Californian (CA) table grapes have been given the green light to enter the West Australian (WA) market, 15 months after a import risk analysis extending market access for CA grapes into WA was first formally announced by Biosecurity Australia in March 2012.
The Department of Agriculture and Food for Western Australia (DAFWA) announced its decision to amend import conditions for CA grapes on Wednesday 24 July after a change to Commonwealth import conditions.
This development comes after the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) last week issued a final report supporting CA grapes’ entry to WA, subject to appropriate biosecurity measures.
Despite industry representatives’ surprise at access being granted sooner than expected, importers have moved quickly to start bringing produce in.
“Our grapes will be arriving in WA next week,” said Bruce Bergmans, director of WA-based importer Fresh Express Produce. “Some company’s grapes are already en route and might even arrive today.”
Despite a tough import protocol which has been known to discolour produce and lower shelf-life, Bergmans is confident that CA exporters’ experience of sending grapes to Australia’s east coast will ensure they arrive in optimum condition.
“These handlers have the knowledge and skill after having shipped to the east coast for years,” he said. “They know about the sugar levels the product needs and which varieties can handle the longer transport by sea.”
Seafreight can take as long as 35 days for produce to reach WA from CA, with the associated risks of adverse weather and port strikes potentially slowing transport down further. However, while airfreight is cheaper and less risky, it is also considerably more expensive.
“The higher costs of transport by air has to be absorbed by the consumer, as we have to increase the price of the grapes to cover it,” he explained. “The dollar is also down a bit now which is driving costs up more.”
Despite the increased costs, Bergmans is upbeat about the prospects of CA grapes on the state’s diversifying market.
“These are exciting times,” he said. “Importers and retailers are embracing it as they both want to offer a wider choice to the public, which with grapes and stonefruit both getting access they’ll be more able to do. I think grapes will be the biggest seller, but stonefruit is set to perform well too.”
