THE world’s largest producer and exporter of the ancient grain chia has further international growth plans following recognition last week by the food industry for its product development.
THE world’s largest producer and exporter of the ancient grain chia has further international growth plans following recognition last week by the food industry for its product development.
The Chia Company won the highest accolade at the Food Industry Associations’ Westpac Food and Beverage Industry Awards last Friday, named the overall winner as well as securing the best retail product award.
The company was established in 2005 by managing director John Foss, who discovered the grain while researching natural solutions to modern diet-related illnesses after being awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 2001.
Mr Foss, originally a Bruce Rock wheat farmer, told WA Business News that he purposely kept a lid on the company early on to ensure demand wouldn’t outstrip supply.
“Partly, our success to date is that we were patient and we wanted to ensure we could deliver what we said we could deliver,” Mr Foss said.
“We didn’t want to promote something beyond our capacity.
“But we’ve certainly been making noise in the market for the last 18 months to two years.”
Mr Foss said chia contained the highest plant form of the ‘superfood’ ingredients omega 3, dietary fibre and protein.
During the past five years the company has created a profitable and sustainable new crop option for the Kimberley, involving Ord River region farmers, while contributing to improving the diet of Australian consumers.
“Part of our goal is to provide health and well-being, and we’ve been contributing to that globally, but the greatest satisfaction for us is to deliver returns to the Kununurra community and the Ord Valley,” Mr Foss said.
With bulk exports to the US, New Zealand and South Korea, and the introduction of value-added ingredients lines (such as chia oil, bran, powder, flour and ground chia seed), the company recently launched health products for the retail market.
Mr Foss said partnerships with Brownes, Anchor Food’s and Bakers Delight (whereby the Chia Bread Range was launched in 640 stores nationally in February) led to increased sales and a 200 per cent growth of the company in 2009-10.
In light of stage two of the Ord River scheme, Mr Foss suggested the industry would grow to $20 million over the next five years.
Other winners at the FIA awards included Wescobee Honey’s introduction to Japan for the export category, Fonterra’s Brownes Yogurt and Grains range as the most innovative, while the Dardanup Butchering Company won the marketing campaign award for its exclusive beef brand called ‘Evertender’.