Off the wire
• Chinese Society of the Law of the Sea issues statement on South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines  • Xinjiang has 24,800 venues for various religions: white paper  • White paper stresses religious independence, self-management against "foreign domination"  • Swiss coal giant shutters Australian mine in face of depressed market  • White paper defends China's efforts to combat religious extremism  • Xinhua China news advisory -- June 2  • Spotlight: Who is real culprit behind soaring Toronto, Vancouver house prices?  • Japan acquires taste for Australian broccoli  • Bad debts in S.Korean banks hit 15-year high on corporate restructuring  • Tokyo stocks tumble in morning on yen's appreciation  
You are here: 　 Home

Australian research leads to export breakthrough to China

Xinhua, June 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australian researchers have developed a pest control treatment that has opened up the Chinese market for Queensland nectarine growers, the Queensland state government announced on Thursday.

Summer fruits such as nectarines from Queensland state had to either be sourced from a pest free area, or undergo pest control treatment before leaving Australia to numerous countries such as China because of concerns about particular pests such as Queensland fruit fly.

Queensland state agriculture minister Leanne Donaldson said it was a major breakthrough.

"Their development of a low dose treatment for Queensland fruit fly has created a new market for nectarines and there are hopes that producers of other fruits and vegetables will also benefit," Donaldson said.

"China is Australia's largest agricultural export market, with total exports in 2015 worth almost 11 billion Australian dollars (7.96 billion U.S. dollars)."

Donaldson said Australia had been working with China for many years to gain market access for summer fruit.

"Now, thanks to the excellent research from our scientists, we can send our nectarines which previously could not be exported until China completed its risk analysis," Donaldson noted.

"Combined with upcoming tariff reductions under the the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), export opportunities for our growers are significant." Endit