Australian Citrus growers from Griffith, NSW hope to gain further insight into the Chinese market as they travel to China on a study tour.

The tour was organised by the Griffith and District Citrus Growers Association (GDCGA) and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), supported by a grant from Austrade, and its itinerary is focused on developing the best Chinese market entry strategies for the Griffith citrus industry.

As the ten-person delegation left at the end of November, Helen Chen, senior project officer, missions and delegations of NSW DPI, said the tour was a unique initiative from a regional group to advance its industry.

“This tour will improve the local industry’s capability, make Australian citrus more competitive in the Chinese market by delivering higher quality fruit to the Chinese standards, maximise grower returns, and grow export value for the Riverina citrus industry,” said Chen.

Vito Mancini, secretariat of GDCGA, said the association was pleased to partner with DPI to form the first Riverina delegation to visit the Chinese citrus industry.

“The delegation, involving a number of Griffith citrus growers and packhouse operators, are excited to learn of the opportunities that present themselves in China,” Mancini said.

“We each have a view to build and grow a sustainable export industry with China. The growers have a particular interest to learn about Chinese consumer preferences for citrus and would like to meet and exceed their expectations.”

China is the largest destination for Australian citrus exports, as of September 2019, Australian citrus exports to China were worth A$176m (US$119m), which accounts for approximately 31 per cent of the total citrus export volume.

The group return home Friday.