China has announced an easing of restrictions on fruit imports from Chile’s Coquimbo, Valparaíso and Metropolitan regions after intense lobbying from the Chilean government and fruit industry.
Previously all fruit shipments from these regions had to be subjected to strict quarantine measures due to the presence of fruit fly. From now on, only fruit produced within a radius of 27.2km of an outbreak will have to be treated, China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a letter published on Thursday.
This will clear the way for exports of Hass avocados from these regions. Up to now, the Chinese market has been effectively closed as the fruit is unable to withstand the treatment required for fruit fly.
“A couple of days ago, China officially informed us that it has adopted the new procedures, which enable the country to safeguard its own interests while gradually adapting to international rules,” said Chile’s agriculture minister Carlos Furche. “This effectively means that from now on, the Chinese market is open to all our products.”
Furche said avocados stood to benefit most from the rule change which was “very good news for our producers and exporters as the market conditions in China are particularly favourable”.
ángel Sartori, director of the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG), said the development marked the culmination of six years of negotiations between SAG and AQSIQ and opened up enormous possibilities for Chilean producers. He vowed to continue pressing for more modifications to the existing protocols to allow for greater access for apples and kiwifruit.
Asoex president Ronald Bown noted that the news heralded an auspicious week for the industry which had also hosted a visit by US inspectors “who informed us that rapid progress is being made in negotiations to open up the US market for our lemons, which currently have to undergo cold treatment”.
According to Asoex figures, Chile exported 68,000 tonnes of avocados during the 2014/15 season. Europe was the main market, absorbing more than 45,000 tonnes, followed by Latin America with 10,098 tonnes. The US and Asia were the third and fourth destinations.
Javier Fuchslocher, general manager of Exportadora Santa Cruz, said China had the potential to become an important market for Chilean avocados.
“Avocados are not yet widely consumed in China and we believe that market growth will therefore be gradual,” he noted. “Today, China consumes around 20-30 containers a week but we believe this could increase ten-fold in the short term.”
