Carrots are among the favourite vegetables for kids, due to their snap, crunch and fresh taste. Queensland's Scenic Rim is recognized for its significant contribution to carrot production, with an annual yield of approximately 600 million carrots, primarily harvested between June and December.
Samantha Wyatt, serving as the Pick of the Crop regional coordinator for South East Queensland, highlighted carrots as a cost-effective and versatile vegetable, favored especially by children for their texture and taste. She emphasized the nutritional benefits of carrots, including their fibre content and the presence of folate, which are essential for children's digestive health and development.
Kalfresh, the state's leading carrot producer, collaborates with Health and Wellbeing Queensland's Pick of the Crop initiative to promote vegetable and fruit consumption among primary school students. CEO Richard Gorman pointed out the success in increasing vegetable intake through the provision of ready-to-eat carrot products, which also addresses food waste by repurposing imperfect carrots.
Over eight years, Kalfresh has converted 5.5-million kilograms of carrots into snack products, including a specially grown snacking carrot, designed for school lunch boxes.
Source: hw.qld.gov.au