A plateful of Victoria

Governor Alex Chernov (pictured far right) of the Australian state of Victoria has been on a tour of the Middle East, following the celebration of Victoria Week in Dubai.
“The region is very important to Victoria. It is our third-most important trading partner after China and South East Asia,” Alex Chernov tells GN Focus.

Victoria is considered the food basket of Australia, with the largest food exporting state being home to more than 2,000 food processing companies and producing goods valued at around A$9 billion (Dh34.1 billion) a year.

The F&B focal point

“This year saw the largest-ever delegation of F&B companies to the UAE, with more than one hundred  participating. The UAE is becoming a focal point as is evident from the fact that the next year’s delegation of companies is likely to be even larger, with about 150 companies coming in a trade delegation in February-March 2012,” says Chernov.

The introduction of Victoria Week came only a few months after the Victorian Government’s decision to bring Australia’s largest-ever trade mission to the region.
In February 2012, the Victorian Government signalled its intentions to ramp up trade engagement with the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. The state’s first multi-industry trade mission saw more than 100 organisations from Victoria’s food and beverage, infrastructure, water and agribusiness industries visiting the region.
The trade mission, led by the Victorian Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Louise Asher, is expected to lead to an annual increase in exports of at least A$235 million over the next two years, according to the participating Victorian companies.

Dairy in demand

Some 100 Victorian food companies export directly to the Mena region, with many other products exported indirectly to the UAE and other GCC countries. Victorian food and beverage exports to the Middle East and North Africa were worth A$988 million per annum.

The dairy industry is the largest food sector in Victoria with an estimated A$6.6 billion annual turnover; this accounts for 85 per cent of Australian dairy exports in value and volume and represents 13 per cent of total globally traded dairy products, including powdered milk, cream cheese and butter.

The week started off with an official launch in Dubai at Atlantis, The Palm, attended by celebrity chef and Masterchef Australia judge George Calombaris.
A masterclass showcasing Victorian produce was hosted by fellow Melbournian Mark Patten, Vice-President Culinary, Atlantis, The Palm, who supervised his team of talented chefs cooking dishes live for the audience to taste and review. Adding a distinctly Victorian flavour to the launch was the presence of the famous Emirates Melbourne Cup, brought all the way to Dubai by the Victoria Racing Club in conjunction with a delegation of senior equine industry representatives.

Other activities included a ‘Put Victoria on Your Table’ dinner with gourmet Victorian food and beverage, which saw some of the region’s top government and business leaders attending, and an equine luncheon to showcase the Emirates Melbourne Cup and Victoria’s breadth of capability in the equine industry.

The State Government of Victoria operates the Victorian Government Business Office (VGBO) in Dubai, which has been promoting Victorian trade, investment and the education sector in the Mena region for the past 14 years.

Areas of focus

“Our office here, under the stewardship of John Butler, Commissioner to the Middle East and North Africa for the State Government of Victoria, has been doing really well,” says Chernov, citing the export of Camrys from the Toyota factory as an example. “We have a big manufacturing plant for Camry cars in Melbourne. And I know that about 85 per cent of them are exported to this part of the world,” he says.

Education has also been an area of focus during the governor’s visit, which included a meeting with His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and a visit to the Victoria School in Sharjah.
“We have had some very fruitful discussions on education. Education is an area where Victoria has a lot to offer the Middle East. I was enthused to see the focus on education in various parts of the region,” says the Governor. 

Between 2002 and 2010, enrolments from Middle Eastern students in Australia grew at an average annual rate of 29 per cent. In Victoria during this period, enrolments from Middle Eastern students grew at an average annual rate of 31 per cent.
“Melbourne is known for its multicultural society. Nearly half the population of Melbourne was either born outside or has parents that were born elsewhere,” says Chernov.