EconSearch Completed Project
Project: The Risk and Economic Impact of Phylloxera in South Australia’s Viticultural Regions (2002)
Client: Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia (PGIBSA)
Collaborators: Scholefield Robinson Horticultural Services
Summary: The PGIBSA commissioned this study to assess each of South Australia’s key viticultural regions and determine the probability of an infestation with phylloxera, undertake a detailed analysis of the economic impact of a phylloxera outbreak in each of these regions and assess the risk of an outbreak of phylloxera in each region. The key conclusions of this study were as follows. The viticultural regions of SA vary greatly in the factors or characteristics that determine the overall relative probability of infestation and spread of phylloxera. At the vineyard level, Riverland vineyards are most vulnerable to the impact of phylloxera because they have the lowest profit margins prior to a phylloxera outbreak, a significant financial burden imposed by replanting and a high relative probability of infestation.