New Zealand tomato growers are inviting the news that they can export fresh tomatoes to Australia once again. The export path had actually been closed given that April 2021, after the pepino mosaic infection (PepMV) was spotted in an industrial greenhouse. TomatoesNZ General Manager Dinah Cohen stated: “TomatoesNZ has actually dealt with the Ministry for Primary Industries for almost 2 years to re-open the Australia market.” According to Cohen, the development remained in the advancement of a brand-new “code of practice” which provided Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries the “guarantee it requires to allow fresh tomatoes to be exported from New Zealand as soon as again”. “We thank the Ministry of Primary Industries for dealing with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on our behalf to handle the re-opening,” Cohen stated. In the last complete year of exports in 2020, more than 600,000 kg of fresh tomatoes were exported to Australia, according to TomatoesNZ. At the time this was 2nd just to the quantity exported to Hong Kong, around 1.4 million kgs. Exports to Hong Kong have actually lowered considerably, so there’s capacity for Australia to become our greatest export location for tomatoes. Ministry of Primary Industries plant exports supervisor Shane Olsen stated, “prior to 2021, fresh tomato exports to Australia were valued at around $2 million per year”. Exports to Australia have actually had the ability to recommence from June 21, in time for the 2024/25 export season in between November and March.– By Ben McQueen
Excellent news for NZ tomato growers as Australian exports return – 1News
