Growers took the opportunity last week at the Citrus Australia National Conference to state their support for more single import desks to be established in major export destinations.
Currently only the US has a single import desk system, which requires all imports to the country to be handled by citrus marketing company DNE.
Extolling the benefits of a regulated system, Kelvin Bezuidenhout of New Zealand kiwifruit marketer Zespri, spoke at the conference about how its single desk importing system enabled an increase to its market share in Japan.
He was joined there by Greg Nelson of DNE, and Nobuyuki Sugiura of Celsus Export, who spoke about marketing Australian citrus to the US and Japan.
Citrus Australia CEO Judith Damiani told Fruitnet.com the conference was designed to present a range of different options for coordinated marketing strategies.
“We’re very keen on the concept of coordinated marketing – whatever form that may take. We’re looking at the models that may serve us best.”
Although Citrus Australia would like to see a single import desk system, similar to the one that exists in the US, set up in countries such as China, Korea and Japan, issues surrounding access to these markets were more pressing, she added.
Maxwell Summers of the Australian Horticultural Exporters Association told Fruitnet.com problems in the industry were centered more on production rather than distribution issues, and that he did not support moves to regulate exporters.
“They’re looking at the end problem when we need to be looking at the start of the problem. It’s a problem with quality and consistency. We’re trying to solve a production problem with a marketing solution.”
In defense of the current free-market system he said single desk importers could run their operations more efficiently, and so increase profits, by dealing with fewer exporters.
This would lead to less competition and fewer exporters seeking out the most lucrative markets, he said.
“Exporters make money out of getting the best price they can so it’s not in their interest to sell at a lower price.”
However, Riverina Citrus chairman Frank Battistel told the Weekly Times growers would benefit from fewer exporters in the industry.
“The less exporters we have trying to sell product against each other the better it will be for everyone in our industry,” he said.
“If there is one importer (of Australian fruit) they will sell the right amount of fruit into the right market at the right time.
“There are bigger operators who think they are big enough to play on their own,” he added. “But they cannot deny that the US market for navel oranges is better organised, and it has been the best for growers.”
