What was it all about?

New market opportunities and favourable currency rates have combined to boost the Australian citrus industry’s export sector, creating a buoyant period for the industry in recent years. The role of the citrus market development team supported by this project was to provide structures and processes to allow the industry to capitalise on these opportunities. This project resourced a full-time market development manager, as well as a part-time industry development officer for South Australia, through a voluntary contribution.

The market development manager oversaw a small high-performing team, from 2013 to 2015, which managed projects dedicated to market access, market intelligence and quality improvement and had input into biosecurity, varietal development and capacity-building programs.

This team also jointly managed the industry’s agrichemical residue monitoring program together with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

They strengthened industry, government and researcher networks, as well as the communication and consultation framework to increase industry adoption of R&D outcomes.

The results of this project included helping to increase exports to China from 3500 tonnes in 2012 to 28,900 tonnes in 2015; creating an agrichemical management framework and enhancing the agrichemical residue monitoring program; and resolving agrichemical issues in Japan.

Other highlights include co-ordinating export marketing including export promotion, inbound and outbound trade missions and exporter groups, and effective communication through regional visits, publications and conferences.