HORTLINK

Get an update on all new, current and recently completed levy-funded activity with the new edition of Hort Innovation’s Hortlink 

R&D portal

Access more than 20 years of onion industry R&D reports, factsheets and summaries

Secret Serve

Creative use of onions to give kids an extra serving of veg

Special thanks to Cambam Photography for providing Onions Australia with photos to use on this website

Our strategic partners

© Copyright – Onions Australia

Onions are grown in most states of Australia, but the majority of production occurs in South Australia and Tasmania.

The major growing regions in Australia are the Adelaide Plains in South Australia, Northern Tasmania, and the Lockyer Valley in Queensland.

VIDEO:  Hear from Premium Fresh Agricultural Manager Jason McNeil about how the Australian Onion Industry Export Strategy can help to address potential oversupply on the domestic market and maintain strong prices.

Weed management in onions:
Winter cover crop trials

Onion Industry Export Strategy:
A new roadmap to drive export success

Revolutionary new tool for onion
growers to manage pests and disease

© Copyright – Onions Australia

The Reg Miller Award is the onion industry’s highest honour.

Open to anyone passionate about the industry, the award recognises people who have made outstanding contributions to the Australian onion industry.

The award is named in recognition of Reg Miller, a South Australian who helped found Onions Australia.

He worked on the family farm for some 20 years, served with the Australian Infantry in Darwin during World War Two, and throughout his life served on multiple committees in support of grower associations, including Onions Australia.

Nominations for the Reg Miller Award are open all year round, and close on the 1^st of August each year. The award is not necessarily presented every year: only when suitable nominations are received.

The recipient is announced at the Onions Australia Annual Conference and Levy Payers Meeting.

For more information on the nomination process, contact the OA office: 08 8725 8862

The OA office is the hub of Australia’s onion industry and we have worked tirelessly since our inception as the peak industry body in 1966.

Since I joined OA in 2010 I have seen tremendous change in both the onion industry and horticulture in general. Our industry is dynamic and exciting, and the grower base is filled with hard-working farmers who take great pride in maintaining our clean and green image.

OA works with all parts of the supply chain, from growers, through to seed, chemical and machinery specialists, and we partner with Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) and all levels of Australian government.

We pride ourselves on advocating for our members and delivering the best possible outcomes for the industry.

A recent initiative has been the Secret Serve marketing campaign, led by Hort Innovation, which aims to boost onion consumption nationally. Put simply, higher domestic onion consumption leads to more on-farm demand.

If you aren’t a member of OA, make sure you sign up and stay informed. We’re stronger together, and OA would love to have you as a member!

Lechelle Earl CEO

Onions Australia works with the following organisations to develop and strengthen relationships within the industry.

OA’s strategic partners are given the opportunity to reach growers and industry participants by attending conferences, grower meetings, and other events.

Please contact the OA office for more information on partnership packages.

The executive committee of Onions Australia is made up of members from all areas within the onion industry, including growers, agronomists, packing representatives, and seed representatives.

Executive committee members, including the chairperson and deputy chairperson are elected by vote at the annual general meeting.

The executive committee meets up to 4 times a year. Face to face meetings are held in May and October and teleconferences are held in February and August.

Positions on the executive committee are volunteer and phone and travel costs are not covered by Onions Australia. This demonstrates that the people on the executive committee are solely dedicated to the betterment of the onion industry.

Onions are a food staple because they are a nutrient powerhouse and they flavour food like no other vegetable. Whether raw, sautéed, baked, barbecued or steamed, it would be difficult to imagine the cuisine of any country without them.

Onions are Australia’s fourth largest vegetable crop accounting for 9 per cent of total vegetable production. Australians consume approximately 7.8kg per capita each year.

Across Australia, there are about 300 commercial onion growers.

231,484 tonnes of onions were produced in Australia in 2015 with the total value of production $135.5 million. The wholesale value of the fresh supply was $143.3 million.

Australia is a net exporter of fresh onions. In 2015, Australia exported 39,420 tonnes of fresh onions, with Belgium the biggest importer.

Onions Australia (OA) is a representative body and non-profit membership organisation that supports Australia’s onion industry.

OA serves as an umbrella organisation, representing and progressing the interests of everyone in the onion industry, including growers, packers, wholesalers, exporters, researchers, and retail outlets.

The Onions Australia office is run out of Mount Gambier, South Australia.