The Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (SHAFFE) and The China Chamber of Commerce for Food and Native Products (CFNA) held the very first joint board meeting, after the collaboration agreement (MOU) signed by both organizations last March. The virtual meeting was attended by nearly 50 representatives of both associations. "SHAFFE is an association of associations, and our goal is to establish collaborative networks with different organizations worldwide, so this first meeting with the CFNA is key in this process," said Charif Christian Carvajal, SHAFFE President and Marketing Director for Asia, Europe and Middle East at ASOEXChile.
The eight countries that make up SHAFFE account for almost a quarter of global fruit supply. Together, they exported 11 million tons of fresh fruit worthUS$14 billion. Regarding the China market, SHAFFE countries represent 33% of all imports to China providing a stable supply of high quality products during the pandemic. Its exports observe 5 year average annual growth by 11%, reflecting the growing importance of the Asian market for Southern Hemisphere exporters.
At the meeting, SHAFFE representatives presented issues of interest for further development and growth in China, with logistics, duties, and market access being the most important ones. "We look forward to the support of CFNA members on these issues", said Marta Bentancur, SHAFFE Vice-President and Upefruy representative, Uruguay.
CFNA members expressed optimism about a better imported fruit season due to improved pandemic control and growth in fresh produce sales, where quality remains a key issue. However, they said inspections and disinfections remain a challenge.
SHAFFE members are very important suppliers to China, and China is a very important market for SHAFFE, so working cooperatively and together is key for both organizations," said Kurt Huang, deputy secretary general of CFNA's fruit division.
Finally, Nelli Hajdu, Secretary General SHAFFE emphasized “We are very excited about the results of this first meeting with CFNA, as it opens collaboration opportunities for all our members. We will continue to seek new collaborative alliances to further enhance exports from the Southern Hemisphere.”
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