"Plane to Plate" is a concept that sees Australia entering a new generation of sophisticated export supply chains for our high-quality primary produce. Flown from regional airports to an Asian or Middle East destination within 12 hours of harvesting, our produce could conceivably be on a plate shortly afterwards.
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Future Foods Systems Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) was funded this year under Commonwealth Government's Cooperative Research Centre Program to develop the concept. It is now exploring investment options, new and existing locations for airports in regional NSW, and two-way trade opportunities to maximise profitability and a final report is due in mid-2019.
While NSW Farmers president James Jackson said our produce held a reputation for high-quality, Armidale Regional Council CEO Susan Law said council was already negotiating for more involvement.
"The CRC is probably about monetising the food safety system. A lot of places on the planet do not produce food near as effectively and as safely as Australia," Mr Jackson said.
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"Fresh food logistics tools to support the rapid export of perishable premium goods is one of the aims of the new CRC.
"We could send fresh berries from Coffs Harbour, oysters from the Merimbula airport or lamb from Armidale directly to markets in Asia and the Middle East. The sky is literally the limit."
Mr Jackson said Armidale could find its place in the CRC system with research from the University of New England, but said he thought the export of produce from the airport could be problematic.
"Probably not every country airport will be involved in this. There may be a hub and spoke system, where produce goes out of Armidale, but goes to an aggregating airport like Toowoomba," he said.
Susan Law thought Armidale was perfectly positioned for export flights, halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.
"We're perfectly positioned in terms of the agriculture and intensive horticulture we produce in the New England region and also well positioned because we're working with the UNE on the food system CRC, and also around the logistics as well," Mrs Law said.
"I have said, and certainly the Mayor has said, there are some physical shortcomings in relation to our airport, like the runway, as well as some of the infrastructure that you need for freight.
"It's one of the reasons we've gone out for expressions of interest to look at what investment might be available for us to be able to put into the airport to reposition it beyond what it is currently."
Mrs Law said millions needed to be spent on the airport to make it suitable for freight.
"One of the issues with the runway is that it does have a "kink" in it, and there are some issues about it having flat, straight sidelines which are going to be necessary for the larger planes," she said.
"Certainly it would be easier to build a new runway rather than to attempt to adapt the existing one."
"But we're pretty excited about Plane to Plate. We have been approached by KPMG, who were appointed by the Premier, to meet with them and we're very keen to do that.
Mrs Law said the Mayor had spoken to the Member of Northern Tablelands and she understood he was very keen about it as well.
