THE push for Riverland Pest Free Area recognition from China has been reinvigorated after a Shandong delegation recently visited our shores to celebrate its 30-year sister city relationship with Adelaide.
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China recognised SA as pest-free for nectarines earlier this year, opening the door to exciting export opportunities, and local growers and politicians want the recognition extended to other varieties.
Summerfruit Export Development Alliance deputy chair and Renmark North stonefruit grower Michael Trautwein has seen the benefits of the nectarine recognition firsthand. He said nectarines no longer required fumigation, which ran the risk of marking the skin.
“We can ship without restrictions,” he said. “We don’t need to treat the fruit, we can keep it in a cool chain, it arrives fresher and in a better condition.”
Mr Trautwein expects the Australian industry to export 10,000 tonnes of nectarines to China from early November to mid-March, with 200-250t coming from the PFA.
Negotiations have begun to gain fresh access for peaches and plums to China and Mr Trautwein said there was strong demand from Asian markets for Australian fruit.
“I was in Hong Kong recently for Asia Fruit Logistica and there’s strong inquiry for Australian product and that’s been built on delivering quality fruit into that market,” he said.
“China has been prepared to pay more for Australian fruit than from our southern hemisphere competitors.”
Member for Chaffey Tim Whetstone believes SA’s relationship with Shandong is a great opportunity to push the issue in trade talks.
He said the PFA status, which would allow SA fruit to be exported and sold from Chinese stores in three days, would be a game changer.
“Citrus is SA’s largest horticultural export and the Riverland produces 95 per cent of the state’s citrus, so any change to the status in China would be extremely beneficial for the Riverland and SA exports,” he said.
“Federal and state governments have been working in this area for a number of years and local growers were happy with the news that China recognises SA’s pest-free status on nectarines.
“But ultimately to significantly improve our food exports, SA needs this recognition to be extended to other horticultural crop species.”
Riverland citrus grower Mark Doecke exports about 200t, or tens of thousands of cartons, of fruit to China each year.
He said the accepted process of cold sterilisation required his fruit to be stored at one degree celsius for the trip, which could take up to three weeks.
The process costs the exporter $1 to $1.40 a carton – a cost which comes out of grower returns.
Mr Doecke said they would sell more product to China if the recognition was earned, but there were also other export markets blooming.
“There’s other Asian markets growing as well like Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia,” he said.
“All overseas destinations require fruit fly treatment, but every market’s protocols are slightly different.”
