Gerard Kath, from Mareeba, says the industry has expanded by a small group of larger scale growers getting larger, which has become the backbone of growth for the industry.
"The industry overall is definitely growing," he said. "The main factor I would say is the change we’re seeing in the red line variety - it’s getting sweeter, giving consumers a better flavour. The number of growers is also expanding. Last year we saw quite a few new growers come into the industry, in particular existing banana growers who are looking at diversifying their crops."
Photo Courtesy: Papaya Australia
In Australia, red papaya and yellow papaw are predominantly grown in the warmer tropical climates of Far North Queensland such as Tully, Innisfail and Mareeba, though plantings extend as far as the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The main variety of yellow papaw grown in Australia is the 1B Hybrid, which is around 20 per cent of the market. For the red varieties, RB1 makes up 80 per cent, RB4 is 8 per cent, Solo around 2 per cent, and Skybury Red sits at 10 per cent.
"We’re proud to say that very little gets exported," Mr Kath said. "Around 98 per cent of production is for the domestic market, with a tiny bit going to places like New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates. Personally, our main market is local – Brisbane – followed by Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns."
Photo Courtesy: Papaya Australia
Fellow papaya grower Joe Zapalla from Innisfail says they’ve seen high quality fruit throughout the autumn season, which peaked slightly later this year, with plenty of new season produce continuing to hit stores.
“We’ve had good rainfall and growing conditions in the Atherton Tablelands region, however, there was quite high rainfall on the wet tropical coast," he said. "Because of this we had a slight delay to the start of the autumn papaya crops, but following Easter there's been plenty of sweet, tasty fruit available to enjoy.”
One of the reasons for the increase in demand has been put down to the wealth of health benefits. Dietitian Caitlin Reid points out that one serving (150g) provides a healthy dose of folate, fibre, vitamin C and vitamin A, which helps keep the immune system, gut health and skin in check.
"More and more research is suggesting that plant-based diets may help to better manage or reduce the risk of developing a host of health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and dementia," she said. "Papaya is just one of many plant-based foods that provide these benefits, thanks to its unique combination of antioxidants, which help fight the damaging effects of free radicals in the body, while also supporting the immune system."
Australian papaya and papaw have peak seasons in spring and autumn but are available all year round.
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