New South Wales cherry growers have the advantage of being one of the first states able to harvest in Australia, allowing those growers to be the ‘cherry on top’ in China. Previously the fruit was transported to China via ship, a voyage which took approximately 20 days, but this season cherries will be flown into China, chopping the turnaround from tree to trolley to just four days and increasing their price in the market to up to $70 per kilogram.
Minister for Primary Industries and Trade and Industry Niall Blair announced the change this week from a supermarket in Guangzhou – a city in China’s south with a population of 15 million– where the first air-freighted cherries were ready to be sold.
“Previously, NSW cherries were only shipped via sea [but] with access to new treatment technology, we now expect them to arrive in a matter of days,” Mr Blair said. “This means better tasting cherries for Chinese consumers and a huge boost for NSW producers.”
NSW cherry exports were worth $6.75 million in the 2017-18 financial year, with the Central West’s orchardists responsible for 70 per cent of the fruit grown in the state.
Centralwesterndaily.com.au reported that according to Mr Blair, the new export arrangements could boost the value of exports by more than 10 percent.