Tree Pull Scheme
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The Tree Pull Scheme was a government initiative implemented in Australia during the 1970s to reduce apple production and address an oversupply in the market. The scheme responded to economic and market pressures on the apple industry, reducing national apple tree numbers from 7.22 million in 1973 to 5.34 million by 1977.[1] Tasmania, which produced 30 percent of Australian apples,[1] was heavily impacted, especially in the Huon Valley region, historically known as the "Apple Valley." [2]
Background
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Tasmania became a global apple producer in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to ideal growing conditions, innovations in agriculture, and favourable trade arrangements. The temperate climate and fertile soil of regions like the Huon Valley and Channel region made Tasmania particularly suitable for apple production. By the 1880s, Tasmania had established itself as a major supplier of apples to the British Empire, where the fruit was highly prized.[3]
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Tasmania’s reputation for high-quality apples was strengthened by government-backed export initiatives and advances in shipping, including refrigerated transport. Known as the "Apple Isle," Tasmania came to dominate Australia’s apple industry, with apples becoming one of its most significant exports.[4] At its peak, the apple industry accounted for 60% of Tasmanian agricultural exports, with the United Kingdom as its primary market.[5]
In 1973, the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community, which limited Tasmania’s access to its largest export market. This, combined with rising production costs and increased global competition, created a surplus and economic crisis for the apple industry.[6]
Implementation
The Australian Government, in collaboration with the Tasmanian Government, introduced the Tree Pull Scheme to stabilise apple prices and support struggling farmers. Through this program, farmers were offered financial incentives to uproot apple trees and reduce orchard sizes. Payments were provided to help orchardists transition to other forms of agriculture or retire from apple farming.[7] The scheme, which ran from 1972 to 1975, led to the removal of approximately 1.88 million apple trees and reduced the number of orchardists in Tasmania by around 700.[8]
Impact
The Tree Pull Scheme had significant economic, cultural, and social effects on the Tasmanian apple industry and local communities. Tasmania, once known as the "Apple Isle," experienced a steep decline in apple production, which altered the identity and heritage of regions like the Huon Valley that relied on apple trade.[9] Many apple varieties, some unique to Tasmania, were lost as orchards were dismantled, and regional biodiversity declined.[10]
The reduction in apple production also caused economic hardship for rural communities, with declines in employment and local business activity. Farmers who participated in the Tree Pull Scheme faced challenges transitioning to other industries, and some left farming altogether.[11] Between 1977 and 1986, Tasmania fell from Australia's largest producer of apples to its third.[12]
Legacy
The Tree Pull Scheme has been criticised for its impact on Tasmania’s apple industry, but it also prompted discussions about sustainable agriculture and diversification in Tasmanian farming. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in heritage apple varieties, and local initiatives promote apple tourism and cider production as economic alternatives.[13] Today, Tasmania’s apple industry is smaller but focuses on niche markets, heritage apple varieties, cider production, and apple-based tourism.
See also
Sources
- McConnell, Anne Denise; Servant, Nathalie; Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (Launceston, Tas.); National Estate Grants Program (Australia) (1999), The History and Heritage of the Tasmanian Apple Industry: A Profile, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, retrieved 6 November 2024
References
- ^ a b "Farming", There's Discord on the Apple Isle, Kenneth Graham, Sydney, N.S.W: The Bulletin (Australian periodical), 1978, ISSN 0007-4039, nla.obj-1606059440, retrieved 6 November 2024 – via Trove
- ^ "Tree Pull Scheme". The Companion to Tasmanian History. University of Tasmania. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Tasmanian Apples Shipped to England". Australian Food Timeline. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Apple Industry". The Companion to Tasmanian History. University of Tasmania. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "The Apple and Pear Industry". Tasmanian Pioneers and Historical Society. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "The Demise of Tasmania's Apple Industry". The Friends' School. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "The Apple and Pear Industry". Tasmanian Pioneers and Historical Society. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "A New Apple Future for Tasmania – Any Hope?". Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Australian Apple Varieties and Their Legacy in Tasmania". ABC News. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Apples of the Huon - Part Two". Tasmanian Geographic. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ "Submission to Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit". Australian Parliament House. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
- ^ Australian Apple and Pear Corporation. (1976), "13 v. ; 25 cm.", Report, Parliamentary paper (Australia. Parliament), Melbourne: Australian Apple and Pear Corporation, p. 29, ISSN 0728-6570, nla.obj-2064213340, retrieved 6 November 2024 – via Trove
- ^ "Apple Isle: The Revival of Tasmania's Apple Heritage". ABC News. 7 May 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2024.