Delegates from across Australia's Citrus Industry gathered in Melbourne today, for the opening day of the Market Outlook Forum.
The bi-annual event is the only national one of its kind for the citrus industry this year, with more than 200 representatives from the growing, packing and marketing sectors in attendance.
While the Chinese market and Coronavirus were hot on the agenda, Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock told industry members that citrus industry is in an expansion phase, with more volume coming online over the next few years.
That comes after last year's record export season, with a total of 304,000 tonnes supplied internationally, which is an increase of 19 per cent, and valued at AU$541.5million.
Photo: Citrus Australia's David Daniels
Citrus Australia's General Manager of Market Development David Daniels spoke about Chile gaining access to the Chinese market last year, noting that they should not be underestimated in terms of competition. Australia currently serves at the premium end of the market, with a quality advantage, but Mr Daniels reminded the Australian industry that they will improve eventually, and not to rest on laurels.
The potential to send citrus to India was also explored, especially with Navel oranges, which none of the competitors offering high-quality variety to that market. But Neil Barker of BGP International noted that it will take some education, due to some Indian importers reluctance to handle Navels. There are also other hurdles such as tariffs, but with an average window of June to late September, it is one that Citrus Australia is exploring very seriously.
Photo: Neil Barker, Sam Munsie and Nathan Hancock on a panel discussing potential market access to India.
Mr Daniels also told Forum members that after a heavy crop last year, the industry is expecting it to be much lighter in 2020 - however, 2019 had smaller fruit sizes, while the sizes are much larger this year. Quality is also good, with only low levels of blemishes, while he pointed out the exchange rate was 'better than ever' for Australian traders.
FreshPlaza is attending the event, which is featuring a wide range of topics from remote imagery and yield forecasting, to protecting IP rights and traceability, right through to key export figures and maximum residue limits (MRLs) - we will feature these topics in more detail over the coming weeks.