Australia's exports to China shrink by 22% in the 2020/21 season

A recent report issued by the United States Department of Agriculture shows that in the 2020/21 season (October 2020-September 2021), Australia’s total exports of about 120,500 tons have been raised, which is a significant drop from the previous season’s 152,600 tons
.

 

　　The export market for Australian fresh extracts is mainly concentrated in Asia, and exports to the region have increased from 29,900 tons in the 2010/11 season to 152,000 tons in the 2019/20 season
.
As exports to China have shrunk by nearly 20,000 tons in the 2020/21 season, overall exports during the season are also greatly affected
.

 

　　China's own demand for fresh imports in the 2020/21 season has fallen sharply, shrinking by 19% year-on-year, a decrease of approximately 46,000 tons
.
In this season, Chile's exports to China, the main supplier, decreased by 29% year-on-year, and Australia's exports to China decreased by 22% year-on-year.
Only Peru's fresh exports to China remained basically unchanged
.

 

　　Due to the development and improvement of maritime technology, currently 97% of Australia’s fresh exports are carried out through shipping, and only a small portion of early-season varieties will reach the high-end market through air transportation
.
In the 2020/21 season, the global shortage of shipping containers and the sharp increase in shipping costs pose challenges to Australia's fresh exports
.
At the same time, Australia's fresh harvesting work requires about 15,000 workers each year, and this human resource is mainly composed of workers holding short-term visas
.
Due to the isolation and prevention and control measures caused by the new crown epidemic, Australia's entry and exit policies have been tightened, and the fresh harvest in the 2020/21 season has seen a serious shortage of manpower
.
In the case of limited manpower, growers can only make choices and give priority to picking those with high returns, high quality, and easy picking at the same time
.
In the 2021/22 season (October 2021-2022 September), the above difficulties are expected to still exist
.

 

　　Over the past ten years, Australia's fresh production output has doubled due to strong demand from overseas markets
.
According to the report, the country’s fresh extraction output in the 2021/22 season is expected to reach 210,000 tons, a slight increase from the previous season’s 200,000 tons
.
The export volume is estimated to be around 130,000 tons, which will also pick up slightly
.

 

　　In terms of varieties, the current cultivation of fresh Australian grapes has begun to tilt towards those with patents and higher export demand
.
In this regard, the preferences of Chinese consumers have received additional attention.
For example, the Chinese market favors non-nuclear varieties, and consumers are also very willing to try new flavors
.