Wednesday, 09 September 2015 15:00

Asia there for the taking

Written by 

Asia may not be far from Queensland’s doorstep but the challenges of catering to the export market are great, says an Australian dairy leader.

Norco Dairy Co-op deputy chair Tony Wilson says the road to China had not been easy for the company.

“The tyranny of distance is still a challenge for Australia, but the size and scope and proximity to Asia cannot be ignored,” Wilson says.

In the past 12 months, Norco has managed to set up systems so that fresh milk is sent to China within seven days of production. It achieved faster regulatory and logistics access, and a direct selling trail online. 

The co-op also developed a smartphone app that allows customers to trace information on when the milk was packaged, and it will tell where it was produced.

“Slowly but surely the potential in China is being realised,” Wilson says.

Norco’s sales in China had grown ten-fold in the past year “and there was more to come,” he said. The Norco brand is now available in many cities in China.

Bruce Warren, head of Japfa Comfeed, an agribusiness firm, told the conference the opportunities in Indonesia are immense and that Australian producers needed to be “bold”. “Unless we jump in boots and all now, we’re going to be left behind.”

More like this

Oz farmers' election wishlist

Australian farmers advocate NFF says this year’s Federal Election will be a defining moment for Australian agriculture.

Featured

Horticulture exports hit $8.4B, surge toward $10B by 2029

A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter