CCIWA’s TradeStart export development advisor Darren Levy
Food and beverage buyers from Asia and the Middle East are touring WA this week, as the State’s diverse food bowl is showcased for the TradeStart Taste WA Premium Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Mission 2023.
The mission commenced in Perth on 27 March with the first of three business matching events, where buyers met with food and beverage businesses in a ‘speed dating’ style. These events aim to create new export sales and potential new investment for WA businesses while Asian buyers seek to secure supply of clean, green and reliable food.
CCIWA’s TradeStart export development advisor Darren Levy opened first event, which had 28 buyers from China, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In addition to the Perth experience, the buyers are spending the week touring businesses across the South West and Great Southern, travelling over 1000 kilometres.
“Today we welcome 46 premium food and beverage companies into the room to share the magic and provenance of the unique Western Australian foods they produce,” Levy said.
“This five-day mission is about making deeper connections with Western Australia and helping both the international buyers and our producers to create experiences that turn into friendships first and then some great business opportunities.”
Across the five-day mission, more than 80 businesses from the seafood, dairy, meat, horticulture, packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage sectors are taking part.
CCIWA Members were some of the businesses at the Perth business matching event and said:
SmokeyQ founder and managing director Paul Lange said: “This is far the best event for presenting our range to qualified leads I have ever attended in six years. The professional approach CCIWA and DPIRD took is impressive, I really like the speed dating scenario as it made it a fair playing field for not only the buyers but the producers too. Such a great initiative for WA producers and the potential export revenue it brings to the State.”
Spinifex Brewing Co export manager Steve Jansen said: “It was great to catch up this morning. We found the Taste WA Buyers event very productive. The speed dating format worked very well with many buyers expressing an interest in progressing engagement. The connection with in-country Austrade staff was also very encouraging [regarding] support available to progress communication and establish export opportunities.”
This is the largest food and beverage buyer mission in WA since before COVID-19.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the Hon Jackie Jarvis MLC said demand for WA agribusinesses to reconnect to international markets post-COVID is strong.
“Western Australian produce is sought after for its high quality and variety, grown in one of the world’s most diverse agricultural production areas,” Minister Jarvis said.
“Taste WA and the inbound Indonesian delegation provide WA producers with the opportunity to connect directly with buyers to increase awareness of and demand for their products and develop business relationships.”
The mission is a collaboration between CCIWA’s TradeStart and WA Government agencies the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation; Invest & Trade WA; Great Southern Development Commission; and South West Development Commission.
CCIWA’s International Trade and Investment Centre (ITIC) helps businesses reduce the time, cost and risk of going global. Contact the team for a free consultation on (08) 9365 7620 or via [email protected].
