Northern Valley Packers packed its 100th container of oranges for South-East Asia this season

Diplomatic tensions between China and Australia may have soured but demand from the Asian giant for WA oranges has never been sweeter. Northern Valley Packers said orders from China had grown in 2020 and the economic powerhouse now represented about 20 per cent of its citrus exports. NVP distribution manager Damien Guthrey said while there had been an increase in the level of inspections on product entering China this year, it had not impacted trade. “We were quite anxious at the start of the season but we’ve been getting good orders from buyers and the fruit has been moving through the distribution channels with no issue,” Mr Guthrey said. He said NVP reached an important milestone recently when packing the 2020 season’s 100th 40ft container of citrus for export — up from two containers when it started exporting in 2015. Containing 2200 tonnes, the 100 containers, going to 15 countries across South-East Asia, returns about $3.5 million in export dollars to WA. Mr Guthrey expects NVP would have packed about 140 containers when the 2020 export season ends this month — worth more than $5m. Next year, based on the natural growth coming off younger tree plantings, NVP expects to export about 150-200 containers, depending on the success of the season and fruit volumes produced. Mr Guthrey said the vast increase happened as more citrus was produced in the region, coinciding with greater awareness of WA oranges by international customers. “Until recently these markets weren’t familiar with WA oranges, so most exports to these countries were coming from the east coast,” he said. “There’s been a bit of work building the program. “Now we have reached that point where these consumers are recognising WA fruit and demanding WA fruit.” NVP exports oranges on behalf of about five orchards across 350ha around Bindoon, Gingin and Moora, the biggest being Moora Citrus which is one of the packing shed’s owners. NVP opened its $7m shed in 2017, employing 12 full-time staff and a further 70 casuals during the picking season.