CHINESE consumers will be able to taste the quality Australians have come to appreciate with fruit packager SPC entering the Chinese market for the first time.
SPC will take it Goulburn Valley and SPC fruit brands into a partnership with China State Farm Agribusiness Shanghai (CSFA Shanghai) after a formal signing ceremony in Shanghai in January.
CSFA Shanghai, is part of the CSFA Group Corporation, will be SPC’s master distributor in China.
SPC’s plans include bringing its premium branded products to Chinese consumers through high-end supermarkets, speciality retailers and leading on-line and e-commerce platforms.
PC managing director, Reg Weine, said it was significant that in the company’s 100th year, it would bring packaged fruit to the largest consumer market in the world.
“China represents a significant business opportunity for SPC in the years ahead, and this is an important step in realising our growth strategy,” Mr Weine said.
“As well as being two of Australia’s most recognised, loved and trusted food brands, the products we are taking to China come straight out of the Goulburn Valley – the renowned food bowl of Australia.
“We aim to leverage this reputation, as well as our heritage and provenance when launching our brands in China.”
According to Mr Weine, CSFA Shanghai has the dedicated personnel, sales and marketing support needed to build the brands on the ground, as well as the distribution capability to reach China’s burgeoning middle class.
China State Farm Holdings Shanghai Corp general manager, Zhao Qingyong, said the organisation has established strong business relationships with several Australian companies.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with SPC to continue developing successful businesses in China,” Mr Qingyong said.
CSFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of China National Agriculture Development Group Corporation.
It is the only Chinese state-owned corporation that operates in the production of agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries.
To give the brand a consumer face in this new market, SPC has appointed Ye Yiqian, a well-known celebrity, singer and actress, as its brand ambassador for China.
“Ye Yiqian has already injected a great amount of personality and style into our brands ahead of our launch into the Chinese market,” said Mr Weine.
“Her passion for cooking, love of food, and her deep connection with aspirational Chinese consumers is something we believe will be advantageous for our launch and will help contextualise our products for this new audience.”
Mr Weine said it’s about taking market leading brands into markets where provenance plays a part and there is a large enough consumer segment that is affluent and willing to pay a premium for Australian produce.
“The Chinese market is five times the size of the Australian processed fruit market, which makes this a huge opportunity,” Mr Weine said.
Victoria’s acting minister for trade and investment, John Eren, SPC was a great Victorian company.
“We’re proud to back them as they continue to expand into new markets and export our world class produce,” Mr Eren said.
SPC has been exporting to international markets for more than 90 years, including in the USA, UK, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and the Middle East.