Australia’s peak industry body for cherries has encouraged growers to ramp up their export operations, particularly in Asia.
Andrew Smith, president of Cherry Growers Australia, says the Australian industry has the location and resources to become the dominant supplier in Asia over the next decade.
“We can capitalise on Australia’s proximity to Asia and the growing markets there, so we can increase our exports to 50 per cent of the overall crop by 2020,” Smith says.
While Australian cherry exporters have established footholds in a number of South-East Asian markets, Smith believes the industry must pour more resources into improving market access in the region.
“We export to over 25 countries globally, that currently accounts for 20 per cent of our annual crop of 15,000 tonnes,” Smith explains.
“Exports need to be increased by overcoming barriers like protocols put in place by importing countries, so we can airfreight more exports in the coming years.
“Our key markets in Asia are Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore and we are pushing hard to get back into Thailand and also improved access into China.”
Cherry Growers Australia is also targeting growth within the domestic market, with a new national marketing campaign to be launched at the Australian Cherry Industry Conference in Canberra during August.
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