Strong demand from Asian markets, including triple figure growth in orange exports to Indonesia, has Australian citrus suppliers riding high after the first five months of the 2016 season.
Judith Damiani, chief executive of peak industry body Citrus Australia, said export volumes reached 16,765 tonnes at the end of May, with trade valued at A$25.9m. “The result is 92 per cent higher than at the same time last year,” Damiani explained.
Orange export volumes are 119 per cent higher to date, while mandarins are 46 per cent higher.
Indonesia has been an early driver behind this export growth –with a 211 per cent growth in orange export volumes to date, compared to the equivalent period last year.The South East Asian nation has also increased its intake of Australian lemons.
“Significantly, more than 2,000 tonnes of lemons have been sent to Indonesia - a fourfold increase on last year to date,” Damiani added.
“Hong Kong, China and Japan have all recorded a strong start to the season along with significant percentage growth in the smaller markets, including UAE.”
