China has reinstated direct market access for Australian table grapes, with exports likely to get underway over the coming weeks.Australian Horticulture Exporters’ Association’s (AHEA) executive director Michelle Christoe confirmed both parties had agreed to the terms of a revised protocol, with Chinese quarantine inspectors expected to arrive in Australia in the first week of March.
China suspended Australian access in mid-2013, citing high rejection rates over the course of last season.While the Australian season started in earnest in mid-January, Chinese officials are likely to fast track the application process, which can take up a month to complete.
“We believe the inspectors will audit four of five properties when they arrive and if all goes to plan they are likely to begin inspecting fruit immediately, meaning the first shipments will land in China in late March,” Christoe said.
Back to the shed
A key sticking point of the revised protocol is the condition that all fruit must be packed in the packhouse, rather than in the field.This is likely to pose a challenge for the Australian industry, with AHEA chairman David Minnis suggesting no more than 10 growers in the main export production region of Sunraysia are equipped to meet this requirement.
“The reason we pack in the field is to reduce costs and keep the bloom on the fruit, which the Chinese regard as a sign of freshness,” Minnis explained.“The impression I get is the industry are still keen to participate; it will just take time to adapt so I don’t think there will be a rush to the start line.”
A timely entry
Despite these hurdles, Minnis said Australia might make a well-timed entry into the Chinese market.“The huge purchasing of Chilean cherries around Chinese New Year has left many Chinese buyers short of cash,” Minnis told Asiafruit.“A very cold Northern Hemisphere winter has also taken its toll on fruit sales. At the moment the market is flat but hopefully demand picks up over the next couple of weeks.”
Positive outlook
In further positive news for the industry, some steady rain during mid-February looks to have breathed new life into the Sunraysia crop, which had been subjected to some severe heat in January and February.However, exporters are unlikely to push volumes into the Chinese market late in the season to make up for lost time.
“The heat has impacted on some varieties more than others and certainly affected some of the pickers but the quality at this stage is looking good,” said Alistair Brown, managing director of Harrowsmiths International.
“The volumes sent to China will depend on how the colour of the Crimson grapes develops over the coming weeks. There are some companies that continued too late in the 2013 season and were affected with low returns so I think there is going to be some caution this season.”
Minnis said the February rain had also improved the sugar levels and appearance of the fruit.“There is no doubt the crop was distressed before we had the rain, but now we are seeing the colour levels return to a level everyone would like,” Minnis said.
“Growers had to irrigate heavily during the heat wave, which held the sugar levels back but they too have returned, with the average brix level for Crimson over 18o.”
