Lamb from Australia to India

While one door closes another may be opening.  Australia is having difficulties selling beef or live cattle to Indonesia, but it seems another market for meat might be lamb sales to India.

Will not help northern cattle producers, but this could be an interesting option for sheepmeat producers.

It is understood that Australia is planning to sell boxed lamb meat.

The fairly dry media release follows -

Trade Minister Craig Emerson and Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig announced today that Australia had secured market access for Aussie lamb to India.  Australian lamb is being allowed into India free of quotas, based on Australia's compliance with India's food safety requirements.

"I am advised that Indians are fast developing a taste for our world renowned lamb, and that a number of Australian exporters are looking to this growing market," Dr Emerson said.  "India's economic growth is creating a rapidly expanding middle class that is looking for quality products of the sort Australia readily provides."  "India already has a middle class of around 170 million," he said.

selected lamb meat cuts
 

As the Government has highlighted in its White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century, Asia will soon be home to the majority of the world's middle class.  "Working with India to have our lamb enter this massive market is exactly the sort of cooperation we are seeking with the countries of Asia to drive Australia's prosperity," Dr Emerson said.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, said it was great news for Australian farmers.  "Australian farmers produce high quality lamb," Minister Ludwig said.  "The Gillard Government is committed to helping them take their product to the world and India is an important new growth market.  "I look forward to continuing to work with Australian producers and the Trade Minister to get the best results for Australian exporters."

Dr Emerson was in India last month for talks with his counterpart on the trade and investment relationship between the two countries.

India is Australia's fourth largest export market and the two-way trading relationship currently stands at around $18 billion.

So if visiting India and staying in hotel accomodation your next lamb korma curry might be Australian meat.