On The Land
6 September, 2024
Local farms in the spotlight
IN addition to the launch of the Australian Coffee Growers’ Manual, representatives from the Australian Grown Coffee Association (AGCA) toured the region and visited a number of coffee operations.
Plantations in the tropics are much bigger operations than in other parts of the State and New South Wales and produce the vast majority of Australia’s coffee crop.
Latest statistics compiled by the AGCA show that while the tropics has only nine coffee farms and the subtropics account for 16, the north’s plantations produce an estimated 298 tonnes of green beans a year compared to the subtropics operations which produce just 24 tonnes.
There are more than 559,200 coffee trees under production in the tropics, while there are only 138,574 in the southern regions.
Jack Murat’s plantation on Tyrconnell Road, which was one of the farms visited by the AGCA group, has around 150,000 trees planted on 60 hectares.
Having been in the industry now for a decade, Jack can see how the new coffee manual would be of great assistance to anyone considering entering the industry.
“It will be helpful for an introductory grower. It’s a great foundation and it will help a grower who’s struggling and has challenges,” he said.
With coffee yielding a good price, Jack sees the potential for more growers to get involved.
“The thing that scares people off is the amount of time it takes in processing and the cost involved in processing and the marketing side of things because you have to basically market your own beans, whether that’s through a cafe or another organisation,” he said.
