Innovative farmer takes a chance on Chinese date also called zizi-fruit !

Arid, red dirt country near Cue is an unlikely horticulture precinct where a Chinese fruit tree is being grown in a trial for potential export to South-East Asia.

Murchison pastoralist Tom Jackson is growing 700 Chinese date trees on an irrigated patch of land. The abundant fruit will be picked in coming months.
  
Alternative land uses in the rangelands are becoming more important as pastoralists contemplate the future of traditional livestock operations, which are under pressure from low commodity prices and drought.
“Diversification has a lot more to do with challenging old mindsets than it does with simply adding another enterprise to your business,” Mr Jackson said.
  
He believes there is good potential for exports to South-East Asia and for the local market to develop a taste for the fruit.
“When just ripe, they have a firm texture similar to a small apple,” he said. “Left to ripen longer they will dry on the tree with a date-like texture.”
  
The crop was known by a range of names, including Chinese dates, jujubes or Ziziphus zizyphus. “We call it zizy-fruit,” he said. Austin Downs station has an irrigation lease using aquifer water.
  
The Department of Agriculture and Food is planning to take 100kg of the fruit to Singapore and Malaysia next month to test market demand.