Paraquat and diquat: A landmark decision and more reviews on the horizon
28 August 2026
A new national push to help growers recover more value from unsold produce
28 August 2026
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From January to May 2026, total export value declined by three percent, from AUD$101 million to AUD$98 million. Total export volume dropped by eight percent, with a decrease of approximately 7,200 tonnes. This reduction was largely driven by disruptions to trade flows into the United Arab Emirates due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, which impacted usual export activity to the region.
Change in vegetable exports by destination
| TRADE PARTNER | 2025 | 2026 | % 2025-2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUD$ | TONNES | AUD$ | TONNES | AUD$ | TONNES | |
| Total Fresh Vegetable Exports | $101,313,189 | 91,066 | $98,350,399 | 83,866 | -3% | -8% |
| Singapore | $17,283,690 | 8,113 | $20,549,618 | 8,943 | 19% | 10% |
| South Korea | $14,821,324 | 19,860 | $13,825,835 | 17,736 | -7% | -11% |
| United Arab Emirates | $12,379,389 | 13,573 | $9,182,733 | 9,905 | -26% | -27% |
| Malaysia | $8,168,326 | 6,995 | $8,673,697 | 7,354 | 6% | 5% |
| Thailand | $4,754,504 | 4,896 | $5,772,331 | 5,848 | 21% | 19% |
| Saudi Arabia | $4,105,093 | 4,947 | $5,682,349 | 7,740 | 38% | 56% |
| Philippines | $5,802,416 | 5,961 | $5,475,371 | 5,388 | -6% | -10% |
| Hong Kong | $4,225,998 | 1,696 | $4,187,960 | 1,544 | -1% | -9% |
| Taiwan | $4,422,967 | 3,806 | $4,118,347 | 2,777 | -7% | -27% |
| Japan | $3,157,226 | 2,424 | $3,572,986 | 3,586 | 13% | 48% |
Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia were the top five export destinations for Australian fresh vegetables.
Total fresh vegetable exports to Singapore continued to demonstrate strong performance, with export value increasing by 19 percent to AUD$20.5 million, alongside a 10 percent increase in export volume. South Korea overtook the United Arab Emirates in this period, recording the top export volume at 17,736 tonnes, despite both export value and volume declining by seven percent and 11 percent respectively compared to the previous year. The United Arab Emirates recorded a decline in export value by 26 percent, from AUD$12.4 million to AUD$9.2 million, while export volume decreased by 27 percent, to 9,905 tonnes (refer to Table 1).
Vegetable export by crop
From January to May 2026, potatoes, carrots, and onions remained the three largest export crops for the Australian vegetable industry, although all three categories experienced a slight decline compared with the previous period.
Total potato export value decreased by nine percent, from AUD$34 million to AUD$31 million, while export volume declined by 12 percent to 31,875 tonnes. Carrot export value declined by six percent to AUD$25 million, while export volume decreased slightly by two percent to 30,461 tonnes. Onion exports experienced a more significant decline, with both export value and volume decreasing by 18 percent, from AUD$17 million to AUD$14 million and to 14,491 tonnes respectively. In comparison, celery and pumpkin exports performed relatively well during this period, demonstrating stronger resilience and growth compared with the major export crops (refer to Table 2).
Change in vegetable exports by crop
| VEGETABLE | 2025 | 2026 | % 2025-2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUD$ | TONNES | AUD$ | TONNES | AUD$ | TONNES | |
| Potato | $34,073,878 | 36,265 | $31,037,125 | 31,875 | -9% | -12% |
| Carrot | $26,743,633 | 31,180 | $25,209,767 | 30,461 | -6% | -2% |
| Onion | $17,108,675 | 17,603 | $13,971,503 | 14,491 | -18% | -18% |
| Cauliflower & Broccoli | $6,438,922 | 1,168 | $7,044,979 | 1,240 | 9% | 6% |
| Celery | $3,218,470 | 1,645 | $3,676,248 | 1,937 | 14% | 18% |
| Pumpkin | $1,667,247 | 1,163 | $2,439,309 | 1,385 | 46% | 19% |
| Lettuce | $2,448,710 | 297 | $2,417,703 | 358 | -1% | 21% |
| Tomato | $1,542,877 | 272 | $1,984,787 | 335 | 29% | 23% |
| Spinach | $1,695,439 | 220 | $1,389,678 | 152 | -18% | -31% |
| Brussels sprouts | $624,101 | 105 | $1,042,689 | 163 | 67% | 55% |
AUSVEG x Accessing New Market Initiatives (ANMI)
Earlier this year, AUSVEG was selected as a member of Trade Diversification Network (TDN) under the Austrade’s Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI) program. As part of the ANMI program, AUSVEG will deliver two international trade missions in October and November 2026 with a focus on Europe, Taiwan, and South Korea.
The recent securing of the Australia–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the Government earlier this year has underscored the importance for the industry to diversify its market development efforts. Australia has experienced a gradual loss of market share in the EU since negotiations stalled in previous years, while competitors such as New Zealand have expanded their market share through tariff eliminations. There is a need to re-engage the European market to rebuild relationships, recover lost market share, and strengthen long-term export opportunities.
Similar to Europe, Australian onion exports to Taiwan have declined over the years following the tariff eliminations granted to New Zealand onions, which has had a significant impact on Australia’s export position in this market. South Korea represents an emerging opportunity for the Australian vegetable industry; however, market access remains constrained by technical barriers. The opportunities delivered through the ANMI program would provide a pathway to strengthen engagement, improve market access, and support the recovery and expansion of Australia’s export presence in these key Asian markets.