- JEDDAH: A food trade delegation from Australia's State of Victoria, described as the "Food basket of Australia," ended its five-day visit to the Kingdom on Wednesday.
- "We have succeeded in our mission by conducting a tour of the Kingdom and studying its food requirement and food security program," Kassem Younes, regional commercial manager, MENA, at Dubai-based Victorian Government Office, said.
Victoria is Australia's largest food exporting state, and with more than 2,000 food-processing companies and goods valued at more than $9 billion, is known as the country's food basket. There are almost 100 Victorian food service companies currently exporting to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a value of around $762 million, and many other products being exported directly to Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries.
"The state of Victoria is well equipped to support this market with a favorable climate high quality soils and world-class industry standards leading to the production of superior products and services for export," he said. "Our food-processing companies reflect the quality and sustainability of our food industry and they have the most diverse range of goods and services on offer for the Kingdom and other parts of the MENA region," he added.
"The Saudi market is an increasingly important market for us, especially as the Kingdom is pursuing a food security program and is keen on investing overseas to meet its food requirement," he said.
The Kingdom is the sixth largest trade partner for Victoria in terms of the two-way trade, the spokesman said, adding that the Kingdom remains the largest export market in the Middle East. Last year, Australia exported to the Gulf 1.4 billion Australian dollars of vehicles and automobile spare parts, with the Kingdom accounting for the largest share. "We are looking for Saudi businessmen to invest in Victoria and the rest of Australia," he added.
The mission included companies involved in lamb products, dairy products, foodstuffs, sauces and cheeses, he said, adding that Victoria's dairy industry is the largest food sector in the state with an estimated 6.6 billion Australian dollar annual turnover. The state's grains industry including wheat, barley and pulses, as well as horticulture industry with a diverse range of product categories including fruit, vegetables, juices, nuts and meat accounts for major exports to the Gulf, MENA and other parts of the world.