Greater Shepparton, the fruit capital of Australia, was on show at Asia Fruit Logistica last week, the premier trade event for fresh produce across the Asia-Pacific.
Greater Shepparton City Council and Fruit Growers Victoria hosted a trade stand at the Hong Kong expo from Wednesday, September 3 to Friday, September 5, providing an opportunity to support the region’s horticulture industry, showcase Greater Shepparton’s high-quality produce and promote local export opportunities across the globe.
The region’s representation included City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali, council chief executive Fiona Le Gassick, council manager economic development Anthony Nicolaci, representatives from Fruit Growers Victoria and more than 25 local growers and supply-chain representatives, ensuring a strong regional delegation.
The visit also included a trip to Shenzhen, China, for the Victorian Fruit Growers Network event, in partnership with Global Victoria. This event provided an opportunity to connect with Chinese representatives to build new trade relationships that could offer export opportunities for the region’s growers.
The value of Greater Shepparton’s agricultural output exceeds $729 million annually, with fruit production representing nearly half of that. With Australian apples set to resume imports into China from 2026, the expo came at the perfect time to highlight Greater Shepparton as a horticultural powerhouse.
“Attending Asia Fruit Logistica once again showed the importance of horticultural in our region. It was a productive three days with dedicated people wanting to advance positive outcomes for our region,” Cr Sali said.
“Greater Shepparton’s presence provided our local growers with credibility and connection in a highly competitive international market, while supporting the ongoing development of trade partnerships across Asia.”
“The visit to Shenzhen, China was an extremely worthwhile addition to the trip, allowing us to connect directly with Chinese representatives in a bid to unlock new trade relationships for our local growers,” Cr Sali said.