Industry Australians consume about 3000 tonnes of garlic per year, two-thirds of which are imported. The main areas of garlic production in Australia are in New South Wales and South Australia. The State imports an estimated 300 t of garlic per year, mainly between May and November. Another 50 t per year are imported from the Eastern States. Garlic is not high yielding.
Growers find it difficult to compete with cheap imports, especially from China.
Obtaining good supplies of the best garlic varieties for planting may be difficult for a new grower. Growers must retain 10 to 15 per cent of the crop for planting material. Growing garlic is labour intensive, particularly harvesting and cleaning. It is a long term crop, taking six to nine months from planting to harvest. There are no processing outlets in Western Australia, so inferior garlic must be discarded or sold for a low price on the fresh market.