Mangoes fly high Millions of Australian mangoes are on their way to key export markets around the world, as part of the Australian Government’s International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM), however, some Queensland growers say they are at a disadvantage in the new scheme. With a $317.1 million funding boost in October’s federal budget, IFAM continues to support Australian exporters, including mango growers, to get their high-quality produce overseas. On 22 October, premium Australian mangoes started flying out of Brisbane to customers across the United States, with further flights from Sydney and Cairns to South Korea, China and the Middle East. Federal Trade Minister, Simon Birmingham, said it was vital that mango growers across northern Australia could pick mangoes with confidence knowing their produce can get onto planes and over to key export markets. “Our mango growers are expecting a bumper season and we want to make sure they can continue to get their high-
quality product over to their overseas customers,” Minister Birmingham said. “Growers have worked incredibly hard to secure export contracts and build a strong reputation for premium, safe and reliable produce that remains in high demand across the globe. “Our freight flights have already supported almost $2.5 billion in exports, maintaining important relationships with overseas customers at a time of significant uncertainty and export barriers.” However, Queensland’s mango growers have said that a disparity in assistance between Northern Territory and Queensland could see a difference in up to $2 per box in the cost of production.
Australian mangoes are making their way across the seas to international markets.
Mango grower and Australian Mango Industry Association Chair, Ben Martin, said he wanted a fair go for all mango growers across Australia.
We need to develop sustainable market access and protocols into our exporting countries so we can weather storms like COVID,” Mr Martin said.
“There are a lot of restrictions on the flights going out — it’s at a huge cost and ultimately the grower bears that cost.
For more information on IFAM, please visit https://bit.ly/3em8lK4.
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Summer 2020
