Queensland citrus grower to start new industry in South-East Asia
Ironbark Lao general manager, Sue Jenkins, and her husband Allan have a well-established orchard in Mundubbera in the North Burnett. She is finding the differences fun while also challenging.
"There's lots of differences and that's what makes it really interesting, trying to adapt what we know to what's happening over there."
The initial set-up of nurseries with Australian root stock is the first step in the process and will be followed by the planting of orchards on land owned by the farmers, then the marketing and financing of further expansions.
Ms Jenkins said the budwood and seed was imported from Australia to combat disease.
"That's formed the basis of our orchards and we're trying lots of different varieties," she said.
"We know the ones that market well because we're exporters and we export predominantly into South-East Asia.
"But we don't know so well the varieties that are going to produce well, so we've got quite a number of varieties we're experimenting with."
She said she was expecting a small harvest towards the end of 2017, and while the quantity and quality were still unknown, the local farmers were enthusiastic about their new crop.
source: abc.net.au
