This research project was initially conducted by TPWA with assistance from Fresh Produce Alliance to investigate the development of value added truffle product, processing truffle for products, shelf stability of truffle product, maintaining essential aromas and flavours of truffle product, market acceptance of truffle product.

The project has been funded through the Grower Groups Research and Development Grants Program which is part of the Agricultural Sciences Research and Development Fund supported by the Royalties for Regions program led by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia now the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The truffle industry is an emerging industry for the South-West of Western Australia. The WA truffle industry is highly export focused, it is estimated that over 80% of current production is exported. There has been good growth in exports from WA, from approximately 1000kg in 2011 to over 8000kg in 2018 (ABS provisional statistics, DPIRD analysed).

This is a collaborative project undertaken in May 2015 between the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australian Truffle Growers Association and Truffle Producers Western Australia Inc. and will continue to run until January 2019. 

The project is led by the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia with teams based in Western Australia and eastern Australia and Truffle Growers providing access to their orchards for project research.

The aim of the project is to identify and catalogue pest and diseases found in Australian Truffle Orchards, provide growers with information on best management practises and assist growers in the identification of the pest and diseases found in their orchards.