‘Australia on a Plate’ brings 1,500 products to Thai shelves
From Australian farms to Thai shopping baskets, over 1,500 Australian products are available in supermarkets across Thailand as Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite launches ‘Australia on a Plate’ in Bangkok. The campaign follows Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s visit to Australia in August.
Over 1,500 imported livestock and agricultural products are available on Thai supermarket shelves across Thailand as Australia’s Assistant Minister for Trade visits Bangkok to promote the ‘Australia on a Plate’ campaign.
The Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Assistant Minister for Immigration praised the Australia-Thailand FTA for its strong trade and investment ties, while his first visit also covered cooperation in transnational crime and regional stability.
Thistlethwaite brings the ‘Australia on a Plate’ campaign to Thai homes, citing that Australia is positioned as a trusted supplier of high-quality vegetables and fresh produce to Thailand.
His visit followed the Thai Prime Minister’s visit to Australia last month, where he was seen visiting Thai Town in Australia. Australian and Thai leaders also agreed to leverage economic engagement to strengthen supply chains while supporting greater two-way trade and investment.
“Australian products are already on top shelves and provide an important shop front for Australian food and beverages in Thailand. Today, we're launching Australia on a plate, a celebration of what Australia does best, including fresh produce, fruit, dairy, and vegetables, and premium red meat,” Thistlethwaite said.
He stated that Thais and Australians share some similarities in common, which are the love and value for each other's food, adding that this launch is an opportunity for more fresh products, including fruit and red meat from Australia, in Thai homes in a short period of time, relatively eight to nine hours.
Fresh, high-quality Australian produce could be available to Thai consumers just a couple of days after being picked, according to the assistant minister, describing this as the kind of connection Australia wanted to build between its producers, Thai retailers and Thai consumers.
Credited to the Thailand-Australia free trade agreement, he expressed that this is a win-win strategy where Australian exported goods improve smooth access to Thailand without any restrictions, such as additional tariff costs when it comes to protein products, particularly beef and lamb.
“That’s a win for Australian producers. It’s a win for Thai consumers because they get access to good quality Australian protein and products without the additional cost of a tariff or a quota restriction,” he pointed out.
In addition, he will meet Yodchanan Wongsawat, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, on education linkages between Thailand and Australia, on collaborative research and development on the challenges and effects of climate change on food security.
In his immigration portfolio as Australia's Assistant Minister for Immigration, he is also focusing on cooperation against transnational crime, including scam operations and drug trafficking.
He noted that Australia was involved in a programme to help countries in the region develop ways to combat them and he is due to meet Thailand’s tourist police as part of efforts to protect citizens of both countries.
