The Australian Sandalwood Network is an active growers group dedicated towards developing the Australian Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) plantation industry in southern WA. Our main focus is to support private sandalwood growers and drive the plantation industry forward.
Formed in 2003, initially under the name of the Avon Sandalwood Network, the ASN is now an incorporated association. Over the past 3 years the ASN has grown and now has over 150 members, the majority being private growers from the agricultural regions of Western Australia and South Australia.
The ASN holds regular field days and workshops, distributes grower and industry updates via our regular newsletters and facilitates networking between growers, industry and research.
Australian Sandalwood is the highest growth tree crop in the WA wheatbelt, and over 8,000 hectares of plantations will have been established by the end of 2007. Plantation growth is being driven by private landowners, broadacre farmers, managed investment schemes and government programs.
Australian Sandalwood is a unique native tree crop, grown for its high value aromatic heartwood over a 20 year rotation, with potential to generative income from the oil rich nuts from age 5 as new products are developed. Well adapted to wheatbelt conditions, sandalwood plantations can aid in managing agricultural risk through diversification and contribute towards reducing salinity and erosion in wheatbelt farming systems.
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