The Chinese market has already become a significant one for major Australian table grape producer Fruittree Trading Pty Ltd, which says the demand from China and Japan are growing by around 20-30 per cent annually.
Sales Director Vincent He explains that China contributed around 80 per cent of the company's sales in the 2018 season.
"No doubt that we are believing there are still many opportunities in the China, because they have large population and there will be many potential consumers who still need to be discovered," he said. "Also, many new successful chain fruit-stores been opened in the China and these fruit stores do not only open in those popular cities but also spread out to the small-middle cities. This will definitely provide us more opportunities to increase sales."
After China, Fruittree Trading's main markets are Japan and then Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. Mr He says the international markets, especially China and Japan are remaining strong, and are mainly driven by the middle class population increasing.
"This class, nowadays, are putting more focus on their health and having more fruit in their daily meals considering it as a more healthy choice," Mr He said. "So, they are willing to pay more for the Australian fruit for our high standard of quality control and the regulation of food safety."
The company produces common varieties, like Crimson, Red Globe and Thompson but it is also introducing one new variety, Sweet Angie. "The early harvest elongate green seedless, has already had some good feedback from our customers. This variety is still growing in Australia and Fruittree Trading has entered into an agreement to manage the marketing exclusively."
"Consumers now tend to be looking for some new variety that could replace the traditional variety, not only for the shape and colour but also for the taste and the texture," Mr He said. "They don’t like to have too many new varieties during the season but they just need 2-3 varieties that they can work on and can trust. Therefore, we are very carefully to selected out a few varieties that we think can meet the consumers expectation and the varieties that could give us some marketing advantage. For example, Sweet Angie, it harvests in the same time of Menindee, but it is easier to get higher brix/sugar, taste cruncher, have better shelf life. There are not many other green seedless on offer from Australia during that time. So, from the last two years, our customers are happy with the quality and also this variety gains them some advantage in their marketing."
Looking back the 2018 Grape season, the Victorian-based company says it was patchy, and volumes were 30 per cent down compared to the 2017 year.
"We harvested the grapes earlier than last year - around two weeks ahead," Mr He said. "So, it gave us more opportunities to capture the early market and it gave us more time and better prepare to sell our grapes. Last year our harvest period was shorter due to the late maturing of the grape and gave us pressure to sell our grape in small amount of the time."
But after attending Asia Fruit Logistica, and getting positive feedback, Fruittree Trading is hopeful of a better result when harvests get underway later this year.
"We are very positive for the upcoming season from our customers," Mr He said. "We expect our sales volume will be increase by 15-25 per cent."
For more information
Vincent He
Fruittree Trading
Phone: +61 3 5025 1055
vinhe@fruittreetrading.com
www.fruittreetrading.com