近年来中国樱桃消费需求渐长，成为澳洲生产商十分重视的关键出口市场。为避免长途海运过程中冷冻处理对樱桃口感及营养价值造成影响，新州种植户期望通过空运方式将本地樱桃快速运送至中国。
　　

　　ACB News《澳华财经在线》报道，目前中国市场只接受通过海运途径进入中国市场的澳洲樱桃，然而这通常需要花费至少16天时间。为防止樱桃在漫长旅途中滋生果蝇等害虫，出口商必须借助冷冻法来确保产品安全性，但这样会影响樱桃的口感和质量。

　　新州樱桃亟盼入华

　　新州有些樱桃出口商本产季仍旧只能借助海运将樱桃送入中国市场，而且澳洲樱桃抵达中国市场时正值另一生产国智利开始在华低价销售樱桃，使得市场竞争进一步加剧。最令种植户感到担忧的情况是，尽管本产季产出水平良好，其产品仍无法实现空运入华，最终导致樱桃滞留国内，种植户不得不通过打折促销方式将优质产品贱卖给国内消费者。

　　新州是澳洲前三大樱桃出产地之一，种植面积约达800公顷，平均产量预估为4,407吨，生产销售樱桃的新州企业数量多达108家。由于品种多样化和种植区分部广泛，新州樱桃产季成熟期相对偏长：大概从10月下旬开始，一直延续到圣诞节，于1月中旬结束。

　　新州政府对樱桃产业保持密切关注。近段时间在州政府安排下，一批由中国食品检疫官员组成的代表团前往两大传统樱桃产区杨恩(Young)和奥林治(Orange)镇进行参观考察。来自新州重大活动部(DPI)的费伊·海恩斯(Fay Haynes)博士表示希望该产业考察计划能有助于中澳双方政府关于市场准入条件的谈判顺利开展。

　　新州活动部和当地种植户还于去年9月份组织代表团前往中国东部推销新州樱桃产品。代表团在访问过程中得知，与新州相比，塔州樱桃产品在中国更受欢迎。海恩斯先生表示，中国消费者也认为塔州樱桃质量略胜一筹，“冷冻处理是导致新州樱桃人气落后的直接原因”。

　　辐照处理受“误解”

　　澳新地区食品标准制订机构——澳新食品标准局(FSANZ，前澳新食品局)表示，有充分研究揭示冷冻辐照杀虫法并不会对食品安全性造成影响，消费者可放心食用。目前全球已有近40个国家批准生产商利用辐照处理法应对害虫难题，包括欧盟国家、美国和加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰以及东南亚等国家。在澳洲辐照灭虫法已经得到批准，水果生产商可利用照射技术来处理芒果、番荔枝、荔枝、木瓜和红毛丹等多种热带水果。

　　海恩斯博士称，照射处理法目前也已经得到世界卫生组织(WHO)的认可和批准，同时美国和新西兰食品检疫部门也已经接受进行过照射处理的芒果和荔枝，其他某些国家也在逐渐放松相应限制。公开资料显示，在中国市场，此前经国家卫生部批准允许食用消费的辐照食品包括马铃薯、洋葱、大蒜、花生、谷物、蘑菇、香肠等共7类，目前又有蔬菜、水果、粮食、酒类等20多种食品通过不同级别的技术鉴定。

　　海恩斯博士希望中国消费者能够尽快接受澳洲生产的优质樱桃。“目前我们正尽力为新州生产商争取尽快空运樱桃入华，同时加深与中国市场之间的友好合作关系”。

　　据澳大利亚樱桃协会(Australian Cheery Growers Inc.)相关数据，澳洲目前樱桃年产量约为15,000吨，其中近30%用于出口。到2020年，樱桃产量有望达到20,000吨，出口量占总产量比重预计将达到50%。澳大利亚海外出口市场涵盖31个国家，其中近九成出口至亚洲市场。在截至2015年1月份的前8个月里，澳洲樱桃出口量和出口额分别为3,545吨和4,800万澳元，较2014年同期增长30%和23%，其中对华樱桃出口达到323吨，同比飙涨近114%，中国已成为澳第三大樱桃出口市场。

New South Wales cherry growers are hoping to get air freight access to the Chinese market by using irradiation to treat their fruit for pests.

Cherries from mainland Australian growers are only allowed into China by a slow sea journey over 16 days, with the fruit subjected to cold treatment of one degrees, to wipe out pests like fruit fly.

But the cold treatment affects the taste and quality of the fruit and cherry growers have been arguing their fruit is well controlled and checked for fruit fly and the cold treatment is not necessary.

Some NSW producers and exporters had little choice this season but to export cherries by ship, but their arrival in China coincided with cheaper cherry imports from Chile.

Growers are frustrated that another bumper cherry season has passed without any air freight access to China, and a large crop of cherries was sold at a discount to domestic consumers in Australia.

Chinese delegation visits Australia

In response to the cherry industry's concerns, the NSW Government has hosted a delegation of Chinese quarantine officials, to inspect cherry regions at Young and Orange.

Dr Fay Haynes, from the NSW Department of Primary Industry's International Engagement group, hoped the visit would smooth negotiations between Australian and Chinese Government officials on market access.

"NSW DPI and cherry growers went to China in September 2015, to the eastern part," Dr Haynes said.

"The feedback we got on Australian cherries, was that Tasmanian cherries are beautiful.

"And while they like NSW cherries they found them to be of poorer quality.

"We know that's a direct result of the cold treatment."

The Chinese quarantine officials from Guangzhou also inspected irradiation facility, Steritech, in Brisbane.

Irradiation safe for use on food products

Food Standards Australia New Zealand, FSANZ, has found the irradiation treatment is safe for use on food products.

Irradiation is used in 40 countries, including Europe, USA and Canada, Australia and New Zealand and South East Asia.

According to FSANZ the treatment is already approved for use in Australia on tropical fruits like mangoes, custard apples, lychees, papayas and rambutans to control pests of quarantine concern.

Dr Haynes said the irradiation method had also been approved by the World Health Organisation.

"USA has accepted the treatment for mangoes and lychees, New Zealand has too," she said.

"Other countries are coming on board with that."

Dr Haynes wants to see the Chinese market opened up to Australian mainland cherry growers as soon as possible.

"The best we can do is show we are supporting the cherry growers with this proposal, and continue relationship building with China."