Stonefruit producers in Murcia are preparing to make their first foray into the Chinese market following a visit by officials from China’s plant health authority AQSIQ to inspect the production, packing and coldstorage facilities at the end of June.
Joaquín Gómez, president of regional grower-exporter association Apoexpa, said the first air-flown consignment of peaches, flat peaches, nectarines and plums would be dispatched “within the next 15 days”.
A total of 11 Murcian companies have registered their orchards and packhouses to export this season under the terms set out in the import protocol signed in April.
Gómez said volumes will be limited this season but next year Spain hopes to ship around 12,000 tonnes of stonefruit to China, of which some 6,000 tonnes will be from Murcia.
Three airports have initially been chosen to handle exports: Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza. Given the high cost of transporting the fruit by air (around €1.70 per kg), the stonefruit will be aimed at the premium market
The import protocol requires shipments to be subjected to cold treatment for a 15-day period at a temperature of 0-1oC.
The agreement makes Spain the first country to be authorised to send peaches to China.
