The Northern Territory mango industry - findings of a grower survey.
White K.
Author Affiliation: Horticulture Division, Primary Industry Group, Northern Territory Department of Business and Industry Development, GPO Box 3000, Darwin, NT 0801, Australia.
Technical Bulletin - Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development, Northern Territory Government : 23 pp.
Abstract : Results are presented of a 2004 socioeconomic survey of mango growers (n=62; 37 telephone and 25 in-depth interviews) in the Northern Territory, Australia. Results are discussed under the following headings: property information; crop information; household information; household work effort return; aspirations; change decisions; contracting and picking decisions; issues (constraints); preparedness to act (future intentions); and additional comments from participants. Two areas of particular concern emerged from the interviews: (1) the semi-retirees' dilemma, i.e. many growers are discovering that they either cannot physically manage a medium-sized enterprise as they get older, or that a smaller property cannot generate sufficient income in full retirement; and (2) the financial squeeze affecting medium-sized enterprises.