full bloom

All our lavender is picked by hand with a sickle.

Floral and fragrant. Humbleand hardy. Purple and popular. The lavender plant may not immediately be front of mind when thinking about Australia’s agricultural industry, but its growing history in this country goes back more than a century and it could very well be about to boom.

Last year, a partnership was signed between AgriFutures Australia and LaTrobe University for a research project into lavender growing and creating a detailed knowledge base of the ideal conditions and farming methods for every stage of the process.

Funding for this was received through AgriFutures’ Emerging Industries Program, which identified lavender as a rural industry capable of reaching or exceeding $10 million in revenue by 2022.

The Australian Lavender Growers Association (TALGA) is a partner in the project, with plans for its members to have full access to the completed database.

TALGA is thriving, with secretary and Victorian lavender grower Fiona Glover estimating that the association’s membership has grown by between 10 and 15 per cent this year.

“We’ve had quite a number of new members across Australia this year, so I can certainly say there is a big interest in growing lavender in Australia,” she says.

“I’m not quite sure what drove it.