Lavender (Lavendula spp.) is grown across Australia, with farms in all states. The domestic industry is characterised by many small growers (cottage industry) and a small number of large enterprises. There is a dearth of up-to-date and reliable data on the industry, with none available on imports or exports of lavender, nor gross value of production (GVP), for the past 10 years. The most recent estimate, for the 2011-12 financial year, suggested industry GVP was in the vicinity of $1.3 million from 3.5 tonnes of production. At the same time, 20.6 tonnes (worth $7.7 million) was estimated to be imported.
Lavender, in particular lavender oil, has multiple opportunities. The demand for quality lavender oil is reportedly solid and is expected to remain strong due to its use in the fragrance, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries. As well as a lack of production volume and value data, there is also a lack of agronomic data, which is needed for the industry to realise its potential.
To help the lavender industry develop, AgriFutures Australia commissioned this RD&E Plan. The Plan provides the Australian lavender industry with research and development recommendations pivotal to the growth and sustainability of the industry, covering major research gaps in all aspects of the value chain but especially relating to agronomy, varietal information and industry capacity.