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What the report is about…
Healthy and casual eating is very much a way of Australian life. Novel crops that offer new tastes and significant health benefits are always worthy of consideration. Watercress is a long established traditional salad crop in other parts of the world but is used in very limited quantities in Australia.

Some may be wild harvested and may pose food safety issues but there are also hydroponic salad producers that produce small quantities of quality watercress to meet the current low level of demand.

Watercress may have considerable potential for expansion of production as consumers become aware of its attributes.

Who is the report targeted at?
This study was undertaken to assemble available information that would be useful for potential investors wishing to consider the potential for watercress production and marketing in Australia.

Background
There is an increasing interest in mixed salads in Australia and watercress may find a place as an important component of these mixes. This has certainly been the situation in the United Kingdom where mixed bags of watercress, rocket and baby spinach leaf form the most popular combination.

Aims/Objectives This report aims to bring together available information about watercress production methods that are used in traditional production areas overseas. Also, the authors have investigated the potential health benefits of watercress and the opportunities for it to take greater prominence in the Australian diet, either as a flavoursome salad or in new cooked recipes.

Methods
This study has been based upon literature and website searches, correspondence with overseas producers and a visit to a major producer and marketer of watercress in the UK. Consumer research was also undertaken on a limited scale by New Focus Pty Ltd (www.newfocus.com.au) with four focus groups of grocery buyers in Melbourne and Adelaide for their responses to watercress, spinach, rocket and a salad mix containing watercress.

The industry partner to this project, Holla Fresh Pty Ltd, undertook hydroponic production of watercress with market testing to prove product potential.

Key Findings
Watercress is relatively easy to grow.

Whilst there is opportunity for watercress to be produced using hydroponic systems it is likely that the most cost competitive production would be achieved using traditional gravel beds combined with mechanical harvesting and handling. This statement, however, needs to be viewed with the understanding that hydroponics offers greater water-use efficiency and that mechanisation may be possible with some ingenuity. Hydroponic production is likely to offer the best first stage whilst the crop gains acceptance in the Australian market.

Watercress production may also offer opportunities for multiple water use in combination with other horticultural or aquaculture enterprises.

Strong consideration must be given to effective cool chain handling for successful presentation of the product through to the retail outlet and beyond to the consumer Future validation of the health benefits attributed to watercress is likely to encourage demand for this crop.

Results from the consumer trials done as part of this study indicate that some consumers enjoyed the taste of watercress but others found it to be too strong. The key finding was that consumers considered that watercress would be most acceptable when incorporated into a mix. This finding is consistent with the main way that watercress is sold in the UK supermarkets.

Recommendations
Watercress offers a new taste opportunity for Australian consumers and has potential. Acceptance of this crop would be enhanced by promotion of its benefits and the best way to use it. The food service industry, such as restaurants, can play an important role in presenting this crop to consumers in salad or cooked form through its use in meal experiences.

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