日本語 Gourmet State
Aquaculture: Tasmania supplies more than a quarter of the world’s fresh abalone
About the same size as Hokkaido, Australia’s island state of Tasmania has become known internationally as the country’s gourmet state. Its reputation as one of the least polluted islands in the world has allowed Tasmania to become a leading producer for niche international food markets.
Overseas food and beverage sales into established markets earn Tasmania more than A$440m a year.
The island of delicacies is renowned for its specialty cheeses and dairy products; beef; fish and aquaculture including rock lobster, farmed Atlantic salmon, ocean trout, Pacific oysters, wild and farmed abalone and scallops; distinctive leatherwood honey; plain and flavoured mineral waters; handmade chocolates; truffles; and fresh berry fruits, apples and vegetables.
For example:
- Japanese burger giant MOS Burger (MOS is an acronym for Mountain, Ocean and Sun) searched for three years before deciding to use beef from Tasmania;
- AG & AJ Shield exports around 20,000 tonnes of apples to Japan each year; and
- Tasmania’s abalone industry supplies more than a quarter of the world’s fresh abalone market and is worth more than A$100m a year.
More exotic tastes are also catered for – Tasmania exports emu steaks, mutton birds, saffron, and wakame seaweed, and recently started commercial production of wasabi. A range of speciality field crops has been successfully commercialised in Tasmania, including buckwheat sold to Japan for the production of soba noodles.
Competitive advantages
Green and pristine: Tasmania is one of the world’s least polluted islands
Tasmania’s food industry benefits from a number of competitive advantages, including its established international reputation for quality, backed by a temperate climate, clean air, rich soils, reliable rain, clean oceans and the absence of major pests and diseases. The island state enjoys easy access to Australian and niche export markets, and has the ability to supply out-of-season fresh produce including fruit, vegetables and flowers to northern hemisphere markets.
Export nation
In 2003/4, Tasmania’s total goods exports totalled A$2.3bn – about 6% less than the state’s previous record year, although exports to Japan were slightly up. North and South-East Asian countries purchased almost 70% of the state’s exports, with Japan being Tasmania’s largest single customer (A$591.5m), larger than the state’s second and third largest trading partners combined.
Sweet solution
Where else would a Kyushu cakeshop turn for top quality fresh strawberries but Tasmania, Australia’s only state with the quarantine approval to export fresh strawberries to Japan?
Kyushu’s Mr Matsuo examined various sources of supply both within and outside Japan before meeting with staff in Austrade’s Fukuoka office. Following a trip to Australia, Mr Matsuo eventually established a company down under, Ichigo Australia. Its strawberries are grown in hot houses near Hobart during Australia’s winter, using the latest hydroponics technology and organic soil cultivation.
Ichigo Australia made its first export sales to Japan in July 2000, and intends to develop exports to 2000 tonnes a year.
Other key sectors
But there’s more to Tasmania than fine food. It is, for example, enjoying growing recognition as a location for contact centres, animation and software development, including a growing e-learning cluster. The state government is directly supporting broadband roll-out by taking direct ownership of 420km of optic fibre. Marine science is another strength – there are more than 200 marine scientists within the Hobart area, a foundation for world-class aquaculture, oceanography, fisheries, marine ecosystems, introduced pests and climate research. A key focal point for marine science activity is the Centre for Marine Science at the University of Tasmania, just one example of the state’s high quality educational services.
Meanwhile, all of Tasmania’s industries are benefiting from three major energy infrastructure projects. The first is Duke Energy International’s A$440m undersea and underground pipeline, bringing natural gas from Victoria across Bass Strait and south to Hobart. The second project, Basslink, is an undersea electricity cable linking the Tasmanian power network to the Australian national electricity grid, again via Victoria. Thirdly, Tasmania is making the most of windy weather to support wind power, with several major installations already operational.
Tourism
Tasmanian tourism is booming, with the island’s natural beauty a major tourism draw, described by Travel+ Leisure magazine as “the best island in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific” and as “the world’s best temperate island” by Condé Nast Traveler. Australia’s southernmost state is also developing its wine and sports tourism sectors, while new arts festivals – including ‘Ten Days on the Island’ (Tasmania is actually an archipelago of more than 300 islands) – are also attracting visitors beyond expectations.
>> www.development.tas.gov.au
>> www.discovertasmania.com.au
