The Western Australian (WA) apple industry is celebrating its first air shipment of Bravo-branded apples to Singapore.
The trial consignment of the deep burgundy apples was shipped to leading supermarkets and food markets in the country.
Bred by the Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development's research facilities in Manjimup, Fruit West Co-operative has been managing the commercialisation of the ANABP 01 variety, branded Bravo, with more than 60 growers now planting the apple across Australia.
'Today's trial shipment marks an important step towards targeting export opportunities for our apple industry to expand into the Asian market, creating new job opportunities in WA's South-West region,” said WA agriculture and food minister Alannah MacTiernan.
'Singapore is a highly valued and mature market for our State's agricultural industry, with consumers and importers in this market familiar with Western Australian produce.'
Granny Smiths head to Hong Kong
West Australian cooperative The Southern Forest Food Council is also marketing a milestone, with its first shipment of Granny Smith apples to Hong Kong.
Leading Hong Kong produce company Good View Fruits imported the 90,000 apples for distribution among its retail and food service customers.
ABC Rural has reported that the apples were shipped following two years of talks, with a recent glut in supply of Western Australian apples seeing prices on the domestic market fall.
John Kilrain, Southern Forests Food Council produce coordinator, told the ABC that the shipment was a “drop in the ocean” for Hong Kong.
'A container of apples might seem a reasonable amount here, but over there it's a pin drop,” he said.
