SYDNEY: Australia’s citrus growers are searching for new export markets after Indonesia refused to issue a quota for citrus imports in the third quarter.
Australia exported 15.5 million Australian dollars (11.43 million U.S. dollars) worth of citrus to Indonesia in 2014, two- thirds of which came from the third quarter.
Australia’s other horticultural markets, including onions and carrots, may also be affected, as Indonesia continues its stride toward self-sufficiency, Australia’s Department of Agriculture said.
The decision comes after Indonesia drastically reduced its cattle import permits to Australia on Tuesday, to just 50,000 for the third quarter, prompting critics to urge Australia’s Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce to “jump on a plane” to Indonesia to address the trading partners’ relationship, local media reported on Thursday.
It is understood the Indonesian government may also apply limits to other Australian produce such as onions and carrots, of which Australia only exported in small amounts, a spokesman for Joyce said.
Australia’s citrus growers had suspected there were problems with the Indonesian quota approximately three months ago.
“Fortunately we had some prior warning (and) everybody has been busy trying to shore up existing markets and make sure they have got (destinations for fruit) that would normally go to Indonesia,” Queensland citrus grower Michael McMahon told Australia’s national broadcaster on Thursday.
“That includes the existing markets that we deal with and probably some fringe markets that we haven’t dealt with so much in the past.”
Indonesia’s decision makes it the third major fruit export market to close its doors to Australia in fewer than 12 months, after Vietnam shut its borders in January amid concerns about Australia’s management of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the ongoing trade embargo with Russia amid the political fallout from the downing of flight MH17.
