Australia’s table grape industry has been given the green light for shipments to South Korea. After announcing the new agreement, which came into effect on 13 December, federal agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said it marked an important milestone for Australia’s A$82m industry.
“New market access for Australian table grapes, coupled with the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Korea Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA), is fantastic news for the industry,” he said. “Other major fruit exporting nations such as New Zealand and South Africa are yet to finalise free trade agreements with Korea.”
Jeff Scott, chief executive of the Australian Table Grape Association, anticipates that shipments are due to get underway in February. “We’ve been working on getting access to a number of countries in recent years,” he said. “Three years ago we achieved China, we’ve been advised this week we’ve achieved South Korea and we’re on the verge of getting Japan as well.”
Mr Scott said he expected shipments to South Korea to reach 10,000 tonnes a year within three to five years. Australian table grape exports reached a total of 77,000 tonnes in 2012.
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