Leaders of some of Australia's most prominent agriculture representative groups were in Taiwan this week in a collaborative effort to increase export opportunities for Australia's premium wine and food.
The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group, which includes Wine Australia along with Meat & Livestock Australia, Hort Innovation, Dairy Australia and Seafood Industry Australia, held a series of trade development events in Taipei on Monday, meeting with 200 Taiwanese representatives from the wine, food and trade sector, restaurateurs, importers and trade officials.
The Collaboration Group held roundtable trade discussions and a press conference, followed by individual workshops, where Taiwanese wine and food industry representatives gained valuable experience working with Australia's premium products.
The day ended with the Taste the Wonders of Australia Gala Dinner, where 110 representatives from Taiwan's wine, food and trade industry had the chance to enjoy some of Australia's premium wines, along with beef, lobster, fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and dairy products.
Wine Australia CEO Dr Martin Cole said one of the highlights of the day was the Wine Australia Masterclass workshop.
"The masterclass was a fantastic opportunity to really educate people from the trade about Australia's wine offering," Dr Cole said. "Australia has 65 wine growing regions and more than 100 grape varieties – it's a continent of wine, not just a country of wine. And there's real interest in that diversity, especially from the younger generation of Taiwanese."
Dr Cole said the events attracted many the key industry representatives who play an important role in increasing demand for Australian wine, from the Taiwanese sommeliers' association to wine importers, food service representatives and retail suppliers.
"It was great to have so many important people all in the one room, and give them the opportunity to experience premium Australian wine, paired with beautiful, quality produce," Dr Cole said.
"It was such a good way to build relationships, there was even talk of reciprocal visits to Australia."
Taiwan is regarded as a stable and long-standing market for Australia's agriculture exports, with a growing middle class and an increasing demand for premium safe produce.
The Taiwanese population is known for having a high discretionary spend, with more than a quarter of the average income spent in the food service industry.
Dr Cole said there are clear and significant opportunities in Taiwan for Australian wine producers.
"We are seeing real interest not just from the premium end, but from a range of other customers – the bistros, the mainstream supermarkets," he said.
"There's a new, younger generation of Taiwanese consumers who are willing to try a diverse range of wines. There are real opportunities for growth in this market."
This is the fifth export market to be visited by the Australia Food and Wine Collaboration Group, following similar export and trade development activities in Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Indonesia over the past two years.
"Collaborative trade missions such as this provide the ideal platform to better understand the market opportunities, present the quality and safety credentials of Australian produce and share food and wine that brings people together," Dr Cole said.
The investment by the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group is supported by an Agriculture Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant. The Collaboration Group's next market focus is Japan, in 2025.
