Tasmanian cherry growers take off to Asia

Fruit Growers Tasmania | Tuesday, 27 August 2024, 10.00am

Fruit Growers Tasmania, along with a group of Tasmanian cherry growers, are taking off to Asia Fruit Logistica 2024 in Hong Kong next week from 4 - 6 September.

Asia Fruit Logistica is one of the largest fresh fruit and vegetable trade events in the world. Held in AsiaWorld-Expo one of the world’s premier exhibition venues, this 70,000 plus square meter state-of-the-art exhibition centre will house 43 exhibitor countries, over 700 booths and more than 13,000 visitors over three busy and productive days.

Fruit Growers Tasmania has attended Asia Fruit Logistica since the event started in 2007. Peter Cornish, CEO of Fruit Growers Tasmania said, “It’s an important event as it brings together buyers and fresh fruit and vegetable producers from all over the world. It’s the place to be to develop new business and make valuable new contacts. It all happens at Asia Fruit Logistica, trade relationships are built, competitors are eyeballed, and new customers are identified.”

Representatives from Fruit Growers Tasmania will be joined by exporting cherry growers from Australia Aulong Auniu Wang Group (trading as Tamar Valley Fruits), Platinum Ridge Tasmania, Somercotes Cherries and Spreyton Fresh. Plus, Reid Fruits and Hansen Orchards will both be there in their own right. Peter added, “It’s an important opportunity for Tasmanian exporters to touch base with their existing buyers and develop new relationships, particularly as our industry expands.”

At this year’s exhibition, Fruit Growers Tasmania’s stand will be located within the Australian pavilion at 3S20. “We will presenting a new video, funded by the Tasmanian government, which showcases Tasmania’s premium fresh cherry product,” Peter said. “The video was shot last season and is truly authentic, starring our local cherry growers, their families, orchards and of course the true hero of our story - Tasmanian grown cherries.”

The video is now available on the cherry page of the Tasmanian Grown website.

Tasmania exported about 2,100 tonnes of cherries to Asia last season. Peter said, “We are a small but significant player in Asian markets, we believe the quality of our cherries are the best in the world. Our cherries are large, dark and firm and most importantly full of flavour, which is of great appeal, especially as a gift during Lunar New Year celebrations.”

Tasmania’s temperate climate, clean water and long growing season greatly assist in creating the world’s best cherries. Importantly, in Tasmania our growers only pick the fruit when it is ready to eat, before it is airfreighted directly into the Asian market arriving within 48 - 72 hours of packing.