9 April 2025
I want to acknowledge our many Japanese friends and partners this evening, including Hirano san from Zensho, Tsukamoto san from Rokko Butter, Nosaka san from Nozawa & Co and Tanaka san from KI Fresh Access.
A warm welcome to participants in the Australia Food and Wine Collaboration, including Meat and Livestock Australia, Dairy Australia, Hort Innovation, Seafood Australia and Wine Australia.
Thank you for giving me the chance to offer some brief remarks at this wonderful Taste the Wonders of Australia Dinner.
Australia produces safe and sustainable produce.
Our commitment to quality is unwavering.
We are a reliable supplier - with companies focused on partnership and respectful of their contractual obligations.
Our industry has long been committed to working with Japan.
Japan is one of our most important markets - indeed our third largest agricultural export market, with many years of successful trade in red meat, grains and oilseeds, dairy, tuna and citrus.
But we come as long-term partners not merely as sellers of product.
We provide inputs for further processing, as our dairy industry has shown for decades.
We work together on industry capacity building.
We collaborate on counter-seasonal trade - and we have more potential to unlock in that area.
We welcome Japanese investment in Australian production and in our supply chains to our mutual benefit.
We have experience as an exporter and marketer of premium product to share with Japanese industry.
We follow the trade rules and abide by commitments.
As a nation, Australia wants Japan to succeed and like all nations, including our own, we know to succeed you need a strong agriculture sector and assurances about food security.
In these and many other endeavours, Australia is looking to remain your partner and to develop even closer links in future.
Our industry is here not for a short time but for the long term.
Looking to grow together with Japanese friends and to learn from each other.
In that spirit of partnership, please enjoy the wonderful food and wine on offer this evening.
おたのしみください。