Summary

Undertake a feasibility study for establishing a pine nut industry in Australia and develop a strategic RD&E Plan (2022-2032) for the pine nut industry.

Feasibility study
The study will scope the domestic and international market for pine nuts and determine a ‘critical mass of product’ required to develop the Australian export market. The study will identify how the global demand for European Stone pines, as a superior product than Korean pine, can yield significant benefits to new Australian growers. In addition, data available from 250 hectares of existing stone pine plantations in central Victoria will be analysed to identify suitable regions within Australia where stone pines could flourish.
Investment criteria of Benefit-Cost ratio (BCR) and Net Present Value (NPV) will be estimated through the Present Value of Benefits (PVB) and the Present Value of Costs (PVC) approach.
The study will consider ancillary use of land in the orchard that can make the industry more attractive through short-term returns on investment. The feasibility study will incorporate analysis of dual inter-row plantings for sustainable agricultural practice as well as new technologies that are under development with CSIRO and RMIT to improve the use of biomass generated during the lifecycle of cultivation. These novel methods are likely to yield additional benefits, which would be built into the study.

RD&E Plan
A comprehensive industry consultation process will be undertaken to engage with various stakeholders along the value chain of pine nut production, processing, storage and marketing. Relevance of each party will be identified, and a suitable consultation will be undertaken to inform the setting of priorities and strategies for the growth of pine nut industry.

The RD&E Plan will identify key priorities to grow the pine nut industry and prepare targeted activities that will contribute to the achievement of those priorities through strategic outcomes and include the following elements:
• Industry situation analysis
• Priorities/strategies
• Communication and Extension (C&E) Plan
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) Plan
• Evaluation of the Plan
• Implementation of the Plan
 

Program

New and Emerging Industries

Research Organisation

Australian Taste Pine Nuts Pty Ltd

Objective Summary

The overarching aim of this project is to fully understand the current position of the Australian pine nuts industry, define the constraints and opportunities facing the industry and to produce a road map for the industry to grow and increase market share over the next 10 years. The RD&E Plan will drive the development, expansion and sustainability of the Australian Pine Nuts industry.