Geoff Pritchard

With close to three decades experience in the produce industry Geoff Pritchard founded Bermah Pty Ltd in 1993 to market and distribute predominantly Pacific Island produce. In 1997, an opportunity presented itself to utilise his marketing and distribution expertise with the introduction of Asian vegetables and exotic fruit to supermarket groups Australia-wide.

Market research indicated that in 1994 there was estimated 1.1 million Australian residents born in Asia or had one parent born in Asia. In 1991 there was 264 000 Australian residents born in the Pacific Islands. Additionally, in 1993 it was estimated that 65% of Australians cook stir-fry twice a week regardless of origin.

Chinese New Year 1998, Bermah, in conjunction with Woolworths supermarkets, launched the "Imperial Banquet" range of Asian vegetables and exotic fruit to the Australia consumer. The overwhelming success of this promotion resulted in permanent positions of this product range in supermarket outlets throughout Australia. To ensure continuity of the current success and fully develop the sales potential of Asian vegetables, the following areas need to be constantly addressed:

Consumer education and product awareness
Bermah achieved this through consistent marketing programs which include clear product identification, in store taste sampling demonstrations and store level representation designed to inform and educate the fruit and vegetable personnel.

Transparent grower relationships to continually monitor quality, supply and pricing structures.
A grower network infrastructure to enable vital issues such as transportation, warehousing and packaging to be addressed as a unified group.

Quality control and product development
Typically the range of Asian vegetables and fruits grown in tropical regions of Australia (Northern Territory and Far North Queensland) is hindered by the distance from markets which is essentially in state capital cities. In the past little consideration was given to adequate control or understanding of how to get produce to market in good condition. Losses due to poor condition and product breakdown on arrival has been great. The poor condition on arrival resulted in smaller sales and limited the possibility of repeat purchases by the customer. To overcome this major factor in product development, it is crucial that studies are undertaken to ensure product arrives at market in optimum condition. This can only be achieved if all areas of the cool-chain are correctly put in place - from harvesting to cooling (Hydro cooling is recommended for Asian vegetables). It is essential that correct transportation controls are in operation and closely monitored by temperature gauges (e.g. Cox Recorders) included with each consignment.

Export of Asian vegetables
This is an area of untapped potential which will not be fully realised until all areas of the domestic market are satisfactorily addressed.

The future for Asian vegetables in the Australian and export markets is unlimited. Open communication and regular grower visits by Geoff and his team at Bermah are going a long way towards the implementation of necessary systems and procedures that will ensure the long term success of this product range.

Bermah Pty Ltd P O Box 392 SYDNEY MARKETS NSW 2129 Tel: (02) 9748 8800 Fax: (02) 9748 8808 Mr Levis Campagnola (pepper grower), Mr Daniel Lutman (Produce Buyer, Bermah Pty Ltd) and Mr Geoff Pritchard (Director, Bermah Pty Ltd)

This research project is virtually completed and a RIRDC final report detailing the research aspects will be available soon. Research students involved in the project were Mayuree Krajayklang, a PhD student covering most aspects of the reported research, and Nancy Bagnato, an honours student conducting work on the colour stability aspects of chilli powders.

The main control points in chilli production systems for spice powder in Australia were investigated in relation to quality and economic viability. These included irrigation needs, managing plants for machine harvest, postharvest ripening of chilli fruit, drying and processing and storage of the powder.

Production factors
A range of production factors can influence quality and yield of chilli spice. Low temperatures dramatically reduce the pungency level of chillies, and while that factor cannot be altered in the field, this needs to be considered when planning a location and time of planting for chillies. Locations with warm summer months are preferable, and many areas in Australia may therefore be suitable. Timing of planting needs to be in spring to target a time of harvest from January to March. Later harvests significantly delay maturation and result in low levels of heat as temperatures decline. Irrigation also has a major impact, especially at the time of flowering and fruit development, as chilli bushes readily drop fruit and flowers if they become water deficit stressed. This reduces yield dramatically. Proper irrigation (eg. trickle irrigation) needs to be practiced, taking into account the small area of the root zone.

Harvesting
'Caysan' chillies were treated with ethephon to synchronise maturation for once-over machine harvesting, since manual harvesting incurs excessive labour costs. Ethephon was applied at rates of 0-5000ppm as foliar sprays. The colouration of the top node fruit was accelerated and some minor gains in colour and pungency of the chilli powder were observed in some of the ethephon treatments. However, fruit drop and defoliation were severe and overall marketable fruit yield decreased at all rates. This makes ethephon treatments uneconomical, considering the cost of sprays and yield reduction. An alternative is to leave fruit on the bush until the top nodes are a marketable deep red colour. This is possible as fruit do not normally drop. While fruit at the lower nodes may be partially dried, this causes no problem for dried chilli powder production. While the growing and maturation period on the bush is longer, it is of no commercial concern in the growing areas investigated (Adelaide and Hunter Valley). In non-tropical areas only one crop per season is feasible and there is no risk of frost in the late season if planting is not too late.

Postharvest ripening
To increase yields of machine harvests of chillies, grading out green or not fully red coloured fruit for further ripening and later processing was investigated. Fruit that had not started to show red colour did not ripen, and colour intensity of partially red fruit when ripe was less than of fruit fully coloured on the bush. It is essential that as many fruit as possible mature on the plant.

Drying
The effect of type of dryer on spice quality was investigated. Heat pump and hot air dryers could be used, as long as drying temperatures did not exceed 60°C. Excessive temperatures resulted in a brown rather than a bright red powder. Drying was very slow unless fruit were cut into segments before drying. The advantage of heat pump dryers is that they are more energy efficient and can be used at lower temperatures. Freeze drying, was not suitable as fruit took a long time to dry and processing could only occur with low volumes. Fruit had a whitish appearance after drying.

Processing
A number of processing strategies were investigated in relation to spice powder quality and colour stability. Mixing seed with flesh is considered to reduce the rate of colour loss, while adding seed oil is practiced to increase powder gloss. The use of different mills has been suggested to result in variation of powder quality. Lastly added antioxidants have been suggested to reduce the rate of autoxidation and destruction of the red carotenoid pigments. Mixing seed with chilli flesh stabilised the red colour of the powder with the degree of stabilisation depending on antioxidants present in the seed. However, shelf life was shortened as the seed diluted the colour. When deciding to add seed the choice is further complicated with fact that no seed reduces yield and pungency. Overall it would be best practice to select cultivars with a high colour content, adding seed at a naturally occurring flesh to seed ratio (100:60 for 'Caysan' chilli) and relying on storage treatments to reduce colour loss. Commercial hammer mills produce a powder of equal quality to a traditional stone milled product. Seed oil should not be added to powder to produce a glossy appearance as colour loss is unaffected and a high risk of rancidity development exists. Vitamin E is effective as an antioxidant in reducing colour loss but this practice is not permitted by the Australian Food Standards.

Storage of powder
Where shelf life was less than 3 weeks, accelerated shelf life studies at 37°C was used. Powder should be stored under cool conditions and out of light to reduce rate of colour loss; it should not be dried to a moisture content below 5%. However, we found that storage in a nitrogen atmosphere virtually stopped any colour loss, since autoxidation of the red carotenoid pigments was prevented.

Ms. Mayuree Krajayklang Dr. Andreas Klieber Department of Horticulture Viticulture and Oenology The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus PMB 1, Glen Osmond SA 5064 Tel: (08) 8303 6653, Fax: (08) 8303 7116

Ms. M. Krajayklang

Dr. A. Klieber

Victor Cusack

Believe it or not, Australians are eating about 8,000 tonnes of bamboo shoots each year, virtually all out of tins! The world is eating more than 2 million tonnes of bamboo shoots annually, so far only commercially grown in the Northern Hemisphere. For many Asian folk, bamboo shoots are is sufficiently important that they eat fresh shoots when in season and content themselves with tinned, pickled or dried shoots for almost six months of each year!

Australia's rapidly growing Southern Hemisphere bamboo farmers are uniquely positioned to capture these windows of opportunity to provide fresh shoots into Asia when no other fresh shoots are available. Already there are between 150 and 200 hectares planted, and a 1000 hectare export plantation is currently being established on the Atherton Tablelands in Northern Queensland.

Whilst these locally planted areas may sound impressive, Taiwan has more than 90,000 ha of one species alone (Dendrocalamus latiflorus), China more than 100,000 ha of the same species, and Thailand more than 60,000 ha of another superior species (Dendrocalamus asper). That does not include the vast natural stands of moso in China plus thousands of hectares in Japan. Europe's considerable consumption is currently unknown while the USA's known consumption of more than 30,000 tonnes could well absorb our total crop! When mature bamboo produces two crops each year. One being edible shoots which are usually not produced until three years after planting, and the other, bamboo culms (timber) available after six to seven years. A well managed mature plantation of superior species can expect to produce a conservative 10 tonnes/ha/yr of high quality edible shoots together with about 12 to 15 tonnes of 12% dried timber/ha each year. Timber yields can be increased if required by reducing the shoot harvest.

So far the main bamboo growing areas are coastal Northern NSW and Southern Queensland, both soon to be overtaken by Atherton's export plantation. Those tropical, monsoonal rainfall, low frost areas are ideally suited to the sympodial bamboos which are non-invasive clumping species that can reach full six month long (January to June) annual shoot production in about 5 years. However, the southern areas of Australia with high winter rainfall and dry summers such as Tasmania and coastal Victoria could well benefit from growing the monopodial temperate bamboos which are running species that have a profitable five week shoot season late autumn or spring. So far, the southern states farmers have not committed to planting any significant areas (still less than one hectare), but the almost complete absence of fresh shoots in Australia during August/September should be a sufficient inducement before long to attract some serious growers. The main monopodial bamboo that suits those colder winter rainfall climates is 'moso' (Phyllostachys hetracycla pubescens) a Chinese runner grown also in Japan's cold climate. 'Moso' is just as productive as the sympodial bamboo, but a little more labour intensive and slower to reach maturity.

These three earlier mentioned species are by far the most grown and researched bamboos in the world. Australian growers have sensibly concentrated on those species because of available data and because they have proved to be so successful and productive overseas. All three are growing vigorously in various locations in this country. Other species may prove to be suitable in Australia eventually, and there is some research into this possibility, but with the exception of a less productive clumping species (Bambusa oldhamii) that tolerates cooler climates, these are the only bamboos being planted here in reasonable commercial quantities.

Most Australians are unaware that they have even eaten bamboo shoots in Chinese or Thai restaurants, and few have ever eaten fresh shoots. People's concept of a bamboo shoot is usually something akin to asparagus in size, but in fact the shoots of different cultivars of the above species can vary between 1 kg and 10 kg in weight, and be up to 300 mm in diameter and 700 mm long! The great attraction of fresh shoots is their almost indestructible crunchy texture and an ability to enhance their own subtle flavours by taking on nuances from other ingredients in a dish. Their food value is very high in terms of vitamins, minerals and essential body building blocks. Their low calorie and carbohydrate content makes them an ideal food for people with weight problems (interestingly, bamboo leaf is close to 20% crude protein and being researched in both China and Australia for its extraordinarily high bio-antioxidant content).

Grower confidence and interest is high. Research has been boosted by generous grants from RIRDC and privately funded industry research. In Northern NSW, the author's organisation Bamboo World has succeeded after years of effort in establishing the main plantation species in their own tissue culture laboratory, and is now producing thousands of plants for their own plantations and for other growers. The Atherton export plantation, Southern Cross Plantations, is being created by Bamboo Plantations of Australia Limited in conjunction with Bamboo World.

RIRDC has funded valuable research into tropical bamboos at the QDPI's Bundaberg Research Station, the Northern Territory's DPIF in Darwin, and Central Queensland University has been studying the cool climate bamboos moso and Bambusa oldhamii for some time.

Harvesting Dendrocalamus asper shoots

In August 1998, industry representatives with assistance from RIRDC formed an Australia wide industry representative group, Australian Commercial Bamboo Corporation Limited (ACBC) designed to create a comprehensive marketing system and support growers of all high quality species. Voting membership is limited to growers with more than half a hectare of plantation.

In the short time since incorporation, the ACBC in partnership with University of Queensland, has negotiated a research grant for more than $300,000 from RIRDC to develop a sophisticated chain link marketing system based on a successful modern Dutch model. Together with separate 'brand' names being developed for both local and export marketing, the grant will cover market focus and volume, post harvest research on harvesting, handling, packing, and growing techniques, all designed to optimise Australia's product quality.

The system is being designed to encompass and support all high quality species grown in all states, and will include training systems and direct participation by ACBC growers in quality control management, both here and at the targeted overseas cities. It will ultimately include quality control, marketing and promotion of timber culms throughout Australia, and investigation of value added products.

The research team, under the overall guidance of Dr Ray Collins of University of Queensland and ACBC management, has already appointed a full time postgraduate student, and is currently involved in edible shoot quality analysis with QDPI's Centre for Food Technology, Brisbane.

When the Australian crop reaches a sufficiently saleable capacity, the ACBC with the help of Queensland University and RIRDC aim to be ready with reliable marketing systems in place to market the product. Meanwhile this new self-sustaining agricultural industry is up and running. More than 50 professional growers form the nucleus of ACBC's professionally organised efforts.

Further reading:

"Bamboo Rediscovered" Victor Cusack ( $14.95 - Earth Garden Books, 1997)
"Bamboo World" Victor Cusack ( $69.95 - Simon & Schuster/Kangaroo Press, 1999)

Both books contain comprehensive reference sections, particularly the latter.

Australian Commercial Bamboo Corporation Limited Murwillumbuh Road WADEVILLE NSW 2474 Tel/Fax: (02) 6689 7214 Email: bamboo@nrg.com.au Website: www.nrg.com.au/bamboo

Mr Victor Cusack

 

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