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Key export connections

By Fiona Gowers

Queensland food and ag businesses will have the chance to develop key connections with major buyers in the Middle East, without leaving the state.

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise’s (TSBE) Southern Queensland Export Hub is hosting a virtual trade mission on Thursday, 3 February.

This collaboration with the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre (FIAL) is an online business matching event for exporters to capitalise on a fast-growing Middle East consumer market from the comfort of their own office.

TSBE’s export manager for Food and Agribusiness Justin Heaven is encouraging suppliers to participate in the exclusive event.

“This is a unique opportunity to meet one-to-one, online, with UAE buyers across various channels from major supermarket chains, retailers, distributors, importers and more.

“TSBE will work closely with FIAL to streamline supplier product samples as consolidated air freight, to be delivered to UAE buyers once you have completed your virtual meetings to capitalise on this trade mission,” Mr Heaven said.

Several Queensland businesses such as Grassland Goats and SMA Marketing have already shown interest in the trade mission.

Grassland Goats director Keeleigh Allport said the Middle East is open for business and has an upbeat approach to encouraging Australian businesses to explore its competitive export markets.

“Exporting will allow us to develop alternative markets that are complementary to our current domestic trade of premium goat meat,” Ms Allport said.

“It will provide access to more businesses and customers and offer opportunities for us to learn innovative practices and processes.”

“By leveraging this knowledge, it will make us more competitive in the red meat industry, both in Australia and overseas,” she said.

SMA Marketing business development manager Belinda Boshammer said exporting was a great way for the business to achieve diversification within the customer and consumer base.

“Australian farmers produce high quality products that are sought after in overseas markets and we feel exporting complements our product offering and domestic supply chain,” Ms Boshammer said.

Next month’s trade mission follows the success of a Middle East Market Insights and Trade Readiness webinar held in December 2021, which featured the success story of Frosty Boy Global.

Frosty Boy Global’s general manager of international sales Alistair Rossouw said any insight he could share would only make the Australian and Queensland business community stronger to compete on the world stage.

“The export market presents huge opportunities for Queensland Food and Beverage companies to diversify their market and customer base,” he said.

“I would strongly encourage both new and mature exporters to continue to explore and expand into new markets.”

Businesses interested in the Virtual Trade Mission must be export ready and registered on FIAL’s Australian Food & Beverage catalogue.

Grassland Goats is run across “Inverclyde” at Moonie.

Keeleigh and Brian Allport of Grassland Goats, “Inverclyde”, Moonie.