Lamb Meat Pies

Well I have started my Nuffield journey. I’m in Dubai for Gulfood. It’s the worlds largest food fair and all of Dubai is booked out. It’s my third day here and I haven’t seen nearly a quarter of the displays. The displays are amazing- lots of effort put into all of them. Some pictures below- scroll over photo to read captions.

The enormity of this show is certainly driven by the fact that the Gulf countries import over 80% of their food. The potential here for Australian producers to import any fresh food is unlimited. Its a region that has incredible yet newish wealth and a growing middle class. They are also trading on the world stage which means they are driven to buy product that is of high quality product regardless of country of origin.

Australian meat certainly has a strong reputation for being high quality- in terms of food safety, reliability and eating quality. My project is very focused on exploring the potential for boxed- frozen and chilled product. The theme im seeing from this show is that the demand for product Australia is high and will continue to be. The food sector industry in the UAE is a big driver particularly for the saddle cuts- the loin and racks as well as the legs. With a new hotel going up every day and the occupancy rates well over 80% its a market we can continue to tap into. The demand for the cheaper cuts is also increasing particularly in the supermarket retail sector. I have been fortunate to spend time with a number of WA and Australian Meat processors who are represented in the Aussie stand.In particular WAMMCO who have allowed me to meet a number of their clients and ask them a host of questions. One of their many clients is a prominent meat importer who supply many of the 4, 5,6 and yes 7* hotels throughout the UAE. WAMMCO are also getting hotel chains and their chefs actively seeking their product. As a WAMMCO shareholder im proud to know that my product is regarded to be of the highest quality. Other countries such a Brazil also have a very prominent presence here at Gulfood. The Brazillian Beef stand is massive- photos dont do it justice.

Live shipments to the region are without question very important. The supply chain assurance programs that are currently being put into place with Gulf countries are causing headaches but the deadline Feb 29th to have systems in place should be satisfactorily achieved. The politics behind this issue are incredible and I certainly gauge some damage has been done. Simply were trying to impose conditions on these ME countries that we dont have ourselves- such as the requirement for traceability of EVERY animal. The Australian merino wethers relied upon for the live export trade certainly have competitors from closer countries such as Pakistan and India and Eastern African countries. The quality of this products is not perceived to be to far below that of Australian sheep. I was able to spend time today with Mauro Balzarini Executive Chairman of Wellards and Mr Elbrahim Zainl Chairman of Bahrain Livestock Co and I thank them for their time and honesty. As a farmer supplying Wellards it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what happens to my product. Also- Bahrain Livestock Co take both live and boxed product from Oz and it was great to get a perspective on the debate of live vs chilled. The cultural demand for live product will always be there and whilst Australia remains the main supplier of live animals into the middle east we know we have some control over animal welfare in the region. I have lots more to say on this issue but best not written here.

Im here with the WA Trade team organised by the Department of Food and Agriculture WA and many thanks to Carolyn Hine for including me. There are a number of companies represented- Manjimup Truffles, Coorow Seeds for example. A great team to be traveling with and some pictures below of the stand. We’ve been fortunate to go on a number of field trips.Yesterday we made a visit to a juicing and fresh fruit and veg preparation (salads etc) factory- company called Barakat Fresh. They buy a host of WA product with the potential for a lot more. As im sure your all aware this region has a low intake of alcohol so fresh juices and non-alcohol beer type products are very popular.

On a side note- Dubai is surprisingly cool and even chilly at night. Its been 6 years since I was last here and the changes are evident all around me. There is metro line which im about to take back to the Gulfood is very new- it even has a gold carriage and women only carriage. The day I arrived Dubai was engulfed in a sand storm. Its slowly clearing as is the sand in my eyes:)

Tomorrow I fly to Amsterdam. I have a free day to explore and I also have some meetings with meat importers to attend. Ive also been talking with our bank- Rabobank- who originate from Holland about setting up some visits. They may not be meat related but they will be in the agribusiness sector and looking forward to learning some new things.