As part of their strategy to boost exports to Europe, Australian macadamia and almond producers plan to command a strong presence at the SIAL food exhibition in Paris, France, which will take place on 19-23 October.

According to the Australian online newspaper The Land, nine Australian exporters will attend the show on a combined stand hosted by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL).

Over the last 12 months, exports of macadamias, almonds and dried fruits to Europe were valued at €31.8m (A$62m). In addition, during the 2007/08 season, Europe imported a record 5,800 tonnes of Australian macadamias.

Wayne Prowse, HAL’s export development manager, told The Land that although macadamia supply was down by 25 per cent this year, exporters and growers were focused on the long-term prospects.

“We're really looking to raise the profile of Australian macadamias in France with a view to influencing foodservice to include macadamias in their product range,” he said.

“We also want to attract supermarket buyers who would introduce macadamias to their nut range and highlight the Australian origin on the pack,” Mr Prowse added. “Australian macadamias are currently sold in French supermarkets such as Auchan and Leclerc marketed under a German brand, however there is a lot of potential for growth in France and across Europe as a whole and we aim to tap into that at SIAL.”

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