers and research bodies.
(2) Communication resources should be developed to build awareness of wattle seed as a delicious, healthy, environmentally friendly and highly versatile food that is uniquely Australian.
(3) Research and development should be undertaken into harvesting mechanisation, crop agronomy, food safety and culinary uses, and environmental aspects, such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
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