Federal Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott was pleased to see red and juicy cuts of beef from the region taking pride of place in Japanese and South Korean supermarkets recently.
Working towards a free-trade agreement with Japan and South Korea, Mr Scott was the deputy leader of a Federal Government delegation, which is conducting an inquiry and supporting Australia’s trade relations with the two countries.
“It was very rewarding to see our products beyond Australian shores promoting the Darling Downs,” Mr Scott said. With a poster promoting Darling Downs cattle, and meat labelled ‘Australian beef clean and safe’ it was easy to find Aussie beef cuts in South Korea.
“The delegation was told some of the meat was processed at John Dee,” Mr Scott said.
“John Dee is a major employer in Warwick supporting workers, families, growers and the town’s economy so it’s important to grow the market and get our fair share on the world stage,” he said.
Mr Scott said the Federal Government delegation’s role was to identify new markets and assist Australian companies to access existing and potential opportunities in Japan and South Korea.
“About 50 per cent of South Korea’s beef imports are sourced from Australia and Australia’s beef exports, by value, rank Japan as number one, followed by South Korea and the USA third.
“Currently Australian beef has secured the majority market share in Japan and South Korea, delivering benefits estimated between $815 million and $994 million annually.
“We are working to support a free-trade agreement with Japan and South Korea because there’s a need to ensure Australia cements its international awareness and loyalty to our beef brands and confidence in Australia’s meat safety,” he said.
