AN ambitious plan to tap into the lucrative health and wellness sector is being established on the Atherton Tablelands, Qld, with a co-operative forming to grow organic turmeric and gingers.
The project has the support of Growcom and is the brainchild of Rhonda Sorensen of local biomedical company, SassyBio.
Ms Sorensen said her interest in medicinal ginger was piqued when she fell ill in Bali two years ago.
She has since researched the potential to establish an industry on the Tablelands.
"Our long-term vision is to have a co-operative of farmers who grow a range of ginger and turmeric for the fresh market as rhizomes, and also to be processed into a range of functional foods," Ms Sorensen said.
"Ginger and turmeric are great for our health and my interest is definitely in the medicinal side and the health and wellbeing aspects.
Our vision is to have a co-operative of farmers who grow ginger and turmeric for the fresh market as rhizomes.
- Rhonda Sorensen
"We could grow them organically on the Tablelands and capitalise on the clean green Australian-made reputation to hit the high-value global medicinal market."
Growcom Hort360 innovation coach Steve Tiley said there was strong potential for a collaborative group of growers, distributors, and other stakeholders to invest, grow, process and value-add ginger and turmeric in the region.
- Ginger needs a warm climate but it can be grown indoors in cool/temperate areas. Turmeric is grown as far south as Sydney.
