Singapore-based GrowHub is utilising the WA Government’s strong ties with the South-East Asian nation to help small-scale producers across Western Australia access new export markets.
A shipment in mid-December included raw honey; black barley; craft beer and cider; and handcrafted wine packaged in cans.
GrowHub, founded by FundSingapore, is the key strategic partner to the WA Food Innovation Precinct.
CRC participants Peel Development Commission and the Shire of Murray established the GrowHub relationship with the vision of connecting Peel region and other Western Australian food producers with organisations in Singapore, helping them to access opportunities for expansion and supporting local value-added processing.
The GrowHub initiative is enabling Peel DC and Shire of Murray realise this vision by helping local SMEs trial, market-test and export their products, initially to Singaporean consumers, with a view to expansion into other Asian markets.
Late in 2021, Wide Open Agriculture signed an exclusive agreement with GrowHub to distribute its oat milk, OatUP, in Singapore. Now, regional producers including Shark Bay’s Thorny Devil, Margaret River’s Small Things Wine, Swan Valley’s The House of Honey and Delicious award-winner Black Barley Australia are trialling their products in the Singapore market, looking to ink distribution contracts.
A December 2021 shipment from WA to Singapore included craft beer and cider, handcrafted wine in cans, raw honey and black barley. It closely followed Wide Open Ag’s 40-foot container shipment of OatUP milk via GrowHub.
The goods exported so far total $1.2 million per year; this is forecast to increase by around 300 per cent within one to two years, and to expand to include trial shipments to Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The Singapore trade opportunities were established through Peel Development Commission’s Agri-Innovation Precinct initiative, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA), Shire of Murray and GrowHub.
Stay tuned for details of an upcoming CRC event with GrowHub and the WA Food Innovation Precinct (WAFIP), focused on trade opportunities in South-East Asia for Australian food and beverage producers.
Source: Local products access new export markets through GrowHub I Peel Development Commission