Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce has announced that Australian table grape producers should soon be able to export to the Korean market following the finalisation of associated trade conditions.
Joyce says that the agreement serves as excellent news to the industry which is worth around $82 million annually.
"Other major fruit exporting nations such as New Zealand and South Africa are yet to finalise free trade agreements with Korea,'' Joyce told The Weekly Time Now.
"Australia currently exports more than 60 per cent of our agricultural product and it is essential we are always looking for ways to expand our market opportunities and to increase the return to our producers.”
Jeff Scott, chief executive of the Australian Table Grape Association said that trade could occur as early as next harvest, and that the association expects trade to be worth around $35m over the next three to five years.
"We expect trade to occur later in this coming harvest season once arrangements for the implementation are completed,'' said Scott.
"This gain of market access is great news for the Australian table grape industry as access to the Korean market will help our industry to continue to grow.''