Australian citrus growers and exporters are poised to capitalise on a weakening dollar and an early conclusion to US sales programmes in key Asian markets this season.
With mandarin and orange exports tipped to get underway a week earlier than traditional start dates, Citrus Australia’s market development manager Andrew Harty said there is plenty of cause for optimism.
“The first export shipments are expected around mid to late May,” Harty told Asiafruit. “All indications from Asian markets are that US orange supplies will be low by the time our first exports begin arriving. Californian shippers have had a tough season, with challenging weather conditions and the port strike to contend with. Consequently their export product is not storing well on arrival, which means that an overhang into July is unlikely.”
Along with the anticipation of strong demand, economic and political factors are also falling perfectly into place for Australian suppliers.
“Our export sector is buoyant at the moment, with the Australian dollar sitting at far more attractive levels than in previous seasons, and tariff reductions starting to kick in from the recent free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea and China,” Harty explained.
In terms of market access, Harty said Vietnam’s ongoing ban on Australian fresh fruit and vegetable imports, imposed in January, was unlikely to be lifted in time for the beginning of the season. He was optimistic access would be granted as the season wore on. The industry is also striving towards a more amicable protocol for direct shipments into the Chinese market.
“Cold treatment procedures for fruit fly disinfestation are running more smoothly each year, with our regulators and supply chain all focused on improving practices and reducing costs,” Harty said. “We are continually pushing for more workable protocol conditions for China, but meanwhile our industry continues to prepare more plantings each year for this market.”
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