News Content

Air cargo space for Chinese New Year exports scarce Downunder

THE rush export lobster and cherries from Australia and New Zealand for Chinese New Year has run a severe shortage of air cargo space, Reuters reports.

Farmers and fishermen have been jostling for limited air freight space and trying to perfect the timing of production cycles for a peak in demand.

"This year we have had some issues with air freight to Hong Kong, there is so much competition to book space for New Year and it has been more difficult because of how much powdered milk is going over," said Colleen Dangerfield, export manager at Australian fruit grower VF Siciliano & Sons.

"We plant varieties that fruit in January and have good sizes and good sugars that the Asians prefer," she said. "But obviously Chinese New Year changes every year so its hard to get it perfect," she said.

Some fishing industries have also had difficulties regulating their catch to meet demand.

Australia's Western Abalone Processors used to pick around two-thirds of its yearly quota of the sea snails in January for the Lunar New Year market.

But changes last year to fishing laws in parts of southern Australia mean there are now monthly quotas.

Rock lobster suppliers, however, have had some success in gearing their output to meet peak demand.

Fisherman in Fiordland, a remote region on New Zealand's South Island, stop fishing towards year-end to ration their government-mandated catch quotas.

"Instead of using them in October when the prices are lower, they're saving those catch rights to when the prices are higher in January and February," said Daryl Sykes, executive officer of the New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council.