THE south-east Asia region is Australia's second biggest dairy export market.
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The regions' proximity to each other brings the advantage of shorter shipping times for dairy products and a strong friendship and network that strengthens the business relationships built over many years.
The annual Dairy Australia South-East Asia Scholarship program continues to grow this network and educate buyers of Australian dairy about the country's premium products and dairy systems.
The program, first established in 2015 for southeast Asia, now has more than 100 alumni from across the region.
During the pandemic, the program moved online; however, recently it was able to bring visitors back to Australia for the first time since 2019.
The 13 delegates were from large and small manufacturers, traders and distributors of Australian dairy across the southeast Asia region.
Over a week, delegates visited factories and farms, participated in cooking and tasting sessions, and attended networking functions with processors.
The majority of the delegates had previously joined the online classes in 2021 and 2022 and were able to see for themselves the places and products they had learned about online.
The delegates were keen to learn and appreciative of the chance to finally come to Australia.
It was a jam-packed schedule, with the majority of the week spent in northern Victoria and one full day in Gippsland.
This year, for the first time, the program included a farmer round-table and a networking dinner in northern Victoria.
These events gave farmers, processors and Murray Dairy board members the chance to meet directly with buyers of Australian dairy from southeast Asia, and hear where Australian dairy is being enjoyed internationally.
The conversations gave delegates a deeper insight into the passion and challenges of dairy in the region.
Dairy Australia is grateful for all the support and enthusiasm received for running this program from across the Australian dairy industry.
Aside from the technical knowledge the delegates gain during their visit in Australia, they also come away with a positive impression of the way the industry works together to supply them with the highest quality products for their markets.
The alumni of this program form a strong network across southeast Asia of valuable supporters and promoters of Australian dairy.
Dairy Australia continues to engage with the alumni of this scholarship through its in-market programs, strengthening the relationship and building Australians knowledge and understanding about key international markets.
This article first appeared in The Australian Dairyfarmer magazine, May-June 2023 issue.
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