After gaining direct access to mainland China two years ago, Australia’s table grape industry has ramped up its export programmes to the Asian nation this season.
Australian Table Grape Association chief executive Jeff Scott told the ABC close to 350 containers have been inspected for Chinese exportation this year, a significant increase on the 11 containers transported last season.
Scott says the industry hopes to ship 400 containers to China by season’s end, with that number expected to double next year.
“In total to Hong Kong and China we probably send about 1,200 containers a year and there's hope that perhaps that amount will, as far as (mainland) China goes ... be a lot higher as years go on,” Scott told the ABC.
“Hopefully 400 this year, maybe 600-800 the year after up to 1,000.”
The growth in Chinese demand is being led by the sough-after Crimson variety, so much so it has prompted a shift in the varietal profile of Australia’s crop.
An increasing number of growers in north-west Victoria - where 80 per cent of the country’s table grapes are grown - are turning to the red seedless variety because of its potential in the Chinese market.
“Our exports are now all Asia-focused, with China making up about 80 per cent of what I grow,” Meribein-based grower and Australian Table Grape Association vice-president John Argiro told Asiafruit earlier this year.
“Up here in Sunraysia we are removing a lot of our Red Globe and putting in Crimson.
“We can’t compete with markets like Chile and Peru for the Globe, but we grow the best Crimson in the world in terms of colour and taste.”
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