WA oat milk and black barley en route to Singapore as part of new export agreement

A hunger for WA produce has seen home-grown oat milk, barley, honey, wine and beer leave the State’s shores for the Singapore market earlier this month. It comes as a State Government-led initiative aimed at exploring new trade opportunities for small local businesses sent its first shipment to market to test their product in the island nation. The Agri-Innovation Precinct initiative has an export value of $1.2 million a year and is projected to increase 300 per cent in the next two years, expanding trial shipments to Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia Among the companies involved is Williams-based and ASX-listed company Wide Open Agriculture, which has made huge strides in 2021. The company has secured lucrative export agreements with several countries on its mission to export 1.5 million litres of its OatUP oat milk by the end of financial year. Managing director Ben Cole said the company had signed an exclusive agreement with GrowHub — which facilitates the export and overseas marketing of the products participating in the initiative — to distribute OatUP in Singapore. The first shipment was a few weeks ago, with the second 40-foot container being shipped this week. “The Singapore market is a premium food market,” he said. “It’s gone really well — whenever you do a shelf fill you’ve got to show that it’s leaving the shelf and the second shipment show that’s happening which is great. “There’s so much global demand for quality oat milk and they love the story of WA, carbon neutrality and regenerative farming.” Mandurah craft beer and cider producer Thorny Devil, Subiaco’s “wine in a can” maker Small Things Wine, Swan Valley honey farm House of Honey and barley producer Black Barley Australia — which sources grain from New Norcia and Beverley — have now joined WOA in exporting to Singapore. The Peel Development Commission, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, Shire of Murray and GrowHub — which was founded by Fund Singapore and is a critical strategic partner of the WA Food Innovation Precinct — are delivering the initiative. WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the initiative put local businesses on the path to bigger-scale exports. “The WA Food Innovation Precinct is already getting runs on the board for local food producers before it has even opened its doors — a fantastic achievement for the Peel region and the State,” she said. Over the next 12 months WOA will look to ship 250,000L through the initiative, with Mr Cole confident demand for plant-based milk will continue to rise, suggesting market penetration in some countries could be as much as 50 per cent.