In-Market visit to Singapore benefits local producers
LOCKYER Valley producers are reaping the benefits of a recent In-Market visit to Singapore.
Together with a host of the region's producers, Lockyer Valley Regional Council initiated an opportunity to promote the prospect of working collaboratively with the Asian market.
With the continued drop in the Australian currency and pressures from the big supermarkets in the domestic market, Council's Mayor Steve Jones said the time was right to take advantage of such an opportunity.
This trip was all about giving our producers - the growers that pour their heart and soul into the land of the Lockyer Valley - a chance to visit retailers, logistics, warehouses and cold storage providers in the Asian market.
They were able to meet relevant stakeholders, ask in-person questions about the market and see first-hand what the market is truly like.
During the five-day visit, Mayor Jones was also invited by the Singapore Government's Trade Office to speak alongside a number of guest speakers, including the Australian Trade Commissioner.
Here, he spoke to more than 100 Singapore companies about Australian Agriculture and Supply Chain Logistics and the importance of a dependable, sustainable and streamlined distribution network for progressing Australia's agricultural (particularly perishable good) exports.
Mayor Jones also met with the Deputy CEO of IE Singapore and talked about an opportunity to further promote Lockyer Valley produce to Singapore's Trade Commissioner.
The first two days of the In-Market visit allowed the participants to gain a good understanding of the market by visiting three major supermarkets, Sheng Siong, NTUC - FairPrice, and Cold Storage. These chains total more than 300 retail stores and cover the low to high-end style supermarkets.
One of the participants thanked Council for the invaluable planning and extensive work that was required for such a trip.
Relationships developed by Lockyer Valley Regional Council in Singapore have enabled our company to rapidly establish and develop connections in the market.
While another wrote:
In our particular case, discussions with a Singaporean Importer/Wholesaler have progressed rapidly. These companies are interested in both retail and food service products. Their background, experience and expertise seem like a good fit for our business. In the future, our business with this company will likely extend beyond Singapore.
Cr Jones said the overall goal of establishing an export-ready group of growers and facilitating the export of high quality produce and products into Asia was fast becoming a reality.
Already, three out of the five producers have progressed significantly and are starting to trade, while we have also heard that some of these participants have now reached out to other growers in our region to source more products.
Helping small to medium-size businesses to export contributes significantly to the local economy and is critical to ensuring a strong economic future.
We have seen from previous participant's success stories that have led to job creation, projects such as this lead to increased prosperity for our region and a positive outlook for the future of our region, he said.
For more information, contact Council on 1300 005 872 or visit www.lvrc.qld.gov.au
