By Cam Lucadou-Wells
MONTAGUE Fresh has packed its first China-bound sea-freight batch of nectarines, tasting the Asian nation’s cavernous appetite for quality stonefruit.
The first orders were packed at the Narre Warren North orchard on 13 December and scheduled to land at Chinese docks within a week.
Montague’s international trade development manager Claire Fichett says the landmark deal had taken a long time to harvest.
To be exact, it took 13 years of negotiation between the Australian and Chinese governments before settling on an import protocol for nectarines.
Montague hoped that Chinese demand for imported nectarines would be as strong as its appetite for imported cherries – thought to be more than 94,000 tonnes in 2014/15.
Early social media feedback in response to some air-freighted nectarines last week had been favourable, Ms Fichett said.
“We’re confident that our brand will resonate with the discerning Chinese market.”
The orchard had bred and developed its naturally sweet, low-acid fruits, largely to suit the Asian palate, she said.
Ms Fichett said it was hoped there could be further agreed import protocols for export peaches and plums into the huge Chinese market.
Montague already sends plums and other stonefruit to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.
Its Pink Lady apples have successfully landed in the UK and the Netherlands this spring.
Overseas markets were essential for Australia’s fruit growers, helping them get better prices in the “mature” domestic market and find better returns overseas, Ms Fichett said.
Currently, Montague’s sales are five per cent exports. In the next decade it aims to increase to 30 per cent.
Much of that depends on Montague’s planned export fruit hub in Narre Warren North to collect and pack fruit from growers across Australia.
The project is subject to government support, Ms Fichett said.
“Everything we’re planning for is with Asia in mind.”
