ISSUE 56 — FEB 2021
Record-breaking year for Australian exports By Andréa Magiafoglou, CEO, Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association.
The 2019/20 trade data for Australian fresh fruit and vegetable exports is in, with combined fruit and vegetable exports reaching a total of 762,840 tonnes (up 4.1%) valued at $1.84 billion. This result is a record breaker for the seventh consecutive year and was buoyed by strong outcomes for fruit exports at 547,137 tonnes (up 9.5% from 2018/19) and helped buffer a 7.4% volume reduction in vegetable exports over the same time period.
Aussie fruit find favour
Slight drop for veg
Across fresh fruit, China remains the most prominent export market destination by both volume and value (156,372 tonnes; $536.5 million). However, export volume growth has eased from the substantial increases seen in previous years when strong gains in table grape and citrus exports coincided with new and/or improved market access conditions for stone fruit.
Full year trade results for fresh vegetable exports indicate a 7.4% easing in volume to 215,700 tonnes, however value remained steadier at $290 million, 3% down from the previous year. Singapore remains the leading market by value (at $52.4 million), and second largest by volume after the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Japan has slid into the number two market for Australian fresh fruit exports by both value and volume (59,655 tonnes; $132.6 million), edging out Hong Kong which eased 4% by dollar value and 4.8% by volume; a reduction contributed to by increased direct trade to China. Overall fruit export volumes to Japan increased by 9% during 2019/20, with melon exports continuing to rise since entering the market in 2016. Singapore and Indonesia round out the top 5 markets for Australian fresh fruit exports, with Indonesia recording a 23% decrease in volume driven by challenges with import licensing on table grape exports to this market.
12
Of all fresh vegetable exports to Singapore, carrots accounted for around 48% by volume at 13,500 tonnes and remain relatively steady compared to export volumes from previous years. Pumpkins lifted 24% by volume, while broccoli exports to Singapore declined 30%, mainly driven by challenging production conditions in 2019 and COVID-19 supply chain disruptions in 2020. The UAE, Australia’s largest fresh vegetable export market by volume, remained relatively steady at 36,000 tonnes at $34.2 million. Onions to the UAE lifted to 3,500 tonnes, a 78% increase from 2018/19, with carrots continuing to contribute more than 80% of all Australian fresh vegetable exports to the UAE.
