Australian cherry exporters were hoping for Chinese market entry before Christmas, but expectations have been changed to late-January following a recent inspection visit.

Cherry Growers Australia CEO Simon Boughey has told www.freshfruitportal.com this means the country's cherries will be unlikely to make Chinese New Year celebrations on Jan. 23, however there is always the possibility of a quicker approval.

"We had an audit inspection here that finished on Dec. 12, that went well and by my understanding there should be an agreement reached with Biosecurity Australia and AQIS (Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) in late January if all the issues get sorted out," he says.

"We would like to get this signed off by the end of January and have cherries there in mid-to-late February, if everything goes to plan.

"At that time of year there's only a few weeks left in Tasmania, which is a pest free zone so the fruit can be flown direct into China."

Boughey adds growers will need to focus on meeting protocols this year as the industry gears up to place a greater share of its production on the export market.

"Our aim as an industry is to go from having 20% of our production as export to 50% export by 2017, and if we're going to do that, we need to comply with protocols.

"Growers need to know their requirements whether they are from pest free areas an can go directly by air, or if it's going to be sent by in-transit treatment by ship and from onshore treatment, but our preference is air freight for all exports."

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