Exhibiting at Asia Fruit Logistica 2025

Summerfruit Australia Limited (SAL) is the recognized national industry body representing Australian growers, packers, and marketers of fresh summerfruit, including peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots. As a peak industry organization, SAL plays a pivotal role in advocacy, market development, research coordination, and industry growth across both domestic and export markets.

Company Background

Established to serve the collective interests of the Australian summerfruit industry, Summerfruit Australia Limited operates as a not-for-profit grower association. It acts as the industry's unified voice to the government, media, supply chain stakeholders, and international trade partners.

SAL's governance structure includes a board of grower-elected directors and a leadership team that oversees strategic priorities, research investment, export promotion, and compliance support. The organization is currently led by CEO Carrie Starkings and operates out of Albury, New South Wales, with its registered office in Woorinen, Victoria.

Core Business

Summerfruit Australia’s core mission is to support and grow the Australian stonefruit industry by:

• Advocating for policy and regulatory reform
• Investing in industry R&D through Hort Innovation
• Managing and coordinating export readiness and market access
• Promoting Australian summerfruit domestically and globally
• Providing resources and technical support to growers

As the representative body for the sector, SAL works closely with government agencies, research institutions, exporters, and global buyers to ensure the competitiveness and sustainability of Australian stonefruit.

Industry Representation and Scope

The Australian summerfruit industry comprises:

• Over 1,100 growers nationally
• Total orchard area exceeding 9,000 hectares
• Key growing regions: Goulburn Valley (VIC), Riverland (SA), Swan Hill (VIC), Stanthorpe (QLD), Perth Hills (WA), and Young (NSW)
• Peak production season: November to April

Stonefruit is cultivated primarily for domestic consumption, but exports form a rapidly growing segment of the industry’s value chain.

Specialization and Core USP

Summerfruit Australia acts as a single-point interface between industry stakeholders and government, ensuring alignment of production practices, phytosanitary standards, and export requirements. Key USPs include:

• Export Accreditation Coordination: Ensures growers and packhouses meet protocols for markets such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam
• Market Development Campaigns: Strategic promotional programs funded through grower levies and matched government investment
• Research Management: Oversees industry R&D projects focused on pest management, post-harvest handling, and varietal innovation

Financial Overview

Summerfruit Australia Limited is funded through a combination of:

• Statutory grower levies administered via Hort Innovation
• Government grants
• Membership fees and project revenues

While individual revenue figures are not disclosed, the Australian summerfruit industry’s gross value of production (GVP) was approximately AUD $313 million in 2023, with stonefruit exports contributing nearly AUD $70 million, according to data from Hort Innovation and ABARES.

Export Performance and Shipment Data

Australia’s summerfruit export sector has expanded significantly in recent years due to successful market access negotiations and SAL’s role in driving compliance and promotion:

• Top export markets: China, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam
• Export volume (2022–23): Over 18,500 tonnes
• Export value (2022–23): Approximately AUD $70 million
• Primary exported items: White and yellow-flesh nectarines, plums, and peaches

SAL collaborates with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) to manage export protocols and ensure that growers adhere to necessary phytosanitary requirements.

Target Market

SAL supports a wide network of stakeholders, including:

• Australian growers and packers
• Exporters and marketers
• International wholesale and retail buyers
• Import regulators and quarantine authorities
• Research and extension providers

Targeted export market development includes high-value consumers in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, with efforts underway to open new markets in Japan and South Korea.

Capabilities

• Policy and Advocacy: Industry representation in national trade and biosecurity forums
• Export Protocol Management: Oversees eligibility and compliance processes
• Market Development Programs: Joint campaigns with Austrade and Hort Innovation
• Data and Intelligence: Publishes market insights and seasonal trade reports
• Technical Support: Guidance on best practices, pest control, and MRLs

Certifications and Compliance

SAL ensures growers meet all relevant Australian and international standards:

• Phytosanitary Certification through DAFF systems
• Export Eligibility Accreditation (China, Thailand, Vietnam protocols)
• Compliance with Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for different export markets
• Promotion of integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainability practices

Stakeholder Testimonials

"SAL's export readiness training was crucial in helping our orchard gain access to premium Chinese retailers."
— Peter R., Grower and Exporter, Goulburn Valley

"The coordination SAL provides between growers and government is unmatched. They've been instrumental in our expansion into the UAE market."
— Nadia F., Export Manager, Adelaide-based fruit exporter

Major Achievements

• Played a central role in opening and maintaining protocol access to China, Vietnam, and Thailand
• Managed multi-year promotional campaigns in China that increased Australian stonefruit visibility and sales
• Facilitated industry-wide export readiness training to hundreds of growers annually
• Actively involved in the development of new varietal breeding programs
• Recognized by DAFF and Hort Innovation as a model peak industry body

Summerfruit Australia continues to be the driving force behind the sustainable growth and global competitiveness of the Australian summerfruit industry, ensuring that premium stonefruit reaches high-value markets around the world.