30 July 2015
Fresh picks this season: Australian oranges
The Australian Embassy, in partnership with Citrus Australia and the Victorian Government, recently launched ‘Australian Oranges - Now in Season’, to mark the season and availability of Australian oranges in the Philippines.
"We are delighted to share Australia's quality, safe and sweet oranges with Filipinos. Like Australians, Filipinos know their fruit and enjoy a strong fruit culture,” said Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell. "Australia's pristine growing environment and stringent food safety standards ensure that Australian oranges are of superior quality".
Australia's fruit industry is renowned for its world-class food safety standards and innovative traceability systems. "Through this technology, each batch of fruit can be tracked from the farm, to the packing house, up to when it reaches the Philippines," explained David Daniels, Market Access Manager of Citrus Australia at the launch.
Australia’s bumper crop this season means that larger volumes of Australian oranges will make their way to key supermarkets and groceries in the Philippines this year. “Favourable weather in Australia this season has led to a superb crop”, reported Daniels, “I guess we could call this a vintage season”.
At the launch, Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell and Filipino-Australian celebrities Iya Villania, Chris Everingham of the Philippine Volcanoes, and Fely Irvine formerly of The Voice and Hi-5 Australia, highlighted the health and fitness benefits of oranges and shared their favourite orange recipes. Chef Wade Watson of Bondi & Bourke highlighted that oranges can be enjoyed as a healthy and delicious snack, in smoothies, salads, or used as an ingredient in a range of sweet and savoury recipes. Oranges have long been considered a valuable part of a healthy and nutritious diet and it is well established that nutrients in citrus promote health and provide protection against chronic disease.
Filipinos can look forward to enjoying Australian oranges that are not only healthy, fresh, and safe, but also affordable. "Australia's geographic proximity means a shorter delivery time to the Philippines which translates to freshness and prolonged shelf life," explained Anthony Weymouth, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner of the Australian Trade Commission. "Importantly, the ASEAN Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) enables most temperate fruits from Australia, such as oranges, to enter the Philippines tariff-free, which means that Filipinos can enjoy superior quality at great value".
‘Australian Oranges - Now in Season’ runs from 28 July to 31 August 2015 in key outlets of Landmark, Robinsons, Rustans, S&R, Shopwise, and SM Supermarkets.