Welcome to The Australian Persimmon Export Company

The Australian Persimmon Export Company (APEC) is entirely grower owned and controlled. Members from five Australian states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia) grow and market sweet (non-astringent) persimmons under two brands (Sweet Gold and Golden Star), developed and owned by the company. Our quality standards are compulsory because we take responsibility for our own product from the orchard to the final consumer.

APEC began life at a National Persimmon Industry Conference at Coffs Harbour in 1989. Over the next few years with help from the Federal Governments Marketing Skills Program and Ray Collins from the University of Queensland Gatton College, a core group of growers embraced the concepts of working together, working to a quality standard, controlling and taking responsibility for their own marketing outcomes, and developing a quality brand product for targeted markets. The first exports were of 3,000 trays in 1991. APEC was officially incorporated in 1994.