Grape Industry Analysis for Investment and Redevelopment

2.2 Project background and consultant’s brief
Irrigated horticulture in the Lower Murray Darling is recovering from a decade of extreme
conditions. New export market opportunities are fuelling confidence in the industry, with
redevelopment and new investment occurring across different irrigated commodities, and rapid
expansion particularly in table grape varieties. Accurate and detailed industry data is required to
inform investment and redevelopment. With the promise of modernised irrigation delivery in the
Older Irrigated Areas of Merbein, Mildura and Red Cliffs, this information will be critical to
redevelopment and new investment in viticulture. The launch of the National Food Plan a nd its
focus on Asia, will also deliver new investment into horticultural production as markets grow into
the next decade.
Changes to plantings in each industry (investments, redevelopment) will underlie the economic
success of each industry. Clarity on plantings is required to inform decision making, paramount to
a sustainable recovery, avoidance of another ‘boom and bust’ scenario, and sustainable growth
within each industry.
Significant changes in planting areas, varieties, water use, rootstocks, property numbers and size,
and irrigation methods are already evident across the region’s horticulture (Mallee CMA 2012
Crop Report and 2012 Irrigated Horticulture of the Lower Murray-Darling (SunRISE 21, 2012))
although those Crop Reports did not provide analysis to the grape variety level. Similarly, data on
grape plantings from the state government, industry bodies and ABS census data are not available
to the variety level.
Each of the Murray Darling grape industry sectors has conducted their own analyses, but not
using consistent types or sources of information.
This report represents the first coordinated analysis of data to the grape variety level, including
irrigation and cultural management details.
The SunRISE crop database includes planting details from 1997 to 2014. The crop mapping
provides accurate areas as it is based on a time series of high resolution orthophoto imagery
(scale accurate, digital, aerial photography). Crop details, such as crop type, area and irrigation
method, are derived from input from irrigators, field surveys and visual interpretation of the
imagery.
The analysis encompasses grape plantings in the lower Murray-Darling region of Victoria and New
South Wales (Figure 1). The region is referred to as the ‘Murray Valley’ in this report.
2014 planting data is compared in this report with data from 1997, 2003, 2006 and 2009.
The Brief
SunRISE Mapping and Research was contracted to collect, collate and report on:
1. grape variety data in collaboration with dried, wine and table grape growers and industry
groups, with at least 80% of each industry surveyed to the variety level
2. changes in plantings between 1997 and 2014, by variety, property numbers & size, vine
ages, irrigation methods, rootstocks and new plantings for each of the three industries
(wine, table & dried)
3. average production and crop (farm gate) values
4. production projections for dominant varieties, and by seasonality for table grapes
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