As the worldwide coronavirus crisis continues trade difficulties are emerging and other flow-on impacts are beginning to show for agricultural industries in Tasmania and across Australia.
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Up to a third of Tasmania's international exports heads to China, with agri-food accounting for 20.4 per cent of all international exports and China being the main purchaser of such foods.
China is a top export destination for Tasmanian wool, hides and skins, and also takes honey, beef, wine and fruit, but as the Asian country grapples with coronavirus, issues with air-freight, shipping and logistics are emerging, and travel restrictions and quarantine have also impacted demand for high-end food and other product.
Chinese shipping ports are operating at 50 per cent capacity and its transport and logistics operations have decreased so a huge back-log of product sits unmoved at the ports. This has resulted in no available freezer and storage space, and less boats travelling to China.
The Tasmanian seafood industry has been the hardest hit by the crisis, with rock lobster and abalone fisherman now desperate to find new sources of income for basic living costs and loan repayments.
The live scalefish industry is now feeling the impacts as the Chinese restaurant trade in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane diminishes, and the demand for oysters has also declined at the Sydney fish markets.
Tasmanian Seafood Industries Council chief executive Julian Harrington said many in the industry were struggling to pay bills, with the council working on many avenues of assistance, including calls for emergency cash and no-interest loan schemes.
"I have been calling on banks to understand the dire predicament, and encouraging members to talk to their banks to request deferment of payments on loan ... We are also setting up a wild catch fishing register for people looking for work, also setting up an employment register with the marine farming centres and marine industry at large."
He said the future long term impacts were unknown.
"Seafood is obviously a luxury item. If Australia does head into dire financial times, the first thing that goes is eating out in restaurants ... another concern is the impact on regional communities."
Greenhams chief exective Peter Greenham said less of its product would be sent to China as a result of the crisis, but no real impact would be felt.
"It is more of a headache than anything else, we are not losing value just having to redirect our products into other international or domestic markets."
