The Australian Meat Industry Council has announced the signing of a new memorandum of understanding with Chine to guide Australia’s $2 billion export trade.
AMIC CEO Patrick Hutchinson signed The China Australia Red Meat Agreement (CARMA) MOU with the China Meat Association on behalf of the Australian Meat Industry Council, Meat & Livestock Australia and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation.
Hutchinson: “China is the biggest export market for Australian meat, and maintaining and enhancing our relationship with this critical partner is essential for the future of our industry.
“This MOU serves to reinforce the strong value our sector places on the relationship and our great respect for China as a very important trading partner.”
In the latest year Australia exported more than 172,000 tonnes of beef, 45,000 tonnes of lamb and 39,000 tonnes of mutton to China.
Unlike the live export trade, meat is a value-added product with processing ranging from feedlot feeding, processing and chilling to the production of restaurant inputs and ready to eat meal products.
Hutchinson said: “The aim of this MOU is to establish long-term and formal cooperative relations, strengthen effective and practical food safety processes and enable bilateral exchanges around technical know-how, marketing, and research and development investment.
“Ultimately, the MOU will help secure trade outcomes that are beneficial to all parties.”
The longer-term aims of the agreeent include development of both sides’ red meat industries, an enhanced supply chain for Australian meat into China, and working to streamline product specifications and labelling requirements.
Picture: AMIC
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