Main current uses for Lavender in Industry are oil, fresh flowers, dried flowers, stripped and dried flower heads. Dried flowers are sold in bunches as decoration on their own, or used in craft work for decoration. The stripped flower heads are sold by the kilogram for use as a pot-pourri alone or mixed with other flowers, and to fill perfume sachets for drawers, cupboards, etc. The fresh flower market in Australia has not been developed as it has overseas and more work will be undertaken this year to hopefully select suitable cultivars for Australian conditions. Fresh flowers are normally hand selected and the prices reflect this.
Lavender oil seems to be the most desired product for potential Australian growers.
This is probably because of the history of the essence and its place in the exclusive French Perfume Industry. Nearly all of this oil is exported. Most prospective lavender growers need to start with a business plan and a small trial planting firstly to assess their involvement with the industry and secondly to produce a sample product.