Australian blueberry growers are looking to China and India as the next big markets for their products, Australia Broadcasting Co.’s website reported.

Peter McPherson of BerryExchange, Australia’s largest blueberry company, said the cost of labor is Australia is a challenge, but its proximity to Asia is an advantage, according to the website.

“Only last week I had enquires there to send product there from both those countries, first time ever,” he is quoted as saying. “We do most of our shipments by air to keep the freshness, but the fact that those countries are closer than say Europe to us we could look to do sea freight shipments under modified atmosphere.”

Earlier in October, Australia and China signed a deal to allow Australian table grapes into all Chinese ports, and the first shipments could arrive in February. That agreement followed a decision to allow Chinese apples into Australia, which caused an uproar in that country’s apple industry earlier this year.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com