Australian citrus exports smash $500 million target six years early

Australia’s citrus industry’s export market is going from strength to strength, with more than $500 million sent offshore – a target not expected to be reached for another six years.

Export demand: Australia citrus exports are booming, with the fruit now sent to more than 50 countries.

AUSTRALIAN citrus exports have surpassed half a million dollars, smashing an export target the industry didn’t expect to reach for another six years.

And the record has been broken despite two months of data – November and December – to be added to form an annual total.

So far this year 273,000 tonnes of citrus fruit has been exported, which is already up about 6 per cent on the total sent overseas last year.

Citrus Australia general manager David Daniels said modelling done some years ago predicted exports to reach the $500 million mark by 2025.

But the good news was tempered with smaller profit margins for growers.

“Despite record volumes, the size profile of this year’s fruit and amount of blemish means financial returns are not as high as previous years,” Mr Daniels said.

Driving the growth this year was mandarins, with exports of the fruit up 50 per cent, and naval oranges, up 5 per cent.

China received almost a fifth of all exports – more than 80,000 tonnes – while hard work securing buyers in Vietnam has paid off, with the country receiving more than 10,000 tonnes of citrus fruit.

“When it gets over 10,000 tonnes, it is a very good market,” Mr Daniels said.

“We have exceeded that number, so it is very encouraging.”

Along with table grapes, Australian citrus is often cited as the darling of Australian horticulture after consecutive years of strong export growth.

Over the past decade, Australian citrus exports have increased on average 8 per cent annually, and account for more than half of total production value.

Mr Daniels said the recently signed free trade agreement with Indonesia brought with it exciting possibilities for the industry.

Over the next 10 years, he said growers would also be pursuing Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan to offload a doubling of production volumes.