Food: WA's going for growth

AT 4.30am, fisherman Dave Thompson rises to pull rock lobster pots from the ocean off Cervantes. The third-generation cray catcher is at the helm of a multi million-dollar business, but that doesn’t stop him hitting the seas each day.

One of the state’s largest processors, the Indian Ocean Rock Lobster Company exports 95 per cent of the catch it receives. Much of it reaches a dinner plate in Asia 48 hours after leaving the Indian Ocean.

“I do my marketing while I’m out on the boat,” says Thompson.

“I use WeChat (a free messaging and calling app) to talk to the Chinese. They always ask about the weather so I tell them it’s wild and send them a video of the seas.”

Hours later, in another part of the state, a crack team of truffle-hunting dogs runs through rows of inoculated trees, sniffing at dark Manjimup soil for the unmistakable perfume of black gold.

Gently removed from the earth, truffles that retail for about $2500 per kilogram are then washed, fan dried and graded beneath the bright LED lights of desk lamps.

By lunchtime, temperature-controlled packs are being chauffeured to Perth and flown to up to 11 different destinations in a day.

“For Japan, it’s under 24 hours from when they’re taken out of the ground to arriving in a restaurant,” says Alex Wilson, senior sales and marketing manager at The Truffle & Wine Co.

The largest producing trufferie in the Southern Hemisphere exports 90 per cent of its products to some 30 destinations globally.

"Taiwan is a bit more tricky,” Wilson says. “It could be 36 hours, and the same for Korea.”

Both businesses are at the forefront of what could be Western Australia’s next big opportunity: food.

As affluent populations continue to grow in Asia and concerns over food safety and quality persist, WA’s status as a clean, safe food producer may be its ticket to a strong economic future.

“The Chinese market is very receptive to Australia because we’ve got pristine waters and environment,” says Thompson.

“They go from China to Hong Kong just to buy milk for their children, and they want to buy our milk because we’ve got such a great name, and because of the amount of protocols we have to meet to get into that export environment.”

It’s an opportunity that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the state’s mining magnates, with Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forrest both buying up huge stretches of WA’s agricultural land.
Rinehart also financially backs Bannister Downs dairy and Forrest owns Harvey Beef, WA’s biggest meat processor.

Meanwhile, media mogul Kerry Stokes and Harvey Norman retailer Gerry Harvey are also spending big on rural properties, with Chinese investors not far behind.

Recognising the opportunity, the State Government has launched a new $8.1 million, three-year initiative aimed at boosting WA’s international reputation as a food producer of excellence.

Its newly minted brand, Western Australia Worth Sharing, will support WA exporters as they push into Asian markets.

“We’re seeing the growth of huge cities in Asia, with people moving from rural environments to cities. As a result there’s a change in their diet, and they want safe, high quality food.”

The key lies in Asian consumers learning more about the diversity of WA’s food industry, and exporters increasing volumes and ensuring quality is at the top of the scale.

Barnett says while WA’s major agricultural products, such as wheat, barley and canola are well known, along with wool, beef and lamb, it’s time producers gained greater recognition.

He points to abalone grown on artificial reefs in Augusta, oranges farmed in Moora and honey collected from pristine, chemical-free environments around the state.

“WA covers a land mass of 2.5 million square kilometres. It means we go from temperate in the south to sub tropical in the north, and it’s the same with different sea temperatures across the coast, so there’s a huge range of products we can do. That’s unique in the world.”

Western Australia’s high-level biosecurity is another attractive element, with pest and disease-free status for many animals and plants.

“Australia has the natural protection of being an island and Western Australia has added protection by being separated from the rest of the country by desert,” says Barnett.

Fisherman Dave Thompson is pleased the Government is throwing its weight behind WA agribusiness, spreading the word on its status as a high quality producer of safe, traceable food.

“Whatever we can get out into the world market has got to be good for the state, good for the country. It’s export dollars,” he says.

“That’s what bringing money into the country. Everyone gets a lick of the lolly.”

Truffles are in hot demand around the globe, but while France, Italy and Spain are recognised as producers, it’s still a surprise to many that the luxury goods are produced in Western Australia.

The Truffle & Wine Co’s Alex Wilson says the State Government’s new push, via the Western Australia Worth Sharing branding initiative, will benefit WA producers large and small.

“We’re an established brand in places like Singapore, but we’re not well known in places like the Philippines,” he says. “If it can help expand the message of Australian truffles across all of Asia, people will hopefully buy more. It’ll help everyone.”

He hopes greater recognition will encourage smaller WA producers – across all food industries – to embrace the export trade, leading to more jobs and benefits to local communities as companies grow.

“We’re a large employer – we have 40 people working for us in truffle season. That’s 30 to 40 families that are benefiting because we’re so busy,” he says.

“Manjimup has a population of 8000 people, there’s no traffic light in town and it’s the number one spot in Australia for truffles. With more success, there will be more families involved, and more dollars in pockets. Whether it’s beef,wine or avocadoes, a rising tide lifts all boats.”

Western rock lobster exporter Dave Thompson says food holds extra significance in many Asian countries – something that’s important for WA exporters to understand.

“The Japanese like small, live crays,” says the managing director of the Indian Ocean Rock Lobster Company.

“When crays are cooked, the tail bends over. In a wedding ceremony, that represents a man and a lady in their older years. We’ve also got to sell crays with their feelers attached and undamaged, because they represent the length of the marriage.”

In China, things are different: “They like to have banquets of 10 to 15 people or more, so they might have one big thumper. They might cut it up and cook it in a sauce dish with its head sticking up.”

Truffle marketer with The Truffle & Wine Co, Alex Wilson is also across the Asian market’s likes and dislikes.

“Japanese clients are very strict on provenance; they won’t accept a single truffle except for the ones from our farm. That way they can go to their chefs and tell them which farm it comes from,” he says.

“In Korea, all they want is the perfect shape. It’s not aroma as much, or haggling over price, it’s just the perfect aesthetic shape. They’ll pay a premium for a golf ball round shape.”

He says Singaporeans make up the majority of international visitors to The Truffle & Wine Co’s property. Tourists can dine at the restaurant, go on a guided hunting tour with the dogs, or do a free wine tasting.

“They come here to have an experience. You can get your feet dirty and hands amongst it. Then they go back Singapore and want to buy our stuff over there,” Wilson says.