Japan opens market to N.Z. cherries

Press, 5 August 1985, Page 7

Japan opens market to N.Z. cherries

Japan has approved the import of New Zealand cherries.

Six years of research by D.S.I.R. scientists culminated in a joint presentation to the Japanese Government in June by the Ministry of Agriculture, D.5.1.R., the Fruitgrowers’ Federation, and the Horticultural Exporters’ Council. The entire proposal was approved subject to endorsement at a public hearing in Tokyo on July 30.

The move to have New Zealand fruitgrowers take advantage of Japan’s potentially large Christmas market started in 1979, when Japan allowed imported cherries from the United States. No other southern hemi-

sphere country has started the four-year procedure needed to satisfy Japan’s ultra-strict quarantine provisions.

New Zealand had to satisfy the Japan Quarantine Service that there is “a nil possibility” of New Zealand export cherries hosting the codling moth. It was significant that most other potential southern hemisphere suppliers have other pests and diseases not found in Japan or New Zealand, said the chairman of the Horticultural Exporters’ Council, Mr Don Turner. The cherry breakthrough also strengthened New Zealand’s hopes of getting access for other stone-fruit, such as peaches and nectarines, he said.

D.S.I.R. programmes, supported by industry levies on New Zealand exports of these fruits to other world markets, are in progress to show Japan that exports of these fruits would also be free of harmful pests. The process was laborious, Mr Turner said, involving the demonstration that each specific variety within each type of fruit was pestfree.

The president of Fruitgrowers’ Federation, Mr Peter Taylor, said cherry growers’ reactions were extremely positive. Although there had been some big investments in new plantings of cherries in recent years, there was likely to be renewed interest as a result of Japan’s definite announcement.