Current and potential High Value Perishable Agricultural Commodities (HVPACs) that have demand in Asian countries: A case study of Central Queensland. Milestone 5 Report for CRCNA

Northern Australia is an emerging economic region in Australia. Central Queensland (CQ) is one of the most prosperous economic regions within Northern Australia. CQ accounts for nearly 21 billion dollars in the Queensland state economy, including huge volumes of agricultural production. Within Central Queensland, perennial horticultural land is underutilised because of low domestic demand for perishable agricultural commodities. This low-demand situation often results in oversupply of some commodities, resulting in low prices and poor profitability. Exporting high value perishable agricultural commodities (HVPACs) to Asian markets therefore offers significant potential for positive economic activity in CQ. An understanding of demand for, and supply of, HVPACs is an important starting point for planning and development of HVPAC exports from the region. This report provides an assessment of the potential HVPACs from the CQ region that are expected to have high export value in Asian markets. The research approach is based on a literature review on types and volumes of perishable agricultural commodities in central Queensland that have high value in the Asian markets. Secondary data were used to estimate the current activity in international trade of perishable commodities. In some instances, quantitative data have been presented in percentage format; whereas in other instances, data have been converted to graphical format for better readability and interpretation