'Complicated' Chinese protocols challenge Spanish stonefruit shippers - FreshFruitPortal.com

'Complicated' Chinese protocols challenge Spanish stonefruit shippers

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'Complicated' Chinese protocols challenge Spanish stonefruit shippers

Future expectations are high as Spanish stonefruit exporters start shipping their first ever consignments to the Chinese market, but long transit times and strict protocols have been a challenge for some.
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The market officially opened for Spanish stonefruit in late July, and is expected to provide some much-needed relief for growers affected by the Russian import ban.

Murcia-based Frutas Esther has so far shippedĀ flat peaches and nectarines to the market via airfreight, and a representative said the initial reaction to the fruit's taste and appearance had been encouraging.

"We have sent the fruitĀ to various customers and we had a very warm welcome. So far they have not been huge quantities, but weā€™re very pleased with the reaction," commercial representativeĀ Arnold HeemskerkĀ told www.freshfruitportal.com.

He said seafreight wasĀ not a good option for many types of stonefruitĀ due to the lengthy transit time, and Russia is currently not allowing Spanish fruit to pass through its territoryĀ on the railwayĀ running from Europe to China.

ButĀ Heemskerk said it appeared as though progress was being made in talks to allow passage of fruit through the ex-Soviet country, adding trainfreight would be an attractive option for the company.

"We consider the train as the best option, as you donā€™t have such an elevated price as airfreight and you donā€™t have such a long transit time as seafreight. We understand the transit time is about 20 days," he said.

One issue with shipping to China highlighted by some in the industry isĀ the strict protocols established by the Asian country.

Heemskerk said along with requiring cold treatment of at least 16 days, a range of facilities much be registered and there are numerous inspections in both countries.

"When it was confirmed it was a very complicated protocol. It's not like shipping to the U.K. or the rest of Europe. It's possible to do it but itā€™s difficult," he said.

Another challenge for Spanish exporters is learning which varieties are best suited to Chinese consumers' pallets.

But despite the extra effort required compared to other countries, Heemskerk said the company was 'enthusiastic' about future prospects.

"I guess itā€™s never going to be a market as big as theĀ European market, but it certainly can be a good market. There are lots of people living there, and there'sĀ lots of interest for our fruit," he said.

This weekĀ Frutas Esther is due to harvest a different flat peach variety, andĀ Heemskerk said a significant proportion of that crop would probablyĀ be shipped to China too.

AnotherĀ exporter,Ā AEC Inter S.L., has also been shipping stonefruitĀ to the new market, andĀ like Frutas Esther it has found the protocols to be rather complicated.

"The AQSIQ [China'sĀ General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine] protocolĀ has caused a lot of confusion for many," the company's Asia Pacific Ā business director Alice Li said.

"It definitely makesĀ things more complicated and time-consuming, and it alsoĀ causesĀ delays because everyoneĀ lacksĀ experience,Ā but weā€™veĀ managedĀ it and sold our plums successfully.

"We're learning fast, and next year everything will be much easier."

The representative added that this year many companies were only able to send stonefruitĀ to China viaĀ seafreightĀ as they did not have enough cold storage facilities registered under the protocol.

Chinese importer Grandfruit has been importing AEC Inter's oranges over recent months, and Li said the company was now also importing its stonefruit.

"Weā€™veĀ builtĀ a really good relationship, so this time, they're the firstĀ one that who got our special variety plums," she said.

"We also build new relationships with other buyers whoĀ representĀ different channels as well."

Meanwhile, an industry head in the Spanish province of Extremadura said the region had shipped 30 containers of plums since gaining marked access aĀ couple of months ago.

"We have only shipped plums as the protocols arrived late and our nectarine season had already finished," Extremadura Fruit Producers' Association (Afruex) managing director Miguel Angel GĆ³mez-Cardoso Bernet said.

He addedĀ that trainfreight would beĀ a strong possibilityĀ if Russia one day allows fruit to pass through its borders, but he saidĀ the costs would need to come down to make it feasible.

"These days the price of cold chain facilities on train is very expensive, much more expensive than via seafreight," he said.

"So right now it would not be a very profitable option, but once Russia allows products to pass through, we could begin to work with transport companies to see how we could reduce these costs and make it a real alternative."

GĆ³mez-Cardoso Bernet believed China could become an important market in the future an alleviate some of the pressure on Europe, but he said this would only happen if transit times could be reduced by using trainfreight.

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