There is a wide range of seasonally available produce in East Arnhem Land from both the land and the sea.  Many have been economically utilised by local people for thousands of years and have traditionally been consumed either raw on cooked.

 

Cultivate NT is working with a number of communities to develop reliable supply chains and value added products.

 

There is great interest in bush foods at present and while sale of raw produce to consumers of restaurants is one potential market high harvest costs can be prohibitive for some produce.

 

Value added products have been developed by Cultivate NT in partnership with GULP (Growing and Understanding Local Produce) to increase financial return to local workers and produce higher value products with a longer shelf life making export more viable.

 

This work is ongoing and Cultivate NT is actively seeking to expand potential markets with industry partners commitment to economic development in East Arnhem Land utilising economically, socially and environmentally sustainable production systems.