The Murray-Darling Basin is a major producer of a large number of horticultural crops, particularly within the irrigation areas. The primary ones considered here are citrus, stone fruits, pome fruits, grapes, and vegetables. These are the commodities most associated with irrigation in the MDB and the intensive irrigation schemes, especially the South Australian Riverland, Sunraysia, parts of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, and the Shepparton-Cobram district. A great variety of particular commodities are produced, with considerable variation from one location to another. For example, there is a dominance of stone fruits and pears in the Shepparton district, vines in Sunraysia, and vines, citrus and stone fruits in the Riverland.
The total area devoted to horticultural production in the MDB is 171,000 hectares, of which is made up of 28.5 per cent being fruit crops, 50.5 per cent being grapes and 21 per cent are vegetables (Figure 6). Total horticultural production in the MDB is valued at $2.2 billion which in 2001 was 41 per cent of the total Australian revenue.
The major fruit crops consist of citrus, stone fruits and pome fruits. Citrus are oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, and lemons. The main stone fruits include apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums. A variety of pome fruits are grown in the MDB, but the main ones are apples and pears.
Fruit crops cover less than 49, 000 hectares of the Basin which is only 0.1 per cent of the agricultural land. However revenue raised from these crops is $674.1 million, which is 2 percent of the agricultural production of the Basin.
The main growing areas are irrigation areas of the Basin, as 83 per cent of the crop is irrigated. These areas include the Riverland (the irrigation areas along the Upper Murray of South Australia ), Sunraysia (the irrigation areas around Mildura in north-west Victoria and the adjoining areas of New South Wales ), and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (Figure 1).
There is significant regional specialisation of stone fruit, such as apricots in South Australia ’s Riverland (which accounts for some 90 per cent of Australia ’s dried apricots) and peaches in Victoria ’s Goulburn Valley . Cherries are one of the most regionalised stone fruit, with the centre of production at Young. Cherries have been grown there since the late 1840s and Young is now known as the cherry (and prune) capital of Australia .
One of the more well-known apple growing districts is Batlow, in south-east NSW, where the combination of location, altitude, and environmental conditions are ideal for high-quality apple production. Pears (excluding Nashi) are grown mainly in Victoria ’s Goulburn Valley .
Figure 6. Horticultural production in the MDB (Source: Bryan & Marvanek 2004)
The total area under grapes in the MDB is 86,500 hectares, 60.5% of the Australian total. The area of grapes produced in the Basin has more than doubled in the ten years from 1991 to 2001. Although grapes cover 0.1% of the agricultural area of the basin, grape production contributes 7% of the total crop value.
Grapes are grown for the fresh or table market, for drying and winemaking. Grapes for winemaking and drying account for the majority of total Australian production, the balance being primarily for domestic and export fresh markets.
A large number of different types of vegetables for human consumption are grown in many parts of the MDB. They are grown for the fresh market (mainly the domestic market but also for export), for freezing, for canning and for other forms of processing. The vegetables include peas and green beans (especially for freezing), cabbages and cauliflowers for the fresh market, pumpkins, carrots (Robinvale and Griffith), onions (Griffith and the South Australian Lower Murray), asparagus (near Cowra and Jugiong), and tomatoes for the fresh market and various forms of processing. New vegetables and new varieties of established ones are being introduced, especially for export to Asian markets.
The total area under vegetables is 36,200 hectares, which is less than 1 per cent of the Basin. However, the total revenue of the sector at $480.9 million is 4 per cent of the total agricultural revenue for the MDB.
The largest individual vegetable crop is potatoes, with different varieties being produced for the table, freezing and other processing markets. Potatoes cover an area of 12,200 hectares, 34 per cent of the area under vegetables in the MDB. Revenue from potatoes totals some $148.5 million which is 31 per cent of the total vegetable crop revenue for the Basin.
