Australia: ATGA hails progress in Japanese, South Korean table grape markets

The Australian Table Grape Association (ATGA) says that promotional visits to Japan and South Korea have created new opportunities for the country’s exporters.

Japanese and South Korean importers, retailers and food service representatives were recently given important pre-season information at trade seminars help in Osaka and Seoul, it said.

“Following the trade seminar in Seoul, two major Korean table grape importers departed for Australia and visited Victoria’s table grape growing regions to source fruit,” ATGA chief executive Jeff Scott said.

The association said this progress was in part thanks to recent collaboration with Hort Innovation, Austrade Japan and Trade Victoria.

Scott said that the number of containers exported to Korea has already surpassed last year’s total.

“We know the fruit quality is very high this year and that new varieties are in demand,” he said.

He said that trade seminar feedback had been very positive and that “importers and retailers were eager to hear how the Australian season was shaping up”.

Scott also explained that South Korea was an emerging market for Australian table grapes with a potential to keep building momentum, while Japan is already an important export market, with exports valued over AUD$29 million last year.

www.freshfruitportal.com