SA exports ready for take off to Singapore

South Australia has secured direct flights to Singapore to offload $2 million of premium local exports each week, ending a difficult period for local producers who have had to send their produce to other interstate airports.

Adelaide will get a single direct flight to Singapore each week. Picture: File

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South Australia has secured direct flights to Singapore to offload $2 million of premium local exports each week.

The announcement ends a difficult period for local producers who have had to send their produce to other interstate airports – putting long held contracts at risk.

Under the deal struck by the Federal and State Government Adelaide will get a single direct flight to Singapore each week so that high quality produce can get to key markets across Asia.

About 40 tonnes of produce will go out in the belly of a passenger plane with an estimated value of $2 million each flight.

In 2019 key exports markets included fish to Japan, worth $136 million, lamb, goat and pork to China, $72 million, crustaceans to Hong Kong, $24 million, and beef to South Korea, $23.8 million.

Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham told The Advertiser Singapore is one of the regions standout freight hubs enabling the exports to not just hit the Singapore market but to be then shipped on to arrange of other destinations

“South Australian exporters fight so hard to win contracts in export markets And the last thing that we can afford is for them to lose those contracts because they can’t get their goods to market,” he said.

Premier Steven Marshall said the flight is a game-changer for local exporters that need to keep freight moving into key international markets.

Limestone Coast Fishermen’s Co-operative spokesman Justin Phillips welcomed the flight.

“Our business, and others within the industry, support a significant workforce of both casual and permanent employees ranging from managers and administrative staff to truck drivers and factory workers and, without an assured route to market, there is no certainty or job security for any of these people,” he said.

Mr Phillips said continuity of supply to the market is critical to maintain SA’s market position “as well as the valued relationships established over many years with our buyers.”

Singapore Airlines’ Regional Vice President for South West Pacific Philip Goh said the airline looked forward to carrying chilled lamb, tuna, fruit and vegetables as well as wine and manufactured products for the mining and aerospace sectors.

Nathan Bevan, Managing Director of Pakfresh, the company that handles perishable exports to Singapore from the Adelaide Airport, said the deal will enable the state’s “most valued primary producers to have the ability to maintain a market presence globally.”