Horticulture Diversity: Honey, Hemp, Olives & Bush Food
Honey, Hemp, Olives and a Bush Food Bonanza.
The Harvey Region presents a plethora of investment opportunities for those seeking to diversify their agriculture production and enter emerging industries such as industrial hemp, olives, active Manuka honey, and native bush foods.
These industries provide an attractive opportunity for sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional horticulture as options to expand into newly popular horticulture open up.
With the potential global hemp market expected to reach $27.9 billion by 2027 and local success stories like Sathya Olive Company and Manuka Life showing early promise, investors have the chance to support these burgeoning industries and shape the future of horticulture in the Harvey Region.
Making a Bee-line
- Ideal climate and soil conditions, along with access to irrigation, provide immense opportunities for emerging horticultural industries.
- Access to Perth Markets and international aviation exports will encourage these new products’ success.
The Bottom Line
- Western Australia produces between 10,000 and 50,000 tonnes of olives per annum, with a value ranging from $13 million to $54 million.
- Industrial hemp has a range of applications, including textiles, paper, building materials, and food products.
- Highly active Manuka honey can attract prices of over $100 per kilogram.
What’s on Offer
- Develop a native bush foods tourism trail, showcasing the unique and diverse range of native plants and their culinary uses. This could include partnering with First Nations organisations to provide guided tours and cultural experiences.
- Invest in research and development of innovative uses for industrial hemp, such as biofuels, bioplastics, and pharmaceuticals.
- Create a sustainable food hub, bringing together producers of native bush foods, olives, and other crops to provide fresh, local, and sustainably produced food to consumers locally and beyond.
- Establish a Manuka honey research and development centre, investigating the health benefits and potential uses of this unique product, and developing new honey-based products for the global market.
- Invest in technology and infrastructure to support precision agriculture, using sensors and data analytics to optimize crop yields and reduce waste.
- Develop a range of value-added products from native bush foods, such as jams, sauces, and skincare products, and market them to health-conscious consumers seeking unique and natural products.
- Planting manuka bushes can act as a filter to help reduce nitrogen in the soil. Research over 10 years in New Zealand has shown that, if planted near waterways, the bush helps prevent erosion and storm-related landslides.
- Opportunities for key sub-sectors, such as avocados, kiwifruit and citrus, to achieve scale.
