Herb and Spice

Synopsis – Australian Industry

Year	Gross value of Prod’n $ ‘000	Exports $ ‘000	Imports $ ‘000
2008	96,000	6,700	39,000

A 2008/09 stock-take of the herb and spice industry reported that the gross value of production (GVP) of the sector, excluding ginger and chili, but including  basils, bay leaf, chervil, chives, coriander, curry leaf, dill, fennel, garlic, lemongrass, lemon myrtle, kafir lime, marjoram, mints, mixed herbs, oregano, paprika, parsleys, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragons, thymes and turmeric, was around $96 million per annum. It found that exports accounted for around 7% of these sales.

There are many different types of herbs and spices that are used in cooking. Spices are usually the fruit, seeds, stems, roots, bark or flowers of plants, as distinct from herbs which are usually the leaves of plants.

The stock-take found around 240 growers of parsley and around 310 growers of other herbs and spices, (excluding ginger and chili growers). It should be noted that there are overlaps between these groups.

The value of Australian exports of herbs and spices has been slowed in recent years by the effects of prolonged drought, water shortages, some issues relating to pests and, more recently, the elevated Australian dollar.

The industry is in the process of pursuing the introduction of a levy to help fund research and development to accelerate the development, growth and stability of the industry.  The industry has asked RIRDC to manage the levy, should its efforts be successful.

Background

The many different regional cuisines in the world are each characterised by their own distinctive blends of herbs and spices. Factors such as migration and increased incomes are leading to the spread of regional cuisines — for example, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai and Spanish — beyond their traditional borders.

Combined with population growth, this is leading to increased demand for virtually all types of culinary herbs and spices.

In addition to herbs and spices sourced from traditional international regions (e.g., Mediterranean, broader Europe, the Americas and South Africa), herbs and spices derived from Australian native plants are increasingly finding their way into cuisines both in Australia and overseas. This will be a rich source of material for the industry for decades to come, as many hundreds of species have been used by traditional indigenous communities, some for thousands of years.

Links

• Australian Herb and Spice Industry Association website (www.ahsia.org.au)