What was it all about?

From 2018 to 2022, this investment delivered a stronger export culture within the apple and pear industry, with a focus on bolstering industry readiness, knowledge and technical capabilities around export, as well as work to improve and maintain international market access.

Its activities were designed to align to the Apple and Pear Industry Export Development Strategy, which was released during 2017 as part of the project Australian apple and pear industry market development program (AP15009), which set out the steps for the long-term sustainable expansion of exports by working more collaboratively toward export of high-value branded produce, using a  smaller number of export-ready facilities and implementing strategies to capture premium markets.

This project has provided the apple and pear industry with the necessary expertise, knowledge and resources to overcome technical obstacles for exporting in both the short and long term. It has played a vital role in guiding the industry towards a collaborative, informed and sustainable model of export growth, arming both growers and exporters with technical capability backed by sound market information necessary to export profitably into the future.

The project has had a direct positive impact on the apple and pear industry by highlighting export market opportunities, investing in export capability to meet technical requirements, and continuing to open up market access for Australian growers in new territories.

This project focused on delivering activities in three key areas:

Market development intelligence and strategy

• Interviews with key export players and state bodies
• Creation of market profiles for key export markets
• Creation of in-market pricing for key export markets
• Online training for introduction to exporting apples and pears.

Export capacity building and readiness

• Development of key training and workshop materials
• Live training modules for a basic introduction to exporting and more detailed modules for the protocol and non-protocol markets.

Market access and improvement

• Engagement with industry and key exporters to understand opportunities
• Engagement with state bodies, state governments and DAWE to understand opportunities
• Apple and pear market access and improvement strategy documents.