Dairy exports from South Australia climb to 2024 heights, with help from governments' TradeStart advisors
South Australian government trade and investment minister Joe Svakacs (right) with Woodside Cheese Wrights chief executive and head cheese maker Kris Lloyd and The Yoghurt Shop chief operating officer Brandon Reynolds at Adelaide Central Market celebrating dairy export success with the federal and state governments' TradeStart advice extended.
Image courtesy South Australian government
South Australian dairy exports growing by 23% year on year, reaching more than $150 million per year, according to 2024 Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
South Australia exported 31.3 million kilograms of dairy products in the year to date, with all subcategories recording growth in volume and value. Trade data released by the bureau of statistics in 2024 showed:
- Cheese up 40.5% to $71.4 million
- Milk up 4.6% to $66.6 million
- Dairy other up 39.9% to $12.7 million
- Butter up 1,316.1% to $1.8 million
By country, $20.8 million worth of cheese was sold to the Philippines (+18.4 per cent), $15.9 million to China (+93.2 per cent) and $13.3 million to Thailand (+6.8 per cent). $23.4 million worth of milk was exported to Thailand (+160.5 per cent), $22.7 million to Indonesia, and $8.8 million to China.
More than 500 South Australian businesses were supported over the past 12 months in 2024 to grow their exports by TradeStart, a program funded by the commonwealth and South Australian governments.
A new agreement saw TradeStart funded until 2028, extending six advisers being employed across South Australia to specialise in helping businesses develop their export growth plans, access important grants, get expert regulatory advice, and tap into overseas in-market opportunities.
Adelaide’s The Yoghurt Shop was one of many dairy companies that saw significant export growth since engaging with TradeStart, entering three new countries in the first six months of 2024. From a single stall in the Adelaide Central Market in 2003, The Yoghurt Shop has grown significantly, now exporting to nine countries across more than 5,000 retailers.
The Yoghurt Shop first connected with the TradeStart team when it was looking for export opportunities in China. Its chief operating officer Brandon Reynolds said that having access to TradeStart advice on international markets “has given us an edge over producers internationally, and even over those of our interstate colleagues, because the TradeStart advisers are consistently across market changes, opportunities and developments”.
Also working with TradeStart, Woodside Cheese Wrights exported to the United State of America with range of cheese products demonstrating Australia’s place in world food, with thoughtful use of native Australian ingredients. The company’s chief executive and head cheese maker Kris Lloyd AM said its exporting was supported by the excellence of local biosecurity that identified the source at every process level of producing world-class milk. Lloyd said: “Our recent contracts with Wholefoods Markets and Costco in the United States of America are a testament to the appeal of our products in these highly-contested markets.”
