Australian cherry growers have countered Chinese claims that their fruit is inferior to that from other countries. This came after a report in Chinese state-owned media that the taste and quality of Australian cherries had dropped, prompting buyers to turn to other countries’ products.
Cherry Growers Australia president Tom Eastlake rejected the claim, saying: “We are positioned as the premium cherry product in the world. Seventy-two hours from hanging on a tree, it is in the market.” He added that the sector had received no complaints from Chinese customers.
According to Eastlake, the drop in exports to China during 2020 was due to the grounding of planes during the pandemic, nothing else.
While other luxury products have fallen victim to worsening trade tensions between the two countries, Australian growers believe they will continue to thrive in the Chinese market because of their decade-long connection with buyers.
“Trade tension or diplomatic relations is not one of our principal concerns because we are an industry that is built on relationships,” Eastlake told theaustralian.com.au. “The federal government should, and does, maintain their relationship with China and we, as an industry, do the same. “Everything has been clearing, everything has been going in and everyone has been really happy.”
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