Despite a fall in Australian lamb production during 2011, strong overseas demand and tight global supplies (particularly out of New Zealand) resulted in the third largest volume of lamb exported from Australia on record.   China saw a major jump during 2011 in Australian lamb imports, up 15 per cent year-on-year, to 29,620 tonnes. This is a region identified by both Australia and New Zealand as a key growth market for lamb (and mutton). With disruptions to New Zealand supply during late 2010... ...Read more »

Patties Foods is experiencing strong demand in the foodservice market for the single-wrap version of its popular Gluten Free Meat Pie. Patties Brand Manager, Ms Kristy Vandenberghe, says “there is strong demand for the Gluten Free Pie among coeliacs, and the sales are incremental because this audience is not in the market for a regular pie. “The single-wrap format makes it easier for the out-of-home market to offer a gluten free alternative. It’s as simples as adding it to their... ...Read more »

A senior executive at food giant Cargill has said international food manufacturers should innovate more effectively to seize new markets, especially in the developing world.Cargill executive vice president Frank van Lierde was speaking at the first seminar of an event hosted by the CIAA in Brussels last Thursday (18 November), which debated the potential riches that could be earned by exports to emerging markets. Van Lierde said middle-class consumers in emerging markets were increasingly sophisticated.... ...Read more »

McCain Foods Australia has announced that unforeseeable demand for its recently launched Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato SuperFries will result in the product being temporarily out of stock. Based on anticipated sales, the supply of McCain Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato SuperFries will run out in late October, and will be back on the market by mid December 2010, once the new crop is harvested. McCain was able to secure an additional amount of Thin Cut stock to meet demand and achieve continuity of supply. Nicki... ...Read more »

Increased demand and widespread rain have boosted the outlook for post-farm gate agribusinesses, with the March Quarterly Agribusiness Survey from the National Australia Bank (NAB) showing improved confidence. NAB’s General Manager of Agribusiness, Khan Horne, said both domestic and export demand have lifted. “Survey respondents reported an increase in export sales for the first time since March 2008. This is expected to continue, although slowly, because of the high Australian dollar... ...Read more »

The latest push to cut salt (or sodium, as our US cousins call the ingredient) from packaged foods has taken off across the Atlantic, much to the satisfaction of consumer advocates. However, for all the laudable moves by some of the largest food manufacturers in the US, there remains a concern that their plans to cut salt may not gain the traction needed to improve public health – for the simple notion that consumer demand for low-sodium or sodium-free foods is in question. Kraft Foods, Heinz... ...Read more »

China’s dairy sales are starting to recover from the damage done by the melamine scandal last year, Philip Turner, managing director at Fonterra China, has revealed. “Sales were substantially damaged. We’re probably back to where we were in August last year. From now, we expect growth will revert to trend, at about 9-10% per year,” Turner said on the sidelines of a nutrition conference in Beijing this week. Fonterra is the largest exporter of dairy products to China. The company... ...Read more »

Finding consensus in the UK organic food movement can be like nailing jelly to a wall. Rapid growth in the last 15 years has meant organics has major brands with multinational backers (think Green & Black’s or Rachel’s Organic). But, hundreds of smaller, regional producers also battling the downturn remain – meaning the sector houses many different views over how to move organic forward. Tuesday (22 September) in London, the Organic Trade Board, laid out its plans to reignite... ...Read more »

The Australian beef industry is likely to have weathered the worst of the turbulent trading conditions arising from the global economic and financial crises, with early signals that beef demand is now more resilient – according to Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) 2009 Cattle Industry Projections – Mid Year Update. Domestic and global beef demand was more severely impacted by the economic turmoil over the first half of this year than anticipated, but MLA believes the signs... ...Read more »

The growth of Australia’s burgeoning organic food sector has stagnated this year, according to some of the country’s leading players. Australian sales of organic products rose dramatically between 2004 and 2007, reaching around $600 million on growth of up to 30% per annum for some sectors. Farm-gate sales soared 80 per cent in the same period. However, despite reports of resilience just a few months ago, there are concerns that this year will see flat growth – a far cry from previous... ...Read more »