AU: Trial Cathay flight has ag exporters hopeful
Story Fresh vegetable growers Geoff and Anne Story watched with excitement as the Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-8 loaded two tonnes of their ready-to-eat salads.
Mr Story said with time of the essence for lettuce and baby spinach, the shipment saved a full day in transport.
"We'll get our product onto an Asian plate faster than we currently do onto a Melbourne plate, and we serve them every day of the working week," he said. "Today for us was a unique opportunity, particularly going into Subways in Hong Kong."
Mrs Story said: "We see this as an export trial shipment, to show we can get Australian products across into their supply chain, with excellent quality and food safety.''
About 1000 producers and residents welcomed the historic flight about 2.30pm yesterday.
Mr Story said he was utilising about 70 per cent of their field production ability and about 60 per cent of the processing ability.
For Story Fresh, the prospect of shipping out of Wellcamp airport was a game changer.
Source: thechronicle.com.au