Photo: Jia Minjie/Xinhua
SYDNEY, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Under blue skies and white clouds in the middle of summer, herds of cows grazed peacefully on the grasslands of South Gippsland, a region in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, recently. With China remaining Australia's largest importer of dairy products, the development of local companies in the Chinese market is of great importance, local businessmen and officials said.
"There are about 700 cows on the farm. We can probably produce more than 17,000 litres of fresh milk a day," farmer Clint Starley told Xinhua news agency, adding that a boom is expected this year.
Starley is one of many farmers in the South Gippsland shire, about 160km southeast of Melbourne. There are about 10 % dairy farms in this region in the state of Victoria. More than 30,000 people live in the area and seven times as many cows are raised here. With the dairy industry being one of the most important industries in the region and China remaining the largest importer of dairy products from Australia, the development of local companies in the Chinese market is of great importance, local businessmen and officials said.
"China is our largest single market and the most important market for our business," said Jon McNaught, CEO of ViPlus Dairy, one of Australia's leading manufacturers of powdered milk for nutritional and functional purposes. "China accounts for more than 80 per cent of our business," McNaught said. "We supply a mixture of products - infant formula, adult formula and pregnancy formula, as well as whole milk and skimmed milk powder."
ViPlus Dairy, which boasts a history of more than 130 years, has participated in all editions of the China International Import Expo (CIIE), held annually in Shanghai, China, since 2018. "CIIE is a very important part of our business interaction with China," McNaught said. "It's a very important part of our business with China to meet our current customers, but also to find out new trends and new deals that may come to fruition."
He said the company plans to participate in CIIE again this year to explore other opportunities in the Chinese market. While all markets around the world are going through some uncertainty, the Chinese base is still strong and the consumer market is still healthy, said the ViPlus Dairy CEO. Christian Stefani, South Gippsland Council's manager for economy, community and investment, said Asian markets, including China, South East Asia and the Middle East, are very important markets for the region for a range of products.
"We are very proud of the products that are made in South Gippsland," Stefani said. "They are famous all over the world because they are produced in a very clean and environmentally friendly environment." The local community is proud of how important the dairy sector is not only to South Gippsland but also to Victoria, the council director said. "So when people think of South Gippsland, they often think of dairy production, and we're very proud of that," Mr Stefani said.
He also hopes that more and more Chinese tourists will visit South Gippsland to experience its beautiful landscape and unique farming culture and deepen their knowledge of local dairy products.
Xinhua/gnews.com/RoZ_07
English 
Czech