Marketing holds key to native flower growers` success

Native flower growing has huge potential in Queensland — provided the emerging industry gets the marketing groundwork right, according to Professor Daryl Joyce.

Professor Joyce has just taken up a key post as inaugural head of the Centre for Native Floriculture at the University of Queensland Gatton Campus.

The Centre has attracted significant financial backing from the State Government for an initial three-year term to stimulate industry development.

The challenging new role sees Professor Joyce return to the campus where he undertook much of his academic training.

He completed horticulture certificates and degrees at Gatton, gained a masters at Adelaide University and returned to the University of Queensland at St Lucia to complete his PhD.

Professor Joyce has worked in California, the UK and Western Australia, specialising in post-harvest treatment and cool-chain management.

“I believe there is great interest in and potential demand for our unique native flowers, foliage and plants internationally,” he said.

“But development of the native floriculture industry needs to be market driven. We have to select species that are going to sell and build the industry value chain around them.”

Professor Joyce said there was already a lot of native flower expertise at UQ Gatton and this would be harnessed by the new Centre.

The Centre will focus on three areas – floriculture production and handling research, value chain management and marketing, and capacity building through education and training.

Professor Joyce said bush harvesting was a significant part of the native flora industry. A shift from the wild harvest to more sustainable plantation-based production would be a priority.

“Some species are difficult to propagate and cultivate, while others can be commercially grown very successfully,” he said.

While Geraldton waxflower has demonstrated significant potential, problems with post-harvest flower fall were already the subject of research at UQ Gatton.

“There is quite a long list of plants which may have a commercial future umbrella and koala ferns and grevilleas,” Professor Joyce said.

“Identifying the plants the market wants and then overcoming production hurdles is the best strategic way forward for the industry.”

Media: For more information, contact Professor Daryl Joyce (telephone 07 5460 1725) or Anthony Smith (telephone 0409 265 587).