Berries Australia - ATMAC Grant

Australia: "A large part of our goal for the next 20 years is to increase exports"

Australia's leading berry industry body says funding to help increase export potential in foreign markets is a welcome boost, after some tough times.

This month, Berries Australia received $239,000 from the federal government under an Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation grant, to help give berry growers the tools they need to expand into export markets.

“We are very pleased to receive the ATMAC grant to support the industry with existing markets,” said Berries Australia CEO Rachel Mackenzie. “While a large part of our goals for the next 20 years is to increase exports by accessing new markets, it is also important not to forget our existing markets. This particular grant will help us make the most of existing markets such as Singapore, India, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, we are very grateful to Minister Littleproud for the support, and we look forward to creating great opportunities for our growers."

According to the Horticulture Statistics Manual, compiled by Hort Innovation, in the year ending June 2020, 5084 tonnes ($42 million) of berries were exported from Australia: 4678 tonnes ($33,4 million) were strawberries and 393 tons ($8,4 million) were blueberries. Only 13 tons ($200,000) of rubus berries were exported, which included raspberries, blackberries and other berries such as blackberries and blackberries.

“This project is targeting the entire berry category, but is primarily focused on strawberries and blueberries,” said Ms. Mackenzie. “I think one of the key things for all growers is that the more product we can get out of the domestic market (to avoid oversupply), the better for everyone. It really is beneficial for the entire industry. Abroad Markets are a key part of our growth strategy over the next two years. We're breaking even with the domestic market, so we're obviously doing things in-house, like marketing programs and encouraging consumers to enjoy fresh berries from Australia. But this grant allows us to take advantage of existing export opportunities.”

Ms. Mackenzie added that Australia has a highly valued premium product when it comes to berries.

“We have a number of independent programs here that have been improving for many years and in the process have produced berry varieties that are highly sought after,” he said. "My opinion is that they are the best in the world, but I think that this is supported by the interest that foreign buyers and consumers have in our berries. There is a lot of interest from foreign buyers, but exporting is not quick or easy. We have to gain access to the market and then we have to make sure that buyers understand what they are getting for their money, we also have to be aware of other countries (berry producers) who want to tap into those markets as well. So we need to gain the upper hand, and this grant will really help us."

On the production side, Berries Australia admits it has been a challenging season for growers, due to the weather and also the impacts of COVID-19, such as supply chain disruptions and labor issues. She says demand and quality remain strong, but input costs are rising, making things quite difficult.

“It's been a quiet period for blueberries, although we now have year-round production,” Mackenzie said. “It has been a challenging season in the Coffs Harbor (NSW) region over the summer, due to all the implications of COVID plus the general workforce issues we have experienced for a number of years. This was compounded by some weather issues. In terms of strawberries, COVID has created challenges with the workforce both on the farm and in the supply chain. All these issues have had an impact on the cost of production and have been quite stressful for our growers, but in terms of quality, it is as good as ever. Our growers are doing a good job in difficult situations, so grants like these are encouraging. I would like to thank the Federal Government”.

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