The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook is an analysis that combines all available data on production, international trade, processing volumes and fresh market distribution of 75 horticultural categories, including vegetables, for the year ending 30 June 2019.

The latest edition of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook is now live and boasts an exciting new interactive dashboard with improved search functionality and user preferences.

The Handbook features data on more than 70 horticultural products including vegetables, fruit, nuts, nursery, turf and cut flowers.

The data shows that in 2018/19, the horticulture sector recorded its highest production value to date. It reports that the sector has experienced seven years of consecutive growth, with the new data showing industry growth by AUD$1.1 billion to reach a total value of $14.4 billion in 2018/19, an 8.4 per cent increase from the previous year.

The value of the vegetable category increased by nearly nine per cent to reach a value of AUD$4.7 billion in 2018/19. Potatoes were the most valuable vegetable product at AUD$752.6 million.

Valuable insight

Hort Innovation’s Head of Data and Insights, Adam Briggs, said the Handbook provided important data for industry, researchers and decision makers; supported policy formation; and contributed to further research to benefit all horticulture industries.

He said the ongoing investment in the development and improvement of the Handbook meant new metrics, which reported information about retail and foodservice distribution for fruit and vegetable products, is now available. Furthermore, its accessibility has also improved.

“The new interface allows users to dynamically select products ‘on demand’ and perform a greater range of timeseries analyses on the data, which now dates back seven years to 2012/13,” Mr Briggs said.

“These additional features mean that our stakeholders have more horticulture statistics available at their fingertips so they can remain informed and make the best decision for the success of their businesses.

“Hort Innovation is excited to launch this new iteration and will continue to develop the data.”

The Handbook, which captures data up until 30 June 2019, also revealed:

  • The value of bean production increased by 45 per cent year on year – the highest increase of a vegetable product in value terms.
  • The volume of sweetpotatoes grown increased an average of 12 per cent per year for the last five years, the highest growth rate of all vegetables. Total volume produced in 2018/19 is almost double that of 2013/14 levels.
  • The value and volume of raspberries and blackberries puts them as the highest growing fruit over the five years leading up to 2018/19, with total value increasing one-and-a-half times since 2013/14 and volume nearly tripling.

Interactive stats now available online

Australia’s preferred source for horticulture statistics by industry and government is now interactive.

The online dashboard format is available on laptop and desktop computers, provides an interface for readers to directly interact and extract data at the product category level.

In addition to the new interactive format, the 2018/19 edition of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook also features additional data, demonstrating the share of fresh supply volumes to both retail and foodservice for fruit and vegetable categories.

The Handbook is an analysis that combines all available data on production, international trade, processing volumes and fresh market distribution in order to produce statistics on 75 horticultural categories.

If you cannot access the online dashboard, the original format of the handbook continues to be made available for this edition through PDF documents.

The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook is now available in an interactive online format.

Find out more

To access Hort Innovation’s Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, please click here. The Handbook’s interactive dashboard is suitable for viewing on desktop computers, while PDF information can also be viewed on mobile.

Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2018-19 to 2020-21 has been funded by Hort Innovation using the across industry levy and funds from the Australian Government.

Project Number: HA18002