CQU Plant Sciences is helping with an ice-to-eskimo type project which includes the aim of exporting Asian vegetables to a Japanese company.

Plant Sciences research officer Daniel White recently met with representatives of Morita Agriculture Research Centre in Bundaberg, after Professor David Midmore received an invitation to be involved.

The Japanese company is interested in sourcing organically or naturally-produced fresh, processed and value-added food from Australia. Although production costs are often higher in Australia than in most competing Asian countries, Australian produce has a reputation for high quality and low health risk. Many Japanese consumers are prepared to pay a higher price for safer and better quality food.

Austrade Brisbane and Queensland State Development Bundaberg invited CQU to meet with the delegates regarding Asian vegetables that the Plant Sciences Group has been involved with researching and developing, and to discuss potential future involvement of CQU for collaborative research and development of specific crops of interest.

"In particular, we discussed sato-imo or Japanese taro (a type of small-corm) which is relevant to one of our current projects. The Japanese visitors were impressed by the taste and quality, and suggested processed and packaged products that they would be interested in buying. We also took them to visit local farmers who are producing the same variety of sato-imo - they were impressed by the health and progress of the crop. When product is available, local processors will be trialling a number of processing and packaging methods for assessment in Japan," Mr White said.

Photo: Japanese delegation visitor Mr Matsuo Nishimura, president of Morita Agriculture Research Centre, with CQU Plant Sciences research officer Daniel White,