Australian dairy products from Southern Queensland and northern New South Wales are on their way to Japan, marking the first international shipment from Norco’s Lismore dairy operations since before the Northern Rivers floods in 2022.
Australian authorities approved the shipment of around 20,000 tonnes of dairy products, including tubs of ice-cream, which left Brisbane on March 10. Agricultural Minister Murray Watt said it was a sweet treat for Norco and its farmers after working hard to restore the factory and make it more resilient for future weather events.
“International markets love Australian dairy, and a lot of livelihoods around the Northern Rivers and South East Queensland rely on Norco, so this first shipment after two years is an exciting step forward,” Mr Watt said.
“Norco have been export-registered with the Agriculture Department since 1983, and DAFF have been working closely with the management team at Norco to get the co-operative export-ready.
“By working closely with our exporters, we can make sure that fresh, high-quality dairy products are getting out to markets across the globe, all while guaranteeing jobs in regional Australia.”
Michael Hampson, Norco Chief Executive Officer said for more than a century Norco has been operating as an Australian farmer-owned dairy cooperative, with 281 members on 188 dairy farms, employing more than 770 staff.
This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 11 April 2024.
