What was it all about?

The passionfruit supply chain is not well understood, so this project set out to…

• Quantify the production and distribution profile of the industry from grower to retailer
• Identify any supply chain issues that adversely impact the development of the industry so that they can be addressed.

Armed with this information, growers, wholesalers, retailers, industry leaders and service providers will be able to make better informed decisions about production and marketing as well as future R&D investment.

All known growers were surveyed to establish production region, varieties grown, production volume, production area, crop seasonality and major issues impacting profitability of productioIn addition, sales data was collected each week from major wholesalers in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne markets over a 13-week period to develop a profile of each major market.

Consultation was also undertaken with growers, wholesalers, retailers and the industry’s major processor to gain a better understanding of the nature of supply chains in the industry, supply chain issues that might be limiting growth and the supporting resources available to the supply chain sectors.

The project collated detailed information about the production profile of the industry. The flow of product through the supply was charted and some issues adversely affecting the industry were identified. Communication and engagement between industry and supply chain partners was enhanced in the process.

Two data collection and reporting systems (production and wholesale data) have continued beyond the life of the project, allowing changes and trends to be monitored over time.

Investigators recommended that production continues to be monitored and called for outreach to assist growers to improve the overall quality (grading, sizing etc.) of passionfruit entering the market. They also called for an update of the passionfruit grading guide and a set of rings to size fruit in packhouses. A number of suggestions were also made to improve the supply chain.