AFTER six years of effort, Australia’s table grape industry yesterday celebrated the arrival of its first direct shipment of 1800 boxes of grapes in mainland China.
Australian Table Grape Association chairman Nick Muraca and CEO Jeff Scott were present at the Shenzhen dockyard in Guandong Province when Chinese quarantine officers opened a container-load of crimson seedless grapes from Bruno Moras’ Nangiloc-Colignan Farms was opened for inspection around 8am, Eastern Australian Time, yesterday morning.
Mr Muraca and Mr Scott said they were “elated” by the arrival of the first trial shipment of Australian table grapes, under new export protocols negotiated by Biosecurity Australia and China’s national quarantine agency AQSIQ last year.
Sunraysia growers have been exporting table grapes to Hong Kong for some time, and some grapes find their way into the mainland market from there.
But for years, direct exports to ports on the Chinese mainland have been an elusive dream.
The dream finally came to fruition – so to speak – yesterday morning, when representatives of the importing company, Golden Wing Mau formally took delivery of the consignment from shipping line APL.
On April 14, two senior AQSIC officials performed a rigorous inspection of the freshly picked grapes at Mr Moras’ Coiignan property, then signed off, releasing the container-load of grapes, to be freighted to Sydney for the sea voyage to Shenzhen.
The grapes underwent cold-disinfestation in transit, to ensure any pests that might have eluded inspection could not survive.
Ten AQSIQ officials swarmed over the consignment, giving the grapes another thorough inspection after the container arrived in Shenzhen yesterday.
Mr Muraca said the ATGA had been working on gaining access to mainland China for six years.
“It hasn’t been an easy road, and has required a lot of money and research into pest management for our table grape practices,” he said.
“We had to convince the Chinese that we have rigorous systems-based management processes that will prevent any incursion of pests or diseases into China.
“Witnessing the first consignment arriving and being inspected was a proud moment for me and the table grape industry”.
Mr Scott said although only one container had been shipped to China this year, after a severely weather-affected season, the fact that it had been landed in China was of great historic and symbolic importance.
Gaining direct access to all mainland Chinese ports in future seasons promised rich rewards for Australian table grape growers.
Mr Scott said achieving access for table grapes was good news, not only for the table grape industry, but for all horticultural industries aspiring to send produce to China.
“We hope our access will be the catalyst and template for other commodity groups to follow, and achieve their own market access into China.”
This story appeared in Wednesday's Sunraysia Daily 18/5/2011.
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