A BASIC HISTORY OF STRAWBERRIES IN VICTORIA...

Strawberries we first grown commercially in the Yarra Valley after the second world war during the 1950's. Many migrant families moved to the Yarra Valley because of its rich fertile soils and proximity to Melbourne.

Today 90% of the strawberry farms in Victoria can be found in the Yarra Valley region. The current farmers are often 2nd or 3rd generation strawberry growers and so are their properties which have been passed down from generation to generation.

Strawberries grown in Victoria were initially distributed to the local Melbourne Market only, however during the 1960's Gordon Chapman took the first strawberries to Sydney Market on the back of a basic tray truck.

The major markets for Victorian strawberries today are, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane wholesale markets. Currently very few strawberries are directly exported from Melbourne, the small amount of fruit that is exported goes to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and other nearby countries.

As part of the National Strawberry Breeding Program the Victorian Strawberry Industry have been breeding strawberries specifically suited to our climate, rainfall and seasons.  

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