Aug, 24 - Australia already exports olive oil to the Italians: soon we could have a significant new industry exporting green tea to Japan.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Tony Burke today released a report by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) identifying green tea as a potential export industry to expand.
The report found several regions in Australia have an ideal climate and environment to provide high-quality green tea, including around Gosford on the NSW Central Coast.
The Gosford climate is very similar to that of a key region for producing green tea in Japan: the Shizuoka region.
Small existing crops on the Central Coast and in other regions such as in the Ovens Valley, south of Albury in Victoria, could be expanded to help meet the demands of Japanese consumers.
A key season for harvesting green tea crops in Australia coincides with the New Year tradition in Asia of giving gifts, including green tea.
According to the RIRDC report, Japanese families consume 80,000 tonnes of green tea each year - the second highest consumption in the world behind China.
In 2005, Australia exported 650 tonnes of green tea. Our green tea imports increased threefold in the three years to 2005.
Mr Burke visited Japan – Australia’s largest agricultural trading partner – last year to further promote our export industries.
He said Australia already exports around 60% of our agricultural produce and the Government was constantly working with farmers to develop new agricultural export opportunities.
“The quality of our fresh produce is so good that we’re already exporting olive oil to the Italians and could now fill more Japanese cups with green tea,” Mr Burke said.
“Australian farmers already help to feed the world and we will continue to look for new export markets.
“Agricultural exports help to support regional jobs and the national economy.”
Fast green tea facts from the RIRDC report:
· 600,000 tonnes of green tea are consumed annually around the world – up 20% in a decade
· Green tea originated in China more than 4000 years ago
· More than three-quarters of tea drinkers around the world consume black tea and just over one in five drink green tea
· Recent studies suggest green tea may help to reduce the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer.