October 6, 2014
Australia's organic poultry producer to re-enter Asia
Australia's largest organic poultry producer, Inglewood Poultry Farm, is preparing to re-enter the Asian market.
The company, which is a subsidiary of RM Williams Agricultural Holdings, entered into receivership last year, and reportedly owed around US$60 million to the Wespac Bank.
Inglewood Farms has since been bought by the Youngberry family, which has been working to re-establish trade links in Hong Kong, according to ABC Rural.
The company's CEO, Katrina Hobbs, told the ABC's Queensland Country Hour that developing niche markets is the way into the Asian market.
"We are quite small when it comes to feeding somewhere like China," Ms. Hobbs said.
"We need to look for niche markets that we can handle and we need to look for the right partners and build the relationships. It's not about profiting from one deal, it's about the future," she added.
Ms. Hobbs said chicken exports to Hong Kong, which will start soon, will complement the local side of the business.
Its first shipment could be chicken wings and thighs, according to her.
"In Australia, we tend to have more of a demand for the breast so it's great to have a utilisation of the carcase."