For the first time, cherries from mainland Australia will be airfreighted to China. Guangdong customers will soon be able to enjoy fresh cherries within 72 hours of harvest from New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
During his 4-day official visit to China and the China International Import Expo (CIIE), on November 7th, Australia’s NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair made an announcement in Guangzhou, where the first airfreighted cherries were ready to be sold.
“Previously, only Tasmania cherry has market access to China. Mainland Australian cherries could only be shipped via sea, taking up 21 days to reach China. With the new protocol, we now expect them to arrive in a matter of days. This means Chinese consumers will get to taste the best of what NSW orchards can offer,” Mr Blair said.
Paul Sheh, Senior Purchase Advisor from HeMa-Fresh, Alibaba’s offline retail store, said the first batch of airfreighted cherries can be on the market by the middle of November once they have passed all the inspections and could be supplied steadily.
“Australian cherries are loved in the high-end market for their size and sweetness,” said Sheh, “HeMa has been importing high-end cherries for a long time. If we could have steady supply from Australian growers this year, we will definitely invest more in promotion.”
He added that customers could tell whether the cherries were airfreighted or not from their labels. Apart from HeMa, the airfreighted cherries will be sold through local retailers and wholesale markets, such as Jiangnan Wholesales Market." Jiangnan Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market will provide full support to Australia mainland cherry export to China." Mr Ye Can Jiang, President of the Market said.
According to the Australian delegation, China has been Australia’s biggest bilateral trade partner for nine consecutive years. The bilateral trade volume of commodity and services reached AU$ 183.4 billion in 2017, accounting for 24 percent of the country’s total. Under the Free Trade Agreement, the two countries will see the fifth round of tax reductions in 2019 when the trade volume is expected to further increase.
The launching ceremony held in Guangzhou, November 7th.[Photo provided by Austrade]
The launching ceremony held in Guangzhou, November 7th.[Photo provided by Austrade]
Reported by Jasmine Yin
Edited by Olivia Ouyang, Simon Haywood
