A group of Queensland fruit, vegetable, nut and juice producers recently fielded more than 100 enquiries from importers and retailers at the annual food and hospitality show Gulfood in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As part of the Queensland Government’s High Value Horticulture Value Chains for the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin project, producers showcased a range of Queensland produce and gathered valuable market intelligence at the event which had more than 90,000 visitors.

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) senior industry development officer Justin Heaven said our display featured locally-produced juice, nuts, varieties of lettuce, cabbage, onions, garlic, broccoli, avocados, spinach, and a range of fruit including the much-talked about Queen Garnet plum.

“This was the first time these Queensland Murray-Darling Basin producers had exhibited their wares at the Food Innovation Australia stand, and there are now ongoing discussions with interested UAE importers and retailers about what orders might be placed,” he said.

“With growth and demand in the food sector in the UAE projected to increase, producers were able to assess whether the market is the right fit for their particular products and meet directly with purchasing managers from some of the major retailers in the UAE including Carrefour, LuLu and Choithram.

“Gulfood 2016 unveiled the latest tastes, trends and innovation for the future and allowed the delegation to identify new markets for Queensland horticultural products.”

The companies from the Murray-Darling Basin region who attended include Traprock Orchard, Avolution, Stahmann Farms, Grove Juice, Pilton Valley Produce, Story Fresh, Moonrocks and Nutrafruit.

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