Milking Australia–China links to further dairy industry prospects

Only New Zealand, the USA and the EU produce more dairy products than Australia, which is currently responsible for 6% of the world’s dairy products. There is real potential for the Australian dairy industry to establish itself in the higher value Chinese export market.

Last week, leading Monash University researchers, dairy industry partners and representatives from China’s biggest food company, the state-owned COFCO Corporation, attended the inaugural Australia-China Joint Research Centre (ACJRC) Symposium in dairy manufacturing.

The ACJRC, an initiative supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science, is a virtual centre that links researchers in the field of dairy manufacturing at Monash University and Soochow University in China.

By showcasing the capabilities of the Chinese and Australian research partners, the symposium has furthered collaboration between the two countries and provided real potential for the development of the Australian dairy industry.

The director of the ACJRC in Future Diary Manufacturing, Monash University Professor Cordelia Selomulya, said: “There is increasing competitive pressure on the Australian dairy industry, with the USA and EU looking to expand into the Asia–Pacific region. Whilst Australia cannot compete on volume, our industry should focus on adding value by creating premium products.

“The Australian dairy industry is consistently faced with challenging economic and seasonal conditions and, with the middle-class population across Asia expected to grow to more than three billion people by 2030, there are real opportunities for the industry.”

Earlier this year, Monash University struck an historic agreement with the Nutrition and Health Research Institute (NHRI), part of the COFCO Corporation.

The Chinese deal is the first agreement signed by COFCO and an Australian organisation. It sees Monash University’s new multimillion-dollar Food Innovation Centre enter into a strategic partnership with COFCO NHRI as part of its overall food and agricultural innovation strategy.