Food & Fibre Grants Boost Queensland's Agri-Food Exports

• The Palaszczuk Government and industry are teaming up to grow international exports of outstanding Queensland produce.
• The Food and Fibre to Market: Industry Partnerships Program (FF2M) will provide $600,000 to eight industry organisations and grower collectives towards projects valued at $1.7 million.
• Consumers in diverse international markets including Japan; Malaysia; Singapore, India and the United States will soon be enjoying even more of Queensland's fruit, nuts, beef and seafood.

The Palaszczuk Government and industry are teaming up to increase exports of Shepard avocados, value-added avocado, macadamias, mangoes, melons, persimmons, coral trout and grain-fed beef to diverse international markets.

The Food and Fibre to Market: Industry Partnerships Program (FF2M) program will provide $600,000 to eight industry partners to co-fund supply chain and market development projects totalling $1.7 million that target markets including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, India and the United States.

The projects seek to strengthen and deepen the shared knowledge and expertise of Queensland's agricultural supply chain partners – growers, exporters, importers and retailers.

FF2M recipient, Avocados Australia will receive $100,000 towards further developing their Shepard avocado supply chains to Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Consumer research; educational workshops for importers and new marketing resources targeting both consumers and chefs will serve to fuel the growing demand in Asia for Queensland's green-skin avocados.

The project valued in total at $250,000 will provide further stimulus to the Australian avocado industry's broader international export program over the next two years. This includes funding from Hort Innovation using the Avocado research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government through the "Avocado market access and trade development" project delivered by Avocados Australia.

The other seven FF2M collaborative projects are with:

• Austchilli in Bundaberg and their grower partners: to undertake a promotional program designed to increase exports of value-added AvoFresh products to Malaysia; Singapore and Indonesia.
• Australian Macadamia Society: to develop and implement an Australian Macadamia Festival in India.
• Australian Mango Industry Association: to further develop mango industry supply chains to the United States by improving growers' export capability.
• North Queensland's Daintree Fresh and their supply chain partners: to trial a new, sweet, white-fleshed melon - Emperor's Pearl for the Japanese market.
• Persimmons Australia - to map supply chains and undertake trial shipments of persimmons to Southeast Asian markets and build growers' export capability.
• Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise: in partnership with Meat and Livestock Australia to increase Queensland's market share of grain-fed beef in the United States.
• Tropical Agri Food Industry Network: in partnership with the Australian Reef Fish Trading Company to develop fresh and frozen coral trout products and create a brand development strategy for new international markets.