Commodity in Focus – Garlic

The Harvest Trail supports many garlic growers across Australia with sourcing labour during peak harvesting periods. Let us share our knowledge of this versatile superfood.

Production

Garlic is a plant in the Allium family; a close relative of onions, leeks, shallots and chives.

Australia currently produces between 3,000 and 3,500 tonnes of garlic each year. It’s propagated from cloves and collectively the cloves comprise the bulb.

Whilst we actually import over 13,500 tonnes of garlic, the introduction of improved, higher yielding varieties and a greater appreciation of Australian grown products at a retail level has improved domestic market prospects.

Growing Regions

Garlic is best grown in the cooler climates thus it is seen as a winter/spring crop. These requirements lend themselves to areas such as NSW, South Australia and Victoria. The cooler winter regions harbour the largest growers in Australia with Sunraysia and Gippsland good examples of prime growing areas. 

Harvesting

Garlic is ready to harvest when its leaves begin to soften, droop a little and go dry. When planted in Autumn, depending on your climate, harvesting can begin around October (for farms located in south east Queensland for example) whereas picking and preparing garlic in the southern-most part of Victoria won’t start until December or even January.

Mechanical harvesting of garlic has become more popular in recent years. A cutter is run just beneath the bulbs to sever the roots and the plants are pulled by hand. Excess soil is then brushed off and the tops and roots are clipped with hand shears.

The cloves need to be stored so they dry and cure. Depending on temperatures, this can be for up to 3 months. Growers monitor for sprouting, mould or root development, any of which could occur based on the storage conditions.

In the kitchen and health benefits

Being very adaptable, garlic is commonly used fresh, dried, powdered or minced in numerous dishes. Most cuisines utilise garlic in their signature dishes, from French & Italian to Indian & Chinese.
Garlic has purportedly many health benefits including boosting the body’s immune system – the original superfood!

Supporting our Growers

The Harvest Trail supports many garlic growers so if you need help sourcing workers for this upcoming harvest, contact the Harvest Trail Information Service on 1800 062 332