5 May 2015
Bridget Fitzgerald
ABC Rural
West Australian food producers are set to secure a dedicated aisle in a major Hong Kong supermarket following a ministerial trade visit.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Ken Baston met with representatives from Hong Kong chain 759 Store about stocking produce from WA.
Mr Baston said the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) could act as a facilitator for private deals between producers and retailers.
He said many Hong Kong stores were looking for fresh fruit and vegetable and meat, as well as packaged goods like cereal, honey and wine.
“The 759 Stores have some 60 countries they bring product from and they have some 22,000 products,” he said.
“So they are always looking for something new and exciting.”
Mr Baston said Hong Kong was a “gateway to China” and an important link to Asia for WA producers.
“Eighty per cent of all agriculture and food products are exported from Western Australia,” he said.
“So continuing to find markets for our product is very important.”
The Minister is in Hong Kong for the HOFEX trade show, one of the largest exhibitions of its kind in Asia.
Dairy does Hong Kong deal
The head of a West Australian dairy company is hopeful of gaining a foothold in the Chinese market after signing a deal with a Hong Kong supermarket chain.
Mundella Foods will stock Hong Kong’s second largest supermarket chain ParknShop Group with yoghurt products.
The company’s general manager David Day has applauded moves by the Minister for Agriculture Ken Baston to secure a supermarket deal.
Mr Day said Hong Kong was an important market, which takes a lot of hard work to enter.
He said having a “face-to-face presence” in Hong Kong and China was important.
“I don’t think you can really beat being there in the environment,” he said.
Mr Day said Mundella was only two weeks into its deal with ParknShop.
He said he would keep a close eye on how the market responds to his products in coming months.
Courtesy of ABC Rural