3 days ago
Farmers bet on nutritionally rich jujubes becoming next food trend
Farmers are planting large numbers of jujube trees in the hope that the little-known fruit becomes the next health food phenomenon, following in the footsteps of avocados.
Producers are investing millions of dollars growing the fruit, despite many people in the country having never tasted or heard of it.
Also known as Chinese dates, jujubes have been grown in Asia for thousands of years.
They are a common part of diets and traditional medicine in Asian cultures partly due to their health benefits.
A study investigating jujubes found the fruit was a functional food, boasting nutritional values of antioxidants, fibre, and minerals like magnesium and calcium.
"This fruit has been used for centuries, especially in tea in China and Egypt."
Jujubes are often compared to a small apple, crisp with a sweet, distinct flavour.
So, why would farmers take the gamble to grow a fruit that's still a mystery to many?
Phuong Cao and her mother Thi Tran have been growing thousands of jujube trees over the past decade on their family farm in South Australia's Renmark.
"We planted wine grapes and then the wine grape market went down, so we had to diversify and found jujubes," Ms Cao said.
While growing jujubes in a niche market came with its challenges, Ms Cao appreciated the unique flavours and versatile use of the fruit.
"It's juicy, sweet and crunchy and has got its distinct taste," she said.
For one of the industry's pioneering growers Ben Waddelow, it was the horticultural challenge that attracted him to growing jujubes.
"It was something new and different. It was hard to grow, and I needed to reinvent the grafting and propagation techniques," Mr Waddelow said.
His passion for the fruit, however, first started with a school project in year 12, when he was late to class and had been given the letter Z to research a plant species.
Since then, he has been part of an innovative group of growers who brought more than 40 different varieties to Australia about two decades ago.
Besides being enjoyed as a fresh fruit, Mr Waddelow said there was also potential for value-added products such as jujube vinegar and the various foods it was used in across Asia.
It's estimated there are about 60 jujube growers cultivating 50,000 trees in Australia, according to AgriFutures Australia data.
Large expansions have been taking place, with horticulture companies like Seeka planning to plant tens of thousands of trees.
Author of the Australia Jujube 2030 Strategic Blueprint Trevor Ranford saw opportunities in the fruit's export possibilities and the varied climatic areas jujubes could be grown in.
Some of the major challenges he identified though were the industry "fragmentation" and lack of consumer knowledge about the fruit.
"It's a matter of building volume of people and produce but also getting the industry to work together," he said.
South Australian Jujube Growers' Association deputy chair Jody Miltenoff said a national body was needed to establish export markets and build effective communication programs.
"For the industry to move forward, it needs to be a united front because the beauty of our jujubes going into the Asian market is we are counter-seasonal," Mr Miltenoff said.
He explained that while some growers were already exporting to Hong Kong and Singapore, a concerted effort could lead to opening exports to Vietnam and South Korea.
One industry that's grown from the "backyard" to large-scale commercial production is Australia's avocados.
Once a fruit consumers didn't pay much attention to, it smashed its way into people's hearts across the globe. Four decades on, it's valued at $589 million.
In Australia alone, production tripled in the past decade, from 48,715 tonnes in 2013/2014 to 150,913 tonnes in 2023/2024, according to Avocados Australia data.
Riverland avocado grower Sarah Tucker-Boehm and her husband Aaron Boehm are reaping the benefits of her in-laws' foresight to plant the emerging crop in the 1980s.
While they started with one 10-acre (4-hectare) parcel, Mark and Dawn Boehm's business has grown to eight parcels with more than 5,200 avocado trees.
She described it as an "educated gamble" as people's interest in health and fitness grew, and avocados were seen as a healthy fruit.
"Avocados are full of good fats and nutrients. It's got more potassium than bananas," Ms Tucker-Boehm said.
While the industry was battling a glut in recent years, which led to lower prices, she said working with the national body Avocados Australia was essential.
"They are working on increasing avocado consumption and expanding export markets."
Ms Tucker-Boehm, also known as the Avo Farmers Wife on social media, has been at the forefront of providing consumers with produce knowledge.
She saw similar potential for Australia's emerging jujube industry due to the fruit's health benefits.
