Blueberry growers seek new markets to avert disaster
January 31, 2013

Australia's leading blueberry supplier has called its export market a disaster.

Costa Berries says its export crop has dropped from 50 per cent of total production to just five per cent in the past 10 years.

The company's general manager, Peter McPherson says the high Australian dollar, huge increases in production in Chile and Argentina and a Japanese ban because of fruit fly, are all to blame.

He says that after a two year ban they're hopeful the Japanese export market will reopen by August this year.

"We're going to have to do some form of cold disinfestation to make sure that any chance of pest is eliminated and those protocols are being worked through as we speak."

Source: www.abc.net.au