Berries Australia welcomes new data released by Hort Innovation which shows that the berry industry maintained its position as the highest production valued fruit in Australia.

The figures released today as part of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook show that over the past decade, berry production values have steadily increased from $567 million in 2013 to $1,302.8 million in 2024.

Berries Australia Chair Anthony Poiner said the new figures were very pleasing and arrived just in time for the bi-annual BerryQuest conference to be held in Hobart next week.

“Berries Australia is proud to be hosting BerryQuest International which will showcase the latest and greatest in berry production and marketing, with speakers from as far afield as Europe,” Mr Poiner said.

“We are thrilled that Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins will be launching the conference which has more than 500 registered delegates.”

“Berries Australia has been operating since 2018 as a joint venture between the blueberry, strawberry and rubus (raspberries and blackberry) industries. The figures released today along with the response to the conference show the value of working together and taking a collective approach.”

Brett Fifield, CEO of Hort Innovation added “This result continues a positive streak for Australian berry growers.”

“The industry, through Berries Australia, has worked closely with Hort Innovation to invest in world-class R&D that is building a bright future for growers and some tasty berries for consumers, here and overseas.”

According to Mr Poiner, the industry still faces challenges with production volumes also reaching record highs for all berries, collectively rising by 26%, which is slightly higher than the 21% increase in value.

“The disparity between production volume and value highlights the importance of new export opportunities for the sector and we are working closely with Hort Innovation and the Australian government to open new markets for the industry,” Mr Poiner said.

“BerryQuest promises to be a fantastic event for berry growers and our wider industry stakeholders and we look forward to welcoming everyone on Wednesday.”

“In addition to the conference program, we are proud to announce our new awards recognising the best and brightest in the berry industry. These will be announced throughout the conference and for more detail on each of the finalists please refer to berries.net.au/bqi25-industry-award-nominees-announced/.”

BerryQuest International 2025 is taking place in Hobart Tasmania from 24-27 February 2025. More details can be found at bit.ly/BQI25