Australian peak industry body Ausveg on Friday 13 September hosted a meeting of Australian and Japanese trade officials to discuss opportunities for Australia’s vegetable industry to increase its export trade.
As the current second-largest importer of Australian vegetables in the Asia-Pacific region, industry insiders predict that it will overtake New Zealand as Australia’s largest export market by the end of this year.
“Currently, Australia exports products such as asparagus and fresh potatoes to Japan, but there is now more demand for a broader range of Australian vegetable products including cabbage, carrot and lettuce,” says Ausveg spokesperson Hugh Gurney.
“Due to ongoing investment in research and development in Australia, coupled with stringent standards of safety, Australian produce is some of the cleanest and the safest grown anywhere in the world.”
Gurney added that Ausveg was confident of significant opportunities existing for Australia’s vegetable industry not only in Japan, but in neighbouring countries where Japanese retailers are establishing operations.
Ausveg is currently calling out for expressions of interest from growers who may be able to supply products in demand from Japan.
During the recent Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong earlier this month, Ausveg believed the safety and quality of Australian produce helped it stand out at the exhibition and trade show.
“Growers present at the Ausveg stand had numerous enquiries from a broad range of markets,” said Gurney. “The Australian vegetable industry currently only exports around seven per cent of its produce, but judging from the response we received at Asia Fruit Logistica, this percentage looks set to increase.”
