19.06.2023
AMIA has managed to secure some funding to support two mango businesses to export mangoes to the United States of America (USA). The project will also deliver a growers/exporters guide to the USA, travel for a United States buyer to Queensland and targeted marketing activities in the USA.
Application form available here.
Closing date: 7 July 2023
Export of Australian mangoes to the USA began in 2015. Since then, the US has become a key priority export market with strong growth potential. Despite supply chain challenges due to COVID-19 in 2020 and soaring airfreight costs, Australian mangoes saw a 167% increase in exported volume and a 210% increase in value (AU$2,162,217 in 2021/22) in the US. There are niche market channels in the USA, prepared to pay a substantial premium for the superior appearance and eating quality of Australian mangoes. The primary issue facing this market is continuity of supply and therefore it is critical that more mango growers get involved and start supplying this market. The USA is a protocol market and in addition to its own requirements regarding varieties, quality and maximum residue limits, technical phytosanitary restrictions are in place to ensure pests of quarantine concerns are managed. The process can be daunting and small to medium sized businesses generally don’t have the resources to research, understand and implement the necessary steps to meet USA market requirements. In July 2015, a US working group was established and facilitated by AMIA to develop marketing guidelines and to discuss US maximum residue limits (MRLs), packaging, intended export volumes and other matters of interest. The marketing guidelines for the US included nominating two US importers, Melissa’s World Variety Produce and Giumarra, that exporters would work with. The large to very large businesses involved in this early working group are still exporting to the US but very few new growers have joined them since. The development of this market has been left to “pioneer” growers/exporters and industry now needs to encourage entry level exporters to capitalise on the opportunities available.
As part of this project, AMIA will assist two small to medium sized QLD businesses and accompany them through the US export journey. From accreditation and DAFF audit to liaising with the irradiation facility, Steritech, and US customers. Marketing activities will be undertaken in collaboration with the US customer and in consultation with Hort Innovation to ensure marketing efforts into this market are complementary.
The USA export requirements are detailed in the Operational Work Plan (OWP) which is available on the Department’s MICoR website. Please note that access to workplans and protocols is restricted and users are required to register with Plant Exports to access these documents.
As required in the OWP, the selected businesses will need to register their orchard and packhouse for export to the USA, complete crop monitor training or arrange for an accredited crop monitor to conduct fortnightly crop monitoring from bud burst.
AMIA will provide technical assistance in the following areas:
One consignment per business will be irradiated and airfreighted from Brisbane to Los Angeles. These two consignments will be supported on a cost-sharing basis in terms of registration, irradiation treatment and freight costs to mitigate the financial risk associated with first time export.
Eligibility/Selection criteria:
To encourage peer-to-peer learning, the selected businesses will be required to share their learnings and experience at the Australian Mangoes pre-season roadshow and at the National Mango Conference 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact AMIA IDM, Marine Empson, marine@mangoes.net.au or 0457 555 838.