WA food producers win contracts from Singapore expo

Western Australian food and beverage producers who participated in a major trade expo in Singapore last week have negotiated new export contracts worth millions of dollars.

Agriculture Minister Ernie Bridge, who accompanied the WA delegation to Singapore and arranged a special stand to display their produce, said the exercise had been an outstanding success.

About 40 WA growers and exporters, representing 28 local companies, attended the Food and Hotel Asia '92 expo at the World Trade Centre in Singapore.

They exhibited produce ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables, wines and fruit juices, to a variety of meats, including emu, ice-cream products, seafood, and even native flowers and flowering pot plants.

Mr Bridge said he understood 10 of the WA companies negotiated new export contracts directly as a result of participating in the expo.

A further nine, who had previously commenced discussions with Asian importers, were able to further progress their negotiations during the event.

"While the detail is still being collated, it appears that contracts worth well in excess of $10 million will be in place by the end of 1992," Mr Bridge said.

"This is an enormous achievement and shows that Western Australian produce is easily able to stand up to the intense scrutiny which occurs during a major trade expo of this kind."

Mr Bridge said the WA exhibitors stressed the close proximity of Western Australia to Asian markets and the advantage this provided in ensuring 'fresh' produce was available to Asian markets.