Australia opens its market to raw poultry meat imports

Following protracted negotiations, New Zealand’s largest poultry company, Tegel Group Holdings has been granted access to the Australian market for its raw poultry.

(Alexander Kalina, Bigstock)
(Alexander Kalina, Bigstock)

Following protracted negotiations, New Zealand’s largest poultry company, Tegel Group Holdings has been granted access to the Australian market for its raw poultry. Until now, poultry exports from New Zealand to Australia had to be fully cooked.

Describing the news as “a significant positive business change in market access to Australia,” Tegel has been able to assure the Australian authorities of the high standards of biosecurity and low disease prevalence in New Zealand.

According to Tegel, its poultry exports to Australia are worth AU$70 million (US$53.2 million), and represent about 1 percent of Australia’s AU$7.1-billion (US$5.4-billion) poultry market. It adds that the financial impacts of the wider market access have not been assessed.

The company will now set about obtaining the required import permits.

Tegel reaching other markets

Earlier this month, Tegel announced it had secured its first order to the Philippines. The agreement covers value-added and further processed products to a large food service operator.

Processing around 50 million birds per year at three vertically integrated operations, and with a domestic market share of about 50 percent, Tegel is New Zealand’s leading poultry producer. Its products include fresh and frozen as well as processed and value-added chicken and turkey products for the retail grocery, foodservice/industrial and quick-service restaurant sectors at home and in selected international markets.

Founded in 1961, the company’s sales in financial year 2016 amounted to NZ$582.4 million (US$421.9 million), 3.5 percent higher than in the previous year. Gross profit was up 10.9 percent at NZ$147.4 million (US$106.8 million).

Tegel was listed from the first time on the New Zealand and Australian Stock Exchanges on May 3, 2016.

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