AEGIC’s wheat experts were in Taiwan in early May delivering our Australian wheat quality technical seminar for customers of Australian wheat. Attended by flour millers representing 80% market share in Taiwan, the event was hosted by the China Grain Products Research and Development Institute in Taipei, and supported by the Taiwan Flour Mills Association (TFMA).
Traditionally dominated by wheat from North America, Taiwan is nonetheless a valuable market for Australian wheat, worth about $100 million on average (source: ABS 2019-2023).
Wheat from Australia is recognised in Taiwan as having certain advantages over US wheat, including good noodle colour and texture.
Ongoing technical support from Australia that highlights these advantages is valued highly by customers and increases the likelihood they will keep buying from Australia. AEGIC’s seminars demonstrate the value and quality of Australian wheat for Asian products like noodles and baked products and provide important seasonal updates.
The latest seminar concludes AEGIC’s wheat quality seminars for the 2023-24 season which has also included Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines.
Mr Kuen-Ho Shih, President of the China Grain Products Research and Development Institute
While in Taiwan, we visited a major food and flour company to trial new uses for Australian Noodle Wheat and Australian Premium Noodle Wheat (APWN).
The company expressed interest in the unique quality features of ANW and APWN for Taiwanese style products like noodles and baked products. When it comes to noodle texture in Taiwan, it is the ‘noodle Q’ that is preferred. ‘Q’, loosely translated, is similar to the Japanese concept of ‘mochi mochi’, which is the unique mix of firmness/softness and chewiness preferred in Japan for udon noodles.
The Taiwan company’s noodle experts were impressed with the very good ‘noodle Q’ of ANW and APWN. AEGIC will continue to work with customers to determine whether there are viable opportunities for ANW and APWN in Asian markets. This project is a co-investment with InterGrain.
For more information about AEGIC’s international activities, please subscribe for email updates.
AEGIC is an initiative of the Western Australian State Government and Grains Australia.
