China could clear the way for Australian cherry imports before the year is out, according to recent industry reports.
Representatives from peak body Cherry Growers Australia just returned from a visit to the China World Fruit and Vegetable Fair, where they reported strong interest from mainland Chinese buyers in Australian cherries, according to ABC Rural.
CEO of Cherry Growers Australia Simon Boughey told ABC Rural that industry representatives had “good discussions” with China’s biosecurity and quarantine authorities last week.
“Both `those bodies` were very, very keen to progress the development of the agreement and protocols, so they’re in the process of organising to send two officers out here in late November to have a look at three of four states,” he told the news channel.
Access for Australian grapes followed swiftly on the heels of a similar visit to growing regions by Chinese officials last year, and Boughey is hoping for the same outcome this time, even though he cautioned that nothing could be taken as given until the protocols were signed.
If the process proceeds smoothly, he is hopeful that access can be sealed in time for the industry to send some fruit into China in December or early January. Even that rapid timescale would be too late for mainland cherry growers to capitalise this season, but it would be ideal for Tasmanian suppliers whose season runs later.
The commercial viability of direct Australian cherry exports into China will also depend on the details of the protocol. Some exporters have expressed concerns the protocol could require production from fruit-fly-affected areas to be cold-treated onshore before shipment, which would virtually rule out sending cherries by air from these regions.
