The Australian Apple Industry - Trends and Challenges

Apples are an important and popular fruit among the Australian population and, in the case of fresh apples, the domestic market is relatively self-sufficient. Retail specifications and consumer preferences are the driving force for quality standards for apples along the chain, with actors working to provide the best quality selection of produce. However, the industry is facing many inter-related challenges. These include the growing influence of climate change, the changing nature of consumer preferences, an increasing shortage of labour to undertake orchard operations, and a significant volume of loss and waste. These challenges are discussed in this paper. While all of these challenges are important, it is noteworthy that the total amount of fresh apples that is potentially diverted from the Australian fresh apple supply chain each year is conservatively estimated at 163,000 tonnes, about 40 per cent of total production at the farm level. If this waste is valued at the average farm price, it equates to an industry loss of $245 million annually.