Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
The first of twice weekly freight flights linking Tasmanian primary producers to major Asian markets left the state today.
The first freight flight left Hobart about 1pm today and was predominantly carrying seafood. Tasmania’s key seafood exports include abalone, oysters, lobsters, salmon and wild caught fish.
From Sydney the produce is distributed to flights heading into key Asian markets including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, arriving early Thursday morning.
The Hobart-Sydney air bridge is essential for getting Tasmanian agriculture and seafood exporters back on their feet and is co-funded through the International Freight Assistance Mechanism and the Tasmanian Government’s $1 million commitment to support vital links for international air freight exports.
These additional flights are crucial to helping to keep more Tasmanians in jobs and generating more export dollars for the state, which is essential as we recover and rebuild through the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are working to assist Tasmania’s seafood and fresh produce industries, reconnecting them with international markets while also rebuilding a supply chain for our smaller exporters.
It is vital that our key markets in Asia and beyond see premium Tasmanian-grown produce on their supermarket shelves, in restaurants and on dinner tables.
The Tasmanian Government has a strategy to grow the value of Tasmanian trade to $15 billion by 2050, so it is vital to service existing trade routes while also looking for new market opportunities.
