A list of fruit that is permitted to be imported into China, organised by country, could be a source of valuable information for smart Australian fruit-growers and exporters.
The updated list was released last week by the Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).
The list, extracted below, contains the name of fruit species for which imports into China are permitted by AQSIQ. The list represents a good sampling of upper and middle class China’s growing demand for imported fresh fruit, and the countries from which each fruit species is currently being imported.
It is interesting to note that Australia has so few approved fruit categories on China’s list.
Maybe the reason is that Australian fruit producers are too orientated to supply-side economics in their approach to business expansion. It seems to me that maybe we should be studying the demand-side and getting to understand what consumers in China want or need in better quality, and the niche marketing opportunities that arise.
Such opportunities include seasonal price variances which would allow Australian producers to export at more competitive prices at different times of the year.
Note should be taken of what is in demand from other countries, as these present opportunities to grow new varieties and/or opportunities for Australian growers (together with Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Australia’s trade department, Austrade) to establish protocols to obtain the necessary approvals from China’s AQSIQ. We should also be looking at what is being exported to China by tropical countries such as Thailand and Malaysia – there is regions in northern Australia from which similar products could be supplied and at different times of the year from Northern Hemisphere suppliers.
This information is vital for Australian fruit-growers, as well as Horticulture Innovation Australia and Austrade which, respectively, are responsible for research and development and marketing of Australian horticultural produce, and developing Australia’s international prosperity through trade.
I urge the Australian fruit industry to use the list as a starting point and to explore what fruits are in demand and ways for Australian growers to fill in any market gaps and niche opportunities that have previously gone begging.
