Our Region Bound for Korea

Six local agtech and food and beverage companies are embarking on a six-day trade delegation to South Korea to understand the Korean agriculture, food and beverage landscape, and will follow the supply chain meeting with buyers and fostering long term connections along the way.

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise members Wearing Memories Wine Merchant, Gooralie Free Range Pork, Inglewood Organic, Down Under Farming, FutureFeed and Harvest Ant are the delegates representing a diverse portfolio of products across pork, chicken, jujubes, figs, seltzers, methane reducing livestock feed and smart tags for harvesting efficiencies.

TSBE Trade and Market Development Coordinator Molly Wagner said Korea is a sophisticated market with a well-educated population who highly regards Australian produce and technology.

“We have identified the potential to capitalise on Korea’s demand for food security, efficiencies in harvest production and consumer appeal for sustainable proteins,” Molly said.

“With the assistance of an Australia Korea Foundation grant, delegates are able to actively pursue new sales and generate strong export leads to grow sustainable relationships between businesses in regional Southern Queensland and Korea.”

Australia’s largest privately owned free range pork producer, Gooralie Free Range Pork, Owner Mark Ladner said this trade mission will identify openings into the food service and retail market.

“Pork is a staple product in the Korean diet, with most dishes incorporating it in some form as over two million tonnes of pork is consumed in Korea,” Mark said.

“We are aiming to supply the Korean market with our clean and green product via our boxed pork product as well as our whole carcass option,” Mark said.

Down Under Farming Owner Lynda Johnson is using this trade delegation as a study tour to shape their business plan for future export.

“Down Under Farming is new to export, so we are eager to understand what is involved in exporting to Korea from a regulatory perspective,” Lynda said.

“Queensland fruit fly prevents us from exporting fresh produce, but we have expanded our business capabilities to offer dried product and would like to explore what other value add opportunities are available in Korea.”

The cohort will be in market from 17 June 2023 to 23 June 2023.