Fruit industry trying to increase winter pineapple consumption
Industry promotion group ‘Australian Pineapples’ is launching a large-scale marketing campaign encouraging Australians to embrace pineapples as a winter fruit.
The group has appointed health coach Martyna Angell as an ambassador who is now promoting the benefits of eating the fruit in winter.
“For the winter months, pineapples are the perfect immune system booster being packed full of vitamin C,” Angell said in launching the campaign.
“Just one serving (164g) will provide more than half of your daily recommended dose,” Angell said in launching the campaign,” she stated.
The campaign will also promote different meal and recipe ideas to Australians.
Wet weather results in good winter pineapple growing season
According to Australian Pineapples, a wetter than average winter season in 2016 has resulted in good pineapple growing conditions.
“This year we’ve experienced a wetter than average winter, fantastic weather conditions for big and beautiful winter sweet pineapples,” said Ben Clifton, a pineapple farmer in Yeppoon Queensland.
The major pineapple growing regions in Australia include South East Queensland, particularly the Sunshine Coast hinterlands, Maryborough and the Wide Bay area, the Yeppoon district, and Northern Queensland, including Mareeba and Mossman.
In the 2015 calendar year Australia produced approximately 47, 000 tonnes of pineapples.
Only one per cent of Australia’s pineapples are exported overseas. Australia’s main pineapple export markets are New Zealand and New Caledonia.
