Protected Cropping - Australia Today

Australia’s uptake of Protected Cropping (PC) has been limited in comparison to other countries. In 2017 Australia ranked 28th worldwide, with a total area of 1,310 ha under glasshouses, greenhouses, and tunnels.

Industry experts estimate that the current area under production is approximately 2,100 ha, with the recent addition of poly-tunnels for berries (400+ ha), low-cost greenhouses for cucumbers and capsicums, high-tech glasshouses (200 ha), high-tech polyethylene covered greenhouses (50 ha) for tomatoes and cucumbers, and retractable roof structures (40 ha) for nursery, vegetables, and fruit trees. In addition, there is a very significant area under screen/shade structures, across a range of crops.

The lag in PC adoption within Australia can be attributed to a lack of strong drivers for change.

Australia has a diverse geography with good natural resources for outdoor production. However, the horticulture industry is currently at a point of change. Climate variability will continue to impact crops each year, limiting the assurance of supply to markets. The economic recovery from crop failures is increasingly difficult for outdoor producers.

Over the past 20 years, consumer expectations for year-round availability of fresh produce have increased and retailers are focusing more on producers who can meet these specifications.

There is no other tool like PC to de‑risk horticultural production. This has driven growth of PC in recent years, leading to sizable investments in tomato and berry infrastructure.

Newer investments have focused on cucumbers, eggplants, capsicums, leafy vegetables, and herbs. Most of these crops are grown in substrates or hydroponics.

Fruit trees (tropical and temperate) and grapes are also being tested with PC in new orchards, using hail or shade screens combined with high density. systems, dwarfing rootstocks, and trellising to de-risk production and reduce harvesting labour.

The high value nursery industry (i.e. seedlings, plants, and flowers) has been using PC for many years and is now also focusing on technological innovations. The adoption of advanced vertical farming with closed systems is still very limited in Australia but there are small commercial operations in urban areas.